Chapter 29: The Bridging Technique
The Insect Tide surged forward once more.
The vast lake had only bought them a momentary respite; it was never meant to halt the endless swarm.
“Be careful,” warned Wen Zhao.
Wang Jie turned just in time to see a streak of yellow light—a mutated wasp with the power of an Eight-Seal Insect.
Wen Zhao scanned their surroundings. “Five Eight-Seal Insects have encircled us. That brat, Insect Ruo Ruo, has managed to control this many?”
“How do you know it’s five?” Zuo Tian questioned suddenly.
A dense wave of wasps flooded toward them. From behind him, a sharp stinger ripped through the air, aiming straight for the back of his skull.
There was no way to dodge—the attack was too fast. But in that moment, his shadow came to life, moving like a ghost to intercept the strike, saving him.
Even Wen Zhao was momentarily shocked. [His shadow… moved?]
The deflected stinger, whether by chance or fate, shot toward Wang Jie.
With a swift kick, he knocked it aside. But then, from beneath the earth, a massive black scorpion erupted, its venomous tail slicing through the air in a wide arc. The ominous dark-green hue on the stinger screamed of deadly poison.
Wen Zhao leapt away using Armor Eight Steps.
Wang Jie followed suit, executing the same technique.
Only Zuo Tian remained within the scorpion’s attack range. He didn’t know Armor Eight Steps.
As if sensing weakness, the wasps swarmed downward, blotting out the sky.
“Let’s go.” Wang Jie turned and sprinted in another direction.
Wen Zhao hesitated briefly but followed. She knew Wang Jie had a deep grudge against Zuo Tian. The only reason he brought him along was to ensure his death.
All that talk of unity, of fighting a common enemy—meaningless.
In this ruthless apocalyptic era, survival was secondary. The only thing that mattered was ensuring one’s enemies perished first.
And that was true not just for Wang Jie, but for Zuo Tian as well.
Armor Eight Steps was a combat technique meant for short bursts of evasive movement—it couldn’t be sustained indefinitely. Though both Wang Jie and Wen Zhao possessed other movement techniques, they still couldn’t escape the Insect Tide completely. They could only avoid being surrounded for as long as possible.
“Over there!”
“That way? Toward Upper Capital City?”
Wang Jie’s eyes flashed. “What do you think happens when insects and mutated beasts collide?”
Wen Zhao immediately understood.
Since they couldn’t wear down the Insect Tide themselves, nor could they afford to let Upper Capital City bear the burden, their only option was to lure the swarm toward mutated creatures.
Right now, they were still within the Safe Zone.
Next step: the Danger Zone.
Behind them, the swarm raged forward. The Eight-Seal Insects pursued relentlessly. The sky, the ground—no place was free of their presence.
As time passed, their Seal Power drained. Even replenishing it while fleeing wasn’t enough.
They had assumed nightfall would bring even more insects. But they had forgotten—
Night belonged to the mutated plants.
The most powerful of them only bloomed in the dark. It was an eerie phenomenon, yet a constant truth.
As dusk descended, Wang Jie and Wen Zhao finally crossed into the Danger Zone.
The moment darkness took hold, towering mutated plants burst from the ground, engaging the Insect Tide in fierce battle. From time to time, bestial roars echoed through the night.
Wang Jie and Wen Zhao took refuge in an abandoned high-rise, crouching low and concealing their auras.
They locked eyes.
“So, you also know the Breath-Concealment Method,” Wen Zhao murmured.
Wang Jie peered out the window, watching as the Insect Tide split apart, searching for them in every direction. “During the day, we couldn’t escape their sight. But night changes everything. Especially in skyscrapers—the higher we go, the less likely insects will reach us.”
“You’re underestimating Insect Ruo Ruo.”
“And you’re underestimating the Danger Zone. In ten years, Hua Xia has only managed to establish five bases. Despite constantly expanding the Safe Zones, they remain small. The mutated plants play a massive role in that. They’ll help thin out a large portion of the swarm.”
Wen Zhao didn’t argue. Instead, she retrieved a pouch of Cataclysm Materials and handed it to Wang Jie.
He accepted it without hesitation. “Thanks.”
“No, I should be thanking you. Without you, I’d have already fallen into her hands.”
“She wouldn’t have killed you.”
“Perhaps. But it wouldn’t have been pleasant.”
Maintaining his Breath-Concealment, Wang Jie absorbed Seal Power without a single trace of it leaking. Wen Zhao, watching closely, grew more astonished.
“This isn’t just any Breath-Concealment Method. This is Toad Breath, one of the Eighteen Ultimate Techniques. How do you know so many combat techniques?”
“Is that a lot?” Wang Jie had no intention of explaining. So this was called Toad Breath?
He recalled watching a projection as a child—a man crouching motionless, almost like playing a game. Naturally, he had tried imitating it. His talent wasn’t bad. He had succeeded.
This technique didn’t just conceal one’s cultivation level—it also prevented leakage when absorbing Seal Power. Extremely practical.
Wen Zhao scrutinized him deeply. “Sometimes, I wonder if you’re really a native… or if you’re actually a special disciple of some sect.”
“Special disciple?” Wang Jie asked, intrigued.
Wen Zhao nodded but suddenly stood up. “We need to move. Insects are coming.”
Wang Jie followed as they shifted to a lower floor.
“Your way of observing things is interesting. I only sensed three Eight-Seal Insects before, but you immediately identified five. Is that the Bridging Technique you mentioned?”
“That’s right.”
“What exactly is the Bridging Technique?”
Wen Zhao glanced up at the starry sky. “If you ever leave this planet, you’ll understand. Right now, it would make no sense to you.”
Wang Jie no longer asked questions.
Not long after, the entire building trembled. The Insect Tide was dismantling it.
Wen Zhao frowned. “Insect Ruo Ruo isn’t stupid. She knows how to force us out.”
Wang Jie rubbed his temples. “How can something like the Heavenly Insect People even exist? She’s clearly an Eight Seal cultivator like us, yet she can control an entire swarm. There are already multiple Eight Seal insects under her command. This defies all logic.”
“The universe cares nothing for logic.” Wen Zhao rose to her feet. It was time to move again.
They had been evading the Insect Tide nonstop.
Meanwhile, Insect Ruo Ruo decided to sleep. Staying up late was bad for her skin. But before drifting off, she ordered the complete destruction of every high-rise in the area. Let’s see where they could hide now.
[Little Zhao, you’re dead for sure.]
[And that vile man too.]
As the horizon lightened with the first signs of dawn, Wang Jie nudged Wen Zhao awake. “Time to go.” She had kept watch for most of the night—only she had the ability to detect the approach of the Insect Tide. Wang Jie had taken over an hour ago, but dawn was near. Even if they were discovered now, it wouldn’t matter as much.
Still, he hadn’t slept well. The collapsing buildings forced them to change hiding spots three times, narrowly avoiding detection each time.
Now, with no darkness to shield them, they had to flee once again.
Wen Zhao stood up, retrieving fresh water from her storage ring. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and then, with her back to Wang Jie, donned a clean, thin veil.
Wang Jie… remained silent.
Then—
With a loud crash, they shattered a window and burst out, making their escape.
Insect Ruo Ruo spotted them instantly, jumping up in anger. “There! Little ones, chase them!”
The sky darkened as countless insects surged after them.
With the Insect Tide’s departure, the area they left behind was utterly cleansed. Dangerous mutated plants were wiped out in the night, and even the mutated beasts retreated in fear. None dared to provoke the swarm.
Since they were already running, Wang Jie figured—why not lead the swarm in circles and use them to clear out the perilous zones surrounding Upper Capital City?
Along the way, they scavenged Cataclysm Materials as they fled, gradually refining their efficiency. The materials they couldn’t grab now could always be retrieved later. After all, no one else was crazy enough to compete with them.
Who in Upper Capital City would dare to step outside?
Not everyone had the strength to survive an escape through the Insect Tide.
For three consecutive days, they fled, gradually adapting to the rhythm.
Both Wang Jie and Wen Zhao were among the strongest cultivators of Blue Star. The Insect Tide was vast, and it had multiple Eight Seal insects. But it wasn’t enough to kill them outright. On the contrary, they were learning to maneuver around its encirclement.
Wen Zhao’s Bridging Technique ensured they never fell into a true dead end and always had places to rest.
Even Insect Ruo Ruo, despite her growing frustration, couldn’t immediately put an end to them. Furious, she kept adding more insects to the hunt.
But their location was the Danger Zone, and with the increase in the Insect Tide’s numbers, other mutated creatures joined the fray. Battles erupted everywhere.
Back in Upper Capital City, cultivators began to notice the strange movements of the swarm.
It was circling the city, conveniently cleansing the surrounding Danger Zones.
It looked like—
Someone was walking a dog.
After another two days, Wang Jie advanced his Armor Eight Steps to the sixth step.
Nothing was more effective than real combat.
Wen Zhao had also stepped into the sixth step. And she was edging closer to the Nine Seals realm.
[How long has it even been?]
As one of the first batch of Trial Participants, they had advanced from Seven Seal to Eight Seal, and now Wen Zhao was already approaching Nine Seal. Wang Jie finally understood why the Armor One Sect had arranged for different waves of trial participants to arrive separately.
It was the only way to keep things somewhat fair.
By the time the third batch descended, Wen Zhao wouldn’t be lagging behind anyone.
“Now,” she suddenly said, “begin the Eighth Set of Beginner’s Calisthenics.”
Wang Jie froze. Stunned. “Now? Already?”
Above them, the sky teemed with insects.
Wen Zhao’s sword slashed outward—sharper, more formidable than before.
“Uh… can you hold them off for a bit? I need to exercise.”
Wen Zhao snapped her gaze toward him, dumbfounded. “What?”
“One, two, three, four—”
He had already started.
Wen Zhao stood there, bewildered.
A massive black scorpion lunged forward, its venomous stinger stabbing downward with terrifying force.
“Wang Jie, have you lost your mind?! Why are you exercising now? Even if you’re about to break through, this is NOT the time!”
She moved swiftly to intercept, eyes widening as a butterfly-like insect descended toward Wang Jie. Gritting her teeth, she activated Armor Eight Steps, maneuvering around him while her blade met the incoming foes.
Sweat dripped from Wang Jie’s forehead. He didn’t want to be doing this either. But if he didn’t, his Wrist Guard might very well consume him.
Eyes shut tight, he ignored everything else. Not only did he have to complete the routine, but he also had to absorb Cataclysm Materials at the same time.
Wen Zhao’s heart sank. She roared, “Wang Jie!”
He didn’t respond.
She was sorely tempted to abandon him. But escape wasn’t an option—not without Wang Jie’s coordination. Without him, she couldn’t carve a path through the swarm.
She didn’t even have time to collect the fallen Cataclysm Materials.
From a distance, Insect Ruo Ruo watched in shock.
[What is that vile man doing? Some kind of sinister ritual?]
She immediately grew cautious.
Wen Zhao’s pupils flickered with strange light. In her vision, the insects disappeared, replaced by streams of energy—this was her Bridging Technique at work. She ignored the weak presences entirely, locking onto true threats.
To outsiders, it looked surreal.
Five Seal insects struck her, but she didn’t react—because in her perception, they didn’t even exist. Instead, her sword found its mark, cleaving into the massive black scorpion.
The force of the impact sent Wen Zhao staggering back, blood spraying from her lips, but the scorpion’s tail had been severed. It reeled, severely wounded.
She discarded everything—her sense of self, her pain. Her sword flashed toward another Eight Seal insect. The others swarmed her, their strikes tearing through her body. Her veil slipped away, revealing her face. Poisonous fluids corroded her skin, exposing bone beneath.
Armor Eight Steps had reached its limit. Around her, insect corpses piled layer upon layer.
Despite it all, she stood her ground, protecting Wang Jie.
Among the bodies lay the carcass of that massive scorpion.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation