Chapter 10: Wrist Guard
Feng Yu took a deep breath and spoke in a hushed voice, “Ten years ago, the apocalypse descended upon us. But it was no mere accident—it was a trial, a test orchestrated by the Armor One Sect…”
She then proceeded to reveal everything she knew.
As a Captain, she had the right to know. In all of Golden Hill Base, only Chief Captain Hong Sword and the five Captains were privy to this secret. No one else knew.
Now, Wang Jie became the seventh to learn the truth.
The Armor One Sect was an immensely powerful cultivation sect in the vast cosmos. Periodically, they would select new disciples through a simple yet brutal method—choosing a trial ground. Unfortunately, Blue Star had been selected as one of these testing grounds. Over the past decade, Blue Star had transformed from a technological world into a cultivation battlefield. The most powerful warriors now possessed Seven Seal strength, just enough to match the trial disciples of Armor One Sect.
“That Flame Four is one such trial disciple. When he arrived, he single-handedly repelled the Beast Tide, saving Golden Hill Base. But in return, he claimed all the Cataclysm Materials stored within the base,” Feng Yu’s tone was heavy. “The Wolf King’s Third Eye, the material you seek, is one of the best Cataclysm Materials we have. It’s in his possession now. How could I possibly retrieve it from him?”
Wang Jie hadn’t expected this revelation. If that were true, then the young man he had slain must have been another trial disciple. No wonder his attire and power were so different. He had even called Wang Jie a “native” and recognized his cultivation technique at a glance.
He slowly lifted his head.
So, the celestial Sky Projection belonged to Armor One Sect, designed to temper their trial disciples. In just a decade, they had turned Blue Star from a technological civilization into a cultivation world.
Who gave them the right to do this?
How many people had perished in these ten years?
He could still remember the peace of the old world, the smiles that once filled the streets—smiles that were now gone forever.
A world where humans devoured one another, all because of a trial.
To Armor One Sect, the people of Blue Star weren’t even human.
Feng Yu continued, “And that’s not all. Once the trial concludes, every cultivator on Blue Star will be enslaved and sent to the Interstellar Battlefield as War Slaves. This is the fate of every trial ground. Flame Four himself said that the power we cultivate was specifically designed for War Slaves.”
“However, he has promised that the faction backing him can help us escape this fate—if we assist him in completing his trial.”
Wang Jie looked at her. “Hong Sword believes him?”
Feng Yu smiled bitterly. “Does it matter? We have no choice. You have no idea how vast the difference is between the Celestial Force he cultivates and the Seal Force we wield. Even at his full strength, Chief Captain is no match for him. He can see through our techniques in an instant, spotting weaknesses as if we were made of glass.”
“You can’t imagine what that feels like.”
But Wang Jie had experienced it firsthand. And he had slain one.
Trial disciples weren’t invincible.
But how many people on Blue Star were like him? And the one he killed had only been Six Seal.
“If you want to report this to the Chief Captain, go ahead. I don’t have the ability to retrieve the Wolf King’s Third Eye,” Feng Yu said.
“Where is Flame Four?” Wang Jie asked.
“By Mysterious Lake, watching over it for the Chief Captain.”
Mysterious Lake was the great lake within Golden Hill. Hong Sword had stationed himself there for years because a powerful Mutated Beast lurked in its depths. If it ever emerged, it would be directly inside the base. Someone had to keep watch.
Now that Hong Sword had exhausted himself battling Mutated Hawk, the task fell to Flame Four.
Wang Jie hadn’t expected the situation to spiral out of control like this. If Flame Four was collecting Cataclysm Materials, the other trial disciples would undoubtedly do the same.
This was going to be a problem.
He turned and left. Staring at Feng Yu any longer served no purpose.
Feng Yu exhaled in relief as he departed. The pressure he exerted on her was suffocating. But the revelation of the trial disciples was even worse. It cast a dark shadow over all of Golden Hill. Once the true trial began, they wouldn’t have much time left.
How long could a trial last?
The fate of Blue Star had already been sealed—War Slavery.
No.
She would not become a War Slave.
Thinking of Flame Four’s gaze, she hesitated for a moment before stepping back into her quarters.
…
The emergence of the trial disciples filled Wang Jie with urgency. He decided to first cultivate Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger.
His current Finger Technique was already formidable. This one would be even stronger.
…
Heartbroken Maiden’s Tears.
Wang Jie traversed the Clean District, navigating its alleys with practiced ease. His pace was neither fast nor slow, and after half an hour, he arrived outside a restaurant.
This was one of the finer establishments in the Clean District, with gentle music playing in the background. He was here because the hotel sat above it.
Though Wang Jie had never been here himself, Gray Claw had mentioned that every night, there were always heartbroken girls shedding tears here.
He decided to wait.
Leaning into the shadows of a corner, he observed the stream of people passing by, laughing and chatting as though the apocalypse were just a dream. Many clung to the illusion that staying within the Clean District meant escaping the end of days.
They existed in a different world than those in the Sewage District, and even more so from those outside the base.
He waited.
A couple exited the restaurant, their argument escalating. The young woman’s eyes were red.
Wang Jie’s eyes lit up.
He grasped the glass bottle, ready to rush in and catch her tears.
However, before he could move, the man suddenly pressed her against the wall and kissed her passionately.
Wang Jie…
He continued waiting.
Another quarrel erupted, but this time, it was the man who got dumped.
He waited some more.
Wang Jie stood beneath the vast night sky, his gaze fixed upon the celestial projection that shimmered above. Each night, whenever he had the chance, he would scour its depths, seeking a combat technique that suited him. Yet, as time passed, a nagging thought surfaced—was he being too passive?
The restaurant had long since closed.
The lights of the inn had dimmed into silence.
No. He could not simply wait any longer.
Determination flared within him. In the distance, a couple strolled together, hands entwined, whispering words of affection. Wang Jie inhaled deeply. His next action was underhanded, but he had no other choice.
In a swift motion, he struck the couple unconscious and dragged them into a secluded alleyway. With precision, he roused the man first.
The man woke with a start, eyes wide with panic. He could barely make out Wang Jie’s silhouette in the dimness. “W-Who are you? What do you want? My cousin is a cultivator under Captain Big Beard’s command—if you—”
A sharp glint of steel silenced him. Wang Jie raised his blade, its cold edge reflecting a merciless gleam, instantly draining the color from the man’s face.
“Break up with her.”
The man blinked, his expression blank with disbelief. “What did you say?”
“Break up with her.” Wang Jie repeated, then withdrew a small glass vial, pressing it into the man’s hand. “Make her cry. Collect her tears.”
The man stared at him as though he were facing a madman. At first, he suspected a rival in love, but now he was certain—this person was simply insane.
“That’s… all?”
“Yes.”
“What about me and Xin’er—?”
“Not my concern. I only need the tears.”
The man swallowed hard. “U-Understood.”
Wang Jie embedded his blade into the alley wall—a silent warning. Then, he melted into the shadows, watching from afar as the man hesitated before waking the still-unconscious girl.
The resulting breakup was as explosive as it was immediate.
“Fine! Break up then!” Xin’er’s furious voice rang out. “You think I need you? Worthless scum!”
A sharp gust of wind swept past.
The man stood in stunned silence, realizing he had just lost his lover. Wang Jie observed impassively. Was it really that difficult?
With a final glance at the heartbroken man, Wang Jie moved on to find another couple. He refused to believe this method would fail.
By the time the night waned, he returned to Seventeen, the glass vial clutched in his hand. This task had been more grueling than battle. Yet, within the vial lay the precious Heartbroken Maiden’s Tears.
With steady hands, he poured the tears onto the field.
The third green sprout withdrew into the earth.
Then, all three sprouts bloomed in unison, their radiant light converging into a spectral figure. The illusion extended a single finger toward Wang Jie.
At the same moment, a new plot of land expanded beside his current field, a fresh green sprout rising from its center.
Wang Jie remained still. The illusory finger touched his forehead, vanishing into his mind. His vision blurred, his body frozen in place. Moments passed before he finally regained his senses.
He lifted his hand, fingers trembling as he studied them.
So this was the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger…
A surge of awe coursed through him. The martial techniques derived from this field were not only formidable—they required no training. He had simply… learned it.
Raising a finger, he pointed forward. His fingertip quivered slightly.
Something felt off.
Yes, he had grasped the technique, but as blood dripped from his fingertip, he realized the truth—his body was too frail to withstand its power.
Lowering his hand, Wang Jie’s expression darkened. His old wounds still shackled him, rendering him incapable of unleashing the technique to its full potential.
The first field returned to normal. Wang Jie turned his gaze toward the second plot, where a fruit had begun to form—just as before.
The first field had yielded an IOU Slip, which had saved him from a crisis, allowing him to defeat Hu Guan and Feng Yu in an instant. But what would this second fruit bring?
He watched expectantly as the sprout grew, reaching the height of a man. As it bloomed, it revealed—
A wrist guard?
It gleamed with a dark golden hue, adorned with intricate carvings. The engravings pulsed faintly, as though liquid energy flowed within them.
Wang Jie picked it up and tested its resilience, squeezing it firmly—unmovable. It was incredibly sturdy.
He strapped it onto his left arm. The moment the wrist guard was secured, it shrank to fit him perfectly.
Then, an unexpected voice echoed in his ears:
“Now commencing Beginner’s Calisthenics Routine: Set Eight.”
What?
“Prepare.”
Wang Jie remained still. Suddenly, the wrist guard turned searing hot. Eyes widening in alarm, he attempted to remove it, but no matter how he struggled, it would not budge.
The scalding heat coursed through his arm, spreading through his body like molten lava. At the same time, a series of movements surfaced in his mind.
“Begin.”
Gritting his teeth, Wang Jie fought against the pain. But as the temperature climbed higher, he understood—resistance was futile. The only way to relieve the torment was to follow the prescribed movements.
“One, two, three, four. Two, two, three, four…”
The sequence seemed simple at first, yet it was deliberately fragmented, forcing him to connect each motion seamlessly. Any failure resulted in an immediate surge of unbearable heat.
Pain wracked his body, every muscle trembling with exertion. His temperature spiked with every misstep, leaving him no choice but to execute the routine perfectly.
Time blurred.
Finally, the voice ceased.
The wrist guard cooled.
Wang Jie collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. His body was drenched in sweat, his limbs unresponsive. He stared blankly at the mist-laden sky, utterly drained.
What in the world was this thing?
Turning his head, he glared at the wrist guard. Forcing himself upright, he attempted once more to remove it—but it was futile.
Damn.
It really wouldn’t come off.
Perhaps Four Eyes could help?
As the thought crossed his mind, he hesitated. Lifting a trembling hand, he pinched his own arm.
A peculiar sensation spread through his body. The torment of the heat, though excruciating, had somehow accelerated his healing. Even his old wounds had shown improvement.
At first, he dismissed it as mere exhaustion-induced numbness. But as he rested and his strength slowly returned, he confirmed it.
It was real—his injuries had genuinely healed, if only a little.
Wang Jie stared at the wrist guard, his mind racing.
Could this Beginner’s Calisthenics Routine… actually restore his old wounds?
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation