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

“I died… I really 'died' just now…”

Jiang Xuan muttered to himself, his voice trembling slightly without him even realizing it.

The terror of that strike was the first time in his life he had ever felt such a strong and real aura of death! What made him even more terrified was that the opponent had used his proud "Star Gathering Style," and its power far exceeded his imagination!

In his first battle, he couldn't even make any effective reaction and was instantly killed and defeated! This result was undoubtedly a heavy blow to his confidence, which had just broken through to the peak of the Human Gang Realm.

A chill ran through him. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be struck by such a blade in real life. He would have no chance of resurrection and would be completely annihilated, body and soul!

"The rules state that there is a 15-minute cool-down period after the battle..."

Jiang Xuan suddenly remembered this rule and forced himself to calm down. There were still a few moments before the second battle began.

He must use this time to figure out the key to passing the challenge.

"What exactly does this 'Hundred Battles' Secret Realm test? Combat skills? Comprehension of techniques? Or combat experience?"

Jiang Xuan frowned.

"But the opponent's power level is completely overwhelming. Skills and experience seem meaningless in the face of absolute power..."

He suddenly realized that the other party was using the "Star-Picking Style"!
"Could it be... a test of my understanding and application of my own skills? Or is it a test of what I can glean from my opponent's 'Star Gathering Style'?"

Once the thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed. The fact that the other party used the "Star-Gathering Style" was by no means accidental; there must be something extraordinary about it.

However, before he could delve deeper into this idea, another statue nearby emitted a strange noise.

"Crack... Boom!"

The statue of a powerful demon spirit, with features as if carved by a knife and axe, eyes that were dark blue, and surrounded by black mist-like flames, shattered with a crash, transforming into a creature about ten feet tall with an even colder and more violent aura.

A cool, clear voice rang out at just the right moment.

"The second battle will be against a powerful member of the Demon Spirit Clan."

Jiang Xuan's pupils contracted, and he immediately gripped his battle sword tightly, becoming fully alert.

After the powerful demon spirit manifested, he didn't waste any words or even use any weapons. He simply raised one hand, put his five fingers together, and transformed it into a palm blade, then gently slashed it in the direction of Jiang Xuan!
The movements were simple, even somewhat casual.

But the instant he unleashed his palm strike, Jiang Xuan's vision was once again filled with endless starlight! However, this time, the starlight was not from a giant comet, but transformed into a dazzling, yet deadly, rain of galaxy light, cascading down upon him like a waterfall from the heavens!

It was still the "Star Gathering Style"! But the form and artistic conception it displayed were completely different from those of the Serpent Spirit Clan powerhouse!
The aura of death, like a cold tide, instantly engulfed Jiang Xuan.

He could even clearly "see" every detail of his body disintegrating and dissolving in the endless rain of light.

An indescribable pain swept through my body again, followed by a blackout and loss of consciousness.

……

Jiang Xuan was "resurrected" once again in the center of the arena.

His face turned unusually grim. Although his body and soul seemed unharmed after being resurrected, the terrifying feeling of being instantly "killed" lingered like a leech, deeply imprinted on his mind. The fear of death, despair, helplessness... all sorts of negative emotions intertwined, forming a heavy shadow that loomed over his heart.

He knew that if he couldn't dispel the psychological shadow cast by death in time, it would grow stronger like a demon in his heart, eventually causing him to completely break down in the subsequent battles!
"I see... I understand now!"

Two consecutive instant defeats made Jiang Xuan suddenly realize the cruel truth hidden behind the rule "Even if you lose a hundred battles, you can still pass the level"!

This "Hundred Battles" secret realm may test not only combat strength, but more importantly, mental state! It tests one's ability to withstand the fear of death and the willpower to maintain one's true self amidst despair!
Every death brings a real and undeniable shock.

This impact accumulates continuously, like water dripping on a stone. Once it exceeds a certain critical point, it will prematurely destroy the will of the test-taker, causing them to "not be able to persevere to the end," that is, to have their mental state collapse, voluntarily admit defeat, or become completely lost.

This is the cruelest part of "Hundred Battles"! It gives you a chance to be resurrected, but it also tortures and tests the limits of your mental state with real deaths time and time again!

The third battle began soon.

The opponent was a powerful member of the Canglin Clan, who stood on a tortoise, wore a spirit snake in his ear, and was covered in jet-black scales.

This time, Jiang Xuan learned from his previous two experiences and stopped waiting passively. Instead, the moment the opponent manifested, he immediately used his strongest attack—the Star Gathering Style!

He pushed his perfected Human Qi Realm spiritual energy to its limit, causing the storm millstone within his body to spin wildly. The battle blade in his hand transformed into a jet-black stream of light that tore through space, and with unwavering determination, he fiercely confronted the newly formed Canglin Clan powerhouse!
However, the result remained unchanged.

The powerful member of the Canglin Clan didn't even make a big move; he simply raised his hand, which was covered in black scales and entwined with the phantom of a spirit snake, and gently pressed it down.

Jiang Xuan felt as if his "Star Gathering Style" had crashed into a boulder, instantly shattering and disintegrating. Immediately afterward, an irresistible, immense force, seemingly from the primordial era, crushed down upon him.

"puff--"

He could even "hear" the sound of his bones and internal organs shattering inch by inch under that force. Everything went black again—his third "death"!
……

"Oh shit!"

After being resurrected, Jiang Xuan could no longer hold back and cursed under his breath, his face extremely ugly. He had originally thought that after breaking through to the Perfect Human Realm and further refining the "Star Gathering Style," he could at least withstand a few moves in this "Hundred Battles" Secret Realm.

But cruel reality dealt him a heavy blow! In front of those powerful figures from the secret realm, his strength and confidence were laughably weak, as fragile as paper, easily punctured.

What's even more terrifying is that every "death" feels incredibly real.

The terror and despair of having one's life forcibly taken away and one's consciousness sinking into darkness were etched more deeply into his mind with each passing death. The shadows accumulated from the three near-death experiences began to gnaw at his reason and consciousness like venomous snakes, giving him an impulse to immediately give up and escape from this hellish place.

He knew this was a sign that inner demons were beginning to fester! For cultivators, mental cultivation is of paramount importance. Many geniuses often fail not because of a lack of talent, but because after experiencing major setbacks or terrifying events, their mental state collapses, giving rise to inner demons, ultimately causing their cultivation to stagnate, or even leading to demonic possession and complete breakdown.

For someone like him, experiencing three "real deaths" in a short period of time is a thousand times more terrifying than ordinary setbacks!
"No! We absolutely cannot admit defeat!"

Jiang Xuan bit his tongue hard, the sharp pain clearing his chaotic thoughts slightly. A strong sense of humiliation and resentment burned like flames in his chest.

He forcibly banished the images of death and fear that kept replaying in his mind, and began frantically thinking of ways to break free from his current predicament.

"There must be a way! This secret realm couldn't have been set up just to torture and kill the trial participants! There must be some opportunity or secret I haven't discovered yet!"

His gaze sharpened again, casting aside all distractions and focusing his mind entirely on a single key point.

Inner demons arise from death, and death arrives because of the other party's "star-gathering technique".

So, to dispel inner demons and break this cycle of death, the breakthrough must lie in this "Star Gathering Style"!

"But... how exactly do we do it?"

Jiang Xuan frowned, his mind racing like a storm as he recalled every detail of the three powerful figures from the secret realm when they used the "Star Gathering Technique"—the power of heaven and earth they drew upon, the terrifying intent it contained—trying to find a flaw that could be exploited, or... a direction for enlightenment.

Jiang Xuan's mind raced, and he instantly realized that the only way to break this almost unsolvable cycle of death and dispel the ever-growing inner demons was to surpass his opponents in these secret realms in his comprehension and mastery of the "Star Gathering Style"! Only by defeating his opponents with a stronger "Star Gathering Style" could he truly shatter the fear brought by death and solidify his Dao heart.

However, this goal is extremely difficult! His current understanding of "Star Gathering" has only reached the "microscopic" level, which allows him to precisely control every bit of power, making it condensed and not dispersed, thus multiplying its power.

However, the three powerful figures from the Serpent Spirit Clan, Demon Spirit Clan, and Azure Scale Clan that he had previously fought had used the "Star Gathering Style," whose vastness of intent, purity of power, and profoundness in drawing upon the power of heaven and earth clearly reached a higher level of "precision," even touching the edge of the "Dao"! It was a manifestation that was close to "skill approaching the Dao," far beyond his current "microscopic" level.

To think that one could catch up with or even surpass the opponent's mastery of "star-picking" in a short period of time is simply wishful thinking.

But Jiang Xuan had no way out! If he failed all three attempts, he would lose his qualification for the Tongtian Secret Realm forever, which would affect his future path.

More importantly, if he cannot overcome his inner demons at this moment and allows them to erode his state of mind, even if he leaves the secret realm alive, his cultivation will be difficult to improve, and he may even suffer a qi deviation and be completely ruined!
"Fight!"

A ruthless and resolute glint flashed in Jiang Xuan's eyes. Rather than waiting to die, he would fight to the death and seek a glimmer of hope in this desperate situation!
Just as he made up his mind, signs of the impending fourth battle appeared, and another strangely shaped statue began to tremble slightly.

Jiang Xuan quickly composed himself, forcibly suppressing the surging shadows of death in his mind, and his eyes rekindled with fierce fighting spirit.

He no longer viewed the upcoming battles as mere life-or-death tests, but rather as an extremely precious learning opportunity, even one bought with "death"! He wanted to extract the secrets of the "Star Gathering" technique from these powerful opponents, learn from their strengths and make up for his weaknesses, and seek that slim chance of turning the tide!

……

Meanwhile, outside, the centennial celebration of Shidingzhai was in full swing, with lights coming on and night deepening. The grand celebration was drawing to a close, but the atmosphere inside the hall had not cooled down; on the contrary, it was becoming increasingly excited and expectant because of the upcoming appearance of the grand finale.

Prior to this, several spectacular performances had already been presented at the celebration.

Liang Daqian, a descendant of a "puppet family," stunned the audience with his masterful "puppet war play." Under his control, thousands of lifelike puppets charged into battle like a real army, enacting a grand war epic that drew thunderous applause.

Immediately afterwards, a master from a "family of beast tamers" performed the mysterious "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix".

A beast tamer with an ethereal aura commanded hundreds of rare and precious birds with just a jade flute. The birds danced and sang to the flute's melody, their clear and melodious voices weaving together to create a beautiful celestial soundscape. It was as if the audience had been transported to a peaceful fairyland where birds roosted, causing a great sensation.

In the VIP area, Ruan Lingdu stood beside Liu Wujun, but his gaze would occasionally sweep coldly over Chu Feng, who was sitting calmly in front of him.

Seeing Chu Feng, relying on Jiang Xuan's name, able to sit on equal footing with giants like Wei Lingzhen, Du Dongtu, and Liu Wujun, while he could only stand like a servant, this stark contrast gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake, making him feel incredibly frustrated and angry, his face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

However, on such a solemn occasion, no matter how unwilling he was, he dared not act rashly in the slightest and could only bury all his resentment deep within.

On the other hand, Chu Feng was unusually in a good mood.

He leisurely enjoyed the performance on stage, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones with Dean Wei Lingzhen beside him. Feeling the palpable venomous gaze of Ruan Lingdu behind him, he felt far from annoyed; on the contrary, he felt even more exhilarated. Years of suppressed emotions had finally given him a chance to vent his frustrations, thanks to Jiang Xuan's influence.

Finally, when the emcee announced in an excited voice that Liu Qingyan, the eldest daughter of the Liu family, would be performing next, the entire magnificent hall instantly fell silent.

All the guests, regardless of their status, held their breath and focused their gazes on the white jade platform in the center, their eyes filled with boundless anticipation and admiration.

On the high platform, the shimmering light flowed slowly, like celestial mist. A clear, ethereal melody, unlike any other mortal sound, suddenly arose, like a stream flowing through a secluded valley, quietly nourishing everyone's heart.

As the music entered their ears, everyone felt the scene before them suddenly change! It was as if they had instantly escaped the noisy celebration hall and found themselves in a carefree fairyland.

But then one sees colorful clouds and shimmering sunlight, thousands of ancient cypress trees, ten thousand bamboo groves, exotic flowers like brocade, and fragrant herbs. There are also cranes calling and phoenixes dancing, a scene of peace and mystery that captivates the heart and soul, making one lose all sense of where one is.

This was not a real illusion, but the supreme wonder contained within the music, directly reflected in the hearts and minds of the listeners! Just a prelude was enough to captivate everyone present, deeply awestruck by the fact that Liu Qingyan's "heavenly voice" was truly well-deserved!
Amidst this dreamlike and enchanting celestial music and scenery, a stunningly beautiful figure quietly appeared in the center of the high platform. (End of Chapter)