Chapter 102: The Heaven-Inverse Path
Wang Jie lifted his gaze to the heights above. There wasn’t just one person; another figure stood with a steady presence, their movements so fluid that they seemed to meld seamlessly with the frost and snow. This was no ordinary individual. The icy terrain was not mere snow—it was formed from Frost Glow Star Force, something even those at the Star-Breaking Realm would struggle to melt.
This person gave Wang Jie the distinct impression of a Wandering Star Realm expert.
He stepped forward, emerging onto the cliff’s edge to face the two figures.
The leading man smiled at Wang Jie and spoke. “Master Missing One is here to pay respects to a fellow master.”
Wang Jie was momentarily taken aback. “Master Missing One?” He immediately bowed in courtesy. “This junior, Wang Jie, greets the Master.”
Master Missing One laughed heartily and raised a hand, helping Wang Jie to his feet. “No need for such formalities, Master Wang. You and I both walk the path of Weapon Forging. Overly stiff etiquette only makes us feel like strangers.”
The path of Weapon Forging split into two primary schools: Smith Refinement and Star Refinement. Strictly speaking, Star Refinement was not always recognized as part of the Weapon Forging lineage. Many Smith Refiners refused to acknowledge Star Refiners, yet they could not do without them, as their weapons required Star Refiners to enhance them into Star Artifacts. This led to a complicated relationship between the two groups.
Some Smith Refiners were particularly obstinate, preferring that their creations remain incomplete rather than allowing a Star Refiner to refine them.
Master Missing One, however, seemed reasonable.
Wang Jie had no desire to offend this man. His courtesy wasn’t mere formality—one day, he would need this master’s help in forging swords. The more, the better. “In truth, this junior should have been the one to visit first. However, as I am still unfamiliar with the land, I feared offending the esteemed master.”
Master Missing One chuckled. “I hold no prejudice against Star Refiners. You need not worry.”
Wang Jie visibly relaxed. “Please, Master, come inside.”
“After you.”
Master Missing One’s visit was entirely unexpected, and his demeanor was amicable. The only troublesome part was his curiosity—he wished to discuss why Star Refinement was so perfectly integrated.
“Forging is the fusion of materials, bringing out their highest potential.”
“Star Force is a material in its own right. But we Smith Refiners lack the ability to refine it. To perfectly merge Star Force with our creations, we must first deeply understand our materials. How does Master Wang achieve this?”
Wang Jie was at a loss for words. Achieve it? By farming.
“Each material has its own properties, its own temperament. How does the Master handle the personality of different materials?”
Wang Jie blinked. Materials… had personalities?
Master Missing One didn’t seem to expect answers. If Wang Jie hesitated for even two seconds, the master immediately launched into the next question.
Tao Two, who stood by, gave Wang Jie an apologetic look. “Master Wang, please don’t mind him. My teacher tends to talk to himself. If you wish to change the topic, he won’t be offended.”
No, this was fine.
Wang Jie listened earnestly, nodding from time to time. This only made Master Missing One more excited.
Their discussion lasted an entire night.
Indeed, Master Missing One had talked non-stop through the night. He had fully acknowledged Wang Jie’s abilities and now regarded him as a peer. Once he started, he couldn’t stop.
Fortunately, Wang Jie had gained much from the conversation.
He committed much of Master Missing One’s words to memory—now, when talking about Weapon Forging, he wouldn’t be left speechless.
The next morning, Wang Jie and Tao Two set off for the Mission Hall.
Master Missing One advised them that it would be wise to have an assistant handle miscellaneous tasks, such as taking missions, purchasing materials, and running errands. Doing everything themselves would be a waste of time.
Wang Jie agreed.
He needed someone to procure finely crafted sword tassels for him.
The Mission Hall was where the Frost Splendor Sect issued missions. It was also a place where many sect disciples could post or accept missions.
The area bustled with activity.
Planets linked together in a vast celestial network, while pavilions and towers stood gracefully against the snowy backdrop.
“Are all the people here from the sect?” Wang Jie asked.
Tao Two nodded. “Yes. Only sect members may enter the Mission Hall. However, there is an Outer Mission Hall beyond the sect’s borders, where both sect members and outsiders can take on missions.”
“Are there Lock Force Cultivators here?”
“Lock Force Cultivators are not allowed here unless they have approval from an Elder or a Guest Official.”
The Mission Hall was more than just a hall—it was a vital institution within the Frost Splendor Domain.
The sect issued missions, but so did its disciples, elders, and guest officials.
“Senior, this is also a place where you can select disciples. Many outer disciples post their portraits, along with descriptions of their temperament and abilities, hoping to be hired. If you find one suitable, you can employ them directly. However, inner disciples rarely do this.”
Wang Jie gazed ahead.
A long row of portraits stretched as far as the eye could see. Each was exquisitely painted, the figures seemingly lifelike. Beside each image, detailed descriptions of their skills and disposition were provided.
The sheer number of portraits was overwhelming.
With three hundred thousand outer disciples, even a small fraction of them was still an immense number.
By contrast, there were only one hundred and seventeen inner disciples.
The gap was enormous.
To enter the Inner Sect, one needed to be at least Star-Breaking Realm.
That meant the Frost Splendor Sect had one hundred and seventeen Star-Breaking Realm inner disciples. To put it into perspective, the Silver Radiance Empire had only a handful of such experts—including Lock Force Cultivators.
In the end, Wang Jie hired an outer disciple named Luo Yan.
There was no other reason—only convenience. Luo Yan’s portrait was placed right beside him.
Returning to his residence, it wasn’t long before Luo Yan arrived to report in.
Luo Yan was a rather introverted young man, appearing to be around the same age as Wang Jie. His demeanor was timid and cautious, as if terrified of offending Wang Jie.
“I have two tasks for you.”
“First, issue the Celestial Refinement task. Each completion will earn ten thousand contribution points, and it can be undertaken once every three days.”
“Second, help me find an exquisite sword tassel.”
Luo Yan respectfully acknowledged the orders and immediately set off to complete them.
Wang Jie let out a breath—things were becoming easier. He no longer had to personally handle every trivial matter. Having someone to delegate to truly made a difference.
That very afternoon, Luo Yan returned with a weapon—a blade—meant for Wang Jie to refine through Celestial Refinement. In exchange, the promised ten thousand contribution points were already credited to Wang Jie’s sect value.
The sect value was managed through the personal terminal, a system capable of recording sect contributions, contacting fellow disciples, and more. For those without a personal terminal, the Frost Radiance Sect offered an alternative—a jade-like artifact with identical functions, though its capabilities became limited outside the sect. As a result, most disciples preferred using their personal terminals.
At present, Wang Jie’s sect value had reached twenty thousand.
It was worth mentioning that his previous contributions to the Ninth Star Chain War had also been converted into sect value. However, it was a meager sum, hardly worth mentioning.
The true reward of the Green Mountain City mission was immediate promotion to Guest Elder, an immense leap forward. Otherwise, he would have had to go through tedious procedures.
Two more days passed. Before Wang Jie even had the chance to refine the blade for Luo Yan, the latter had already returned with an array of images showcasing exquisite sword tassels. He had meticulously captured these from both the Inner Market and the Outer Market, providing a broad selection for Wang Jie to choose from.
It had to be said—the Frost Radiance Sect lived up to its reputation. The sheer variety of sword tassels was astounding, far more refined than anything in the Silver Radiance Empire.
Wang Jie selected the most expensive one. Despite being labeled as an ordinary sword tassel, its price was negligible. He placed it upon Green Sprout, and—success.
A smile graced his lips. Finally, he had succeeded.
With this, the four necessary materials for Sword Step were complete. The gathered radiance converged, merging into his mind. Instantly, he comprehended Sword Step.
Closing his eyes, he immersed himself in the sensation. Sword Step—where sword energy dictated his steps, and his steps themselves could be infused with sword energy. It had both advantages and disadvantages compared to Armor Eight Steps.
Armor Eight Steps was purely a footwork combat technique, whereas Sword Step could be used offensively and defensively, even allowing swift repositioning. Its area of effect was significantly larger, yet in close-quarters combat, Armor Eight Steps was more practical.
As one of Armor One Sect’s Eighteen Ultimate Techniques, Armor Eight Steps was slightly inferior to the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger, but not by much. Yet, given the materials required to cultivate Sword Step, it surpassed Armor Eight Steps in potential.
Wang Jie practiced briefly, confirming that for small-scale battles, Armor Eight Steps was preferable, whereas for planetary and void combat, Sword Step was the superior choice.
However, he refrained from immediately testing Sword Step in the field, as he suspected it might yield another battle technique. For now, his focus was on cultivating a technique that required an entire plot of farmland—a technique known as Heaven-Inverse Path.
This technique had emerged after planting Mourning Water Art, requiring a staggering nine materials to cultivate:
Move five people to tears.
Lead one hundred individuals into defection.
Achieve renown in swordsmanship.
Gather one thousand Slaughter Stones.
Defeat a Direct Inheritor of the Frost Radiance Sect.
Accomplish Yu Gong Moves Mountains.
Assist an elderly woman across the street within the Frost Radiance Sect.
Uncover three secret admirers.
Master a Celestial Art.
Wang Jie stood speechless. What kind of requirements were these?
Yet, after experiencing his previous material hunts, he found them oddly… reasonable. At least none of them demanded he tarnish his reputation.
Step by step—he would take his time. That aside, simply mastering a Celestial Art alone would take an immense amount of effort.
In truth, he could now aim for the Star-Breaking Realm, yet the allure of Heaven-Inverse Path was too great to resist. Lock Force had no future anyway. Just as he had done on Blue Star, he could strive for invincibility within his current realm.
“Luo Yan.”
“Disciple is here.”
“Look into the cost of purchasing Slaughter Stones. Also… investigate who in the sect secretly admires whom.”
Luo Yan froze, thinking he had misheard. “Senior… you want me to investigate secret admirations?”
Wang Jie nodded. “Go.”
Luo Yan left, utterly bewildered. Was this even possible? He wasn’t skilled in such matters. And besides, how was one supposed to uncover secret admirers?
Investigating secret affections proved difficult—at least, for Luo Yan. However, he quickly returned with the market price of Slaughter Stones.
“Ten thousand contribution points?” Wang Jie was stunned.
Luo Yan respectfully confirmed, “Yes. The standard market price for Slaughter Stones is ten thousand contribution points each. In the Outer Market, the price rises to fifteen thousand Star Stones, or even higher.”
Wang Jie had anticipated that Slaughter Stones would be expensive, but not to this extent.
No wonder the Silver Radiance Empire had such limited reserves—they constantly mined resources to exchange for more.
Luo Yan continued, “Truthfully, this price is not high. The sect doesn’t require vast stockpiles of Slaughter Stones. A single Slaughter Stone can sustain the cultivation of tens of thousands of Lock Force Cultivators. Even with the sect’s immense resources, it can only support fifty million Outer Sect Disciples. Thus, the sect maintains a reserve of five thousand Slaughter Stones at all times. Any excess is either awarded to vassal factions or sold off.”
“The truly exorbitant resources lie elsewhere—such as exotic planets.”
“If Senior can locate an unregistered exotic planet, it would be more than enough to exchange for a significant number of Slaughter Stones.”
Wang Jie sighed. Exotic planets weren’t exactly lying around for the taking.
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