Chapter 599 - 389: Uncertain Divine Domain

Chapter 599: Chapter 389: Uncertain Divine Domain

[Author’s Note: Posting first and editing later. I’m still in my hometown, apologies.]

"Nine flowers bloomed. Spirit cultivation aptitude: low-grade. Outer courtyard disciple, Wang Jue, has failed the assessment and is denied entry into the inner courtyard."

"DING. The Title System has been activated. A random task Token has been awarded as a starter bonus. Please check your inventory!"

"DING. System prompt: This system will issue one random task Token whenever you advance a minor Realm. Using a task Token allows you to accept a random title task. Completing a title task rewards the corresponding title and item rewards."

"DING. Title synthesis and title decomposition functions have been activated. Please check the details yourself."

"DING. Congratulations, you have obtained the task Token for [Fast Sword Ma San]!"

"DING. System prompt: Obtain a sharp sword-type weapon and shout ’I am Ma San’ ten times while holding it to acquire the [Fast Sword Ma San] title. Title attributes can be viewed afterward..."

Dressed in a pale yellow tunic, Wang Jue stood on the martial arts arena with his eyebrows raised slightly, gripping an Iron Sword. To the crowd below, he appeared to be standing there in a daze, as if paralyzed by fear of his opponent. In reality, Wang Jue was studying a system interface that only he could see. His feelings were incredibly complicated.

"What kind of idiotic system is this?" Wang Jue roared inwardly. "Doesn’t it even know its host’s name? Fast Sword Ma San? Does it not know I’m called Wang Jue? Besides, what’s the use of a title? Is this system even reliable?"

He was originally a diligent web novelist on Earth Star. After pulling all-nighters to grind out words for a straight month, he died suddenly and transmigrated into the body of a teenager with the same name in this world. Today marked exactly his one thousandth day here.

And this was a world of Spirit Cultivators.

According to the lore of this world, the Celestial Dao manifested, and all living things possessed spirit. Those who cultivated the spirit were known as Spirit Cultivators. Spirit Cultivators explored the heavens and the earth, performing Refinement on spiritual objects for their own use. This allowed them to possess all sorts of miraculous abilities, such as flying through the sky and utilizing Earth Escape, overturning seas and rivers, controlling fire and condensing ice, miraculously curing illnesses, and so on. In short, it was highly mystical.

Wang Jue was eager to cultivate his spirit. Who wouldn’t want the ability to fly through the air and perform Earth Escape, just like the Immortal Gods? However, his Spirit Cultivator aptitude was only low-grade.

According to the rules of the Azure Wood Academy, after turning sixteen, those with mid-to-high Spirit Cultivator aptitude could enter the inner courtyard to cultivate. Those with low-grade aptitude were given a single chance to challenge the top-ranked student. If they won, they could enter the inner courtyard; if they lost, they had to leave and spend the rest of their lives as lifelong handymen in the Azure Wood Stronghold.

Yesterday was Wang Jue’s sixteenth birthday, and his aptitude was determined to be low-grade. If he wanted to continue freeloading at the Azure Wood Academy, his only option was to defeat his opponent on this martial arts arena—the top-ranked Spirit Cultivator of his age, Su Yun Hu.

"But how could I possibly beat a freak like Su Yun Hu?"

Wang Jue frowned and looked across the arena. Standing thirty feet away was Su Yun Hu. Although this guy was only sixteen years old, he stood over two meters tall with incredibly developed muscles. Possessing innate Divine Power, he could lift objects weighing thousands of pounds. At this moment, he was carrying a nearly two-meter-long Iron Rod, eyeing Wang Jue sideways. Facing a teenager built like a Divine Demon, Wang Jue felt that let alone himself, even peak Tyson wouldn’t stand a chance.

"Wang Jue, oh Wang Jue, I really don’t know what’s going through your head," Su Yun Hu mocked. "Don’t you know that I, Su Yun Hu, am the number one figure among the younger generation of the Azure Wood Stronghold? Your Spirit Cultivator aptitude is only low-grade, so being a handyman isn’t bad for you. Why bring this humiliation upon yourself? You’re no match for me at all. Why don’t you just surrender right now? I’ll have my Second Uncle allocate a few acres of good farmland to you. You can live a peaceful life as a farmer from now on!"

Seeing no reaction from Wang Jue, he continued, "Hey, hey, hey! Wang Jue, stop wasting time. If you keep standing there without moving or surrendering, I’m going to make my move!"

As he spoke, Su Yun Hu raised his Iron Rod with a single hand. That Iron Rod weighed at least forty pounds. Wang Jue knew that if he took a single hit, he would likely die on the spot.

Below the arena were many spectators, mostly Junior Cultivators from Wang Jue’s cohort. They whispered among themselves, clearly not optimistic about Wang Jue’s chances. Many Junior Cultivators shouted Su Yun Hu’s name, cheering him on.

"I don’t want to be a manual laborer for the rest of my life!" Wang Jue thought. "Mad, I don’t care anymore... I just hope the system can help me defy the heavens and change my fate!"

Wang Jue decided to complete the system task first. He raised the Iron Sword in his hand and suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, "I am Ma San! I am Ma San! I am Ma San..."

This sudden outburst stunned Su Yun Hu opposite him, and the audience below the arena froze in bewilderment as well.

"Are you not Wang Jue? Since when did you change your name to Ma San?"

"’I am Ma San’? Has he lost his mind?!"

"Wang Jue, what’s wrong with you?"

"He’s just playing dumb! Drag him down!"

Voices of alarm and confusion quickly rang out from the crowd.

On the viewing platform not far away, three spectating instructors exchanged bewildered glances.

One of them, a white-haired elder, frowned. "What’s wrong with this child?"

Beside the elder, a middle-aged man in a cyan tunic shook his head. "There is zero suspense in this match. I say we might as well cancel it right here. This boy, Wang Jue, is destined for mediocrity... Instructor Qingyu, what do you think?"

The third instructor was a beautiful young woman. She looked coldly at Wang Jue and replied, "Follow the rules. You don’t need to accommodate me!"

"Very well. Then allow me to put an end to this match to spare Wang Jue from getting hurt." The middle-aged man in the cyan tunic stood up, preparing to use his authority as an instructor to terminate the duel prematurely.

Meanwhile, Wang Jue finally finished shouting "I am Ma San" for the tenth time. As the final syllable left his lips, Wang Jue immediately received a system prompt: "DING. Task completed. Congratulations on obtaining the title [Fast Sword Ma San]!"