Translator: CinderTL
Penglai University.
Jiang Ye and his group of four returned to campus via flying vehicle and were immediately summoned by Zhu Honglie.
Cosmic Teaching Building, Second Floor, Conference Room.
"I've reviewed your performance in this S-Rank Combat Mission," Zhu Honglie announced, holding a list. "Now, I'll announce the individual mission grades."
Jiang Ye, Shen Changxi, Yun Qing'er, and Liu Wanxiao tensed with anticipation.
"Jiang Ye, mission grade: A-grade!"
"Shen Changxi, mission grade: A-grade!"
"Yun Qing'er, mission grade: A-grade!"
"Liu Wanxiao, mission grade: B-tier!"
Liu Wanxiao's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why am I the only one with a B-tier?"
"There were six evaluation categories," Zhu Honglie explained calmly. "You received one C-tier, two B-tiers, and three A-grades. Therefore, your overall mission grade is B-tier."
Liu Wanxiao fell silent.
He knew his performance hadn't matched the others'. There was no room for complaint.
After all, without the other three, he would never have been able to complete this S-Rank Combat Mission.
"A-grade rating: reward of 2 million merit points and Star Essence Tempering Fluid."
"B-tier rating: reward of 1 million merit points." Zhu Honglie's gaze swept over the four students. "These rewards will be credited to your accounts shortly."
"Thank you, Teacher," the four students said in unison.
"The rest of you may leave. Jiang Ye, stay behind," Zhu Honglie instructed.
"Yes, sir." Shen Changxi, Liu Wanxiao, and Yun Qing'er exchanged curious glances with Jiang Ye before turning to leave.
Once they were gone, Jiang Ye faced Zhu Honglie. "Teacher," he said.
He already had a strong suspicion about what his teacher was about to say.
"Jiang Ye," Zhu Honglie's expression turned serious. "Tell me—have you awakened Martial Will Perception?"
Just as I thought! Jiang Ye sighed inwardly. He had anticipated that the school would discover this.
Anyone who witnessed his performance in battle would inevitably come to this conclusion.
"Yes," Jiang Ye admitted frankly.
There was no point in hiding it.
Earlier, whether it was remotely eliminating enemies in the Misty Hall or single-handedly slaying a second breakthrough cultivator in the Substantial Domain,
All of this was due to Jiang Ye's Martial Will Perception.
Any strong cultivator at the fourth breakthrough or higher would immediately recognize it.
"Release your perception," Zhu Honglie said sternly. "Try to sense me."
"Alright," Jiang Ye replied, closing his eyes slightly.
Buzz!
An invisible wave of energy radiated outward.
Though his eyes were closed, Jiang Ye could now perceive Zhu Honglie's presence with even greater clarity than with his physical eyes.
His Universal Observation ability now extended to a radius of three meters.
"It seems you were right. This is indeed Martial Will Perception," Zhu Honglie said, suddenly smiling. "Truly remarkable! This ability typically only manifests after the fourth breakthrough."
Whoosh!
Jiang Ye opened his eyes, his curiosity piqued. "Have others awakened this ability before?"
"There have been a few rare cases among geniuses with exceptional Dao Bone Aptitude," Zhu Honglie replied, shaking his head slightly.
The implication was clear: even among the most gifted individuals with top-tier dao bones, such an occurrence was exceedingly rare.
Jiang Ye, therefore, was an anomaly among anomalies.
"Primitive innate talent, Second Awakening of the martial bone, awakening of Martial Will Perception," Zhu Honglie said with a sudden smile. "Jiang Ye, you truly are the most extraordinary student I've ever taught."
"When Qiu Cang from White Dragon University first introduced you to me..."
"I never imagined you would bring so many surprises," Zhu Honglie remarked, his voice filled with admiration.
"You know Old Qiu?" A flicker of surprise flashed in Jiang Ye's eyes.
He only knew that Chen Zilu had recommended him to Penglai University through Old Qiu.
But he had never learned the specifics of the recommendation process.
Now it seemed that Zhu Honglie himself had been the one Old Qiu contacted.
"Qiu Cang is a dear friend of mine," Zhu Honglie chuckled. "You've had dealings with his student, Chen Zilu, haven't you?"
Jiang Ye nodded. "Teacher Chen Zilu taught me in Ancheng."
"Teacher? She's about your age, only a year or two older," Zhu Honglie said, shaking his head. "From now on, just call her 'Senior Sister.'"
Jiang Ye stared in astonishment.
"Qiu Cang and I are close friends," Zhu Honglie continued, beaming. "Since you're my student, that makes you practically his student too. Shouldn't you address his disciples as equals?"
"Listen to me—call her 'Senior Sister' from now on!"
"Yes," Jiang Ye replied with a nod, his expression peculiar.
Though the logic seemed sound, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Zhu Honglie secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness I corrected him in time.
Otherwise, when Jiang Ye went to White Dragon University for further studies and met Qiu Cang, he might have blurted out "Grandmaster" right away.
That would have been disastrous!
Zhu Honglie would have been demoted by a generation in Qiu Cang's eyes. He absolutely couldn't allow that to happen.
"Speaking of White Dragon University," Zhu Honglie continued, "once you've digested the gains from this S-Rank Combat Mission and achieved your second breakthrough..."
"I'll arrange for you to study there."
"When the time comes, I expect you to perform exceptionally well," Zhu Honglie said with a smile.
"Yes," Jiang Ye replied immediately.
Studying at White Dragon University? He had been looking forward to this for a long time.
Upper A-tier students at Penglai University received five opportunities for further studies each year.
In a way, these opportunities were one of the reasons why so many students who scored over 900 on the College Entrance Examination chose to attend Penglai University.
Further studies weren't just about learning.
They were about obtaining extremely significant opportunities!
Universities ranked lower among the ten great schools didn't offer such chances to study at White Dragon University.
"Going to White Dragon University..."
"It's both an opportunity and a test for you," Zhu Honglie said, looking at him. "Use this time to strengthen yourself as much as possible."
"When you go, strive to claim an inheritance from the White Dragon's Court."
"This will greatly benefit you in the upcoming Twenty-Five School Genius Cup, perhaps even helping you secure a top-three finish."
"White Dragon's Court? Inheritance?" Jiang Ye asked, his expression puzzled. He had never heard of these before.
"It seems you haven't been informed yet," Zhu Honglie chuckled. "The White Dragon's Court is similar to our Penglai Heavenly Tower, with an extraordinary origin. It's the most precious artifact the Blue Star Civilization has ever obtained."
"By passing its trials, you might receive an inheritance from the depths of the cosmos."
"Long ago, someone obtained a Second-Tier Cosmic Civilization Inheritance within the White Dragon's Court," Zhu Honglie said with a hint of awe.
Jiang Ye's expression shifted slightly. He had some knowledge of Cosmic Civilization Tiers.
Based on Blue Star's current interactions with cosmic civilizations and limited information from the cosmos, civilizations are generally classified into three tiers.
The standard for a First-Tier Civilization is possessing a 'Divine'-level powerhouse. However, the definition of 'Divine' remains vague.
It's known that beyond the seventh breakthrough in the cosmos lies a realm called the 'Divine' realm, but simply reaching the seventh breakthrough doesn't guarantee access to it.
Many speculate that two more breakthroughs beyond the seventh are required to attain the 'Divine' realm.
In any case, the Blue Star Civilization currently falls short of the criteria for a First-Tier Cosmic Civilization.
As for Second-Tier Civilizations? They were even more elusive.
Based on Blue Star's current understanding, Second-Tier Civilizations were at least a hundred times more powerful than First-Tier Civilizations.
Third-Tier Cosmic Civilizations were beyond comprehension, too distant to even contemplate.
At Blue Star's current level of civilization, they couldn't even begin to imagine such a thing.
"Second-Tier Civilization Inheritance?" Jiang Ye held his breath.
This would be a monumental event for the entire Blue Star Civilization, wouldn't it?
"Second-Tier Civilization Inheritance isn't necessarily suitable for humans," Zhu Honglie said, shaking his head. "The inheritance that person obtained back then was completely uncultivable."
"Even so, it still stirred up a storm at the time, and that person nearly died because of it."
Jiang Ye nodded.
Second-Tier Civilization Inheritance.
This was likely something that would drive Interstellar Consortiums and even transcendent families mad with desire.
Obtaining such an inheritance might not be a blessing after all.
"Of course, obtaining a cosmic inheritance is extremely rare," Zhu Honglie said. "But obtaining a Seventh Breakthrough Inheritance, or even a higher Heaven-Tier Inheritance, is possible."
"Heaven-Tier Inheritance," Jiang Ye breathed, holding his breath again.
At Penglai University, Profound-Tier Cultivation Techniques were common.
But Earth-Rank techniques were relatively rare.
Heaven-Tier? They were practically nonexistent.
"In short, your advanced studies at White Dragon University are crucial for you."
"The better you perform, the greater your chances of obtaining a superior inheritance," Zhu Honglie said solemnly. "Therefore, you must focus on solidifying your foundation during this period."
"Understood, Teacher," Jiang Ye replied with a serious nod.
According to their agreement, he had five opportunities each year to study at White Dragon University. He needed to make the most of each one.
I wonder if Senior Sister Chen Zilu has obtained an inheritance yet? Jiang Ye thought suddenly.
Zhu Honglie continued with further instructions and adjusted Jiang Ye's cultivation plan.
As he was about to leave, Jiang Ye suddenly remembered something. "Teacher," he asked, "why did those members of the Hidden God Organization manifest Innate Domains?"
"If they possessed Dao Bone Aptitudes, wouldn't they have avoided joining such a group?"
Jiang Ye could tell that those individuals only possessed Nascent Aptitudes. However, he couldn't reveal this knowledge directly, so he had to inquire indirectly.
"The Hidden Divine Organization has been researching innate talents for a long time," Zhu Honglie explained without hesitation. "The underground fortress you visited earlier was their Talent Research Institute."
"These rats have indeed made some progress through human experimentation," he added with a slight shake of his head.
Jiang Ye held his breath.
Does this mean that both Nascent Aptitudes and Primitive Aptitudes have a chance to develop Domain Abilities?
"It's not that simple," Zhu Honglie said, shaking his head as if reading Jiang Ye's thoughts. "The Hidden Divine Organization's research on innate talents is undoubtedly connected to the Shadow Clan."
"The Innate Domains they've developed more closely resemble the Shadow Clan's Domains."
"In short," Zhu Honglie continued, "if the Hidden Divine Organization's research truly benefited human civilization, would the Federation still classify them as an evil organization?" He shook his head slightly.
"That's true," Jiang Ye nodded.
He had witnessed the transformed appearances of those who had assimilated with the Shadow Clan—they had completely lost their human forms.
Such actions were tantamount to abandoning one's human identity.
To put it bluntly, it was a betrayal of human civilization, and labeling them "human traitors" wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"Alright, let's head back," Zhu Honglie said.
"The Star Essence Tempering Fluid should have already been delivered to your residence." His eyes held a hint of anticipation as he added, "It can help you reshape your martial bone and bring about significant improvement."
"There's also a very slim chance it could trigger your Martial Bone Awakening."
"In any case, go back and experience it for yourself," Zhu Honglie concluded.
"Understood," Jiang Ye nodded.
He was also somewhat excited. Having heard that the Star Essence Tempering Fluid could increase the probability of Martial Bone Awakening, he was eager to try it out.
Heaven-Tier Zone, in front of Manor No. 41.
Beep! Facial recognition successful. Jiang Ye opened the storage box by the gate.
Inside lay a silver-white metal bottle.
"Time to go home," Jiang Ye said, taking out the bottle and stepping into the manor.
Buzz!
As soon as he crossed the threshold, his phone vibrated.
2 million merit points have been credited to your campus account xxx.
"Check account balance," Jiang Ye instructed, reviewing his assets.
Bank Balance: 14.99 million.
Campus Merit Points: 2.86 million. (TL/N: 28.6 million credits)
"Personal wealth has surpassed 40 million," Jiang Ye murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips.
He recalled how little he had when he first arrived at Penglai University—just over a million. In a mere three months, he had amassed tens of millions.
This rapid accumulation was only possible in the prosperous East Sea Province. Had he stayed in Ancheng, such wealth would have remained a distant dream.
Entering the training room, Jiang Ye carefully unscrewed the metal bottle.
"Star Essence Tempering Fluid," he whispered.
Inside, a golden liquid shimmered, crystal-clear and faintly luminous with starlight.
Only 50 grams.
Yet this tiny bottle was worth a staggering fifty million federal currency!
Gulp!
Without hesitation, Jiang Ye tilted his head back and drained the entire contents in one go.
Immediately, a strange, fragrant aroma filled his mouth.
The next moment, a warm current flowed down his esophagus, merging into his limbs and bones before even reaching his stomach.
Buzz! An invisible wave of energy rippled outward.
Contrary to expectations, there was no pain.
"This feels... amazing." Jiang Ye felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring on an autumn day, the warmth seeping into his bones, leaving him utterly relaxed.
But the next second, his expression shifted to surprise.
"My meridians and bones..." Jiang Ye's eyes flashed with Perceptive Insight, granting him near-X-ray vision as he examined his body's meridian network.
He could clearly see that under the influence of this strange energy, his meridians and bones were undergoing subtle transformations.
The patterns, pores, and other features on his meridians and bones were gradually evolving.
The process wasn't violent or rapid.
It was slow, almost imperceptible.
But it continued steadily.
At the same time, Jiang Ye felt his strength rapidly increasing.
"Is my life level ascending?"
"No, it's not my life level," Jiang Ye realized. "It's my physique undergoing a transformation."
Ascending one's life level and transforming one's physique are fundamentally different.
The former involves a comprehensive evolution, penetrating every cell of the body.
The latter, however, is more focused, primarily affecting the meridians, bones, and energy channels.
"Is this the reshaping of my martial bone?"
"Truly miraculous," Jiang Ye marveled inwardly, experiencing the familiar sensation of the system enhancing his physique once more.
"Can my physique be upgraded further?"
With this thought, Jiang Ye immediately checked his system panel.
To his surprise, the moment he opened the panel, a series of system notifications rapidly popped up:
[You have earned a new achievement: Become the disciple of a supreme Martial God within a top-tier sect.]
[You have earned a new achievement: In the Sect Enrollment Assessment, defeat a Martial Dao Grandmaster, dozens of Martial Dao Great Grandmasters, and sweep aside all opposition with overwhelming force.]
(End of the Chapter)
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