Heaven-grade Martial Skill

"Brother Jiang, thank you for the Evergreen Green Plant."

"No problem. You auctioned it for me, and I supplied the goods. We're even."

Chen An sighed. "Brother Jiang, now that you've tested as having an SS-rank talent, all you need to do is say the word and the Warrior Building will be fighting to sell things for you. This time, I'm the one taking advantage of you."

Jiang Yan was probably the kind of person who loved spoiling the mood. Or rather, he did not like overly sentimental displays.

"Then count it as you owing me. Send me fifty and see how strong I am?"

Chen An: ...

That afternoon, Jiang Yan returned to Uncle Wang's home.

"You brat finally decided to come back? I thought you'd died out in the Wilderness."

The very first thing Uncle Wang said was a stream of nagging.

Jiang Yan cut him off and took out the carefully wrapped Evergreen Green Plant. "Uncle Wang, this is the Evergreen Green Plant I obtained only after facing life and death. Boil it into soup and drink it—it can treat your lingering injuries."

All the anger Old Wang had been holding in these past few days clogged in his chest. He wanted to let it out, yet could not. In the end, he kneaded all the words he wanted to say into a ball and stuffed them back into his mouth. His lips moved before he could only say:

"I'll stir-fry a dish for you."

Jiang Yan shouted through the kitchen door, "And mop the floor while you're at it!"

"Get lost, you little punk! No respect for your elders!"

Wang Zhong's cursing voice came from inside.

Jiang Yan smiled and returned to his familiar, warm little nest.

Now, his warrior account had gained the right to choose any Heaven-grade Martial Skill he wanted. Together with the three bottles of Body Tempering Fluid in his hand, getting significantly stronger before the College Entrance Exam would be no problem at all.

He began browsing the official website, setting the category to saber martial skills.

"Sun-Chasing Saber Technique"

"Heavenly Ninefold Strike"

"Life-Severing Thirteen Sabers"

Heaven-grade saber martial skills sprang up one after another, leaving Jiang Yan dazzled.

Back then, he had been able to cut through the Wilderness with just one copy of the "Basic Saber Technique." Now that he had a Heaven-grade Martial Skill, he would undoubtedly be like a tiger that had grown wings.

He browsed for a while, adhering to the principle of buying only the expensive ones, never the suitable ones. His eyes drifted straight toward the costly options.

I've got selection privileges now. What's wrong with picking an expensive one?

"Abyssal Thunder Annihilation Slash"

"It's decided, then."

Jiang Yan fell for the domineering name at first glance. After briefly reading the introduction, he chose this martial skill.

"Abyssal Thunder Annihilation Slash" possessed four special mechanisms: Yan Lei, Thunderfall, Startling Thunder, and Thunder Domain Flooding the World.

Upon reaching mastery, one could generate lightning and attach it to the saber blade.

Upon reaching Subtlety, one could release the generated lightning outward, achieving an effect similar to saber qi.

Upon reaching Great Accomplishment, one could further expand the lightning's range and destructive power.

Upon reaching perfection, one could transform into a thunder god of destruction. With a single saber strike, heaven and earth would change color, and the entire battlefield would be shrouded in a thunder domain.

Within the domain of lightning, annihilating thunder sabers would be everywhere. By then, Jiang Yan would become a walking killing machine.

After dinner, Jiang Yan chatted with Uncle Wang.

"I heard you tested as having an SS-rank talent?"

"That's right. Impressive, isn't it?"

"Heh. No matter how impressive you are, you still have to call me Uncle."

Jiang Yan refused to accept that. "We can each go by our own seniority..."

"Get lost!"

Wang Zhong then brought up Liu Hair-Ren.

"I heard that Old Immortal got investigated. He'll probably be going in to squat for a while."

"Oh? Have you ever considered becoming a Principal?"

"You brat really never wishes me well. I'm about to retire, and you still want me running around doing useless work as some Principal?"

"Hahaha, just kidding."

Jiang Yan cracked sunflower seeds, looking completely relaxed.

Wang Zhong kicked him irritably. "The College Entrance Exam is the day after tomorrow. You're not nervous at all?"

Jiang Yan spread his hands. "What can being nervous do? This rotten life of mine just has to keep grinding."

Wang Zhong was somewhat dazed. He had never expected that little runt from back then to have already reached the age for the College Entrance Exam.

He stopped joking around and seriously instructed Jiang Yan:

"You'd better be careful once you enter the examination grounds. If you run into someone you can't beat, run. Sometimes, luck is also part of strength..."

Almost every parent said such things to their child before the College Entrance Exam. It had been so in his previous life, and it was so now. Jiang Yan was still the same Jiang Yan.

The same scene was also playing out in every household.

That night, Jiang Yan drank all three bottles of Body Tempering Fluid. After practicing "Abyssal Thunder Annihilation Slash" for a while, he entered the Divine Martial Space.

He decisively entered the Combat Space.

Thousand Vine Flower Demon: Peak third-rank Fierce Beast.

Description: Terrifying vitality.

"Would you like to challenge it?"

It was still not a creature from Blue Star. Jiang Yan had never heard of it before.

Jiang Yan looked at the little flower demon, dressed as gaudily as a blossoming branch, and bitterness surfaced on his face. "I really have no way to kill you, do I?"

The Thousand Vine Flower Demon possessed an almost unsolvable recovery ability. Jiang Yan's saber strikes could not inflict even the slightest fatal injury upon her.

He had realized that every creature appearing in the Combat Space possessed some freakish ability, apart from that utterly ordinary Sharp Ruler Tiger.

One could fly, one could teleport, and one was fucking impossible to kill!

The Combat Space truly lived up to its name, always picking difficult opponents for Jiang Yan to fight.

However, Jiang Yan's current objective was not to kill this Thousand Vine Flower Demon. His main purpose was to digest the medicinal effects he had just consumed through battle and, at the same time, practice the martial skill he had just learned.

"You are in intense battle. The effects of the Body Tempering Fluid are rapidly enhancing your physique."

"You used 'Abyssal Thunder Annihilation Slash.' Your martial skill proficiency has increased."

"You used 'Abyssal Thunder Annihilation Slash.' Your martial skill proficiency has increased."

Jiang Yan's body grew hot. The Body Tempering Fluid's effects were fully unleashed, sending wisps of green smoke rising from above his head like a steaming locomotive.

The Body Tempering Fluid had an exceptionally noticeable effect on warriors below Xiantian. Even without the System Log's prompts, Jiang Yan could feel his physique rapidly improving.

"So hot! So hot!"

Jiang Yan rapidly swung his saber. The Horizontal Saber in his hand carved out afterimages, and the Blade Momentum of ultimate destructive power severed the Thousand Vine Flower Demon's vines again and again in an endless cycle.

The Thousand Vine Flower Demon's recovery ability was astonishing. Every time her vines were severed, they rapidly regenerated. However, her offensive ability was relatively weak. Since Jiang Yan had begun fighting her, he had not been killed even once.

"Hm? Why do I feel like not being killed is some rare occurrence?"

Jiang Yan shook his head. He could not indulge such a bizarre habit.

He continued swinging his saber and fighting.

One night passed, and Jiang Yan felt his physique undergo an unprecedented enhancement. If he tested his strength on the machine again, he could probably increase it by several thousand kilograms.

"Not bad. To break through to Xiantian, I need to comprehend the legendary qi." Jiang Yan felt that he had reached the critical point of breakthrough. He only needed to absorb the first wisp of qi to step into Xiantian.

The Xiantian realm was no longer a contest of pure physical strength. A more magnificent world of martial arts unfolded from there.

Jiang Yan exited the Divine Martial Space and looked at his Status Panel.

Host: Jiang Yan

Talent: Battle Saint Garment (Awaiting Evolution)

Realm: Blood Condensation Perfection

Martial Skills: (Unranked) "Basic Saber Technique" — Perfection

(Yellow Grade Low Rank) "Fierce Bull Strength" — Perfection

(Yellow Grade High Rank) "Burst Step" — Perfection

(Mysterious Grade High Rank) "Nine Consecutive Steps" — Perfection

(Heaven Grade High Rank) "Abyssal Thunder Annihilation Slash" — Proficient

Traits: Heaven Rewards Diligence (Innate) Desperate Truth (Blue) Swiftness (Blue) Wind Rider (Blue) Blade Bearer (Purple) Moment of Truth (Orange) Demon's Scale (Purple)

Special: Blade Momentum (Can break through into Blade Intent)

"I'm looking forward more and more to battling the Two Capitals Prodigies."

Jiang Yan's eyes gleamed brightly, shining with feverish excitement.