Chapter 33: Will You Make a Move?
Wen Zhao cast a glance at Wang Jie. In her understanding, no one on Blue Star could oppose Yun Lai—not even the other trial participants. Even the final batch of Ten-Seal trial participants might not be able to stop him. Only Wang Jie stood a chance, for his Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger was powerful enough.
As long as Wang Jie broke through the Nine-Seal boundary and continued his rapid ascent in strength, a confrontation with Yun Lai was not impossible. Yet, the outside world remained unaware of his true power. Few had considered his potential.
While Yun Lai could observe the trials from within the sect, he was never privy to everything, especially techniques like the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger, which the sect would undoubtedly conceal. Perhaps Yun Lai still had no idea about Wang Jie’s true capabilities.
“There is another pressing issue,” Wang Jie said, turning his gaze toward Bai Yuan and the others. “The arrival of the third batch of trial participants means the mutated creatures will undergo another transformation tonight, and the number of Nine-Seal entities will increase dramatically.”
Bai Yuan furrowed his brows. “Upper Capital City Base has fared much better due to the Insect Tide, which forced an expansion of the safe zone. But the other bases…”
“Especially Golden Hill Base and Heavenly Prefecture Base,” Older Sister Tang interjected. “Hong Jian is still unconscious, Li Xiang is dead, and Zuo Tian’s fate remains unknown. The city walls have also been breached. Those two bases are in grave danger.”
She glanced at Wang Jie as she spoke. Li Xiang had perished at Wang Jie’s hands, and Zuo Tian’s life was uncertain because of him as well.
Wang Jie responded calmly, “We will head to Golden Hill Base and eliminate as many mutated creatures as possible.”
Bai Yuan exchanged looks with Wen Zhao before nodding in agreement.
At this moment, analyzing Wen Zhao’s power was pointless. The priority was ensuring the safety of the bases. Wen Zhao had no qualms about her abilities being scrutinized. After all, she had willingly returned after defeating Insect Ruo Ruo, proving that such investigations had no real impact on her.
Moreover, Wen Zhao had shared critical intelligence with them. There was no need to keep her under control.
As for Heavenly Prefecture Base, Wang Jie left its defense to Bai Yuan and his men. They had their own plans.
Without further delay, the group boarded a Leading Pillar Group aircraft and set out for Golden Hill. Within mere hours, they arrived.
Upon their return to Golden Hill Base, they were greeted by Feng Yu.
Her gaze upon Wang Jie was filled with complexity.
“How is Hong Jian?” Wang Jie asked.
“Still unconscious. That arrow was too powerful,” Feng Yu replied.
“And Flame Four?”
Feng Yu hesitated for a moment before answering, “He is imprisoned.”
Wang Jie nodded without further comment. He first inspected the shattered city walls in the southeast corner, where he could see the remnants of an arrow’s piercing force. The sharpness of Yun Lai’s archery was unmistakable.
Next, he instructed Old Five and the others to hunt in the danger zone beyond the base while he made a detour to see Four Eyes.
Bright River Road, No. 18.
Liu Ying answered the door.
Wang Jie hadn’t expected to see her here.
Liu Ying appeared somewhat nervous in his presence. “I… I came looking for you, but then I got pulled into helping out, so I stayed.”
Wang Jie merely uttered a quiet “En” and stepped inside.
The place was immaculately clean. He had never seen it in such pristine condition before.
“Oh? You’re back, brat! Did you bring me anything good?”
Wang Jie had come to check if anything unusual had occurred in Golden Hill Base—after all, Four Eyes monitored the perimeter closely.
Fortunately, the base had remained stable.
Satisfied, Wang Jie handed Four Eyes a few Cataclysm Materials and prepared to leave.
“Wait! Bring me one of those transport devices the trial participants arrived in,” Four Eyes said eagerly.
Wang Jie shook his head. “Those things melted away upon impact.”
Four Eyes grinned and stepped aside, revealing a half-melted, oval-shaped shell resembling an egg-like pod.
Wang Jie’s curiosity was piqued.
“This one only half-melted,” Four Eyes explained. “I want to study it. Who knows? Maybe I can build a spaceship out of it.”
Wang Jie nodded. “Fine. If I see another, I’ll bring it to you.”
“Great!”
“Oh, right.” Wang Jie took out the Battle Power Detector that Wen Zhao had given him, which she had obtained from Qi Five. “Here, take this.”
“What is it?”
“A device that measures battle power.”
Four Eyes’ eyes gleamed as he quickly grabbed it. “A treasure from another world? This is amazing!”
To Wang Jie, the device had little value. Wen Zhao was far more useful than any gadget. During the chase from the Insect Tide, the detector had never stopped buzzing, proving itself more of a nuisance than a tool.
Rather than keeping it, he figured it would serve Four Eyes better.
As Wang Jie turned to leave, Four Eyes suddenly spoke with solemnity.
“Brat.”
Wang Jie looked back.
Four Eyes’ expression was grave. “Hua Xia has endured for millennia. We will not be made war slaves by outsiders. Our ancestors will not rest in peace if that happens. If fate is truly unchangeable, then do me a favor—kill me first.”
Liu Ying bit her lip. “Me too.”
Wang Jie raised an eyebrow. “Why not take your own lives?”
“I fear death,” Four Eyes admitted.
“Same,” Liu Ying whispered.
Wang Jie smiled faintly. “Alright.”
With that, he departed, heading beyond the Golden Hill Base.
For the next two days, they hunted mutated creatures relentlessly outside the base. Moon Plant and Mutated Eagle both fell. Though the surge of transformations had brought many new powerful beings to Golden Hill Base, none could rival Wang Jie.
He gathered a vast amount of Cataclysm Materials, which he stored in Wen Zhao’s storage ring.
The deadly pursuit of the Insect Tide had transformed his partnership with Wen Zhao. They were no longer mere allies—they had become true battle-forged comrades.
Three Days Later, the Upper Capital City
News arrived from Upper Capital City—Yun Lai was on his way.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jie and his group immediately set off from Golden Hill Base toward Upper Capital City Base.
Meanwhile, a lone figure strode through the sky, the vast land stretching endlessly beneath him. Despite the countless mutated creatures infesting both earth and sky, none dared to approach him. His very presence exuded an eerie aura, enough to deter the most ferocious of beasts.
This unnatural phenomenon caught the attention of Armor One Sect, prompting an immediate investigation.
By all accounts, every trial participant under Armor One Sect was meticulously documented. However, this man’s records were a glaring contradiction—he was only at Eight Seals. Such power was utterly impossible at his level.
At Upper Capital City Base, a flying vessel descended slowly. The gathered cultivators watched warily but did not make a move.
From the vessel, Yun Lai stepped out, his arrival met by Bai Yuan, who stood waiting with Lian Qin beside him.
Bai Yuan’s usual air of laziness was gone, replaced by a solemn steadiness. His eyes, though calm, burned with unwavering resolve. As Yun Lai’s gaze swept over the city, the entire Upper Capital City Base seemed to merge into one—a fortress as unshakable as a mountain.
A smirk tugged at Yun Lai’s lips as he muttered, “I admire their spirit… makes it all the more satisfying to break them.”
His words were casual yet laced with cruelty, and it was unclear whether he spoke to himself or to Lian Qin.
Lian Qin chuckled, her flirtatious glance carrying an almost imperceptible trace of concern.
Bai Yuan stepped forward, about to speak, but Yun Lai cut him off. “I reviewed your trial performance. Your sword is fast—it must be Fast Shadow, one of the Eighteen Ultimate Techniques of Armor One Sect.”
His sharp eyes flicked to Bai Yuan’s right hand. “Honestly, I never expected a native to comprehend one of the Eighteen Ultimate Techniques. But it doesn’t matter. Tell me—if I defeat you, will this base submit to me?”
Bai Yuan replied, “Your goal is to achieve an Armor Level Trial ranking. That means every cultivator of Blue Star, myself included, is merely an obstacle in your path.”
Yun Lai nodded. “Wen Zhao must’ve told you that. Saves me the trouble of explaining.”
His gaze swept the surroundings but did not find Wen Zhao. Wang Jie’s group had yet to arrive.
“You do realize that against my power, even if all the cultivators in this base joined forces, it would be meaningless?” Yun Lai’s voice was devoid of warmth. “I could erase all of you. It would take time, but I could do it.”
Bai Yuan did not refute him. “That’s true. After Seven Seals, sheer numbers lose significance. A Seven-Seal cultivator can already break through encirclements and escape. At Nine Seals, one moves freely as if untouchable. As for prodigies like you—escaping is irrelevant. You could annihilate your pursuers instead.”
He continued, “But slaughtering us all won’t guarantee an Armor Level Trial ranking. If that were enough, countless others would’ve achieved it before you.”
Yun Lai did not argue—if it were that simple, he would have done so already. Attaining an Armor Level ranking required deeds that would shake Armor One Sect to its core. He had pondered this for a long time and still had no answer.
“I’ll offer you a path,” Bai Yuan said.
Yun Lai raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what would that be?”
Bai Yuan’s expression turned solemn. “When I break through to Nine Seals, fight me.”
For a moment, Yun Lai was stunned. Then, he burst into laughter—a mocking, disdainful sound.
The cultivators of Upper Capital City Base seethed with anger. The arrogance in Yun Lai’s laughter was unmistakable. He regarded them as nothing more than insects beneath his feet.
Even Lian Qin, despite smiling, seemed uneasy.
Yun Lai’s laughter faded into a smirk. “Did Wen Zhao not explain it to you? Even if you natives reach Ten Seals, what difference does it make? You’re still unworthy of contributing to my trial ranking.”
In an instant, he moved. A mere step, and he was beside Bai Yuan, his presence exuding bone-chilling dominance. “You have one day. Surrender the base by tomorrow. If not, I’ll tear down the walls and let the mutated creatures in. How many of you die then… won’t be up to me.”
Bai Yuan turned his gaze to him, his eyes colder than the deepest winter. Yet Yun Lai was indifferent.
With a casual wave, he gestured toward the distance. Lian Qin obediently walked to his side, allowing him to wrap an arm around her as he sauntered into the base, his smirk never fading.
None of the cultivators dared stop him.
Nearby, Older Sister Tang clenched her fists, glaring at Yun Lai’s back with unconcealed fury.
Farther away, Lian Fei bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Her mother had always been in control, had always dictated the terms of any relationship. This time, however, she had been forced into submission. And Lian Fei could see it.
By the time Wang Jie and his group returned to Upper Capital City Base, they learned that Bai Yuan had shut himself away in seclusion.
They had also witnessed Yun Lai strolling into the base unchallenged.
“No wonder his sword is so fast,” Wen Zhao murmured. “It’s Fast Shadow.”
Wang Jie’s expression darkened. “Does Bai Yuan stand a chance? If he reaches Nine Seals, could he win?”
Wen Zhao did not hesitate. “Absolutely not.”
A heavy silence settled over Wang Jie.
Wen Zhao turned to him. “Will you intervene?”
Wang Jie stared into the night outside, giving no answer.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation