The Dao of Reincarnation (130-131) (Patreon)

Chapter 130: Deity in the Martial World (Part 6)

War Martial Academy.

In this life, Su Chen's father had graduated from the War Martial Academy. His grandfather had graduated from the War Martial Academy. His great-grandfather had graduated from the War Martial Academy… generation after generation of the Jiang family had walked out of its gates only to die on distant battlefields.

Su Chen still chose the War Martial Academy. He had been mildly surprised that all ten top martial academies had come knocking to recruit him, yet it also made perfect sense.

No organization of that scale was foolish. The fact that he had single-handedly annihilated Black Tiger Hall had likely ceased to be a secret among the true higher-ups long ago.

A "sixth-tier" powerhouse—even if not truly sixth-tier—had proven his limitless potential simply by erasing an entire fifth-tier faction in one night.

War Martial Academy was built inside a Heavenly Rift. Every creature that once dwelled here had long since been slaughtered by the academy's powerhouses. To rank among the top three martial academies in Longxia, its foundations ran unimaginably deep.

Countless islands—large and small—floated in the sky, majestic and imposing.

The academy assigned Su Chen the island with the densest concentration of Origin Energy for his cultivation. There he met the academy's president.

"I never imagined Old Jiang's grandson would already be this grown…"

The president appeared to be a man in his thirties, yet his true age had likely turned over several times that number.

"If Old Jiang knew his grandson still chose my War Martial Academy, he'd probably fight me to the death!"

The president gave a self-deprecating laugh. In his eyes, there was both relief and reluctance.

Su Chen shook his head. "If Grandfather knew of my choice, he would only feel gratified."

The president smiled warmly. "Good child… good child. It is we of the War Martial Academy who owe the Jiang family too much. Rest assured—even if it costs me my life, I will never allow the Jiang bloodline to end here!

"From today onward, you are one of us. You will have the finest instructors teaching you the strongest techniques. You will have the best nutrient solutions for cultivation. You will have the most powerful mentors leading you into Heavenly Rifts for real combat experience!"

Su Chen nodded. Though in truth, he needed none of those things. The reason he had chosen to join a martial academy was entirely his own.

Soon, an instructor led him to select a cultivation method. Rows of ancient stone pillars stood before him, each carved with strange runes. These runes represented the techniques collected by the War Martial Academy—similar in nature to the Mysterious Spirit Ancient Tablets of the Heavenly Profound Sacred Land. One comprehended them according to aptitude.

Yet Su Chen did not recognize these particular runes, which surprised him greatly. He was familiar with artifacts from even the primordial era, yet these symbols were utterly foreign. That could only mean the stone pillars scavenged by the War Martial Academy originated from an epoch even older than the primordial one.

Su Chen closed his eyes. Though he did not know the runes themselves, with his insight at the Dao Entry realm, mere contact was enough to instantly penetrate their secrets. Every technique laid bare before him, stripped of all mystery.

To his mild disappointment, the strongest among them reached only the eighth tier. The methods were undeniably ancient, yet compared to those of the Heavenly Profound Domain, they still fell short.

Below the saint tier, after billions of years of refinement by countless mighty powers, each new era's techniques had grown stronger than the last. Above the saint tier… the changes were far smaller.

Su Chen comprehended an eighth-tier method. The ancient tablet trembled in response—once again alarming the upper echelons of War Martial Academy. He made no attempt to conceal it. He informed the academy leadership of the eighth-tier technique he had grasped.

To him, it held little value. Without hesitation, he copied the method and donated it to the academy—thoughtfully patching its flaws along the way until it approached the level of a Nirvana-grade scripture from the Heavenly Profound Domain. From the very first day of enrollment, he was promoted directly to the rank of Major General.

Meanwhile, Su Chen continued cultivating the Heaven-Covering Art. Yet less than two months later, his seclusion was interrupted.

"That's Jiang Chen? Uncle Jiang's son?"

Su Chen looked curiously at the young man who had come looking for him. Sixteen or seventeen years old, yet already brimming with heroic spirit.

"My name is Long Tianxing. I joined the War Martial Academy with the top score in the national martial examination. All for the sake of challenging you!"

Long Tianxing stood blocking the entrance to the island.

Su Chen nodded. "Oh."

He activated the energy barrier and shut Long Tianxing out.

Long Tianxing's strength was quite impressive—fourth-tier at such a young age. A true monster who had awakened his Martial Spirit innately.

But Su Chen had no intention of accepting the challenge.

Four consecutive months passed.

Su Chen broke through one after another until he reached the peak of the Spirit Soul realm. By then, his cultivation resources had been completely exhausted, yet the Heaven-Covering Divine Body had only activated ten percent.

He decided it was time to personally enter a Heavenly Rift and hunt for more resources. The divine body consumed far too much—if he continued like this, he might very well devour every last cultivation resource in War Martial Academy.

When he looked outside again, he noticed that Long Tianxing—who had been waiting four months earlier—still hadn't left.

"Jiang Chen, you've finally come out!"

The moment Long Tianxing saw Su Chen appear, the sleepy look vanished instantly, replaced by surging battle intent. "I waited for you one hundred twenty-two days, thirteen hours, thirty-four minutes, and forty-seven seconds—finally! I want to challenge you. This time you can't refuse me anymore!"

Su Chen: "..."

This time, Su Chen did not refuse Long Tianxing's challenge. In the young man, he saw pure, unadulterated martial will. He genuinely admired it.

"Make your move."

Long Tianxing's eyes lit up. With a great shout, purple scales spread across his body. Behind him materialized the Martial Spirit of a terrifying divine dragon wreathed in lightning.

Man and Martial Spirit united as one—a sight Su Chen had never witnessed before.

Long Tianxing's figure flickered and vanished, transforming into a streak of purple light. He appeared before Su Chen in an instant and unleashed a barrage of attacks. Terrifying power stirred the heavens themselves. It was in no way inferior to some of the most powerful martial techniques.

This caused Su Chen to slightly revise his opinion of the Martial Spirit path. It did have merits worth learning from.

Facing the ferocious onslaught, Su Chen neither dodged nor retreated. He simply raised his hand and delivered a light palm strike.

Long Tianxing shot backward like a cannonball and crashed heavily into the ground.

The gap… was simply too vast.

Su Chen took two steps through the air and arrived before him.

Long Tianxing struggled to his feet, staggering, yet there was no trace of disappointment in his eyes—only boundless excitement and battle lust.

"Jiang Chen, from now on, you are my goal! You're just too powerful. I've never met anyone who could block even one of my moves—yet I couldn't even withstand a single strike from you! With a target like you, I, Long Tianxing, will definitely become stronger!"

Su Chen tossed him a small, perfectly round pill-like object.

Long Tianxing caught it reflexively and looked at it curiously.

"Swallow it. It will heal your injuries."

Long Tianxing swallowed it without the slightest hesitation—he never once doubted that Su Chen would harm him.

"From now on, you will be my follower."

Long Tianxing: "What?"

Chapter 131: Deity in the Martial World (Part 7)

Long Tianxing stared in astonishment. The injuries he had sustained should have required at least ten days to half a month of the finest medical treatment to heal.

Yet whatever Su Chen had given him healed seven or eight tenths of the damage in less than half an hour.

"Follow me, and I will make you stronger."

At the mention of becoming stronger, Long Tianxing's eyes lit up.

"Fine. If you can truly make me stronger, following you is no problem at all."

There was no obsession with victory or defeat in Long Tianxing's gaze—only an insatiable hunger for power.

Su Chen admired this kind of person. In a way, they were very much alike.

When the upper echelons of War Martial Academy learned that Su Chen intended to enter a Heavenly Rift, the news sent shockwaves through the institution.

Heavenly Rifts were places of extreme danger, harboring sixth-tier, seventh-tier, and even eighth-tier powerhouses among the alien races.

Many opposed Su Chen's decision. His talent was simply too precious. If he fell at the hands of an alien race, it would be an irreplaceable loss to all of humanity.

The best way to silence doubt was to shatter it.

Under countless watchful eyes, Su Chen defeated a sixth-tier powerhouse of War Martial Academy with a single move.

"Now, do I have the qualification to enter a Heavenly Rift?"

This time, silence reigned absolute. Only the sound of gulping throats could be heard.

One move to defeat a sixth-tier expert! Apart from the handful of seventh-tier powerhouses and the president himself, who in the academy could achieve such a feat?

No one tried to stop Su Chen after that. He had proven himself—not just a prodigy, but one of humanity's pillars.

Besides eradicating one Heavenly Rift to serve as their headquarters, War Martial Academy's powerhouses were also responsible for guarding two other major Heavenly Rifts.

Su Chen chose the one known as the Wolf Beast Clan Rift.

The Wolf Beast Clan possessed wolf heads on humanoid bodies. Their speed and combat instincts were innately superior to humans. At their core sat a peak seventh-tier Wolf Emperor—ferocious by nature and forever eyeing humanity with hunger.

Only the personal presence of War Martial Academy's three vice-presidents kept the Wolf Beast Clan from daring to break out.

Su Chen set out for the Wolf Beast Heavenly Rift with Long Tianxing in tow. The three vice-presidents, upon learning of his destination, did not try to dissuade him. They merely reminded him to be careful and to return safely.

Too much blood of War Martial Academy's students and instructors had already soaked the ground inside the Wolf Beast Rift. Several former presidents had even walked into its depths at the end of their lifespans and never returned.

Su Chen let out a quiet sigh in his heart.

Thick walls built from countless weapons. Grand words carved into stone. These young, brilliant souls could have lived lives of wealth and prestige outside—becoming celebrated powerhouses, basking in unrivaled status. Yet they chose to stand guard over the Heavenly Rift and die willingly.

This was humanity. Even when weak as mayflies, it never lacked those willing to sacrifice everything so future generations could live in peace. Whether in the history of the Heavenly Profound Domain or in this world, that truth had never changed.

Su Chen led Long Tianxing into the Wolf Beast Heavenly Rift.

Long Tianxing's face showed a mix of excitement and nervousness. For Martial Spirit users, Heavenly Rifts were both a blessing and a forbidden land—filled with endless resources and unparalleled peril.

Soon, they encountered a member of the Wolf Beast Clan.

The towering werewolf locked eyes on Su Chen and Long Tianxing. Murderous intent flared instantly. Its gray fur stood on end like steel needles. It threw its head back and unleashed a chilling howl toward the sky.

"Boss, it's calling its companions!"

Long Tianxing sensed danger and moved to kill the werewolf at once, only for Su Chen to stop him.

Long Tianxing looked at him in confusion. He soon understood why.

A large pack of werewolves converged.

Su Chen pointed at the gathering horde.

"Go kill them. Or be killed by them. Survive—and you will become stronger."

The gathered werewolves numbered thirty to forty, most at third- or fourth-tier strength. To Su Chen, they were utterly insignificant, but for Long Tianxing, even facing a single wolf of equal rank demanded his full attention, let alone the multiple fourth-tier threats here.

Yet the moment Long Tianxing heard that surviving this fight would make him stronger, the hesitation in his eyes turned to iron resolve. To grow stronger, he had to live!

A brutal slaughter began.

To survive, Long Tianxing exhausted every technique he knew. Yet he still could not hold on.

Each time his body reached its limit, voices suddenly echoed in his mind—sparse words that carried the weight of profound truths. He became intoxicated by them. His cultivation technique and Martial Spirit combat skills broke through again and again… until finally no werewolf remained standing. Every single one had fallen by his hand.

When Long Tianxing finally came back to himself and saw the carnage, he stared in a daze, murmuring in disbelief: "This… this was really me?"

One man against an entire squad of the Wolf Beast Clan.

"Hiss…"

Only then did the pain register—his entire body burned as though on fire. Wounds gaped open; stark white bone showed clearly through torn flesh.

Su Chen tossed him a pill. "Congratulations. You survived."

Long Tianxing swallowed it without hesitation. A wild current surged through his limbs and bones like roaming dragons.

At this moment, he was utterly convinced. The gaze he turned toward Su Chen blazed with fervor. He was certain that even the greatest teachers in the world could not compare to even one-tenth of this youth's guidance! After a single life-and-death battle, his strength had grown enough to easily defeat his former self.

"Boss, where are we going next?"

Long Tianxing was practically vibrating with eagerness.

Su Chen replied calmly: "To a Wolf Beast Clan city."

A city of the Wolf Beast Clan was undoubtedly extremely dangerous.

Long Tianxing's eyes shone even brighter. Having tasted the rapid growth that came from the edge of death, he could hardly wait.

Su Chen nodded in satisfaction. With such a pure martial heart, Long Tianxing deserved an opportunity beyond imagination.

Following the map of the Wolf Beast Heavenly Rift, the two soon located one of the clan's cities.

"Boss, should we disguise ourselves as werewolves to sneak in?"

Long Tianxing eyed the city. At least a thousand werewolves dwelled within.

Su Chen shook his head.

"Disguise? No. We go in directly."

With a casual wave of his hand, Su Chen slapped down. The grand protective array atop the towering city walls—along with every guard stationed there—shattered into dust in an instant.

From within the city rose a massive figure. A fifth-tier werewolf—the city lord—unfurled its aura.

Su Chen extended a single finger.

The werewolf city lord disintegrated into drifting sand.

Long Tianxing's scalp went numb at the sight, yet his blood boiled hotter than ever.

The remaining werewolves tried to resist. Su Chen slaughtered them without effort.

Every resource in the city fell into his hands with ease.

"Hm… this is actually a Divine Source!"

Su Chen looked at the fingernail-sized, crystal-clear gem in his palm with genuine surprise. Within it shimmered a miniature starry expanse, brimming with boundless vitality.

In the Heavenly Profound Domain, even a small Divine Source counted as a supreme treasure. The reason ancient powers and geniuses could live across generation after generation was precisely because of Divine Sources. They contained independent inner spaces where time flowed at an excruciatingly slow rate, allowing one to traverse endless ages while sealed inside.

Though the amount in his hand was small, the energy it nurtured was terrifyingly vast!