Translator: CinderTL
Jiang Ye quickly fell into a deep sleep.
In his hazy slumber, he found himself once again as a one-year-old child, cradled in the arms of a handsome young man.
"Hmm?" Jiang Ye murmured, just as he entered the dreamscape.
He suddenly realized that this dream was unusually vivid.
Normally, memories from such a young age would be incredibly hazy, if not completely forgotten by adulthood.
Yet this time, everything was crystal clear.
Is it because I actively entered the dreamscape? Jiang Ye wondered, his heart stirring slightly as he looked ahead through the eyes of his infant self.
Before him stood a colossal golden palace, its towering walls reaching a hundred meters high.
The palace seemed to be cast from pure gold, with shimmering stardust seeping from the seams between the golden bricks, creating an ethereal glow.
Above the palace's main entrance, four majestic characters were inscribed in sweeping calligraphy:
Cosmic Divine Path!
"I must succeed, no matter the cost," Jiang Ye heard the young man mutter to himself again.
At that moment, the young man looked down at Jiang Ye in his arms.
He gently ruffled the infant's hair, a soft smile spreading across his face.
"Once we succeed this time, we'll return in triumph! Then let's see who dares to look down on us, father and son!"
Jiang Ye was taken aback.
He hadn't witnessed this scene in his previous dream.
After speaking, the young man looked up at the golden palace complex and strode forward.
Is he going to participate in the Cosmic Divine Path trial? Jiang Ye wondered. But why is he taking me along?
As he pondered this, he couldn't help but glance around. Where is this palace located? It doesn't seem to be in Ancheng.
Unfortunately, the dreamscape remained hazy.
Jiang Ye scanned his surroundings, but the distant scenery remained indistinct.
Soon, the young man entered the golden palace.
Whoosh~
In the next moment, Jiang Ye's vision went dark, becoming even more blurred.
He could no longer see anything clearly.
However, he could still hear the young man's voice: "Sister Miao, could you please look after the child for me?"
"Me? Look after him?" a gentle female voice replied.
The young man sighed. "He's only a year old. I can't bear to leave him."
"In this city, I only trust you, Sister Miao. Please, I'm begging you."
"Alright, go ahead," a gentle female voice replied.
"Thank you, Sister Miao," the young man said.
Jiang Ye felt himself being transferred to another person's arms. Though he couldn't see clearly, he could feel himself being pressed against two soft, large mounds.
Tap, tap, tap
The young man's footsteps faded into the distance.
The gentle female voice suddenly let out a cold snort, scoffing, "A mere villager, daring to defy fate through the Cosmic Divine Path? How utterly presumptuous."
"If it weren't for Madam Yu's sake—hmph!"
She carelessly placed Jiang Ye on a chair and went about her business.
At this point, the dream abruptly plunged into darkness.
Fragmented and intermittent, Jiang Ye could only catch occasional snippets of conversation, most of which were unintelligible.
Suddenly, the dream shifted.
Young Jiang Ye was once again thrown onto the street, enveloped by endless darkness.
Within that boundless darkness, colossal shadows loomed, closing in to devour him.
Jiang Ye jolted awake, sitting up abruptly in bed. He reached behind him and found himself drenched in a cold sweat.
"Was that... the Shadow Calamity?"
This dream felt incredibly vivid, as if he were truly experiencing it.
Especially the final scene.
He felt like a defenseless one-year-old child, utterly alone in the boundless darkness.
"Who threw me out?"
"Was it Sister Miao?"
Jiang Ye couldn't piece together the full story, so he could only guess wildly.
Young men are often deceived by appearances.
Sister Miao, whom he had trusted most, was clearly not who she seemed.
Of course, it wasn't certain she was the one who threw him out.
But through this dream, Jiang Ye at least knew his biological father hadn't abandoned him.
As for the outcome of his father's trial? He couldn't tell.
The dream was filled with hazy, indistinct fragments.
"Too bad I couldn't glimpse the full scope of the Cosmic Divine Path," Jiang Ye murmured, shaking his head with regret.
He had deliberately entered the dream hoping to uncover the Cosmic Divine Path's secrets.
But as soon as he entered the palace, the dream plunged into darkness.
Even the conversations were reduced to fragmented whispers.
"Perhaps, once my strength grows, I'll be able to see more clearly," Jiang Ye speculated.
Earlier, he could only glimpse fragmented scenes.
But this time, he witnessed many fragments he had never dreamed of before.
Fragments about his biological father, Sister Miao, and the mysterious 'Madam Yu' mentioned in their conversation. Perhaps after his first breakthrough, he could uncover their true forms.
Jiang Ye shook his head, dismissing further thought.
He sat up cross-legged, entered the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder, and began his training in the illusionary realm and pain endurance.
While Jiang Ye was immersed in his training,
In another room,
Zhang Jianwu sat cross-legged, concluding his brief cultivation session.
At his cultivation realm, even a week without sleep wouldn't make him feel tired.
Zhang Jianwu rose, walked to the window, and lit a cigarette.
After a moment's contemplation, he finally pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
Beep
The call connected.
"Director Zhang?" A sweet, pleasant young woman's voice answered.
"Miss Chen," Zhang Jianwu replied, his tone questioning. "Are you busy?"
Due to the time difference, it was late at night in Ancheng, but around 8 PM in the Eastern Ten Provinces.
The sounds of swordplay and martial arts practice echoed from Chen Zilu's end of the line, clearly indicating she was training.
Her clear voice rang out, "Director Zhang, please speak freely if you have something to say."
As a student at White Dragon University, she never had a moment to spare. Every second was precious for cultivation. Having lost a year in Ancheng, she now needed to maximize every moment upon returning to campus.
Yet Chen Zilu maintained perfect politeness toward her former "leader."
"It's about Jiang Ye," Zhang Jianwu said with a smile. "You might not believe the news I'm about to share."
"Oh?"
Hearing the name, the young woman paused her training. A hint of curiosity crept into her tone. "Did he finally score over 600 on the monthly exam?"
"No." Zhang Jianwu shook his head, still smiling. "Jiang Ye passed the Reserve Star Professional Assessment."
"And he's now a Second-Tier Reserve Star Practitioner."
"..."
A moment of silence hung in the air on the other end of the line.
"Incoming video projection request," an electronic voice announced from Zhang Jianwu's phone.
Zhang Jianwu pressed the accept button.
Beep! A holographic projection materialized.
Within the projection stood a breathtakingly beautiful young woman in a pristine white dress, holding a gun.
Beneath the hem of her dress, her jade-like legs were partially visible, paired with snow-white silk stockings trimmed with delicate lace.
It was Chen Zilu.
Her usually cool and composed face now wore a hint of surprise.
"Director Zhang," Chen Zilu said, her voice tinged with disbelief as she gazed at Zhang Jianwu. "Are you saying Jiang Ye... he's become a Second-Tier Reserve Star Practitioner?"
"That's right," Zhang Jianwu replied with a nod and a smile. Seeing her reaction only strengthened his confidence in a certain decision he had been contemplating.
Huff~
Chen Zilu took a deep breath, her captivating peach-blossom eyes wide with astonishment.
If she remembered correctly, the last time she spoke with Jiang Ye, his score on the monthly exam had been only 520 points.
That score fell far short of the standard required to become a Reserve Star Practitioner, let alone the even higher bar for a Second-Tier Reserve Star Professional Position.
"Director," Chen Zilu asked, "what was Jiang Ye's score on the most recent monthly exam?"
"690 points," Zhang Jianwu replied.
"690 points?" Chen Zilu's pupils contracted sharply.
(End of the Chapter)
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