Divine Reception Technique

Pfft—

Xiao Ziming spat out a mouthful of blood. The phantom behind him had been battered to the point of collapse. He dropped to one knee, one hand braced against the ground to keep himself from falling outright.

"H-how is that possible?"

His eyes were filled with disbelief.

Jiang Yan had already placed his blade against Xiao Ziming's neck, his expression as calm as still water.

"You lost."

Xiao Ziming's earlier arrogance had vanished, replaced by a dispirited air. Yet the facts lay before him, leaving no room for disbelief. He had indeed lost.

And he had been utterly crushed.

Jiang Yan turned toward the others.

"Now, you no longer have the right to challenge me one-on-one, because...

I'm going to attack all of you."

Jiang Yan advanced with his blade. The Swiftness Trait combined with Nine Consecutive Steps made him so fast that he left afterimages behind him. In the blink of an eye, he had arrived before Li Qingle.

Li Qingle's gaze flickered. She had not expected Jiang Yan to be this fast, and in her haste, she raised her spear to block.

Clang!

Jiang Yan's blade collided with the spear shaft, and the tremendous force sent Li Qingle flying.

In midair, Li Qingle continuously adjusted her body. Only after barely deflecting the force did she land on the ground.

From one move, the whole picture could be seen. This man was terrifyingly strong.

Jiang Yan did not bother with Li Qingle. Instead, he charged toward the Daoist.

Zhang Daoran formed a hand seal, and a thick earthen shield suddenly appeared before him.

Boom!

Jiang Yan cleaved through the earthen wall with one slash, his blade pointed straight at Zhang Daoran's face.

Zhang Daoran glanced sideways. He had not expected his spell to fail to withstand even a single slash. He pushed off with his feet and drifted lightly backward. Midair, he formed another hand seal, muttering an incantation under his breath.

The next instant.

A bolt of lightning descended from the sky out of nowhere.

Jiang Yan ignored the damage. A 100% defense boost was no joke.

Metal Origin spread forth. Absolute sharpness and absolute defense made Zhang Daoran more alarmed with every exchange.

"It seems this humble Daoist can't hurt him?"

His heart hardened. He bit his finger and rapidly drew a talisman through the air.

"Receive the heavenly momentum, array the Supreme Clarity; Dao arts descend, ancestors reveal their might!"

Boom!

A surging power exploded from Zhang Daoran's body.

The Daoist robe on his body was completely destroyed. Every muscle swelled to an exaggerated degree, while all humanity vanished from his eyes, replaced by the cold indifference of one who regarded all things as straw dogs.

The awe-inspiring might of Heaven radiated from him. His expanding body had reached a height of three meters, utterly different from his former refined appearance.

The College Entrance Exam Live Stream Room was quickly covered in a layer of mosaic censorship. The commentator, well-traveled and knowledgeable, began explaining the origins of Zhang Daoran's move.

"The Divine Reception Technique is a secret art never passed beyond the Heavenly Dao Sect. After using it, one can borrow the power of the ancestors. For a short time, one's strength can expand severalfold, and one may even borrow part of a predecessor's divine abilities."

"It is said that only core disciples are qualified to learn the Divine Reception Technique, and it is extraordinarily difficult to master. Though Zhang Daoran is young, his attainment in Dao arts is clearly no small matter."

"It's Ancestor Yuanqing, who specialized in the physical body."

Zhang Daoran was delighted. He had not expected to summon such a powerful Doppelganger.

The gentleness in his eyes was overtaken by savage tyranny, and his entire aura surged to an unprecedented peak.

Ancestor Yuanqing had forged his own path. He did not cultivate spells, instead holding a particular fondness for the physical body. Even among the ancestors, his strength ranked in the upper middle tier. He was undeniably powerful.

At this moment, the battle took a turn.

Zhang Daoran, who had always kept a low profile, had suddenly leaped into becoming the strongest among them. No one had expected the Heavenly Dao Sect to value this College Entrance Exam so highly that they had sent such an outstanding disciple into the world.

Rumble!

Zhang Daoran's muscles knotted like dragons as he transformed into a semi-truck and rammed toward Jiang Yan.

Before this colossal creature, Jiang Yan looked incomparably small, yet his aura did not diminish in the slightest. He actually charged straight into the ferocious assault.

``` System Log updated:

You are experiencing a hearty, exhilarating battle. Your physique is rapidly strengthening, your Battle Saint Armor has undergone a minor evolution, and your comprehension of blade techniques has improved.

How exhilarating!

Since the exam began, he had finally encountered an opponent capable of putting pressure on him.

If Jiang Yan had not been here, Zhang Daoran, with a Daoist ancestor possessing him, would undoubtedly have become the greatest dark horse of this exam, suppressing all the Two Capitals Prodigies and claiming first place.

What Jiang Yan faced now was not an ordinary Heavenly Dao Sect disciple, but Ancestor Yuanqing, famed for his body techniques!

Though it was merely a Doppelganger, it was enough to make Jiang Yan take him seriously.

Rumble!

Jiang Yan's blade struck Zhang Daoran's fist. The immense recoil cracked the blade, and the next second, it shattered into fragments that fell to the ground.

"Really not durable."

Jiang Yan shook out his arm and actually raised his fist to block.

Yellow-rank low-grade martial skill—Fierce Bull Strength!

The Battle Saint Armor erupted with powerful force. The Geng Metal Mother Qi within his body raced through him, while the Demon's Scale poured all his other attributes into strength. His terrifying might even seemed to overwhelm Zhang Daoran's.

Their fists collided, and the giant was instead sent flying.

"Hahahaha, again!"

Jiang Yan pressed his advantage and launched a fierce assault.

Your physique has improved slightly.

Your talent is evolving.

Your Geng Metal Mother Qi is tempering your body.

Sure enough, only battle could rapidly improve him.

"All of you, come at me together!"

Jiang Yan shouted at the others.

Xiao Ziming gritted his teeth, but he still could not quite let go.

"Trash."

"Fuck, I'll fight you to the death!"

Xiao Ziming's bad temper flared. He no longer cared about martial ethics or anything else, raising his sword and charging forward.

Shang Xingren followed close behind, his figure slipping into space as he hid in the shadows.

Li Qingle likewise set aside her pride. She could not beat him anyway, so she might as well use him to temper her spear technique.

The few proud individuals had finally formed a united front.

Jiang Yan's fist sent the once-unrivaled Zhang Daoran flying again. Then he abruptly leaned forward and slapped Xiao Ziming across the face with his backhand just as he was about to attack.

With one kick, Jiang Yan sent this five-strength trash flying. Closing his five fingers, he caught a spearhead in his hand. Li Qingle pulled with all her might, but could not make it budge an inch.

Crack.

Jiang Yan warped the spearhead as easily as if he were kneading clay.

The spearhead came free. Jiang Yan gave Li Qingle a kick as well, the ferocious blow smashing into her chest. She spat blood and flew backward like a kite with its string cut.

Li Qingyue knelt on one knee, her hands and legs trembling weakly. An emotion called despair spread from her heart.

At present, only Zhang Daoran, possessed by the ancestor, could barely withstand a few of Jiang Yan's punches.

But unfortunately, the Spirit Summoning Art was not invincible.

Zhang Daoran's aura gradually weakened, and his body slowly shrank. Before long, he would surely return to his original form.

The longer Zhang Daoran fought, the more despair he felt. Even at the peak of his strength with the Daoist ancestor possessing him, he could only barely contend with Jiang Yan. Once the summoning duration ended, he would not have the slightest chance of victory.

"Are people in the outside world all such monsters now?"

Finally, Zhang Daoran was sent flying by a punch. His enormous body smashed a massive crater into the ground.

Covered in bruises, he lay inside the crater. His bones hurt as though they had been run over by a road roller, and he could not muster even a shred of strength.