CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 40: MARTIAL ARTS CELESTIAL LADDER – SECOND LEVEL

In the following days, Jiang Ye was cultivating in the advanced class.

The Martial Arts Teacher of Class 1 was a man with a stubbly beard that Jiang Ye had seen before, named Cao Feng.

However, in Jiang Ye’s view, the teaching quality of the advanced class was no different from that of Chen Zilu.

In some details, it was even inferior to Chen Zilu.

Moreover.

Without the 30% perception boost from the Ancestor’s Friend, Jiang Ye’s breakthrough to perfection was delayed quite a few days longer than he had expected.

In the blink of an eye, it was already January 2326.

This day.

At home.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Jiang Ye’s figure swayed, sometimes punching, sometimes elbowing, each move was as smooth as flowing water, without any sense of stagnation.

With each exertion, every inch of muscle in his body resonated like finely-tuned gears, forming a perfect closed loop of power.

Gradually.

Every force he exerted became more and more perfect.

Without the slightest leakage.

"Ding!"

Suddenly, it was as if a certain bottleneck had broken through.

"Boom!"

In an instant, an indescribable sense of exhilaration burst forth from the depths of his soul, like a seed breaking through the soil after being buried under snow and rain.

A feeling of transparency and lightness, like a spring breeze and rain, arose spontaneously.

"Finally."

"The Star Martial Cultivation Technique has reached perfection and broken through!"

Jiang Ye slowly ended his practice, looking at his own body.

At this moment, he could feel that every inch of his skin had become extremely sensitive, completely under his control.

Closing his eyes.

He could hear faint sounds from a hundred meters away.

He could even sense the movement of dust in the air.

His five senses had almost merged into the surrounding environment.

"In ancient times, reaching this level was unity of heaven and man."

Interacting with heaven and earth!

Jiang Ye opened his eyes, unable to hide the joy on his face.

After two and a half years of arduous practice, he had finally achieved his initial goal.

Although his current goals extended far beyond this, he was still overjoyed.

[Detected power has reached a new system limit!]

[Title Unlocked: Extreme Grandmaster]

[Extreme Grandmaster: The pinnacle of Martial Arts, high and aloof, surpassing countless martial artists...]

Jiang Ye automatically skipped over this flattery.

Looking at this time’s reward.

[Reward: Physical Transformation, promoted to Mortal Body Upper A]

"Mortal Body Upper A?!" Jiang Ye was shocked.

In A Level Physique, it’s divided into upper, middle, and lower.

Upper A is undoubtedly the strongest physique among the mortal bodies!

He did not expect such a significant improvement this time?!

"Physical transformation will take some time."

Jiang Ye sensed that he couldn’t detect much change yet.

"Just right, let’s try to ascend the Second Layer."

With that thought, his consciousness suddenly sank.

...

The next moment, Jiang Ye appeared in a misty place.

Looking ahead, a towering cloud ladder stood, golden all over, majestic and grand.

"Martial Arts Celestial Ladder." Jiang Ye walked towards the cloud ladder.

After easily crossing ten steps, he reached the First Layer.

The Martial Arts Celestial Ladder, each layer has ten steps.

To ascend to the Second Layer, he would have to climb ten more steps.

Before, Jiang Ye always honed himself in the illusion realm on the First Layer.

But today, he directly climbed towards the higher steps.

"Buzz!"

A tremendous pressure rushed forth.

The pressure that once overwhelmed Jiang Ye was now as if walking on flat ground for him.

Jiang Ye kept climbing, in the blink of an eye surpassing nine steps.

When he reached the tenth step, an terrifying pressure attacked, gravity seemingly increased tenfold.

"Is this it?"

Jiang Ye’s muscles tightened, standing straight under that tremendous pressure.

His body perfected through the cultivation technique functioned like a battle machine, unleashing indestructible power, allowing him to move forward under immense pressure.

"Boom!"

In an instant, that pressure vanished.

And Jiang Ye arrived at the large platform on the Second Layer of the Martial Arts Celestial Ladder.

[You have ascended to the Second Layer of the Martial Arts Celestial Ladder]

[Do you wish to start the Second Layer examination immediately?]

A panel appeared.

Jiang Ye was not surprised.

The First Layer was an illusion realm examination.

Who knows what the examination for the Second Layer would be?

With a hint of anticipation, Jiang Ye silently thought, "Start the Second Layer examination!"

Buzz!

The next moment, the environment around him suddenly darkened.

Jiang Ye’s consciousness was struck as if someone hit him on the head, plunging him into darkness.

...

When Jiang Ye opened his eyes again.

He found himself standing in a dim room.

On all the walls hung various instruments of torture: whips, candles, chains, hemp ropes, and so on.

"What... what place is this?"

Looking at those devices, Jiang Ye frowned slightly.

Whips, and candles?

Playing this kind of perverted game?

"Is this another illusion realm? But this time some kind of special play? But I have no such fetish."

Jiang Ye looked around suspiciously.

At first glance, nothing seemed wrong, but then he was suddenly shocked.

He found himself tied to a punishment rack.

Turns out, he was the passive one?!

At that moment, Jiang Ye saw in front of him, a bright red timer appear.

hours 0 minutes 0 seconds.

"Is the examination this time about enduring physical pain?" Jiang Ye frowned.

Although he was quite unwilling in his heart.

But when it came to enduring pain, he was not afraid at all.

After countless trials in the illusion realm of the First Layer, his martial arts will had long been extremely tenacious, mere physical pain was nothing to him.

"Buzz~!"

Just as Jiang Ye thought this.

Suddenly, the punishment rack trembled slightly, the examination officially began.

"Damn it!"

In an instant, Jiang Ye couldn’t bear it anymore.

A wave of sharp pain hit him, as if someone had peeled off all his skin, and then rubbed with chili water repeatedly.

This pain had already far surpassed the previous Thunderfire Trial!

At the same time, the bright red timer officially started.

But what gave Jiang Ye a headache was, damn it, it was not a countdown.

This meant he didn’t even know how long he had to endure to pass the examination!

If he gave up prematurely, wouldn’t all the previous suffering be in vain?

Is this treating him like a Japanese soldier?!

"Bring it on."

Jiang Ye gritted his teeth, his expression icy cold: "It’s just pain, who’s afraid of who?"

This time, he must pass in one go!

Buzz! Buzz!

The punishment rack trembled again, and Jiang Ye began to feel various unbearable pains.

Jiang Ye gritted his teeth to endure, forcing himself to adapt to that pain.

"If I can’t endure even this bit of pain, how can I persist through the Starry Sky Refinement in the future?"

Jiang Ye knew in his heart that this test might help him gradually become immune to pain.

But just as he was slowly adapting.

Suddenly.

Jiang Ye saw a candle flying towards him.

Immediately, a drop of wax dripped on his wound.

Instantly, a storm-like pain swept through his mind.

It was unclear what components that ’wax’ contained, but it seemed to carry a mysterious energy, surging into his body through the wound endlessly.

Jiang Ye felt as if every cell of his body was being torn apart.

Opening his eyes wide, he finally saw clearly, it wasn’t a candle at all, but an energy pillar condensed from mysterious energy, each drop could make someone want to die from the pain!

This pain was dozens of times stronger than the previous Thunderfire Trial!

"Endure!"

Jiang Ye clenched his teeth, forcing himself to withstand it.

If he gave up here, all previous efforts would go to waste, and the examination would have to start all over again!

Fortunately.

His martial arts will was incredibly tenacious and resilient.

No matter how intense the pain was, it didn’t make him lose his sanity.

Thus, Jiang Ye kept enduring the intense pain as time slowly passed.

Unaware of how much time had passed.

In endless pain, Jiang Ye’s consciousness was almost about to fall into a coma, and finally, he couldn’t endure it anymore, the string in his heart suddenly loosened.

The next moment, the surroundings dimmed.

The examination was over.