Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Jiang He did not believe that he was being a problem.

He had read so many novels where it was too normal for the protagonist would cause the world around him to shift, causing the skies and thunder to roll.

But why were the others overreacting?

Still, when he noticed that Chen Jingzhou, Duan Tianhe and Cheng Dongfeng remaining frozen stiff, he asked them seriously, “Are you guys… alright?”

Why did it feel like they were petrified?

Could there be too many holes in his excuse?

Waving his hand in front of the trio who were blanking out, Jiang He was thinking how he should smooth out his excuse when Cheng Dongfeng exclaimed in shock and a pair of bulging eyes, “You’ve… ascended?”

Soon, both Duan Tianhe and Chen Jingzhou reacted as well and began to question Jiang He. The shock in their tone was hard to hide, and they were looking at Jiang He as if he was a monster.

A little embarrassed from being stared at, Jiang He quickly and humbly said, “Why those looks? I’ve just made a little breakthrough on my cultivation and caused some weird phenomenon. There’s nothing surprising, is there?”

Hehe.

Cheng Dongfeng forced a smile and said, “You guys should continue. I’m taking a stroll.”

This conversation was over!

A little breakthrough?

Only Jiang He would dare to say something like that. As a matter of fact, Cheng Dongfeng was himself a prodigy, or he wouldn’t have received the personal instruction of the grandmaster of the Eight Trigrams School.

After beginning his martial arts training there when he was sixteen, he only reached the level of grandmaster a while ago, aged thirty-eight…

On the other hand, how many days had Jiang He began cultivating?

Was he not merely rank-four just half a month ago?

It was even more outrageous that his ascension had caused some phenomenon in his surroundings. Though it had been written in the records of the Eight Trigrams School that peerless beings had definitely stirred the world around them, Cheng Dongfeng had yet to hear of anyone truly achieving such feats.

Still, when he recalled Jiang He’s speed in cultivating and his fearsome feats, Duan Tianhe felt that it only made sense that he caused a greater uproar!

“Oh, right!”

“Heavenly miracles could happen when rank-nines reach the boundary of the divine too. I wonder what ruckus the brat would cause when that happens?”

Cheng Dongfeng calmed considerably after taking a stroll outside, and only returned to Jiang He’s mansion after that.

As he entered the living room, he could hear Duan Tianhe discussing about Mount Helan with Jiang He.

“Pudgy Jiang called me just now, Jiang He. He said that the intelligence wing under his command had found a dozen corpses at Mount Helan, and all of them were Sky Demon Cultists…”

“Only a dozen?”

Jiang He frowned. “According to my understanding, shouldn’t there be around forty?”

As he recall, when he killed Young Zhang and Old Wang, he learned from them that around forty other Sky Demon Cultists had rushed to Mount Helan.

“That number is not confirmed yet, since Pudgy Jiang is still leading the search up at Mount Helan.”

Duan Tianhe paused and said, “According to him, the killing blows on those cultists were all dealt by Ferals.”

“Oh, Pudgy Jiang didn’t tell you?”

Jiang He grinned. “I’ve tamed the Feral King of Mount Helan—it’s a rank-seven advanced black panther, and I sent it and its bros to ambush those Sky Demon Cultists.”

Duan Tianhe appeared taken aback at that. Pudgy Jiang did mention that, but he did not really buy it.

Beast-tamer?

So Jiang He really was a beast-tamer?

Even Duan Tianhe had his doubts before.

On the other hand, Chen Jingzhou laughed out loud. “That’s how beast-tamers are unique. Even compared to humans, Ferals are more abiding towards the law of the jungle. Once a formidable beast-tamer takes control of the Feral King in a certain area, it is no different from controlling a horde of Ferals.”

“Jiang He, your killing of Bound Star, Guilty Star and the Third Elder of the Sky Demon Cult is yet another accomplishment, and I’ve already reported your merit to the military. They’ve also decided to award you the rank of colonel, and you could take a post of command if you are willing to join the army.”

Jiang He shook his head in refusal without even thinking.

The rank was nice, but only in stature.

As for joining the military…

Wouldn’t his farm go to waste if he did?

He was contributing to the nation by farming anyway!

After that, Chen Jingzhou and the others only left around eight.

After seeing them off, Jiang He quickly went to Sora and took out a Violet Flame Lingzhi, as well as a chunk of the Feral beef he got from his trip up Mount Helan. “Make me some lingzhi beef,” he said, “Spicier but less salt, and don’t put parsley—I can never get used to that.”

Meanwhile, Cheng Dongfeng was on the driving wheel, and the trio soon left Jinyintan Village.

Everyone in the car was talking about Jiang He, and disbelief was obvious in their exchange.

“How long has it even been?” Duan Tianhe sighed. “It’s probably half a month ago when I first saw him, and he was just rank-four, wasn’t he? And in just half a month, he reached the boundary of grandmasters!”

Duan Tianhe could not help recalling how Jiang He asked him about ‘how to kill a grandmaster’, believing that Jiang He was delusional and ignorant. Looking back now, he realized that he was the one who had been delusional and ignorant.

Cheng Dongfeng had not said a word in the meantime.

After all, he had exchanged blows with Jiang He before…

It was fortunate that not many people know about that, and it had not been mentioned at the moment.

On the other hand, Chen Dongfeng mused to himself for a long time before speaking. “It seems that my hunch is right. Jiang He had definitely gained providence: the corns he sold to Mu Wanqiu were mutated plants that almost reaches the level of floral spirits, and he himself must have a genuine floral spirit that specifically develops his cultivation.”

Duan Tianhe nodded in agreement.

Only such an explanation would work for Jiang He’s incredible cultivation.

Moreover, such examples were not rare. Since the Revival of Qi, many who gained providence would most definitely develop by leaps and bounds.

Nonetheless, Cheng Dongfeng frowned over the steering wheel saying, “That explains the godly speed of cultivation, but what about his cultivation method? According to the kid, he simply cultivated something passed down in his family. Even if his ancestors happened to be a disciple of the famous Jiang Family of Jiangnan, they did not have such an outstanding palm technique or cultivation method!”

“A rank-six killing a rank-nine is simply unheard of!”

Even now, Cheng Dongfeng still vividly remembered Jiang He’s Eighteen Dragons Subduing Palms.

However, at his words, Chen Jingzhou’s gaze twitched and he murmured, “The Jiang Family… the Jiang Family? What if Jiang He’s surname is Jiang, but another character?”

At a loss for words, Cheng Dongfeng turned around to give Chen Jingzhou a long look. “Commander Chen, are you playing with tongue twisters here? Jiang and Jiang, how many Jiangs could there be?

And yet, Duan Tianhe caught Chen Jingzhou’s meaning and said quietly, “Are you referring to the Jiang Clan of the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor? No way. That is one of the five Holy Grounds, and it was sealed before the Second World War. No clansmen had come outside for almost a hundred years!”

“However…”

“That is not entirely impossible. If Jiang He’s ancestor was a disciple of that Jiang clan and lived in anonymity, it is reasonable that he posses a profound martial arts legacy.”

Nonetheless, that was when Duan Tianhe’s phone rang.

He answered the call and said a few words. Soon, a weird look appeared over his face, and he only hung up after some time.

When he saw that both Cheng Donfeng and Chen Jingzhou was looking at him, he said, “It’s from above.”

“Our agent embedded in the Sky Demon Cult had responded…”

“What?”

Cheng Dongfeng’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, “Was his identity verified? Wasn’t the higher-ups suspecting that his cover was blown, after he did not report multiple Sky Demon Cult operations?”

Duan Tianhe forced a smile. “The higher-ups are also saying that the Sky Demon Cult suffered heavy losses, which was why they opened their Secret Realm. Our agent managed to get his name on the list of entrees, which was why he was unable to communicate with the outside.”

“Woah!”

Cheng Dongfeng exclaimed in shock. “By the way, who is that agent? The man’s luck is insane, even getting in a Secret Realm? Wouldn’t he be slipping amongst the core hierarchy of the Sky Demon Cult after he steps out?”

There was envy in Cheng Dongfeng eyes.

Secret Realms were ‘microworlds’ that elites of the Void Boundary opened. One would have an easier time developing harmony with the world if they cultivated inside, and there six Secret Realms in the Hua Nation. For the last hundred years, the five Holy Grounds that wandered the world had each taken control of one Sacred Realm.

And the last remaining one was under the nation’s control.