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Translator: CinderTL
"Breakthrough to the fourth breakthrough?"
"If you choose to break through, you'll be transported to the fourth breakthrough region," the Black-Robed Phantom said bluntly.
"The mid-early fourth breakthrough region?" Jiang Ye pressed.
"Correct."
"But you must understand," the Black-Robed Phantom warned, "by the time you reach the Third Star Ring, those mid-early fourth breakthrough experts will also choose to break through."
Jiang Ye's heart tightened.
His greatest concern had materialized.
The Third Star Ring was the final filtering stage.
Once one entered, there would be no need to suppress one's cultivation any longer.
Those mid-early fourth breakthrough alien powerhouses, once they broke through, would become even more formidable.
"Will there be any peak fourth-breakthrough experts?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Most likely not," the Black-Robed Phantom shook his head.
"Why?" Jiang Ye asked, slightly surprised.
The Star Realm Sea was brimming with opportunities. Those who reached the Third Star Ring must be exceptionally powerful geniuses.
After such a long time, could they really not have broken through even two minor realms?
"You underestimate the difficulty of the peak fourth-breakthrough," the Black-Robed Phantom replied, sensing his surprise and shaking his head slightly.
"If we were to quantify it with numbers..."
"From early to mid fourth breakthrough: difficulty 1."
"From mid to late fourth breakthrough: difficulty 5."
"From late fourth breakthrough to peak fourth-breakthrough: difficulty 100."
"Of course, this is just an analogy," the Black-Robed Phantom said indifferently. "The difficulty of breaking through varies from person to person and cannot be measured with specific numbers. Consider it a rough reference."
"I understand," Jiang Ye thought, inwardly startled.
It seemed the difficulty of the fourth breakthrough stage was truly beyond his imagination.
No wonder his senior sister had said that the difficulty from the fourth to the sixth breakthrough far surpassed that from the first to the third.
If even reaching the peak fourth-breakthrough was this hard, breaking through to the fifth breakthrough would likely be even more arduous.
"For those in the early to mid fourth breakthrough stages..."
"They can break through to the late fourth breakthrough easily," the Black-Robed Phantom said, shaking his head. "But to reach the peak fourth-breakthrough? It's only been three months. That's too little time to achieve it."
Jiang Ye nodded, his understanding deepening.
According to the phantom, the transition from the late fourth breakthrough to the peak fourth-breakthrough was likely a formidable barrier.
Only three months had passed since his arrival in the Star Realm Sea.
This short period of accumulation was far from sufficient to break through.
"Since there are no peak fourth-breakthrough experts..."
"Then that simplifies things," Jiang Ye said, a glint in his eyes. "After I break through to the fourth breakthrough, the strongest opponents I'll face will only be at the late stage of the fourth breakthrough."
"Hmm?"
The Black-Robed Phantom smiled faintly at his expression. "Do you truly believe you can rival late-stage fourth-breakthrough cultivators after your own breakthrough?"
"I wouldn't dare," Jiang Ye shook his head.
"You're right. You can't."
"Most who enter the Third Star Ring possess invincible dao bones," the Black-Robed Phantom said calmly. "With your current strength, you might be able to challenge opponents a level above you, but two levels higher?"
He shook his head slightly, saying no more.
The implication was clear:
Among those with invincible dao bones, challenging opponents two levels higher was impossible.
"You speak wisely, Senior," Jiang Ye said with a modest smile.
"In any case, you needn't rush your decision."
"Even breaking through to the fourth breakthrough isn't easy," the Black-Robed Phantom said, looking at him. "It's a major threshold, and the difficulty is immense."
"Even with an invincible dao bone, it requires years of accumulation to break through."
"Your potential is exceptional. Don't force the breakthrough and damage your foundation," the Black-Robed Phantom advised.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior," Jiang Ye said, his heart tightening.
Even the overseer of the Star Realm Sea was deliberately emphasizing the difficulty of the fourth breakthrough?
It seemed the upcoming breakthrough would indeed be no trivial matter.
Jiang Ye asked several more questions, to which the Black-Robed Phantom responded one by one.
Just as Jiang Ye had finished asking and was about to conclude, the Phantom abruptly changed the subject.
"Jiang Ye," the Phantom said solemnly, "before you proceed to the Third Star Ring, I must convey a message to you."
"A message?" Jiang Ye's heart stirred. "Please, senior, go on."
"Do you know of the Cangxu Civilization?" the Phantom asked.
"Cangxu?" Jiang Ye shook his head. "I've never heard of it."
Though he maintained a calm exterior, he was inwardly puzzled. Why was the Phantom suddenly bringing up the Cangxu Civilization? Could it be true, as Princess Zilu had claimed, that the Cangxu Civilization wanted to invite him to join?
"The Cangxu Civilization," the Phantom continued slowly, "is a second-tier cosmic civilization. It is incomparably powerful."
"A second-tier cosmic civilization?!" Jiang Ye feigned shock.
"The Cangxu Civilization controls tens of billions of star systems and countless life-bearing planets," the Phantom added with a hint of pride. "Among these are countless civilizations below the first-tier, like the Blue Star Civilization."
"So powerful?" Jiang Ye's shock deepened, though suspicion lingered in his mind.
The Cangxu Civilization controls hundreds of billions of star systems? That's an exaggeration, surely.
Even during the White Dragon Civilization's peak, they only controlled a hundred billion star systems.
And countless life-bearing planets? That's even more far-fetched.
Out of politeness, Jiang Ye listened patiently.
"The Cangxu Civilization is a dominant force in the Milky Way Galaxy," the Black-Robed Phantom continued. "Civilizations like your Blue Star Civilization fall within their territory."
He then went on to describe many aspects of the Cangxu Civilization, but most of it was grand and hollow rhetoric.
When he finished, Jiang Ye asked, "Senior, why are you telling me all this?"
"What are your thoughts on the Cangxu Civilization?" the Black-Robed Phantom smiled.
"Beyond imagination," Jiang Ye replied frankly. This was the truth.
Regardless of whether the phantom's claims were exaggerated, a second-tier cosmic civilization was an unimaginable entity to Jiang Ye and the entire Blue Star Civilization.
That much was undeniable.
"Have you ever considered joining a second-tier civilization?" the Black-Robed Phantom asked with a smile.
"Senior..."
"You mean..." Jiang Ye held his breath. "You want me to join the Cangxu Civilization?"
Though he had already guessed this.
Even so, when the Black-Robed Phantom actually uttered these words, Jiang Ye was still surprised.
(End of the Chapter)
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