Translator: CinderTL
At this very moment,
in Jiang Ye's lower abdomen,
the Guanyuan Acupoint, originally a circular space,nhad been transformed by the golden stellar river into an hourglass shape, resembling the number '8'.
Tens of thousands of strands of stellar energy were compressed in the upper chamber, slowly flowing through the narrow neck into the lower chamber.
"This golden stellar river has reshaped my Guanyuan Acupoint into an hourglass?" Jiang Ye was astonished, having never heard of such a phenomenon.
But his expression soon shifted to shock.
As the pale silver stellar energy, compressed in the upper chamber of the hourglass, passed through the neck into the lower chamber, its color deepened noticeably.
"What's this?"
"The stellar energy in my body... it's merging into a single, unified force after passing through the neck?" Jiang Ye was stunned.
This unification naturally meant a dramatic surge in the stellar energy's power!
Jiang Ye immediately channeled the unified stellar energy from the lower chamber of the hourglass, guiding it out of the Guanyuan Acupoint.
Following the cultivation pathways, he directed the energy to his palm.
Buzz!
Instantly, his palm glowed with a silvery-white light, as if coated in liquid mercury.
"This power..." Jiang Ye clenched his fist.
He threw a punch.
Boom!
A deafening sonic boom echoed through the air.
"Several times stronger than before!" Jiang Ye's face lit up with delight.
The stellar energy, compressed and refined by the hourglass-shaped Guanyuan Acupoint, had undergone a massive increase in potency.
The fusion of stellar energy had amplified its power far beyond a simple doubling. When combined with an advanced art technique like the Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist, its destructive force could increase threefold or even fourfold.
"The Cosmic Blessing can even reshape my Guanyuan Acupoint?" Jiang Ye marveled, "This is truly miraculous!"
Even the Star Martial Advancement Method could only modestly increase the volume of the Guanyuan Acupoint. Its shape was believed to be fixed at birth, utterly immutable. Yet here it was, being altered before his very eyes—a truly astonishing phenomenon.
I wonder if others who receive the Cosmic Blessing experience the same thing? Jiang Ye pondered.
As time passed, the golden stellar river gradually thinned. After another ten minutes, the last of the golden energy flowed into Jiang Ye's body and vanished.
Just when he thought it was over, a sudden hum filled the air.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several golden lights emerged from the depths of the cosmos.
"Huh?" Jiang Ye was startled. "More?"
But he quickly realized this was no mere continuation of the previous flow.
Whoosh! Three golden lights shot forth from the Stellar Sea, but these were not the stellar river. Instead, they were three golden orbs, each seemingly concealing something within.
The orbs flew before Jiang Ye, and subtitles materialized beneath them:
Heavenly Astral Star-Guiding Fist
Nine Luminaries Star-Treading
Starfall Strike
Choose one of three Cosmic Secret Arts.
"Cosmic Secret Art?" Jiang Ye held his breath.
He had never heard of this term before, but judging by the name alone, it was clearly no ordinary technique.
Jiang Ye examined the options carefully.
Heavenly Astral Star-Guiding Fist: Profound-tier secret technique. This fist technique draws upon the power of the stars, delivering fierce and domineering strikes. Suitable for martial artists who have just embarked on the cosmic path and are beginning to condense stellar force.
Nine Luminaries Star-Treading: Earth-rank secret technique. By stepping into the cosmos through secret methods, this technique harnesses the Nine Luminaries Stellar Energy to unleash devastating power. Each footstep can shatter all things.
Starfall Strike: Profound-tier secret technique. Concentrating all stellar energy into a single, devastating blow, this technique strikes with the force of a falling star, delivering a swift and overwhelmingly powerful attack.
"Are secret techniques also classified by Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow?"
"Earth-rank secret techniques actually exist?"
Jiang Ye was utterly astonished.
He didn't know the difference between secret techniques and cultivation techniques.
Until now, he had only encountered high-grade yellow tier cultivation techniques. He had never even seen a profound tier technique, let alone an earth-rank one!
"Can I only choose one?" Jiang Ye's gaze swept across the subtitles, his mind torn.
His greatest love remained fist techniques.
Yet the Heavenly Astral Star-Guiding Fist was only a profound tier technique.
The Starfall Strike looked impressive, promising a devastating attack.
Of course, the Nine Luminaries Star-Treading was also appealing—the highest-ranked of the three secret techniques. However, it was a leg technique, which he rarely used.
After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Ye finally reached for the glowing orb in the center.
"Nine Luminaries Star-Treading!" he thought. "An earth-rank Cosmic Secret Art. I hope it doesn't disappoint me."
The instant he made his choice,
Whoosh!
The golden orb transformed into a streak of light, shooting into Jiang Ye's forehead.
In that instant, Jiang Ye felt as if his mind had been completely filled.
Boom! An immense flood of information surged into Jiang Ye's mind.
Like a raging torrent, the data overwhelmed him in moments, leaving his head spinning.
He immediately sat down cross-legged, slowly circulating his energy to digest the influx of memories.
Ten minutes later, Jiang Ye rose from the ground.
"So that's how it works," he murmured.
"This earth-rank Cosmic Secret Art requires Nine Luminaries Stellar Energy as a catalyst to unleash its full power?" Jiang Ye recalled the information. "If I use stellar energy from other galaxies, its effectiveness will be limited?"
"Is there a significant difference between stellar energies from different galaxies?"
Jiang Ye pondered this, recalling his encounter with the Goat-Eared Demon Girls.
Their crimson stellar energy had triggered a violent rejection within his own stellar energy.
Could the Nine Luminaries Stellar Energy be the same?
"Once I've mastered the Entry level, I'll test its power with my own stellar energy," Jiang Ye thought to himself. "According to the description, even without the Nine Luminaries Stellar Energy, it should still unleash tremendous power."
"More importantly..."
"Once this secret technique reaches Perfection, its power will grow with each realm advancement," Jiang Ye thought, his heart brimming with anticipation.
Most cultivation techniques are only effective at specific stages.
Take the Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist, for example. After the second breakthrough, its utility diminishes significantly, becoming little more than a standard attack.
But the Nine Luminaries Star-Treading has an exceptionally high ceiling!
According to its description, even after seven breakthroughs, it retains formidable power.
The value of this earth-rank Cosmic Secret Art is truly beyond imagination.
"This Cosmic Blessing far exceeds my wildest expectations," Jiang Ye murmured, taking a deep breath.
Not only had he obtained an earth-rank Cosmic Secret Art, but the golden starlight of the Cosmic River had also tempered his physical body to new heights.
Most importantly, his Guanyuan Acupoint had been completely reforged!
Jiang Ye's eyes shone with fervor.
He couldn't even fathom the extent of his current power.
"This mysterious space..." Jiang Ye gazed into the profound starry expanse, his mind racing with speculation. "What is its true origin?"
"Where does the Cosmic Blessing come from?"
"Where does this Cosmic Divine Path ultimately lead?"
Jiang Ye gazed down at the starlight-strewn path beneath his feet, his mind swirling with questions.
He knew, however, that his certification journey had reached its end.
There was no path forward.
To continue, he would have to wait until his second breakthrough.
"Let's go," Jiang Ye said, turning back the way he had come.
In the octagonal hall, the Star Array shimmered to life.
Three figures materialized.
"Huh?" Jiang Ye glanced at Su Tong'er and Yun Qing'er beside him, surprised. "What a coincidence! You're both here too."
"Coincidence?" Su Tong'er wiggled her white-silk-clad feet and huffed. "We finished our certifications ages ago. We've been waiting for you."
Yun Qing'er nodded. "Each Star Array teleportation costs tens of millions, so they group three people together."
"I see," Jiang Ye replied, nodding.
"Hey," Su Tong'er said, her eyes curious. "Why are you so calm? Did you pass your certification?"
Before Jiang Ye could answer, a short-haired, businesslike figure suddenly appeared in the hall.
It was the short-haired female office worker.
"Congratulations, everyone," the woman said, her face radiating a warm smile.
(End of the Chapter)