Chapter 69: Divinity

Beyond the cabin window, the sea curtain reflected and brushed with light.

The girl stood quietly, her black hair cascading like a waterfall.

Frost flowers scattered among her strands, her white dress like snow, illuminated by flowing light.

“Yinyin.”

On the cabin seat, Shan Ye stared blankly.

“Your Flowing Wind and Snowfall is far stronger than when we sparred in the virtual scenario.”

In an instant.

The snow melted and dispersed, then reformed anew.

This kind of “body” talent is extremely rare.

The white-dressed girl smiled lightly and said, “Virtual cabins impose too many restrictions—how can we truly unleash our power?”

“Besides, I train every day—I can’t stand still.”

As she spoke, she returned to her seat.

The aerial shuttle glided through the vortex, approaching the lapis lazuli sea curtain.

Liu Tiezhu sat beside Jiang Jian and said, “Jiang Jian, have you checked the forum?”

“Not really.”

Jiang Jian placed the box down.

Liu Tiezhu said, “This weekend, most of the freshmen from Linjiang Academy have left campus to complete learning tasks and earn credits.”

“That’s why our ladder ranking performance is terrible.”

“Students from other Divine Gift universities are seizing this chance to step on us.”

He picked up his identity device and opened the first-year student exchange group of the First Academy.

At this moment, many had already finished their tasks and returned to campus.

Seeing the mockery and derision on the forum, nearly everyone was eager to fight for ladder rankings.

Especially the freshmen of the First Academy.

The vast majority of them have Level 3 talents.

In the exchange group, many first-year students from the First Academy have already entered virtual cabins and are pushing hard for rankings.

As time passed, these students kept stringing together consecutive wins.

Causing Linjiang Academy’s overall ranking to surge rapidly.

“Tonight, when we get back, we should start pushing too.”

Liu Tiezhu’s tone turned slightly cold, “Students from other schools with Level 4 talents have already been shouting across the void at Shi Luohua, calling her a coward.”

“Her getting scolded doesn’t concern us.”

“But she’s the only Level 4 talent in this year’s freshman class.”

“The face of the First Divine Gift University has been completely tarnished by her.”

Level 4 talents differ greatly from Level 3 talents.

When a Level 3 talent appears in the lower regions,

local prefectural offices, under pressure, usually send them to Tianzhu Mountain.

But if a Level 4 talent appears,

local prefectural offices will exhaust all resources to forcibly retain them for local cultivation—never letting them go easily.

Hearing Liu Tiezhu’s words,

Shi Xuan looked at the jade bracelet on his wrist, his expression complex, and said, “She probably went back to the Shi family this weekend and didn’t have time to enter the ladder match.”

“Regardless, she’s a Level 4 talent.”

Liu Tiezhu snorted, “She gets scolded, and now the whole freshman class gets dragged down with her.”

He turned his head to look at Jiang Jian.

“Jiang Jian, are you going to play the ladder match tonight?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Jian picked up the black cloth bundle, his fingers brushing the wooden sword’s hilt, “One night should be enough to climb the rankings.”

The Han Guang blade rested beside the box.

It trembled slightly, unconsciously.

Jiang Jian gently stroked Han Guang: “Don’t rush.”

Jiang Jian didn’t care about the height of the ladder ranking.

What he cared about was the generous credit reward upon ladder settlement.

The aerial shuttle came to a stop.

Jiang Jian descended the gangway with several others.

As Shan Ye said, Haicheng was beautiful.

The seven-colored lapis lazuli sea curtain rose from the ocean, stretching endlessly to the horizon.

At a glance, it seemed boundless.

“Jiang Jian, are you thinking of going back?”

Shi Xuan walked beside Jiang Jian, matching his pace, “I know—you came here to buy a pet and didn’t want to waste time here.”

Jiang Jian fell silent for a moment, gazing at the lapis lazuli reflection on the sea, and said, “Before today, I did think that way.”

Shi Xuan raised an eyebrow. “So your mind has changed?”

Jiang Jian said softly, “Do you remember Gu Qi?”

“I remember.”

Shi Xuan nodded. “That senior with the Level 4 talent.”

Jiang Jian stopped walking. “In less than three years, he’s already reached Yongquan Realm.”

Shi Xuan clicked his tongue. “That kind of cultivation speed is truly monstrous.”

Jiang Jian said, “So I’ve realized something—my vague thoughts have become much clearer.”

Shi Xuan asked, “Is it that cultivation must follow science—balance rest and effort, maintain rhythm?”

“No.”

Jiang Jian shook his head. “Not just cultivation—also heart cultivation.”

Shi Xuan frowned. “Heart cultivation?”

The sky’s radiant light descended; the sea breeze blew.

Jiang Jian gazed at the lapis lazuli sea surface, his thoughts churning.

The bustling mortal world, myriad phenomena.

As long as one holds the heart, guards the intention,

even if one wanders through the world, crawling with greed, blinded by filth,

every moment is still cultivation.

Unknowingly, the spiritual energy of the Divine Palace quietly rose, forming a self-sustaining cycle.

Jiang Jian had not deliberately cultivated.

Yet the cultivation of the Divine Palace’s spiritual essence seemed to arise spontaneously.

Endless, ceaseless.

“Self-service seafood: 29 Alliance Coins per person.”

Shan Ye spoke cheerfully, “Thanks to Shi Xuan, I sold one piece of iron ore—this meal’s on me.”

Shi Xuan grimaced. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal your money?”

Shan Ye smiled. “I asked my family—they only offered 300,000 Alliance Coins per piece of iron ore.”

“But you, Shi Xuan, got me 400,000. From now on, I trust you.”

During the meal,

Liu Tiezhu kept glancing at Jiang Jian, his expression filled with shock and doubt.

For most people,

cultivation requires extremely strict conditions.

If the mind isn’t calm, one cannot guide spiritual energy at all.

Entering a focused cultivation state even requires a buffer period.

Yet Liu Tiezhu now realized with horror:

Jiang Jian’s Divine Palace spiritual energy was cycling at every single moment!

This discovery completely overturned Liu Tiezhu’s understanding.

It left him distracted throughout the entire meal, barely touching his food.

“How is this possible!”

After the meal, Liu Tiezhu deliberately lagged two steps behind, walking beside Jiang Jian.

He grew even more certain his perception was correct.

His talent focused on spiritual energy manipulation—his sensitivity was extraordinary.

“He entered cultivation state so effortlessly.”

Liu Tiezhu stopped walking, his expression still stunned.

Even my father needs to be in a quiet place before he can begin cultivation.

Jiang Jian he…

Liu Tiezhu fell to the rear, boarded the aerial shuttle, and gave Jiang Jian a long, deep look.

As the aerial shuttle returned to campus, the study squad was officially formed.

Shan Ye created a group chat and added Jiang Jian and Yin Yin.

Tonight, let’s climb the ladder rankings.

Shan Ye sent a message in the group.

Shi Xuan: “Everyone who sees my school uniform tries to kill me!”

Shan Ye: “Honestly, with that multi-million-credit weapon of yours, you could crush everyone and easily break into the top hundred.”

Shi Xuan: “How do you know I’m already in the top hundred…”

Liu Tiezhu sent a private message: “Jiang Jian, be careful of those four-tier talents—they’ve hoarded massive resources from this local continent and are extremely powerful.”

Jiang Jian returned to the dormitory building, opened his identity device, and replied: “Understood.”

The robotic butler walked over, carrying a tray.

A steaming cup of coffee was placed before Jiang Jian.

“Thank you.”

Jiang Jian lifted the coffee and took a light sip.

The next instant.

Jiang Jian set down the cup, picked up the Hanguang longsword, and slashed directly!

Zilaa!

The heavy black box was split open!

Thick black smoke poured from the crack.

A piercing shriek rose, nearly shredding their eardrums!

Numerous grotesque ghosts, dragging broken limbs and severed limbs, crawled out!

Seeing this sight.

The robotic butler’s eyes flickered, and he extended his arm—five fingers clicked and reassembled into a laser pistol in an instant!

Bang!

The pistol spat blue light, a purification beam lancing toward the ghosts!

Boom!

The Hanguang sword qi surged through, engulfing the purification beam and erasing it from existence!

The robotic butler froze for a moment, then turned to Jiang Jian, his face filled with confusion.

“Return to your mechanical chamber.”

Jiang Jian stood with sword in hand, took out the Spirit-Sealing Ring, and gave it a gentle shake.

The ghosts within the smoke instantly froze, ceasing their struggles.

Yet their faces twisted in agony, still glaring at Jiang Jian with bitter malice.

Jiang Jian’s expression remained blank; he casually selected a few ghosts and placed them before him.

His Hanguang longsword slashed horizontally!

Zilaa!

The blade’s radiance, fierce and brutal, instantly vaporized the ghosts into smoke!

Seeing this.

The remaining ghosts fell utterly silent.

They stayed motionless in place, not daring to make a single sound.

The next instant.

Invisible currents surged, rushing rapidly into the Hanguang sword’s body.

“Not enough.”

Jiang Jian sensed briefly.

He realized the Hanguang’s storage was only half-filled.

He shook the Spirit-Sealing Ring again.

Several unlucky ghosts tumbled out.

“Let me go!”

One ghost shrieked, “Please, spare my life!”

Another ghost showed the same pleading expression: “I was once human—killed by my wife, only became a ghost yesterday, and was captured by the Pet Shop!”

Another ghost knelt, eyes filled with sorrow: “My husband beat me to death. I still think of my children—my resentment lingers. I only ask to be sent to the magistrate’s office, to retrieve my identity device. No matter what, I just want to see my children—even one glance.”

Meanwhile.

The ghosts within the black smoke spoke all at once, each recounting their tragedies, whispering in tears.

The mechanical chamber door opened.

The robotic butler stepped out, his expression filled with pity: “So they’re this pitiful.”

A flash of sword light.

Jiang Jian casually slashed, obliterating the ghost who had spoken, his tone turning cold: “Didn’t I tell you to return to your mechanical chamber?”

The robotic butler remained silent.

As a “non-official citizen,” a divine technology construct.

He possessed “pseudo-self-awareness.”

Since his creation, he had always remained within the academy campus, never having seen a real ghost before.

The purification laser pistol in his hand had just been used for the first time.

“Are you resisting orders?”

Jiang Jian stood up, silently gazing at the robotic butler.

The Hanguang longsword in his hand was now fully charged.

Spiritual energy from his Shenque surged wildly into it.

The sword’s radiance surged like a tidal wave.

The robotic butler stood his ground, not retreating, and said: “Those few ghosts… they’re truly pitiful. Days ago, they might have been your own kind.”

Jiang Jian paused briefly, then asked: “Have you forgotten how they lunged at me, grotesque and ferocious?”

The robotic butler blinked, his tone uncertain: “Ghosts can be good or evil. Perhaps the ones who lunged are not the same as those who knelt and begged.”

Jiang Jian opened his identity device, replayed the surveillance footage, his expression calm: “Do you deserve it?”

The robotic butler blinked: “What?”

Jiang Jian said: “Pity. Do you deserve it?”

The robotic butler stared at the replay footage, falling silent.

The replay clearly showed that the moment the box opened, the very ghosts who had just begged humbly were the first to lunge at Jiang Jian—with the most venomous stares.

Jiang Jian whispered: “Only the gods.”

“Have the right to pity living beings.”

“You and I.”

“Neither of us does.”

(End of Chapter)