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

Death! Resurrection! Fight again! Die again! Resurrection again!
Each time his consciousness broke free from the cold darkness, Jiang Xuan felt as if he were crawling out of a drowning abyss, his body drenched in cold sweat, his soul still bearing the agonizing pain and emptiness of being utterly shattered.

The shadow of death, like thick ink, was repeatedly splashed onto the canvas of his mind, layer upon layer, growing heavier and colder.

The seeds of inner demons had already taken root and sprouted, growing wildly by absorbing the fear of each death, transforming into countless twisted black shadows that shrieked and tore through his sea of ​​consciousness!
"Uh... Pfft!"

After his twenty-fifth death and resurrection, Jiang Xuan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his face was ashen, his body trembled violently, and his eyes were unfocused. He was almost completely swallowed up by the negative emotions that erupted in that instant!

"No! If this continues... I won't be able to last a hundred times before my mind is completely crushed by the accumulated shadow of death!"

Jiang Xuan felt a sudden alarm bell ring in his mind; at this critical moment, he had a flash of inspiration!
"Minor Netherworld Divine Art! Visualize the Circulation of Stars!"

He endured the excruciating pain that felt like his soul was being torn apart, frantically activating the secret technique he had obtained from the second level of the Heavenly Realm! Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the blurry phantom of the Underworld God suddenly became clearer, radiating an ancient and vast aura that suppressed the soul! At the same time, Jiang Xuan's will forcefully sketched out a grand scene of the universe and the stars orbiting in their orbits!

The celestial orbits flow with their own unchanging order! That light of order, like scorching sunlight piercing through the gloom, temporarily dispels the entangling shadows of inner demons! Although it cannot eradicate them, it is like building a precarious yet crucial dam amidst the raging tide of inner demons!
"Huff...huff..." Jiang Xuan gasped for breath, cold sweat pouring down his face.

The impact of his inner demons was temporarily suppressed. Although it was still as heavy as lead, it finally gave him a moment to breathe and think.

"It's effective! But only for this short break! Once the battle begins and you're fully focused on your opponent, the suppressive power of the Lesser Netherworld Divine Art will weaken dramatically!"

A look of enlightenment flashed in Jiang Xuan's eyes.

"Every rest period is a precious opportunity to catch our breath and learn! Observe their knives! Feel their intent!"

He seized this brief fifteen minutes, like a dried-up sponge, frantically absorbing the "experience" brought by each death.

The star trails, power condensation points, and the instantaneous burst of intent contained in the opponent's sword light... every detail was repeatedly replayed, dissected, and simulated in his mind.

His understanding of the star-picking method was being improved steadily and steadfastly through these repeated and arduous "observations," gradually moving towards the unattainable realm of "precision."

Fight! Death! Suppress your inner demons! Learn! Fight again!
Time flows on in the cycle of birth and death.

[The Thirty-Sixth Battle...]

[The 40th Battle...]

[The Forty-Sixth Battle...]

When Jiang Xuan struggled to "awaken" from the chill of his forty-sixth death, and barely managed to suppress the surging tide of inner demons that was about to break through the dam by relying on the Lesser Netherworld Divine Art and Star Circulation Visualization, an unprecedented heaviness and coldness from the depths of his soul, like the strongest shackles, firmly locked his mind!

He felt as if his consciousness was frozen in ancient ice, making his thoughts extremely difficult to process.

Every breath is accompanied by excruciating pain in my soul.

The shadow of inner demons roared and churned deep within the sea of ​​consciousness, the dam constructed by the Lesser Netherworld Divine Art groaned under its strain, and the light of the Star Cycle also dimmed and flickered.

limit!

Jiang Xuan instantly understood.

The shadow of death he had accumulated had reached the limit of what his will could currently withstand! The forty-seventh battle, once it begins, will instantly shatter the suppression of the Lesser Underworld Divine Art! At that moment, his inner demons will erupt like a long-dormant volcano!
He will utterly succumb, consumed by fear and despair, losing even the will to pick up a knife, let alone fight!
Without the slightest hesitation! Just as the notification sound for the forty-seventh battle was about to ring...
"I give up!"

Jiang Xuan used all his strength to let out a hoarse roar at this cold space.

"Give up on this challenge!"

The sound echoed across the empty platform, carrying a sense of resolute liberation.

【confirm. 】

[First attempt used up.]

Jiang Xuan, the challenger, achieved his first challenge result.

Forty-six battles, zero wins, forty-six losses.

According to the rules, you will get a second chance to try the level in seven days.

[Now, teleporting back.]

A cold, emotionless voice announced the result.

Jiang Xuan closed his eyes wearily, letting the teleportation power envelop his broken body and mind.

The cold, hard marks of forty-six deaths, like forty-six blocks of ice, weighed heavily on the depths of his soul.

But there was no frustration in his eyes; instead, beneath his extreme exhaustion burned a faint yet incredibly tenacious flame.

In the dead of night in the courtyard, the intent of a blade cleaved through the air! Xue Jin was startled and restrained the destructive blade's aura.

Jiang Xuan burst out of the door, his eyes bloodshot, his battle blade whistling wildly, looking like a madman!
Xue Jin struck the enemy with a heavy blow, but saw him struggling and going crazy, his inner demons already deeply rooted.

Jiang Xuan roared.

"Let me...do it myself!"

A glimmer of clarity in her eyes made Xue Jin let go.

Inside the Shidingzhai, the lingering melody of "Flying Light Melody" resonated with all, leaving a sense of melancholy as the music ended.

Liu Qingyan's purple eyes were filled with disappointment. The imperial carriage turned westward, solely to find him and apologize. Granny Feng sighed in worry.
The night was as dark as ink, and all was silent.

Only Xue Jin's snoring, rising and falling like muffled thunder, from the corner of the wall was the only sound in this secluded courtyard.

suddenly!

Xue Jin's massive body jolted violently, like a startled bear, its tightly closed eyes snapping open! Two sharp, tangible beams of light instantly pierced the darkness! A terrifying intuition, honed from the depths of its bloodline through countless life-and-death trials, frantically warned it!
His gaze was fixed on the quiet room where Jiang Xuan was in seclusion!
Within the quiet room, an indescribable, sharp aura erupted like a volcano suppressed for millennia! The aura was filled with a tyrannical, destructive, and mad will to slaughter everything, icy cold yet burning with the heat of a soul-scorching flame! It was as if a dormant, peerless, deadly blade was breaking free of its final seal, ready to shred everything in sight into dust!

"not good!"

Xue Jin's expression changed drastically, and a warning bell rang in her mind like a thunderclap!
His massive body displayed a terrifying speed completely disproportionate to his size, like a black hurricane hurtling along the ground as he lunged towards the meditation room! This was definitely not the aura of a normal breakthrough! This was... a sign of demonic possession!
However, he was still a fraction too slow!
Tsk! ! !

A sharp, tearing sound, sharp enough to rip eardrums, suddenly erupted from inside the quiet room! It wasn't a sound, but a terrifying, piercing shriek produced by pure blade intent cutting through space!
Immediately afterward, a condensed, three-foot-long, yet all-consuming dark golden blade of light, like lightning slicing through the night, burst forth from the wall of the quiet room! Wherever it passed, the solid stone wall was silently cleaved in two as if sliced ​​by a hot knife through butter! The sharp aftershocks of the blade's intent spread wildly, carving a terrifying trench several feet deep into the hard ground of the courtyard. The rubble, as if crushed by an invisible force, instantly turned to dust! The courtyard walls shook violently, countless fine cracks spreading out like a spiderweb!
If this strike lands squarely, the entire courtyard will be razed to the ground instantly! Even the buildings on the streets further away will not be spared!

"You little lunatic! You're asking for it!"

Xue Jin's eyes widened in fury as he let out a furious roar! At the critical moment, his massive, fan-like hand suddenly shot forward, fingers spread wide! From within his palm, a blinding dark golden light erupted, and a terrifying power as heavy as a mountain and incomparably domineering burst forth!
"Break it for me!"

boom! ! !
That destructive dark gold blade of light crashed into an invisible, ancient divine mountain, and was forcibly imprisoned in mid-air by the power erupting from Xue Jin's palm! The dark gold light flickered and struggled wildly, emitting a piercing wail! In less than half a breath, it was crushed by Xue Jin's overwhelming and unstoppable force, and exploded into countless fireflies!

A violent surge of energy, like a runaway tornado, raged through the courtyard, instantly tearing apart flowers, trees, stone tables, and benches! Smoke and dust filled the air!
"Cough...cough!"

Xue Jin was also shaken by the recoil, causing his blood and qi to churn. He staggered back several steps, and the ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch.

He stared intently at the gaping hole in the quiet room, cursing loudly.

"Damn it! You went mad from cultivating, and almost sent me and the whole street to heaven! Jiang Xuan, you little brat."

The words have not yet been spoken!

Boom!

The remaining half of the stone door to the quiet room was completely blown away by a violent force!

A figure, like a demon god breaking free from the shackles of hell, charged out fiercely, carrying an overwhelming killing intent and a surging battle spirit that was almost solidified!

It was Jiang Xuan!

At this moment, he was completely different from before his seclusion! A visible scarlet aura surrounded him, his eyes were bloodshot, the whites of his eyes were covered with spiderweb-like blood vessels, his gaze was chaotic and frenzied, filled with a violent desire to destroy everything!
He gripped the ancient battle sword tightly in his hand, the blade humming and vibrating, radiating a bloodthirsty thirst! He himself was like a peerless, ferocious blade just drawn from the abyss of blood, yearning for endless slaughter!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

A deep, beast-like roar escaped from deep within Jiang Xuan's throat. He abruptly raised his head, his crimson eyes instantly locking onto Xue Jin not far away! A violent killing intent surged forth like a tidal wave!

"A demon has possessed the body?!"

Xue Jin's heart sank, and his expression instantly became extremely solemn! As someone who had been through it all, he knew all too well what the words "inner demon" meant! It was the most terrifying and unpredictable karmic obstacle on the path of cultivation! Once it erupted, at best, one's cultivation would be completely destroyed, turning one into a cripple; at worst, one's soul and spirit would be annihilated, resulting in death and the dissipation of one's cultivation! Moreover, inner demons could only be overcome and resolved by oneself; forceful intervention from external forces would only accelerate its backlash, and might even cause the possessed person and the interferer to perish together!
"Jiang Xuan! Wake up!"

Xue Jin roared, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, trying to wake Jiang Xuan from his daze.

However, his response was met with an even wilder roar from Jiang Xuan, and a terrifying blade of light that tore through the night! Within the blade of light was an aura of chaotic, destructive, and violent falling stars—the very essence of the Star Gathering Style! Only this aura was distorted and deformed, as if it had been demonized!
"Damn it!"

Xue Jin cursed under his breath, not daring to directly confront the blade energy containing the power of his inner demons.

His massive body displayed astonishing agility as he suddenly dodged to the side! The blade's energy grazed his arm, then crashed down a perfectly intact courtyard wall behind him!

Taking advantage of this brief moment, a fierce glint flashed in Xue Jin's eyes, and she no longer hesitated!
He exerted force with his feet, causing the ground to explode, and he appeared beside Jiang Xuan as if by teleportation! A giant hand, with bulging muscles and containing the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, slashed towards the back of Jiang Xuan's neck with lightning speed! This strike embodied Xue Jin's subtle control over power, enough to stun a dragon-elephant, yet it would not truly injure Jiang Xuan's bones and muscles!
boom!
A muffled sound!
Jiang Xuan's body stiffened abruptly, and his violent aura faltered.

However, to Xue Jin's shock once again, Jiang Xuan did not faint and fall to the ground as expected!

"Uh...ah!"

Jiang Xuan let out a painful roar, his body shaking violently, and a groan came from his neck as if his bones could no longer bear the weight!
His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Xue Jin, and the chaos and savageness in his eyes did not diminish but instead became even more frenzied due to his frustration!
Like a wounded beast, he struggled to raise his sword again, making strange hoarse noises in his throat, clearly having fallen into a deep state of madness!
"Damn it! The inner demons have corrupted too deeply; even my power can only suppress them temporarily!"

Xue Jin's heart sank to the bottom instantly.

Seeing Jiang Xuan struggling frantically, as if he might erupt again at any moment, a huge sense of powerlessness welled up in my heart.

What should we do? Forcefully suppress them? The risks are too great! Let it go unchecked? The consequences would be unimaginable! This inner demon's tribulation is so dangerous and unpredictable!

Just as Xue Jin was torn between her inner turmoil and was about to recklessly imprison Jiang Xuan again,
"Put...me...down!"

A hoarse, strained voice, as if squeezed from the depths of a throat, rang out with difficulty.

It's Jiang Xuan!
Xue Jin suddenly looked down and saw Jiang Xuan, who had been struck on the back of the neck by his palm and was kneeling on the ground, struggling to raise his head.

In those blood-red, chaotic eyes, a faint but incredibly stubborn glimmer of clarity miraculously emerged! Like a candle flame flickering in a storm, it could be extinguished at any moment, yet it stubbornly refused to give up!

"Let...me...do it...myself!"

Jiang Xuan gritted his teeth, each word seemingly exhausting all his strength, his gums even bleeding from the excessive force.

But a glimmer of clarity in his eyes stared intently at Xue Jin, conveying an unwavering determination!
Xue Jin trembled violently!
He looked into Jiang Xuan's eyes, at the glimmer of clarity struggling to survive amidst boundless demonic obstacles, at that resolute determination to face even the most agonizing inner demons. His massive hand trembled slightly. Finally, he gritted his teeth, a sharp, resolute glint flashing in his eyes!

"Kid! I'm on your side this time! Hang in there!"

Xue Jin let out a low growl, and as if moving a mountain, slowly released his hand from behind Jiang Xuan's neck. At the same time, he retreated several feet, his muscles tense and his spiritual energy surging, ready to deal with the worst-case scenario at any moment! (End of this chapter)