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

All he wanted to do now was get this jinx to the highest-level secret chamber as quickly as possible.

The puppets there are the sturdiest, so at least we'll suffer fewer losses.

Moreover, even if it breaks, it's normal for a distinguished guest at the Heavenly Gang Realm to accidentally damage the puppet.

It's better than having everything demolished in the Earthly Realm area.

Seeing the fat man's enthusiasm, Jiang Xuan thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Alright."

Yin Daxu was overjoyed and immediately shouted at the waiter who was staring in disbelief.

"What are you waiting for! Quick! Take Young Master Jiang to the best secret chamber, the Heavenly Gang Jia!"

After Jiang Xuan left with the servant, Yin Daxu looked at the mess and heavy damage to the secret room, his heart aching with pain, yet he was helpless.

The waiter muttered to himself.

"Manager, are we just going to let this loss go like this? Should we...?"

"You're kidding me!"

Yin Daxu glared at him irritably and cursed in a low voice.

"You know nothing! Do you even know who he is? Jiang Xuan! He even beat up that madman Huang Jianchen from the Huang family! Even the young master of the Biguang Pavilion has to give him a wide berth! He has a very powerful background!"

Even the owner of our dojo would have to treat him with utmost respect! What's a few puppets as compensation? We should be grateful he doesn't tear the dojo down! We need to be more careful from now on!

The waiter was dumbfounded and dared not say another word.

Jiang Xuan stepped into the "Jia" secret chamber, which was reserved for the Heavenly Gang Realm.

The space here is more expansive, with walls and floors made of more durable materials, and the spirit patterns are more complex.

Ten puppets, all dark gold in color, with ferocious shapes and exuding a powerful sense of oppression, stood silently.

Each one possesses strength comparable to a cultivator at the Heavenly Gang Realm!

Faced with these ten puppets, Jiang Xuan finally felt real pressure!
But instead of fear, his eyes burned with fierce fighting spirit!

This is exactly the whetstone he needs!
"bring it on!"

He gave a low shout and activated all the puppets on his own!
Subsequently, he unleashed the moves of "Shaking the Heavens and Collapsing the Dao," though he still could not fully unleash its power.

But under this immense pressure, his control over power, his grasp of timing, and his connection of moves are all improving at an astonishing rate!

His figure weaved and dodged amidst the attacks of ten Heavenly Realm puppets, using fists, palms, fingers, and legs.

Each strike contained destructive power, demonstrating an incredible fighting ability that transcends two major realms!
At the Azure Sea Dojo, Jiang Xuan first shattered the Human Gang Realm puppet, and then crippled the Earth Gang Realm puppet.

Finally, news that he had entered the secret chamber of the Heavenly Gang Realm for further training was leaked by some gossipy waiter or guest.

Inside the spacious hall of the Azure Sea Dojo, cultivators who had been chatting amongst themselves and waiting to use the cultivation facilities were now gathered.

At this moment, they gathered in twos and threes, lowered their voices, and focused their discussion on the same name—Jiang Xuan!
"Have you heard? That Jiang Xuan came today! First, in the secret chamber of the Human Gang Realm, he punched me!"
Just one punch! It blasted four bronze-skinned golems to smithereens!

A tall, thin cultivator, who had just heard the news from someone else, spoke to his companion with an exaggerated expression on his face.

"What's this? I just came from the Earthly Rank Realm area. My god, you didn't see the scene! Seven or eight Earthly Rank Realm puppets were all crippled by him, with broken arms and legs, and parts scattered all over the ground! When Steward Yin went in, his face turned green!"

Another short, stout cultivator immediately added, his tone filled with lingering fear.

"Being at the Human Gang Realm or Earth Gang Realm is one thing, but what's most outrageous is that Manager Yin not only didn't make him pay compensation, but instead respectfully invited him to the Heaven Gang Jia-level secret chamber! That chamber is reserved for late-stage Heaven Gang Realm experts!"

Another well-informed person chimed in.

"Hiss—" A collective gasp of astonishment immediately filled the air.

Crossing two major realms to challenge a Heavenly Gang Realm puppet?
Is that human being?
"This provincial examination is going to be quite a spectacle... Whoever's unlucky enough to run into him early..."

A young cultivator with a youthful face said with a worried expression.

His words immediately resonated with many people around him, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy for a moment.

Some people tried to ease the tension by mentioning other experts.

"Well, our Yanxia City is full of hidden talents, and he's not the only one who's powerful. Li Hao, the 'Mountain-Slaying Blade' of the Li family in the west of the city, is said to have already reached the peak of the Earthly Rank! And that young master from the Prefectural Governor's Mansion, trained by a renowned master, his strength is also unfathomable..."

This explanation had little effect.

Most people felt their hearts pound at the thought of possibly facing Jiang Xuan, a monster who could withstand a Heavenly Gang Realm puppet.

I secretly prayed that I wouldn't encounter this jinx too early in the assessment.

As dusk fell, the heavy stone door of the secret chamber with the character "甲" in the name of the Heavenly Gang slowly slid open.

Jiang Xuan came out from inside.

His face showed exhaustion; the continuous high-intensity battle with ten Heavenly Gang Realm puppets had taken a heavy toll on his spiritual energy and mental state.

But his eyes were unusually bright, gleaming with a sharp and excited light.

This afternoon of hands-on practice was incredibly valuable!
He not only became more familiar with the power exertion techniques of "Shaking the Heavens Nine Collapses", but also, under immense pressure, he initially mastered several collapse techniques, significantly improving his combat ability.

"This 'Nine Shaking Heavens Dao' is definitely a top-tier body-refining and attacking secret technique!"

Its power and potential probably far surpass Huang Jianchen's "Mother and Child Yin Ghost Scripture"!

Jiang Xuan was resolute, and had even more confidence in the upcoming provincial examination.

He walked out along the corridor, and every cultivator he encountered along the way cast strange and complicated glances at him.

There was awe, curiosity, jealousy, and also deep-seated fear.

Jiang Xuan was already used to this, and remained calm, as if he hadn't seen anything.

As soon as he entered the main hall of the dojo, Yin Daxu, who had been waiting there, immediately greeted him with a big smile, his fat body appearing unusually agile.

He held a rather exquisite-looking storage bag in his hands and respectfully handed it to Jiang Xuan.

"Young Master Jiang, you must be tired from your cultivation! This is just a small token of my appreciation, containing five hundred gold coins and a VIP token from my Azure Sea Dojo. If you come again in the future, all expenses will be waived! I hope you will accept it!"

Jiang Xuan glanced at the storage bag and immediately understood the fat man's intention.

It's nothing more than spending money to avoid trouble, plus currying favor and making friends, hoping that I won't come back to "tear up" your house again.

He smiled faintly and did not reach out to take it.

"I appreciate Steward Yin's kindness. But there's no need for gold coins. You can calculate how much compensation I owe for the puppet I damaged today."

Yin Daxu's smile froze, and he quickly waved his hand.

"Oh dear, young master, what are you saying! Those puppets were old and dilapidated and should have been discarded anyway. It's their honor to be used by you to hone their martial arts! How could we let you compensate us! You must accept this money, consider it a token of friendship!"

Jiang Xuan was too lazy to argue with him any further, his tone was calm but carried an unquestionable air.

"I said, it's not necessary."

Seeing Jiang Xuan's resolute attitude.

Yin Daxu didn't dare to force it, so he could only awkwardly put the storage bag back, secretly lamenting his predicament.

This wicked man wouldn't take money, which made him even more uneasy.

He smiled and escorted Jiang Xuangong all the way to the gate of the dojo.

Only after Jiang Xuan's figure disappeared around the street corner did Yin Daxu breathe a long sigh of relief and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

At this moment, a steward in charge of maintenance ran in with a mournful face to report. "Steward... the ten puppets in the Heavenly Gang Jia-character secret chamber... their core spirit patterns are severely damaged, and many joints are broken... please ask a puppet master to repair them, it will cost at least... at least two thousand gold coins!"

Two thousand gold coins?!

Upon hearing this, Yin Daxu's fat face instantly twisted in pain, and he almost fainted from heartache. He jumped up and down, cursing.

"That jinx! I knew it wouldn't be anything good!"

Two thousand gold coins! I've worked for free for half a month!

……

Jiang Xuan left the Azure Sea Dojo and headed towards the station in the west of the city where he could board the spirit-patterned shuttle.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the streets in a warm gold, and people who had been busy all day hurried along.

As they approached the station, Jiang Xuan glanced around and spotted a familiar figure—Gu Liang.

At this moment, Gu Liang was blocking a young man dressed in luxurious white clothes with an arrogant expression. He had a businessman's enthusiastic smile on his face, as if he was trying to sell something.

"Young master, you are clearly an outstanding person. You are sure to pass the provincial examination with flying colors! Our Jin Yu Tang is a long-established brand in Yanxia City. We operate with integrity and never cheat anyone, young or old!"
If you are willing to claim that you used pills and weapons provided by our Jin Yu Tang after you win the assessment, we are willing to provide you with everything you need for free, plus a generous reward!
This is a win-win situation!

Gu Liang spoke with spittle flying everywhere.

The white-clad youth, however, looked impatient and gently pushed Gu Liang aside with his folding fan, saying disdainfully.

"Hmph, a mere merchant dares to discuss cooperation with me? If I win, it will be through my own strength. Why would I need to use your Jin Yutang to make a name for myself? Get out of my way!"

After saying that, he snorted coldly and turned away.

As Gu Liang watched the boy's departing figure, the smile on his face instantly vanished. He sighed helplessly, his expression somewhat forlorn.

Jiang Xuan walked over and spoke.

"Brother Gu".

Gu Liang turned around upon hearing the voice, saw it was Jiang Xuan, and forced a smile.

"It's Brother Jiang Xuan, what a coincidence."

"That was that just now?"

Jiang Xuan glanced in the direction the white-robed youth had left.

Gu Liang sighed and smiled bitterly.

"Sigh, don't even mention it. It's all because of the provincial examination. Business at Jin Yu Tang hasn't been doing so well lately, and we were thinking of finding a promising young cultivator to collaborate with, so we could use the provincial examination as an opportunity to promote ourselves."

But these talented young people are all arrogant and think it's beneath them to rely on advertising from businesses. I've talked to several, but none of them are willing. The assessment is about to begin, and I still haven't found a suitable candidate. I'm so worried!

Looking at Gu Liang's worried expression, and recalling the kindness Jin Yutang had shown him before, Jiang Xuan pondered for a moment and then suddenly spoke.

"Brother Gu, what do you think of me?"

"you?"

Gu Liang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and looked at Jiang Xuan in disbelief, his eyes gradually brightening.

"Brother Jiang Xuan, you...you mean...you're willing to cooperate with Jin Yutang?"

Gu Liang looked at Jiang Xuan, his expression gradually shifting from astonishment to complexity.

He rubbed his hands together and said somewhat awkwardly.

"Young Master Jiang Xuan, this... you've already helped me a lot before, I... I'm really embarrassed to ask again. Besides, although you're young, you have a certain pride in you, and I know that. Asking you to help promote our Jin Yu Tang would probably be a bit beneath your dignity..."

He really hadn't considered looking for Jiang Xuan.

Firstly, Jiang Xuan had already helped him a great deal by restoring ancient artifacts.

Secondly, he knew that Jiang Xuan was no ordinary young man and had extremely high aspirations.

He feared that Jiang Xuan would be offended by this kind of commercial collaboration.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan simply smiled calmly.

“Brother Gu is overthinking it. It’s fate that we met, and Jin Yutang has been quite kind to me. Cooperation is mutually beneficial, so why should we lose face? If you think it’s feasible, I’ll give it a try.”

Seeing that Jiang Xuan's attitude was sincere and not just polite, they realized that he was genuinely sincere.

After a moment of internal struggle, Gu Liang's business instincts and his hopes for the future of Jin Yutang ultimately prevailed.

He slapped his thigh, his face showing determination and gratitude.

"Alright! Brother Jiang Xuan, since you put it that way, then I'll shamelessly accept! I'll remember this favor! Let's go back to Jin Yu Tang and discuss how to proceed with the publicity!"

The two immediately changed course and headed to Jin Yutang.

In the private room at the back, Gu Liang dismissed his attendants and began to discuss matters in detail with Jiang Xuan.

When Gu Liang talks about business planning, he seems to radiate a different kind of brilliance.

From the assessment process and the types of competitors we might encounter, to how to subtly integrate Jin Yutang's information, and how to leverage this opportunity for subsequent promotion...

The thinking was clear, the plan was meticulous, and even the details were considered without any flaws.

Jiang Xuan listened from the side, and couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

Gu Liang may have only average talent in cultivation.

But in the business world, he is an absolute rare talent!
His quick wit and unique insight are truly admirable.

The two discussed the matter until late at night before finalizing a preliminary plan. Jiang Xuan declined Gu Liang's invitation to stay the night and returned to the small courtyard in the west of the city alone.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, I saw that Xuejin was not snoring loudly as usual.

Instead, he sat alone on a stone bench, a jar of wine in front of him, gazing up at the sparse starry sky, lost in thought.

"came back?"

Upon hearing the noise, Xue Jin spoke without turning her head, her voice somewhat low.

"Ah."

Jiang Xuan responded and sat down opposite him.

Xue Jin grabbed the wine jar and gulped down several large mouthfuls.

Then, through his sleeve, he looked at Jiang Xuan, his tone calm but carrying an imperceptible heaviness.

"Kid, after the provincial exam, I'm planning to leave Yanxia City."

Jiang Xuan paused slightly as he was about to pick up another wine glass, and looked up at Xue Jin.

"Leave? Where?"

"Go to the western frontier of the empire. Things have been quite turbulent there lately. Barbarians and some evil spirits are causing a lot of trouble. It's known as the 'Turbulent Wasteland.' My roots are there, and many of my old brothers are still fighting there."

Xue Jin's voice was a little hoarse.

"After eating the government's salary for so many years, I can't just become a useless person who only drinks and sleeps. It's time to go back and do my part."

Jiang Xuan fell silent.

Although I knew all along that Xue Jin was not meant to stay and would leave sooner or later.

But now that the moment has arrived, a touch of reluctance still arises in my heart. (End of Chapter)