Chapter 99: Desolation

Jiang Jian said softly: “But if you don’t cultivate, how can you glimpse the Spirit Platform?”

Ji Xue said: “I just want to live one day at a time—I have no desire to cultivate, or to glimpse any Spirit Platform.”

“Staying here with you, cultivating occasionally, is already at my limit.”

Saying this, Ji Xue flicked its tail. “Am I not saving you cultivation resources?”

"If you switched to another guardian demon, who came every few days to demand a packet of cultivation herbs, could you endure it?"

Jiang Jian fell silent for a moment, then said: “Continue organizing the communications.”

“Alright.”

Ji Xue extended its claw, took the auxiliary identity device, and swiped away the ranking.

“Next one is from the Second Academy of the Academy, Du Fang’s communication.”

Jiang Jian raised an eyebrow. “What does he say?”

Ji Xue said: “Asking if you want to join them for a team combat tournament.”

It swiped its claw downward. “Du Fang says he and Song Ling have been cultivating hard and have already found two teammates—they want to know your thoughts.”

Jiang Jian thought for a moment. “Reply that I’ll consider it.”

Liu Tiezhu’s study team stands alongside Shi Luohua’s study team.

Both are the most brilliant study teams among this year’s freshmen at Linjiang Academy.

Shi Xuan’s departure from the team has spawned many rumors among the freshmen.

Du Fang noticed there was trouble in Jiang Jian’s study team.

Though he knew the chance was slim.

Still, he sent Jiang Jian a communication, trying to make a bid.

“Reply sent.”

Ji Xue swiped its claw.

Sent the message to Du Fang.

The gray fox scrolled up and opened Gu Qi’s communication, inquiring about event details.

After a dozen seconds.

Gu Qi’s message arrived.

Ji Xue’s gaze brightened. “Gu Qi replied!”

Jiang Jian asked: “What exactly is the event?”

Ji Xue opened the message and read it carefully.

“Five days from now, at Jiangcheng Combat Arena, there’s a faction gathering.”

“Gu Qi will take you to attend and introduce you to some senior faction members.”

“There will also be high-ranking dignitaries present.”

“A rare opportunity.”

“After the gathering, Gu Qi will give you another ten-hour trial pass to a cultivation-exclusive facility.”

Ji Xue lifted its head. “Jiangcheng Combat Arena isn’t a good place.”

Jiang Jian said softly: “Reply to Gu Qi—I accept the invitation. Contact me in five days.”

“Alright.”

Ji Xue nodded.

Meanwhile.

Jiang Jian opened his identity device and checked the data on Jiangcheng Combat Arena.

Jiangcheng Combat Arena.

Located on the slopes of Tianzhu Mountain, Fifth Tier Jiangcheng.

Hundreds of combats occur here daily.

Before each fight, countless spectators may use Alliance Coins to bet on their favored combatants.

If the bet succeeds, they receive Alliance Coins as a return.

If the bet fails, the stake is absorbed by the arena.

The arena is also the largest casino in Fifth Tier Jiangcheng.

Most combatants here are non-citizens.

“Combat in the arena—life or death is irrelevant.”

Jiang Jian stared at the arena’s information, eyes thoughtful.

Non-citizen combatants include both volunteers and those forced into it.

Before each fight, they sign agreements proving full voluntary consent.

Under temporary agreements, they bypass the Non-Citizen Protection Law—death in the arena incurs no legal consequences.

“A faction gathering held in a place like this?”

Jiang Jian opened his identity device.

In the lower right corner was Gu Qi’s latest communication.

A lavish golden-edged invitation, vividly rendered, rotated gently on the holographic screen.

“Linjiang Academy, First-Year Campus, Jiang Jian.”

The invitation bore Jiang Jian’s gilded name.

He pondered for a moment.

Jiang Jian closed the holographic screen and set the matter aside for now.

The spiritual energy around him surged, gradually sinking into cultivation.

In the Shen Que, the Mountain Spirit’s origin floated in stillness.

Occasionally, dark yin energy seeped out on its own.

Under the heat of true fire, it transformed into pure spiritual energy, flowing into the meridian’s spiritual circulation.

The cultivation chamber supplied spiritual energy without end.

The miniature array on Jiang Jian’s wrist, the Feishuang Bracelet, continuously enhanced his cultivation.

His cultivation speed increased again!

Under all these stacked effects, it even surpassed the efficiency of a single cultivation-exclusive facility.

The Shen Que’s spiritual essence slowly increased.

“Without sufficient spiritual essence, killing the Mountain Spirit is impossible.”

Jiang Jian cultivated while recalling events at the foot of Tianzhu Mountain.

The Mountain Spirit was immensely powerful—its ghostly offense and defense, its external incarnations, all flawless.

Its only weakness was its overwhelming yin energy, its dense ghostly aura.

Its singular nature made it easily countered.

Liu Tiezhu’s “Soul Stabilization,” and Jiang Jian’s Hanguang Sword.

Both had amplified suppression effects against yin spirits and ghosts.

Jiang Jian had estimated.

This Mountain Spirit’s ghostly power equaled roughly 75% of a Divine Bestowal realm cultivator.

Barely enough to injure him.

If its ghostly power rose further, reaching 90% of Divine Bestowal level.

Jiang Jian would have to risk his soul trembling and activate his final trump card.

Otherwise, he could find no other way to break the deadlock.

Because such an opponent.

Has nothing to do with combat methods or techniques.

It is pure, overwhelming superiority due to a vast gap in spiritual essence.

Cultivation knows no days or months.

At some point, he did not notice.

Jiang Jian had begun to enjoy the feeling of cultivation.

The quiet solitude.

The comforting monotony.

And the visible, constantly rising spiritual essence he could sense at every moment.

“Spirit Platform realm…”

In Jiang Jian’s heart, his belief in restoring his soul had become nearly obsessive.

Over the years.

Jiang Jian had endured too many terrifying moments of soul tremors, losing consciousness.

That dread of losing oneself, of consciousness dissolving.

Every time he recalled it, his spirit shuddered.

Though after the Divine Bestowal Ceremony.

His fragmented soul had been held together by the icy blue light, temporarily preventing outbreaks.

But Jiang Jian knew better.

This is merely a temporary measure.

The cracks on the soul remain slowly expanding.

Only when reaching the Spirit Platform realm does one have the qualification to begin mending the soul.

Before that, if the soul cannot hold out.

The cracks spread, collapsing and shattering.

One would instantly perish, soul and spirit extinguished.

The soul shatters, consciousness fades.

This is something Jiang Jian constantly guards against in his heart.

“Is cultivation boring?”

“Is cultivation lonely?”

Jiang Jian smiled faintly, shaking his head to himself.

“Not at all.”

“Each time I cultivate, and sense the enhancement of spiritual essence.”

“I feel lighter.”

“My heart even conjures the illusion of escaping death.”

“That feeling.”

“It’s addictive.”

The cultivation chamber gradually fell silent.

Only the faint sound of surging spiritual energy remained.

And the snoring of the gray fox, curled up on the floor, fast asleep.

Ten hours.

Thirty hours.

Fifty hours.

Eighty hours.

One hundred hours.

Time flowed, slow yet swift.

Snow returned and departed dozens of times.

Jiang Jian sat cross-legged on the ground, like a statue.

Aside from occasional meals and washing, he barely moved his body.

Ten large boxes of cultivation herbs diminished at a visible rate.

In the end,

in the corner of the cultivation chamber,

only a pile of empty boxes and countless torn paper packets remained.

(End of Chapter)