Chapter 51: Just Once
With a deafening crash, Wang Jie was sent hurtling against the mountainside. His vision blurred, but before him, Shu Mu Night appeared, his voice laced with a chilling indifference. “Struggle. Don’t make my month-long wait in vain.”
As the words fell, he struck—a fist tearing through the air, its force enough to shatter mountains. Wang Jie barely managed to evade, yet the impact behind him obliterated an entire peak. The sheer force of the explosion tore open a chasm stretching across Hua Xia, reaching the distant coast, where seawater rushed in to fill the gap.
Wang Jie countered, his fingers executing the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger, striking directly at Shu Mu Night’s body. But his foe did not bother to dodge. The attack landed, yet it was meaningless—Shu Mu Night’s defense had already surged beyond measure. Even such a famed technique struggled to leave a mark.
In an instant, Shu Mu Night retaliated, his sweeping blow sending Wang Jie crashing toward the sacrificial altar. The moment he landed, his eyes met the gleam of a blade—his own. Rainbow Drinking Sword Style.
He drew it, slashing down with all his might, but before the strike could fully descend, two fingers halted the blade in its tracks. The steel quivered, its edge bending helplessly. Shu Mu Night’s voice was calm, almost pitying. “My blade… is not for you to wield.”
Power coursed through the weapon, sending tremors up Wang Jie’s arms. His grip tightened, his gaze sharpened. With a forceful swing, he abandoned all technique and slashed purely with brute strength.
Even Shu Mu Night, with his overwhelming might, could not fully ignore such raw power.
Wang Jie was not truly weaker—only his mastery of power lagged far behind. But in a contest of pure strength, he had an advantage. With his grip firm on the sword’s hilt, even Shu Mu Night had no choice but to release his hold. A single droplet of blood trailed down his fingertip.
Yet the price for that wound came swift and harsh—a ruthless elbow strike crashed into Wang Jie’s chest. His vision darkened as he spat blood, his body sent flying.
Before he could even hit the ground, Shu Mu Night was already there. A fist, descending from above, aimed straight for his skull.
Wang Jie couldn’t dodge. The momentum locked his body in place. All he could do was raise his arm in a desperate block.
Boom!
The earth split apart.
The impact rippled outwards, shattering land across a hundred kilometers. Mountain City was nearly buried beneath the devastation.
Wang Jie was driven deep beneath the ground, his fate unknown.
From a distance, Wen Zhao, Qing Zheng, and the others stood frozen in awe. There was nothing they could do. They could not even step near the battlefield.
For the first time, Wen Star Ru and her companions truly understood the overwhelming power Shu Mu Night possessed. Against them, he needed only a single move—not because it was all he had, but because nothing more was necessary. Numbers held no meaning in the face of such absolute superiority.
Standing atop the ruins, Shu Mu Night let out a sigh, withdrawing his fist as the wind stirred his hair. His voice carried a faint disappointment. “Not enough. I thought I would feel more satisfaction. But for a mere native to reach this level… not bad at all.”
His gaze turned toward the wreckage of the blood-red altar—utterly destroyed. He would need to find another site.
Without another glance at the devastation behind him, he turned westward and began walking away.
The moment he left, Old Five and the others scrambled forward, clawing desperately at the broken earth.
“Boss! Don’t die, boss! You hear me? You can’t die!”
They dug frantically, though deep down, they knew the truth. The chances of survival were slim to none. That final strike had been one of execution.
Wen Zhao watched the shattered land, her expression complex and somber. Insect Ruo Ruo and the others remained silent. None of them looked down on Wang Jie—on the contrary, they acknowledged his power. Across the vast cosmos, how many among their generation could have stood against Shu Mu Night for even this long? If fate had been kinder, if he had never encountered Shu Mu Night, he could have one day stood among the stars, his brilliance undeniable.
But fate had been cruel. He had met the one foe he should never have met.
Silent walked to the ruins and, without a word, joined in the digging.
Wen Star Ru and the others departed. To them, Wang Jie had served his purpose—stalling for a month. Their names would now be even more renowned across the trial. As for Blue Star and Wang Jie… soon, both would be forgotten.
“Zhao, let’s go,” Wen Star Ru called.
Wen Zhao hesitated, looking back at the ruins. “I want to send him off.”
Wen Star Ru shook her head. “That last punch… there might not even be a body left to send off.” Without another word, she left.
Members of Armor One Sect stood in silence. They had seen countless battles that obliterated planets, that erased entire star systems. But even so, this fight had left them shaken.
Gu Moon sighed. “If only this one could have stepped into the stars, what a fine subject he would have been.”
The words were directed at Ting He.
Her gaze dimmed. That young man who had once walked under the sun… had now fallen into blood and ruin.
Shu Mu Night’s punch—none on Blue Star could withstand it.
Far from the battlefield, not too distant from the ruins, Chu Yao scratched his head, scanning the area. “It should be around here. Where is he?”
He wandered around aimlessly, occasionally glancing toward the distance.
Suddenly, the cracked earth shifted. From the depths, a battered figure crawled out—Wang Jie, coughing violently, fresh blood spilling from his lips.
Chu Yao’s eyes lit up. He hurried over, dragging Wang Jie out of the rubble and propping him against a tree.
Wang Jie exhaled heavily, his face ghastly pale, his breath barely holding on.
Chu Yao examined him in amazement. “Brother, damn! How are you still alive?”
With great effort, Wang Jie forced his eyes open, his voice weak and ragged. “Was it… your thing… that saved me?”
Chu Yao rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right.” Reaching into Wang Jie’s robe, he pulled out an eye—the eyeball still rolling about in confusion.
“Look at this. You really think this little thing could’ve blocked Shu Mu Night’s punch? It’d be crushed like a grape. You survived on your own. Gotta say, you’re one tough bastard.”
Wang Jie chuckled, but the motion sent pain wracking through his body, forcing him to cough up blood once more.
His gaze lowered. That final punch—his survival had come down to the wrist guard. Without it, not only his skull but his entire body would have been reduced to dust.
That man’s power had already surpassed eightyfold, perhaps even nearing ninetyfold.
The gap between them was still vast.
“Where… is he?” Wang Jie rasped.
Chu Yao replied, “Off to find a new site to build his bridge.”
Wang Jie pressed his hands against the ground, struggling to rise, but his body refused to obey. Chu Yao stood over him, watching intently. “What are you trying to do?”
“Don’t bother thinking about greeting old friends,” Chu Yao continued. “There’s no point. What you need to do now is recover and come with me. I’m offering you a path to survival. As for your friends and family on Blue Star, forget them. They just endured the pain of losing you once. If you show up now, it’ll only mean they have to lose you again.”
Wang Jie exhaled slowly, his gaze locking onto Chu Yao. “If I stay… if I die alongside them… then there won’t be anything left to lose.”
Chu Yao sneered. “Brother, do you take me for a fool? I went through all this trouble to drag you out of there. You think I’ll just let you die?”
Wang Jie stared at him in silence.
“Whatever thoughts you’re entertaining, I don’t care. I’m taking you with me, whether you like it or not. Think carefully about whether you really want to see them again.”
Wang Jie slowly turned his head, gazing into the distance. If he truly was going to be taken by Chu Yao, then meeting them now would only bring more pain. Not to mention, in his current state, he could barely move. He had no choice.
“Enough. Now we wait.” Chu Yao sat down beside him. “Let’s see if Shu Mu Night’s bridge-building can give us a chance to steal some of his Bridging Technique. It might just be an opportunity. Once that’s over, we leave.”
“Steal?”
“Of course. Almost impossible, but not unheard of. Otherwise, why do you think all those so-called Heaven’s Chosen from the great sects linger here? To play around?”
Wang Jie had no strength to argue. He just wanted to heal. “Fine. Can you help me recover?”
Chu Yao shook his head. “Too difficult. Your injuries are too severe. But this works in my favor—it makes you easier to take away.”
Wang Jie silently stared at him.
Feeling uneasy under the intense gaze, Chu Yao frowned. “What?”
Wang Jie chuckled weakly. “Before my duel with Shu Mu Night, do you think I believed I could win?”
Chu Yao, honest as ever, shook his head.
Wang Jie’s smile deepened. His face, however, grew paler, his body weaker, yet his voice steadied. “I stepped onto that battlefield prepared to die. If I still wanted to die now, do you think…” He coughed harshly. “Do you think you could stop me?”
Chu Yao sighed. “I told you, saying farewell to your friends is pointless. They—”
“Take me to Upper Capital City Base.”
“Not to see your friends?”
Wang Jie looked off into the distance, his voice barely a whisper. “No.”
Chu Yao sighed. “I must really owe you one.” Without another word, he lifted Wang Jie onto his back and headed for the flying vessel.
“What are you doing?”
“You just said you wanted to go to Upper Capital City Base, didn’t you?”
“Don’t touch the vessel. Leave it for them.”
“Then how are we supposed to get there?”
“Figure it out. That’s your problem.”
Chu Yao turned to glance at Wang Jie. “I swear, I want to punch you so badly right now.”
At present, the only ones who knew Wang Jie was alive were Chu Yao and Armor One Sect. But Armor One Sect could only see what the trial participants saw—and Chu Yao was one of them. Everything he did was being watched. The only one unaware of his identity was Gu Moon, who assumed he was merely another force sent to oppose Shu Mu Night.
The one most relieved was Ting He. Seeing Wang Jie alive, she finally exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She didn’t know him personally, but when she saw him stride into the light, moving toward that Flesh and Blood Altar, dispersing the darkness with his presence, she had felt a deep impact. Someone like that should not die.
Chu Yao, always resourceful, captured a mutated beast larger than a hawk and rode it toward Upper Capital City Base. As they neared, he let the beast descend.
Meanwhile, Lu Yin had arrived in search of Doctor Four Eyes.
Doctor Four Eyes had been brought to Upper Capital City Base from Golden Hill Base. The moment Wang Jie considered healing, he thought of him first. It wasn’t that Doctor Four Eyes’ medicine was particularly miraculous—it was simply fast. Combined with Beginner’s Calisthenics, it was effective. Besides, with an abundance of Ten-Seal Level Cataclysm Materials, the quality of medicine had skyrocketed beyond anything from before.
The next Calisthenics Routine was only a few days away.
The noon sun no longer burned as fiercely as in previous months. It had been over four months since the first Trial Participants arrived, and the seasons had begun to change.
Wang Jie sat in a small courtyard, watching Chu Yao teasing Liu Ying. He looked up. Even the skies of peacetime had never seemed so blue, so beautiful.
When Doctor Four Eyes was brought to Upper Capital City, Liu Ying had come as well. These past few days, she had been tending to Wang Jie.
Chu Yao, ever restless, entertained himself by teasing Liu Ying. Outwardly composed, she harbored anxiety within. Cautious of the world yet filled with curiosity, she resembled a startled rabbit—making her an irresistible target for Chu Yao’s mischief.
Behind them, a man with disheveled hair stepped out. Doctor Four Eyes.
“Bai Yuan and the others are back. Your brothers are still digging in Mountain City. Not planning to tell them?”
Wang Jie’s expression darkened. “If separation is inevitable, let it happen only once.”
Doctor Four Eyes rolled his eyes. “Now you’re waxing poetic? Suit yourself. Anyway, a guest is coming. Someone you know.”
Wang Jie raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
“Qing Sheng.”
Surprise flashed across Wang Jie’s face. “What’s he doing here?”
“Bringing me materials.”
Wang Jie nodded and said no more.
Doctor Four Eyes turned and disappeared back inside.
That afternoon, Qing Sheng arrived, carrying a heap of materials. Unlike the Cataclysm Materials, these were remnants of the oval-shaped vessel that trial participants had used to descend onto Blue Star.
Doctor Four Eyes had been gathering these fragments for a while.
His interest lay not in strengthening cultivators or preparing for the post-apocalyptic creatures, as those at Upper Capital City Base did. He cared only for what fascinated him—alien technology.
The only group capable of supplying him with such materials was Leading Pillar Group, a vast conglomerate spread across the five great bases. Wherever there were people in Hua Xia, the reach of Leading Pillar Group extended.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation