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

"That's right, I have high hopes for that kid. He always manages to unleash amazing potential at crucial moments."

Xu Sanqi remained noncommittal.

"Then let's wait and see. Activate the Reflection Disc and prepare to observe their breakthrough."

The instructors walked to a stone platform at the edge of the field, on which was placed an antique bronze plate.

As Xu Sanqi infused his spiritual power, ripples began to appear on the surface of the bronze plate, gradually revealing a blurry image.
……

The moment Jiang Xuan opened his eyes, the blinding sunlight made him instinctively raise his hand to shield them.

Once the view cleared, a lake came into view, its surface calm and still, reflecting the drifting clouds in the sky.

"This is the Lake of Transformation."

Jiang Xuan muttered to himself, feeling the special energy permeating the air, and each breath made the spiritual power in his body tremble.

In the center of the lake, thirty lotus-shaped stone platforms float, their surfaces as white as jade.

Many students have already used their movement techniques to walk on the water, vying to occupy those stone platforms.

Just as Jiang Xuan was about to make a move, a familiar fragrance wafted from behind him.

"Jiang Xuan."

He turned around, and Bai Lingxi stood three steps away, dressed in white, her black hair flowing like a waterfall, her eyes as clear and cold as the surface of a lake.

A slender sword hung at her waist, its scabbard wrapped with silver threads.

"Miss Bai."

Jiang Xuan nodded, but remained secretly wary.

When they parted last time, Bai Lingxi did say that she would challenge him when he reached the ninth level of True Martial Realm.

Bai Lingxi seemed to sense his wariness, and the corners of her lips slightly lifted.

"Don't be nervous. I've changed my mind."

"oh?"

Jiang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"The opportunity presented by the Lake of Transformation is rare; engaging in combat now would only result in mutual destruction."

Bai Lingxi's gaze was fixed on the center of the lake.

"How about we change the competition to another one? Let's see who can stay in the lake the longest, and whose spiritual energy pool is of higher quality."

Jiang Xuan looked surprised, then understood.

Bai Lingxi was going to compete with him in terms of foundation and potential, rather than simply combat strength.

"interesting."

Jiang Xuan smiled.

I accept.

Bai Lingxi nodded.

"Then it'll be a matter of each person relying on their own abilities."

Before she finished speaking, she lightly touched the ground with her toes, and her whole body floated up like a white feather. In a few leaps, she reached the center of the lake and landed steadily on an empty stone platform.

Jiang Xuan did not hesitate. He circulated his spiritual energy and used his movement technique to walk on water.

His movements were not as graceful as Bai Lingxi's, but they were swifter and more powerful, leaving a trail of shallow ripples on the water's surface.

The two did not lower their voices, and many students around them could hear them clearly.

"Hmph, what a boastful tone."

A student dressed in black sneered.

"Do they really think this Lake of Transformation belongs to them?"

"Li Duxing, if you have any objections, why don't you join the competition?"

Someone nearby made a sarcastic remark.

Li Duxing snorted coldly and stopped talking, but his fighting spirit intensified. He flashed and rushed towards another stone platform.

The other trainees were also inspired to compete, each secretly determined to show their skills in the Lake of Transformation.

Jiang Xuan ascended the stone platform and sat cross-legged.

The stone platform was as cool as jade. As soon as you touched it, a sharp, knife-like aura surged into your body from the point of contact, rushing straight to your dantian along your meridians.

"hiss."

Jiang Xuan gasped, the force of the energy causing excruciating pain wherever it passed.

He immediately activated the "Dongxuan Devouring Wilderness Scripture," and the spiritual energy vortex in his dantian accelerated its rotation, generating a suction force that gradually devoured and refined the invading qi.

"This is the primordial qi."

Jiang Xuan's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, but his eyes became even clearer.

"Truly domineering."

If an ordinary cultivator encountered this kind of qi, they would probably be in so much pain that they would immediately have to stop cultivating.

But Jiang Xuan was different. The brutal training he had undergone in the Blood Killing Camp had already tempered his will to be as hard as steel.

More importantly, as an ancient and extraordinary skill, the "Dongxuan Tunhuang Jing" has an extremely strong ability to contain and refine all kinds of energy.

As time went by, Jiang Xuan gradually adapted to the impact of the Qi.

He closed his eyes and looked inward, seeing the refined qi transform into pure energy, merging into the spiritual energy vortex in his dantian, making it more solid and substantial.

"Not enough"

Jiang Xuan thought to himself.

"To condense a high-quality spiritual energy pool, more internal energy must be absorbed."

He loosened the restrictions and actively guided more internal energy into his body.

When the "Dongxuan Tunhuang Jing" is activated to its fullest extent, a faint suction field forms on the body's surface, continuously drawing the vital energy from the surrounding lake water into the body.

The pain intensified, but Jiang Xuan's expression remained unchanged, and his breathing remained steady.

On the lake, the other trainees performed in different ways.

Around the stone platform where Bai Lingxi was, white mist gradually rose, with specks of starlight in the mist, swirling around her.

With each breath, two streams of white breath shot out of Li Duxing's nostrils like arrows, flying three feet away before dissipating. Each breath carried a peculiar rhythm.

On the other side, Shi Yu was surrounded by white mist that rose and fell like the tide, resonating with the ripples of the lake water. Each rise and fall subtly matched the rhythm of heaven and earth.

Ning Meng was the most flamboyant, with a wave of energy shooting straight into the sky like smoke from a wolf, distorting the surrounding air and displaying an astonishing aura.

Compared to them, Jiang Xuan's cultivation seemed unremarkable. Apart from a few painful expressions during the initial adaptation period, there were no other special phenomena.

He was like a silent stone, absorbing the vital energy of the lake, remaining unassuming and unassuming.

In the central camp of the Bloodthirsty Camp, a huge light screen floats in mid-air, divided into dozens of small screens that display the real-time status of each student on the Lake of Transformation.

"It seems someone will break through today."

Xu Sanqi crossed his arms and scanned the screen, lingering a little longer on the images of Bai Lingxi, Li Duxing, and the others.

"Bai Lingxi's star-like mist enveloping her body and Li Duxing's white rainbow piercing her breath are both superior extraordinary phenomena."

One instructor commented.

"They should have no problem condensing a first-grade spiritual energy pool."

"Shi Yu's tidal rhythm is also quite good, matching the fluctuations of the Transformation Gang Lake, indicating his extremely high level of comprehension."

Another person added.

Xu Sanqi nodded and shifted his gaze to Jiang Xuan's image.

"This kid is quite composed, but he doesn't seem to have anything special about him."

"Jiang Xuan?"

One of the instructors scoffed.

"His ability to even make it into the top ten is already a stroke of luck. Want to condense a high-quality spiritual energy pool? His foundation isn't strong enough."

Xiaoman, who was sitting in the corner wiping her dagger, looked up upon hearing this, her expression displeased.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"What, Instructor Xiaoman has confidence in him?"

The instructor joked.

"I bet he can condense a first-grade spiritual energy pool."

Xiaoman put away the dagger, her tone resolute.

A soft laugh suddenly rang out inside the tent.

"Xiaoman, although you have a keen eye, you're probably mistaken this time."

Xu Sanqi shook his head.

"Jiang Xuan's performance was indeed mediocre; he didn't even exhibit any basic extraordinary phenomena."

"The vision is merely a facade."

Xiaoman disagreed.

"Want to make a bet?"

The other instructors all shook their heads, clearly unwilling to accept the bet. Just as everyone was arguing, a golden ripple suddenly appeared on the lake's surface.

"Yun Zheng has broken through!"

One of the instructors suddenly stood up.

All eyes were focused on the corresponding image on the light screen.

Around the stone platform where Yun Zheng was, the golden rain of light grew denser and denser, eventually condensing into a golden cloud above his head, continuously showering down the essence of his inner energy.

"Golden Rain of Spiritual Power. Second-Grade Spiritual Power Pool."

Xu Sanqi nodded, but there was some regret in his eyes.

"What a pity, I was just a little short of reaching the first rank."

"Outside the world, even a second-grade genius is a rare find."

Another instructor remarked.

Xiaoman pouted.

"Here, the second grade is only considered passing."

Yun Zheng opened his eyes, feeling the new power within his body. Just as a look of joy appeared on his face, he saw that Gong Ming, Ning Meng, and others were still deeply cultivating in the distance, their auras becoming increasingly unfathomable.

His smile froze, and he silently got up and left the stone platform.

With Yun Zheng's breakthrough, it was as if a floodgate had been opened, and in the following hours, students successively completed their advancement.

"The third grade, Green Wood Spirit Vine."

"Third grade, Mysterious Water Vortex."

"Second grade, Crimson Flame Flying Star."

One by one, pools of spiritual energy took shape, and various strange phenomena flashed on the light screen.

The instructors initially took the evaluations seriously, but as the number of people breaking through increased to twenty, not a single person had yet produced a first-grade spiritual energy pool.

Something's not right.

Xu Sanqi frowned.

"Based on past experience, at least two or three first-ranked individuals should have emerged by now."

"Could it be that the potential of this batch of trainees has been overestimated?"

One of the instructors muttered to himself.

Xiaoman toyed with the dagger in her hand, the blade flashing between her fingers.

"What's the rush? The best is yet to come."

The moment she finished speaking, a strange change occurred on the Lake of Transformation!

"Boom!"

A crimson beam of light suddenly erupted from the stone platform where Gong Ming was located, shooting straight into the sky.

Within the pillar of light, a nine-story pagoda formed from pure fire energy took shape, each story burning with flames of a different color, emitting a chilling aura.

"Fire Spirit Pagoda! Rank One!"

Inside the tent, all the instructors stood up at the same time, their faces showing shock.

Xu Sanqi's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

"Good! It's finally here!"

Gong Ming opened his eyes, and flames seemed to flicker in his pupils.

He looked up at the Fire Spirit Pagoda above him, a satisfied smile curving his lips.

This seemed to be a signal, and then...

"Crack!"

A bolt of purple lightning ripped through the sky, enveloping the stone platform where Ning Meng stood. Countless bolts of lightning coursed around him, eventually coalescing into a scripture woven from lightning, its pages turning with the faint rumble of thunder.

"The Thunder Spirit Scripture! It's the first grade again!"

The instructors exclaimed in surprise.

Before they could recover from their shock, three more astonishing phenomena erupted on the lake.

Above Shi Yu's head, a Milky Way composed of tidal energy flowed, dotted with starlight, a breathtaking sight.

Before Ouyang Zhun, a crystal-clear Bodhi flower bloomed, each petal engraved with mysterious patterns; behind Meng Xiulin, a giant azure eagle spread its wings as if about to take flight, its feathers swirling with the aura of wind.

"Tidal Galaxy! Bodhi Spirit Flower! Azure Eagle! All are first-grade spiritual energy pools!"

The camp was in complete uproar.

In a short period of time, five people in a row condensed a first-grade spiritual energy pool, which is extremely rare in the entire history of the Blood Slaughtering Camp.

"Five First-Class Qualities."

Xu Sanqi sighed.

"This cohort of trainees is truly remarkable!"

Xiaoman chuckled softly.

"What did I tell you? The best is yet to come."

The other instructors had no time to refute; they were all focused on the light screen, recording every detail.

On the lake's surface, five extraordinary phenomena of the highest rank intertwined, making the entire Huagang Lake appear dreamlike and ethereal.

The students who had already broken through looked up at these extraordinary phenomena, their eyes filled with awe and envy.

"Is this what a true genius is?"

Yun Zheng muttered to himself, clenching his fists.

In the center of the lake, five stone platforms still stand motionless.

Jiang Xuan, Bai Lingxi, Li Duxing, and the other three seemed completely oblivious to the changes in the outside world, still immersed in deep cultivation.

"The remaining five."

An instructor rubbed his hands together.

"Could there be a first-grade item?"

Xu Sanqi's gaze was intense.

"Bai Lingxi and Li Duxing definitely have the potential to reach the first rank. As for that Jiang Xuan..."

He glanced at Xiaoman.

"It all depends on his fate."

……

The powerful energy surged like a tide, surging and powerful.

Jiang Xuan sat cross-legged deep within the Lake of Transformation, his pores opening wide as he eagerly absorbed the dense, almost tangible, primordial energy around him.

The "Dongxuan Tunhuang Scripture" circulated wildly within his body, refining and purifying the absorbed qi, transforming it into pure spiritual power that flowed into his limbs and bones.

"Not enough"

Jiang Xuan silently chanted in his heart, urging his cultivation technique to accelerate its circulation. The qi in the lake immediately formed a vortex, frantically converging around him.

If it were an ordinary cultivator, their meridians would have already been burst by such a massive amount of qi, but Jiang Xuan's physique was special, and he was able to withstand this almost suicidal rate of absorption.

A sharp, stabbing pain erupted from the center of my chest, as if four red-hot blades were simultaneously piercing my vital points.

Jiang Xuan groaned, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead.

"Xuanji, Huagai, Zigong, Yutang."

Jiang Xuan looked inward and found that the spiritual energy vortex in the four acupoints of his heart meridian was accelerating wildly, spinning so fast that it was almost tearing the acupoints apart.

These four major acupoints held extraordinary significance for him, having once been the hiding places of the "original spiritual veins," but now they were the first to undergo abnormal changes.

Waves of excruciating pain washed over Jiang Xuan, who clenched his teeth until blood seeped from his gums.

He tried to slow down the operation of the "Dongxuan Devouring Wilderness Scripture", but once the technique was running at full power, it seemed to be out of control.

"We can't panic!"

Jiang Xuan shouted in his heart, forcing himself to keep his mind clear.

He knew that if he made the slightest mistake at this moment, he would either suffer a qi deviation or die from severed meridians.

However, the pain intensified, and the four vortexes of spiritual energy spun so fast that they almost broke free from the restraints of the acupoints.

Jiang Xuan's muscles tensed, and a faint bluish-purple light flowed beneath his skin, a sign that his spiritual power was about to spiral out of control.

Just when he was about to give up, something unexpected happened!
"boom."

The vortexes in the four acupoints of the heart meridian suddenly exploded simultaneously, but instead of scattering and collapsing, they merged together to form a new giant vortex covering the four acupoints.

The vortex was dark gold in color, with fine runes flowing around its edges, radiating a terrifying devouring power.

"This is."

Jiang Xuan was shocked as he sensed the changes within his body.

The newly formed vortex was like a bottomless abyss, swallowing up the surrounding qi and refining it into spiritual energy of a purity far exceeding that of the past.

The pain instantly turned into extreme pleasure, and Jiang Xuan couldn't help but let out a long roar, the sound waves spreading out in circles from the bottom of the lake.

His bones crackled like popping beans, his muscles visibly tightened, and a pale golden halo appeared on his skin. (End of Chapter)