Translator: CinderTL
Splat! Splat! Splat-splat!
Around Cosmic Passage 21, blades flashed incessantly.
Jiang Ye had transformed into a god of slaughter, wielding a golden blade as he weaved through the endless shadow tide.
By now, his kill count far exceeded the target of 1,000.
But his current slaughter was no longer solely for the mission.
"Kill!" Jiang Ye roared, his blade slashing relentlessly.
If Zhang Jianwu were nearby, he would have noticed that Jiang Ye wasn't merely swinging his blade.
It was more like he was throwing punches!
"Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist!" Jiang Ye channeled the fist technique into his swordsmanship, each strike unleashing thunderous roars.
His blade moved faster and faster!
He had been fighting continuously for over ten hours.
Fueled by the Peerless Battle Intent, his attack speed had surged by 50%!
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Ye unleashed over a dozen strikes.
The golden blade, crackling with thunderous momentum, pierced savagely into the surrounding shadow tide.
"Faster! I can go even faster!"
Jiang Ye's expression remained resolute, his heart as still as a tranquil lake amidst the carnage.
Gradually, he seemed to sink into a peculiar state of immersion.
His swordsmanship and fist techniques continued to improve relentlessly.
In the depths of his being, a life's shackle, like a frozen river cracking in spring, shattered with a thunderous roar. A long-dormant surge of energy erupted from his tailbone, surging upward through his crown chakra.
"Kill!" Jiang Ye, struck by sudden inspiration, unleashed his full potential.
Whoosh!
Every ounce of his strength erupted, the last vestiges of stellar energy in his Guanyuan Acupoint pouring into this single strike.
He swung his blade!
In that instant, a blinding flash of sword light shot skyward.
Boom!
A thunderous roar exploded—no longer muffled like before, but as sharp and resonant as spring thunder.
Visible ripples of lightning-like patterns materialized in the air, spreading wildly. Deafening thunder reverberated in all directions, an unbroken chain of sonic booms.
Boom!
A terrifying shockwave erupted from Jiang Ye's position, bending the surrounding shadow tide like reeds in a storm.
Jiang Ye's eyes gleamed faintly.
"The Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist has broken through!"
He glanced at his status panel:
[Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist: Small Success (99%) → Major Success (1%)]
"This advanced art technique has finally reached Major Success," Jiang Ye murmured, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Since the third day, he had been attempting to integrate the fist technique into his swordsmanship.
The constant slaughter of enemies had also honed his fist technique.
Amidst the endless carnage, his fist technique had grown rapidly.
In just two days, it had surged from Small Success (81%) to Major Success.
This rapid breakthrough was partly due to his Upper A-tier physique, but more importantly, it stemmed from the insights gained through combat.
"With the Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist at Major Success, I can now create a brief Thunderclap Domain, exerting a tangible sense of oppressive force!" Jiang Ye surveyed his surroundings.
That single strike had forced back the surging shadow tide, creating a domain within a ten-foot radius that belonged solely to Jiang Ye.
This was the power of the Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist at Major Success!
Jiang Ye's hands burned with heat, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. He was eager to further test the full extent of his newfound power.
Clang—
Just then, a deep midnight bell tolled.
The next moment...
Boom!
The massive iron gates sealing the market slowly creaked open.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several figures surged through the entrance.
It was the Shadow Hunt Squad, who had been stationed outside the gates all along.
"Candidates, your mission is complete!" the squad captain's voice boomed across the market. "Thank you for your hard work. Return to your quarters and rest. We'll take it from here."
With that, he led his squad into the endless shadow tide.
Seeing this, Song Wanbai and the others ceased their slaughter and withdrew.
"Brother Jiang, let's retreat too," Lin Yushu said, joining Jiang Ye.
"Alright, let's head back," Jiang Ye nodded, showing no reluctance to leave the battle.
The midnight bell marked the arrival of the sixth day!
He needed to rest well today.
For tomorrow was the Reserve Star Professional Special Assessment.
Whether he would become a Reserve Star Practitioner would depend on tomorrow's performance.
Jiang Ye and Lin Yushu left the market together.
Before leaving, Jiang Ye glanced back.
From the Stellar Void Passage, Shadow Clan warriors continued to pour forth in an endless stream.
"Why do these Shadow Clan Infants seem endless?" Jiang Ye asked, his expression grave.
He suspected that this wasn't just happening at one Stellar Void Passage. The other hundred or so passages were likely facing the same situation.
"The Shadow Calamity is truly relentless," Jiang Ye sighed inwardly.
After just five days, they were already exhausted.
Even with the "Battle Hardened" buff, he was running on fumes.
And the Shadow Hunting Bureau? They had to endure this for another half a month.
Moreover, this was only a first-tier shadow calamity. If it were a second-tier or even a higher third-tier calamity, the situation would be catastrophic.
This mission had given Jiang Ye a profound understanding of the Shadow Calamity's terror.
"Cosmic martial artist," Jiang Ye thought, a determined glint in his eyes.
Only by becoming a cosmic martial artist, breaking through life's shackles one by one, could he hope to withstand such a terrifying threat.
"See you tomorrow, Brother Jiang," Lin Yushu said, waving goodbye on the street. "We'll be rivals then."
Jiang Ye smiled faintly. "I won't hold back."
"Haha, neither will I," Lin Yushu laughed, turning to leave.
On the other side, Song Wanbai also cast a deep glance at Jiang Ye.
His performance over the past five days had utterly astonished her, repeatedly shattering her preconceived notions.
But the specialized assessment... he has to compete with Su Tong'er, Wan Yaoyang, and those university students for the top three spots?
His chances of success are virtually zero.
Song Wanbai knew all too well the formidable strength of those competitors.
Jiang Ye was destined to fail in this Reserve Star Professional Assessment.
Yet she didn't dwell on it. Even she herself had mentally prepared for failure.
After all, there would be another chance next year.
Next year, this kid will definitely stand out. Song Wanbai believed that this young man from a remote mountain village in Ancheng was destined to one day make a name for himself.
If not next year, then the year after.
Perhaps one day, he would stand in an arena filled with geniuses, shining brilliantly.
Or even... venture to the prosperous and distant Eastern Ten Provinces, where Heavenly Pride shone like countless stars, and carve out his own legend on that grand stage.
But that was a distant future.
For now? Jiang Ye's strength was still lacking.
"Sister Bai, let's go," the cat-eared girl urged from the side.
"Mm, let's go," Song Wanbai replied, glancing at Jiang Ye one last time before turning to leave.
Jiang Ye, of course, had no idea what Song Wanbai was thinking.
He walked to the side of the street and climbed into a black sedan.
"Director," Jiang Ye said, looking at Zhang Jianwu.
Zhang Jianwu chuckled. "Mission complete? How many did you take down?"
Hearing this, Jiang Ye suddenly remembered he hadn't checked his combat record yet.
Beep!
He activated the wristband's holographic projection.
Jiang Ye: 2340 kills
"2340 Shadow Clan?" A flicker of surprise crossed Zhang Jianwu's eyes before he grinned. "I didn't realize you were not only strong in combat, but also had such incredible stamina."
"Director, you're flattering me," Jiang Ye said, scratching his head.
He knew Zhang Jianwu had likely been observing his battles from some hidden corner over the past five days. Otherwise, how would he know about his stamina?
With newfound seriousness, Jiang Ye said, "Director, thank you for everything."
Zhang Jianwu had personally driven him here and acted as his guardian for all these days.
Few other candidates received such preferential treatment.
"It's no trouble at all," Zhang Jianwu said with a smile. "If you want to thank someone, thank your own hard work."
He had indeed shown Jiang Ye extra consideration because of Chen Zilu.
But if Jiang Ye hadn't worked so diligently and proven himself capable, Zhang Jianwu would never have gone to such lengths.
"Go get some rest. Tomorrow is the specialized assessment." Zhang Jianwu started the engine, and the car headed toward the hotel.
Jiang Ye nodded and settled into the rear seat, a wave of exhaustion washing over him.
Five consecutive days of combat had drained every last reserve of energy.
His body was utterly spent.
Within three seconds, he had fallen asleep.
"Little guy," Zhang Jianwu murmured, watching the sleeping Jiang Ye, a flicker of concern in his eyes. "Getting into the top three in the specialized assessment... that's going to be tough."
Over the past five days, he had gathered information on the other candidates.
Besides prodigies like Su Tong'er and Wan Yaoyang, some university students nearing their second breakthrough were also formidable opponents.
The competition for the top three spots was far fiercer than he had initially imagined.
(End of the Chapter)
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