Chapter 90: Overcoming the Level Gap

Time flew by, and the revitalization of Shanhai Pass’s destiny seemed to enter a minor climax, with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth growing ever denser—a tremendous advantage for the top prodigies.

The first shock came from news regarding the top five on the Prodigy Ranking.

Akatsuki Jin, Du Gu Yun, Qin Hao, Cui Jue, and Li Jiuyuan of the Wu Alliance were already three years older than Jiang Xia and others, with deeper foundations.

Under relentless resource support from their respective factions and families, they successively broke through in these past months, entering the Wang Hou realm—something countless cultivators dreamt of.

The news returned to the training camp and caused a massive uproar.

The Wang Hou and Wu Zong of humanity represented a qualitative leap, signifying that their comprehension of heavenly laws and refinement of spiritual power had reached new heights.

On the day Akatsuki Jin emerged from his seclusion, the sky above the Fentian Pavilion turned crimson as blood, faintly flickering with flame law runes, radiating overwhelming might.

At Du Gu Yun’s Sword Tomb, a blade qi shot skyward, tearing through the clouds—its purity so profound it struck fear into all who sensed it.

The emergence of these top five Wang Hou seemed to set a new benchmark for this generation of prodigies, bringing with it invisible pressure.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xia, nurtured by the Dragon Vein energy and his own relentless cultivation, steadily advanced to the peak of Wu Zong.

He did not rush to break through to Wang Hou; instead, he solidified his foundation, fully integrating the Dragon Vein energy with his own spiritual power, making his spiritual energy far superior in quality and immensely thickened.

The jade seal mark on his forehead grew even clearer; though he still hadn’t fully unraveled its mysteries, its auxiliary effects—enhancing mental focus, accelerating spiritual energy absorption—became increasingly pronounced.

Ye Lingxi, using the Ice Phoenix Feather, also broke through to Wu Zong peak; combined with her Xuanming ability, even a typical early-stage Wang Hou dared not underestimate her.

Wang Teng, Ling Zhantian, Wang Shichen, and others also made steady progress, firmly holding mid-to-upper positions in Class A, becoming forces the training camp could no longer ignore.

One week later, the training camp’s newly discovered [Yinming Cold Spring] cultivation qualification sparked a conflict between Jiang Xia and Cui Jue of the Underworld.

The Yinming Cold Spring lay at a yin vein node on the border between Disha Pass and Tianmen Pass, possessing extraordinary efficacy for cultivating yin-based abilities and refining the soul.

As the Underworld heir, Cui Jue was determined to claim it.

Though Jiang Xia did not possess yin-cold affinity, his Sharingan and Rinnegan were tied to spiritual power and soul force—the soul-refining effect of the Yinming Cold Spring was equally alluring to him.

In the mission hall, Jiang Xia and Cui Jue faced each other.

Cui Jue wore a pale white shirt, his complexion even paler than before, surrounded by swirling yin energy, resembling a frail nobleman.

He stared at Jiang Xia, voice cold and hoarse: “Jiang Xia, the Yinming Cold Spring perfectly suits my ability. Itachi, a cultivator of eye techniques, why compete? Let it to me—I’ll owe Itachi a favor.”

Jiang Xia looked at Cui Jue, now ranked fourth, his expression calm: “Soul refinement is crucial for any cultivator.”

“The training camp’s rules state resources are earned through strength and mission contributions. I have no intention of yielding this qualification.”

Cui Jue’s eyes flickered with a dark glow, his tone growing colder: “So Itachi’ve decided to fight me?”

Jiang Xia smiled, rolling his wrists: “I’ve long wanted to test the strength of a prodigy who’s advanced to Wang Hou. Why wait? Let’s settle it on the sparring platform?”

“Fine!” Cui Jue replied without hesitation.

The news spread rapidly: Jiang Xia, ranked seventh on the Prodigy Ranking, was challenging Cui Jue, ranked fourth (formerly fifth)! This was the most elite confrontation the training camp had ever seen.

Once again, the sparring platform was packed to capacity; new Wang Hou like Akatsuki Jin and Du Gu Yun appeared in the spectator seats, eager to see just how strong Jiang Xia had become after his repeated miracles.

Lei Zhan personally served as referee, his expression grim. He knew neither man was easy to handle—they would fight without holding back.

On the platform, Cui Jue struck first. He knew Jiang Xia’s eye techniques were unpredictable and refused to give him time to prepare.

“Ghost Soldiers!” Cui Jue’s yin energy surged violently, forming countless grotesque ghostly shadows that shrieked piercingly and flooded toward Jiang Xia like a tidal wave.

These shadows were not mere illusions—they condensed pure yin energy and resentment, capable of corroding spiritual power and disrupting the mind.

Jiang Xia’s left eye instantly activated—the Sharingan, its crimson pupil spinning with tomoe. “Kamui!”

Kamui activated—the first dozen ghostly shadows were instantly torn apart and swallowed by warped space.

Yet the number of shadows was overwhelming, pressing forward relentlessly.

Simultaneously, Cui Jue’s figure vanished within the shadows, his aura becoming erratic and elusive.

“Found Itachi!” Jiang Xia’s right eye Rinnegan rippled outward, its powerful perception instantly locking onto Cui Jue, who hid within the ghostly masses.

“Shinra Tensei!”

A tremendous suction force instantly gripped Cui Jue, forcibly dragging him out from the shadows.

Cui Jue’s expression shifted slightly, but he remained composed, slamming his palms together: “Yinming Soul Shackles!”

Several pitch-black chains shot from his sleeves—not toward Jiang Xia, but wrapping tightly around himself, forcibly resisting the Shinra Tensei’s pull.

Simultaneously, the other ends of the chains lashed toward Jiang Xia’s mind, a direct soul attack!

“Soul attack?”

Jiang Xia’s brow lifted, Rinnegan activated: “Rinnegan: Samsara of Heavenly Life!”

A powerful repulsive force erupted from him, blasting away the incoming soul chains and surrounding ghostly shadows alike.

“Truly troublesome!” Cui Jue regarded Jiang Xia with grave seriousness—he knew conventional methods could not suppress this anomaly.

“Jiang Xia, try my new technique!”

“Through the Itachi realm, I summon the Huangquan Ferry!”

He bit his fingertip, using blood as a catalyst to draw a bizarre rune in midair.

Instantly, the entire sparring platform’s temperature plummeted, as if connected to hell itself—a murky, lifeless phantom river appeared, its waters filled with countless tormented ghostly figures, emitting silent wails.

This phantom Huangquan carried immense suction and decay, aiming to drag Jiang Xia’s soul into its depths.

In the spectator seats, all faces paled—this technique, [Huangquan Ferry], touched upon the realm of law, its power terrifying; an unsuspecting mid-stage Wang Hou could be grievously wounded or even annihilated.

“So… so strong!” Wang Teng felt a law-level suppression from this technique far exceeding his own spellcraft.

Jiang Xia sensed the tremor in his soul, his expression grim. He took a deep breath and pushed his eye abilities to their limit.

The Eternal Mangekyo pattern in his left eye spun to its maximum.

“Susanoo: Complete Form!”

BOOM! Vast blue spiritual energy erupted skyward—a towering, dozens-of-meters-tall Susanoo in full armor, with wings sprouting from its back, appeared like a divine demon.

This was Jiang Xia’s first time revealing his Complete Form before others since the college entrance exam.

The moment the Complete Form Susanoo appeared, the entire sparring platform collapsed inward, expanding into a massive crater around it.