Translator: CinderTL
All Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures can catalyze transformations in one's life level.
The method of consumption is remarkably simple:
Eat!
Gulp! Without hesitation, Jiang Ye devoured the Five-Colored Treasure Lotus in just a few bites.
Whoosh!
The lotus melted instantly upon entering his mouth, transforming into a cool, refreshing liquid that flowed down his throat.
Buzz! A five-colored radiance surged from Jiang Ye's throat, plunging directly into his abdomen.
Immediately, an indescribably blissful sensation erupted from his lower abdomen, sweeping through his entire body.
"So refreshing..."
"As expected of a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasure. Consuming it causes minimal discomfort," Jiang Ye mused inwardly. "This is a hundred times better than stellar energy."
While stellar energy can also trigger transformations, the process is excruciatingly painful.
Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures, however, offer a gentle transformation. There's no pain involved; instead, the process feels remarkably comfortable.
As Jiang Ye marveled at the sensation, the Five-Colored Treasure Lotus had already dissolved into spiritual substance, now stored within his body.
"Refine," Jiang Ye immediately activated his cultivation technique, enveloping the spiritual substance in strands of stellar energy to break it down.
As he continued refining,
Whoosh! Strange energy surged through his limbs and bones.
At that moment, every cell in Jiang Ye's body seemed to open its mouth, frantically devouring the strange energy and growing stronger.
"My life level is ascending," Jiang Ye silently observed.
Previously, his life level had been far from the threshold of the third breakthrough.
But now?
With the aid of the Five-Colored Treasure Lotus,
the process shouldn't take too long.
Just as Jiang Ye began refining the Five-Colored Treasure Lotus and attempting his breakthrough;
Hundreds of miles away,
Whoosh! A figure was fleeing for his life.
Zooming in, one would see a rugged-looking man with a crimson brand between his brows and a thick, bushy beard.
It was Yun Hong, the Fire Ember Civilization's genius who had previously clashed with Jiang Ye.
He continued his frantic escape, covering another hundred miles before finally slowing down.
"Thank goodness," he muttered.
"I still have a secret technique up my sleeve," Yun Hong muttered, glancing back. He secretly sighed in relief. "This time, I nearly died in that abyssal region."
Earlier, Jiang Ye's ultimate move had truly made him feel the threat of death. Yun Hong had no doubt that if he had stubbornly tried to block it head-on, he would have been killed instantly.
"This person is definitely a Fallen Star-level genius from the Blue Star Civilization," Yun Hong reasoned calmly. "Among those with Dao Bone Aptitude, he belongs to the absolute top tier. Unless I break through to the third breakthrough, I stand no chance against him."
In various cosmic civilizations, geniuses are classified not only by their innate talent but also by another system of evaluation. This is because even within the same level of talent, the gap between individuals can be as vast as the heavens.
Take Dao Bone Aptitude, for example. From lowest to highest, it is typically divided into Dharma Manifestation-level, Sea-Scorching-grade, and Fallen Star-level. These correspond to potential for the seventh, eighth, and ninth breakthroughs, respectively.
Fallen Star-level geniuses are highly revered even within the Fire Ember Civilization, second only to those with Transcendent Aptitude.
In comparison,
Yun Hong was merely a Dharma Manifestation-level genius.
"I'm still not strong enough," Yun Hong thought to himself. "If I could break through to the third breakthrough, even a Fallen Star-level genius at the peak of their second breakthrough would be no match for me."
Between the second and third breakthroughs lay a vast chasm, a barrier of life's shackles.
Even Fallen Star-level geniuses struggled to cross this divide.
"I must break through as soon as possible!"
"I need to find another B-Tier Opportunity," Yun Hong's eyes flashed with determination. "Once I reach the third breakthrough, I'll settle the score with that person."
"As long as he hasn't reached the third breakthrough, revenge will be easy."
With that thought, Yun Hong activated the wristband's projection.
He scanned the map, noting the red dots scattered across it.
Each red dot represented a potential location for an opportunity.
"The nearest Upper B-tier treasure land... Thunder Sound Valley?"
"No, that guy will definitely go there too," Yun Hong reasoned. "I need to avoid him."
"Where should I go?"
Just as Yun Hong was pondering his next move, a message popped up on the wristband's projection.
"Hmm?" Yun Hong's gaze sharpened. "Zhu Hua? A summons?"
His spirit jolted awake.
Zhu Hua was a Fallen Star-level genius from the Fire Ember Civilization, a figure of immense prestige.
Moreover, the sender was already a third breakthrough powerhouse!
On Ancient Star No. 7, this individual undoubtedly ranked among the strongest.
If they issued a command, all nearby Fire Ember Civilization powerhouses would be obligated to obey, as per the civilization's regulations.
"Thunder Sound Valley?" Yun Hong opened the message. "An Upper B-tier treasure land, one of Ancient Star No. 7's top-tier opportunities, will mature in two days."
"Reach Thunder Sound Valley within two days?"
Yun Hong glanced at the valley's location.
"It's ten thousand kilometers away. Two days should be sufficient."
"If I depart now, I'll encounter multiple Low B-tier Opportunities along the way." Yun Hong studied the map. "Perhaps I can achieve my third breakthrough en route."
In a flash, Yun Hong made his decision.
He would go to Thunder Sound Valley!
Previously, he had avoided it for fear of encountering Jiang Ye.
But now?
"With Zhu Hua at Thunder Sound Valley, any Blue Star Civilization genius who dares to show up will be walking straight into their own grave," Yun Hong's eyes gleamed. "Once I achieve my third breakthrough, I won't even need Zhu Hua's help. I'll personally settle the score."
He, too, yearned for revenge.
If the opportunity arose, Yun Hong would personally kill the Blue Star genius.
Of course, this was contingent on him achieving his third breakthrough.
Otherwise, he would never rashly approach his target; doing so would be suicidal.
Yun Hong had a clear understanding of his own limitations.
Donghai Province, entrance to the Cosmic Void Passage of the Extreme Sea Star System.
"Trouble! Jiang Ye and the others have encountered five strong opponents nearing their third breakthrough!"
"One of them is a genius on par with Shi Ting!"
"Jiang Ye and Shi Ting are in trouble. It's likely to be a major battle."
"Wait!"
"Jiang Ye killed one of them with a single spear strike?"
"What? The genius on par with Shi Ting fled? And Jiang Ye wiped out the other four with a single ultimate move?"
"How is that possible?" The two elders from Heaven's Gate University and Starry Sky University stared in disbelief.
Through Qiu Cang's wristband projection, they could monitor Jiang Ye's situation.
Though they couldn't see the actual footage, the two-dimensional images allowed them to discern the battle's progress and outcome.
Jiang Ye's performance left them utterly stunned.
Only Qiu Cang remained calm.
"He merely killed a few quasi-third breakthrough geniuses who were fighting above their life level," Qiu Cang said with a slight shake of his head. "What's the big deal?"
The white-robed elder and the yellow-robed elder fell silent.
They had no words, for Jiang Ye's performance had indeed been astonishing.
"Old Qiu," the white-robed elder from Heaven's Gate University said, shaking his head in admiration, "no wonder you came here personally. I thought you were here for that girl Chen Zilu. But now it seems you value Jiang Ye even more."
Since their arrival, Qiu Cang had been intently watching Jiang Ye's battle footage.
It appeared as though Qiu Cang placed greater importance on Jiang Ye.
Unexpectedly, Qiu Cang shook his head.
"It's not that I value Jiang Ye more," he said in a low voice. "It's that I can't receive any updates from Xiao Chen's side."
"Can't receive updates?" The white-robed elder was taken aback. "Could she have entered some special zone?"
"Yes."
"She lost signal shortly after entering Ancient Star No. 7," Qiu Cang frowned. "Two days have passed, and there's still no word."
The white-robed elder and the yellow-robed elder exchanged surprised glances.
Still in the same place after all this time?
Could she be in danger?
"Old Qiu, don't worry," the yellow-robed elder Huang Canglong from Starry Sky University reassured him. "The girl might just be in secluded cultivation."
"Let's hope so," Qiu Cang said, cutting off the conversation.
"Hmm? That girl Su Haiyue is almost at Thunder Sound Valley," Yellow-Robed Elder Huang Canglong suddenly remarked.
"Thunder Sound Valley?"
Qiu Cang and the White-Robed Elder exchanged significant glances.
"Ah, Thunder Sound Valley," the White-Robed Elder sighed. "It has always been a fiercely contested territory on Ancient Star No. 7. Every time the star opens, it becomes a scene of bloody carnage."
"Su Haiyue reached Thunder Sound Valley so quickly?"
"According to the schedule, the opportunity there shouldn't have matured yet, right?" the White-Robed Elder wondered.
"It's still two days away."
"There's plenty of time. I expect many foreign race geniuses will converge there," Huang Canglong said, his expression darkening with concern. "With Su Haiyue as the only third breakthrough powerhouse among us, the competition will be fierce."
He had already learned about the situation inside.
Near Thunder Sound Valley, Blue Star's geniuses were woefully outnumbered.
This was simply a matter of bad luck.
The Cosmic Void Passages teleported travelers to random locations, not fixed areas.
Ancient Star No. 7 contained hundreds of these passages, scattered across its surface. Any passage could be the destination for those arriving from Blue Star.
In the Thunder Sound Valley region, Su Haiyue was the only Blue Star genius who had been teleported nearby.
"Don't panic," the white-robed elder said with a smile. "Jiang Ye is also in that area, only about ten thousand kilometers away. He'll likely go there."
"Jiang Ye?"
Huang Canglong shook his head, saying nothing.
Jiang Ye could indeed handle opponents approaching the third breakthrough realm.
But what if he faced a foreign race genius who had truly achieved the third breakthrough? Unless Jiang Ye himself broke through to the third breakthrough, it would be nearly impossible for him to contend.
Each time one shattered life's shackles, it triggered an unimaginable transformation.
Fighting across realms? Almost impossible.
Jiang Ye, of course, remained unaware of these external concerns.
At that moment, he was focused on refining the spiritual energy within his body.
He had already consumed all three Five-Colored Treasure Lotuses.
The immense spiritual energy nearly filled Jiang Ye's body, making him feel as if he were soaking in a spiritual hot spring.
Every cell in his body greedily absorbed the energy.
Transformation.
"My body..."
"It's undergoing genetic-level evolution," Jiang Ye clearly sensed. "The most fundamental particles that compose my cells are being reorganized and reborn."
His life level continued to ascend.
Time flowed onward.
In the blink of an eye, several hours had passed.
Swish!
A snow-bright gaze lit up within the cave.
"Finally," Jiang Ye murmured, opening his eyes. "The refining is nearly complete." He focused his inner vision on himself. "Since my innate talent was upgraded to Dao Bone Aptitude, the speed at which I can refine spiritual energy has greatly increased."
The Low B-tier Opportunity contained an immense amount of spiritual substance, far exceeding the D-Tier Opportunity he had refined previously. Naturally, refining it took considerable time.
But the benefits were equally significant.
Whoosh!
A formidable Martial Dao Aura erupted from Jiang Ye's body.
Buzz... The ferocious aura caused the surrounding ground to tremble faintly.
This qi prowess clearly surpassed the limits of the second breakthrough, reaching an entirely new level.
"Quasi-third breakthrough!" Jiang Ye's eyes gleamed with snow-bright light.
The three Five-Colored Treasure Lotuses had finally allowed him to cross the threshold of the second breakthrough and successfully reach a new realm!
"My strength..." Jiang Ye sensed the surging power within him. "It's at least five times greater than before."
The three Five-Colored Treasure Lotuses had indeed proven to be remarkably potent.
However, the benefits of consuming the same spiritual object repeatedly would gradually diminish.
When Jiang Ye consumed the first Five-Colored Treasure Lotus, his strength doubled. By the time he took the second, the improvement had diminished significantly. After the third, the effect dwindled to less than half of the previous gain.
Jiang Ye had anticipated this diminishing return from his previous experience refining spiritual substances, so he wasn't surprised.
Regardless, Jiang Ye's current state was a world apart from his former self.
"Even against a true third breakthrough powerhouse," he mused inwardly, "I should now have the strength to fight." He sighed in admiration, "This Five-Colored Treasure Lotus is truly a remarkable treasure."
Suddenly, something occurred to him.
"Bai Gui," Jiang Ye called out mentally, "was Ancient Star No. 7 ever occupied by the Cangxu Civilization?"
"Yes," Bai Gui confirmed with a nod. "The Extreme Sea Civilization has already been annexed by the Cangxu Civilization."
"Then why didn't they guard the opportunities here?" Jiang Ye asked, puzzled. "Did they simply not value them?"
"The Cangxu Civilization is a second-tier cosmic civilization," Bai Gui explained. "Naturally, they wouldn't value these opportunities. This region was actively opened to outsiders by the Cangxu Civilization themselves."
"Actively opened?" Jiang Ye couldn't help but be astonished. "Are the Cangxu Civilization really that benevolent? Even the Blue Star Civilization can benefit from such generosity?"
"You're mistaken," Bai Gui said, shaking her head. "From what I know, the Blue Star Civilization paid a considerable price to gain access to Ancient Star No. 7."
Jiang Ye held his breath.
The Blue Star Civilization actually paid a price for this?!
"Most cosmic civilizations treat other civilizations with utter darkness," Bai Gui said calmly. "Even weaker civilizations. The cosmos itself is dark, and even the White Dragon Civilization was no exception."
"I understand," Jiang Ye nodded silently.
"Furthermore," Bai Gui added, as if remembering something, "if my guess is correct, the Shadow Calamity outbreaks across Blue Star may be connected to the Cangxu Civilization."
"Shadow Calamity? Cangxu Civilization?" Jiang Ye's mind reeled.
The Shadow Calamity claimed the lives of over ten million people on Blue Star every year.
Could such a massive disaster truly be linked to the Cangxu Civilization?
"Senior Bai Gui, are you saying the Shadow Calamity was caused by the Cangxu Civilization?" Jiang Ye couldn't help but ask.
"I never said that," Bai Gui chuckled. "Don't overthink it. Once you grow stronger and reach a higher level, some things will naturally become clear."
"Knowing too much now would only be detrimental to you," she cautioned.
"Understood," Jiang Ye nodded, falling silent.
He knew it in his heart.
Bai Gui was likely worried that he might reveal hostility if he encountered strong individuals from the Cangxu Civilization in the future.
Even the slightest hint of animosity could bring catastrophic consequences upon himself, or even upon Blue Star.
Whether it was him or the current Blue Star, both were utterly insignificant before a second-tier cosmic civilization.
"Forget about all that," Jiang Ye muttered, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.
Beep! He activated the wristband's map projection.
"Thunder Sound Valley?" Jiang Ye studied the map. "It's still over ten thousand kilometers away."
"Time to set out."
"I hope I can find my senior sister's trail there," Jiang Ye said, rising and darting out of the cave.
(End of the Chapter)
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