CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 41: 10 OUT OF 12 LEVELS OF WRONGNESS

Martial Arts Celestial Ladder, Second Layer, on the large platform.

The figure of Jiang Ye reappeared.

"Phew!"

He was gasping for breath, his entire being spread out on the ground.

From cultivation until now, Jiang Ye had never been this wretched, this was the first time.

The reason was nothing else but the sheer length of the recent torment.

"Hiss~ So painful!"

Even after the assessment ended, he still felt an incessant severe pain.

"Damn it, just recalling it makes the pain feel fresh again?"

Jiang Ye seemed to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, with spasms of pain hitting him though he had left that scene.

Rumble!

At this moment, a gigantic golden stone monument slowly rose in front of Jiang Ye.

On the surface of the stone monument, large words written with the force of dragons and serpents, exuding a vigorous and magnificent aura:

"Extreme Grandmaster!"

[Congratulations, you have stepped into the Second Layer of the Martial Arts Celestial Ladder and obtained the Immortal Monument!]

[Calculating rewards...]

Seeing this scene, Jiang Ye’s gaze turned peculiar.

"Is this Immortal Monument akin to a form of strength certification?" Jiang Ye speculated.

His strength had broken through to ’Extreme Grandmaster’, and the system had already given out rewards.

Climbing the Martial Arts Celestial Ladder and passing the assessment could still yield additional rewards.

The two seemed to operate on different mechanisms.

[Your assessment time: 3 hours, 30 minutes, and 59 seconds, exceeding 99% of Martial Arts Grandmasters. You have tempered yourself through endless pain, with flesh as the furnace, facing countless trials and tribulations, reaching the extreme.]

[Unlocked Title: Finding Joy in Adversity!]

——

[Reward Settlement]

[Finding Joy in Adversity, Determined in Adversity, Enhanced Comprehension]

[Finding Joy in Adversity: Under a state of pain, all attributes receive a substantial temporary enhancement, the deeper the pain, the greater the enhancement.]

[Determined in Adversity: In a state of pain, one can maintain absolute clarity, steadfastly holding one’s mind, unmoved by myriad tribulations.]

[Enhanced Comprehension: Permanent 10% increase in comprehension.]

——

Jiang Ye looked at the rewards on the panel, his expression somewhat strange.

Finding Joy in Adversity?

Could it actually make him feel pleasure in pain?

He didn’t want to awaken such a peculiar attribute!

And this Determined in Adversity, staying clear in pain?

"Truly a Living Yama."

Jiang Ye shook his head slightly, this not so brilliant Grounded Martial Arts system always turned up something new for him.

Never mind.

He looked at this round of rewards, his eyes lit up slightly.

"Comprehension increased by another 10%."

While not much, the merit lay in its consistency.

If every layer boosted comprehension by 10%, the accumulation would be quite terrifying.

But to make noteworthy comprehension advancements in a short time, exploiting bugs was necessary.

For example, ’Ancestor’s Friend’, ’Saintess as Servant’, all immensely boosting comprehension.

For Jiang Ye, these rewards were already abundant enough.

Just taking the rewards of Finding Joy in Adversity and Determined in Adversity.

Although Jiang Ye felt extremely uneasy about them.

But he had to admit, these rewards would surely have great utility in the future.

"Retake the assessment to verify it."

Just as Jiang Ye thought of this, he felt a wave of severe pain.

"No way, it’s too painful, have to ease up." Jiang Ye thought to himself.

After over three hours of ’torture,’ even with his Martial Arts Will, he found it hard to endure.

He had to do something else to relax a bit.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ye couldn’t help but look in the direction of the First Layer.

"Got it."

His eyes lit up and immediately stepped towards the First Layer.

...

Two hours later.

Jiang Ye exited from the Illusion Realm assessment of the First Layer, his entire body languid beyond compare.

This time in the Illusion Realm, he experienced the attentive service of five young maidens.

Under the considerate care of five exceptional maidens, his body and mind found immense relaxation.

The earlier pain was thoroughly forgotten.

"Didn’t expect the Illusion Realm refinement of the First Layer to have such effects?" he was rather surprised.

At this moment, recalling the earlier tortures no longer brought pain.

He could fully indulge in the second layer’s assessment again!

"After a second layer assessment, relax in the first layer, then return to the second layer again."

Jiang Ye pondered: "This way, can’t I just keep cycling?"

His eyes gleamed.

With this thought, Jiang Ye did not hesitate, promptly returning to the Second Layer.

[You have cleared the Second Layer assessment, can repeat the assessment, but no rewards will be granted.]

[You may continue climbing to the Third Layer.]

Jiang Ye decisively said: "Repeat the Second Layer assessment!"

Buzz!

His consciousness suddenly went dark.

The next moment, he was back in that dim room, with torture instruments hanging on the walls all around.

Inspired by determination, Jiang Ye took a deep breath, his eyes showing steadfast resolve.

System, show me your limits!

Buzz!

The next moment, the punishment rack shook violently.

"Damn it!"

Instantly, a sharp pain surged through, sweeping Jiang Ye’s mind.

Jiang Ye’s eyes widened.

Where was the supposed Finding Joy in Adversity? Why was it still so painful!

...

Time passed.

In the endless pain, Jiang Ye realized one thing.

This so-called ’Finding Joy in Adversity’ didn’t mean he actually found pleasure in pain.

After all, he had no such peculiar inclination.

The true effect of Finding Joy in Adversity was to enhance his resistance to pain.

Basic attributes like attack and defense received a significant temporary boost.

That is to say, he could endure longer in a state of pain!

Coupled with the effect of Determined in Adversity, he remained unshaken by tribulations, hold firm his will.

This allowed Jiang Ye to gradually adapt to the level of pain.

Time flew by.

Two hours.

Three hours.

Four hours.

In the blink of an eye, four hours had passed.

By this time, all kinds of ’torment’ methods had been employed in the assessment; even Lingchi and tearing apart by chariot were trivial in comparison.

An ordinary person would have fainted from such inhuman torment long ago.

But Jiang Ye persisted!

Another two hours passed.

Jiang Ye finally could not endure and withdrew from the assessment.

[Assessment Time: 6 hours, 20 minutes, and 35 seconds]

"Persisted for three more hours than the first time." Jiang Ye looked at the panel.

This demonstrated not only the effects of Finding Joy in Adversity and Determined in Adversity but also that his endurance for pain had increased.

"The longer the time, the greater the level of pain in the assessment."

"But as long as I continuously hone myself, eventually, I’ll be entirely immune to pain."

This was indeed an extremely astonishing outcome.

If a person were entirely unfazed by pain, how terrifying would that be?

There would be nothing in the world that could defeat him!

"The transformation of physique should be complete."

Suddenly, Jiang Ye smiled: "Let’s go out and take a look."

He was rather expectant.

What would be the experience of an Upper A-grade physique?

"Hiss~ So painful." As soon as he attempted to move, Jiang Ye felt a wave of severe pain.

"Better head to the First Layer to relax a bit first."