In the martial world, every moment is as precious as gold. The path of martial cultivation is like rowing against the current—if you don't press forward, you fall back.
Even with the extraordinary advantage of his past life's memories, Jiang Chen dared not slack off for even a moment.
During his three months in the Xuanling Zone, Jiang Chen trained diligently every single day. Hard work always pays off, and after three months of bitter cultivation, he had essentially mastered the first layer of the Nine Transformations of Gods and Demons.
Now, the surface of Jiang Chen's skin itself served as a layer of armor. While its hardness couldn't compare to the scales of the Scarlet-Scaled Fire Lizard, in terms of defensive capability, it would be extremely difficult for any ordinary opponent of the same rank to wound him.
This built-in protection, combined with the second layer from the soft armor fused with scales, meant he had double insurance. Among peers of the same level, Jiang Chen was confident that if he called himself second in defense, no one could legitimately claim first.
"The second layer of the Nine Transformations of Gods and Demons is the refinement of blood and flesh. The trial of this layer is absolutely ten times more grueling than the first. Humans are creatures of blood and flesh—refining them is undoubtedly a hellish ordeal."
Jiang Chen had long prepared himself mentally. The path of body refinement had never been something one could achieve easily.
If he wanted to forge a divine body, an indestructible diamond body, he had to endure these sufferings. Jade left uncarved never becomes a vessel—body refinement, much like jade carving, demanded a thousand strikes and a hundred temperings.
Channeling the golden essence power from the Primordial Magnetite Mountain through his skin, inch by inch into his flesh and blood, Jiang Chen felt every pore on his body bristle. Beads of sweat the size of beans instantly beaded across his entire forehead.
The sensation was like countless steel needles plunging simultaneously into his flesh. The piercing pain was so excruciating that even a hardened man like Jiang Chen nearly cried out.
"Hold on—I must hold on! If I want to rise above others, I have to endure suffering that others cannot. Though I have my past life's memories, this body's natural talent is mediocre. Without hard work, without a thousand temperings to build a solid foundation, the gap between me and those geniuses born with superior aptitude will only widen as their realms increase."
Jiang Chen pushed himself this hard, endured this much, because he always carried a sense of crisis.
He understood his advantages, but the edge of past-life memories alone couldn't instantly remedy this body's deficiencies in talent and bone structure.
Though Jiang Chen had already defied fate several times and changed a great deal—within the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance, he could be considered among the very top.
However, this world was vast, and his ambitions could never be satisfied by something as small as the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance.
Therefore, regarding the improvement of his body and bone structure, Jiang Chen never allowed himself a moment of relaxation.
"A small place like the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance can produce someone like Long Juxue with an Innate Spirit Body. In a world this vast, there must be far more powerful geniuses. My vision absolutely cannot be confined by the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance. These four great sects are merely a stepping stone for my rise. If I set my sights at the level of the four great sects, that would be far too pathetic."
Every time Jiang Chen wanted to give up, he used this cruel reality to keep himself in check.
"With my current body's talent, once I leave the Sixteen Kingdoms, forget the Upper Eight Domains—even within the Wanxiang Domain where the sixteen kingdoms are located, I'd be nothing but an ant. If I can't keep improving, who knows where I'll fall."
Having learned from his previous encounter with a trap, Jiang Chen held himself to even stricter standards.
"Come—let this golden essence tempering come even harder!" A manic grin crept across Jiang Chen's lips as he doubled the golden essence power, pouring it into his flesh and blood once more.
"Hsssss—" Jiang Chen sucked in a sharp breath.
Double the golden essence power surged in at once, and Jiang Chen's entire body couldn't help but convulse. Waves of searing pain shot through every nerve in his body.
They spoke of eighteen layers of hell, but this pain was no less hellish than any of them.
Jiang Chen shook his head, sending sweat droplets flying, struggling to keep his mind clear. Boundless agony could numb the nerves and slow one's reactions.
Again and again, Jiang Chen repeated the process, over and over without end.
His first night in the Diling Zone finally passed amid this self-torturing cultivation. When dawn arrived, Jiang Chen opened his eyes and felt the changes that came with practicing the Nine Transformations of Gods and Demons.
"No pain, no gain. Without enduring this kind of suffering, how could one forge an indestructible golden body? Think of the phoenix, reborn through fire. People only see the beauty of its rebirth—but who knows what agonizing torment it endured while burning?"
Jiang Chen stood and paced to the courtyard's edge, gently breathing in the morning air, savoring the rich spiritual energy fluctuations of the Diling Zone.
"If the Diling Zone is already like this, the Tianling Zone must be even more extraordinary. It's a pity Brother Xiao Fei isn't here. During these three months, without a single kindred spirit or friend, it has been rather lonely." Jiang Chen sighed softly but did not linger in the grief of Xiao Fei's departure.
Checking the time, it was about right.
This time, Jiang Chen had become a complete lone wolf. He headed to the area where the Hundred Battle Arena was located.
The Hundred Battle Arena was originally a standard fighting platform. However, during its construction, numerous formation mechanisms had been built beneath it.
With a simple adjustment to the formations, the arena would transform.
Jiang Chen looked beneath the arena and saw formation patterns radiating all manner of wondrous light—the mechanisms were clearly already activating.
Jiang Chen was no stranger to formations, but the concept of combining formations with an arena was a small innovation he had rarely heard of even in his past life.
Gazing at the formation-powered arena, he found himself somewhat entranced.
"Master Shuiyue has arrived!"
The previously relaxed martial artists all snapped to attention and stood straight. It was clear that during the first three months of assessments, Master Shuiyue had established considerable authority. Looking at how these fighters were practically traumatized, Jiang Chen couldn't help but wonder just how brutally this woman had tormented them.
Hearing Shuiyue's name alone was enough to make them lose composure like this?