Chapter 11: The Hundred-Man Squad

Taking a deep breath, Wang Jie let out a laugh—what kind of sorcery was this? Healing through exercise? If that were the case, then what use were Cataclysm Materials?

The injuries he had sustained were so severe that even Hibiscus Tears had only a twenty percent chance of curing them. Yet after performing those exercises, he could feel his body recovering. If he continued, what would happen then?

He wasn’t stopping.

Painful? Yes. But it worked.

The biggest problem was the unpredictability. If these exercises suddenly took effect in the middle of battle, how would he explain that? People might think he had lost his mind.

…

In the depths of the starry void, a young man, both handsome and commanding, stared at a golden battle armor missing its wrist guards, lost in thought.

…

It was well past midnight, yet Wang Jie felt exceptionally energized—perhaps another effect of the exercises. He retrieved two Cataclysm Materials, both of which had been verified by Four Eyes as ineffective for healing. He would simply extract the Seal Power within them to recover.

His use of Seal Power had become highly efficient. Under normal circumstances, his absorption of free-floating Seal Power from the air could balance out his expenditure. But with all the battles he had fought recently, his reserves had been depleted.

As the Cataclysm Materials lost their energy and reverted to ordinary materials, he crushed them effortlessly, leaving no trace behind.

He wasn’t sleepy, so he decided to retrieve the egg.

Stepping out of Seventeen, he made his way beyond the base.

Golden Hill Base imposed a strict curfew—not just to guard against mutant beasts and plants, but also against human treachery. No matter the era, there would always be those who took advantage of chaos. But Wang Jie knew the base well enough to slip in and out without needing to scale any walls.

By the time he returned with the Hawk Egg to Eighteen, the eastern sky had begun to lighten.

The disheveled-looking Four Eyes took the egg with trembling hands, his excitement barely contained. “That heartbeat… that energy… this is no doubt a Hawk Egg. You actually got it.”

“I can feel it. This egg has the power to heal your wounds.”

Wang Jie shook his head. “I don’t need it. I want you to use it to treat brain injuries—ones that leave a person unconscious. Is that possible?”

Four Eyes frowned. “Who’s this for? Other than Old Five and Old Nine, who else would you go this far for?”

“That’s not your concern.”

The older man sighed. “Listen, kid. You can’t do anything if you’re not in top shape yourself.”

“I understand. Don’t worry about me.”

Seeing Wang Jie’s determination, Four Eyes relented. He grabbed a glass bottle from his cluttered table and tossed it over. Wang Jie caught it midair.

“Give this to Old Five. Tell that brat to stop coughing—he’s keeping me up at night.”

A rush of gratitude surged in Wang Jie’s chest. “Thank you.” Without another word, he turned and left.

Back in Seventeen, he yanked Old Five out of bed. The groggy man groaned, but before he could protest, Wang Jie shoved the bottle against his lips.

“Healing medicine. Drink.”

Old Five was dumbfounded. Was this healing or an interrogation?

Reluctantly, he swallowed. Wang Jie let go.

“Cough, cough—Boss, can’t you be gentler? You nearly choked me to death before the medicine could even work.”

Wang Jie said nothing, merely watching.

Old Five pounded his chest, exhaling deeply. “I swear, Boss, you—” He suddenly froze. A sharp pain tore through his lungs, as though countless needles had pierced them at once. He doubled over, coughing violently, each fit bringing up thick, pitch-black blood.

Wang Jie’s hands curled into fists.

The fit lasted a full minute before Old Five slumped forward, exhausted.

“Well?” Wang Jie asked.

Old Five blinked. He took a deep breath and then another, clearer and easier than before. He looked up at Wang Jie. “I think I’m healed.”

Relief washed over Wang Jie.

He had considered teaching Old Five the Calisthenics Routine, but it wasn’t possible. Without the heat flow that accompanied it, the exercises would tear a person apart.

“You rest.” Wang Jie turned back toward his room.

Old Five watched him go, a small smile on his lips. “Thanks, Boss.” Then he glanced toward the opposite room, where Old Nine’s door was shut tight.

A new announcement spread through Golden Hill Base—a Hundred-Man Squad was being assembled to eliminate the Moon Plant.

The news caused an uproar, fueling endless discussions throughout the base.

…

In the courtyard, Wang Jie pushed Old Nine’s wheelchair along a stone path.

“Hong Sword has attempted to eliminate the Moon Plant many times, but he always ends up retreating. He must be confident this time,” Old Nine mused.

Wang Jie frowned. “I’m not sure this was his idea.”

Old Nine turned to him. “What do you mean?”

Wang Jie shared what he had learned from Feng Yu.

Old Nine’s eyes widened. “That’s insane! If that’s true, then this might not be about killing the Moon Plant, but obtaining Cataclysm Materials. After all, it’s the most powerful mutated plant in the area.”

Wang Jie nodded. That was exactly what he thought.

The arrival of Flame Four meant Golden Hill Base was no longer stable. Hong Sword could no longer make decisions alone.

But whatever the reason, eliminating the Moon Plant was ultimately a good thing.

…

A familiar voice echoed from inside Eighteen—Four Eyes.

“Kid, we’ve got a situation.”

Since Seventeen and Eighteen were connected, Four Eyes had been suffering from Old Five’s coughing for days. He couldn’t even close the passage to block it out.

“Northwest corner of the base. The training grounds.”

Wang Jie moved out immediately.

Avoiding the crowds, he arrived at the training grounds and spotted Feng Yu.

Behind her stood a man.

Despite the cloak concealing his features, Wang Jie knew at a glance that he was a Trial Taker.

There was no mistaking it—the bearing, the weaponry. No one from Blue Star carried themselves like that.

Even the outer cloak failed to hide the luxurious robe underneath.

A man out of place in this world.

The distant man discarded his outer robe, clapping his hands in disdain. “He’s not here yet?”

Feng Yu bowed respectfully. “He’ll be here soon. Avoiding the people within the base proved troublesome.”

“Hmph! If you ask me, we should just kill them all. Why bother sneaking around?” the man grumbled, displeased.

A flicker of contempt passed through Feng Yu’s eyes, but she remained silent, waiting. Before long, Flame Four arrived.

Upon seeing him, the man’s eyes lit up, a smirk forming on his lips. “So it really is you. We must have some kind of fate. We were both taken in as Outer Sect Disciples, both relegated to menial tasks, and both ended up in the Martial Hall. Now, as the first batch of eighty has been scattered across Blue Star, we still manage to meet.”

Flame Four approached with a smile. “I didn’t expect to run into you here at Golden Hill Base either. What do you think? If we brothers join forces and suppress the others, we might just break through before the second batch of trial disciples arrives. That’s the only way we’ll survive.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” The man nodded.

From afar, Wang Jie narrowed his eyes. First batch, second batch… So there’s more than one group of trial disciples? The fact that survival depended on breaking through suggested that the second wave of disciples was far stronger. Their desperate collection of Cataclysm Materials made sense now.

As he was pondering, the situation suddenly changed.

Feng Yu launched a sneak attack on the man. Her Feng Yu Dart embedded itself in his body. Flame Four seized the opportunity to strike as well.

The man roared in fury, resisting with all his might. However, the dart was evidently poisoned. He barely managed to struggle before succumbing to their combined assault, falling lifeless to the ground.

Flame Four sneered, stepping onto the corpse. “A mere weakling, and he thought himself worthy to join forces with me?” He turned to Feng Yu. “You did well. What do you want as a reward?”

Feng Yu bowed her head with deference. “It is enough that I could be of service to you, my lord. I dare not ask for anything more.”

Flame Four laughed heartily, stepping closer and wrapping an arm around her waist. “Once this trial ends, I’ll take you back to Flame Nation. The universe is far vaster than you can imagine. Blue Star isn’t even a speck in the grand scheme of things.”

Feng Yu’s eyes gleamed with excitement, her voice dripping with allure. “Thank you, my lord.”

As Flame Four and Feng Yu departed, Wang Jie emerged from hiding. The corpse had already been burned to ash.

“Armor One Sect’s Trial, huh? It’s far crueler than I thought… I assumed the trialists would only be fighting against Mutated Beasts, Mutated Plants, and Blue Star’s native inhabitants. I didn’t expect the real struggle to be among the trialists themselves.”

Fortunately, Four Eyes had installed numerous Mechanical Eyes around the base’s perimeter. Without them, Wang Jie would have been completely unaware of what was happening.

Four Eyes’ expertise lay in mechanics. Even the entire Golden Hill Base hadn’t detected the hidden Mechanical Eyes.

Meanwhile, recruitment for the Hundred-Man Squad was in full swing, with an oath to eliminate the Moon Plant. The rewards for joining were high, attracting many cultivators. Yet, just as many were rejected for lacking the qualifications.

Wang Jie had no intention of participating. There were simply too many familiar faces.

Stepping out of the battlefield, he saw the Hundred-Man Squad’s roster steadily growing. One name stood out—Lian Fei.

The Southern Base Hunting Team had joined as well.

When did they arrive at the base? Is Hu Guan no longer pursuing them?

The final deadline for the Hundred-Man Squad was tomorrow. They were in a hurry.

Beyond this, another event sent the base into an uproar—Leading Pillar Group was coming.

Leading Pillar Group was the largest conglomerate after the apocalypse. They transported supplies between the Five Great Bases and numerous smaller settlements. Rumor had it that nearly half of the Three Gods and Five Extremes had once received their aid. Even the founding of the Five Great Bases was heavily reliant on them.

Every few months, Leading Pillar Group would arrive, bringing essential goods.

Each visit ignited a consumption frenzy, especially among those who indulged in smoking and drinking. Many took out their precious, long-hoarded cigarettes in celebration.

Wang Jie’s gaze turned complex. “Leading Pillar Group, huh…?”

He failed to notice that someone was watching him from a distance. By the time he sensed it, it was already too late.

Standing at the boundary between the Clean District and the Sewage District, Wang Jie didn’t hesitate—he immediately retreated to his home in the sewage zone.

Who’s watching me?

Feng Yu? The Zhao Clan? Or someone from the Southern Base?

Upon returning, he shut the door and peered through a crack in the window. A foul stench filled the air, forcing him to hold his breath. The heat only made it worse.

Before long, a group of people arrived. Among them was Gray Claw.

Zhao Clan’s men.

Wang Jie feigned ignorance. The sound of knocking echoed. When he opened the door, he was met with the scrutinizing gaze of an older man, his stare unsettling.

“Who are you?”

“You’re Wild Grass, aren’t you?”

“That’s me.”

“Why is it that the Zhao Clan’s hunting team was completely wiped out?”

Wang Jie frowned. “They happened to be stationed exactly where the Moon Plant appeared.”

The man shoved Wang Jie aside, stepping into the house. Several others followed, including Gray Claw.

Gray Claw glanced at Wang Jie apologetically, signaling his helplessness.

The man surveyed the room but found nothing. The wretched stench twisted his expression in disgust. He turned back to Wang Jie, eyes narrowing. “You were their guide. How is it that they were positioned exactly where the Moon Plant emerged?”

Wang Jie’s tone darkened. “The Moon Plant’s location is random. Even the base can’t predict it. Do you think I could?”

The man’s eyes narrowed further. “Who knows?”

Wang Jie chuckled and pointed at Gray Claw. “If I had such an ability, would he still be alive?”

Gray Claw’s face paled. He recalled that night—the sheer desperation of trying to escape. He had been mere moments from death.

The man continued questioning Wang Jie, but he had only one answer—he hadn’t noticed anything. He claimed to be unaware of how the Zhao Clan’s eldest young master or Uncle Ling had died.

Realizing he wouldn’t get anything more, the man’s expression darkened.

Another wave of the foul stench hit him. He scowled in irritation, stepping out of the house. Without looking back, he commanded, “Take him. He’s joining the Hundred-Man Squad to hunt the Moon Plant.”

Wang Jie’s expression changed. “I refuse.”

The man walked away, indifferent. “You don’t have a choice. The young master died in the Moon Plant’s maw. Why should you live? Go accompany him. And take Gray Claw, too.”

Gray Claw’s face turned deathly pale.

This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation

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