[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ascending-to-divinity":3,"chapter-ascending-to-divinity-ascending-to-divinity-chapter-64":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Ascending to Divinity",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2280614,4461,"Chapter 64: Miao Yin","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-64",64,"\u003Cp>The sky was a deep, clear blue, as if washed clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floating stone arena was spotless, immaculate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Total students in the major district: 42,720.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your rank: 15,560.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian raised an eyebrow, gazing at the holographic screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clearly remembered that his last rank before logging off had been 9,765.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just one night offline, and he’d dropped to over ten thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian swiped the screen, viewing the detailed rules of the Sky Ladder ranking match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If someone defeats a higher-ranked opponent, they automatically take that opponent’s rank.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The loser does not drop down—they simply fall one position behind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone behind them also falls one position.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s how it works.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian pondered for a moment, then initiated matchmaking immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these rules, if you stay offline for too long, your rank will inevitably plummet over time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To enter the top 100, you must log in daily and participate in matchmaking within a set time limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, the Sky Ladder system will detect your absence and expel you from the rankings, forcing you to restart from the bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Matchmaking successful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A notification chimed, and the holographic screen dissolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across the arena, a flying blade, wrapped in violent wind, pierced through the air toward him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strike first, gain the advantage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sky Ladder ranking match had been open for a full day and night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many students had noticed that the moment the screen vanished, their scenes merged with their opponent’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who wasted time talking were becoming fewer and fewer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stagnate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s fingers twitched slightly; a stream of blood-red light spiraled out, instantly ensnaring the speeding blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It shattered piece by piece, dissolving into fine, flickering light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did Jiang Jian from Linjiang Academy get matched against me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The opponent, blade in hand, had been confident—until he recognized Jiang Jian’s face. His expression darkened; he cursed inwardly, “My winning streak is over!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the joint forum of the seventeen regional academies, someone had already analyzed the most difficult opponents in the ranking matches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The list contained hundreds of names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian of Linjiang Academy was one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although, due to insufficient match data, the forum had underestimated his threat level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was still enough to warrant caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian curled his fingers slightly, and the blood-red light vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air before the opponent twisted; bloodlight spread, crushing him and his blade into fragments!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is this a ‘normal’ threat level?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who the hell ranked him?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the virtual pod, Guo Hao sat up, unable to hold back his curses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such pure spiritual essence, such devastating killing power, such rapid spiritual condensation—it’s like he’s trained for over a decade!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Hao replayed the battle footage repeatedly, his face filled with awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood frozen for several seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he hurriedly opened his identity device, logged onto the joint forum, and uploaded the battle video.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even bolded and highlighted the video title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Students climbing the ranks, pay attention!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you encounter Jiang Jian from Linjiang Academy, just surrender immediately—don’t ruin your mindset!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In my opinion, his threat level rivals those top-10 monsters!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of the video, the camera flickered, catching Jiang Jian’s profile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The built-in camera had captured a cascade of drifting, fragmented bloodlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Comments beneath the post quickly piled up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Linjiang Academy about to rise?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I doubt it—maybe the poster is just trash.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Linjiang Academy’s new students have been called useless for so long; this Jiang Jian probably isn’t any better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop exaggerating—what’s the value of a match pool around rank ten thousand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many comments carried sarcasm and mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost all commenters came from remote Divine Gift academies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In these two days since the Sky Ladder opened, barely any new students from Linjiang Academy’s seventeen colleges had broken into the top 100.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the number-one Divine Gift academy in the region, its abysmal performance this year had already drawn a storm of criticism online.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve won this ranking match!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your rank: 1,219.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian rarely checked forums, so he knew nothing of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than ten consecutive wins, his Sky Ladder rank had surged to 1,219!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing his Shenque spiritual energy fully restored,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian did not pause—he tapped matchmaking again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Matchmaking successful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the floating stone arena,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl suddenly appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced coldly at Jiang Jian but made no move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her uniform was the Linjiang Academy skirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian recognized her as a student from the First College.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jiang Jian had no time for words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised Han Guang and slashed across the air, unleashing a blazing sword beam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl frowned slightly, her body instantly distorting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword beam tore through her ethereal form, striking the arena floor and sending sparks flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next second,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her form solidified—still not attacking—her crimson lips parted: “Jiang Jian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian stood with sword in hand, watching her silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl’s face remained cold, but her eyes held confusion. After several seconds, she whispered: “You’re not...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed she struggled to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nonsense,” Jiang Jian said. “What exactly are you trying to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl flushed with anger and embarrassment: “Aren’t you attracted to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian froze. “What are you talking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She replied: “Shan Ye said you have feelings for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian stared, speechless: “Who are you? I don’t even know you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl snapped back to reality, equally bewildered: “Then what’s going on?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She extended a finger, summoning a virtual identity device, and opened a message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shan Ye’s voice played: “Yinyin, how’s Jiang Jian? I think you two are perfect together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below it were several more messages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each more explosive than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian listened, his eyebrow twitching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shan Ye looks normal, but he’s as delusional as Shi Luohua—watching too many short dramas...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, both understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This whole thing was entirely Shan Ye’s own misguided matchmaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good thing it’s just a misunderstanding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl swiped away the screen, exhaling in relief: “I was conflicted before—now I’m not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she finished speaking, another blazing sword beam slashed toward her!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jiang Jian, you actually launched a surprise attack!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A second before the sword light reached her, her form suddenly turned insubstantial!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian paid her no mind whatsoever; spiritual energy surged around him as he leapt upward with Han Guang, spinning back to strike again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuous sword qi swept across, nearly covering half the arena!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The insubstantial state lasted only a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl’s form solidified instantly and fell to the ground!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A solid spiritual barrier materialized, blocking all the countless shards of sword light!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade of Han Guang sliced through the air and plunged straight into the light barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Streams of luminous energy surged, freezing Han Guang’s blade in place, preventing it from advancing even a single inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s gaze turned icy as his Shenque spiritual essence surged wildly—he poured a full three-tenths of his spiritual energy into the sword!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Guang blazed with brilliant light!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade glowed with scorching radiance, its aura fierce and violent, its killing intent exploding!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thick spiritual barrier shattered abruptly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scorching sword qi surged and shredded the girl’s slender form into countless fragments of luminous light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have won this round of the ranking match!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your ranking: 376.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the holographic screen, Jiang Jian’s latest ranking was clearly displayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your consecutive wins have reached 29.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian looked at the ranking information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next match.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Highly likely to be matched against someone in the top 100.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1254,"2026-06-20T01:21:34.271Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","bfdff490cb55bbf8937afe2ff117814781fe984acf70029fe9afdee0b5a3a47a","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-65","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-63",306,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-divinity-cover.jpg"]