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

She knew the obese middle-aged man was right; if she failed this monthly assessment, all the principles she held dear would become a joke.

Just then, the obese middle-aged man suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and pointed his fat finger to a corner of the projection disk.

"Look here, there's a variable."

Xiao Ke looked in the direction of the blue dot and saw it moving rapidly, pointing directly at Ning Meng's location.

"It's Jiang Xuan!"

Hope rekindled in Xiao Ke's eyes.

"He's heading towards Ningmeng!"

The obese middle-aged man touched his double chin, seemingly lost in thought.

"Interesting. Wait, look at the direction Shi Yu is escaping from!"

On the diffraction disk, the light spot representing Shi Yu was also adjusting its direction, moving towards the same area.

The three blue dots are about to converge deep in the dense forest.

The three of them are about to meet!

Xiao Ke's voice trembled with excitement.

"If Jiang Xuan can cooperate with Ning Meng to defeat the enemy, it might change the entire situation!"

The obese middle-aged man nodded, his expression approving.

"That's what makes it interesting. True strength isn't about inability to cooperate, but about knowing how to maximize combined power at crucial moments."

Meanwhile, deep in the dense forest of the assessment area.

Jiang Xuan moved like a nimble cat among the shadows of the trees, his Azure Wave Battle Blade swaying at his waist.

He pushed his perception to its limit, every nerve taut like a bowstring.

This area is too quiet, unusually quiet.

There is an ambush.

Jiang Xuan silently recited the mantra in his mind, his steps becoming even lighter.

He chose an ancient tree that would take three people to encircle, and was preparing to climb it to find a high vantage point.

Rumble!
A deafening roar, shaking the earth, came from afar, as if some enormous creature was charging towards them.

Jiang Xuan's pupils contracted, and he flashed behind the tree trunk like lightning, holding his breath and concentrating.

"It's not a ferocious beast."

He keenly sensed that the chaotic fluctuations of spiritual energy were mixed with human panting and shouting.

The next second, a familiar figure burst into view—Ning Meng! He was in a sorry state, his magnificent student uniform torn in several places, and a bloodstain on his face.

Behind him, a woman and three men followed closely, their faces bearing the cold smiles of hunters.

"Thunder Crescent"

Jiang Xuan recognized the woman in the lead as a renowned lightning-attribute expert from Camp 40.

With each swing of the longsword crackling with electricity in her hand, a scorch mark was left in the air.

Jiang Xuan's eyes gleamed.

He silently climbed the ancient tree and hid in the dense canopy.

This is a perfect opportunity. Once Ning Meng lures the enemy to the foot of the tree, he can launch a surprise attack from the sky.

However, the plan could not keep up with the changes.

"Get the hell out of my way!"

Ning Meng roared and swept his halberd horizontally, forcing back two pursuers.

He fought and retreated, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the tree where Jiang Xuan was hiding.

Lei Xinyue sneered.

"A cornered beast's struggle!"

She pointed her longsword, and a bolt of lightning struck Ning Meng's head.

Ning Meng hastily retreated, his back slamming heavily against the tree where Jiang Xuan was hiding.

With a loud "crack," the ancient tree, thousands of years old, snapped in half from his impact!
"Depend on!"

Jiang Xuan only managed to utter one word before he fell along with the toppling tree canopy.

He adjusted his posture in mid-air, and the Azure Wave Battle Blade was already unsheathed.

This sudden turn of events stunned everyone. Lei Xinyue and her companions instinctively looked up, only to see a cyan blade of light cascading down like a waterfall!

"careful!"

Lei Xinyue issued a stern warning, but it was too late.

Jiang Xuan's Azure Wave Battle Blade struck a young man wielding a staff precisely on the shoulder, and blood gushed out immediately. The young man screamed in pain as his weapon flew from his hand.

"Jiang Xuan?!"

Ning Meng then grinned.

“Just in time!”

Lei Xinyue quickly recovered from her shock and pointed her longsword directly at Jiang Xuan.

"court death!"

Her two companions immediately adjusted their formation, one holding a whip and the other a sword, forming a triangle around Jiang Xuan.

Despite the critical situation, Jiang Xuan remained unusually calm.

He leaned against Ning Meng and whispered.

"I'll go left, you go right."

Ning Meng understood, and suddenly swept his halberd horizontally.

Fuck you!

The blow was powerful and heavy, forcing the whip-wielding youth to retreat repeatedly.

Ning Meng seized the opportunity, his halberd surging forth like a dragon emerging from the sea, aiming straight for his opponent's chest. The young man hastily parried with his whip, but the immense force contained within the halberd caused his tiger's mouth to split open, and the whip flew out of his hand.

"what!"

The boy screamed in agony as Ning Meng swept him several feet away with a follow-up blow, sending him crashing heavily into a tree and knocking him unconscious.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xuan was locked in combat with the sword-wielding youth. The youth's swordsmanship was fierce, each strike aimed directly at a vital point.

Jiang Xuan's Azure Wave Battle Blade drew graceful arcs, deflecting each attack.

"You dare to hunt with such meager skills?"

Jiang Xuan sneered, then suddenly changed his stance, switching from defense to offense. A faint shimmer of water rose on the Azure Wave Battle Blade, and each strike carried a continuous, powerful force.

The sword-wielding youth gradually weakened, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He gritted his teeth and tried to hold on, but then he saw a glint of light flash in Jiang Xuan's eyes. Jiang Xuan's sword broke through his defense at an odd angle and stabbed straight at his wrist.

"what!"

The boy was stabbed in the wrist, and the longsword clattered to the ground.

Jiang Xuan showed no mercy, delivering a powerful elbow strike to his chest, knocking him to the ground.

Meanwhile, the battle between Ning Meng and Lei Xinyue has reached a fever pitch.

Both were practitioners of lightning-attribute secret techniques, and every clash was accompanied by lightning and thunder.

The surrounding trees were charred black by the aftershocks.

"Ningmeng, is that all you've got?"

Lei Xinyue sneered, and suddenly her longsword burst forth with dazzling lightning.

"Let me show you the true power of thunder!"

"fart!"

Ning Meng was furious, and lightning surged from his halberd.

"Thunder!"

Two violent lightning-attribute spiritual energies collided violently, unleashing a deafening roar.

The shockwave overturned the bushes within a radius of ten feet, forcing even Jiang Xuan to retreat several steps to temporarily avoid its force.

As the smoke cleared, Ning Meng knelt on one knee, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he still gripped his halberd tightly in his hand.

Lei Xinyue took seven or eight steps back, her face as pale as paper.

She looked around and found that her two companions had lost their fighting ability, while Jiang Xuan was coldly staring at her with a knife in his hand.

"Damn it."

Lei Xinyue gritted her teeth, then suddenly turned and fled.

"Want to run?"

Ning Meng roared and was about to give chase.

"etc!"

Jiang Xuan grabbed him.

"There might be an ambush."

Ning Meng stared resentfully at Lei Xinyue's departing figure.

"Are you just going to let her go like that?"

Jiang Xuan sheathed his Azure Wave Battle Blade and said calmly.

"Our goal is to pass the assessment, not to rush things. Shi Yu should be arriving soon; let's meet up first."

Ning Meng, panting heavily, finally nodded.

He looked at Jiang Xuan and suddenly grinned.

"Thanks, bro."

Jiang Xuan smiled faintly.

"It's just about looking out for each other."

Inside the temporary camp at No. 39, the obese middle-aged man's eyes, which were squeezed into slits by his fat, suddenly widened. He pointed at Jiang Xuan's figure on the projection disc, and the fat on his fingers trembled.

"This kid's not simple!"

He clicked his tongue in surprise.

"Remaining calm under pressure and even managing to launch a counterattack. Xiao Ke, where did you find such a treasure?"

Xiao Ke stared intently at the screen, a rare smile playing on her lips. On the Shadow Reflection Panel, Jiang Xuan and Ning Meng were working seamlessly together, utterly defeating Lei Xinyue's team.

she whispered.

"He came to us on his own; at the time, we just thought he was an ordinary student."

"ordinary?"

The obese middle-aged man laughed heartily, his belly fat undulating like waves.

"To be able to calmly assess the situation, create chaos using fallen trees, and accurately strike the enemy's vitals—this kid has definitely experienced real life-or-death battles!"

Xiao Ke's eyes gleamed with a strange light as she saw the red dot representing Camp 40 on the projection disk being readjusted. "

The savage wolf was about to lose his composure.

She sneered. "He didn't expect such a turn of events."

An obese middle-aged man rubbed his thick chin.

"Jiang Xuan's appearance did indeed change the balance of the battle. However..."

He pointed to the other side of the screen.

"The slain wolf still has an ace up his sleeve."

Xiao Ke followed the gaze and her expression changed slightly.

There were two deep red dots of light moving rapidly, pointing directly at the area where Jiang Xuan and Ning Meng were located.

"Gong Ming and Di Jun"

She whispered the two names, her fingers unconsciously clenching.

Meanwhile, inside the command tent of Camp 40, Remnant Wolf kicked over the tactical table in front of him.

"Useless! All of you are useless!"

He roared, the scar on his face contorted with rage.

"Four people ganged up on one Ning Meng, and were still utterly routed by some small fry who suddenly appeared out of nowhere!"

The other instructors inside the tent remained silent, trembling with fear.

The savage wolf suddenly turned around, staring at the huge projection disk hanging on the wall, its eyes flashing with ferocity.

"That idiot Lei Xinyue ruined my plan."

He gritted his teeth.

"Now those scumbags on number 39 have a chance to rally."

His deputy cautiously stepped forward.

"My lord, Gong Ming and Di Jun have gone to intercept Shi Yu as planned, and they should be there soon."

"should?"

Canlang grabbed his deputy by the collar.

"I need confirmation! Send them a message immediately: defeat Shi Yu at all costs, then surround Jiang Xuan and Ning Meng!"

He released his deputy's hand and stared at the projection disk with a sinister look.

"There's only one hour left in the assessment. We absolutely cannot let them turn the tables!"

In the dense forest, Jiang Xuan crouched down and pulled two nameplates from the waist of the unconscious student No. 40.

Ning Meng then searched another student and found three pieces, casually tossing two to Jiang Xuan.

"Here, you did more work, so you get an extra piece."

Ning Meng grinned, revealing his blood-stained teeth.

Jiang Xuan took the nameplate and frowned.

"you sure?"

“Stop talking nonsense!”

Ning Meng patted the bulging pocket at his waist.

"I've already saved up the minimum of ten yuan; any more would be a waste."

Jiang Xuan nodded and put the nameplate away.

His gaze swept across the dark jungle around him, and he spoke in a low voice.

"We should go; it's not safe here."

Ning Meng shouldered the halberd, but suddenly stumbled.

Jiang Xuan quickly caught him.

“Are you hurt?”

"It's nothing serious!"

Ning Meng shook off Jiang Xuan's hand, but couldn't help but gasp.

"It's just that it's a bit physically demanding for an older woman; those punks chased us for half an hour!"

Jiang Xuan scrutinized Ning Meng's pale face.

"How much longer can you fight?"

"Taking down four or five is no problem!"

Ning Meng retorted defiantly, then countered with a question.

"And you?"

Jiang Xuan sensed the spiritual energy flowing within his body.

About half.

Ning Meng frowned.

"So little?"

"I kept my senses fully activated while searching for you."

Jiang Xuan explained.

"The consumption is greater than expected."

Ning Meng spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go! Let's find a place to recover!"

"There's no time."

Jiang Xuan interrupted him, his sharp gaze fixed on the depths of the jungle.

"There's only one hour left until the end of the assessment, and this is the most intense part of the competition. Hiding would be more dangerous."

Ning Meng was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"That makes sense! Let's fucking get them!"

The two had walked less than a hundred meters when Jiang Xuan suddenly raised his hand to signal them to stop.

His pupils contracted, and he whispered.

"A four-person team is approaching us 400 meters ahead."

Ning Meng gripped the halberd tightly.

"Number 40?"

"Judging from the fluctuations in spiritual energy, it should be."

Jiang Xuan nodded.

"Prepare."

Before he finished speaking, a violent collision of spiritual energy suddenly came from the jungle on the other side, accompanied by the roar of trees collapsing.

Jiang Xuan and Ning Meng turned their heads at the same time, and a familiar figure was fleeing in their direction in a disheveled state.

"Shi Yu!"

Ning Meng exclaimed in surprise.

Jiang Xuan's eyes narrowed as he recognized the two people chasing after Shi Yu.

"Gong Ming and Di Jun"

Ning Meng's face instantly turned ugly.

"Damn it, those are Crippled Wolf's two trump cards!"

The situation instantly became critical. Four students number 40 were closing in from the front, while Shi Yu was being chased by two powerful individuals from the flank.

Jiang Xuan's brain was racing, analyzing every possible solution.

"Ningmeng, go and hold off those four."

He suddenly spoke, his voice eerily calm.

"I'll go help Shi Yu."

Ning Meng's eyes widened.

"Are you crazy? Even I can't break through Gong Ming's defenses, let alone Di Jun."

"listen to me!"

Jiang Xuan interrupted him, speaking rapidly.

"The four-person team is just ordinary students; with your strength, you can hold them off. Gong Ming and Di Jun are strong, but they've been chasing Shi Yu for so long, they must be exhausted. If we can quickly take one of them out..."

Ning Meng understood Jiang Xuan's intention.

"You want to risk your life?"

Jiang Xuan's eyes were filled with ruthlessness.

"In this situation, whoever is more ruthless will survive to the end."

In the distance, Shi Yu had already spotted them and was frantically waving to them, signaling them to run. Gong Ming and Di Jun also noticed the commotion and suddenly increased their speed.

Ning Meng suddenly grinned.

"Interesting! I'll play this round with you!"

Jiang Xuan frowned.

"You've already collected enough nameplates, there's no need."

"fart!"

Ning Meng slammed his halberd into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Am I the kind of person who would desert in the face of battle?"

He patted Jiang Xuan on the shoulder and laughed heartily.

"Besides, if you two die, who will drink with me then?"

Jiang Xuan paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Then let's do it."

Shi Yu had appeared beside the two of them at some point, his long sword gleaming coldly.

"I'll take care of Di Jun; you can handle Gong Ming."

He spoke briefly to Jiang Xuan, but his gaze remained fixed on the tall, thin man opposite him who was holding two hooks.

"it is good."

Jiang Xuan nodded and turned to Ning Meng.

"Four small fry left."

Ning Meng laughed loudly, and his heavy halberd drew an arc in the air.

"Leave it to me! I haven't had enough fun yet!"

Without saying a word, the three charged into the enemy ranks.

Jiang Xuan moved like lightning, heading straight for Gong Ming.

The man in the black robe held a long, jet-black staff, its blade wreathed in eerie dark patterns—the renowned Nine Netherworld Protective Staff. (End of Chapter)