Chapter 22: Breakthrough

No one could withstand the relentless refinement using Seven-Seal Cataclysm Materials. Even in the era of the Three Gods and Five Extremes, such extravagance was unheard of.

Now, every member of the Blue Star Hunting Team had reached the Seven-Seal Level. If this were to spread, it would send shockwaves across the world.

Of course, this was largely due to their small numbers. Outside, beyond the rule of the Three Gods and Five Extremes, many had already reached the Seven-Seal Stage as well. After all, in the ten years following the period of transformation, cultivation speeds had drastically increased.

Wang Jie strolled slowly along the riverbank, his gaze fixed on the dark shadows writhing beneath the water’s surface—snakes, and massive ones at that. Among them were several Six-Seal and even Seven-Seal Mutated Serpents.

The battle power detector pulsed with erratic signals, its constant warnings keeping him alert.

“Boss, let’s lure them out one by one and kill them. Who knows how many there really are in there?” Old Nine suggested.

“The detector can’t differentiate?”

Wang Jie shook his head. “It only measures combat strength. The numbers are fluctuating too wildly to tell how many opponents there are.”

He decided to follow Old Nine’s advice. Even if there were many, with four Seven-Seal cultivators, they were more than capable of handling the threat.

Just as they were about to take action, a fiery streak blazed across the sky. Wang Jie’s eyes flickered—what was that?

Not far away, Wen Zhao lifted her head, her expression turning grave. The second batch of Trial Takers had arrived. Someone had broken through to the Eight-Seal Level.

Across Hua Xia, countless eyes turned skyward in shock.

In Upper Capital City, Bai Yuan’s face darkened. “So, someone finally lost patience and advanced… Who is it?”

At Heavenly Prefecture Base, Zuo Tian furrowed his brows. He had only just broken through—who dared to expose their Eight-Seal cultivation so recklessly?

Streaks of fire cut across the heavens, far fewer than the first descent, yet this time, they were concentrated in the East.

The first wave of Trial Takers had included many unfortunate souls who had been cast into the sea, doomed to die before ever encountering a Blue Star Human. But this second wave was different.

The five major bases were thrown into chaos.

Countless cultivators searched in fury—who had broken through to Eight-Seal, thus summoning the Second Wave of Trial Takers?

Then, the details were revealed.

Thirty-two individuals.

All at the Eight-Seal Level.

Silence fell.

At the same level, Trial Takers were already stronger than Blue Star cultivators. Now, with a whole realm’s advantage, who could possibly stop them?

Zuo Tian issued an urgent decree—all cultivators must break through to Eight-Seal as soon as possible to resist the Second Wave of Trial Takers.

He also ordered that all Cataclysm Materials be prioritized for those at the Seven-Seal Level, accelerating their advancement.

At the same time, across Hua Xia, Seal Power erupted, spreading outward from key locations in waves of force.

Wen Zhao found Wang Jie and his team. “The Third Transformation is beginning.”

Old Five was startled. “There’s a Third Transformation?”

Wen Zhao explained, “The Trial exists to select the best of the best. With the Second Wave of Trial Takers now present, the role of Blue Star cultivators has shifted—to serve as stepping stones. The true enemies of the Trial Takers are Mutated Beasts. Hunting them is both the test and the reward.”

“That means the Mutated Beasts will undergo a Third Transformation to better match the strength of the Trial Takers.”

Wang Jie’s expression darkened. Every step of this Trial was meticulously planned. If things had gone as expected, the First Wave of Trial Takers should have been able to dominate all of Hua Xia within a short span. If not for his interference, Golden Hill Base would have fallen under the rule of Flame Four or Wen Zhao, just as other bases had their own rulers chosen for them.

The Trial Takers had underestimated the resilience of the Blue Star cultivators, leading to an incomplete conquest. And now, with a breakthrough triggering the arrival of the Second Wave, the situation had escalated.

Above them, a blazing meteor streaked toward Upper Capital City.

Without hesitation, Wang Jie led his team aboard their aircraft, heading straight back.

In Upper Capital City, all eyes were fixed on the incoming meteor, their gazes filled with dread. A Trial Taker was landing nearby.

The fiery streak cut across the city skyline before crashing southward.

With a thunderous explosion, the earth shattered, dust and debris filling the air.

Bai Yuan’s figure flashed as he leaped onto the city walls, then shot toward the impact site.

Upon arrival, he saw a man emerging from the smoke, his face shadowed yet unmistakably amused. Their gazes met. The newcomer smirked.

“A native? You’ve got guts to come find me. You must be decent.”

Bai Yuan stood a thousand meters away, feeling the oppressive heat radiating from the man. The sheer pressure of an Eight-Seal cultivator bore down upon him.

“Would you be willing to tell me what your next move is?” Bai Yuan asked.

The man glanced past Bai Yuan, eyeing the vast expanse of Upper Capital Base. “This place is mine now.”

Bai Yuan sighed. “I see… Compared to the First Wave, you lot are far more direct.”

The man turned his gaze back to Bai Yuan. “You’re worthy of becoming my follower.”

To the east, the aircraft landed. Wang Jie and his group arrived but did not immediately disembark. They watched the tense confrontation unfold.

“You know him?” Wang Jie asked.

Wen Zhao shook her head.

More cultivators approached from behind, among them Older Sister Tang. Meanwhile, drones from Upper Capital Base had already taken flight, transmitting the confrontation back to the city.

Bai Yuan lifted his arm, and from his sleeve, a sword slid into his grasp. He raised it, its tip pointing at the Trial Taker.

“Can we negotiate?” Bai Yuan’s voice was calm. “Leave the city alone.”

The man’s brow furrowed. “You dare point a sword at me? You’re already dead.”

As he spoke, his clothes billowed without wind, his hair rising as if charged with energy. In a single step, he lunged forward, shattering the ground beneath him. With his second step, a terrifying force erupted, resembling a ferocious tiger leaping down a mountain, distorting the very air around him. With his third step, the sky itself seemed to bear down, filling the space with a suffocating pressure.

Then came a thunderous roar, sending shockwaves radiating outward.

All the drones were shattered.
The light screen of the Upper Capital City Base went completely dark.

Countless individuals within the base heard that furious roar. Even the sky dimmed.

Bai Yuan tightened his grip on his sword. He lifted his gaze—and slashed.

A cold gleam flickered.

The turbulent air stilled in an instant.

Bai Yuan stood unmoving, sword firmly in hand. Before him, the man staring at him had already been split in two.

Inside the aircraft, Wang Jie’s pupils shrank.

What incredible speed.

No one had expected that an Eight-Seal Trial Taker would be cleaved in half by Bai Yuan’s single strike.

After such a grand commotion, they had assumed an all-out assault on the entire Upper Capital City Base was imminent—yet that was it?

Bai Yuan sheathed his sword, turned, and walked away.

Old Five and the others stared in awe.

“This… this is too incredible.”

Even Wen Zhao hadn’t anticipated Bai Yuan’s sheer strength. She couldn’t help but glance toward Wang Jie.

Wang Jie met her gaze.

“The Trial Taker was careless,” Wang Jie remarked, “but the gap in strength was real. Even if he hadn’t been careless, Bai Yuan would’ve only needed a second strike.”

Wen Zhao nodded in agreement. “That guy wasn’t the strongest among the second batch of Trial Takers, but he also wasn’t someone a Seven-Seal native should’ve been able to kill in one stroke. The combat technique Bai Yuan cultivates is no ordinary skill. It might even be a secret art from Armor One Sect.”

Qing Zheng marveled, “No wonder he’s recognized as the strongest among the Three Gods and Five Extremes. That strike… was ruthless.”

Wang Jie sighed. “Now, I truly believe that even among the second batch of Trial Takers, there may not be anyone stronger than you.”

That man, for all his overwhelming momentum, wasn’t even on Wen Zhao’s level.

The aircraft activated once more, continuing its return journey.

They had to investigate who had broken through to the Eight-Seal level and triggered the arrival of the second batch of Trial Takers. Otherwise, this kind of situation would continue. No one would consider the bigger picture. But right now, the more pressing issue was ensuring that every major base had a powerful figure stationed within it—otherwise, they would become easy targets.

Once more, they arrived at the river.

However, the approach had changed.

Wang Jie stood by the riverbank, his Seal Power surging. On his abdomen, an imprint emerged.

This was the Eighth Seal.

He had broken through.

From a distance, Wen Zhao watched him intently.

She was curious—just how strong had Wang Jie become after reaching the Eighth Seal?

Wang Jie himself was curious. His breakthrough made his body feel different, his Seal Power significantly stronger.

Then… he would test it.

Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers.

From the sky, an enormous finger descended.

From the riverbed, another massive finger rose.

Like a giant stepping forth from the void, the two fingers came together, crushing the river in between.

Qing Zheng and the others gawked, mouths agape.

“Whose fingers are that huge?!”

Wen Zhao narrowed her eyes. This was the second time she had witnessed it.

She had personally experienced it before—that absolute suppression had nearly cost her life.

And she was no ordinary cultivator. She was from the Wen Clan, one of the Three Great Families of Armor One Sect. She could freely enter the Martial Hall, had mastered numerous combat techniques, and even possessed the Bridge-On Law. Yet even with all that, she had been utterly overwhelmed.

This finger technique was unparalleled.

The river was severed by the two colossal fingers. The mutated serpents lurking beneath were completely annihilated. Before the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger, they were like mere ants.

The strike even altered the river’s course, momentarily halting its flow.

“Gather the materials,” Wang Jie reminded them.

Snapped from their daze, Old Five and the others rushed into the riverbed to retrieve the Cataclysm Materials left behind by the slain serpents.

“You promised to teach me,” Wen Zhao’s voice drifted over.

Wang Jie exhaled. His Seal Power was nearly half-depleted—but compared to before, the expenditure was much lower, and his control had vastly improved. The breakthrough had indeed been beneficial. Still, the efficiency was also tied to his calisthenics training.

“Of course. But first, you need to learn the Luo Xuan Finger.”

Wen Zhao frowned. “I already know the Luo Xuan Finger. What was the technique you just used?”

“The Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger.”

Wen Zhao’s eyes widened. That name… it sounded familiar. Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger…

Wait.

She remembered.

Her gaze locked onto Wang Jie. “Did you just say… the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger?”

Wang Jie turned. “That’s right. Have you heard of it?”

“That’s impossible. The Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger has been lost for centuries. How could you possibly know it?”

“Lost? Armor One Sect doesn’t have it?”

“We did. Once.” Wen Zhao’s tone was grim. “It was an exceedingly difficult technique. According to records, the last person in Armor One Sect to master it perished thousands of years ago. After that, no one in the sect could cultivate it. Where did you learn it?”

Wang Jie pointed to the sky.

Wen Zhao followed his gesture, eyes narrowing at the projection of the Martial Hall.

The Martial Hall? Of course. That senior must have left an imprint there. But could someone really master the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger just by observing an imprint?

Impossible.

She looked back at Wang Jie. His expression was calm, unperturbed. She had no words to refute him.

If not from the Martial Hall, then where else could he have learned it?

The Armor One Sect had always kept a close watch on Blue Star.

Wang Jie smiled. “No need to overthink it. If I can teach you, then you can learn it too.”

Wen Zhao smiled bitterly. If only it were that simple. Even the elite prodigies of her sect had failed to grasp it.

Still, a single use of the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger had yielded a bounty of Cataclysm Materials.

“Boss, if we continue hunting like this for a few more days, our hunting team’s ranking will skyrocket.”

Wang Jie nodded. “These materials should be enough to push you all to the Eighth Seal.”

“The third batch of Trial Takers won’t arrive so soon. Even if they amass enough materials, it still takes time to break through to the Ninth Seal. How long do you estimate that will take?”

Wen Zhao thought for a moment. “Before the Star-Breaking Realm, cultivation isn’t too difficult. Some are born with Star-Breaking level combat power, and those with exceptional talent can reach the Tenth Seal in one step, even if born as ordinary mortals.”

“I used to doubt such people existed on Blue Star, but after meeting you and Bai Yuan, I can no longer underestimate this place.”

Wang Jie nodded. “Then let’s move faster.”

This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation

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