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

Even Liu Qingyan, who had a good impression of Jiang Xuan, was filled with disbelief on her beautiful face and murmured to herself.

"This... how is this possible? Refining spiritual treasures and repairing ancient artifacts requires such profound accumulation and experience... Young Master Jiang, you are so young, not only a peerless genius in cultivation, but also possess such astonishing attainments in the path of spiritual runes?"

She found it hard to reconcile a young cultivator who could rival the geniuses of the Forbidden City's powerful clans with a top-tier spirit pattern master who needed to calm his mind and delve into countless complex spirit pattern diagrams.

At this moment, Xue Jin, who had been watching the show with her arms crossed, spoke up lazily, her tone carrying a hint of mockery.

"Hey, you two, stop looking at him like he's a monster."

Although this kid is a bit of a scoundrel, he wouldn't lie about something like this.

If he says he is, then he is.

Having received confirmation from Xue Jin herself, Granny Feng and Liu Qingyan finally had no choice but to believe this unbelievable fact.

Granny Feng looked at Jiang Xuan with a complicated expression, her mind racing. She had already understood why Jiang Xuan had concealed his identity before. A young man so young, yet displaying extraordinary talent in both cultivation and spirit patterns, would indeed attract countless unnecessary troubles and storms, or even death, if exposed too early!
Once she understood this, the shock in her heart deepened. This child's temperament and talent were simply monstrous!
Liu Qingyan looked at Jiang Xuan with an even greater sense of inexplicable curiosity.

This young man seemed shrouded in layers of mystery. Just when she thought she understood him somewhat, he would reveal an even more astonishing side. Possessing both the identity of a cultivation prodigy and a top-tier spirit pattern master, there was probably no one else like him in the entire empire.

"Ahem," Xue Jin coughed lightly, breaking the somewhat strange atmosphere, and said to Granny Feng.

"Old woman, now the truth is out."

Since this kid has made such a boast, you can go back and wait with peace of mind. Within three days, I'll make sure he repairs that xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument) and returns it to you in perfect condition.

Jiang Xuan quickly chimed in, solemnly assuring him.

"Grandma Feng, Grandma Liu, please rest assured, Jiang Xuan will repair the Ancient Law Spirit Xun within three days and personally deliver it to Cui Ming Xuan. However... regarding the matter of 'Seeking Master' being me, I hope you two can keep it a secret."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingyan nodded gently and said understandingly.

"Young Master Jiang, rest assured, this matter concerns your safety. Qingyan understands the importance of this matter and will never divulge a single word to anyone."

Although she was physically weak, her eyes were clear and sincere.

Granny Feng glanced at Liu Qingyan, whose face was still pale, in her arms, then gave Jiang Xuan a cold look and snorted.

"As long as you can repair the Xun on time, I won't have time to gossip."

"Miss needs to rest and recuperate; I'll take her back now."

Having said that, she said no more, helped Liu Qingyan up, and turned to walk out of the courtyard.

After Liu Qingyan and Granny Feng's carriage disappeared into the night, Xue Jin turned her head and looked Jiang Xuan up and down with an extremely strange look, making a teasing sound.

"Well done, kid! You just got rid of your inner demons and haven't even recovered yet, and you've already learned to flirt with young girls? And someone like Liu Qingyan at that? You've got some nerve!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan's face darkened, and he retorted irritably.

"Senior, what nonsense are you talking about! Master Liu enlightened me, and I am grateful beyond words. How could I possibly have such despicable thoughts!"

"Hehe, the grace of enlightenment?"

Xue Jin chuckled, picked up the wine jar, took a swig, and said casually.

"That would be best."

That old woman is extremely protective of her children. If you dare to have any improper thoughts about that girl from the Liu family, be careful she might castrate you while you're asleep to save herself the trouble.

After saying that, he ignored Jiang Xuan's instantly frozen expression, yawned, and swayed back to his corner, seemingly about to continue his "great cause".

Jiang Xuan stood there, speechless for a long time, choked by Xue Jin's unrestrained words.

He looked up at the eastern horizon, where a faint glimmer of dawn was breaking; the long night was coming to an end and dawn was approaching.

Looking back on the harrowing night, from the outbreak of inner demons that brought them to the brink of destruction, to Liu Qingyan's unexpected help, and finally the revelation of their identities... it was truly a narrow escape.

He exhaled a long breath, feeling a sense of ease and clarity within himself despite his exhaustion, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the morning of the fourth day, Granny Feng came to Jiang Xuan's courtyard alone again.

Jiang Xuan had been waiting there for a long time. He solemnly handed the ancient Xun, which had been fully restored and seemed to be even more spiritual than before, to Granny Feng.

Granny Feng carefully examined the instrument and confirmed that the spirit flute had indeed been perfectly repaired, with even some subtle spiritual runes being optimized compared to the original. A hint of undisguised astonishment flashed in her eyes once more. This boy's talent in the art of spiritual runes was truly astonishing.

After putting away the spirit flute, Granny Feng did not leave immediately. Instead, she stared sharply at Jiang Xuan and spoke in a deep voice.

"Young man, I am indebted to you for the restoration of the spirit flute. However, there is something I must repeat myself. Do you remember what I said to you when we first met?"

Jiang Xuan was slightly taken aback, then remembered Granny Feng's warning, and nodded calmly.

“I remember. My mother-in-law once said that the Liu family was of extraordinary status, beyond my reach, and told me not to have any unrealistic hopes.”

“Just remember it!”

Granny Feng's tone became more forceful, carrying an unquestionable air.

"My young lady is kind-hearted and sincere. Perhaps she will look at you differently because of your help."

But you must remember, her future path, the expectations she carries, are far beyond what a young man from a small border town like yourself can imagine, and certainly not something anyone can care about! I hope you will take good care of yourself, stay true to your place, and not ruin your own life, nor... ruin hers!

These words were extremely blunt and impolite.

After listening, Jiang Xuan showed no anger on his face. Instead, he revealed a faint, somewhat distant smile and spoke frankly.

"Grandma Wind is overthinking it."

Jiang Xuan felt only gratitude and respect for Master Liu, regarding her as a worthy friend, with absolutely no other intentions. There was no such feeling in the past, there is no such feeling now, and there will be no such feeling in the future…

His answer was crisp and clear, his eyes were bright, and there was no trace of pretense in his words.

Granny Feng gave him a deep look, as if trying to find even the slightest hint of insincerity in his eyes, but ultimately found nothing. She snorted coldly.

"I hope you remember what I said today!"

Having said that, he turned and strode away without lingering.

Watching Granny Feng's disappearing figure, Jiang Xuan shook his head helplessly and muttered to himself.

"What's going on..."

Immediately, the image of Liu Qingyan playing the bamboo flute that night involuntarily surfaced in his mind, her ethereal and beautiful profile, and the flute music that soothed his inner demons like celestial music, and a trace of regret inexplicably arose in his heart.

"If I had known... I would have liked to go and see Shi Dingzhai's celebration in person, and hear her performance in person as well?"

Just then, Xue Jin, who was lying in the corner pretending to be asleep, seemed to see through his thoughts and suddenly began to chant in his raspy voice in a strange tone.

"Flying light, flying light, let me offer you a cup of wine. I know not the height of the blue sky, nor the thickness of the yellow earth, but only the cold moon and warm sun, which come to scorch human life..."

It was none other than the lyrics from "The Song of Flying Light" that Liu Qingyan had sung at the Shidingzhai celebration that night. In the past few days, the song and its lyrics had already spread throughout the streets and alleys of Yanxia City.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan seemed to recall the desolate flute music he had heard in his consciousness that night, and couldn't help but softly praise it.

“A good word… truly a good word.”

The regret in my heart deepened even further.

……

Four more days passed.

After readjusting himself to his peak condition, Jiang Xuan once again sank his mind into his sea of ​​consciousness and communicated with the ancient "Gate to Heaven".

In the Hundred Battles Secret Realm, on the enormous arena, Jiang Xuan's figure reappeared.

Unlike his confident yet bewildered state of mind when he first broke in, Jiang Xuan now had sharp, piercing eyes, a calm and imposing aura, and a sharp edge that seemed to rise from the ashes after destruction!

During his first attempt, he was unable to withstand the "Star Gathering" technique of those powerful figures in the secret realm, accumulating forty-seven death shadows. In the end, his inner demons erupted, forcing him to admit defeat and withdraw.

But as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. In the process of using Liu Qingyan's flute music to erase those shadows of death, his understanding and perception of "Caixing" underwent a complete transformation!
They have already broken through from the previous level of "meticulousness" and truly stepped into the realm of "precision"! Their mindset has also undergone a complete baptism, becoming more tenacious and fearless.

This time, he wants to avenge his previous shame!
The battle begins!
In the first forty-seven matches, he faced the same "familiar" opponents: the Serpent Spirit Clan, the Demon Spirit Clan, the Azure Scale Clan, and so on. Jiang Xuan had already fought against their "Star Gathering Style" countless times on a mental level, and he knew it like the back of his hand!
The result was exactly as expected!

Jiang Xuan, wielding his battle blade, unleashed his "Star Gathering Style," a technique that combined the strengths of various schools and reached a level of "precision," with unstoppable momentum! Often, just as the opponent manifested their power and before their blade could fully unfold, Jiang Xuan would strike first, delivering a more exquisite and precise blow that would decisively defeat them!
In the forty-eighth match, facing an unfamiliar minotaur powerhouse whose form resembled being cast in gold, Jiang Xuan was initially cautious in his response. However, relying on the essence of the "Star Gathering Style" that he had already mastered, he still found the key to the power flow within ten moves and broke through it with a single strike!

The battle continued in earnest.

As the opponents grow stronger, their "Star-Picking" techniques become increasingly unpredictable and volatile, bringing ever-increasing pressure.

However, Jiang Xuan steadily and meticulously developed his understanding of the "Star Gathering Style," making his swordsmanship increasingly fluid and free, showing a tendency to converge with all styles and form his own unique school.

In the ninetieth battle, Jiang Xuan encountered an extremely powerful opponent. After a fierce fight, he barely managed to kill his opponent, with both sides suffering heavy losses.

In the ninety-first match, due to his injuries and excessive exertion, he was finally defeated and "died" once again.

But this time, the fear of "death" was negligible, almost instantly soothed by his unwavering composure. After his resurrection, his gaze remained steadfast and unshaken.

He knew in his heart that, according to the rules, as long as he could finish one hundred matches, win or lose, he would pass the level. With his current condition and the number of matches he had left, passing the level was practically a certainty.

However, he remembered the vague hint in the rules—"You can pass the level by either winning or never losing a hundred battles."

"Simply passing the level is not my goal."

Jiang Xuan's eyes were sharp.

"What exactly is that 'reward'? For this Heavenly Secret Realm to mention it specifically, it must be something extraordinary!"

He yearned to become stronger and was unwilling to miss any opportunity that might improve his abilities.

"To receive the reward, I'm afraid I'll need... to win every single battle!"

Looking at the upcoming hundredth battle and sensing his own imperfect state, a resolute glint flashed in Jiang Xuan's eyes.

Just as the last powerful figure from the secret realm was about to manifest and the battle was about to begin, he raised his head again and spoke clearly into the void.

"I'm giving up this chance to pass the test."

A flash of light, and he was teleported back to the lonely center of the arena. He'd used two of his three attempts; only one remained!
But there was no sign of discouragement in his eyes; instead, his fighting spirit burned even more fiercely.

He wanted to use this last period of rest to thoroughly digest the insights from the previous ninety-nine battles, adjust his condition to an unprecedented peak, and then, in that final opportunity, to strive for that ultimate goal of... complete victory in every battle, and to seize that unknown, but certainly rich, reward!

Upon regaining consciousness, Jiang Xuan reappeared in a room in the secluded courtyard.

He sat cross-legged, preparing to close his eyes and regulate his breathing to thoroughly digest and consolidate the gains from this challenge.

However, just as his mind sank into his body—

"Ok?"

In the courtyard, Xue Jin, who was pouring wine from a jar into his mouth, suddenly stopped, a hint of surprise flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

He clearly felt a familiar, violent, and murderous aura surging out of Jiang Xuan's room once again, like an uncontrolled volcano!

"What's wrong with this kid? It's only been a few days, and his inner demons have relapsed?!"

Xue Jin was both shocked and furious. Her figure vanished from the spot in an instant and appeared in Jiang Xuan's room the next moment.

Jiang Xuan remained seated cross-legged, but his body was surrounded by a tangible crimson killing intent, which seemed even more intense and violent than when his inner demons erupted last time!
His face was contorted, his lips were clenched, and his teeth even made a faint "clucking" sound, as if he were enduring immense pain, or as if he were fighting a life-or-death battle with an invisible enemy, his expression revealing a chilling madness.

Xue Jin was furious, feeling both worried and angry.

We'd only had a few days of peace? How did it get into this mess again! This kid's cultivation method is far too wicked and dangerous!
Just as Xue Jin was preparing to subdue him first, as she had done last time, and then figure out a way to deal with him, Jiang Xuan, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly spoke with difficulty. (End of this chapter)