The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

"Wave-breaking patterns!"

"Stabilize the water ripples!"

"Wind-swept pattern!"

The three spiritual runes shone brightly, helping him stabilize himself amidst the raging currents.

Jiang Xuan began climbing the mountain peak, each step requiring him to contend with water pressure powerful enough to tear steel apart.

"This time, we must break through to the halfway point!"

He gritted his teeth, and the four vortexes of spiritual energy spun at full speed, providing a continuous stream of pure spiritual energy.

An hour later, Jiang Xuan finally climbed to the halfway point of the mountain, making progress of more than ten zhang compared to the last time.

But just then, a giant wave, several times more ferocious than before, crashed towards us.

"not good!"

Jiang Xuan hurriedly activated his defensive spirit runes, but it was too late. The giant wave slammed him against the rock wall, and his consciousness was instantly ejected from the secret realm.

"puff."

In reality, Jiang Xuan coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face as pale as paper.

Despite the failure, his eyes shone with excitement.

"Halfway up the mountain! I've made it halfway up!"

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and muttered to himself.

The Thousand Waves of the Sea is the second challenge on the Qingyun Avenue, with a total of 108 attempts.

Jiang Xuan was filled with anticipation for the reward he would receive upon finally passing this level. It was said that those who succeeded would obtain the "Soul of the Sea Spirit," which could greatly enhance their affinity with water-based spiritual energy.

The next morning, on the training field.

"Today's close-quarters combat training: the winner gets five points, the loser loses three points!"

The instructor's cold voice echoed throughout the training ground.

Jiang Xuan stood in the corner, silently observing the other students.

In the entire Camp 39, he was the only student with the sixth level of True Martial Realm cultivation, making it difficult for him to compete with other students for points in various training sessions.

"Jiang Xuan, against Zhao Hu!"

The instructor called his name.

The burly student named Zhao Hu grinned, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

He is at the peak of the seventh level of the True Martial Realm and has rarely been defeated in close combat.

The two stood still, and Zhao Hu launched the first attack, his fist whistling as it aimed straight for Jiang Xuan's face.

Jiang Xuan dodged to the side, simultaneously channeling the power of four spiritual energy vortexes, and struck Zhao Hu's ribs with a palm.

"boom!"

As the two spiritual energies collided, Zhao Hu's expression changed slightly, clearly not expecting Jiang Xuan's spiritual energy to be so condensed.

But he quickly adjusted his stance and unleashed a set of fierce punches.

After thirty moves, Jiang Xuan was ultimately defeated due to the difference in their cultivation levels and was swept out of the arena by Zhao Hu with a whip kick.

"Trash is trash; no matter how high the quality of its spiritual energy, it won't change that fact."

Zhao Hu looked down at him and mocked him.

Jiang Xuan silently got up and dusted himself off.

In close-quarters combat, he lost more than he won, not only failing to earn points but also losing a significant amount. His name firmly occupies the last place on the leaderboard.

In theoretical courses, Jiang Xuan's performance was equally unsatisfactory.

When the instructor explained the structure of advanced spirit patterns, the other trainees nodded frequently, while Jiang Xuan could only frantically take notes.

Having lived in a mining prison since childhood, he had limited access to knowledge, and his academic performance was only average.

The other students, having been exposed to the subject from a young age, possessed a wealth of knowledge and naturally achieved excellent results.

"After the end-of-month assessment, the person with the lowest score will be eliminated."

The instructor's words struck Jiang Xuan's heart like a heavy hammer.

After training, Jiang Xuan sat alone on a stone bench at the edge of the camp, staring blankly at the leaderboard.

Ning Meng appeared beside him without his noticing and handed him a jade bottle.

"Here, this is the Cold Condensation Pill I've saved up. It should last you three weeks."

Jiang Xuan looked up and saw Ning Meng's face, which always wore a lazy smile.

Ning Meng was one of the few students who did not look down on his low cultivation level.

"This is too expensive, I can't accept it."

Jiang Xuan declined. The Cooling Pill was quite valuable and could alleviate the fatigue of the soul caused by cultivation.

"Stop talking nonsense. If you get eliminated, I won't even have anyone to talk to."

Ning Meng forced the jade bottle into Jiang Xuan's hand.

"Besides, do you think I don't know you're practicing diligently every night?"

Jiang Xuan gripped the jade bottle tightly, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.

He understood Ning Meng's good intentions and knew that Ning Meng had been alienated by others because of his good relationship with him.

"Thanks."

A thousand words can be summed up in two words.

Ning Meng waved his hand, turned to leave, but then stopped.

"By the way, watch out for Shi Yu. He's been hitting on you a lot lately; he's definitely up to no good."

Jiang Xuan nodded and watched Ning Meng leave.

In Camp 39, the trainees were divided into different circles, while Jiang Xuan and Ning Meng were isolated on the outside.

Jiang Xuan knew that Ning Meng was helping him indirectly; otherwise, he would have been targeted by others long ago.

As for Shi Yu, he was indeed a core figure in another circle, but he never showed any ambition, nor did he ever antagonize anyone.

He even chatted with Jiang Xuan several times, and the conversations were all related to training, seemingly without any other purpose.

"Shi Yu."

Jiang Xuan muttered to himself.

He found it difficult to judge Shi Yu's behavior until he learned from Ning Meng that Shi Yu was the third son of the Imperial God of Wealth and the younger brother of Shi Xuan.

Jiang Xuan owed Shi Xuan a favor, so he did not maliciously speculate about Shi Yu's intentions.

Just then, a clanging sound of metal colliding caught his attention.

Looking in the direction of the sound, about a hundred meters from the camp, a gaunt old man was lying on the ground, intently fiddling with something.

The old man's hair was disheveled like a bird's nest, and his dusty robe was covered in sand.

Before him sat a metal device shaped like a cauldron, its surface engraved with intricate patterns, gleaming with a dark golden luster in the setting sun.

"A spirit fire furnace?"

Jiang Xuan recognized the artifact.

This is a core component for forging the treasure ship; he had seen similar descriptions in the Qinglu Academy's records.

Out of curiosity, Jiang Xuan quietly approached.

The old man seemed completely absorbed in his own world, oblivious to his surroundings, muttering to himself incessantly.

"No, this is completely wrong! The Precious Light Golden Flame Spirit Array is clearly a grade higher than the Moon Essence Spirit Array, so how come it's less efficient?"

The old man scratched his head, his fingers quickly tracing the surface of the spirit fire furnace, creating a string of tiny sparks.

Jiang Xuan stood three steps away, carefully observing the patterns on the spirit fire furnace.

Those patterns, though seemingly chaotic, actually contain hidden patterns; they are the superposition of two different spirit arrays.

"senior."

Jiang Xuan couldn't help but speak up.

"Perhaps you could try fusing the two spirit arrays instead of simply replacing them."

The old man suddenly looked up, a hint of anger in his cloudy eyes.

"Where did this brat come from? What does he know about the Dao of Spirit Runes?"

He shouted sharply, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping.

Jiang Xuan remained neither humble nor arrogant.

"This is merely a suggestion. The Precious Light Golden Flame Spirit Array belongs to Yang, while the Moon Essence Spirit Array belongs to Yin. Forcibly replacing them will cause an imbalance of spiritual energy. If a method to harmonize Yin and Yang can be found..."

"Shut up!"

The old man rudely interrupted him.

"When I was researching spirit runes, you were still being breastfed!"

He waved his hands as if to shoo away a fly.

"Get lost, don't disturb my work!"

Jiang Xuan looked displeased, but quickly regained his composure.

"Your arrogance is probably the very obstacle preventing you from making a breakthrough."

After saying that, he turned and left without saying another word.

The old man's angry curses came from behind, but Jiang Xuan ignored them.

He returned to the camp along the same route, but the question of the spirit furnace was still on his mind.

"The balance of Yin and Yang."

He muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tracing the path of spirit patterns in the air.

As night fell completely, the desert temperature plummeted.

Jiang Xuan returned to his residence, a simple stone room, where he sat cross-legged on the hard bed and began his daily cultivation.

Meanwhile, the old man in the open space was still struggling with the spirit furnace.

He tried various methods, but was still unable to solve the problem of dynamic fluctuations.

"Damn it!" The old man angrily pounded the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He grabbed the spirit furnace, making a move to smash it to the ground, but stopped at the last moment.

"I, the mighty Ghost Hand Mo Li, am actually stumped by a mere spirit fire furnace?"

He chuckled self-deprecatingly and slumped to the ground.

Just then, a light footstep sounded approaching from afar. Under the moonlight, a fiery red figure walked gracefully towards them.

"Old Mo, are you throwing a tantrum again?"

The newcomer's voice was clear yet languid.

Mo Li looked up and, by the moonlight, saw the person who had come. A tight leather outfit outlined her graceful curves, and her fiery red hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Her eyes and brows were full of wild charm.

"Little Man, my dear."

Mo Li snorted.

"What are you doing here? Are you here to laugh at me?"

Xiaoman chuckled and squatted down to be at eye level with Moli.

"I brought back some news from Qinglu Academy."

She winked mysteriously.

"About your Spirit Fire Furnace."

Mo Li immediately perked up.

"Speak quickly!"

"That spirit pattern master said."

Xiaoman deliberately dragged out her tone.

"You could try fusing the Precious Light Golden Flame Spirit Array and the Moon Essence Spirit Array, instead of replacing them."

Mo Li's expression froze instantly.

Isn't this exactly what that arrogant brat said at dusk?
“How is this possible?”

he stammered.

"The two spirit arrays have conflicting attributes."

Xiaoman stood up and looked down at him.

"Old Mo, you're too stubborn. That master also said that the right path is to balance Yin and Yang."

Mo Li was struck dumb, standing there stunned. After a long while, he finally came to his senses and asked anxiously.

"Who is that master? I want to see him!"

"I don't know about that."

Xiaoman shrugged.

"The message was relayed through a middleman."

She turned to leave, then turned back and added.

"Oh, by the way, Xiao Ke asked me to tell you that there are only three days left until the treasure ship's renovation is completed."

Upon hearing the name "Xiao Ke," Mo Li's expression became complicated.

Is she alright?

Xiaoman's smile faded slightly.

"She's still the same; she refuses to acknowledge me as her older sister."

After saying that, she waved her hand, and her figure quickly disappeared into the night.

Mo Li sighed and looked at the spirit fire furnace in his hand again.

This time, his gaze became serious and focused.

"The balance of Yin and Yang."

He repeated it in a low voice, his fingers carefully adjusting the spirit runes.

Meanwhile, on a treasure ship at the other end of the camp, a slender figure sat alone at the bow. Moonlight shone on her, outlining her cool and aloof silhouette.

"Xiao Ke."

An obese middle-aged man approached.

"Xiaoman came by, why didn't you see her?"

Xiao Ke didn't turn around; her voice was calm and undisturbed.

"She's not my sister."

"But you clearly..."

“That’s enough.”

Xiao Ke interrupted him.

I'm tired.

She stood up, and in the moonlight, her expression returned to its usual coldness and aloofness.

The obese middle-aged man hesitated, then sighed and silently withdrew.

Xiao Ke gazed at the distant desert, her eyes filled with complex emotions. After a moment, she turned and walked into the cabin, her figure disappearing into the darkness.

Inside the cave, Jiang Xuan sat cross-legged, his spiritual energy surging like a tide.

The medicinal power of the ten Cold Cooling Pills exploded within the body, transforming into a surging torrent that washed over the meridians.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but his expression remained unusually calm.

"Almost there."

Jiang Xuan looked inward at his dantian, where the spiritual energy vortex had solidified like mercury. He was just one step away from breaking through the shackles and entering the seventh level of the True Martial Realm.

At this critical moment, a chill suddenly shot up from my spine to the top of my head.

Jiang Xuan suddenly opened his eyes, and there was a hot figure at the cave entrance.

"who?"

Jiang Xuan had just opened his mouth when he felt a blur before his eyes, and he was lifted up by a slender hand and carried out of the cave like a chick.

The night wind howled, and the scenery rushed past.

Jiang Xuan suppressed the churning effects of the drug within him and calmly observed the woman who had abducted him.

This woman's movements were astonishingly fast. With each touch of her long, straight legs, she could leap more than ten feet. Her slender waist swayed like a willow branch in the night wind, yet it contained explosive power.

"Sister, what brings you here so late at night?"

Jiang Xuan's voice was calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

"If you need someone to warm your bed, I'd be happy to oblige."

“Smooth talk.”

The woman chuckled softly, her voice sweet and alluring.

"No wonder Xiao Ke treats you differently."

Jiang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

Instructor Xiao Ke? This woman knows Xiao Ke.

Before he could think any further, a cold shout suddenly came from ahead.

"Put him down!"

A white figure blocked their path; it was Instructor Xiao Ke. Bathed in moonlight, her white robes were as pure as snow, her aura as cold and aloof as frost, a stark contrast to the woman who had abducted Jiang Xuan.

Jiang Xuan then realized that the two women looked nine-tenths alike! One was as cold as ice, and the other as fiery as fire, their temperaments were completely different.

"Xiaoman, you've crossed the line."

Xiao Ke's voice was icy cold.

"The people at Camp 39 are not people you can mess with."

It turns out this woman's name is Xiaoman.

Jiang Xuan secretly memorized the name.

Xiaoman giggled and pulled Jiang Xuan closer into her arms.

"My dear sister, why are you so nervous? I'm just borrowing him for a bit; I'll return him when I'm done."

"Put him down immediately and get out of here."

Xiao Ke had somehow acquired a silver short sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Just then, a hoarse voice came from the darkness.

"Xiao Ke, let her go."

Xiao Ke froze, and after a moment of silence, she sheathed her short sword.

Jiang Xuan noticed the complex look in her eyes, a look that seemed to be both anger and helplessness.

Thanks a lot!

Xiaoman chuckled and leaped away with Jiang Xuan.

The last thing Jiang Xuan saw was Xiao Ke standing there, her lonely figure with her white clothes fluttering in the night wind.

When Jiang Xuan was put down, he was already in a huge warehouse.

The surrounding area was filled with all sorts of strange and unusual items.

Broken puppets, miniature treasure ships, various weapons, and even several ferocious beast skeletons.

The air was filled with a strange smell, a mixture of metal and elixirs.

In the center of the warehouse, a gaunt old man was circling around a spirit furnace; it was Old Mo, whom they had met in the evening.

"The person has been brought."

Xiaoman released Jiang Xuan, walked to the side and sat down, crossed her legs, and observed Jiang Xuan's reaction with great interest.

Old Mo looked up, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. (End of Chapter)