Chapter 48: Star Dome Vision
Wang Jie felt an immense pressure bearing down upon him. The temperature was bone-chilling, numbing his very skin. This was the place.
He remained motionless, standing resolute as the crushing weight pressed upon his body. Flesh, Seal Power, and spirit alike endured the strain.
Darkness surrounded him entirely.
Occasionally, something slick and sticky brushed against him—creatures lurking in the abyss. The sensation sent a cold shudder through his spine.
Like an immovable stone, Wang Jie stood firm on the seafloor.
Only after a long while did he gradually rise, gasping for breath as he broke the surface. At some point, his body had become covered in fine, shallow wounds—marks left by creatures he had unknowingly brushed against, and jagged remnants of shattered stones.
Humans are truly insignificant.
Even he could not fathom the kind of power necessary to obliterate an entire planet like Blue Star. And the difference between destruction and dominion was an even greater chasm.
Continue.
For the following days, Wang Jie dove into the depths to train, each descent lasting longer than the last. The most apparent change was his body—lighter, tougher, his control over strength growing more refined. Even his Seal Power felt more stable.
Then, upon completing his underwater exercises, his strength surged once more.
Sixty-eight times.
It wasn’t much, but Wang Jie was elated.
He had broken through his limits again. As long as there was a way forward, that was all that mattered.
He plunged once more.
1,100 meters.
1,120 meters.
Wang Jie continued training in the abyss, while above, the world shifted. The effects of the Slaughter Stone’s presence became increasingly evident.
Across the various bases, more and more Ten-Seal level Mutated Beasts emerged.
The frequency of battles increased.
Some Trial Participants were growing weary of assisting Blue Star Base.
Days passed.
For the second time, Wang Jie performed his exercises beneath the waves. His strength rose once again—to seventy-two times. And there, in the depths, he saw it—
A massive octopus, lurking silently on the ocean floor.
BOOM!
The sea surface erupted as an enormous impact sent water surging skyward. The commotion immediately caught the attention of Southern Nation Base.
Moments later, the monstrous octopus was hurled out of the water, crashing onto the shoreline.
Wang Jie emerged from the depths, and as he strode across the wet sands, a deluge of marine creatures rained down from above, scattered like falling stars.
He stopped beside the massive octopus.
With a single kick—
The beast was sent soaring.
This sight was transmitted back to Southern Nation Base, leaving countless people in stunned silence.
It was like watching an ant lift a mountain.
This was no mere battle—it was a display of sheer dominance, shaking all who witnessed it.
Having dealt with the octopus, Wang Jie turned once more to the sea and descended into the abyss.
The entire scene was broadcast to the other bases, sparking renewed fervor among the people.
The stronger Wang Jie became, the greater Blue Star’s chances of survival.
As for the Trial Participants—some who had previously been hesitant now silently chose to continue their efforts.
It wasn’t that they believed Wang Jie could win.
Nor was it out of fear of him.
Rather, they now saw that he was growing stronger. The longer he persisted, the more time they had. For their own sake, they had to keep fighting.
Wang Jie reached a depth of 1,500 meters.
His newfound strength allowed him to endure greater pressures, pushing him further into the unknown.
No one outside knew how deep he had gone.
Meanwhile, in Mountain City, the Sacrificial Altar reeked of rot and decay, yet Shu Mu Night remained indifferent.
He could sit among the divine heights or stand amidst the filth of the mortal world—it made no difference to him.
A massive Mutated Eagle swooped toward the altar.
Shu Mu Night turned his head.
The eagle abruptly veered away, retreating even faster than it had arrived.
He withdrew his gaze and looked toward a hovering drone.
“You may challenge me again,” he said, voice calm. “Give Armor One Sect some face. I won’t kill you, as before. Let’s see if you’ve improved.”
These words were directed toward Wen Star Ru and the others. The rest were not even worth his attention.
Wen Star Ru and his comrades, stationed in different bases, stared at the screen, their expressions heavy. There sat Shu Mu Night, atop a mound of rotting corpses, as if the stench did not exist.
His arrogance knew no bounds.
Meanwhile, at Golden Hill Base, a Beast Tide arrived.
Many had believed that the prior onslaught of Insect Tide would prevent another calamity.
Yet, the beasts came nonetheless.
At the forefront—a Giant Ape wielding an enormous Mutated Tree as a weapon, swinging it like a battle staff, even displaying staff techniques in combat.
Fortunately, Insect Xuan repelled the beast.
He had intended to slay the Giant Ape, but the creature proved cunning, escaping with the cover of several Ten-Seal level beasts.
Standing atop the walls, Insect Xuan frowned. His heart felt heavy as he relayed a warning to Insect Ruo Ruo at Southern Nation Base.
“Be wary of the Mutated Creatures.”
Armor One Sect had placed their final bet on Blue Star’s Mutated Beasts—a move that was not without reason.
While Star-Breaking level creatures were unlikely to appear, some Mutated Beasts possessed Seal Power equivalent to that level.
Beyond the sky, within Armor One Sect, many disciples focused their gaze on two figures.
One was Shu Mu Night—even when merely sitting, he commanded attention.
The other was Chu Yao.
They had long searched for someone from the Death Realm.
Initially, they could not confirm his identity.
But after Chu Yao encountered Wang Jie, they knew.
Chu Yao—one of the Hundred Coffins of the Corpse Sect.
His presence was nearly as impactful as Shu Mu Night’s, though for different reasons.
Shu Mu Night drew eyes through sheer personal force.
Chu Yao, because of his affiliation with the Death Realm.
As for Wang Jie, they wanted to see him too.
But their gaze could not pierce beyond the Trial Participants.
And so, curiosity about him burned just as fiercely.
How could a mere native grow so powerful?
At that moment, a messenger stepped forward.
“Sect Master, the Star Dome Vision has arrived. They wish to interview Xi Liu.”
Xi He’s expression remained indifferent. “An interview with Xi Liu? More like they want to pry into the details of this trial. Their dog-like noses have sniffed it out. Let them wait.”
“Sect Master, it’s evident that the outside world has already caught wind of parts of this trial’s events. Keeping it hidden any longer may not be realistic,” an elderly man approached, speaking in a calm tone.
Xi He turned his gaze toward the elder. “I was always curious to see who would come as the first persuader. I did not expect it to be you, Elder Wen Si Yuan.”
The elder before him, Wen Si Yuan, was one of the elders of Armor One Sect, assisting the Sect Master in governing the sect.
“I would not call myself a persuader, but the more we conceal it, the wilder the outside speculations become. Some even claim that Armor One Sect has already constructed the Sacred Star Linked Bridge, yet we shifted the blame onto the rebuilding efforts of Shu Mu Night, hiding the fact that we’ve mastered the Bridging Technique, all in preparation for the upcoming Starry Sky Martial Gathering. Such rumors do not serve us well. Armor One Sect must not become the target of public scrutiny.”
Xi He remained silent, his gaze resting upon the still surface of the lake.
“Furthermore, Sect Master, you are well aware of Star Dome Vision’s influence. Granting them a favor now may prove useful in the future,” Wen Si Yuan added.
Xi He exhaled deeply and looked up. “Let them come.”
Wen Si Yuan nodded with a smile.
Beneath the Blue Star’s ocean, Wang Jie stood motionless, resembling a stone statue.
Eight days had passed since his last calisthenics routine, and the next session was yet to arrive. Since obtaining the wrist guard, this marked the longest interval between his training sessions.
At this moment, he had already reached a depth of 1,600 meters beneath the sea.
Although his progress was merely an additional hundred meters, the deeper he ventured, the greater the pressure. It was no longer as effortless as it had been at the start.
Raising his head slowly, he observed countless marine creatures swimming in the abyss—many of them powerful, some even exuding the aura of Ten-Seal strength.
The effects of dropping Heaven Stones into the waters were becoming increasingly apparent.
He could even sense the presence of deep-sea beings radiating immense Seal Power, surpassing even those few Heaven’s Chosen. As for Shu Mu Night, he had never truly displayed much Seal Power to begin with.
While Ten-Seal strength might be the upper limit for human cultivators on Blue Star, it was by no means the limit for living creatures.
Within the vast universe, Seal Power, also known as Lock Force, carried both advantages and drawbacks. Wen Zhao had once explained to him that the primary benefit of Seal Power was its rapid absorption—once it entered the body, it could be used instantly, unlike Star Force, which required a slow process of absorption, cultivation, and refinement.
The drawback, however, was that it imposed a firm upper limit.
Wang Jie had no idea what his upper limit was, but he only cared about one thing—preventing Blue Star’s destruction.
At that moment, the familiar chime of his calisthenics routine reached his ears.
He let out a sigh of relief. He had feared that the routine might cease to function, which would make growing stronger a much harder ordeal.
Seventy-five times.
The increase was not much, but it was still an improvement.
As long as it continued to grow, that was all that mattered.
Ten days remained before the one-month deadline.
Wang Jie’s greatest gain during this period was not just the increase in strength but also the refinement of his control under the immense pressure of the ocean depths. The most noticeable improvement was his ability to manipulate the size of his Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger, making it less conspicuous while retaining its devastating power.
Meanwhile, the situation across Blue Star’s major bases was becoming increasingly dire.
Mutated creatures of Ten-Seal strength appeared one after another. If not for the Trial Participants, all bases would have already collapsed. Even Bai Yuan, who guarded Upper Capital City, could not hold the tide alone.
In Mountain City, massive vines, resembling green serpents, filled the sky as they lashed toward Shu Mu Night.
Every vine was lined with crimson thorns.
Visible Seal Power surged over the vines, distorting the very air. The heatwaves created by the energy pierced the sky, captured in real-time by drones and broadcasted across the major bases.
Countless people watched in shock. The sheer amount of Seal Power far exceeded that of any other living being.
Unlike humans, plants could store vast amounts of Seal Power due to their massive size. This particular mutated plant had already surpassed any known individual on Blue Star in terms of raw energy.
Shu Mu Night opened his eyes. “Seal Power is not the deciding factor.”
As he spoke, he reached out and grasped a vine. The crimson thorns failed to penetrate his skin.
A tremor ran through his arm, and an invisible force surged down the vine. In an instant, the void trembled, and the vine shattered into countless fragments.
Releasing his grip, the remaining tendrils withered and fell lifelessly to the ground.
His gaze shifted eastward. “One month. How much will you improve in that time? I look forward to it.”
None of the external disturbances reached Wang Jie. At his current depth, no one could even contact him.
Regardless of the threats faced by the bases, the greatest danger to Blue Star remained Shu Mu Night.
Thus, Wang Jie abandoned all distractions, standing resolute upon the ocean floor.
Another eight days passed.
Another calisthenics routine.
His strength had increased to seventy-seven times.
During his last battle with Shu Mu Night, his strength had been at fifty times, but now, it had risen to seventy-seven times—a qualitative transformation.
More importantly, his mastery of strength had significantly improved.
Only two days remained.
Not enough time for another calisthenics routine.
Wang Jie gazed into the endless darkness of the abyss before closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself standing in his Field of Cultivation.
His Starry Finger Technique had yet to take root, lacking only the Will of the Loser.
The second field remained empty—he had attempted various methods to plant something within it, all in vain.
Standing in the first field, he pondered whether planting the Starry Finger Technique would allow him to cultivate something else simultaneously.
With this thought in mind, he gripped a long, slender crab claw. Drawing upon his experiences in the ocean depths, he instinctively wielded it like a sword.
He had not forgotten Shu Mu Night’s single slash—the strike that had cleaved through his Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger.
He did not expect to match that blade anytime soon, but he sought the strength to at least contend against it.
And that hope lay in his Field of Cultivation.
Wielding the crab claw, Wang Jie channeled the flow he had sensed beneath the sea. Strike after strike, he refined his technique.
At first, there was no visible effect, but as time passed, his movements became smoother.
Then, at a certain moment, a spectral sword shadow descended upon the earth.
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