Chapter 81 - 79: What Is Jiang Hao?

Chapter 81: Chapter 79: What Is Jiang Hao?

BOOM!

Terrifying Spirit Transformation Power rippled in all directions, reducing the entire forest to nothingness.

At the center of the endless energy storm, a figure in white slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the changes in his body, Jiang Hao was somewhat dumbfounded.

For some reason, according to what Ji Qingxue had said, the Nine Spirit Transformations involved qualitative changes in the eight meridians, followed by the spine. But after achieving the first transformation in his Conception Meridian, Jiang Hao felt as if this meridian hadn’t reached its limit. In other words, he could continue to push forward and undergo a second, third, or even fourth transformation.

Moreover, even the Spirit Transformation Celestial Technique given to him by Gu Qingyan described a single transformation per meridian. This contradicted common sense.

Jiang Hao wondered, "Could it be that because my physical body is so strong, my eight meridians have also been strengthened, allowing them to continue transforming?"

He couldn’t help but feel curious. If he could continue to transform, it was undoubtedly a path to greater strength. However, he didn’t know if he should continue refining his Conception Meridian to induce further transformations. He also had no idea what a second qualitative change in the same meridian would look like.

While Jiang Hao pondered, Ji Qingxue and the others were petrified on the spot.

A suspected Divine-level Martial Soul, Golden Spiritual Power, a peerless freak. Each piece of information hit them like a heavy thunderbolt, leaving everyone unable to recover their senses.

At this moment, Jiang Hao had no idea he had already exposed himself and remained immersed in his own world.

It was only after a long while that Ji Wufeng became the first to snap back to reality. Breathing heavily, he quickly stepped forward, his demeanor having undergone a world-shaking change.

"Brother Jiang, congratulations! Hearty congratulations! I must congratulate you for stepping into Spirit Transformation before the Ancient Emperor Sect ruins open. It is truly an eye-opening feat."

Ji Wufeng offered his congratulations continuously, desperately trying to close the distance between him and Jiang Hao. Yet, he kept his mouth firmly shut about the suspected Divine-level Martial Soul and the Golden Spiritual Power. If he brought it up now, it would make him seem like a snob.

Seeing Ji Wufeng take the lead, many of the top peerless prodigies from Nanling also came to their senses and hurried forward to offer their congratulations.

Looking at the crowd that had suddenly become extremely enthusiastic and polite, Jiang Hao was completely baffled. Nevertheless, he continuously cupped his hands in return. "You flatter me, everyone. I was merely lucky. I wouldn’t dare compete with you all; you are the true dragons and phoenixes among men."

Jiang Hao spoke honestly. Those standing here were all top peerless prodigies from the Nanling Ancient Race. He didn’t think they were any worse than him; in fact, they might be even more terrifying.

Little did he know that in the eyes of Ji Wufeng and the others, he was the true monster.

Golden Spiritual Power! Not a single person out of the more than thirty present could achieve it, yet he had effortlessly cultivated it. It was truly infuriating to compare oneself to others.

"Brother Jiang, you are too modest. Any more modesty and it would border on hypocrisy," a terrifying Cultivator from Nanling said with a bitter smile. Hearing Jiang Hao’s words right now felt somewhat like a mockery to everyone.

Completely oblivious to this, Jiang Hao was simply being polite. He failed to notice that everyone’s gazes had shifted, looking at him as if he were a divine being.

After a few simple pleasantries, Ji Wufeng and the others tactfully turned away. Pushing too hard to curry favor with such a peerless freak would only invoke disgust. The group of thirty or so understood this boundary perfectly.

Soon, only Ji Qingxue and Jiang Hao were left.

"You... you really did it? You stepped into Spirit Transformation within a month, and... and..." Ji Qingxue stammered out two "ands," but the rest of her words lingered on the tip of her tongue, unable to be voiced. The shock she had received was simply too immense.

A peerless genius she had casually recruited turned out to be one of those first-tier freaks who were as elusive as Divine Dragons. It was simply unimaginable.

By now, Jiang Hao had also noticed that everyone was acting differently, but he didn’t pay it much mind. He just assumed his rapid breakthrough had shocked them. Therefore, his mind was entirely focused on the first transformation of his Conception Meridian. He subconsciously looked at Ji Qingxue and asked, "Miss Ji, you mentioned before that the Nine Spirit Transformations correspond to the eight meridians and the spine, totaling nine changes. Is there a scenario where one meridian undergoes multiple transformations? Like, One Vein Many Transformations?"

As soon as Jiang Hao said this, the bamboo-hat-wearing girl, whose beautiful eyes still held lingering shock, trembled violently. She looked at him in sheer horror. "Young Master Jiang, what do you mean by that?"

Pondering over it, Jiang Hao replied, "I mean, is it possible for a single meridian to undergo multiple qualitative changes?" At this point, he decided to just be blunt. "Miss Ji, to be perfectly honest, after my Conception Meridian underwent its first transformation just now, it feels like I can continue to push it. If possible, I might be able to induce a second or even third transformation."

BOOM!

"What... what did you say?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingxue looked as if she had been struck by lightning. Even her voice trembled. "Young Master, are you... are you saying that after your Conception Meridian’s first transformation, you can continue to cultivate that same meridian?"

How could this be possible? Logically speaking, during a Cultivator’s Nine Spirit Transformations, each of the eight meridians could only undergo a qualitative change once. Yet, Jiang Hao not only claimed he could continue cultivating his, but he also spoke of second and third transformations.

"If my senses are correct, there should still be room for cultivation." And a lot of room at that. This was the conclusion Jiang Hao reached after sensing the qualitative change in his Conception Meridian.

Ji Qingxue, however, remained petrified on the spot, unable to speak for a long time. Sensing her emotional fluctuations, Jiang Hao furrowed his brows tightly. He even regretted being too hasty and asking such a question.

After a long moment of horror, Ji Qingxue quickly recovered. After all, she was a peerless prodigy from a Nanling Ancient Clan Family; her psychological resilience was beyond that of ordinary people. Having calmed down, the bamboo-hat-wearing girl breathed heavily and found her mouth dry, but she earnestly began to analyze the situation.

"One transformation per meridian is common sense. Since ancient times, it’s not that no one has achieved One Vein Many Transformations, but such people are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

"Moreover, Young Master Jiang, I must warn you. One Vein Many Transformations is incredibly dangerous. The slightest misstep will lead to eternal damnation. At best, you would lose all your cultivation and become a cripple for life. At worst, your meridians would rupture, and your body would explode on the spot.

"You must think thrice before acting, Young Master Jiang.

"As for what exactly happens during One Vein Many Transformations, I don’t know. My knowledge is shallow, and I have never met such a person."

Although she spoke words of dissuasion, monstrous waves surged in her heart. Golden Spiritual Power was one thing, and a suspected Divine-level Martial Soul was another. Peerless freaks did exist in this world, even if they were exceedingly rare. But being a freak was already enough. To also be capable of One Vein Many Transformations... what kind of abnormal existence was he?

"I see. Haha, you’re overthinking it, Miss Ji. I was just asking casually. Since it’s so dangerous, I naturally won’t try it recklessly." With a smile on his face, Jiang Hao slowly walked away, leaving Ji Qingxue standing in a daze amidst the wind.

As a fellow Cultivator, how could she possibly believe his words? There wasn’t a single Cultivator in this world who could resist the temptation to grow stronger. If one didn’t have the opportunity for One Vein Many Transformations, they could only blame the heavens for not granting their wish. But given the chance, any Cultivator would try it at all costs.

"A peerless freak capable of One Vein Many Transformations... Heavens, Father, what kind of once-in-a-million-years monster has your daughter stumbled upon?" Ji Qingxue muttered to herself, standing motionless in the devastated forest for a long time.

Looking at the ancient trees that had been obliterated by the Golden Spiritual Power, she felt as if she were witnessing the birth of another unrivaled, illustrious figure on the Supremacy Rankings.

Time slowly slipped by. Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Over these three days, Ji Wufeng and the others kept a constant eye on Jiang Hao. By now, Jiang Hao was already a peerless expert at the first Spirit Transformation, standing on the same level as them. During their three days of secret observation, when the crowd saw the figure attempting to cultivate a Sword Technique using Spirit Transformation Power, they came to a unanimous conclusion.

"Strong. He’s too strong. Not a single one of us here is his match."

They reached this conclusion merely through observation. To know one was no match without even exchanging blows meant only one thing: the opponent was absurdly strong, and the gap between them was monumental.

"Is this the terrifying aspect of a peerless freak?"

The more they observed Jiang Hao’s grueling cultivation, the more frightened they became. At the same time, their attitudes grew increasingly deferential, making Jiang Hao so embarrassed that he couldn’t help but ask Ji Qingxue a soul-searching question.

"Miss Ji, are all the peerless prodigies of Nanling this hospitable? Once we got familiar, they not only dropped all their airs but even became a bit too much to handle."

Ji Qingxue could only laugh wryly at Jiang Hao’s genuine bewilderment.

At dusk that day, the previously quiet encampment became somewhat turbulent. A group of uninvited guests had arrived within the "territory" of Ji Qingxue and her group. They were an unfamiliar team of prodigies. Although their overall strength was inferior to the Nanling faction, they strutted around with an air of immense arrogance.

In the past, the Nanling group would have definitely unleashed their auras to intimidate the intruders into leaving. However, countless small factions were now gathered in the area. With the Ancient Emperor Sect ruins about to open, everyone adopted a "less trouble is better than more trouble" mindset. They simply turned a blind eye and ignored them.

Ji Wufeng and his peers didn’t even bother to spare this prodigy team a second glance. It wasn’t until they overheard a highly eye-catching piece of dialogue coming from the other camp that a stir ran through them.

"By the way, have you heard? A new peerless prodigy has reportedly risen recently. He slaughtered quite a few peerless geniuses a while ago, and even a peerless prodigy died at his hands."

"I heard. His name seems to be Jiang Hao. They say he’s a newly risen figure from the Xingyue City Earth Realm. He’s been really showing off lately. Even Dugu Hongyun of the Celestial Sword Sect couldn’t kill him in one strike and let him escape."

"Jiang Hao... what an unfamiliar name. There doesn’t seem to be any mention of this person in the Prodigy Roll. I wonder how strong he is. Do you think this guy is a match for Brother Duan?"

Several peerless geniuses couldn’t help but discuss the rising star whose fame had recently surged. However, just as they finished speaking, a mocking voice rang out from the other side.

"What the hell is Jiang Hao? Does he deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Brother Duan? He’s just someone seeking fame and fishing for compliments. A mere Ninth-Grade Celestial Tier Martial Soul Awakener... even if he really is a peerless prodigy, he isn’t worth a single hair on Brother Duan’s head."

Beside a terrifying youth who sat cross-legged with his eyes closed in rest, several boys and girls at the Spirit Transformation realm curled their lips in disdain, chiming in one after another.

"Exactly! What the hell is Jiang Hao? He isn’t even fit to carry Brother Duan’s shoes. Brother Duan is a Saint Tier Awakener. Just how many people in this world could possibly be his match?"

"That Jiang Hao isn’t even worthy of licking his boots."

As they spoke, they grew increasingly excited, outright fabricating stories.

"Let me tell you the truth. This Jiang Hao actually encountered Brother Duan a long time ago. They even fought."

As soon as this was said, countless gazes shifted over.

"Really? Brother, what was the result?"

"What else could it be? He’s nothing but a defeated opponent of Brother Duan. After just one strike, he tucked his tail between his legs and ran. Had he been even a step slower, he would have long become a dead soul under Brother Duan’s blade."

GASP!

This statement instantly triggered a wave of exclamations.

Hearing this, the resting "Brother Duan" couldn’t help but furrow his brows. However, seeing everyone’s reaction, he chose to tacitly agree. It was obvious that "Brother Duan" was one of the leading figures of this team. His followers were spouting such nonsense to build up his prestige, and the effect was indeed quite good.

Although "Brother Duan" knew there was a terrifying team of prodigies not far away, all of whom were at the Spirit Transformation realm, they were complete strangers. Assuming the other party couldn’t tell if the story was true or false anyway, he simply couldn’t be bothered to correct his followers.

Little did he know, after hearing this, Ji Wufeng and the others exchanged bewildered glances. Their expressions became remarkably colorful as they all couldn’t help but turn their gazes toward Jiang Hao.