Translator: CinderTL
[Preparing assessment content based on your life experiences.]
[Please wait.]
In the dimly lit space, lines of small text materialized before Jiang Ye.
"I wonder what form the assessment will take?" Jiang Ye's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
As he ascended the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder, the difficulty of the assessments increased exponentially, and their formats grew increasingly complex.
Correspondingly, the rewards also became more substantial.
A moment later.
[Buzz!] Jiang Ye's consciousness plunged into darkness once more.
He lost track of how much time had passed.
Whoosh!
When Jiang Ye opened his eyes again, he found himself standing atop a mountain peak.
Mist swirled around him.
Behind him loomed a massive martial dao arena.
"Where am I?" A flicker of confusion crossed Jiang Ye's eyes.
[Boom!] Suddenly, an overwhelming torrent of information flooded his mind.
Jiang Ye, Pinnacle of the Spear Dao.
Creator of the Cold Sun Spear Technique, founder of the Cold Sun Dao Field. Wherever his long spear points, all enemies fall before him.
"Now standing at the pinnacle of the martial dao, seeking an opportunity for breakthrough."
A stream of information flashed through Jiang Ye's mind.
"Seeking an opportunity for breakthrough?"
"Doesn't this feel similar to the fourth-layer assessment?" Jiang Ye mused, a puzzled expression on his face as he pondered the information.
Suddenly, he realized:
"Wait, something's different."
"This time, I haven't lost my memories," Jiang Ye thought to himself. "I remember who I am and why I'm here for the assessment."
This was highly unusual.
In previous layers, an invisible force had always erased his memories.
But this time?
Jiang Ye retained full awareness of his purpose.
Just then, a series of subtitles appeared before him:
[Martial Dao Titan, having reached the pinnacle of conventional dao techniques, finds no path ahead and no one behind.]
[To advance further, you must create your own Law!]
[Create a cultivation technique truly your own.]
[The path of Law Creation is like walking on thin ice. Once you embark on this path, there is no turning back. A single misstep could lead to the loss of your true self. Remember this! Remember this!]
"The condition for clearing this stage is Law Creation?" Jiang Ye stared in disbelief.
He had only achieved his third breakthrough.
Where would he find the insight to create a cultivation technique?
Even the Cold Sun Spear Technique was merely an improvement upon the Great Sun Spear Technique, far from being his original creation in the strictest sense.
But...
Jiang Ye's thoughts shifted.
To become a Martial Dao Patriarch, one must create their own Law?
That makes sense, Jiang Ye nodded inwardly. In a low martial world, only by forging a truly unique path can one be called a Martial Dao Patriarch.
However...
Once you embark on this path, there is no turning back? A single misstep could lead to the loss of your true self? Jiang Ye stared at the final line of text. What does this mean?
It seemed like a warning specifically for him.
This was the first time such a message had appeared during the trials.
Jiang Ye shook his head, his mind now focused on a more pressing question:
How am I supposed to clear this stage?
Based on the previous trials, Jiang Ye had initially assumed he could complete the fifth stage within a few days at most.
But now, to create a Law on his own?
Even if time flowed differently here compared to the outside world, it would likely take a very long time.
"No matter what," Jiang Ye muttered, steeling his resolve. "Right now, success in Law Creation is the only option."
He turned to face the massive martial dao arena.
The arena was circular, its floor tiles arranged in black and white to form a pattern resembling the Taiji symbol.
"Cold Sun Dao Field," Jiang Ye read aloud.
"I founded this?" He stepped toward the arena.
If the system had designed it this way, there might be a hidden purpose.
Thump.
The moment Jiang Ye stepped onto the arena, he sensed an utterly contradictory aura—a chaotic blend of extreme cold and terrifying heat, both intensely powerful.
"A dual realm of ice and fire?" Jiang Ye chuckled. "Perfect for cultivating the Cold Sun Spear Technique."
As he thought this, a long spear suddenly materialized in his hand. Pitch-black and nine feet long, it felt perfectly balanced.
"Hmm?" Jiang Ye stared in astonishment. "What I imagine becomes real? Is this place like the Enlightenment Trial on the third level?"
The ability to manifest thoughts into reality was exceedingly rare.
At least, Jiang Ye had never heard of it in the real world.
He had previously asked Bai Gui about it.
Bai Gui replied that even third-tier civilizations lacked such an Enlightenment Opportunity—the ability to manifest thoughts into reality.
She emphasized that if such an opportunity truly existed, it could create multiple Divine beings in a short span of time!
"My current cultivation realm is too low to fully utilize this ability," Jiang Ye said with a self-deprecating smile.
His limited cultivation realm and narrow perspective constrained his thinking.
"Law Creation."
"How should I create a Law?" Jiang Ye pondered deeply. "Should I base it on the Cold Sun Spear Technique and develop a new spearmanship style?"
Spearmanship was Jiang Ye's greatest strength.
If he were to create a Law, it would inevitably be a spearmanship technique.
As for other cultivation techniques? Given Jiang Ye's current understanding, creating such a Law would be even more challenging.
"Law Creation..."
As Jiang Ye pondered, his long spear unconsciously began to move.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Whoosh! Jiang Ye wielded the spear, streaks of icy, violent, and scorching spear light flashing through the air.
It was the Cold Sun Spear Technique, which he had practiced countless days and nights.
"Cold Sun Spear Technique," Jiang Ye murmured.
"As frigid as a deep pool, yet with the explosive power of the Great Sun," he mused silently. "This spearmanship has reached its peak."
He knew this peak wasn't the ultimate limit of the technique itself.
Rather, it was the limit of his own vision and cultivation realm.
"How can I create a new spearmanship?" Jiang Ye pondered anxiously.
He practiced with his spear for a while, then stopped.
"No, that's wrong."
"To create a new Law, I can't rely on existing spearmanship," Jiang Ye thought. "I must forge a new path."
"Where does my path lie?"
"With the Cold Sun?"
"The Cold Sun Spear Technique suits me perfectly; I personally refined it," Jiang Ye acknowledged inwardly. "But it's still not my true path."
To create a cultivation technique truly his own, he couldn't simply adapt existing methods.
He had to break free from the mold and forge a path that belonged solely to him.
Jiang Ye pondered, then raised his spear again.
Whoosh!
Whoosh! Jiang Ye swung the long spear, infusing it with a chaotic mix of concepts as he attempted to create a new form of spearmanship.
Time flowed relentlessly.
Jiang Ye became completely immersed in Law Creation, unable to extricate himself.
His current strength and perspective far surpassed what they had been during the fourth-tier assessment.
After all, Jiang Ye had now studied numerous Profound-Rank High-Grade and even Earth-Rank spearmanship techniques. Having surveyed the myriad schools of thought, his own ideas had begun to take shape.
But Law Creation was no easy task.
Though he had his own ideas, they were too fragmented and chaotic.
They seemed beautiful in theory, but when actually integrated into his spearmanship, they proved utterly mediocre.
Jiang Ye refused to give up. He experimented tirelessly, repeatedly incorporating his thoughts and knowledge into his spearmanship.
Time flowed like water.
Within the Cold Sun Dao Field, a figure moved ceaselessly.
He seemed oblivious to hunger or fatigue.
As days turned into nights, and winter gave way to summer, he remained there, practicing his spear techniques.
Yet the difficulty of Law Creation far exceeded his expectations. No matter how he swung his spear, he struggled to forge a complete path forward.
In the blink of an eye, several years had passed.
The Cold Sun Dao Field remained as picturesque as ever.
However, the dualistic Spear Dao Intent of ice and fire had become incredibly chaotic.
Under the influence of "what you imagine, you manifest," the martial dao arena had transformed in accordance with Jiang Ye's evolving spearmanship.
Now, Jiang Ye found it nearly impossible to execute the true Cold Sun Spear Technique.
He had lost his way while searching for a new path.
This was a terrifying realization.
Losing one's way on the path of Law Creation could undermine even the most solid foundations.
Jiang Ye could no longer properly execute either the Great Sun Spear Technique or the Cold Sun Spear Technique, for he had become utterly lost in the art of spearmanship.
Huff.
When Jiang Ye picked up his spear again, it felt utterly foreign in his hands.
It was as if he were holding a spear for the very first time, having completely forgotten how to wield it.
"I can't even lift the spear anymore," Jiang Ye murmured, his eyes filled with confusion.
Beneath the confusion lay a hint of fear.
He was truly and utterly lost on this path.
At that moment, Jiang Ye finally understood the meaning of the earlier warning:
Once you embark on this path, there is no turning back!
The path of Law Creation is a one-way journey!
Once you set foot on this path, there's no turning back. Perhaps that's why Law Creation is so difficult and rare.
Failure in Law Creation means becoming completely lost on this path.
"I've forgotten the spearmanship I learned before," Jiang Ye murmured. "What do I do? I'll be trapped here forever."
If he'd forgotten even the techniques he'd mastered, how could he possibly create his own?
"The slightest misstep will lead to losing one's true self," Jiang Ye finally understood the meaning of those words.
Could he be lost here forever?
Fear surged uncontrollably in Jiang Ye's eyes.
He might be trapped here forever, lost on this path, unable to turn back or escape!
"No."
"My senior sister is still waiting for me outside." Jiang Ye's gaze suddenly hardened. "I have to get out. I must forge my own path and create my own technique."
He gripped his long spear once more.
But this time, Jiang Ye's mindset seemed different from before.
"My own path."
"My own technique?" Jiang Ye murmured, a flicker of realization flashing in his eyes. "Why am I so fixated on spearmanship? What suits me best is what truly matters."
"What suits me best?"
Jiang Ye asked himself, probing his own heart.
What do I truly desire?
What does my heart yearn for?
Closing his eyes, Jiang Ye finally began to pursue his inner self.
Whoosh~ Unconsciously, the atmosphere within the Cold Sun Dao Field began to shift once more.
The chaotic spear intents rapidly faded away.
The entire Cold Sun Dao Field itself swiftly dissolved.
A completely new scene gradually emerged.
Swish!
When Jiang Ye opened his eyes again, he found himself in that familiar massage room, lying on the pristine white bed.
Surrounding him, several stunningly beautiful young women attended to him, their delicate hands massaging his body with meticulous care.
Beauty leads to decadence, yet it is also one of life's most essential experiences, Jiang Ye thought, gazing at the diverse faces of the women, their youthful vitality radiating around him. A faint realization dawned in his heart.
He closed his eyes, calmly savoring the women's ministrations.
Time flowed by.
Following his heart's guidance, Jiang Ye meditated on the path that truly belonged to him.
He lost track of how long had passed.
Swish~
Jiang Ye's eyes snapped open. The young women before him had transformed into cold, skeletal figures, yet they continued to mechanically massage him.
But Jiang Ye didn't rise.
He remained lying on the bed, experiencing the ministrations of these icy skeletons.
"Red powdered skeletons, a handful of dust."
"A martial artist should neither be captivated by superficial beauty nor fear the emptiness of essence," Jiang Ye's understanding deepened. "Prosperity and annihilation, spring's bloom and winter's frost—all are vital components of life."
Whoosh!
He suddenly sat up.
The massage room and the red powdered skeletons vanished, replaced by the grand martial dao arena.
Jiang Ye once again gripped his spear.
But now, an entirely different aura radiated from him.
"Seeing emptiness within beauty, guarding truth within emptiness," Jiang Ye murmured, his eyes half-closed. "This is my path!"
Swish!
He swung the long spear again.
Countless images flashed through Jiang Ye's mind: graceful figures flickering past—Chen Zilu, Zhao Qingli, Yun Qing'er...
But in the next instant, all those figures transformed into red powdered skeletons.
Not entranced by superficial beauty, nor afraid of essential emptiness.
This was Jiang Ye's Dao!
Boom! Jiang Ye gripped his long spear tightly and unleashed a ferocious thrust.
As the spear struck, the entire martial dao arena's Dao Intent erupted into a violent transformation.
Spring blossoms burst forth in radiant splendor, while simultaneously, stark white skeletons rained down from the heavens—two utterly contradictory Dao Intents fused into one.
Boom!! The moment Jiang Ye's spear pierced through, these two Dao Intents exploded in unison.
This single strike!
Contained both the warmth of spring and the bone deep chill of void.
With a deafening boom, the entire martial dao arena shattered like it had been struck by a nuclear blast, collapsing into dust amidst violent tremors.
"It's done," Jiang Ye finally smiled.
He had finally created a spearmanship technique truly his own!
Whoosh—
In that instant, Jiang Ye's memories flooded back: countless days and nights spent practicing the Great Sun Spear Technique and the Cold Sun Spear Technique.
These memories of spearmanship surged back into his mind.
But now, Jiang Ye felt they no longer mattered.
"A spearmanship truly my own."
"I'll call it the Luoshen Spear," Jiang Ye murmured, a smile playing on his lips.
Luoshen Spear—a spear of beauty!
This was Jiang Ye's unique Spear Dao Intent.
It would inevitably surpass all his previous techniques, reaching unprecedented heights.
Because it was truly his own, perfectly tailored to his essence.
The moment Jiang Ye named this spearmanship,
Whoosh! The surrounding environment rapidly dissolved.
Simultaneously, Jiang Ye's consciousness plunged into darkness.
Swish!
When Jiang Ye opened his eyes again, he stood once more on the golden Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder.
Rumble!
A magnificent golden Martial Dao Monument slowly rose, its surface etched with four majestic characters:
[Martial Dao Patriarch!]
[Congratulations! You have ascended to the fifth level of the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder and obtained the Immortal Monument!]
[Calculating rewards...]
"Finally cleared it," Jiang Ye exhaled deeply, a hint of anxiety creeping into his heart. I wonder how much time has passed in the real world?
He still remembered Chen Zilu waiting for him outside.
This trial had consumed years within the simulated realm.
But time flowed differently here, leaving Jiang Ye uncertain about the passage of time in the outside world.
(End of the Chapter)
------------------------------------------------------
- Read ahead up to Ch659 (SYSLIMIT) on CinderTL; free chapters up to Ch330.
- No sign-up required. Find CinderTL via Google search.
------------------------------------------------------