Jiang Chen heard this and sneered.
It seemed that with Long Juxue cultivating at the Purple Sun Sect, all resources and fortune naturally flowed toward her alone—but as for that woman's brains, they hadn't improved one bit.
She was as self-righteous as ever, and just as stupid.
Jiang Chen had no interest in exchanging barbs with this woman.
"Long Juxue, if you want to be a shrew screaming in the streets, go right ahead. I have no interest in keeping you company. What you've cooked up does sound satisfying, I'll admit—but I have to remind you, you won't get the chance."
With that, Jiang Chen shut down his spiritual sense and stopped engaging with the woman.
Such crude psychological tactics didn't even register as a scratch against him.
As time passed and the moment of the decisive battle drew ever closer, Jiang Chen's Dao heart grew only more resolute, reaching a state of absolute immovability, solid as Mount Tai.
"Come. The Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance has held me back long enough—it's time for me, Jiang Chen, to soar to the heavens." His chest swelled with boundless ambition, brimming with anticipation for the upcoming battle.
Over these three months, Jiang Chen had rarely ventured out. Tang Hong and Liu Wencai, on the other hand, had interacted extensively, becoming ironclad brothers.
And Liu Wencai's talent left Tang Hong no choice but to give a thumbs up.
In just three short months, while Liu Wencai hadn't replicated Jiang Chen's blistering point-farming speed, his momentum was still quite extraordinary. After roughly a month and a half, Liu Wencai had forcefully pushed his way into the top sixty-four.
Once you made it into the top sixty-four, you effectively held a ticket to the finals. But for good measure, Liu Wencai continued to take on challenges. He was clearly intent on honing his abilities, so he selected more missions in the Martial Dao Area and the Mental Fortitude Area. Unlike Jiang Chen's extreme approach, the missions he picked were mostly one to three-star, with occasional attempts at four-star missions.
In the final few days, Liu Wencai's point ranking had surged into the top thirty—a thoroughly secure position.
Besides his missions in the Martial Dao Area, Liu Wencai sparred with Tang Hong every single day in heated sessions. Of the two, Liu Wencai was the genius of the Myriad Spirit Sect, a descendant of a hunter. Years of absorbing and refining beast blood had infused his steady temperament with a touch of wildness.
Tang Hong, among the four great sects, had earned the nickname "Wild Man." His feral nature surpassed even Liu Wencai's—the man was a born battle maniac. When these two got together to spar, they naturally went all out.
This frenzied sparring continuously elevated both their combat abilities, and the way they pushed each other forward was unmistakable.
Tang Hong's cultivation stood at the sixth level of the Spirit Realm, while Liu Wencai was at the fifth. Logically, Tang Hong's one-level advantage should have given him the upper hand. Yet by the final month of sparring, Tang Hong found himself barely managing to withstand Liu Wencai's offense.
Fortunately, the beast blood that Jiang Chen had gifted him continued to be refined within his body, steadily manifesting the potential it unlocked.
Their sparring sessions evolved from Liu Wencai holding a slight edge at the start, to even footing in the middle, and finally to a dead heat where Tang Hong had to give everything he had just to hold even.
Of course, after refining the beast blood, Tang Hong had gained an additional secret technique—one that allowed him to manipulate his own bloodline and physical strength. Under normal circumstances, Tang Hong's combat power was roughly equal to Liu Wencai's, though if Liu Wencai went all out, Tang Hong would be at a slight disadvantage.
But once Tang Hong went berserk, his body would suddenly swell by a third, and his entire bloodline would instantly grow fifty percent stronger. This berserk state was what Tang Hong called his "Frenzy." Once it activated, even Liu Wencai would immediately find himself in a tremendous struggle.
These two sparred like this every day, reaping enormous benefits. Through constant battle, they grew to admire and deeply respect one another, becoming the closest of sworn brothers. After months together, their friendship had clearly transcended the boundaries of their respective sects, making them forget entirely which side the other belonged to.
Speaking of which, Liu Wencai saw a reflection of himself in Tang Hong. In Tang Hong's Frenzy state, Liu Wencai felt that the latent potential awakened within his own body was also, in a way, a kind of bloodline frenzy—an enhancement of its own. The only difference was that Tang Hong's Frenzy manifested far more overtly, especially in terms of physical prowess.
And so, time passed day by day.