Chapter 490: Final Battle
Under Jiang Nanqiu’s leadership, the North Sea Battle Group flourished, earning countless honors. But for him, defeating the Soul Refiner remained his burning obsession.
After more than five years of preparation, when the Soul Refiner reappeared before him, a golden gem now adorned its chest.
He could clearly sense the Soul Refiner’s power had grown significantly.
Yet during their battle, the Soul Refiner relied solely on Body Refinement Combat Techniques, refraining from using any other abilities.
Once again, he suffered a crushing defeat.
But the Soul Refiner seemed pleased, remarking that he had already surpassed the limits of the Human Cultivation System. Perhaps one day, it said, he would finally awaken his true potential and forge his own path.
He took these words to heart.
If the existing cultivation system was hindering his growth, then he would carve out his own path—a cultivation system tailored to his unique potential.
He began to delve into a vast collection of body cultivation manuals, absorbing knowledge from them.
During this period, the Soul Refiner vanished once again for several years.
When the Soul Refiner finally returned, its body was covered in horrific scars, and a crimson gem had been embedded in its chest.
The long-awaited battle arrived as scheduled.
In the fight, he unleashed everything he had learned over the years.
But he could clearly sense the Soul Refiner’s exhaustion. It no longer fought with the same fiery spirit as before.
After the battle, he collapsed on the ground, bruised and battered.
The Soul Refiner sat beside him, as usual, pointing out his mistakes during the fight and suggesting areas for improvement.
Over the next few years, the Soul Refiner continued to appear intermittently.
Driven by the Soul Refiner’s relentless training, his strength rapidly advanced. The North Sea Battle Group successfully ascended to an A-Rank Battle Group, setting its sights on becoming an S-Class Combat Team.
Yet with each subsequent clash, he noticed the Soul Refiner’s condition seemed to deteriorate.
Though its power had clearly increased significantly, its passion for battle seemed to have waned. The fiery fighting spirit that once burned in its eyes had vanished.
In the blink of an eye, the Soul Refiner vanished again for several years.
When it reappeared, the Soul Refiner now possessed four gemstones.
Even in a pure contest of physical strength, he was far inferior to the Soul Refiner. Against it, he could barely retaliate, utterly dominated in combat.
After the battle, the Soul Refiner spared his life and declared, “This whetstone has lost its edge. I will never return.”
With those words, the Soul Refiner vanished from his life.
For over a decade, the Soul Refiner never reappeared.
Yet he never abandoned his training in Body Refinement Combat Techniques, clinging to the hope of one day facing the Soul Refiner again—a lifelong aspiration.
But the Soul Refiner never returned.
Over those years, the North Sea Battle Group ascended to the ranks of S-Class Combat Teams, and his name was immortalized in history textbooks.
Though he had reached retirement age, he refused to leave the front lines.
He remained, still waiting.
Yearning for another clash with his nemesis.
On his eightieth birthday, he received a Lifetime Honorary Certificate from the United Research Institute. That same day, he received a letter.
The letter appeared silently in his room, undetected by the heavily guarded battle group’s encampment.
Upon opening it, he found no words, only a symbol that burned like fire and a map marked with a red dot.
The moment he picked up the letter, a fierce battle intent ignited in his eyes.
He knew the Soul Refiner had returned.
He had waited over a decade for this day, and now his wish had finally come true.
On that day, he wrote his will, placed it in a drawer, and ventured alone through the wind and snow, leaving the Winterfrost Supply Zone for the Blizzard Cliff marked on the map.
There, he met the Soul Refiner once more.
The Soul Refiner remained young, radiating a vibrant life force.
Their eyes met, and the Soul Refiner smiled, saying:
“Jiang Nanqiu, you’ve grown old. Indeed, lifespan is the greatest obstacle to human progress… Can you still fight?”
Without hesitation, Jiang Nanqiu replied:
“Yes!”
Seeing his destined rival reappear, Jiang Nanqiu prepared to fight to the death, determined to give it one last desperate attempt.
A frigid gale, thick with snow and ice, swept across the battlefield as the two figures clashed once more.
His aging body erupted with power beyond its limits, his indomitable fighting spirit leaving Soul Refiner stunned.
Jiang Nanqiu had initially believed defeat was inevitable.
After all, Soul Refiner’s growth had been astonishingly rapid, far outpacing his own.
Even when Soul Refiner restrained his power, relying solely on martial arts, Jiang Nanqiu struggled to defend himself.
But to his astonishment, Soul Refiner’s body began to age rapidly during the battle. His once-black hair gradually turned white, wrinkles etched themselves onto his face, and even the vitality in his eyes faded swiftly.
In the end, Soul Refiner halted his attacks.
Facing the panting, exhausted Soul Refiner, who was clearly unable to continue fighting, Jiang Nanqiu demanded to know the reason for this sudden decline.
Soul Refiner didn’t answer directly. Instead, he smiled and asked:
“Jiang Nanqiu, have you ever considered truly breaking through the limitations of your race and earning the right to become a true powerhouse?”
He was astonished by these words and asked Soul Refiner what a true powerhouse truly was.
Soul Refiner gave him an answer that sounded utterly fantastical:
A life that transcends the laws of nature, one that stands above all creation. With a flick of the finger, they can shroud the heavens; with a single thought, they can shatter the cosmos; whatever they imagine becomes reality.
At the time, he couldn’t grasp the meaning behind Soul Refiner’s words.
But Soul Refiner’s next actions left him dumbfounded.
He watched as Soul Refiner reached into his chest and tore out a bloodstained gem, then a second…
As his life force rapidly waned, Soul Refiner smiled and said:
“Jiang Nanqiu, I am deeply satisfied with the indomitable fighting spirit you displayed earlier. I have lost this battle, defeated in spirit… My life force is nearly exhausted, and all my clansmen have fallen in battle. I leave this legacy to you.”
Faced with Soul Refiner’s dying wish, Jiang Nanqiu’s heart filled with confusion.
When he asked what had happened, Soul Refiner smiled and replied:
“I gambled the future against others, and unfortunately, I lost everything. But they won’t gain anything from my defeat either… Take this miracle item and continue forward with your unyielding fighting spirit.”
(End of the Chapter)