Chapter 15: Wen Zhao

Flame Four’s body erupted in a blaze of fire as he struck out with a palm. However, before his attack could land, the woman effortlessly grabbed his arm. The flames that had once danced fiercely around him were instantly extinguished. In the next moment, she appeared behind him, moving so fast that Flame Four had no time to react before the hilt of her sword struck his back. A faint cracking sound echoed—his bones had been broken. His body lurched forward uncontrollably, utterly defeated.

The entire exchange was effortless on her part. It wasn’t a battle—it was more like an adult disciplining a child.

And just like that, Flame Four had lost.

From within the crowd, Hong Sword observed the scene with astonishment. Her footwork mirrored his own—the Armor Eight Steps. However, she had mastered an additional step beyond his capability.

Even more shocking was how she extinguished Flame Four’s Fiery Flame Body. She didn’t counter it with an opposing element or technique; she simply used her own cultivated energy to suppress it outright, preventing the flames from even forming.

This woman fought with decisive ruthlessness.

Flame Four struggled to rise, his face twisted in pain. Bones within his body had shattered, making even the act of standing excruciating.

The woman cast him a cold glance and waved him off dismissively.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Flame Four remained silent. He understood that he was fortunate to still be alive—she had chosen not to kill him.

In the trials, survival was not guaranteed. The fact that she had let him live showed that she was not entirely merciless.

Then, her gaze shifted to Hong Sword. “What about you? Want to try your luck?”

Hong Sword gripped his blade and met her eyes head-on. “The Hua Xia base will not fall into the hands of outsiders.”

“So, you won’t join forces with the other cultivators from your base to attack me together?”

“You’re not a mutated beast. You’re human.”

A faint smile played on her lips. “You have courage. But you’ll lose even faster than he did.”

She was about to make her move when a voice interrupted.

“Why not let me try first?”

Both the woman and Hong Sword turned toward the source of the voice.

It was Wang Jie.

The crowd stirred in shock. Many recognized him as Wild Grass, but few could understand what possessed him to step forward now.

Even among those present—Lian Fei, Feng Yu, the Zhao Clan members—everyone watched Wang Jie in disbelief.

But this wasn’t an impulsive act.

First, Wang Jie admired Hong Sword’s resolve. Ever since his failure two years ago, he had remained wary of The Three Gods and Five Extremes. At Golden Hill Base, he had concealed his identity all this time, but over the years, he had come to understand that Hong Sword was different from Zuo Tian.

Second, now that his old wounds had healed, there were things he could finally act upon. Hiding his identity? There was no longer a need for that.

Third, though he might not win, he wouldn’t necessarily lose either.

That’s right. He knew he couldn’t win—not against someone who had perfected Armor Eight Steps—but he, too, had mastered it.

With each step, he advanced toward them, his presence intensifying.

Three Seals. Four Seals… Seven Seals.

The sheer power of a Seven Seal cultivator warped the air around him.

Hong Sword knew Wang Jie, yet he had never expected him to conceal such strength. How had he managed to hide it?

Lian Fei’s expression darkened. It was him. The man who had knocked her unconscious outside the Mutated Hawk’s Nest—it had been him all along.

Feng Yu’s thoughts also turned to the past. The one who had stolen the Hibiscus Tears—it had been Wang Jie.

The woman examined Wang Jie closely. “The Armor One Sect’s Breath-Concealment Method—you’ve mastered it? That technique is hardly something one can learn from the Sky Projection Technique alone. It seems you’ve studied quite a few martial arts.”

Wang Jie nodded. “Quite a few.”

With a flick of his finger, a sword flew from the crowd into his grasp. It was crude, little more than an iron slab in the shape of a blade, but it was still a sword.

Lifting it, he pointed it at the woman. “Wang Jie of Golden Hill. I ask for your guidance.”

She met his gaze. “What gives you the confidence to challenge me?”

Wang Jie smiled but said nothing. Instead, he took a step forward—and his blade slashed.

Three strikes, delivered in a single instant. The sword’s energy visibly carved through the air, streaking toward the woman.

She moved, vanishing in a blur. Like before, she closed the distance between them in an instant.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

On the third step, she appeared at Wang Jie’s left side and reached for his arm. His gaze was still fixed forward as if he hadn’t noticed her approach. Just as her fingers were about to grasp him—he turned.

He smiled at her.

Caught off guard, her eyes widened in surprise.

In that instant, Wang Jie’s blade thrust forward at an eerie angle, aiming straight for her shoulder.

She hadn’t expected him to react in time. Instinctively, she took a fourth step—barely dodging the strike—and flowed behind him. But Wang Jie mirrored her movement, utilizing Armor Eight Steps to evade her just as she had evaded him.

She was truly shocked now.

Armor Eight Steps was a test of elite talent, something only a handful of disciples within the Armor One Sect could master within the Ten Seal Realm. Yet, here on Blue Star, someone had actually achieved it.

There was no time to dwell on the thought.

Wang Jie appeared behind her, striking out with the hilt of his sword toward her back.

It was a gamble. She had already used her fourth step—she couldn’t evade.

The strike landed cleanly.

Yet—it was like striking cotton.

Her body was unnaturally soft, absorbing the impact as if she had no bones at all.

Wang Jie exhaled. As expected, it wouldn’t be that easy.

He retreated instantly, stepping back into the third step of Armor Eight Steps, creating distance between them.

She did not pursue. Instead, she turned, looking at him with newfound curiosity.

Their movements had been so swift and precise that to the ordinary cultivators watching, it had been a blur. The only thing they had witnessed was the pair flickering about before disengaging.

But Hong Sword had seen it all.

He was astonished—not just by the miraculous footwork, but by Wang Jie’s true strength.

The Golden Hill Base had been hiding such a formidable expert, and one so young at that. Wait a moment… Wen Zhao fixed her gaze upon Wang Jie. This man looked no older than twenty. Such strength reminded her of the name at the top of the bounty list—the one who had done something earth-shattering.

She studied him deeply. “Are you truly from Blue Star?”

Wang Jie shrugged. “As real as it gets.”

“Incredible. You conceal your presence, you have mastered Armor Eight Steps, what else can you do?” Her gaze gleamed, now looking at Wang Jie differently from before—even differently than she did at Flame Four.

Wang Jie smirked. “That depends on what you can do.”

Wen Zhao nodded, a playful glint in her eyes. “Fighting me puts you at a disadvantage. Eight Seals crush Seven Seals, and not to mention, the power you cultivate—Lock Force—is the most inferior of all.”

[Lock Force? Not Seal Power?]

Wang Jie’s eyes flickered with realization. “Doesn’t matter. Protecting my homeland is everyone’s duty.”

Their gazes locked. Wen Zhao drew her sword, the blade singing as it left its sheath. “Wen Zhao of the Qingfeng Wen Clan. Please enlighten me.”

Wang Jie planted his broken blade against the earth. “Wang Jie of the Golden Hill Base. Please, enlighten me.”

The wind howled through the camp, rattling the makeshift tents. Those unable to enter the base clutched at their shelters, knowing that if the wind took them, they would have no place to sleep.

Wang Jie and Wen Zhao moved at the same time.

Blades clashed.

A sharp crack split the air. Wang Jie’s sword shattered, yet he remained unfazed, sweeping the broken edge in a ruthless arc. Wen Zhao anticipated his movement and pressed down with her sword. Another light clash sounded as she forced Wang Jie to retreat under the sheer weight of her strength.

Indeed, the gap between Eight Seals and Seven Seals was suffocating.

Wang Jie could only maneuver deftly, redirecting the force behind each of Wen Zhao’s attacks. However, he couldn’t keep this up forever. As Wen Zhao changed her sword technique, her blade became faster, lighter—forcing him to widen the distance between them.

Then, a barrage of sword strikes rained down upon him.

It was the same technique used to slay Moon Plants.

Wang Jie gripped his broken sword tightly and stabbed it into the ground. The seven currents of energy within him surged as he slammed his palm against the hilt. The energy flowed through the broken blade, multiplying into countless shattered sword phantoms that crashed into the incoming rain of steel.

The earth fractured.

The ground beneath them trembled.

Wen Zhao’s eyes widened. [Another Martial Hall combat technique? Just how many has he mastered?]

Wang Jie flipped backward. The remnants of the sword rain barely missed him, striking the thick fortress walls and scattering into the surroundings. Fortunately, Hong Sword intercepted the stray strikes.

Wen Zhao lunged forward, stepping on the hilt of his broken blade for leverage. Wang Jie met her gaze and extended a finger.

Spiral Qi Force, unleashed from a distance.

A sharp whistle pierced the air.

Wen Zhao’s pupils contracted. She instinctively executed Armor Eight Steps, narrowly dodging the strike—but even then, a lock of her hair was severed. She looked at Wang Jie, stunned. “Luo Xuan Finger? Just how many combat techniques have you learned?”

Wang Jie smirked. “Take a guess.”

He pointed again, releasing another spiraling force.

This time, Wen Zhao remained still, gripping her white sword in a reverse grip and slashing downward. The spiraling force was cleaved in two.

Wang Jie continued his assault, but Wen Zhao flicked her blade effortlessly, cutting through each attack while steadily closing the distance.

[This technique…]

Wang Jie had seen someone do this before in a Sky Projection. At the time, he had dismissed it as showing off. Now, he realized its terrifying effectiveness. By channeling energy into her blade in a seamless flow, Wen Zhao amplified the force of her strikes to their peak.

She was getting closer.

His Luo Xuan Finger posed no threat to her.

Wen Zhao’s eyes glowed with starlight. In her vision, Wang Jie’s face blurred, revealing the surging Seven Streams of energy inside him. And yet—

[How is he still so full of power?]

She was taken aback. By this point, his Lock Force should have been at least half depleted. But now, it had barely dropped by a third. He wielded his energy with greater efficiency than even the Trial Takers.

What she didn’t know was that for two years, Wang Jie had struggled to advance. Any Cataclysm Materials he acquired went straight to Four Eyes for researching treatments for Old Five and Old Nine. As a result, he rarely used those resources for himself, forcing him to master energy conservation.

Two years of relentless restraint.

In an era of apocalypse, who else would dare to do such a thing? Not even the Three Gods or the Five Extremes—they had an endless supply of resources to replenish their power. Even Hong Sword, in his fight against the Mutated Eagle, had burned himself out in a single grand attack.

That was something Wang Jie would never allow to happen to himself.

Wen Zhao tightened her grip on her sword. There was no point in prolonging this. If they continued, she had no idea how long this duel would drag on.

She bent her knees, holding her sword horizontally.

Then, she dashed forward.

Armor Eight Steps.

Three steps through the air, her figure flickering.

Wang Jie’s eyes sharpened. [Here it comes.]

A flash of white light streaked before him. He executed Armor Eight Steps as well, barely dodging her strike. But then, she took a fourth step.

He had already taken three. He had nowhere left to dodge.

A blade descended from above.

White Sword Edge Descends.

Even from within the base, people saw the blinding sword light piercing the heavens, expanding as though the sword itself had grown a hundredfold, cleaving everything before it.

This sword strike engulfed the surroundings. Without Armor Eight Steps, escape was impossible.

The air itself thickened.

Wang Jie exhaled slowly, watching the waterfall of sword energy descend.

Now.

He snapped his fingers.

Pa!

In the sky, above the sword light, a colossal finger emerged, piercing through the clouds as it fell.

Simultaneously, another massive finger burst forth from the earth.

The two fingers, one above and one below, pressed toward the void in unison.

Wen Zhao’s expression changed drastically. [What is this?!]

A crushing force seized her. The finger beneath her feet dragged her upward, while the one above shattered the sword light, its cracks spreading along the length of her white blade.

The battle was far from over.

This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation

[Story Wiki]

[Table of Content]

[Previous Chapter]

[Next Chapter]