The Qingjiang Cultivation Field was situated on a square-kilometer platform in the heart of a valley, paved entirely with hard bluestone slabs.
An Array Pillar stood at each of the four corners, carved with mysterious Array Patterns. The lines of the patterns were fluid and incredibly vivid, exuding a charm all their own.
The Array Pillars were made of gray jade. Although this was the lowest tier of material for an Array Foundation, four such pillars—each as wide as a well and thirty feet tall—represented an astonishing expenditure. An organization without a profound heritage could never afford so much gray jade.
Under the influence of the Array Patterns, the Gray Jade Array Pillars naturally generated a suction force that gathered the Spiritual Qi from the world.
Together, the four Gray Jade Array Pillars formed a complete Array Formation, transforming the area into a place suitable for cultivation.
In essence, a so-called Cultivation Arena used an Array Formation to alter the natural environment, making the Spiritual Qi far denser and thus more beneficial for a Cultivator's practice.
Although the Qingjiang Cultivation Field was only at the Bronze One-Star Level, it was a place frequented by all Jiang Family disciples below the Seventh-level Mortal Warrior Realm. After all, without a higher-level Cultivation Card, practicing here was far better than in any ordinary environment.
At this moment, several hundred Jiang Family disciples were practicing in the Cultivation Arena. Their cultivation levels ranged from having just opened their Qi Sea to the Fifth Level of a Mortal Warrior. The vast majority, however, were outer-branch disciples; there were only seven or eight direct-line descendants present, including Jiang Haijian and Jiang Haiyun.
The Jiang Family was, in fact, enormous. The Third Mansion, to which Jiang Haijian belonged, housed nearly a thousand people alone. Apart from the Mansion Master and his children, these were all outer-branch disciples who depended on the Third Mansion for survival and took orders from a select few, namely Jiang Haijian and the Third Mansion Master, Jiang Qingsong.
Excluding Jiang Jichen's Fifth Mansion, the First, Second, and Fourth Mansions each had just as many, if not more, outer-branch cultivators than the Third.
Normally, the Qingjiang Cultivation Field hosted around a hundred people. Even during the family's scheduled lectures, the number only rose to about two hundred. But now, during what should have been a quiet period, there were over three hundred. They had all come to watch, having heard that Jiang Jichen would be personally presenting the Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card to Jiang Haijian and his group.
Jiang Haijian and his cronies had intentionally spread this news. The reason he hadn't moved against Jiang Jichen earlier, giving him six hours instead, was precisely to orchestrate this grand spectacle. He wanted Jiang Jichen to suffer utter humiliation in front of every Jiang Family disciple, ensuring he could never hold his head high again.
For Jiang Haijian and his group, seeing the former number one young prodigy of Cyan Moon City yield before them would bring an immense sense of satisfaction and achievement. Their fame would surely spread throughout Cyan Moon City. At every major gathering, this event would become a significant talking point, making them the center of attention.
Just as Jiang Haijian and his group were expecting to receive Jiang Jichen's words of surrender and the offered Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card, a single sentence from Jiang Jichen shattered all their delusions.
Everything had proceeded according to his plan. Yet, the moment Jiang Jichen appeared, a single, nonchalant sentence changed everything.
When Jiang Jichen's voice faded, the entire Qingjiang Cultivation Field fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
They found it hard to believe. A cripple, right in front of all the Jiang Family disciples at the Qingjiang Cultivation Field, had just called Jiang Haijian and his group trash?
"He's insane! I can't feel a single trace of Spiritual Power flowing from him. The rumors must be true—he's a complete cripple. He's just courting death!"
"I see no reason for the Fifth Mansion to exist anymore. A cripple like him, the shame of the Jiang Family, dares to be this arrogant? He deserves to die!"
"My Young Master will certainly teach him a lesson. Just you watch."
"The Four Beauties of Cyan Moon City were wise to break off their engagements with him. Heh, he's not worthy of marrying such gems!"
...
The crowd of Jiang Family disciples finally snapped out of it and burst into discussion. Most of them, however, belonged to Jiang Haijian's Third Mansion or were from other mansions closely allied with it. Their words were filled with nothing but endless mockery for Jiang Jichen.
Of course, there were also those who harbored fantasies about the Four Beauties of Cyan Moon City. Learning that their four "dream goddesses" had broken their engagements with Jiang Jichen, they couldn't help but clap their hands in glee.
Within the crowd, a man and a woman dressed in white stood out. The woman appeared to be sixteen or seventeen, with a tall, slender figure and a lovely face—a rare beauty. The man, around eighteen or nineteen, was handsome, with a gentle smile that contrasted with his sharp eyes.
They were guests from the Ouyang Family, one of the four Great Noble Families of Cyan Moon City. The woman was named Ouyang Xue, and the man was Ouyang Mian.
The white-robed woman, Ouyang Xue, chuckled. "Jiang Jichen may have once been the number one genius, but now his Qi Sea is shattered and his Spirit Veins are completely severed. He's nothing but a cripple. Add to that being forcibly cast aside by the Four Beauties of Cyan Moon City—it's an absolute disgrace. To suffer such a devastating blow overnight... he must have lost the will to live. That's why he's acting so recklessly. He came here seeking death."
But the young man, Ouyang Mian, just smiled gently. "Little sis, I have to disagree. I don't see a hint of despair in Jiang Jichen's eyes. On the contrary, they're filled with immense confidence. His aura is like that of a soaring dragon breaking free from the ocean—an air that only someone with an incredibly strong foundation could possess."
The two siblings were not only direct-line descendants of the Ouyang Family, but also Inheritance Disciples of the Five Spirits Sect.
The Five Spirits Sect was located five hundred li from Cyan Moon City and was a Cultivation Sect on par with the Spirit Moon Sect. The pair had been sent on their sect's orders to scout the major Noble Families of Cyan Moon City for new disciples.
For now, the siblings were only visiting the various Noble Families and observing in secret; they had not yet announced their official purpose.
Before they set out for Cyan Moon City, an Elder from their Five Spirits Sect had explicitly stated that they must do whatever it took to recruit Cyan Moon City's number one young genius, Jiang Jichen.
Ouyang Xue and Ouyang Mian had been assigned this mission specifically because their family was based in Cyan Moon City.
However, upon arriving in Cyan Moon City, they were met with rumors that Jiang Jichen had become a cripple, unable to cultivate, and that four families had broken their engagements with him. They had come to the Jiang Family at the first opportunity to confirm the truth of these rumors. It was then that they heard Jiang Jichen would be at the Qingjiang Cultivation Field to hand over his Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card, which led them to witness the current scene.
"Then let's just wait and see!"
Ouyang Xue retorted, still unconvinced, her gaze fixed intently on the young man standing before the crowd.
Nearby, Jiang Haijian and his group finally snapped back to their senses.
"You cripple! You worthless piece of dogshit! You dare call us trash? Are you looking to die?"
Jiang Haiyun desperately tried to suppress his explosive rage and appear more composed. But in the end, he was just a teenager. His face was already twisted with shame and anger, his eyes blazed with undisguised Killing Intent, and his voice was practically a roar.
"Oh, my mistake," Jiang Jichen said. "You're not trash. You're worse than trash. All you know how to do is roar. Or what, you think your roaring can kill me?"
Jiang Jichen's expression remained perfectly calm, but his words were like barbs, making the group extremely uncomfortable and thoroughly irritated.
"Are you challenging every disciple of the Jiang Family here?"
"If that's the case, then let everyone here bear witness! As long as no lives are taken, the fight doesn't have to stop until one side concedes!"
Although Jiang Haijun's cultivation talent was abysmal, his mind was sharp. He asked coolly.
The crowd grew restless. Even though Jiang Jichen was now a cripple, many of them coveted the fame that would come from defeating the former number one young prodigy of Cyan Moon City.
"If you were to challenge me, would I accept? Of course. After all, facing a piece of trash who's cultivated for ten years and is still just a First-level Mortal, my chances of winning are quite high."
Jiang Jichen said to Jiang Haijun with a perfectly straight face.
His abysmal talent and low cultivation level were a permanent sore spot for Jiang Haijun. How could he possibly bear being mocked for it by a cripple who couldn't even practice?
"Fine! I challenge you! Do you accept?"
Jiang Haijun shouted.
Jiang Jichen didn't respond immediately. Instead, his gaze swept over to Jiang Haijian and the others, as if seeking the opinion of the "witnesses." His eyes, of course, were full of mockery.
"Fine," Jiang Haijian said. "He's a cripple with no cultivation, as weak as an ant. If we were to make a move, people would just accuse us of bullying him. Let Haijun do it. Just imagine: Jiang Jichen, the former number one young prodigy of Cyan Moon City, getting absolutely steamrolled by a First-level Mortal. That will definitely be the hottest topic in Cyan Moon City tomorrow."
Jiang Haijian was considered the most calculating among the direct-line disciples. His firm, confident voice drew everyone's attention, and with that, the matter was settled.
The crowd's thoughts mirrored Jiang Haijian's words. Jiang Jichen was no different from an ordinary mortal now. How could he possibly contend with Jiang Haijun of the First-level Mortal Realm?
The outcome was already decided, irreversible!
"Jiang Jichen, while I can't kill you, I'm going to beat you half to death and cripple you even further. You'll spend the rest of your life bedridden! That's the price you pay for disrespecting me!"
"Now, hand over the Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card!"
Jiang Haijun circulated his Spirit Veins, his Qi Sea churned, and in an instant, immense power flooded his legs.
In the Mortal Realm, a cultivator circulates their Spirit Veins to draw from their Qi Sea, spreading Spiritual Qi throughout the body to strengthen specific parts, thereby increasing speed and power.
The vaster the Qi Sea and the more Spirit Veins one cultivated, the greater the enhancement to one's power and speed.
With his legs now filled with Spiritual Power, Jiang Haijun's speed and strength surged. In a flash, he appeared before Jiang Jichen, his right hand darting out to snatch the Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card.
Jiang Jichen remained rooted to the spot. His hand merely shifted a fraction, and Jiang Haijun's grab met nothing but air.
'How is that possible?'
'How could a cripple with no cultivation dodge a grab at that speed?'
In truth, few people had been able to clearly see Jiang Jichen's movement. It seemed as though he had only casually shifted his hand—or perhaps not moved at all—yet it was just enough for Jiang Haijun to grab at empty air.
Jiang Haijun assumed it was a coincidence and attacked again. He stepped forward, his hand changing from a grab to a palm strike, sending a Palm Shadow striking toward Jiang Jichen's chest.
Power Condensing Palm, a First-level Mortal Technique, could increase both Palm Power and Palm Speed, greatly enhancing its might.
It was a strike that seemed impossible to miss, yet it still found nothing but air.
Jiang Jichen simply took a slight step to the side to evade it. Then, he threw a punch, landing it squarely in Jiang Haijun's stomach.
PFFT!
Jiang Haijun spat a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning deathly pale. He then collapsed to the ground like a boneless heap, completely motionless.
A one-punch victory!
The entire exchange had taken no more than a few breaths. All the while, Jiang Jichen's other hand still held the Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card, which now glinted in the autumn sun, dazzling the eyes of the onlookers.