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

Just as this profound realization intertwined with the surging fear within,
[The third battle begins! Opponent: Canglin Clan - Rock Armor!]

Boom!

A colossal beast-shaped sculpture, resembling a Qilin but covered in thick, rock-like dark gold scales and bearing three spiraling horns, trembled violently! Its stone shell cracked, and a colossal beast, exuding an aura as heavy as the earth and as ferocious as a volcano, stepped onto the platform!
With each step it took, the entire platform trembled slightly!

"Roar!!!"

The Canglin Clan's rock armor let out a deafening roar, and the visible sound waves, like a giant hammer, slammed into Jiang Xuan! At the same time, its huge forepaws covered in dark gold scales were raised high, the tips of which gleamed with a cold light that could tear through space! A terrifying aura, heavy and solid, seemingly capable of bearing stars and crushing them, suddenly descended!
It's another star-gathering style! This time, it's the imagery of stars as heavy as mountains, capable of supporting all things and also destroying them!

"Ah! Break it!"

The immense pressure, the shadow of his two previous deaths, and the persistent inner demons that gnawed at him caused Jiang Xuan's pent-up frustration, anger, and resentment to erupt completely!
His eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a wild roar, unleashing his spiritual energy without reservation!

"Star-Picking Style!"

The blade flashed again! More dazzling and more resolute than before! Filled with all his anger and resentment, it transformed into a streak of light tearing through the sky, fiercely meeting the crushing giant claw and sonic waves!

boom.!!!

This time, a collision occurred! A deafening roar exploded on the platform! A violent shockwave swept outwards like a tsunami!

However, the stalemate lasted for less than a moment!
Click!

Jiang Xuan's dazzling and resolute sword light shattered like fragile glass before the dark golden giant claw that bore the weight of stars! The terrifying force, undiminished, slammed into the sword that Jiang Xuan had blocked in front of him!
puff!
Jiang Xuan felt as if he had been struck by an ancient savage elephant, spitting out blood as he was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string! The battle sword in his hand let out a mournful cry under the immense weight, almost slipping out of his grasp! His consciousness was once again crushed by that thick, boundless "star," plunging him into endless darkness and excruciating pain!

The third death!
The cold platform floor felt warm to the touch once again.

Jiang Xuan did not get up immediately. He lay there on his back, his chest heaving violently, each breath carrying a strong smell of blood.

He stared at the deep, cold, seemingly eternal void above him, his eyes unfocused.

Angry? Yes! Faced with this almost unsolvable challenge, faced with this cruel rule that tempers the mind with death, he felt a kind of anger at being fooled! Helpless? Yes! The opponent was too strong, so strong that all his struggles seemed futile and laughable.

But more than anything, it felt a bone-chilling coldness and heaviness.

Each death was like a massive block of ice crashing into the sea of ​​his soul.

The chilling touch of death, the emptiness of being stripped of consciousness in an instant, the inescapable despair... all etched indelible scars deep within his mind.

These wounds exude wisps of black aura, twisting and coiling like living things, attempting to solidify into a demonic embryo called "fear" and "despair"! They are the seeds of inner demons, watered by each death, causing them to grow faster!
"No... this can't go on..." Jiang Xuan bit his tongue hard, the intense pain causing his unfocused pupils to sharpen again.

“Anger is useless, complaining is even more useless! No matter how cruel this hurdle is, it is a path I must overcome! The inner demons are born from the deathly atmosphere of the ‘Star Gathering’... The key to breaking the deadlock... may lie in the ‘Star Gathering’ itself!”

He struggled to sit up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes became more focused and crazed than ever before.

I stopped looking at the cold notification sound to see if it would announce the fourth battle, and I stopped thinking about which terrifying opponent I would face next.

He sat cross-legged, placing the ancient-looking battle sword across his lap.

He seemed to transform into a new statue on the platform, remaining completely still.

Only in the depths of those profound eyes did countless stars seem to be born and die, and countless blades seemed to be clashing!
He was frantically recalling the domineering strike of the Serpent Spirit Clan's Bloodscale that destroyed the stars, the eerie strike of the Demon Spirit Clan's Shadow Fiend that withered all things, and the heavy strike of the Azure Scale Clan's Rock Armor that bore the weight of destruction! He was also frantically analyzing every wisp of spiritual energy flowing through him when he performed the Star Gathering Technique, and every strand of artistic conception guiding him!

The solution may lie in the blink of an eye, between life and death!
He had to seize that fleeting moment of inspiration!

The cold, strange platform was deathly silent.

Jiang Xuan sat cross-legged like a stone sculpture, with an ancient battle sword lying across his lap.

His mind, however, was like the eye of a storm, frantically deducing and reviewing the events!
"The root of the inner demon lies in the fear of death and the overwhelming impact of the higher realm of the Star-Gathering Style. To overcome this inner demon, one must elevate one's control over the Star-Gathering Style to a level surpassing that of these opponents!"

This thought was branded onto his mind.

However, reality is as cold as iron.

He clearly recognized that his control over the Star-Gathering Style was currently only at the "subtle" level. He could precisely control every strand of spiritual energy, making it flow freely in his swordsmanship and unleash power beyond his current level.

But the Star Gathering Style just now, performed by the Bloodscale of the Serpent Spirit Clan, the Shadow Fiend of the Demon Spirit Clan, and the Rock Armor of the Azure Scale Clan... the grandeur of its artistic conception, the concentration of its power, and the subtlety of its transformations had already surpassed the level of "subtlety," and at least reached the level of "precision"! It was a near-perfect fusion of the vast artistic conception of falling stars, the withering of all things, and the collapse of all things into a single strike, making it flawless!
The gap is like an insurmountable chasm! To think that one can cross the boundaries of "microscopic" and "precise" in a short period of time and surpass these powerful figures in the secret realm who have existed for countless years and honed their Star Gathering Technique to a terrifying level? That is nothing short of a pipe dream!

"But...this is my only chance!"

An almost obsessive flame burned in Jiang Xuan's eyes.

"If I cannot break through, the inner demons will take root in my heart during these hundred cycles of death, eventually completely devouring my mind and causing me to fall into eternal damnation, unable to even leave this Heavenly Secret Realm!"

The shadow of death is like a maggot clinging to one's bones, bringing a chilling sensation with every recollection.

However, under this extreme pressure of despair, an indomitable fighting spirit was completely ignited in Jiang Xuan's heart!

“Every death…every time they crushed me with a higher level of star-like force…though painful, their blades, their intent, were the most direct and profound ‘teaching’!”

Jiang Xuan's gaze became incredibly sharp.

"Observe! Learn! Analyze! Even if you can only grasp a tiny fraction of it, it's still a stepping stone to a higher level! This might be... the only hidden hope in this desperate situation of 'a hundred battles'!"

At that very moment, when fighting spirit and awareness surged...
[Fourth battle begins! Opponent.]

The Demon-Faced Clan - The Weeping Soul!

hum!
At the edge of the platform, a sculpture covered in a pale, bone-like mask, its form twisted like smoke, trembled violently! Amidst the flying stone chips, a bizarre figure shrouded in grayish-white mist, its face adorned with four constantly shifting bone masks representing crying, laughing, anger, and sorrow, silently appeared opposite Jiang Xuan! A wave of resentment, grief, and chaotic mental energy, piercing straight to the soul, surged forth like an invisible tide in an instant!

"Kill!" Jiang Xuan's eyes showed no more hesitation. He shouted and shot out like an arrow! The battle blade in his hand hummed, carrying a resolute will. The brilliant blade light drew the artistic conception of falling stars as it fiercely slashed at the strange figure!
The result is no doubt.

The four masks of the Weeping Souls simultaneously emitted piercing screams that seemed to pierce the soul! The world before Jiang Xuan's eyes was instantly distorted into a shattered galaxy composed of countless wailing, resentful souls, trailing pale green flames! It was also a Star Gathering Technique, but it was filled with a soul-crushing resentment and chaos!
puff!
Consciousness was once again dragged into darkness.

But this time, in the instant before his consciousness was completely annihilated, Jiang Xuan's entire mind was firmly imprinted with the core trajectory of that vengeful star river, and the strange order contained within the chaos!
Meanwhile, inside the main hall of Shidingzhai, the lights were bright, the pearls were dazzling, and the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments were melodious and pleasant, creating a scene of a prosperous and peaceful world.

The highlight of the centennial celebration is getting better and better.

The night was as dark as ink, and the lanterns were just lit, yet the atmosphere inside the hall grew even more intense, showing no signs of fatigue.

All the guests, regardless of their status, had eyes filled with eager anticipation.

Because everyone knows that the real grand finale tonight is the legendary art cultivator, Liu Qingyan, who is famous throughout the empire and has unparalleled beauty!

The celebration was arranged in an extremely luxurious and spectacular manner.

First, Liang Daqian, the contemporary successor of the "Puppet Family," used his exquisite and unparalleled skill in manipulating spiritual patterns to command hundreds of lifelike metal puppets of various shapes and sizes, staging a magnificent "Puppet War" with a powerful and awe-inspiring atmosphere.

The puppet army charged into battle, their formations shifting and light and shadow intertwining, drawing cheers from the audience.

Next came the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" performance by the "Beast Taming Family." Dozens of rare and exotic birds with vibrant plumage and exceptional intelligence danced gracefully in the sky above the hall, guided by the tamer's enigmatic music. Their movements created dazzling rainbow trails, ultimately converging into a magnificent and noble phantom of a giant spirit bird poised for flight. An aura of auspiciousness permeated the air, leaving all the guests in awe.

However, amidst this dazzling spectacle, there was a pair of eyes that always burned with a cold, jealous fire.

In the VIP section, Ruan Lingdu held a wine glass, his knuckles turning white from the force.

His gaze was like a poisoned steel needle, piercing again and again at the figure sitting calmly in the chief seat representing Jiang Xuan not far away—Chu Feng!

Watching Chu Feng leisurely enjoy the performance, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones with Dean Wei Lingzhen sitting next to him, Ruan Lingdu felt a surge of rage coursing through his chest, so suffocating he almost vomited blood! That position should have been a symbol of the highest echelons of power in Yanxia City! Chu Feng, this good-for-nothing expelled from the Chu clan, this ant he could crush with a flick of his wrist—what right did he have to sit there? Representing Jiang Xuan? And what right did that little beast have?!

"Be smug, huh! Let you be smug for a moment! After the celebration ends... after the Grand Commander is free to make his move... Hmph!"

Ruan Lingdu cursed viciously in his heart as he downed the strong liquor in his cup, only to find it incredibly bitter.

Chu Feng, at this moment, was indeed extremely happy.

Seeing Ruan Lingdu's aggrieved expression, filled with resentment and jealousy yet unable to retaliate, and feeling the complex and probing gazes cast upon him by the top dignitaries around him, he felt a surge of pride! All of this was thanks to Jiang Xuan! He would forever remember this kindness.

Just then, all the lights in the hall seemed to dim for a moment. The melodious sounds of string and wind instruments quietly ceased, and even the hushed conversations vanished instantly.

The entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop!
An invisible, cool, moonlit aura quietly spread out.

All eyes, no matter where they had been before, were now drawn as if by a magnet to the center of the dazzling stage.

A figure, like a fairy from the moon palace descended to earth, slowly ascended the stage.

The pristine white dress accentuated her slender figure.

Her long, pale purple hair, like the finest silk, flowed smoothly down to her waist, shimmering with a dreamlike luster under the glow of the pearls in the palace.

Her face was exquisitely beautiful, yet her brows were shrouded in a faint, aloof coldness, like an ice lotus atop a snow-capped mountain, pure and distant.

It was none other than the world-renowned jewel of the empire, Liu Qingyan!
Her appearance seemed to freeze time itself.

Only the sound of holding one's breath and countless amazed and infatuated gazes filled the main hall.

Liu Qingyan's gaze, like the cool moonlight, slowly swept over the dark crowd below the stage, and over the faces of those famous and powerful people.

Her eyes were calm and unwavering, as if she had long been accustomed to being the center of attention.

However, when her gaze swept over the VIP area at the very front, which symbolized the pinnacle of power in Yanxia City, her eyes paused on the seat belonging to "Jiang Xuan".

Chu Feng sat up straight, feeling the gaze upon him.

In Liu Qingyan's cool eyes, a very subtle surprise and an almost imperceptible sense of loss appeared, like a pebble thrown into an ancient well, quietly creating a ripple before quickly disappearing, returning the well to its calm state.

She didn't linger on anyone; her gaze quickly shifted away.

She nodded slightly, and the clear, ethereal sound, like jade beads falling onto a plate, resonated throughout the hall with the help of the spiritual runes.

"Qingyan is honored to be invited by Manager Mu to perform a song on the occasion of Shidingzhai's centennial celebration."

As soon as the words were spoken, the hall remained absolutely silent. Everyone was still in awe of the fairy's arrival and awaited the legendary celestial music.

The Hundred Battles Secret Realm, the Frozen Platform.

hum!hum!hum!
The notification sound was like a death knell, ringing out again and again.

[The Fifth Battle...]

[The Eleventh Battle...]

[The Twenty-Third Battle...]

The opponent is changing.

Whether it's a lava giant shrouded in flames, an elven archer wielding a giant bow, or a thousand-legged demon worm spewing poisonous mist... they come in all shapes and sizes, representing countless races.

But what remains unchanged is their "star-gathering" style! Sometimes as violent as a stellar explosion, sometimes as swift as a meteor streaking across the sky, sometimes as unpredictable as a shifting nebula… Each strike carries a precision far surpassing Jiang Xuan's "microscopic" understanding, relentlessly crushing him with unparalleled force! (End of Chapter)