Chapter 366 - 196: Reaching the Summit (Part 1)

In the vast Celestial Spirit Martial Arts Arena, tens of thousands of Martial Artists from the various sects of Cangzhou Prefecture were utterly silent. You could hear a pin drop.

All eyes were fixed upon the half-destroyed Bronze Arena.

Fixed upon the black-clad youth slowly retracting his finger, his expression serene.

In their minds, the reality-shattering scene from moments ago replayed endlessly—

That beam of annihilation, black as ink, that seemed capable of obliterating all existence!

And... the Sect Leader’s Talisman Seal, now riddled with cracks and faintly glowing beneath that beam of annihilation!

Most importantly, Qin Wuya was defeated!

Though he was uninjured, everyone had seen it clearly: without the Sect Leader’s Talisman Seal, his Divine Soul would have been annihilated and his body turned to ash!

The undisputed king of Cangzhou Prefecture’s younger generation, the peerless prodigy who already had one foot in the True Master Realm, was just...

Defeated!

Utterly and completely defeated, leaving no room for doubt!

...

「On the high platform.」

The massive frame of "Mad Lion" Zhao Qingtian trembled. He stared fixedly at the arena, his fierce eyes wide with disbelief!

The Core Elders of the Taiyuan Sect beside him shot up from their seats, their faces livid, as if they had been brutally slapped in public!

They could never have imagined that the peerless genius of their sect, in whom they had placed such high hopes and who was on the verge of entering the True Master Realm...

Would actually...

Be so devastatingly defeated!

"Impossible..." one Elder muttered, his voice hoarse. "That attack... What was that?!"

Another Elder’s expression was grim to the extreme, his eyes filled with dread. "That move... Even I, if caught off guard... I’m afraid..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

The power of Jiang Che’s Azure Dragon Annihilation was enough to threaten a genuine True Master!

...

「In the disciples’ viewing area.」

Gu Qingxuan, Xiao Qingge, Lin Qingyun, Chen Jiayu, Qing Ling...

Every single one of these proud prodigies, who also stood at the apex of the Hidden Dragon List, was now staring blankly at the figure in the center of the arena, their minds reeling in shock!

They knew Jiang Che was strong.

When Jiang Che had fought Qin Wuya to a draw at the Young Alliance Leader’s summit, it had already been a huge shock to them.

After that battle, they had all come to see Jiang Che as the strongest opponent of their generation.

However, they had estimated that even if Jiang Che could defeat Qin Wuya, it would have to be a grueling, heart-pounding battle!

But now?!

Jiang Che had defeated the seemingly invincible Qin Wuya in a nearly crushing fashion!

Moreover, the destructive aura of Jiang Che’s final move, Azure Dragon Annihilation—an aura powerful enough to threaten a True Master—sent a cold shiver through the very depths of their souls!

Jiang Che... How could he be this strong?

How much time had passed? How had his strength undergone another earth-shattering transformation?!

Even though they had long ago accepted the fact that Jiang Che was strong.

But at this moment, their feelings were still incredibly complicated.

Shock, confusion, bewilderment...

And even a sliver of heartfelt helplessness.

Jiang Che...

At that moment, every single one of them once again took a long, hard look at this young man who had risen like a comet.

They realized that they had, it seemed...

Never truly seen through him.

...

「On the arena.」

Qin Wuya slowly got to his feet.

He didn’t look at the surrounding crowd, ignoring the gazes of pity, regret, and even gloating.

He simply raised his head and took a long, deep look at his opponent, who remained as serene as ever.

A moment later, he solemnly cupped his fist to Jiang Che.

"I lost."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was exceptionally clear, carrying the relief of one who had finally cast off a heavy burden.

With that said, he lingered no longer. He turned, and under the watch of countless complex gazes, he slowly descended from the arena, step by step.

His figure, though still upright, now carried a hint of desolation that had never been there before.

Watching him go, Jiang Che said nothing, merely nodding calmly.

He knew that for someone as proud to the core as Qin Wuya, admitting defeat required far more courage than facing death.

This battle could become an indelible Heart Demon on his path of the Martial Dao.

But then again, perhaps...

It could also become the catalyst he needed to be reborn from the ashes, see through his illusions, and truly step into the True Master Realm.

...

With the duel concluded, the Taiyuan Sect fulfilled its agreement with Jiang Che.

Accompanied by Lin Qingyun, Jiang Che arrived at the Taiyuan Sect’s imposing and heavily guarded Scripture Pavilion.

The disciples they encountered along the way no longer looked at him with the scrutiny and arrogance they had when he first arrived.

Instead, their expressions were complicated.

A mixture of awe, resentment, and curiosity.

Upon entering the Scripture Pavilion, the Elder in charge of guarding it was unexpectedly friendly. He even took the initiative to show Jiang Che the way, explaining the layout of the texts within.

Jiang Che understood. ’This is the respect that strength commands.’

He wasted no time and went straight to the floor where the Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts were stored.

It had to be said that as the leader of the Three Great Sects, the Taiyuan Sect’s foundation was truly remarkable.

The sheer number of Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts in its collection far surpassed that of the Profound Sound Sect or the Chen Family.

Jiang Che once again entered "scanning" mode, weaving through the vast ocean of bookshelves.

This time, he spent the better part of a day imprinting every Secret Manual he had never encountered before into his mind.

In the end, he managed to find and absorb over sixty new Qi Blood Realm Martial Arts Secret Manuals!

Adding those to what he had previously borrowed from the Profound Sound Sect, the Chen Family, and the Heaven-Sundering Sect, he had acquired a total of nearly one hundred and forty new Low-Tier Cultivation Techniques on this trip down the mountain!

’So many Secret Manuals... this should be enough for a while,’ Jiang Che thought to himself.

His task complete, he contentedly bid farewell to the members of the Taiyuan Sect.

The members of the other sects who had come to watch the fight had long since departed.

Qin Wuya did not appear again; it was said he had gone into seclusion.

Lin Qingyun, however, escorted him all the way to the sect’s main gate.

As they parted, the typically taciturn Sword Dao genius simply looked at Jiang Che and said calmly:

"I will catch up to you."

Then he turned and left.

Jiang Che watched his aloof figure retreat, smiled, and also turned to head down the mountain.

...

「The next day.」

The latest issue of the Cangzhou Wind and Cloud Chronicles was rush-printed with unprecedented speed, spreading like snowflakes to every corner of Cangzhou Prefecture.

Its front-page headline was a single, massive title so conspicuous it was almost jarring—

"THE THRONE CHANGES HANDS! JIANG CHE ASCENDS! THE NEW NUMBER ONE OF CANGZHOU’S YOUNGER GENERATION!"