Chapter 88: Nearly Sent to My End
Wang Jie couldn’t quite understand why his attack needed an explanation from the Berserk Clan, but he didn’t question it further. He appreciated Jiang You Sheng’s attitude. As for that Shadow-Hunter Beast, it had proven extremely useful—pity it was crushed underfoot.
Jiang You Sheng was still shaken by the ordeal.
Normally, the greatest danger within Thunder Well was the well itself, the relentless lightning storms. Those granted passage were under the Berserk Clan’s watchful eye, and few would dare to attack one another unless deep vendettas existed.
Who could have predicted that a Sharp-Horn Beast would bypass the Berserk Clan’s patrols and strike?
After this incident, Jiang You Sheng no longer dared to leave Wang Jie alone in Thunder Well. Without hesitation, he escorted him back.
Wang Jie himself had lost any desire to continue his cultivation there—it was far too perilous.
As they made their return, word came that war had erupted.
The Eighth Star Chain’s Frost Radiance Sect had formally launched an invasion against the Ninth Star Chain.
The Fifth Defensive Line crumbled in an instant. Despite the Eight-Prison Berserk Clan’s foresight and preparations, they still could not withstand the might of Frost Radiance Sect, which had been readying its forces for an extended period.
Now, the battle was advancing towards the Fourth Defensive Line.
“The Fourth Defensive Line will not hold against Frost Radiance Sect,” Jiang You Sheng stated grimly. “Great Master, I think we should return to the Seventh Star Chain while we still can.”
Wang Jie shook his head. “Let’s return to Puppeteer Tower first—I need to make some purchases.”
Jiang You Sheng nodded in agreement.
Beneath the vast starry sky, warships streaked across the heavens.
Before long, they encountered a swarm of Cosmic Giant Beasts.
Beams of light fired in relentless volleys, cutting into the monstrous horde. Flesh and bone disintegrated, yet more beasts surged through the energy blasts, relentlessly assailing the warships.
Explosions rocked the void. Each destroyed warship claimed the lives of thousands.
This scene repeated itself across the entire expanse beyond the Fourth Defensive Line of the Ninth Star Chain.
Countless warships flooded the battlefield, their detonations resembling celestial fireworks. Limbs of cosmic creatures drifted lifelessly, and blood evaporated under the intense heat of the bombardments.
As far as the eye could see, the universe was consumed by war.
Aboard one of the warships, Yan Fu Yu maintained a respectful posture before a seated figure, continuously reporting the battle situation.
“Why has Xia Bei Yi still not completed his mission?” The figure’s voice was calm but carried an unmistakable weight.
Yan Fu Yu bowed. “By all logic, this task should not be difficult. Xia Bei Yi should have long since returned. I do not know why he has delayed.”
The figure remained silent, prompting Yan Fu Yu to continue. “Domain Master, should I lead forces beyond the Fourth Defensive Line to assist?”
The man before him was none other than the Domain Master of Condensed Brilliance, one of the Four Domains under Frost Radiance Sect.
Yan Fu Yu was his Vice Domain Lord.
The Condensed Brilliance Domain was the foremost of the four, leading the charge in the invasion of the Ninth Star Chain.
“The war has already begun. If you charge in now, you’re walking to your own death. Wait. Even if Xia Bei Yi fails his mission, he would not have perished there. Once we breach the Third Defensive Line, we can retrieve him then.”
“Understood.”
Meanwhile, in the Green Square Star Cluster of the Ninth Star Chain, Wang Jie and Jiang You Sheng had returned.
Not long before their arrival, members of the Berserk Clan were already waiting at Puppeteer Tower. As soon as Wang Jie returned, he immediately handed them forty Star Artifacts. The Berserk Clan warriors were overjoyed with the result and departed promptly.
Jiang You Sheng was astonished by Wang Jie’s efficiency.
Wang Jie merely shrugged. “After my encounter with the Sharp-Horn Beast, I had no desire to enter Thunder Well again. I’ve been focused on refining Star Artifacts the entire time.”
The greatest change upon their return was the removal of the four Giant Beasts that once guarded Green Mountain City.
It seemed the war was tipping against the Ninth Star Chain.
“Tower Master, given our alliance with the Ninth Star Chain, if the Berserk Clan falls, will Little Circle Lake intervene?” Wang Jie inquired.
Jiang You Sheng shook his head. “Unlikely. The situation in the Third Nebula is straightforward—some Star Chains seek to reshape the nebula to secure greater resources, while others fight to preserve the existing balance.”
“That is the true root of this war.”
“While the Seventh Star Chain and the Ninth Star Chain are allies, acting rashly would only escalate the conflict further.”
Wang Jie frowned. “And what of the Nan Family? Will they not interfere?”
The Nan Family was the dominant force of the Third Nebula, much like how the Frost Radiance Sect reigned supreme over the Eighth Star Chain.
Their authority was absolute.
Jiang You Sheng smiled wryly. “That is beyond the knowledge of mere individuals like us. However, the Nan Family is an enigma—they have not surfaced in a long time. War between the Nine Great Star Chains has become routine.”
“In my view, the Fourth Defensive Line won’t last much longer. Great Master, we must make preparations early.”
Wang Jie nodded. “I understand.”
Once Jiang You Sheng departed, Xia Bei Yi arrived in a rush. He was visibly anxious. The war had already begun, yet his mission remained incomplete. And this mission—this single task—was crucial to the war’s outcome.
Why had Puppeteer Tower sealed them inside for so long?
He had argued with them numerous times to no avail.
Upon seeing Wang Jie, Xia Bei Yi reacted as though seeing a long-lost relative. “Brother, you’re finally back! This is great!”
Wang Jie gave him a strange look. [This guy must have gone crazy from waiting.]
“Yeah, I’m back. Exhausted.”
“Was your trip smooth?”
“Not at all. The Star Artifacts you gave me? Destroyed. Not sturdy enough.”
Xia Bei Yi froze. “That… The Bell?”
Wang Jie fixed Xia Bei Yi with a serious gaze. “Look at the gift you gave me—a bell? The word itself sounds like ‘death knell.’ How ominous! I barely escaped with my life, yet you bring me this?” His tone grew increasingly displeased. “Enough, I’m exhausted. Leave.”
Xia Bei Yi was furious. This scoundrel had taken his Star Artifact and still had the audacity to complain. If not for that artifact, this man would be dead already! And now, he dared to blame Xia Bei Yi?
Though enraged, he forced a smile. “Brother, you can’t hold that against me. That was a fine Star Artifact!”
“It nearly sent me to my grave.”
“But it also saved your life.”
“It nearly sent me to my grave.”
Xia Bei Yi clenched his teeth. “Then… how about I gift you another Star Artifact?”
At this, Wang Jie’s tone eased a little. “Don’t go throwing gifts around carelessly, lest they send me to the afterlife.”
Xia Bei Yi had never felt so stifled in his entire life. As a Heaven’s Chosen, a future Direct Disciple of the Frost Radiance Sect, he had been raised in praise and privilege. This mission had been tailored for him—safe and highly rewarding. Completing it should have brought him immense prestige. Yet here he was, stuck in this mess with this insufferable man.
He longed to crush him with a single palm strike.
But right now, he needed Wang Jie to finish the mission.
Taking a deep breath to suppress his anger, he forced his tone to remain pleasant. “Brother, I have a Two-Tribulation Star Artifact, a cauldron. It excels in both defense and alchemy. An Alchemy Master once tried to purchase it from me, but I refused. What do you think?”
When he mentioned the cauldron, he emphasized the word deliberately.
Wang Jie frowned. “First a bell, now a cauldron? One is missing the bottom, the other the top. Are you doing this on purpose?”
Xia Bei Yi wanted to strangle him. “This is an alchemy cauldron, not an ordinary Two-Tribulation Star Artifact!”
“Fine, I’ll take it,” Wang Jie said nonchalantly, storing the cauldron in his Storage Ring. “Anything else?”
“Shall we go out for a stroll?”
“No. Tired.”
“Then I—?”
“If you want to go out, go by yourself. Why ask me? I’m not your woman.”
Xia Bei Yi felt his throat go dry. “I… I can’t leave.”
Wang Jie smirked. “So, you want me to take you out again? But the rules…”
Xia Bei Yi gritted his teeth. “The Star Artifact I gave you just now.”
“That was compensation.”
Xia Bei Yi was on the verge of losing control, his anger barely contained. His teeth felt like they might shatter under the pressure of his jaw. But he couldn’t offer more—being too eager to leave would raise suspicions. Even handing over a Star Artifact last time had been risky.
Wang Jie knew this too and waved a hand dismissively. “Alright, alright. We’re brothers. I was only joking. Don’t take it personally.”
Xia Bei Yi exhaled slowly, maintaining his forced humility. “Then… shall we go?”
Wang Jie nodded. “Let’s go. But really, Brother Bei Feng, you can’t be so restless all the time. As cultivators, we must—”
Xia Bei Yi feigned attentiveness, nodding repeatedly as they left the Puppeteer Tower. Only when they were clear did he finally relax and subtly guide Wang Jie toward the mission site.
Wang Jie suddenly frowned. “Brother Bei Feng, haven’t we walked this path before? Why are we taking it again?”
Xia Bei Yi mumbled a vague excuse, his focus on their destination. He sighed in relief upon seeing the contact still waiting there. He needed to act fast.
Behind them, Jiang Cai watched Xia Bei Yi closely. Wang Jie’s words made him suspicious. Why was this man so insistent on leaving? And why the same route?
Shortly after, the trio returned to the Puppeteer Tower. The moment Xia Bei Yi left, Wang Jie headed out again, claiming he needed materials and equipment since his previous ones had been depleted in Thunder Well.
Jiang Cai saw no reason to doubt him. He even offered to accompany Wang Jie, but Wang Jie refused. Truthfully, the Puppeteer Tower would have long been unsealed if not for Wang Jie’s involvement. His solo excursions went unchallenged.
But Wang Jie’s true destination was the mission site.
—
Knock, knock, knock.
“Come in.”
“Hand over the item.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Listen closely. The Frost Radiance Sect used us as scapegoats to cover for someone else. The person you were meant to meet is dead—by my hand. You have two choices: give me the item, or the mission fails. Pick one.”
Silence.
Wang Jie was gambling. He was betting that this unknown entity was truly collaborating with the Frost Radiance Sect. And that this mission was crucial enough that they would take the risk to see it completed.
“How did you find this place?” the figure finally spoke.
Wang Jie responded coldly. “The mission location, the marks—wrong, all of them. The Frost Radiance Sect set us up. But the fact that I’m standing here and telling you this should tell you I speak the truth. If not, it wouldn’t be me standing before you—it would be the Eight-Prison Berserk Clan.”
“Now, you can hand over the item, and I will return to the sect. After all, it makes no difference to you who completes the mission, does it?”
Another pause.
Then, without a word, the figure tossed Wang Jie a Storage Ring and vanished.
Wang Jie examined the ring. He couldn’t open it. If it contained the real item, then someone within the Frost Radiance Sect could unlock it. Meaning this entity truly didn’t care who finished the mission—only that it was done.
Because war had begun.
The Frost Radiance Sect couldn’t afford delays. And neither could that figure.
But if the item was fake… carrying it back meant death.
—
A few hours later, Green Mountain City was swallowed by darkness.
In the Puppeteer Tower, Xia Bei Yi stepped out.
Leaving would quickly draw attention, but he had no choice. The Fourth Defensive Line was on the verge of collapse. The mission had to succeed.
He hurried to the mission site—
Only to find the mark gone.
Panic surged within him. He rushed inside. Nothing.
A sudden chill. He whirled around—
A colossal figure loomed over him, hammer raised high.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation