Chapter 168: The Dominant Patchwork Monster

“By the way, Zhang Sheng still hasn’t returned yet. I’m afraid something may have already happened to him.”

“Zhang Sheng has been implanted with a Demon Seed. In a short time, he can reach the Half-Demon stage, so he probably won’t die that easily. However, the Demon Seed at this stage is still unstable, so the outcome is indeed hard to say. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

…

Pei Qin’s death stirred ripples among countless factions. Not only anti-sect groups like the Heaven Demon Sect, but even the official authorities of Tianyuan Star took an interest in this once-prominent youth.

At the center of the storm, Jiang Yan… was still cultivating.

“Hah—”

Jiang Yan let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

“Moving the Spirit Platform into the Divine Martial Space is extremely difficult, but as long as I keep taking action, I will achieve my grand ambition one day!”

Jiang Yan stood up, deciding to treat this as a long-term goal.

Returning to the Dueling Arena, he was pleasantly surprised to see the half-finished venue.

Yang Qing was efficient in his work. Having served under Jiang Yan for a long time, Jiang Yan allowed him free access to some treasured locations.

No one acts without benefit. Jiang Yan disliked manipulation, treating these matters purely as exchanges of interest.

More often than not, shared interests form the most stable bonds.

However, the destruction caused during his breakthrough to the True Intent Realm was extensive, making reconstruction somewhat challenging. Still, as long as it was usable, even if crude, a large number of Martial Artists continued to flock in.

The video Han Wu had released earlier had gone viral outside. The news of Chang Yin, a prodigy seed of the Myriad Pottery Academy, losing to Jiang Yan had spread far and wide.

Martial Artists outside had grown somewhat numb to Jiang Yan, as if nothing he did could surprise them anymore.

Subtly, some had already elevated him to the position of the top figure among the younger generation.

Under such fame, even if the Dueling Arena was gone, there were still those willing to pay for tickets just to catch a glimpse of Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan was depleting the resources of the Hundred Prisons Hunting Ground.

Operators of various Secret Realms were also capitalizing on Jiang Yan’s reputation.

The direct beneficiary was the Martial God himself, as the operators of Secret Realm entrances only held management rights, while the core profits were controlled by companies under the Martial God’s banner.

The entanglement of interests among these three parties meant that even as Jiang Yan consumed the resources of these treasured lands, no one stepped in to stop him.

This was the most fundamental reason. Additionally, the rules of the Hundred Prisons Hunting Ground were as such. Jiang Yan had not broken any rules, so even if someone wanted to target him, they had no grounds to do so.

The simple cultivation chamber had been rebuilt, and Jiang Yan resumed absorbing Battle Intent.

Chang Yin continued to challenge the arena tirelessly.

For him, the process of challenging Jiang Yan was a continuous journey of self-improvement.

“My challenges may not lead to a single victory, but at the very least, they allow me to progress each time.”

To break through to the Source Domain Realm, one must fuse their cultivated Martial Way, testing their understanding and conviction in the Martial Way. Resources come second.

This was why Chang Yin placed such emphasis on the transformation of his mindset.

“In battle, victory isn’t always necessary, but growth is essential!”

Once an immensely proud top-tier prodigy, Chang Yin had smoothed his edges after encountering Jiang Yan a few times, realizing he might not be invincible.

Chang Yin had begun to enjoy the process of fighting Jiang Yan.

Although he knew he couldn’t win, at least he could feel the pain of Jiang Yan’s saber striking his body.

All of this… might become the catalyst for him to transcend the Source Domain Realm.

The Martial Way is a form of cultivation, a trial of experience, not merely a path of overwhelming force.

Even someone as strong as Jiang Yan felt a deep sense of helplessness when facing Wang Tu.

But one does not need certainty of victory to dare raise a saber against an opponent—courage is equally crucial.

In the past, Chang Yin fought in the arena repeatedly to earn the chance to challenge Jiang Yan only because he wanted to win.

Now, he challenged Jiang Yan for the sake of the challenge itself!

…

“Phew… I’ve finally reached King rank.”

He immediately sought out a staff member.

“Could you ask Jiang Yan for me if I can accumulate more chances to challenge him? I can reach King rank multiple times—as long as I can challenge him.”

“Sorry, the boss said you only get one chance to challenge him per day. Please come back tomorrow.”

“Alright…”

…

Training Room.

Jiang Yan’s body continuously absorbed Battle Intent as his mind entered the Battle Space to engage in combat with the “Patchwork Monster.”

After his breakthrough to the True Intent Realm, the Crimson Gold Battle Shadow behind him granted Jiang Yan the power to confront it.

The Crimson Gold Battle Shadow would grow stronger through battle, Jiang Yan would become increasingly powerful via [Heaven Rewards Diligence], and the Heavenly Slaughter War Ruins would grow more formidable through the duels in the arena…

This was why he tirelessly kept trying, even though he was repeatedly killed by the Patchwork Monster.

As long as there was improvement, no amount of failure mattered.

The path of invincibility trodden by protagonists in novels was far removed from him, and Jiang Yan understood this was not his own path.

That his Martial Intent manifested as the tangible Crimson Gold Battle Shadow was an interpretation of Jiang Yan’s Martial Way.

Just fight, only fight, regardless of victory or defeat.

Such Martial Intent was most suited to Jiang Yan, and it was what Jiang Yan desired.

The Crimson Gold Battle Shadow was shattered once again by the Patchwork Monster, whose power surpassed even that of Zhuangzhuang from before!

Moreover, it possessed a series of functions like purification and repair that Jiang Yan had yet to uncover.

Though formidable, Jiang Yan considered it an excellent sparring partner.

The Crimson Gold Battle Shadow coalesced once more.

As long as Jiang Yan’s Battle Intent remained unextinguished, the Crimson Gold Battle Shadow would not perish—this was the terror of Martial Intent!

The Crimson Gold Battle Shadow behind him hefted a broad saber and swung it down in sync with Jiang Yan’s movements.

The Patchwork Monster’s massive fist-hammer came crashing in response. The two collided, and Jiang Yan was sent flying back once more.

In terms of raw strength, Jiang Yan still fell considerably short of the Patchwork Monster.

The Battle Shadow behind him remained fervent, truly an indestructible cockroach.

But let’s not forget—the reason it was called the Patchwork Monster was because it combined and improved upon the strengths of all the Puppets.

Which meant to say—

Whoosh…

The Patchwork Monster vanished from its spot.

“That’s Ka Ka’s invisibility. What about speed? Has it inherited that too?”

Then, Jiang Yan learned the answer.

Because his physical body was directly pulverized by a fist that suddenly appeared behind him.

Indeed, the Patchwork Monster had inherited all the strengths of Sha Sha, Ka Ka, Xiu Xiu, and Zhuangzhuang, and had even refined them.

Jiang Yan speculated that the Patchwork Monster’s body was undoubtedly being controlled by Wang Tu.

Perhaps that guy was living inside the Patchwork Monster’s body—after all, its belly was so large.

Recalling the bizarre scene from earlier.

“It seems my previous attacks were charging up the Patchwork Monster’s activation.”

But without defeating Wang Tu, he couldn’t clear the stage; yet attacking Wang Tu meant welcoming the Patchwork Monster’s descent.

This problem had no solution.

Focusing on dealing with the Patchwork Monster, he died again after several dozen exchanges.

After reviving, a smile appeared on Jiang Yan’s face.

“I’ve grown accustomed to its attack rhythm now.”

“And my Crimson Gold Battle Shadow has grown stronger.”

Looking behind him, the Crimson Gold Battle Shadow’s color had become slightly more solid.

“I wonder what the Battle Shadow will metamorphose into?”

Jiang Yan thought with anticipation.

To hasten the arrival of that day, Jiang Yan once again engaged with the stitched monster.

Though he was still overwhelmed, each encounter brought tangible gains.