Translator: CinderTL
Within Jiang Ye's body, a violent storm was raging.
The purple mist entered his body, following the circulation path of his cultivation technique, flowing through his meridians until it reached the Guanyuan Acupoint.
In an instant, over twenty strands of the mist surged into the Guanyuan Acupoint.
Boom!
Like a depth charge detonating, the entire Guanyuan Acupoint trembled violently.
Hmm?!
Jiang Ye's expression shifted as he abruptly halted his cultivation.
The twenty-odd strands of mist, upon entering the Guanyuan Acupoint, had instantly expanded, unleashing terrifying energy.
Within mere seconds, they had filled the entire acupoint, nearly bursting it from within.
This Primordial Stellar Energy... it actually expands?!
Jiang Ye was shocked. Logically, his Guanyuan Acupoint should have been able to accommodate twenty to thirty thousand strands of stellar energy.
After all, his Advancement Method was nearing Small Success.
But now? Just over twenty strands of Primordial Stellar Energy, after expanding, had nearly ruptured his Guanyuan Acupoint.
A single strand of Primordial Stellar Energy can expand into over a thousand strands of regular stellar energy?!
The realization sent a chill down Jiang Ye's spine.
If he had cultivated even slightly faster, absorbing just one more strand of mist, his Guanyuan Acupoint would have completely burst.
Once the Guanyuan Acupoint exploded, Jiang Ye would be reduced to a cripple, forever barred from the path of cosmic martial arts.
"Fortunately, I circulated my energy much slower than usual," Jiang Ye murmured, taking a deep breath.
At his normal pace, he would have absorbed over thirty strands of stellar energy by now. But this time, he deliberately slowed down, absorbing exactly twenty-odd strands of Primordial Stellar Energy—no more, no less—just enough to reach the critical threshold.
A coincidence? Jiang Ye's mind suddenly stirred. Or could it be because of the luck boost I received earlier?
Luck was an elusive and mysterious force. Yet this incident undeniably made him sense its presence.
"Time to focus on refining," Jiang Ye thought, closing his eyes.
The refining efficiency within the Purification Pool far surpassed that of the outside world. If he seized this opportunity, he might only need one or two more cosmic temperings to break through life's shackles and achieve his first breakthrough.
In the distance, Su Tong'er's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "That guy... he really is lucky."
She had guessed that Jiang Ye had reached the critical threshold by the narrowest of margins. But such a probability was vanishingly small. Even those with Nascent Aptitude could easily absorb hundreds of strands of stellar energy in a single circulation.
By the time Su Tong'er realized what was happening, Jiang Ye's Guanyuan Acupoint would have had already exploded.
What Su Tong'er didn't know was that Jiang Ye didn't possess a Nascent Aptitude at all, but the lowest-tier Primitive Aptitude.
With each cultivation cycle, he could only absorb a mere twenty-odd strands of stellar energy.
Yet it was precisely this limitation that saved his life.
During Jiang Ye's attempt to absorb Primordial Stellar Energy, some participants had already reached their limits and voluntarily withdrawn.
Above the Purification Pool, on a transparent glass platform, Director Li, with his silver hair, and several high-ranking officials were observing the scene below.
"They couldn't even last three minutes?" Director Li shook his head slightly. "I didn't expect anyone to give up so quickly this time."
Beside him, Tang Huochang also wore a disappointed expression, sighing, "And this is just Primordial Stellar Energy."
"If they were exposed to Second-Tier Stellar Energy, they probably wouldn't last even ten seconds."
"Such individuals are ill-suited to become Star Practitioners," she concluded, shaking her head.
The cosmos teemed with peril.
Primordial Stellar Energy was merely the lowest-grade form of stellar energy.
Most Forbidden Zones were saturated with Second-Tier, Third-Tier, or even Fourth-Tier Stellar Energy.
These regions were true death traps, characterized by extreme environments and teeming with unimaginable dangers.
Yet it was often in such perilous places that extraordinary opportunities arose, bringing the dawn of progress to human civilization.
The mission of Star Practitioners was to venture into these terrifying zones and explore the unknown.
If one couldn't even withstand Primordial Stellar Energy, they were fundamentally unsuited for the path of a Star Practitioner.
"Hmm?"
Director Li suddenly let out a soft murmur, his gaze fixed on Jiang Ye. "This young fellow is actually actively absorbing Primordial Stellar Energy?"
"Lucky kid," he chuckled. "Attempting to absorb Primordial Stellar Energy before reaching the first breakthrough is extremely dangerous."
A flicker of surprise crossed Tang Huochang's delicate features.
"It was my oversight," she said hesitantly. "I should have warned them earlier."
Director Li shook his head. "It's not your fault."
Primordial Stellar Energy inflicted excruciating pain.
Even holding one's breath and blocking out all senses couldn't prevent the agony. Actively absorbing it was beyond comprehension.
Only those with formidable strength, like Su Tong'er and Ye Xiuluo, would dare attempt such a feat.
Even Director Li hadn't expected Jiang Ye, who hadn't even achieved his first breakthrough, to dare attempt such a feat.
In all previous Reserve Star Professional Assessments, no one had ever dared to do this.
But even if something went wrong, the numerous high-ranking officials present wouldn't stand idly by. They could rescue Jiang Ye in an instant.
However, such an intervention would inevitably lower Jiang Ye's subsequent treatment by a tier.
And now? It might even elevate him.
"This kid's strength may not match Su Tong'er or Ye Xiuluo," Director Li chuckled, "but his Martial Dao Will is exceptionally formidable."
"It seems he's more than capable of passing this assessment."
Tang Huochang nodded in agreement.
This much was evident from his performance during the previous assassination mission.
How else could he have endured 24 hours of continuous combat without a will as unyielding as bedrock?
Time flowed relentlessly.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
During this period, candidates continuously rose to their feet and withdrew.
Even knowing that withdrawal meant elimination, they couldn't endure the agonizing pain.
The number of participants in the Purification Pool steadily dwindled.
150 people.
130 people.
100 people.
Finally, after half an hour, only 90 remained.
"Primordial Trial Assessment complete!" a cold, mechanical voice announced.
Buzz~ The entrance gate slowly opened, and fresh air rushed in, diluting the dense mist.
In an instant, the purple mist that had filled the Purification Pool vanished completely.
Huff!
The remaining 90 participants exhaled in relief, many collapsing onto the ground.
Finally! It was over.
The past half-hour had felt like half a year to them, an unbearable torment.
Only Jiang Ye wore a hint of regret on his face.
What a pity. If only I could have stayed longer, he thought to himself.
He hadn't refined much of the Primordial Stellar Energy within him.
After all, he'd only been there for half an hour.
This was the Primordial Purification Pool; in a regular Cosmic Cleansing Pool, such a short time would likely have yielded less than 1% refinement.
"Even though I only refined a small amount, my physical strength has noticeably increased."
Jiang Ye carefully examined himself, feeling his entire body brimming with a ferocious, wolf-like power.
Cosmic energy could penetrate bone and marrow—this was the process by which the human body achieved transcendence.
Primordial Stellar Energy would only amplify this effect.
Exactly how much stronger had he become? He couldn't tell.
Jiang Ye didn't dwell on it.
The upcoming Cosmic Melee wouldn't depend on physical strength, as everyone would be suppressed to the same level.
It would come down to pure combat skill.
"Finally, I've reached the final stage," Jiang Ye muttered, clenching his fist. "Whether I can become a Reserve Star Practitioner and earn extra points on the College Entrance Examination depends on my performance here."
At the same moment, Tang Huochang descended from the platform.
"Congratulations on passing the Primordial Trial Assessment," she said, smiling at the candidates below. Her magnetic, mature voice resonated throughout the second level:
"Take five minutes to rest, then proceed to the third level for the Cosmic Melee!"
(End of the Chapter)