Water, everywhere.
It seemed to replace the air, becoming space itself. Being immersed in water, one could feel its pressure. The young man in the luxurious robes, whose eyes radiated arrogance and stubbornness, made no further moves. The water that filled the entire Sword Dueling Arena was itself his attack.
That pressure was immense beyond imagination, pressing from all directions, from every point of contact with the water. It made his strong body creak, bones cracking audibly.
Jiang Wang specialized in Wood and Fire Dao techniques, but that didn't mean he knew nothing about Water techniques. It was just that any Water technique he attempted at this moment couldn't take form. Every droplet bombarding him delivered the answer—in this water, the young man in luxurious robes was the sole master.
Among the Five Elements, Water could nourish Wood. However, no Wood technique managed to survive past the second breath. All were crushed. Crushed by water!
What kind of Dao technique was this?
Jiang Wang had questions in his heart but couldn't voice them. In the confrontation of techniques, he had completely fallen behind.
He still had his sword. From Fengxi Town to Fenglin City, from You Kingdom to Qi Kingdom, from Qingyang Town to Linzi... he had traveled by sword! Swordsmanship was engraved in his instincts, sword moves memorized by his muscles. No thinking required. Or rather, even after thinking, this was the only answer.
In this environment, under these circumstances, what was the sword's answer?
Amidst the omnipresent water, sword light exploded that could pierce anything. That sword light was dazzling and brilliant, yet tough and stubborn. The sword light enveloped Jiang Wang within it, carving out a sword domain inside the water's territory. With sheer sword light, he forged a circle!
Jiang Wang erupted from desperate straits, one sword forming a circle. But the young man in luxurious robes merely raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly expressing admiration. Then he clenched his fist.
The water's pressure surged abruptly! The sword's circle trembled violently, compressed to its limit. The sword was taut, the person strained to his utmost. Every muscle on his body groaned under the unbearable burden.
Jiang Wang held the sword circle, wanting to advance, but couldn't. In the underwater confrontation, he was inherently disadvantaged. No matter how long he could hold on, the outcome was completely foreseeable. When the sword's circle shattered, he would be crushed by the water along with it.
The young man's Dao technique in this environment of the Sword Dueling Arena was virtually unsolvable. Despairing. But Jiang Wang never allowed himself to despair. He had been forced into despair before and refused to despair again. Even in the Ethereal Realm, where life and death were not at stake.
One hand held the sword forming the circle. The other hand stubbornly, laboriously moved. The thumb and index finger touched, then the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger bloomed in sequence. Like the process of a flower opening, or a flame igniting.
Dao technique: Jealousy Fire!
This technique was only lower-grade A-rank, but it wasn't bound by environment, thus becoming the optimal choice. Techniques like Eight-Tone Flame Sparrow couldn't even take form underwater.
As Jiang Wang's fingers bloomed like a flower, simultaneously, a flame ignited in the eyes of the young man in luxurious robes, sinking to the bottom of his heart. The arrogance and stubbornness in his eyes vanished, replaced by intense jealousy. He felt envy, and from it, dissatisfaction and anger. Unfair! On what grounds!
And Jiang Wang clearly sensed the water pressure plummet. Sword light exploded outward, and his entire body surged through the water on his sword.
Sword of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. One sword, lightning fast!
Like an incredibly swift fish, a flash and gone. Cold light grazed the neck of the young man in luxurious robes.
Only at this moment did the young man's eyes suddenly clear. With extreme speed, his hand formed a seal. Water pressure instantly doubled, almost crushing Jiang Wang... but before that, it rapidly dissipated. The young man's figure vanished. The water enveloping the Sword Dueling Arena disappeared as well.
Jiang Wang stopped on the Sword Dueling Platform, sword in hand, panting heavily. It was an incredibly difficult victory. He had exhausted all his means, while the young man in luxurious robes might not have used his full strength.
Reviewing the entire battle, Jiang Wang realized his victory wasn't because he had sufficient strength to defeat his opponent. It was because he had struck his weakness. Jealousy was such a fearsome emotion.
Even a powerful technique like Five Qi Bind the Tiger had no effect on the young man. This showed his control over his body was virtually impeccable. Jealousy Fire, in essence, wasn't stronger than Five Qi Bind the Tiger, yet it achieved remarkable results.
After sublimating from the Explosive Whistle Flame Sparrow to create the Eight-Tone Flame Sparrow, and experiencing the benefits of self-created techniques, Jiang Wang's focus on techniques had begun to shift in that direction. For other techniques he learned, after achieving proficiency, he gradually neglected them. Unlike before, when he would still study them repeatedly even after mastering them.
It was only now that he re-examined Jealousy Fire. The painstaking efforts of predecessors, refined masterpieces passed down through generations—how could they be so easily surpassed?
This cultivation world was vast as an ocean of smoke, with countless great traces constantly reminding Jiang Wang of the word "humility."
His mind was still immersed in this rare victory when he heard the voice from the Ethereal Realm—
[ Dugu Wujin advances to Soaring Dragon Sixth, becoming an Ethereal Six-Harmony cultivator! ]
These words reached his ears, and the corresponding information became known to Jiang Wang. Six-Harmony cultivator was a title of honor in the Ethereal Realm, only obtainable by the strongest within one's realm.
At the Wandering Meridian stage, it was Nine-Palace cultivator, with nine positions. At the Celestial Orb stage, it was Eight-Trigram cultivator, with eight positions.
It was only now that Jiang Wang learned his former Ninth in Celestial Realm was only two steps away from becoming an Ethereal Seven-Star cultivator. Thus keeping this secret revealed only now.
And the benefits of becoming an Ethereal Six-Harmony cultivator... First achievement of this title awarded 800 Merit and 800 Laws. Maintaining this title awarded 80 Merit and 80 Laws on the fifteenth of each month.
For Jiang Wang's current strength, Merit was obtainable, but Laws were genuinely difficult. Where could he find so many powerful and novel cultivation methods and techniques to contribute? Original techniques that could definitely earn significant contributions were often trump cards he couldn't bear to contribute lightly.
Like how Jiang Wang, even now after comprehending the Sword of Humanity, couldn't bring himself to contribute the Three Swords of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity to the Deduction Platform. After all, contributing meant others could also deduce it through the platform.
Returning to the honor of being an Ethereal Six-Harmony cultivator itself. This was also Jiang Wang's first time finding a way to earn "Laws" in the Ethereal Realm.
But this wasn't the greatest benefit. The greatest advantage of this honor was—while maintaining this title, the Deduction Platform gained an extra layer of effect!
That meant after receiving the 800 Laws reward, although Jiang Wang's Deduction Platform still stood at the second layer with the number 1,235, not yet reaching the 3,000 Laws threshold for upgrade, when deducing any cultivation methods or techniques, he could already enjoy third-layer Deduction Platform effects!
Everything in the Ethereal Realm required self-discovery.
However, Jiang Wang could have discovered this secret back at the Celestial Realm. The Ethereal Seven-Star cultivator title also came with at least 400 Laws reward, plus the Deduction Platform plus-one-layer effect... The path to the Celestial Realm's limit wasn't too distant, even within reach.
But... things had already passed. That Shi Jing had already sacrificed himself to the Heaven-Earth Gate. There was nothing more to say.