Chapter 489: Rivalry
Future City.
Technology Research Institute Base.
Faced with Mu Qing’s formidable physical defenses, Jiang Nanqiu’s expression grew grave.
With a soft incantation, the golden gem on his chest lit up.
Instantly, the sparse energy within his body surged to full capacity.
The seven previously indistinct clones also regained their energy, joining forces with the original body to channel power into the Blood-Colored Illusory Cauldron, attempting to refine Mu Qing alive.
However, Mu Qing’s performance far exceeded Jiang Nanqiu’s expectations.
As the indistinct ferocious beast hovering above Mu Qing’s head gradually sharpened into focus, Jiang Nanqiu felt an unprecedented sense of oppression.
A domineering aura that seemed to command the heavens crashed down upon him, momentarily distorting his perception.
He saw a mountain range stretching for miles, composed entirely of countless corpses. Blood-red water cascaded down its slopes, pooling around the base to form a crimson ocean.
Among the skeletal remains forming the corpse mountain, he glimpsed colossal giants towering like mountains, majestic divine beasts resembling dragons, and demons burning with hellfire. Even in death, their corpses radiated terrifying energy fluctuations, hinting at the unimaginable power they had wielded in life.
Even so, they were merely countless corpses among the towering corpse mountain.
At the summit of this mountain stood a throne pieced together from bones. A blurry figure sat upon it, only its scarlet eyes visible, radiating a crimson light.
It calmly surveyed the world below.
Suddenly, the figure on the throne slowly turned its head, its gaze piercing through the barriers of illusion and reality, transcending the walls of time and space.
Boom!
The moment their eyes met, Jiang Nanqiu felt his mind erupt in a deafening roar.
Countless twisted, grotesque symbols flooded his consciousness. With just a single glance, he sensed his mental power surging relentlessly, its growth accelerating until he teetered on the brink of collapse.
If he continued to hold the gaze, he feared the relentless influx of arcane knowledge would shatter his Sea of Consciousness.
Forcing himself to focus, he bit his tongue, desperately trying to break free from the illusory mental realm.
Fear now gripped Jiang Nanqiu’s heart.
Merely meeting the gaze of a creature within a hallucination had significantly amplified his mental power—a phenomenon utterly terrifying.
He recalled the words of a former nemesis:
“You ask me what the strongest beings at the peak are like? I’m sorry, I’ve never encountered a truly powerful being, but I know their strength surpasses our comprehension. Even sensing their presence can affect you… They’re like radiant, scorching suns, constantly radiating energy in all directions. If not deliberately suppressed, they can warp and shatter the surrounding space…”
Jiang Nanqiu had once dismissed these words as mere hyperbole.
But now, he was experiencing their truth firsthand.
With a mere glance, mysterious symbols flooded his mind, and his mental power surged under this influence.
Yet this growth came with grave risks.
These bizarre symbols seemed branded into his consciousness. Attempting to decipher their meaning brought waves of piercing pain and volatile emotions, threatening to overwhelm him at any moment.
It was like an ant trying to comprehend the vast knowledge contained within a library—a task utterly beyond its capacity.
His mental state fluctuated wildly, yet Jiang Nanqiu remained trapped within the illusory mental landscape.
His spirit withered long before his body crumbled.
But Jiang Nanqiu refused to yield. He gritted his teeth and persevered, while the five gemstones on his chest blazed to life.
As he relentlessly resisted the encroaching mental power, memories flashed through his mind like slides in a projector.
His memories returned to their beginning.
That year, the Northern Territory was blanketed by heavy snow for months, transforming the world into a pristine, silver-white expanse. The roads outside Winterfrost City were completely buried under the snow.
Having graduated at the top of his class from Victory Academy, he officially joined the Five-Star Battle Group, one of the Top Ten Battle Groups, becoming a member of the Third Battle Group.
Reality proved far more brutal than he had imagined.
The frontline internships during his academy years, where he was always accompanied by professional protection teams, paled in comparison to the true horrors of actual combat.
That period marked a time of rapid growth for him.
Many theoretical concepts he had learned at the academy were transformed into practical combat techniques through real-world application on the front lines.
At the time, the Five-Star Battle Group was challenging a Domain Field with a Disaster Rank of Fourth Grade, and the fighting was exceptionally fierce.
This Domain Field was known as the Hell Domain Field.
Its dominant race, the Purgatory Clan, possessed humanoid forms, jet-black skin, and mastery of terrifying Body Refinement Combat Techniques. They were also fiercely devoted to battle.
Before entering the human world, the Purgatory Clan was divided into eight tribes.
Each year, these tribes engaged in bloody internal conflicts. Unlike other races, however, the Purgatory Clan’s infighting wasn’t for resources or profit, but solely to select the strongest warriors.
The Purgatory Clan held strength in the highest regard.
This cultural emphasis on martial prowess made their warriors inherently combative.
During the conflict in the Hell Domain Field, the Five-Star Battle Group suffered heavy losses against the Purgatory Clan’s ferocious assaults, nearly falling out of the Top Ten Battle Groups.
During this period, he accompanied the Five-Star Third Battle Group on several incursions into the Hell Domain Field, narrowly escaping death each time.
It was during these trials that his innate talent began to shine.
In the war against the domain clans, his outstanding combat record earned him recognition as one of the Winterfrost District’s Ten Rising Stars.
His achievements also drew the attention of the Purgatory Clan.
The clan’s new generation, in particular, saw him as a prized prey, each eager to personally claim his life.
The turning point in his fate came during an investigation into the Hell Domain Field.
His squad, the Sixth Squad of the Five-Star Third Battle Group, was ambushed by the Purgatory Clan. The battle resulted in heavy casualties, with all surviving warriors, including himself, captured alive.
Yet the ferocious Purgatory Clan spared their lives.
As the Purgatory Clan warriors dispersed, a small boy with pitch-black skin and a black gem embedded in his chest stepped forward, declaring his intent to engage him in a blood duel.
This was his first encounter with the Soul Refiner.
Only afterward did he learn that Soul Refiner was widely regarded as the strongest child among the Purgatory Clan’s youngest new generation. It was also only later that he realized he had been viewed as a prized trophy by the clan’s new generation members.
(End of the Chapter)