Chapter 70: The Next Step – Revitalizing the Cultivation World (70% complete)

Jiang Yun's expression didn't change much.

Talisman cultivators and ghost cultivators have different focuses in their cultivation, creating a natural gap in their martial arts abilities. He has not yet shown his full strength in front of others. Wang Yikun is not a reckless or ignorant person; he must have made thorough preparations to dare to directly challenge him by name.

He didn't believe that Wang Yikun had singled out his name in such an important assessment just to intimidate him. He was determined to complete what he hadn't finished three years ago—to eliminate the threat completely and leave no future trouble.

Therefore, he was mentally prepared.

Although he didn't know what methods the other party would use, he had no intention of running away. He had to settle the score eventually, and he would have to face the past sooner or later.

Their feud can only be a life-or-death struggle.

Jiang Yun gripped the sword in his hand tightly.

Don't be afraid, I'll be with you, host.

At this point, the host will face a challenge that could change drastically. 444 felt that he was a habitual offender, so he simply did the same thing as when they first met.

Jiang Yun felt a warm force holding his hands.

In a blur, he seemed to see a milky white sphere of light fighting alongside him.

The power, enough to annihilate a Nascent Soul cultivator, was fully gathered. Wang Yikun had exhausted all his spiritual energy, and his face turned pale.

He laughed even more wildly.

Prepare to die.

Amidst the howling wind, Jiang Yun understood his lip movements.

A full-force attack from the peak of the Nascent Soul stage transformed into a white blade, slashing down heavily, determined to destroy the entire world. Wherever it passed, space seemed to be torn apart, revealing endless nothingness and chaos.

A blinding white light engulfed the entire arena. Even with the barrier in place, the others couldn't help but tremble, and a large number of spectators stood up instantly.

Originally, there were no seats set up under the arena. It was Jun Huilian and Su Xiaoyao who took the lead. Seeing that the proctors and the future students of the academy who were basically guaranteed to be first in the entrance examination were enjoying themselves so much, the others stopped worrying about their posture and moved their own seats to watch comfortably.

Well, that's it, an attack startled them so much that they all stood up straight.

It's no wonder they're making a fuss; this level of attack shouldn't even be included in entrance exams.

"My God! This must be an attack from a peak Nascent Soul stage cultivator! It's terrifying! Look, even space itself is being torn apart!"

"Isn't Tianyan Academy even more terrifying? The arena base is intact, and the barrier is completely unmoved. I remember that the barrier at the Lingzhou Grand Gathering couldn't even withstand the power of two Golden Core stage cultivators who were above their level."

"Is it reasonable for this to happen in a Golden Core stage duel?"

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

The two familiar cultivators were positioned near the front, but because the people in front of them were startled and stood up, they had to stand up as well to avoid having their view blocked.

With such a big commotion, no one wanted to miss it.

The cultivator in the moon-white robe said to his companion, "A secret technique of the Holy Prayer Palace? This is going for the kill. Luckily, I didn't face him."

"It'll be hard for you to even face him. He's after Jiang Yun. Didn't you get the gossip on the internal network?" his companion said.

Everyone who comes here is curious about the intranet and has learned some terms like "eating melons" (a Chinese slang term for gossiping or engaging in online discussions). These terms are vivid and concise, and they like to use them.

The Moon-White Cultivator blinked, looking surprised: "You mean the person who smeared Jiang Yun is him? Isn't the internal network anonymous? How could you know?"

"This was exposed a long time ago, how could you not know the inside story?" his companion said in surprise.

The Moon-White Cultivator explained, "I only ate half of the melon. Later, when the Hundred Flavors Pavilion opened, I went to join the fun and found that the dishes there were full of spiritual energy. I was busy eating and drinking, so I didn't read on."

"There's a summary of the whole thing on the forum, you can take a look back."

"I understand the general idea from what you've said. I'm still more interested in whether Bai Niang Qian Wei Lou will introduce new dishes after the assessment is over." He seemed to want to continue.

"Let's eat and figure it out, after all... one of these two will definitely be our future classmate," his companion said, pursing his lips.

"It can only be Wang Yikun, how could a Golden Core cultivator withstand such an attack?" said the Moon White cultivator.

His companion glanced back and said, "Who knows? Look at that talisman. I find it weird, I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe the proctor will interfere."

"Look, the proctor is still eating sunflower seeds." The Moon-White Cultivator followed his gaze and saw the calm Jun Huilian.

"Is there any talisman cultivator who understands this? I really want to know what it is, that it can make an attack from a Golden Core cultivator unleash the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator or higher."

Aside from being mere spectators, this attack genuinely shocked many people.

Their yearning for strength made them itchy to join in.

If only they could have such a trump card!

“Yes, the Holy Prayer Palace actually possesses such a secret technique. However…” The Moon-White cultivator’s eyes darted around as if he remembered something, and his expression turned sullen again. “Is this really a secret technique of the Holy Prayer Palace? Could it be another one…”

His companions knew what he meant. The photos taken at the Lingzhou Grand Gathering had spread throughout the four continents long ago, and the reputation of the Holy Prayer Palace in the cultivation world would not recover for a while.

"This time it really is a secret technique of the Holy Prayer Palace."

Suddenly, someone next to me chimed in.

The two cultivators looked over at the same time and saw a woman in red with a frosty expression on her face.

The cultivator in the moonlight thought she looked familiar, and after thinking carefully for a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Ah! I recognize you!"

He remembered.

"You're the one who almost had the rare copy left by the Heavenly Dao Ancestor snatched away by the elders of the Holy Prayer Palace at the Lingzhou Grand Gathering! I even saw your name in the written test; you ranked fourth!"

He didn't control his volume, and as soon as he said that, everyone around him turned around.

"What insightful opinion do you have, Fellow Daoist Shen?" his companion asked hastily.

He tugged at his loud and boisterous friend and gave him a wink.

Needless to say, after the news of the Lingzhou Grand Gathering's record stone spread, everyone knew that she possessed the secret manual left behind by the Heavenly Evolution Dao Ancestor. Moreover, during this period, the talisman cultivators on the island had carried out many exchanges, and a trend of her taking the lead was subtly forming.

These are students of the academy who are a certainty of their future, and can even be considered half a student of the Heavenly Dao Ancestor. They are not people they can afford to offend.

Others naturally realized this as well, and their attention to Shen Suqi increased even more.

Hearing her say that, and knowing the grudge between her and the Holy Prayer Palace, it seemed that she knew some inside information. So everyone around her quietly pricked up their ears, and some even opened the recording stone to record it.

"I wouldn't call it insightful, but I know a little about the inside story," Shen Suqi sneered, her expression anything but pleasant.

"Although I have never seen that rune before, I have seen something similar in the Dao Ancestor's secret manual."

When the Heavenly Dao Ancestor was mentioned, everyone else perked up their ears even more.

"It's not that Wang Yikun is so powerful; it's a kind of contract rune. He temporarily borrowed someone else's power. Right now, there's a Nascent Soul stage expert thousands of miles away acting as a henchman for this Golden Core stage cultivator."

Her words were full of sarcasm.

"This...this...isn't this cheating?" The Moon White cultivator, outspoken and dumbfounded, pointed directly to the root of the problem.

The others also looked grim.

This is an entrance exam, not a typical battle for power where you call in reinforcements if you can't win in a secret realm. The entrance exam tests the candidate's own abilities, and what Wang Yikun did was definitely a foul.

However, in reality, the assessment did not restrict the use of external objects. Everyone who was capable of producing a sacred-grade spiritual artifact was convinced of its authenticity. Wang Yikun did not directly violate the regulations, but instead used a contract to exploit a major loophole.

For a moment, even the onlookers were starting to sympathize with Jiang Yun.

Although strength is paramount in the cultivation world, if someone like Wang Yikun, who disregards the rules at will, is their classmate, they must always be on guard against this person stabbing them in the back during missions.

Shen Suqi waited and waited but the proctor didn't make a move, so she couldn't help but push through the crowd to the back.

"Xiao Yao!"

Su Xiaoyao, whom she had called, jumped up and cursed, "What the hell is he doing? Does he think we're ignorant? Those runes are spiritual energy contracts! Isn't that against the rules?"

Without a word, Xiao Tingyuan drew his sword, frowning as he silently chanted, "Master Chef Ancestor..."

"Take it easy." Only Jun Huilian remained unhurried and continued to grab a handful of cashews.

"Xiao Ye!"

Jun Huilian made a peaceful gesture.

She looked up at the terrifying white blade that was brewing, her expression carrying a hint of mockery.

“Contract runes are also runes, so they are not considered a violation of the rules.”

"But!" Su Xiaoyao was about to say something.

Jun Huilian suddenly turned to look at her, his deep eyes revealing an ambiguous smile.

"You're his partner, you must know what his trump cards are, right?"

At that moment, Su Xiaoyao's gaze towards her was utterly terrifying.

No way, she knows that...

On the arena, Jiang Yun, at the center of the storm, heard the sound of a sword shattering.

It's a pity about the sword that Xiao Yao forged for him.

He was basking in his own smugness. Wang Yikun never imagined that his opponent would have the leisure to lament the shattered sword.

Jiang Yun dared not to directly end Wang Yikun's life, making a choice that seemed like releasing a tiger back into the mountains, naturally because he had the confidence to stand up to him head-on.

He took a breath and swung the weapon in his hand, now nearing the end of its life, for the last time.

As he swung his sword, a sharp, whistling sound rang out.

Suddenly, a sword tip pierced through the endless white light with overwhelming force, instantly suppressing the power spreading across the arena!

The audience members who couldn't see clearly were in an uproar, and Wang Yikun looked up in horror.

Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, he could only see the longsword in Jiang Yun's hand shatter completely, and at the same time, a book appeared floating beside him.

As the pages of the book were turned, sword shadows shot out from the air.

The power emanating from the books was breathtaking and indescribable. Its appearance caused the arena to tremble slightly, and almost every living being who witnessed it felt a deep-seated fear.

The sword shadow roared in the white light, and wherever it touched, the white light vanished.

"Impossible..."

Wang Yikun's eyes were bloodshot. He was playing tricks that crossed the line of the rules, and he was certain that the proctor would not easily take action against an unnecessary examinee. However, he couldn't understand how Jiang Yun could resist his cheating methods.

What was the point of all his scheming?

Wang Yikun's entire world became deathly silent. He could only look up dejectedly at the enormous, boundless sword shadow falling, his eyes filled with despair.

However, just as he was about to give up in despair, the sword shadow stopped abruptly after cleaving through the white light.

Wang Yikun was stunned at first, then overjoyed.

There's still a chance to survive!

He caught a glimpse of Jiang Yun's gold-embroidered black boots walking towards him out of the corner of his eye, and hurriedly tried to admit defeat and step down, but his throat was blocked.

Jiang Yun approached him step by step, the bells hanging from the soul-summoning banner in her hand ringing crisply.

Wang Yikun clutched his throat and retreated in terror.

The power of the ancient sacred artifact, the Soul-Summoning Banner, which was personally crafted by the Heavenly Dao Ancestor ten thousand years ago, resounds throughout the ages. He absolutely does not want to become a wronged ghost under the banner!

Wang Yikun waved his arms toward the audience and dragged his exhausted legs as he desperately moved backward.

However, the light of the white blade he summoned had not completely dissipated. Jun Huilian, the only one who could see the situation inside clearly through the white light, put down the melon seeds and gave a chair to the hurried Shen Suqi. He then slowly glanced over, his mocking smile unreadable.

Was it him, or the mastermind scheming in the shadows, unaware that they had been discovered long ago when they used the secret communication techniques of the Holy Prayer Palace?

Wang Yikun only saw Jiang Yun raise his arm, and a dark shadow flew towards him. It was too fast to dodge and disappeared into his body.

The bells on the summoning banner rang even louder.

Suddenly, a drop of viscous liquid landed on his face. He wiped it blankly and saw bloodstains on his palm.

A foul, fishy stench invaded my nasal cavity.

Wang Yikun's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints.

Master, save me!

He tried to shout for help, but no sound came out.

Wang Yikun had a premonition of what was about to happen. He covered his head and closed his eyes, not wanting to see or hear anything, but the sound of the bell seemed to seep into his brain and blood.

No! No!

His willpower crumbled in an instant, and a scene of hellish carnage appeared before his eyes—

A baby covered in blood crawled toward him with its head tilted to the side, blood and tears welling up from its dark, hollow eyes.

Wang Yikun reached out haphazardly to try to slap the hand away, but his wrist was grabbed by another bloody hand.

"Registrar."

"Lord Wang, your presence is an honor. I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly."

"Lord Wang, we have no grudge against each other!"

"Spare the lives of my wife, children, and elderly parents..."

"You'll die a horrible death, Wang Yikun!"

Countless writhing, bloody bodies pressed down on his hands and feet, repeating the conversation from three years ago in his ears.

Wang Yikun "watched" himself being submerged in a sea of ​​blood, unable to muster any resistance, only able to endure endless pain, screaming as his hands and feet were torn apart, his flesh chewed up, and even his soul trembling in agony.

All he could do was cast a repentant and fearful glance at Jiang Yun.

I was wrong! I know I was wrong! It hurts! Stop tearing at my flesh!

"No, you don't know you're wrong."

Jiang Yun spoke calmly.

He gazed lovingly at the shadows, some decapitated, some mutilated, letting them do whatever they wanted.

"You just regret not killing me too. You wanted to wipe us all out, but I escaped."

Having completed the first step of his revenge, a smile uncontrollably crept onto his handsome face. Jiang Yun's usually aloof expression revealed an exaggerated smile that contrasted sharply with his outward appearance.

Wang Yikun, unable to beg for mercy, glared fiercely at Jiang Yun, his eyes blazing with intense hatred.

The next moment, an old hand held a head, blocking his view.

Wang Yikun's deep-seated hatred was once again replaced by a fear that penetrated to the bone.

He recognized the face.

In that cramped room, he ordered the bandit leader to behead him.

The Jiang family's butler, that old man who lied to him until his death, saying that Jiang Yun was out playing and not at home.

He opened his mouth, and a sharp pain shot through his eyes.

"What are you looking at? You have no right to look at my young master."

The old voice was hoarse, frantic, and unpleasant to hear.

Wang Yikun let out a sharp scream, wailing and sobbing, as putrid fluid kept flowing from his eyes.

Jiang Yun's smile gradually disappeared, replaced by a deeper heartache.

[Don't worry, host. Of the three banners—Summoning, Soul-Binding, and Soul-Crossing—you already have the Summoning Banner, the Soul-Crossing Banner is on the island, and the Soul-Binding Banner might be there too. With a little more effort, you can collect them all, and then you can purify your loved ones.]

444 comforted her.

While the soul-summoning banner does have the power to nourish wronged souls, it can also amplify their evil intentions, turning them into malevolent spirits. Only by using all three banners together to balance their power can the wronged souls be restored to normal.

"Thank you so much this time, 444." Jiang Yun took a long time to calm down and regain his usual demeanor.

[The system and the host are one. What I have is what you rely on. You just need to study hard and make me proud. I lost the big prize this time, but I'll definitely get my revenge next time!]

As Jiang Yun listened to its rambling, the fierce look between his brows gradually dissipated.

He was unable to sever the power of the Nascent Soul stage cultivator; this time, he relied on the trump card provided by 444.

That was a book he drew from the system's prize pool, written by the once-powerful leader of the Hehuan Sect, who had dominated the world ten thousand years ago.

The system's accompanying description states that the text in the book contains an attack capable of instantly killing someone at the Integration Stage. For ten thousand years, no one has been able to trigger it, and the triggering conditions are also listed as unknown.

After receiving the book, he flipped through it himself but found nothing. So he passed it around to Su Xiaoyao and Xiao Tingyuan, but they both found nothing. In the end, he put it in his storage space to gather dust.

Who knew that one day, 444 was bored and entertained himself in his mind's eye. He opened the book and read it with great interest. Miraculously, he also activated the powerful force contained in the text.

Therefore, he obtained a trump card that could absolutely save his life.

He hadn't used his full strength just now, and stopped at the last moment. Although this precious treasure was weakened, it could still be used again.

Jiang Yun smiled.

He thought that once it was used up, it would be over. He only thought that Wang Yikun could not die easily and that he must be punished accordingly. He did not expect to have an unexpected surprise.

The light on the stage faded, and outsiders could only see streaks of black energy entering Wang Yikun's ears and nostrils. He lay on the ground, convulsing in terror, completely unaware that the soul-summoning banner had taken his soul.

"Xiao Jiang won." Su Xiaoyao shared the glory and the shame.

Jiang Yun's attack was technically an external force, but it was a passive counterattack, so no one could really criticize it.

Moreover, with this public appearance, anyone who wants to scheme against Jiang Yun will have to think twice about Wang Yikun's fate.

Jun Huilian smiled slightly: "The other candidate hasn't admitted defeat yet."

Su Xiaoyao paused for a moment, then laughed.

It seems Xiao Ye isn't happy either.

Jun Huilian sat lazily in the chair.

Jiang Yun hadn't gotten enough revenge, and she hadn't calmed down either.

She actually knew what was happening today.

The talisman that Wang Yikun used to communicate with her master was something she and the Palace Master of the Holy Prayer Palace had concocted ten thousand years ago. She never expected that one day these fools would use something she made to show off in front of her, which was extremely stupid.

She didn't mind people plotting against her; after all, she was a rogue cultivator and had seen all sorts of things. But she utterly despised fools.

This kind of person actually climbed to the top of the cultivation world; the cultivation world is truly doomed.

Since that's the case, she won't show any mercy just because the other party is young.

She knew about Jiang Yun's book.

The Hehuan Sect Master left behind a mysterious attack to boost the sales of her book. She originally thought no one could trigger it, because the Hehuan Sect Master had told her the triggering rules beforehand—

You need to genuinely acknowledge that her book is well-written, and simply think that the book is good.

This is too difficult.

Putting aside the fact that the writing style hasn't improved at all in the past century of serialization, everyone who opens the book will see the author's signature, and no one can ignore the grand and imposing five words "Sect Leader of the Hehuan Sect".

Reading the book with a sense of identification with the characters makes Su Xiaoyao feel that she is a role model for us all, Xiao Tingyuan thinks the author is a heroine among women, and Jiang Yun feels that the unrestrained life he has is a freedom that he cannot reach.

The restrictions she set from the beginning were full of contradictions. Her purpose in writing the book was simply to make people think that her book was good, but the quality of the book itself was poor. The biggest gimmick was the author herself. Even the author herself later saw through this dark history and wanted to destroy the book.

Only the system, which doesn't care about a person's status or identity and has limited experience and hasn't read many light novels, genuinely thinks her writing is good.

Jun Huilian couldn't help but think that her old friend would probably be moved to tears if she sensed this attack.

As she thought about it, she realized it was about time.

Jun Huilian slowly stood up, supporting himself on the chair, his phoenix eyes slanted as he tilted his head slightly.

The weather is nice, perfect for settling accounts.

She raised her hand and lightly traced a line in the air with her index finger.

The void was torn open, and a disheveled figure who was trying to escape was caught off guard and grabbed.

"As I said, once the assessment begins, no unauthorized personnel are allowed to loiter nearby. Not only did you spy around, but you also dared to contact the candidates through illegal means. Let me think about how to deal with you."

The elder of the Holy Prayer Palace, who had already suffered serious internal injuries due to the contract, spat out a mouthful of blood and weakly flailed his limbs in the air.

"My lord, spare me, I..."

Jun Huilian gently grasped it with his hand.

"Bang!"

The blood mist exploded in the air, but was enveloped by gentle spiritual energy without polluting the surrounding environment.

The elder's avatar, who was at the Nascent Soul stage, was killed before it even had a chance to struggle.

Jun Huilian chuckled lightly, her beautiful eyes sparkling with golden light, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"I have a bad temper, so next time it won't just be a clone."

She looked at Jiang Yun, who was casting enthusiastic glances at her from the stage, and waved to him.

Let the younger generation avenge their own grievances; the elders will not take them away.

However, anyone who dares to provoke her territory will not have a peaceful life for the rest of their days.

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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-02-21 23:22:10 and 2024-02-26 00:57:10!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Huobaisheng 2 bottles;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!