Chapter 89

Since he had already made his move, Tang Jie no longer held back.

From that day on, Tang Jie officially began his training in the combat arena, using all his means except for the Wuxiang Golden Body, which he never used.

The Divine Weapon Arena might be the most brutal place in the entire academy. To compete for limited resources, students engaged in fierce battles, each displaying their unique abilities, often resulting in injuries and ruthless attacks.

Using extreme measures to strike opponents, like Ye Xing from the Autumn Realm, was not uncommon in the academy. If anyone thought that having enough strength meant they could win all the way, they were greatly mistaken.

Even students like Qi Shaoming, An Rumei, Cai Junyang, and Shu Mingyang had records of defeat in the Divine Weapon Arena.

As for Tang Jie, although he topped the list on the first day, his days from the second day onward were not so smooth.

After losing to Cai Junyang, Tang Jie fought nine more matches that day, winning five and losing four.

Among those who defeated him, one was Shu Mingyang.

Unlike Cai Junyang, Shu Mingyang knew a vast array of spells, nearly eighteen in total. With so many spells, he couldn't cast them as quickly as Tang Jie, but he was skilled in talisman techniques, always using talismans in place of spells. The sheer volume of spells he unleashed left Tang Jie dazed and confused.

However, Tang Jie soon returned a painful blow to Cai and Shu.

On the third day, Tang Jie formulated tactics based on the characteristics of Cai and Shu, using speed against slowness for Shu Mingyang and hardness against speed for Cai Junyang, turning the tide in two consecutive matches.

But soon, he was also targeted...

The battles unfolded intensely and enthusiastically every day. It was during this period that Tang Jie truly encountered the top students in the academy—some who were not initially famous but gradually revealed their prowess in the Divine Weapon Arena.

In these battles, Tang Jie continuously enriched himself, gaining more and more combat experience. Only then did he truly realize that there were always people better than him and skies beyond his own.

During this period, he fought Cai Junyang five times, with a record of three losses and two wins. After the first defeat, they each won two out of the next four matches. He fought Shu Mingyang six times, with a record of three wins and three losses. He fought Liu Ruyan three times, winning twice and unexpectedly losing the third. He fought Ping Jingyue twice, winning both times.

He fought Hua Yang three times and won all three, breaking his magical weapon in the first match, which made Hua Yang so angry that he spat blood on the spot.

However, the ones who truly dealt him a painful blow were two other students.

One was named Li Yunfan, and the other was Li Huannian.

The former was a fellow student of the Jade Gate Seventh Level, practicing the Shaohai Dongjin Spell. Tang Jie fought him four times, losing all four. His record was the worst so far, as Li Yunfan's mastery of the Shazhanyue Sword and the Shuibao Hand was unparalleled, making him a rising star among the students.

Li Huannian was a student from the previous year, one of the few who had not yet reached the Linghu Realm after a year and a half. However, his lack of advancement was not due to poor talent but because he devoted a significant amount of energy to practicing spells, mastering seven or eight. His realm remained on the brink of the Linghu Realm, which infuriated many of his peers, who accused him of being shameless for using his extra year to compete for resources with younger students.

But this was the rule of the academy.

As long as the rules were not violated, how the students utilized their time was their own business.

For most students, suppressing their realm for a year to face younger geniuses did not guarantee victory and often hindered their own cultivation.

Li Huannian, though not the only one to do this, was the only one to succeed.

Tang Jie fought him four times, losing three and winning one.

Additionally, he encountered a student named Yu Hengwei, who, though of average strength, had remarkable endurance. Once a battle started, he was like a piece of chewing gum, sticking to his opponent.

Tang Jie fought him three times, winning each time but exhausting himself in the process. Later, he learned that Yu Hengwei was the top student of the Tianji Hall, just as he himself was the top student of the Tianyu Hall.

Finally, he faced An Rumei once.

That was his most spectacular defeat.

This woman's movements were incredibly fast. Tang Jie's Zidian Longshen technique was not yet perfected, and from start to finish, he couldn't even touch the hem of An Rumei's skirt before being defeated. This battle left a lasting shadow in Tang Jie's mind.

She was the only one to retain the "invincible" evaluation so far.

As for Qi Shaoming, he didn't encounter him because he was absent during this period.

He was in the Seven Days Hall for intensive cultivation. The Tianji Hall was a place that drained one's energy with a single battle, leaving no time for other activities. Tang Jie had seen him a few times there, but since they were not familiar, they usually just nodded and smiled at each other. Tang Jie rarely went to the Tianji Hall, focusing mainly on the Tianyu Hall for his own cultivation.

During this period, Tang Jie also gained a reputation. He gradually returned to the top twenty list, ranking first, fourth, and fifth in the month.

However, what truly made him famous in the academy was his habit of breaking opponents' weapons.

Due to some inexperienced students seeking trouble with him, Tang Jie never held back, defeating one after another. If they had weapons, he would destroy them, earning him the title of "Weapon Breaker." The Wuxiang Golden Body became even more renowned in the academy.

Tang Jie found this the most interesting part—his most powerful spell, which he had never used in public, became the most powerful in others' eyes.

Using this reputation, the golden grains in his hand gradually grew larger, now able to form a fine needle.

Tang Jie tried wrapping the needle with primordial energy and throwing it, successfully piercing a large rock, making it his second secret trump card after the Wuxiang Golden Body.

The only drawback was that it took a lot of effort to retrieve the golden needle after throwing it. He wondered how long it would take for the needle to be large enough to be sensed from a distance. He decided to learn the Spirit Control Technique to solve this problem.

The Spirit Control Technique was similar to Wei Tianchong's Control Technique, but the former was better at sensing and controlling spirit-infused objects, as well as manipulating puppets to some extent.

However, this would delay the learning of the Shaohai Dongjin Spell's配套法术, and Wei Tianchong would likely scold him for being foolish.

After losing his puppet, Wei Tianchong, after a few days of depression, decided to create a more powerful combat puppet.

To do this, he used all the money his family gave him for medicine to buy materials. Impressed by his efforts, Tang Jie gave him the medicinal pills he earned from the rankings.

This surprised Wei Tianchong: "What about you? What will you do?"

Tang Jie smiled: "Don't worry about me. I'm destined to be in the top five of the rankings, so I'll have plenty of medicinal pills. These Qi Nourishing Pills are not very useful to me, so I'll give you as many as I can. As long as you work hard, everything will be fine."

At that moment, Wei Tianchong looked at Tang Jie with wide eyes and said after a long pause: "My mother chose you... she really didn't make a mistake."

——

Time flew by in a whirl of passion and excitement, and before they knew it, another half month had passed.

Today, after fighting ten matches in the combat arena, Tang Jie continued his cultivation in the Seven Days Hall.

Compared to the noisy and chaotic atmosphere of the combat arena, Tang Jie preferred this place.

It was peaceful and simple, allowing him to focus on his own training, as if the outside world had nothing to do with him. He didn't need to worry about the Heavenly Palace, interpersonal relationships, or even the young master. He could sweat and bleed freely, giving his mind a rest...

"Boom!"

A powerful hammer struck, sending Tang Jie flying. Without even looking, he rolled to avoid a heavy foot that landed beside him.

Tang Jie continued rolling, hearing the thunderous stomps of numerous feet, forcing him to roll over a dozen times before leaping up.

Just as he leaped forward, a black shadow flashed, and a puppet suddenly appeared beside him, striking him with a punch that hit his chest. Tang Jie's body shook, but he roared and grabbed the puppet, throwing it away with all his might.

"Success!" Tang Jie exclaimed joyfully.

This grab and throw was a technique he had developed over time, seemingly simple but utilizing the critical moment when the opponent's old force had dissipated and new force had not yet formed, making it perfect for dealing with speed-based opponents.

This throw created a gap in the eight puppet's encirclement, and Tang Jie roared as he counterattacked. Just as he was about to break through the encirclement, the ninth puppet suddenly appeared in front of him, striking him with a punch.

Tang Jie's counter-grab missed, and the punch hit his face, sending him flying.

"Damn!" Tang Jie cursed. The nine puppets suddenly accelerated, forming a blur of shadows and attacking him.

Tang Jie had no choice but to activate the jade token to return outside, narrowly escaping the terrifying attack.

The old man outside the hall looked at Tang Jie and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, you've finally reached ninety points. Your progress has been faster than I expected."

Tang Jie took a deep breath: "Thank you, sir. I will continue to work hard."

He said this, but he knew that the potential for physical enhancement from the scripture was reaching its limit. He had noticed that his body's progress had slowed significantly, and to improve further, he would need to spend more money.

Unfortunately, after teaching him the Divine Lightning Sword Canon, the Xiyue Sect seemed to have no further plans, making it difficult to gain more benefits from them.

If necessary, he would reveal all his strength to secure a higher ranking, but this would expose his trump card.

As he was hesitating, he noticed someone approaching from a distance.

Tang Jie focused and saw it was Wu Xing.

Wu Xing clearly saw him and immediately lowered his head, walking back.

Tang Jie opened his mouth to call out but ultimately didn't.

The old man noticed and asked: "You and that student seem to have some history?"

"Ah, not really... He's my brother," Tang Jie replied somewhat awkwardly, his gaze following Wu Xing as he walked away.

"Is that so?" The old man raised his white eyebrows: "If I remember correctly, that student should be surnamed Wu."

"His parents are my adoptive parents," Tang Jie answered, looking at the old man: "Has he been coming to the Seven Days Hall often lately?"

The old man nodded: "Yes, he practices until he is exhausted every day. Unfortunately, his talent is limited, and his insight is not great. Despite his hard work, his progress is minimal. I think he is not here to train but to torment himself... He has something on his mind."

"Is that so," Tang Jie replied mechanically.

The old man smiled: "It seems the relationship between you and your brother is not very good."

"Something happened..." Tang Jie didn't elaborate.

The old man seemed to understand: "Is it related to cultivation?"

Tang Jie nodded.

The old man sighed: "On this path to immortality, there is constant competition. For a bit of cultivation resources, brothers turn against each other, and fathers become enemies. Where is the human touch in such a world? Such immortality... is not worth pursuing."

"It's not like that!" Tang Jie quickly said, but the old man waved his hand to stop him: "I know, that matter, I think he was wrong. However, no matter what, he is still your brother. Even if not by blood, he is your brother. He may have done something wrong, but have you given him a chance?"

Tang Jie was stunned.

The old man closed his eyes and said softly: "I am old and have seen too much of this. A lifetime of cultivation, living for a thousand years, watching those around you die one by one, a thousand years pass in a blink. Looking back, finding a former companion is so difficult. Even if you reach the pinnacle of cultivation, some things lost... will never return. If you can, why not try to reconcile? You are still young, and making mistakes is common. If you can, make an effort, don't wait until you look back and regret it."

Tang Jie was moved and bowed to the old man: "Thank you, sir!"

He bowed and backed away.

That afternoon, Tang Jie did not practice. He sat in his room, lost in thought, not even responding to Yi Yi's attempts to engage him.

Late at night, Tang Jie finally made a decision.

He left his room and went to Wu Xing's residence. He hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.

The door opened, revealing Wu Xing.

Compared to the last time, he looked much more haggard.

Seeing Tang Jie standing outside, Wu Xing's face changed: "What are you doing here?"

Tang Jie took out the bottle of longevity pills: "I want you to help me send these pills... I can't find a way to send them, so I have to ask you."

"What do you mean?" Wu Xing glared at Tang Jie, looking at the bottle of pills.

"Don't misunderstand. An old man told me today that everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes we need to give others a chance... I want to try."

Saying this, Tang Jie placed the bottle of pills on the table and silently looked at Wu Xing.

Hearing this, Wu Xing's body trembled, and suddenly, he fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.