Chapter 304: The Decision of Victory in the Midst of Risk

This particular seal had departed from Jiang Chen’s usual dragon-like momentum, and had transformed into one that seemed as harmless as a snowflake.

Only Jiang Chen knew that his seal contained magnetic force, which he’d formed into countless restraining forces, and was now raining down countless seals to form a magnetic force-field.

This technique was still the “Obscure Seal of Life and Death”, but he’d infused the magnetic force from the magnetic golden mountain into it, and had turned it into a spirit chain imbued with magnetic restraining power.

Even if this battle were to take place in the outside world, it’s likely that very few would’ve understand the intricacies of his moves.

Those with a keen eye would only be able to see that Jiang Chen had used the seal in order to coalesce a force-field.

Before the force-field was fully formed, the magnetic force didn’t have much restraining force to it. It flowed through the air, and was exceedingly difficult to discern.

However, once it took shape, the restraining force it produced would be incredibly frightening.

Jiang Chen had only refined the magnetic heart a short while ago. Otherwise, he’d be able to temporarily freeze the golem by forming a small magnetic storm.

Jiang Chen was confident that he’d be able to destroy the golem if he was able to gain even a split second advantage.

This golem was quite strong with its power sitting at the peak of the fifth level spirit realm, but even a human practitioner at this level wouldn’t dare to simply stand there and take a harsh blow from someone at the peak of the third level.

Unless the person in question had some heaven defying armor, or had trained in some techniques that aided their body.

Otherwise, the full blow of someone at the third level spirit realm would still be enough to destroy the defenses of someone at the peak of the fifth level spirit realm.

Of course, this was just an idealistic daydream. Jiang Chen’s control of the magnetic force—at this stage—was still at a bare minimum. It was far less than adequate to form a miniature magnetic storm.

However, the constant flow of the magnetic force was still enough to obstruct the golem, decrease its momentum, and generally slow down its movements.

Once its speed was decreased, the threat at it posed would be greatly decreased.

Indeed, once the magnetic force-field had been formed, the situation in which the golem had been advancing one-sidedly and cornering Jiang Chen was slowly reversed.

Jiang Chen also gradually gained control of the greater picture from his passiveness.

However, the tenth level was still the tenth level after all. The golem’s wild and ferocious attacks were only slightly affected by the magnetic force.

It’d be difficult for Jiang Chen to destroy the golem this easily.

However, thanks to the magnetic force, Jiang Chen had additional insurance which had reduced the power of his opponent by thirty percent.

With this balancing of the scales, Jiang Chen was roughly on par with the golem.

“To think that I’d only be on the same level as the golem after utilizing the magnetic force. The difficulty here is truly on another level.”

Jiang Chen reflected with emotion as he continued to trade blows with the golem.

The two sides were so well matched that neither held the upper hand, resulting in a stalemate.

Jiang Chen was already employing the “Obscure Seal of Life and Death” at the legendary realm, but his cultivation level, compared to the golem’s, simply had too much of a difference. It wasn’t very likely that he’d be able to defeat this golem without using any other techniques, or deploying any other arts.

“Unless I can use the Lotus, or haul out the magnetic golden mountain, it’s going to be tough for me to bridge the gap between our levels, even though I’m deploying this technique to its maximum potential.”

The difference between the two realms was simply too great.

The stalemate between the two continued.

Three days passed…

Five days passed…

The battle raged on. Jiang Chen had already taken many pills to replenish his spirit power, but the golem seemed to have an infinite source of spirit power, and seemed as if it would never tire.

“This fight has continued for five days, and I have at most one or two days left in me. Can it be that I, Jiang Chen, won’t be able to defeat a golem, something without flesh and blood, in the end?”

A draw was something very unacceptable to Jiang Chen.

As a practitioner with extreme ambitions, Jiang Chen would never be willing to accept a result as meaningless as a draw.

“The path of rebirth has honed the strength of my heart. I also absorbed a great deal of spirit energy in the caverns of heavenly fire and water that has yet to be fully melded into my spirit ocean. If I’m able to transmute this energy to use in my training, then perhaps I can assail the fourth level of the spirit realm, and step foot into the earth spirit realm.”

“My strength will surely increase greatly once I set foot in the earth spirit realm. I’m on par with this golem at the moment, and neither of us are able to gain the upper hand. However, I’ll have a ninety percent chance of destroying the golem once my strength increases. Should I take the risk?”

Jiang Chen debated the two decisions in his heart.

However, it wasn’t a difficult decision to make for someone with courage.

He came to a conclusion in almost a second.

“How can a mere golem at the peak of the fifth level spirit realm, with no flesh, blood, and subpar intelligence, block the progress of my trials?”

Jiang Chen no longer hesitated when his thoughts reached this point. He decided that even though it was an enormous risk, he was going to assail the next level.

He’d be able to make use of the surge in strength when he broke through to the earth spirit realm to destroy this golem!

Jiang Chen began to circulate the spirit power within his body without another thought, and simultaneously began attempting to breakthrough to the next level!

To continue fighting, and try to assimilate the spirit essence within his body at the same time... this greatly taxed Jiang Chen’s mental capabilities. This was splitting his heart for two completely different purposes.

It was a good thing that his heart’s strength was particularly strong, thus he barely managed to balance out the two efforts. 

During the trial of talent, Jiang Chen had chosen the highest difficulty caverns, and had then absorbed all the essence of heavenly fire and water within them.

Those essences were still concentrated within his spirit ocean, still yet to be digested.

As he simultaneously continued to fight the golem and assimilate the essence at the same time, Jiang Chen knew that he was currently facing the most difficult challenge thus far in his life.

Two hours passed.

Four hours…

Six hours…

Time continued to pass on. Thanks to his distraction, Jiang Chen wasn’t able to fully devote himself to the battle. As the pressure on the golem let up, the golem’s counter attacks also began to grow in strength.

It was a good thing that his magnetic force field continued to operate within the chamber.

In this regard, although the golem wasn’t as threatened by Jiang Chen, the restraining force of the magnetic field was still present. 

Therefore, as strong as the golem’s attacks were, it still wasn’t able to truly injure Jiang Chen, thanks to its restricted movements.

In the outside world, almost all of the candidates had completed their trials by now.

However, because Jiang Chen had yet to emerge from his trial, the organizer of the fourth trial was unable to announce the end of the stage.

After all, everyone knew that the tenth level’s chamber was the main focus of this trial. 

Now that it was the last day, if the freak with the boulder’s heart technique was still unable to win out over the golem, then Jiang Chen would be deemed to have gotten a draw.

A draw didn’t count as a fail, but it wasn’t a success either. His results would then reuse the results of his last attempt, which were from the seventh level.

Of those who’d participated in this time’s selection, those who’d successfully passed the seventh level were few and far in between.

However, of those rarities, there were actually three who’d made it past the eight level.

Since this was the case, the organizers held even more anticipation towards Jiang Chen. 

“It looks like we underestimated the potential of the secular practitioners previously. There seems to be quite a few geniuses in the ordinary world. There were even three who made it past the eighth level. This was rather out of my expectations!”

“Those who’ve made it past the eighth level are usually only the outer disciples of the four great sects, so they’re still sect disciples at the end of the day.”

“That may not be the case. None of their identities have been revealed yet, so no one knows if they’re from the four great sects.”

“Is there really any need for doubt? If they weren’t the outer disciples of the four great sects, how could they have sufficient resources to develop as they have? I suspect that that freak with the boulder’s heart is one of the outer sect disciples as well. He must have some deep foundations, and was waiting to stun everyone with these moves in the great selection.”

“Heh heh, I’d thought that that freak would rank number one when he passed the seventh level difficulty earlier. To think that there were three that passed the eighth level. That means that, if that freak can’t pass the tenth level by the rest of the day, his results for the trial will be based on the seventh level. He’ll be in fourth place then.”

“That kid was truly arrogant as well. If he’d solidly and steadily maintained his path, I feel that he’d have had plenty of hope in completing both the eighth or even ninth levels of difficulty.”

“Indeed, but to be able to hold on for so long in the tenth level’s difficulty without being defeated, he must have stunning battle capabilities as well. If he were slightly more cautious, he would’ve been almost guaranteed success in the eighth level. He’d have a seventy to eighty percent chance of success at passing the ninth level as well. What a pity, geniuses are always so proud of themselves, and must always challenge the peak.”

“Indeed. What a pity, such a pity. If he doesn’t rank number one in this trial, then this will instead be a disgrace, a regret for him. The most preeminent geniuses should always be on top in every test. If he fails this test, then the luster his image holds will be greatly reduced, even if he is a genius.”

“Not to worry, there’s still half a day left. Perhaps this freak with the boulder’s heart is waiting to give us a surprise? Don’t forget about the third trial. If it wasn’t for the magnetic golden mountain disappearing, who would’ve thought that he’d climbed to the ninth floor and was about to challenge the tenth?”

Jiang Chen had told others that he’d only made it to the ninth level, in order to keep his abilities a bit of a secret.

The organizers were waiting outside, full of expectations, as Jiang Chen continuously assailed his spirit ocean with the two great forces of spirit power in his body.

As two columns, one of fire energy and one of water energy, continued to assault his spirit ocean, his spirit ocean continuously expanded in turn. 

He’d reached a critical moment in striving to break through to the fourth level.

“The spirit essence of both heavenly fire and water are indeed domineering. Whether I succeed or fail, all will be determined now!” As Jiang Chen thought this, the two great currents of spirit energy leapt up like a soaring dragon and pouncing tiger, crashing into each other inside of his consciousness. 

Wham!

Jiang Chen suddenly felt the inside of his spirit ocean tremble as the two thick spirit veins actually broke apart into numerous thin rivulets, as gentle as a breeze and rain showers in spring, as they slowly assimilated into his spirit ocean like they were nourishing everything within.

His entire spirit ocean slowly became as pure and ethereal as land right after a rainshower.

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