Chapter 41: Lifting the Veil
Ming Zhao’s face contorted in terror as he turned to flee, but Wang Jie merely flicked a pebble with his foot. The tiny stone shot forward like an arrow, piercing through Ming Zhao’s body with deadly precision. He collapsed lifelessly onto the blood-stained ground, forever bound to this forsaken land.
With their blood as the key, Wang Jie unlocked the storage rings, extracting all Cataclysm Materials before departing. As he examined the contents, he noticed that none of the trial participants possessed any particularly unique artifacts. It seemed the trial itself imposed strict limitations.
The landscape below blurred as they soared through the sky.
A heavy silence loomed within the flying vessel.
Old Nine leaned against the window, his voice heavy. “One Beast Tide, ten thousand lives lost… When did people become nothing more than numbers?”
Qing Zheng clapped his shoulder. “Don’t dwell on it. We’re all the same. Who knows if we’ll be dead in the next moment?”
Old Five turned his gaze to Wang Jie. “Boss, are we really just sacrificial pawns?”
It was difficult to grasp the gravity of fate until it struck. Even witnessing death firsthand only brought shock, not true pain.
Wang Jie watched as the sun dipped below the horizon. “No.”
Old Five grinned. “Even if we are, so what? If we die together as brothers, what’s there to fear? We should’ve died in that fire years ago.”
Qing Zheng burst into laughter. “Exactly! No fear!”
Old Nine chuckled softly.
The oppressive mood dissipated, replaced by the rhythmic movements of Beginner’s Calisthenics.
As Wang Jie trained, the others averted their gazes to the window, unable to find the words to describe what they were witnessing.
His body absorbed Seal Power, which coursed through his veins, strengthening him. Sweat dripped onto the floor as his muscles tensed with each movement.
He bent his fingers slightly—fiftyfold.
His raw physical strength had surged from thirty-two times to fifty times the normal limit. It was no longer an exponential increase. It wasn’t that the Seal Power he absorbed had lessened, but rather, the potential for growth in this realm had begun to slow. The next absorption might only push him to sixtyfold or even lower, gradually reaching a limit.
Was this the peak of an Eight-Seal Realm body?
Was it a human limitation, or the universal boundary for all beings in this realm?
Wang Jie was curious—how far did this limit truly extend?
The flying vessel descended upon Heavenly Prefecture Base, where the Cataclysm Materials were swiftly transported away. Without hesitation, Wang Jie and his group retreated to their quarters, collapsing into sleep.
Morning arrived with a golden beam of light piercing his eyelids.
Throughout the base, flying vessels continued to arrive, unloading Cataclysm Materials and delivering trial participants. Among them were over twenty captured individuals from Upper Capital City, their expressions dark as they glared at Bai Yuan and his group, though they dared not act.
Yun Lai’s mere presence was enough to suppress them all.
All disputes would have to wait until Shu Mu Night was dealt with.
Meanwhile, Wen Star Ru and his companions absorbed Seal Power, maintaining their peak condition.
Two days passed before the Insect Tide was spotted—a vast swarm of insects surging toward Heavenly Prefecture Base.
Insect Xuan had arrived, bringing with him Insect Ruo Ruo.
Shu Mu Night, ever under surveillance, had been gathering corpses in Mountain City. The pit had long since been filled, and now, bodies were stacked over ten meters high. He had once declared that when the pile reached a thousand meters, it would mark the beginning of the bridge.
And the burial of Blue Star.
Trial participants remained at their peak, while a few Eight-Seal Realm cultivators of Blue Star were granted access to Cataclysm Materials, striving to break into the Nine-Seal Realm, hoping to bolster their forces against Shu Mu Night.
It was worth noting that Wang Jie had been overlooked.
In the previous assault on Shu Mu Night, he had not participated. While Wen Star Ru refused to speak with him, that did not mean he had forgotten. In their eyes, granting Wang Jie even a single Cataclysm Material was a waste.
Three more days passed.
The Insect Tide arrived.
The mutated insects moved at astonishing speed, and with Insect Xuan’s forces already near Heavenly Prefecture Base, three days was all it took for the swarm to reach them.
The sight was unparalleled.
Endless.
The sky and earth were blanketed in insects, forming a swirling mass of vibrant colors.
Compared to this, even the largest Beast Tide seemed insignificant.
If Insect Ruo Ruo alone could command enough insects to encircle Upper Capital City Base, what then of Insect Xuan—who was stronger?
He was not an ordinary prodigy but one of the few chosen by the heavens, summoned specifically to combat Shu Mu Night. He far surpassed Yun Lai in power, standing alongside the likes of Silent and Qi Xue Yin.
“We’ve fought him already,” Wen Star Ru informed Insect Xuan. “The gap is immense. We’ll need your Insect Tide to stand a chance.”
Insect Xuan was a pale-skinned young man of unremarkable features, save for a single black tattoo on his face—an intricate insect design. His gaze swept the crowd before settling on Silent.
“The esteemed Silent of Three Zen Heavens is here as well. A pleasure.”
Silent merely glanced at him, then resumed examining the Cataclysm Material in his hands.
Insect Xuan showed no displeasure and continued surveying the gathered warriors. “Who is Wang Jie?”
Among the many cultivators of Blue Star and the strongest trial participants, Wang Jie naturally stood among them.
“That’s him,” Insect Ruo Ruo declared, leaping forward and pointing at him, her chin raised defiantly.
Insect Xuan turned his gaze to Wang Jie. “So, you bested Ruo Ruo?”
Wang Jie’s reply was indifferent. “It was mere luck.”
Insect Xuan chuckled. “To escape unscathed from Ruo Ruo’s Insect Tide is already impressive. But to capture her? That is true strength.”
Insect Ruo Ruo’s face darkened. She leaned in and whispered, “Big Brother, you’re supposed to teach him a lesson, not praise him!”
Insect Xuan smirked. “You chased him for days, yet he never retaliated. What is there to teach? You should be thanking him for sparing your life.”
Insect Ruo Ruo bared her teeth and huffed in frustration.
Yun Lai interjected coldly, “This man didn’t even have the courage to face Shu Mu Night. So what if he’s strong?”
Insect Xuan furrowed his brow, casting a surprised glance at Wang Jie. “Are you afraid of death?”
Wang Jie’s expression remained calm. “Observation.”
Yun Lai scoffed mockingly.
Insect Xuan nodded. “Let’s hope so.” With that, he turned his gaze beyond the base. “My Insect Tide is not yet at full strength. We all understand what kind of foe Shu Mu Night is. Our previous assault was reckless. The most effective strategy is to use the Insect Tide, the Beast Tide, and the sheer number of warriors at our disposal to besiege him, depleting his Star Force until exhaustion takes hold. Only then shall we strike.”
“This method may seem shameful, but against Shu Mu Night, it is necessary.”
Wen Star Ru nodded in agreement. “That’s right. We had the same idea. Rest for now. Once your Insect Tide is ready, we shall commence.” Her gaze then shifted to Bai Yuan. “It would be best if your Five Great Bases sent more cultivators. Do not fear sacrifice. The more who fall now, the greater your chance of survival later. Better that than having all of Blue Star reduced to mere Stake-Driving Material.”
Bai Yuan remained silent.
No one dared to promise such a thing.
Wang Jie, however, recalled the sight of ordinary citizens in Frontier City desperately resisting the Beast Tide, his heart growing heavy.
Wen Star Ru did not press Bai Yuan for an answer, instead granting him several days to consider. They had to assemble the most flawless strategy possible against Shu Mu Night. Even so, in the end, it all boiled down to three words—a desperate gamble.
Yet Shu Mu Night gave them no time.
Within days, the Mountain City Sacrificial Altar had risen to a hundred meters tall. Standing atop the bloodstained altar, Shu Mu Night gazed toward Heavenly Prefecture Base, stepping forward onto the void, drawing closer.
Drones transmitted the image instantly.
Everyone was shaken.
“Not good. Shu Mu Night is here.”
“Where is Insect Xuan?”
“Still outside gathering the Insect Tide.”
“Tell him to return immediately. The war has begun.”
For these Trial Participants, calling a battle against a single man a ‘war’ was entirely normal.
Upon the towering walls of Heavenly Prefecture Base, all Trial Participants, along with Bai Yuan, Wang Jie, and the others, gazed northward. A lone figure appeared in the distance, a mere black speck against the vast blue sky. He walked forward without hindrance, his eyes carrying a tranquil smile, surveying all beneath heaven.
Silently, Wang Jie tightened his grip on the Broken Sword, while Qi Xue Yin exuded a cold aura that could freeze bone.
Wen Star Ru raised her palm, the air quaking as a phantom mountain peak began to take shape.
One by one, mighty auras surged skyward, pressing toward Shu Mu Night.
From afar, Shu Mu Night smiled faintly at the Heavenly Prefecture Base. “So, may I take this to mean that you fifty-eight have come to challenge me?”
Upon the wall facing north stood fifty-eight warriors—fourteen cultivators of Blue Star and forty-four Trial Participants, all possessing the strength of Eight Seals and above. Beyond them, none dared to stand against Shu Mu Night.
Wen Star Ru’s expression was solemn. “You may.”
Shu Mu Night nodded. “Then let us see if you can stop me. For I am here to—”
He lifted his gaze. “—use the lives of every soul within this base as materials for my altar.”
Wang Jie’s eyes widened. Heavenly Prefecture Base?
One of the Five Great Bases, home to at least several million people.
He was planning to slaughter them all.
Bai Yuan gripped his Broad-Bladed Sword, finding no words to speak.
Older Sister Tang, Hong Sword, and the other Blue Star Cultivators suppressed their auras—a sign of preparing for battle.
Wen Star Ru frowned. Insect Xuan had not yet returned. They needed the Insect Tide to weaken Shu Mu Night’s Star Force. Until then, they could do nothing.
She turned to Bai Yuan. “Do not act. The destruction of one base is preferable to the destruction of all Blue Star.”
Hong Sword glared at her. “You expect us to stand by and watch the slaughter of the people in Heavenly Prefecture Base?”
Qi Xue Yin’s tone was icy. “In the grand scheme of the cosmos, the destruction of planets is commonplace. The deaths of billions, even trillions, are but statistics. These few million are no different.”
“You may intervene if you wish, but if you die, who will protect the rest of Blue Star’s people?” Wen Star Ru countered.
High above, Shu Mu Night raised his arm. Under the wary gazes of all present, he casually waved his hand.
The earth split apart, revealing a bottomless chasm. Then, he shifted position, moving westward, continuing to carve fissures into the land.
“What is he doing?”
“He’s dividing the earth… Could he be planning to take all of Heavenly Prefecture Base to Mountain City?”
“That’s impossible!”
“He wouldn’t slaughter millions just to move their corpses—so the only logical conclusion is that he intends to move the entire base.”
“No one could accomplish such a feat!”
Yet, as they followed Shu Mu Night’s movements, they found themselves trailing him like puppets, powerless to act. The scene was almost laughable.
Shu Mu Night continued carving, encircling Heavenly Prefecture Base, severing its foundation from the surrounding land. Finally, he descended to the east, his body sinking into the earth. Then, in one fluid motion, he lifted the land beneath him.
The entire Heavenly Prefecture Base trembled.
Within the base, its residents remained ignorant of the battle outside. They merely felt the sky and earth shuddering. An earthquake? The air grew hotter, boiling, an indescribable fear gripping their hearts as they clung desperately to nearby buildings. Tens of thousands of cultivators looked around in helpless panic.
The base had lifted into the air.
Beneath it, Shu Mu Night stood, holding the entire landmass aloft through methods unknown.
Wang Jie was stunned. How is this possible? Pure strength alone could never accomplish this.
“Star Method,” Silent murmured, his voice heavy with suppressed dread.
Wen Star Ru and the others felt their scalps tingle. “Silent, are you saying… Shu Mu Night is using a Star Method?”
“Jump,” Silent ordered before leaping from the city walls.
The others followed suit.
Bai Yuan and his comrades did the same.
Fifty-eight warriors landed upon the ground, where an endless Insect Tide churned like a vast ocean. The mutated insects shrieked in agitation but did not dare to move.
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