Chapter 30: What Is He Doing?
Wang Jie finally completed his calisthenics routine, though his eyes remained closed. He was well aware of what had transpired.
Seeing Wen Zhao barely able to stand, he stepped forward in an instant, catching her in his arms. With a firm grip on the sword in her hand, he swung it in a sweeping arc.
Seal Power surged through his body, unleashing a terrifying force. The sword cleaved through the air, leaving visible cracks in its wake. The sheer might of the slash formed a circular wave of destruction, sweeping across a radius of a thousand meters.
Where the sword light passed, two Eight Seal Insects and countless other creatures were instantly slaughtered. Even Insect Ruo Ruo was startled—such formidable sword energy!
Wen Zhao, exhausted, barely managed to whisper, “Go.”
Without hesitation, Wang Jie leaped into the air, carrying her as they fled into the distance.
Back at the scene, Insect Ruo Ruo watched them escape but quickly regained her composure. “Keep pursuing them!”
The Insect Tide was endless. They would not stop until their prey was completely drained of strength.
Wang Jie carried Wen Zhao for several hours, only relaxing when night fell.
They hid in an underground shelter. As soon as they landed, Wen Zhao shoved Wang Jie away, glaring at him with anger.
Wang Jie sighed helplessly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
Pale-faced, Wen Zhao took out a healing salve and began applying it to her wounds.
“Need my help?”
“Scram.”
Knowing he was at fault, Wang Jie backed away and simply watched her in silence.
Wen Zhao shot him a cold stare. “Turn around. Close your eyes.”
Wang Jie obediently complied.
After some time, she finished tending to her injuries and sat down cautiously, avoiding the wall—her wounds hurt too much.
“Are you insane?”
Wang Jie chuckled sheepishly. “Yeah. I promise I won’t do it next time.”
She had no words for him. Recalling how this fool had sent someone a marriage proposal letter, she suddenly found his previous behavior somewhat understandable. It wasn’t worth arguing over anymore.
“Thank you,” Wang Jie said sincerely.
Wen Zhao remained silent. Ever since she started traveling with him, he had pushed her to the point of cursing—something she had never done before. This bastard was just too infuriating.
Wang Jie exhaled, rubbing his wrist guard. This was all that fool’s fault.
However, his calisthenics routine had consumed a massive amount of Seal Power, converting it into strength. His power had now increased fourfold compared to when he had first arrived at Upper Capital City. That was why his previous strike had been so overwhelming. It wasn’t a sword technique—just raw strength and Seal Power combined into a slash.
He had grown significantly stronger.
If not for being chased by the Insect Tide, he wouldn’t have obtained so many Cataclysm Materials.
And he could still gain more.
“We should counterattack,” Wang Jie suddenly said.
Wen Zhao remained silent, resting with her eyes closed.
Wang Jie glanced at her. “That centipede is troublesome. It’s strong—comparable to the Moon Plant outside Golden Hill Base. But we aren’t weak either. By the way, what’s Insect Ruo Ruo’s combat strength like?”
Wen Zhao opened her eyes, her expression now calm. “Very weak.”
Wang Jie nodded. “So, we just need to get close to her, right?”
Wen Zhao replied, “The Heavenly Insect People are their own weakness. That’s why they protect themselves so well—it’s not that easy to catch them. Insect Ruo Ruo’s specialty is Armor Eight Steps.”
“Actually, every Heavenly Insect Person is required to master Armor Eight Steps. She can take seven steps.”
Wang Jie frowned. “One step faster than us? That’s troublesome.”
With that centipede around, if Insect Ruo Ruo was even a single step faster, there was no way they could catch her.
Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger was a deadly move. Wen Zhao had warned him not to kill Insect Ruo Ruo. While Wang Jie was ruthless in battle, he wasn’t reckless. If Insect Ruo Ruo died, the entirety of Blue Star would suffer. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t use a killing technique.
Wen Zhao rested.
Their underground shelter was fully sealed. Under normal circumstances, hiding in such a place was a bad idea—it was easy to get surrounded. But they had no choice. Insect Ruo Ruo had grown cunning, destroying any tall buildings along their escape route to prevent them from hiding.
Being discovered was only a matter of time. But Wen Zhao needed rest.
Fortunately, they still had a Battle Power Detector. As long as no Eight Seal Insects approached, Wang Jie could fight his way out even if they were surrounded.
That night, Wen Zhao slept deeply. She was utterly exhausted.
Beep, beep, beep!
The Battle Power Detector blared an alarm.
Wen Zhao’s eyes snapped open. “We move.”
Wang Jie reached out to support her, but she refused. Only then did he notice her wounds had already begun to scab over—healing at an astonishing speed.
“Lend me your sword for a moment.”
Wen Zhao handed it over.
Wang Jie grasped the hilt and slowly exhaled, recalling a sword technique he had once seen in a sky projection. He had never been fond of swordplay—it was too flashy. The flashier a move, the less practical it felt. He preferred efficiency. What if the sword broke mid-fight?
Still, disliking it didn’t mean he couldn’t use it.
He had seen one sword technique that was the flashiest of them all.
Slightly crouching, he positioned the sword behind him, gripping the hilt tightly, head lowered.
Wen Zhao, watching his stance, seemed to recognize something. Was this… Sword-Drawing Technique?
Seal Power flowed along his arm, spiraling onto the blade.
He compressed his energy to its limit—then in a flash, lifted his head and unsheathed the blade in a single, devastating slash.
An incomparably sharp sword energy burst forth from below, splitting the ground in two. A towering five-story building above them was bisected in an instant. The aftershock of the strike surged into the sky, slicing through the swarm of sky-darkening insects, allowing a sliver of sunlight to pierce through.
With that single slash, the sword shattered, unable to withstand the force.
Wang Jie hadn’t expected the blade to be so fragile. “We need to go.”
Wen Zhao hurriedly followed.
As they burst through the surface, Wang Jie instinctively grabbed a strand of spider silk—a Cataclysm Material from an Eight Seal Spider. The creature had been slain in his previous slash.
The Insect Tide surged toward them once more.
Wang Jie moved faster, his strikes fiercer, each blow imbued with newfound strength. His sudden surge in power was undeniable.
Not just Wen Zhao— even Insect Ruo Ruo noticed it.
[How did he grow even stronger? He’s still only at Eight Seals!]
Wang Jie abruptly turned to Insect Ruo Ruo, making a slashing gesture across his throat.
A chill ran down her spine before rage overtook her. She shouted, “Native, you dare threaten me? You dare threaten a Heavenly Insect Person? You’re dead! No one can save you now, you filthy native!”
Wang Jie burst into laughter. “Little bug, just wait until I catch you.”
With that, he thrust a finger forward. A spiraling qi force, now twice as powerful as before, surged forth, tearing through the swarm of insects blocking his path. Seizing the opening, he grabbed Wen Zhao and made their escape.
Behind them, the massive centipede reared its upper body, hissing ominously.
Insect Ruo Ruo’s delicate face flushed with fury. She commanded more insects— as many as possible. This man was even more infuriating than little Zhao’er!
In the northeastern sector of the Upper Capital City Base, the safe zone had expanded by dozens of kilometers. Wang Jie wanted to clear the entire perimeter, but the area was too vast, forcing him to turn back along the same route.
His primary goal was still the Cataclysm Materials.
Only two of Insect Ruo Ruo’s Eight-Seal insects remained under her control— excluding that monstrous centipede.
Days later, during their escape, Wen Zhao suddenly reminded Wang Jie, “It’s time for your exercises.”
He glanced at her. “How do you even know that?”
Wen Zhao’s tone was grave. “I don’t care why you suddenly need to do this, but confirm the time. I don’t want to die because of it.”
“It’s set. Should be tomorrow afternoon.”
“Then we need a place.”
“That lake we passed before should work.”
Wen Zhao considered it, then nodded.
The lake still had many mutated creatures, and its waters provided visibility to spot threats.
Wang Jie was also curious about something— whether Zuo Tian was still alive.
The next afternoon, they arrived at the spot where Zuo Tian had been overwhelmed by insects. Only a bloodstain remained— nothing else.
Wang Jie silently gathered the nearby Cataclysm Materials, his expression unreadable.
[Zuo Tian is alive.] He was certain of it.
Through their battles with Insect Ruo Ruo, they had learned she was not inherently cruel. She merely wanted to suppress Wen Zhao, but she hadn’t displayed true murderous intent. If she had truly killed Zuo Tian, there would have been a corpse— she wouldn’t have left his body to be devoured by the swarm.
With no corpse in sight, there was only one explanation—
Insect Ruo Ruo had let him go.
Shaking off his thoughts, Wang Jie caught sight of the lake and leaped to the central islet.
The pavilion that once stood there had completely vanished.
“When?”
“No idea.”
Wen Zhao studied Wang Jie. “You really have no control over this exercise routine, do you?”
Wang Jie didn’t deny it. “Is this kind of thing common in the universe?”
Wen Zhao averted her gaze. “I wouldn’t know.”
In the distance, the Insect Tide loomed, a dark wave crawling toward them.
“If it doesn’t start in five minutes, we run,” Wen Zhao declared. Then she hesitated before adding, “This time, we split up.”
Wang Jie nodded. There was no reason for her to risk herself for him again.
Though several Eight-Seal insects had been slain, that monstrous centipede remained, and the Insect Tide was still a massive threat.
Two minutes later, the familiar voice echoed in his ears.
Wang Jie let out a breath of relief and began his Beginner’s Calisthenics.
Wen Zhao exhaled as well.
Though she wouldn’t admit it, she had no intention of abandoning Wang Jie. He wasn’t a bad person.
From afar, Insect Ruo Ruo watched, her pretty face blank with confusion. “What’s he doing?”
Wen Zhao’s voice was calm. “Exercising.”
Insect Ruo Ruo: “?? I don’t believe you. What are you two up to? What is he actually doing?”
Wen Zhao repeated, “A ritual.”
Insect Ruo Ruo: …
From all directions, the Insect Tide surged forward again. This time, however, Insect Ruo Ruo wore a smug expression.
She gestured dramatically toward Wen Zhao, showcasing her latest acquisitions— two newly controlled Eight-Seal insects.
Wen Zhao’s expression darkened.
“Did you really think you two were the only ones improving?” Insect Ruo Ruo smirked. “Hmph, I’ve been advancing as well. Not only have I absorbed Lock Force, but I’m close to reaching Nine Seals. And, I control even more insects now.”
With a wave of her hand, she issued the command—
“Attack.”
From the sky and ground, four Eight-Seal insects lunged toward Wen Zhao. Meanwhile, the monstrous centipede charged toward the lake.
Wang Jie continued his calisthenics, absorbing Seal Power, while observing the battlefield. The Heaven Stone had greatly accelerated the evolution of mutated creatures— be they insects, plants, or beasts.
Had they not been leading the Insect Tide into dangerous zones to battle other mutated creatures, Insect Ruo Ruo’s forces could have easily controlled over ten Eight-Seal insects by now— perhaps even more.
As it stood, this was a manageable threat.
“Wait,” Wen Zhao suddenly spoke up.
Insect Ruo Ruo sneered. “Little Zhao’er, don’t think you can stall for time again.”
Wen Zhao gazed at her intently. “The three great families of Armor One Sect are closely connected. Do you know why Xiao Hui has never accepted your affections?”
The Insect Tide halted.
Insect Ruo Ruo’s expression darkened. “Because you keep getting in the way.”
“It has nothing to do with me,” Wen Zhao said evenly. “Someone else has already taken a place in his heart. I didn’t want to say anything. I made a promise to that person. But now, I no longer have a choice.”
Wang Jie saw through it immediately— Wen Zhao was stalling for time.
So did Insect Ruo Ruo.
But between the answer and the delay, Insect Ruo Ruo chose the answer.
“Who?”
“If I tell you, will you let us go?”
“Fine. But it had better be the truth.”
Wen Zhao glanced at Wang Jie— [How is he still not finished?]
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation