Chapter 6: Three Days in Hell
The training ground of the Jiang Estate was a sprawling acre of reinforced concrete and gravity-suppression fields, designed for high-level cultivators to spar without destroying the neighborhood.
Currently, it looked like a slaughterhouse.
BANG.
Jiang Chen hit the wall. Hard.
The kinetic force of the impact cracked the concrete behind him. He slid down, coughing up blood, his ribs screaming in protest.
"Again," a cold voice commanded.
Mo You stood in the center of the arena. She wasn't using magic. She wasn't even using a weapon. She was holding a rolled-up newspaper she had found on Uncle Li's desk.
"You are slow," Mo You criticized, tapping the newspaper against her palm. "You react to what you see. By the time the light reaches your eyes, you are already dead."
Jiang Chen wiped the blood from his chin. He stood up, his legs shaking. "I'm... doing my best."
"Your best is mediocre," Mo You said indifferently. "The Grandmist Sovereign does not 'react.' He dictates. The space around you is your domain. Why are you waiting for my permission to move within your own territory?"
She vanished.
It wasn't speed. It was a spatial step. She simply ceased to exist in point A and appeared in point B—directly in front of him.
The newspaper swung down like a guillotine.
'Grandmist Perception!'
Jiang Chen's eyes flashed purple. The world slowed down. He saw the shift in air pressure. He saw the muscular contraction in Mo You's shoulder.
He dodged left.
WHOOSH.
The newspaper missed his nose by a millimeter. The wind pressure alone cut a shallow gash on his cheek.
"Better," Mo You murmured. Then she kicked him in the stomach.
Jiang Chen flew twenty meters, tumbling across the ground.
"Time out!" Feng Xi chirped from the sidelines.
The golden-haired goddess skipped forward, holding a glowing ball of white fire. She slammed it into Jiang Chen's chest.
"Solar Rebirth!"
The pain vanished instantly. The broken ribs knitted together with a sickening crunch. The bruising faded. Jiang Chen gasped, his energy refilling to 100%.
"Ready for Round 42?" Feng Xi beamed, looking like a cheerleader for team torture.
Jiang Chen lay on his back, staring at the sky. "You two... are enjoying this."
"Immensely," Mo You smirked. "Now get up. If you cannot survive a newspaper, how will you survive the Exam?"
Day 2: The Transaction
The sun was high when Uncle Li arrived at the training ground, looking pale.
"Young Master," Li bowed. "A... guest is here. At the service entrance. He says he has an appointment."
Jiang Chen stopped his sword practice. He was shirtless, sweating, his body defined by lean, whipcord muscle that hadn't been there two days ago. The Grandmist energy was remodeling him at a terrifying pace.
"Captain Lei," Jiang Chen nodded. "Let him in."
A few minutes later, Captain Lei walked into the courtyard. The Federation officer was not wearing his armor. He wore civilian clothes, looking tired and anxious. He clutched his chest, wincing with every step.
He saw Jiang Chen. Then he saw the two women. He stopped dead.
"You came," Jiang Chen said, toweling off his sweat.
"I..." Lei swallowed. "I checked the medical records. You were right. My doctor said I have six months, not two years. But the pain... it's getting worse."
"Kneel," Jiang Chen said.
Lei stiffened. "I am a Federation Captain. I do not—"
"Do you want to live, or do you want to have pride?" Jiang Chen cut him off. "Kneel."
Lei hesitated. Then, slowly, he dropped to one knee.
Jiang Chen looked at Feng Xi. "Fix him."
Feng Xi walked forward. She didn't smile this time. She looked regal, terrifyingly divine. She placed a hand on Lei's head.
"Purge."
FWOOM.
Golden fire erupted from Lei's eyes, mouth, and pores. He screamed—a sound of agony and ecstasy mixed together. The black sludge of the necrotic mana scar in his chest was vaporized instantly. The fire rushed through his veins, burning away impurities, widening his mana channels.
It lasted five seconds.
When the fire died down, Lei collapsed on all fours, panting. Steam rose from his skin.
He looked at his hands. They were younger. The tremors were gone. He took a deep breath, and for the first time in five years, it didn't hurt.
CRACK.
A shockwave of blue mana exploded from his body.
[Target Analysis: Lei]
[Status: Healed.]
[Rank Advancement: A -> A+ (Peak)]
[Potential: S-Rank Unlocked.]
Lei stared at the ground, tears mixing with the sweat on his face. He had broken through. The bottleneck that had held him back for a decade was gone.
He looked up at Jiang Chen. The "cripple." The boy who held the leash of a goddess.
Lei slammed his forehead against the concrete. A truekowtow.
"Jiang Chen," Lei said, his voice shaking with reverence. "My life is yours."
"I don't need your life, Captain," Jiang Chen said, tossing him a bottle of water. "I need your eyes. You are going to be promoted soon. When you are, I expect you to keep me informed about the Federation's movements regarding the 'Dungeon Anomalies'."
"Consider it done," Lei vowed. "And... about the tunnel incident?"
"What tunnel incident?" Jiang Chen smiled.
Lei grinned back. "Exactly. It was a gas leak. I'll see myself out, Young Master."
As Lei left, Mo You stepped out of the shadows.
"You are collecting strays," she noted.
"I'm building a network," Jiang Chen corrected. "Raw power is good. But information is better."
Mo You hummed. "Perhaps. But raw power is still more fun. Pick up the sword. We are not done."
Day 3: The Night Before
The training was over.
Jiang Chen sat on the roof of the manor, looking out over the glittering skyline of Neo-Shanghai. The wind whipped his hair.
He was different now.
In three days, he had died—metaphorically—hundreds of times. Mo You had beaten the hesitation out of him. Feng Xi had burned the weakness out of his blood.
[Status Update]
Name: Jiang Chen
Rank: A+ (Concealed as C)
Skills:
* Grandmist Perception (Lv. 2): Can see mana flow, structural weaknesses, and intent 0.5 seconds into the future.
* Void Step (Incomplete): Can burst move short distances using spatial compression.
* Sovereign's Command: Can suppress entities with lower bloodline rank.
"Young Master."
Uncle Li climbed onto the roof, holding a long, rectangular case.
"Your father... he wanted you to have this."
Jiang Chen took the case. He opened the latches.
Inside lay a sword. It was sleek, black, made of a matte alloy that didn't reflect light. The hilt was wrapped in shark skin.
"Nightfall," Uncle Li whispered. "It was the blade the Patriarch used when he was a rookie. It is an A-Rank artifact. It amplifies speed."
Jiang Chen picked it up. It was heavy, but in his hand, it felt light as a feather. He swung it once. Silent. Deadly.
"He also left a message," Uncle Li said.
"Let me guess," Jiang Chen sheathed the blade. "'Don't embarrass me'?"
"No," Uncle Li smiled. "He said: 'If they break the rules, break their legs.'"
Jiang Chen laughed. "That sounds like him."
"The convoy is ready, Young Master. The exam starts at 08:00 hours tomorrow at the Coastal Transport Hub."
"I'm ready," Jiang Chen stood up.
Below him, in the garden, Mo You and Feng Xi were waiting. They were dressed in combat gear Jiang Chen had custom-ordered. Mo You in sleek black tactical armor, Feng Xi in white and gold reinforced fabric.
They looked like Valkyries.
Jiang Chen jumped off the roof, landing softly between them.
"Tomorrow," Jiang Chen said, his eyes glowing faintly purple. "We go to war."
"Finally," Mo You drew a dagger made of solidified shadow. "I was getting bored of hitting you."
"I hope there are snacks on the island!" Feng Xi cheered.
The Next Morning: Coastal Hub
The transport hub was a sea of people. Thousands of students from across the alliance had gathered. News drones buzzed overhead like swarms of flies.
Huge screens displayed the "Favorites to Win."
* Luo Tian (Luo Clan) - Rank A (Storm Lancer)
* Bai Ling (Bai Clan) - Rank A (Ice Witch)
* Ye Kuang (Ye Clan) - Rank A (Berserker)
Jiang Chen's name wasn't even on the list.
The Jiang Clan convoy pulled up. It wasn't just one car. It was ten. Jiang Chen stepped out, flanked by twenty guards, Uncle Li, and his two summons.
Silence rippled through the crowd.
"Is that him?"
"The Glass Prince?"
"He looks... different."
"Who are the two girls? Are they models?"
Jiang Chen ignored the whispers. He walked toward the registration desk.
Suddenly, a path cleared in the crowd.
Luo Tian walked forward, surrounded by his own entourage. He looked bigger, stronger than before. His A-Rank aura was flared openly, pushing weaker students away.
He stopped in front of Jiang Chen.
"You actually came," Luo Tian scoffed. "I thought you'd be crying in your daddy's lap."
Luo Tian looked at Mo You and Feng Xi. His eyes lingered on them with a mix of lust and greed.
"Nice accessories," Luo Tian sneered. "It's a shame. After I break your legs in the exam, I'll have to confiscate them. Waste of beauty on a cripple."
The air temperature dropped to absolute zero.
Mo You didn't move. She just looked at Luo Tian.
[Warning: Entity 'Mo You' is preparing 'Abyssal Gaze'. Estimated casualty radius: 5 kilometers.]
Jiang Chen placed a hand on Mo You's shoulder. "Calm down."
He looked at Luo Tian. He didn't get angry. He didn't shout. He just smiled. It was the smile of a butcher looking at a pig.
"Luo Tian," Jiang Chen said softly.
"What?"
"Run."
Luo Tian blinked. "What?"
"When we get on that island," Jiang Chen leaned in, his voice a whisper only Luo Tian could hear. "Run as fast as you can. Build a fortress. Gather your armies. Do whatever you have to do."
Jiang Chen patted Luo Tian's cheek—a gesture of utter disrespect.
"Because if I catch you, you won't be leaving on a stretcher. You'll be leaving in a bucket."
Jiang Chen walked past him, heading for the transport ships.
Luo Tian stood there, frozen. His hand trembled. For a second—just a split second—when Jiang Chen looked at him, he hadn't seen a human.
He had seen a void.
"Attention Candidates!" The loudspeakers boomed. "Boarding for Site: Purgatory Island begins now! The Exam... has begun!"