Chapter 243: Eighth Rank!

“Reporting, sir! The target’s body density exceeds detectable values. We currently have no means to guarantee a kill shot!”

In the shadows, the combat power analyst’s report reached the old officer’s earpiece. Upon hearing it, his white brows furrowed, yet his expression remained steady as he faced the Sky Demon.

“Little thing, quite calm, aren’t you?”

The Sky Demon licked his lips, his demeanor wild and unrestrained. Ever since mastering the Life and Death Law, he had grown increasingly fond of toying with life, mocking these weak units in their final moments.

He placed one hand on the old officer’s head, his grin stretching from ear to ear, an exceptionally maniacal smile.

“How about we make a bet? Let’s bet how far these people can run in one minute, okay!”

“Okay!”

“Okay!!”

His voice grew louder and louder, his long tongue lolling out, his greedy, mocking gaze solidifying into tangible madness.

An inexplicable fear enveloped the old officer’s entire body, yet on the surface, he remained unshaken.

Seeing the Sky Demon’s arrogance, the Blue Star soldiers’ faces flushed with shame and indignation. They swiftly chambered rounds, the crisp, uniform clack-clack sounds echoing in unison.

“The resistance of the weak before death is truly amusing~”

Observing these ants’ desperate struggle, the Sky Demon curled his lips into a contemptuous smile.

The old officer sighed, his eyes holding helplessness, but even more so, an unwavering resolve.

“You are right. The resistance of the weak is indeed merely a joke to an esteemed powerhouse like Your Excellency.”

His grayish, turbid eyes fixed directly on the Sky Demon, whose hand rested on his head. Sensing the oppressive might emanating from this world’s supreme powerhouse, his tone lowered slightly.

“But for us, the weak, when a hand presses down upon our heads, what we do is not lament our insignificance as the weak, but—”

“But what?!” The Sky Demon glared, staring at the old officer.

“But to break that hand!”

As the words fell, his gaze sharpened. An aura unbefitting his age surged forth like rivers and seas. A saber gleam, surpassing everyone’s understanding, materialized in the air.

Clang!

A military saber struck straight and true against the Sky Demon’s arm.

The Sky Demon watched the old officer calmly.

Crack—

The saber shattered, its fragments clattering to the ground with a ping-pang.

The old officer smiled.

“This is the resistance of the weak. Quite laughable, isn’t it?”

…

Blue Star.

“It is said that after reaching the Eighth Rank, one awakens the Spirit Eye, broadening one’s vision, and the scenes one sees become vastly different.”

“With the Spirit Eye, one can begin to sense the world, perceive the composition and mysteries of the universe.”

“When the Spirit Eye becomes sufficiently clear, one relies on exceptional comprehension ability to perceive the power of Laws, ultimately subduing a Law. After cultivating it to perfection, one refines and integrates it into one’s own Martial Way.”

“This is the essence of the Tianyuan Star’s Martial Way after the Eighth Rank.”

“This Tianyuan Martial Way is truly exquisite, each step having a clear purpose. But what does it mean that I have comprehended a trace of a Law Embryo in advance?”

Awakening a Law before awakening the Spirit Eye—theoretically, such a thing should be impossible.

“So, although I am currently at the Seventh Rank Perfection, can I still be considered a Half-Step Ninth Rank powerhouse?”

“Hiss~ Ninth Rank powerhouses are terrifyingly formidable!”

Immerse in cultivation, he gradually lost track of time.

Old Wang clicked his tongue in amazement outside. Had this kid become an Immortal or something? He hadn’t come out for so long.

And he’s copying those Immortals by meditating cross-legged? Pah!

What a poser!

Old Wang peered through a crack at Jiang Yan, who was meditating with remarkable poise, and couldn’t help but show a look of disdain.

“Whoa, why is this kid glowing!”

Old Wang hurriedly closed the door, holding a bowl of plain porridge as he scurried into the living room.

“Strange, is this little monster really Old Jiang’s flesh and blood?”

“Could Old Jiang have actually had the potential to become a Martial Saint?”

“Too bad he died so early—

Sigh.”

Jiang Yan floated in the air, yet it felt as though he was adrift in a vast sea of stars. Around him drifted strange, luminous orbs, from which countless fine threads extended. These threads intertwined in a complex web, connecting every object within the starry expanse.

As if in a dream, Jiang Yan gently plucked at those threads, stirring the changes of all things like a creator deity.

With a mere thought, he teleported from one place to another.

“So simple.”

He raised a finger, and the Void began to compress, folding layer upon layer.

The flow, interweaving, and separation of every element in the air.

He saw the mutual generation and restraint of all things, their intricate connections, and those indescribable yet tangible presences.

“Eighth Rank, Celestial Phenomenon.”

By harnessing the power of Celestial Phenomena, one’s vision would no longer be obscured, allowing them to see sights previously unseen.

Martial Artists were no longer bound by their physical limitations, gaining the power to roam freely between heaven and earth. They resonated with the world, capable of wielding divine-like strength.

Like a musician plucking the strings of the world, each touch sent ripples through existence.

The Spirit Eye was a metaphor, not a physical organ.

“The Spirit Eye initially expands a Martial Artist’s vision, altering what they see and comprehend.”

“Those who advance further learn to use the Spirit Eye to influence themselves, plucking the strings to disturb the world.”

“Those who progress even further refine themselves with the Profound Spirit of Heaven and Earth, achieving harmony with the cosmos and extending their lifespan to a thousand years.”

“If [Qi] is the most universal and widespread cultivation method in the Universe, then the Profound Spirit of Heaven and Earth is the rarest and most precious spiritual essence.”

“Only by reaching the Eighth Rank in cultivation and unlocking the body’s hidden potential to its peak can one open the Spirit Eye and perceive the Profound Spirit of Heaven and Earth.

The Profound Spirit of Heaven and Earth is the superior alternative to [Qi], the most treasured possession of every Eighth Rank Transcendent.”

Jiang Yan closed the book, and the world returned to its original form as he reappeared in his room.

[System Log Updated]

“Congratulations, Host, for initially breaking free from the [Weakling] standard. Randomly obtaining one special Trait.”

“Please proceed to the Divine Martial Space to claim it.”

Jiang Yan had forgotten that Traits wouldn’t appear in reality.

He entered the System space.

[System Log Updated]

Random Trait generating…

[Law Expansion] (Purple-Gold): The number of Laws you can master is no longer restricted by the world’s rules or the limitations of your life’s Physique.

“Huh? A new quality?”

Jiang Yan was taken aback, as he had never seen a Purple-Gold quality Trait before.

“Law Expansion… does that mean I can master multiple Laws?”

“Right, according to the book’s description, Transcendent beings can at most master one Law, with exceptions for certain special existences—though it wasn’t elaborated.”

But even without elaboration, Jiang Yan knew.

“It must be beings like the Sky Demon and Wuhuan, right?”

After pondering a bit about this and that, he began his new cultivation journey after reaching the Eighth Rank.

Upon reaching the Eighth Rank, Jiang Yan opened his Spirit Eye and sensed an energy substance that shared the same origin as “Qi” but differed in nature.

This substance is none other than the legendary Heaven and Earth Profound Spirit.

This was the first breath of Qi Jiang Yan inhaled after shedding the title of [Weakling].