Chapter 14: Complete Recovery
When Wang Jie returned, the mysterious woman had already disappeared.
Meanwhile, Flame Four discovered some Cataclysm Materials underground, but they were clearly inferior to what the woman had obtained. His expression turned grim.
Hong Sword, on the other hand, paid little attention to the Cataclysm Materials. His focus lay on regrouping the team and accounting for the fallen.
The battle had been far more brutal than anyone expected. No one had anticipated Moon Plant summoning a horde of Mutated Plants, which led to casualties exceeding half their force.
Over thirty cultivators had perished outright.
Every member of this hundred-strong unit was at least a Four-Seal Expert, so Golden Hill Base had lost a significant portion of its elite fighters. Still, they had managed to kill Moon Plant, which Hong Sword deemed worth the cost.
Lian Fei was genuinely surprised that Wang Jie had survived. She had specifically assigned someone to finish him off at a critical moment, but that person had ended up dead instead. While she suspected Wang Jie, the chaotic nature of the battle meant anything could have happened, so she chalked it up to bad luck.
A heavy silence gripped everyone, a testament to the sheer brutality of the fight.
After regrouping, Hong Sword immediately ordered everyone back to Golden Hill Base.
“Commander, should we let the team rest for a bit?” Feng Yu asked, noticing Flame Four was still rummaging for Moon Plant’s Cataclysm Materials.
Hong Sword shook his head. “Once Moon Night ends, Mutated Creatures will transform and grow even stronger. Staying out here is too dangerous. We’re heading back now.”
He wasted no time in relaying the order.
Feng Yu sighed and passed along the command to Flame Four, who clenched his fists while staring in the direction the mysterious woman had vanished. She was no ordinary figure—Armor Eight Steps and the Ling Guang Sword were both top-tier martial techniques from the Martial Hall. If she managed to break through to Eight Seals, what place would that leave him in Golden Hill Base?
With these thoughts churning, he tried to discuss them with Hong Sword, but Hong Sword refused, leading to a tense exchange.
At the same time, Feng Yu spotted Wang Jie in the distance and was visibly shaken—how was he still alive? Once or twice could be brushed off as luck, but three near-death encounters was almost unthinkable. Even most Four-Seal Experts wouldn’t survive that many close calls. Something about him was decidedly off.
Upon returning to Golden Hill Base, shocking news rippled through the population, overshadowing the hard-won victory over Moon Plant:
One of the Three Gods and Five Extremes—Tactician—had been killed.
Wang Jie, too, was taken aback by the announcement. In this post-apocalyptic world, those who were called the “Three Gods and Five Extremes” were regarded as the eight mightiest individuals alive. While “gods” might be an overstatement, people needed legendary figures to believe in amidst the chaos. Their destructive might lay far beyond human comprehension—and Tactician had been one of them.
Yet he had fallen.
“They say a Trial Taker killed Tactician, then declared that the so-called Three Gods and Five Extremes were trash,” someone gossiped.
“What’s a Trial Taker?” another asked.
“I’ve heard rumors—something about an Armor something Sect?”
“Beats me. Sounds strange…”
The base bustled with curiosity over the Trial Takers. Hong Sword, however, looked grim. Things were spiraling toward the worst possible outcome. The Trial Takers were even more ruthless than Flame Four. While Flame Four aimed to seize all Cataclysm Materials in Golden Hill Base—a demand Hong Sword still refused—these Trial Takers apparently didn’t even regard Blue Star Humans as people.
The term “War Slave” echoed in Hong Sword’s mind.
Maybe Flame Four hadn’t been lying after all.
Just then, Feng Yu approached him. “Flame Four wants me to tell you that if we give in to his terms, he’ll protect Golden Hill Base. Otherwise, when more Trial Takers arrive, we might lose our chance to negotiate. He also said… you’re next after Tactician.”
Hong Sword frowned, staring out at the wilderness in deep thought.
After returning from the wild, Wang Jie went straight to see Four Eyes.
Upon seeing him, Four Eyes raised an eyebrow. “So you really did kill Moon Plant. Got any good spoils?”
“We’ll talk later,” Wang Jie said. “Is it ready?”
Four Eyes rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky you found me. No one else could’ve whipped up a cure in just a few days.” He handed over a small pouch.
Wang Jie peered inside to find a finely ground white ointment. “Will this work?”
“Absolutely. Eagles have the sharpest vision among animals, so using their eggs to treat brain injuries is the best remedy.”
“You used everything?”
“I set some aside. I figured you’d need to heal first,” Four Eyes answered.
Wang Jie started to refuse, but Four Eyes cut him off. “No one else can use it, anyway. Old Nine’s wounds are beyond this, and Old Five has already recovered. What else are you going to do with it?”
Acknowledging his point, Wang Jie took the pouch and left. Time was short because the Leading Pillar Group would soon depart.
Before long, he found the Leading Pillar Group outside the Southern Gate and handed the pouch to Wu Fei. “This ointment is made from Mutated Eagle Eggs. It might help him.”
Wu Fei inspected the pouch, then eyed Wang Jie. “The boss won’t accept anything from you. We’ve collected countless Cataclysm Materials over the years, but none helped.”
Wang Jie’s voice was firm. “That’s his son. He shouldn’t be stubborn without at least trying. Even the Leading Pillar Group would have a hard time getting these Mutated Eagle Eggs—Trial Takers go after them, too.”
Wu Fei didn’t ask how Wang Jie had obtained the eggs. He simply nodded. “Alright.”
Just as Wang Jie turned to leave, Wu Fei called out, “It’s a shame it wasn’t Zuo Tian who died.”
Wang Jie paused, his gaze icy. “Lucky for me, it wasn’t Zuo Tian.”
He strode off without another word.
Wu Fei watched him go and sighed. Zuo Tian—one of the Three Gods.
In the next few days, rumors about the “Armor One Sect” and the “Trial Takers” swept through Golden Hill Base and quickly spread to other settlements. Yet the term that left everyone rattled was “War Slave.”
People asked themselves, what did “War Slave” really mean? It was self-explanatory: slavery in a war. When the trial ended, all cultivators from Blue Star would be reduced to mere War Slaves—an idea that sparked dread and unrest everywhere. The words “Interstellar Battlefield” conjured up an unfathomable abyss that threatened to consume countless lives.
No one wanted to be a slave.
During this time, Wang Jie stayed in the Sewage District. The Zhao Clan never came looking for him—he was only a Guide, and there was no deep enmity to justify the effort.
Days later, Four Eyes delivered the ointment derived from the Mutated Eagle’s Egg. Wang Jie applied it to his injuries, and to his surprise, his body absorbed it almost immediately. A light itch spread across his skin.
Then, a familiar voice rang in his ears:
“Now, begin the Eighth Set of Beginner’s Calisthenics.”
He got to his feet. It was time.
Noticing that a full seven days had passed, he steadied himself.
“Prepare.”
Wang Jie spread his legs.
“Begin.”
“One, two, three, four… Two, two, three, four…”
As he performed the motions, he felt a warm current within him—stronger than ever. Another strange sensation began coursing through his body. Could this be the ointment’s effect? It seemed unlikely that even a specialized ointment could be this potent.
So perhaps it was the calisthenics?
Focusing intently, Wang Jie tuned in to every shift in his body. It was as though severed limbs were regrowing and wounds mending in real time, a level of healing no conventional medicine could produce. The only explanation was that the calisthenics were amplifying the ointment’s effects.
A tranquil clarity came over him. He closed his eyes and continued exercising, feeling as though he were caught in a rushing current, part ache and part relief. The breathing difficulties that had plagued him for two years vanished. His Seal Power surged on its own, enveloping him in a mist-like aura.
By the time he finished, he was overwhelmed by exhaustion and dropped to the floor, sweat pooling around him. A foul odor filled the air, and he realized it came from his own body. His skin was coated in a grimy layer of impurities.
He stood, stretching through the fatigue. Despite feeling wiped out, his body felt renewed in a strangely pleasant way. Then it dawned on him that all his injuries were gone. Completely.
A thrill coursed through him—he felt reborn. Lighter and stronger than he had been even two years earlier, particularly in terms of Seal Power.
He focused inward. For two years, his cultivation had been frozen in place due to his injuries. Now that he was fully healed, an immense reservoir of energy seemed to burst forth, not only restoring his Seven-Seal battle strength but nudging him toward the Eighth Seal. His eyes drifted to the wrist guard on his arm. This was no coincidence. Four Eyes’ ointment alone couldn’t have done this; it had to be the wrist guard.
It had changed his life’s trajectory.
Now that his strength had returned, he had unfinished business to attend to.
That very day, a woman appeared at the eastern gate of Golden Hill Base. With a single sword strike, she sliced off a large section of the towering city wall. Countless cultivators gaped in disbelief as she demanded Hong Sword and Flame Four come out to meet her.
Wang Jie had just stepped out of his house after a night’s rest when he heard the news. He had hoped to confront Flame Four about the Three-Eyed Wolf King the previous night, but fatigue and grime compelled him to bathe and rest first. He had never imagined such a monumental event would unfold so soon.
He followed the throng of onlookers to the eastern gate.
There she was: the same woman who had intervened against Moon Plant. Back then, he had only sensed her Seven-Seal aura. Now, facing her in broad daylight, he realized—
She was indeed a Trial Taker.
A veil of purple silk concealed her face, fluttering in the breeze and revealing a glimpse of her snow-white neck. Although most of her features remained hidden, her regal bearing was undeniable—she carried herself with both poise and authority. Flame Four, the young man Wang Jie had killed, and even Flame Four’s own victim all paled in comparison to her.
But what truly set her apart was her power.
Wang Jie’s expression grew solemn.
Eight Seals.
She radiated the oppressive might of an Eight-Seal cultivator, a force that weighed on everyone present—so daunting it made even Hong Sword appear tense as he approached her.
“You’ve broken through to the Eighth Seal?” he asked gravely.
The crowd broke into an uproar at his words.
The woman merely smiled behind her veil, her eyes glinting like distant stars. “If I hadn’t, none of you would be worth my time.”
Hong Sword’s face darkened. “What’s your purpose here?”
“Hand over this base,” she replied. “From now on, you take your orders from me.”
Hong Sword set his jaw. “And what do you plan to do with it?”
She cast her gaze over Golden Hill Base, her tone calm as still water. “That’s not for you to ask.”
In response, Hong Sword drew his blade. “Then forgive me, but you won’t be taking this base.”
She appeared unconcerned. “Where’s Flame Four? Tell him to show himself.”
Hong Sword stood his ground. “This base belongs to me. If you want it, you’ll have to step over my dead body.”
She studied him, then sighed. “I understand your determination to protect your home. I have no intention of making an example of you. Let Flame Four come out instead, so you can all witness the true difference in our strength. Unless… he’s afraid.”
High on the city walls, Flame Four stepped forward. With one leap, he landed beside Hong Sword, meeting the veiled woman’s gaze.
“Who says I’m afraid? Who are you? Where did you come from?”
She regarded him as though unimpressed. “A mere Fiery Flame Body isn’t enough to withstand me. Unless you have some new technique, you’d better leave.”
Flame Four’s brow creased. “I’ve never seen you in the Martial Hall, yet you use Armor Eight Steps. Who exactly are you?”
In the blink of an eye, the woman disappeared. Everyone’s vision blurred, and the next moment, she was standing right before Flame Four.
Her speed was unreal.
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