Chapter 36: Who Do You Think I Am?
Wang Jie’s fist struck Yun Lai’s face with brutal force, sending him crashing to the ground. Without hesitation, Wang Jie followed up with a devastating kick, launching Yun Lai dozens of meters through the air.
The gathered crowd stood in stunned silence, unable to react as they watched Yun Lai get pummeled mercilessly.
Fury twisted Yun Lai’s swollen features as he struggled against the pain, raising his head with difficulty. “You—”
Another kick from Wang Jie cut him off, smashing him like a ragdoll against the wall. The impact sent cracks spiderwebbing outward from where his body had embedded itself in the stone.
“War slave? Interstellar Battlefield? Sorry, I don’t bother thinking that far ahead.”
Wang Jie stepped forward, his eyes ablaze. “Who do you think I am?”
“My name is Wang Jie. I’ve survived more than a decade in this godforsaken apocalypse. The so-called Interstellar Battlefield? Just another level of hell. We live with death at our backs every day. And you dare threaten me?”
Yun Lai’s face had swollen beyond recognition. One of his eyes was completely shut, and blood blurred his vision. But through that haze, he saw only Wang Jie drawing closer.
Wang Jie seized him by the throat and ripped him from the wall with ease, then hurled him toward the city. “Today, you’ll experience what it truly means to be a war slave—a captive with no dignity.”
That was the last thing Yun Lai heard before darkness claimed him.
Outside the base, Wang Jie’s words resonated deeply with the survivors. He was right. The apocalypse had already turned Blue Star into a battlefield of its own. How was it any different from the Interstellar Battlefield? Just another pit of despair, another struggle to survive. Death was inevitable—so what did they have to fear?
Tang Jie swept her hand decisively. “Lock him up. Don’t hold back—just don’t kill him.”
Immediately, cultivators dragged Yun Lai away without an ounce of respect, treating him like a dead dog.
Wen Zhao cast a thoughtful look at Wang Jie, her expression different from before. His words had stirred memories of her past self, but their choices had led them down separate paths.
Who was truly right?
On the other side, Bai Xiao watched Wang Jie with gratitude.
Not long after, Wang Jie, now fresh from a bath and lounging on the sofa, conversed with Qing Zheng and the others when Tang Jie personally arrived, bearing a gift from Upper Capital City Base—a collection of cataclysm materials.
“For me?” Wang Jie arched a brow in surprise.
Tang Jie smirked. “A token of appreciation. If not for you, these would’ve gone to that bastard instead.”
Wang Jie made no pretense of modesty and accepted everything outright. “I’ll take it all.”
Tang Jie laughed. “You can make any request—you’re a hero to the base now.”
Wang Jie’s gaze turned serious. “I do have one.”
Tang Jie’s interest piqued. “Oh?”
“Find Zuo Tian.”
Tang Jie’s expression faltered. “You’re sure he’s still alive?”
Wang Jie nodded. “Past grudges and moral dilemmas mean nothing in this damned era. There’s only one choice now—me or Zuo Tian. If you choose me, then Zuo Tian must die. I don’t care what he says or does. If you choose him, we leave.”
Tang Jie studied Wang Jie carefully before nodding. “Understood. If he’s alive, we’ll find him. As you said, right and wrong have no meaning anymore. What matters is who we trust, and we trust you.”
“Refreshing,” Wang Jie chuckled.
After Tang Jie left, Qing Zheng suddenly blurted, “Isn’t that Lian Qin? She’s here too.”
Everyone turned toward the entrance, where Lian Qin approached, bringing along Lian Fei. The growing crowd surrounding them only confirmed one thing—Wang Jie’s battle had cemented his status. He was now the strongest cultivator on Blue Star, surpassing even Bai Yuan.
“Boss, do we receive her?”
“No,” Wang Jie said without hesitation. “I have something to do.”
“What thing?”
Instead of answering, Wang Jie went off to do his daily exercises—it was time for his routine.
Lian Qin had come not only to offer cataclysm materials in gratitude but also with something unexpected—a proposal letter.
The sight of the letter left Old Five and the others in deep contemplation.
Wen Zhao rolled her eyes and returned to rest.
With plenty of cataclysm materials now in hand, Wang Jie finished his exercises with resources to spare. The real issue was the lack of a storage ring, but Wen Zhao didn’t have an extra, and those belonging to other trial participants were unusable.
Feeling the surge of power within him, Wang Jie realized his strength had increased yet again.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he converted all his Seal Power into raw strength. He had no idea what his upper limit was, but the current results were already monstrous.
Sixteen times the power he had possessed upon breaking through the Eight Seals.
If he were to fight Yun Lai again, the victory would be even easier. He could likely take the Eight Cloud Arrows head-on with sheer might alone, without even relying on his wrist guards.
And those wrist guards were only a product of the Eighth Set of Beginner’s Calisthenics.
What if he went beyond? What if he mastered the Intermediate or even Advanced Calisthenics? What kind of unimaginable effects would they have?
If he could obtain these techniques, then surely they existed elsewhere in the universe.
Where had they originated from? What kind of terrifying force or species possessed such knowledge?
He turned his gaze to the sky, the endless expanse of stars projected beyond the atmosphere. The cosmos was vast and unknown.
Truly, it was something to long for.
Yun Lai, now a captive, might have caused an uproar in Armor One Sect under normal circumstances, but all eyes were currently focused on someone else—a young man walking across the sky.
“It’s him—Shu Mu Night. Notify the Sect Master immediately.”
“No need. The Sect Master already knows and has ordered his elimination at all costs.”
“Shall we halt the trial? Who could possibly stand against him?”
“Armor One Sect has never halted a trial, no matter the circumstances. This time is no different. Ten days—that’s all we have. In ten days, the final wave of trial participants will descend. We capture as many as possible. This mission is now classified as our highest priority.”
In the days that followed, Wang Jie made another trip to Golden Hill Base, for there were Nine-Seal Trial Participants stirring up trouble once again.
Though Yun Lai was but one of the eighteen Nine-Seal Trial Participants, even the weakest among them far surpassed the cultivators native to Blue Star.
Meanwhile, Bai Yuan had journeyed to Frontier City and captured a Nine-Seal Trial Participant, but such measures were not a long-term solution.
Beyond the Five Great Bases, numerous smaller strongholds dotted the land—many of which had already fallen into new hands, unbeknownst to them.
The Trial Participants were relentlessly scouring for Cataclysm Materials to bolster their strength, and Wang Jie and his allies needed to cultivate as well.
In such turbulent times, Qi Five sought an audience with them.
It was Older Sister Tang who led him before Wang Jie.
“You wished to see me?” Wang Jie asked, puzzled.
The plump Qi Five smiled nervously yet respectfully. “I must say, I never expected Yun Lai to suffer defeat in this trial. Brother Wang, I was blind before and failed to recognize your true strength. I sincerely apologize for that.”
“What is it you want?” Wen Zhao interjected.
Qi Five chuckled, rubbing his hands together in hesitation before finally speaking. “I’d like to propose a trade—a Battle Power Detector in exchange for Yun Lai.”
Wang Jie raised a brow. “You want to exchange for Yun Lai? Why?”
Qi Five hesitated but, under the scrutiny of Wang Jie and his companions, ultimately confessed, “Because my Galaxy Combat Equipment Company has offended the Yun Family, and we’re currently suffering their suppression. My purpose in joining this trial was to get close to Yun Lai, hoping he could intervene on our behalf. But before I even had the chance to meet him, Brother Wang, you had already captured him.”
“So, that is why I have come to you.”
Wang Jie understood now. He turned his gaze to Wen Zhao.
Qi Five hurriedly added, “The Wen Family is also aware of this matter, though I am unsure if Miss Wen Zhao knows about it.”
Wen Zhao shook her head. “I was unaware.”
Qi Five smiled bitterly. “I won’t hide anything. Our company has vast business operations and substantial wealth, but we remain within the sphere of Armor One Sect, and the Yun Family can crush us with ease. If we can rely on Young Master Yun Lai to mediate, it would be our best chance at survival.”
“So, Brother Wang, if you are willing to assist in this matter, once you step into the Starry Expanse, my Galaxy Combat Equipment Company will reward you handsomely. I promise you will not be disappointed.”
Wang Jie studied him carefully. “Then I will not hide anything either. First, Yun Lai is now a prisoner of the Upper Capital City Base, and I may not have full authority over him. Second, he harbors deep hatred toward me. To be frank, if I had the choice, I wouldn’t keep this potential threat alive.”
Qi Five coughed, visibly startled by Wang Jie’s blunt response.
“Uh, Miss Wen Zhao, did you not explain things clearly to Brother Wang?”
Wang Jie raised a hand, halting Wen Zhao from speaking. “Do not try to use Armor One Sect or the Yun Family to threaten me. A War Slave is doomed to die anyway, so if I can drag one down with me, so be it.”
Wen Zhao glanced at Wang Jie but remained silent.
Qi Five sighed helplessly. “That would only work if you could actually drag him down. Brother Wang, everything about this trial is under Armor One Sect’s control. If you try to kill Yun Lai, I can guarantee that even for an instant—you won’t be able to.”
“After all, he is Yun Lai, a crucial scion of the Yun Family.”
“Brother Wang, you’ve fought your way through this apocalyptic world for so long—do you still believe in fairness? This so-called trial is nothing more than a well-orchestrated game to ensure Yun Lai earns his merits.”
“The trials of Armor One Sect must never be interrupted. That is an unchanging rule. But there is nothing preventing a participant from withdrawing.”
Wang Jie narrowed his eyes. He was no fool. When he released Insect Ruo Ruo, he had already taken such considerations into account. Even when he only beat up Yun Lai outside the base rather than outright killing him, the reasoning had been the same. Otherwise, with his nature, Yun Lai would never have survived.
But when it came to bargaining, he would never let the other party dictate the terms.
“No need to say more,” Wang Jie said indifferently. “Perhaps the water Yun Lai drinks now is already laced with lethal poison.”
Qi Five knew Wang Jie understood the reasoning, but this was still a negotiation. So, without further pretense, he took out a Battle Power Detector and laid out his offer.
“I’ve already modified this device—it can help Brother Wang locate Wall Stones.”
“These Wall Stones are the outer layer of material that covered us Trial Participants when we descended onto Blue Star. With this, you will be able to pinpoint our landing sites and track our movements, making it easier to hunt us down. I trust this would be of great value to you.”
Older Sister Tang’s excitement was evident—this was an incredible piece of technology. The greatest challenge they faced was the disappearance of the earlier waves of Trial Participants. No one knew which bases had been taken over. While this device did not directly pinpoint Trial Participants, it would provide crucial traces to follow.
Qi Five continued, “Keeping Yun Lai serves you no purpose. He knows this, and so does Miss Wen Zhao. Rather than wasting your food on him, you should let me take him off your hands. Consider this Battle Power Detector as a gesture of my sincerity. With Brother Wang’s capabilities, escaping War Slave status is more than possible. Not even Yun Lai could change that.”
“So long as Brother Wang roams the Starry Expanse, my Galaxy Combat Equipment Company will ensure that you receive lavish gifts beyond your imagination.”
“Of course, if you are sent to the Interstellar Battlefield, then pretend I never spoke a word. I, Qi Five, would never deceive you or your esteemed allies.”
The group exchanged glances before turning their eyes to Wang Jie.
Ultimately, Yun Lai was Wang Jie’s captive. Though he was held in Upper Capital City Base, in truth, Wang Jie had full authority over his fate.
After dismissing Qi Five from the room, Wang Jie discussed with his companions before coming to a decision.
He agreed to the deal—but not without additional terms.
A hefty supply of Cataclysm Materials was added to the trade, and Qi Five, a merchant at heart, did not hesitate to comply.
The chubby businessman had accumulated a considerable stockpile of Cataclysm Materials through selling Battle Power Detectors, and he was more than willing to part with a generous portion for the exchange.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation