Chapter 56: The Final Battle
Shu Mu Night halted, turning back slowly to gaze at Lian Qin.
Lian Qin panted heavily, her face ashen, eyes locked onto him with unyielding fury. “Is it… still not enough?”
At the Southern Nation Base, Lian Fei’s eyes reddened—her mother.
Shu Mu Night’s gaze remained terrifyingly indifferent as he responded, “Almost.”
Two simple words crushed the last of Lian Qin’s strength. She trembled, rage consuming her as she screamed, “You beast! You’ve killed so many people, and now you want to destroy Blue Star? How many more must die? Do you even have a heart? You are human too! Why are you doing this? They have already chosen to sacrifice themselves—what more do you want?!”
Hong Sword clenched his fists, blood vessels bulging in his eyes.
Older Sister Tang felt only sorrow.
Even the howling winds on the Scarlet Sands could not dispel the oppressive, blood-drenched clouds blotting out the sky.
Without a word, Shu Mu Night withdrew his gaze and continued toward the Southern Nation Base, step by step, leaving Lian Qin to collapse in despair. She wasn’t even worthy of being killed.
The cries of ants, their curses and fury, could not change the will of heaven.
Suddenly, Shu Mu Night stopped and looked up. A flying vessel soared through the sky, unnoticed until now, heading into the distance. A dark silhouette dropped from it, growing larger as it descended.
A person.
Bai Yuan, Older Sister Tang, and the others stared in shock.
Shu Mu Night’s eyes sharpened, then widened in surprise. Him?
Boom!
A tremendous impact cratered the Scarlet Sands, sending ripples of force outward. As the dust settled, a lone figure emerged.
Lian Qin stared blankly ahead. “Wang Jie?”
From the distance, Trial Participants gasped in disbelief. “Wang Jie? He’s alive?!”
Wen Zhao’s breath hitched. “That bastard survived?!”
Drones transmitted the live footage to the Southern Nation Base and Golden Hill Base. Qing Zheng, Old Five, and others watching from afar were stunned.
“Boss is alive?!”
Above, Chu Yao circled the coastline for the third time, watching from his airborne perch.
This was the third confrontation.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t be his last.
One could never truly fathom the horrifying depths of Shu Mu Night’s power.
On the Scarlet Sands, Wang Jie surveyed his surroundings, his gaze drawn to the Sacrificial Altar. Bodies of countless humans lay atop mutated beasts, their mingled blood staining the heavens crimson. The ocean waves lapped against the shore, dyed red.
His pupils trembled. How many had died?
“You’re not dead?” Shu Mu Night scrutinized him, shocked. Not only was Wang Jie alive, but he wasn’t even injured. Impossible. How did he do it?
Wang Jie ignored him. Instead, he looked at Lian Qin, his voice as cold as death itself. “Why are you kneeling there? Get away. Don’t get in my way—I came here to kill.”
Lian Qin gaped at him. In this moment, he felt utterly foreign.
Shu Mu Night’s lips curled. “Kill? You mean to kill me?”
Lian Qin hastily rose and backed away. “Be careful.”
Wang Jie was in no hurry. He waited for her to move to safety before turning to Shu Mu Night.
“Tell me, have you ever been slapped in the face?”
Shu Mu Night chuckled. “Never.”
“Today’s your lucky day.”
With that, Wang Jie shot forward. Like the two battles before, he led with brute strength, throwing a punch with all his might.
Shu Mu Night’s eyes lit up. He’s even stronger now.
Power surged from Shu Mu Night, a force so immense it expelled the very air around him. He clenched his fist and struck back.
Boom!
The clash resounded like the collapse of a mountain, shockwaves rippling outward, grinding the Scarlet Sands beneath them into dust. The sheer force tore through the sky, piercing the thick, crimson clouds. Sunlight poured through, illuminating both warriors.
They were equals.
Shu Mu Night was astonished. He had unleashed the full extent of his Second Re-Cultivation, yet Wang Jie had still matched him.
Wang Jie threw another punch.
Shu Mu Night refused to believe it. How? How had Wang Jie grown so much stronger in such a short time? It defied comprehension.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Blow after blow, fists met with devastating force. The Scarlet Sands collapsed beneath them, cracking and splitting apart. The sea rushed through the fissures, flooding the battlefield. The aftershocks rattled the Sacrificial Altar, sending tremors far and wide.
From afar, Wen Star Ru and others raced toward the battlefield. They had been too distant to fully sense the clash before, but now… This was the perfect chance to gauge Shu Mu Night’s strength.
None had expected this native to still be alive.
Above, the flying vessel shuddered under the residual shockwaves. The tail exploded, and it plummeted toward the sea. Chu Yao leaped out, landing lightly on the water’s surface, watching the battle unfold from the north of the Sacrificial Altar.
“Monstrous.”
Eight Seals.
Both combatants were only at the Eight Seal stage.
What would happen if they reached the Star-Breaking Realm? Or even higher?
The Star-Breaking Realm marked the threshold of planetary destruction. There were many ways to shatter a world—target a weak point and hammer it until the planet crumbled. Planets varied in size, and Blue Star was far too large for an ordinary Star-Breaking Realm cultivator to destroy.
But these two?
It felt as if they didn’t even need to reach the Star-Breaking Realm. Even now, they might have the raw strength to punch through Blue Star itself.
Eighteen consecutive blows, each a stalemate.
Their power surged from an initial eightyfold enhancement to a staggering eighty-ninefold peak.
Wang Jie fought with everything he had. Against Shu Mu Night, he couldn’t afford to hold back.
Likewise, Shu Mu Night had surpassed even the limits of his Second Re-Cultivation. He was now fighting with the strength of his Third Re-Cultivation.
At the Armor One Sect, Wen Si Yuan stood by the Mysterious Lake, watching intently. “What is with this native?”
Gu Moon and the others left their lofty vantage point at the Waterfall, stepping closer. Though this was merely a battle between Eight Seal cultivators, these two were unlike any they had ever seen.
They could easily annihilate countless Eight Seal cultivators with a flick of their fingers. But these two?
Why were they so terrifying?
Boom!
The battlefield shook once more.
Wang Jie staggered back seven steps.
Shu Mu Night took seven steps back as well.
Wang Jie lifted his gaze, locking eyes with his opponent.
Shu Mu Night was shaken. He had used his full strength.
Wang Jie’s fist was stained with blood, but this time, it wasn’t only his own—Shu Mu Night’s blood mingled with it.
Eighty-nine times.
So, it was not only his limit—it was also Shu Mu Night’s.
Only now did he realize how laughable his first challenge against Shu Mu Night had been. He had dared to face him with only fifty times his strength? It was sheer luck he hadn’t died on the spot.
“What is your secret?” For once, Shu Mu Night lost his composure. Sincere One Dao was an unparalleled force in the universe, yet he had required three separate rounds of re-cultivation to reach this level. How had this so-called “native” done it?
Wang Jie pivoted in an instant, executing Armor Eight Steps, leaving behind a phantom image in his wake. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Shu Mu Night, his palm striking forth.
But Shu Mu Night’s footwork was even stranger. His body remained in place, yet his attacks struck in all directions simultaneously, effortlessly deflecting Wang Jie’s palm strike. Wang Jie transformed his palm into a finger—Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger. Though appearing no different from a normal finger, its force was immense, piercing through the air towards Shu Mu Night.
Shu Mu Night dodged with ease, his body weaving around Wang Jie as he reached out to seize his head.
Wang Jie stepped upon Armor Eight Steps, and five mirage-like figures appeared across the sandy beach. Even Shu Mu Night found his grab landing on empty air.
From afar, Wen Zhao was astonished. When had Wang Jie mastered Armor Eight Steps to such a refined degree? This was no longer a matter of simply learning—it was mastery.
Shu Mu Night let out a cold snort. Strength alone was insufficient. How long had he honed his control over power? With a sidelong glance, he lifted his hand and caught Wang Jie’s arm.
Yet in the same instant, Wang Jie countered, gripping Shu Mu Night’s arm in return.
For a brief moment, Wang Jie believed it was merely a contest of raw strength. But the instant he exerted force, he realized how utterly wrong he was.
Their strength may have been equal, but their ability to wield it? The gap was vast.
Shu Mu Night stood firm, like an immovable mountain. No matter how much power Wang Jie used, he couldn’t budge him. Instead, a backlash of force slammed into Wang Jie. As Shu Mu Night flipped his palm and struck out, Wang Jie, even with Armor Eight Steps, failed to completely evade it. The palm landed squarely on his side, sending him skidding backward.
From the distance, Silent furrowed his brows. If both warriors possessed three parts strength, Wang Jie’s execution could bring forth only three parts of power, whereas Shu Mu Night could wield five. That gap was insurmountable.
Shu Mu Night pursued, throwing another punch. But this time, it was different. There was no overwhelming force behind it—just a simple, unassuming punch. Yet, ten years of surviving the apocalypse had honed Wang Jie’s instincts. His back went cold—he couldn’t take it head-on.
He retreated at full speed.
As expected, Shu Mu Night predicted his reaction and pressed forward relentlessly, moving far faster than Wang Jie.
There was no escape.
Only one option remained—he had to take it head-on.
Out at sea, Chu Yao observed in silence. The moment had come. Who would have thought this man could contend with the monster that was Shu Mu Night based purely on strength? Time to give him another surprise.
The warriors of Armor One Sect also watched, their eyes filled with uncertainty.
The fusion of Qi and Strength—many across the universe had attempted it, and the results had always been disastrous.
But Wang Jie had no time to consider the consequences. His first concern was survival.
He closed his eyes for a breath, then opened them. Shu Mu Night’s fist loomed before him.
Wang Jie slowly clenched his own fist. The air around it trembled, swirling violently before engulfing his hand. He struck forward with all his might.
Shu Mu Night’s eyes widened. Qi?!
Their fists collided.
Shu Mu Night’s punch landed directly on Wang Jie’s chest, while Wang Jie’s own fist connected squarely with Shu Mu Night’s.
Both were sent flying backward.
Wang Jie coughed up blood. His entire body felt as though it had been shattered. As strength increased, so too did physical resilience. Yet Shu Mu Night’s strike bypassed brute force, drilling into his core, nearly piercing through him.
Shu Mu Night, too, spat blood. He looked up at Wang Jie. “You… learned Qi?”
Wang Jie grinned. “A little gift for you. Satisfied?”
Shu Mu Night’s gaze darkened. “Throughout history, those who have combined Qi and Strength have met terrible ends. You’re courting death.”
“Better than dying now.” Wang Jie roared, unleashing another Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger. This time, it was infused with Qi, striking directly at Shu Mu Night.
For the first time, Shu Mu Night dodged. Before, he had evaded purely for amusement. This time, he felt genuine danger.
Wang Jie stepped upon Armor Eight Steps, using Qi to amplify his speed. His finger struck through the air like a divine spear, forcing Shu Mu Night onto the defensive. For the first time, he was at a disadvantage.
Everyone watching saw hope.
Could Wang Jie actually win?
Within Armor One Sect, Gu Moon gazed into the lake’s reflection. He had personally evaluated Shu Mu Night three times. The fourth assessment had yet to be made, yet he had already witnessed this battle unfold.
The outcome of this fight wouldn’t change his evaluation, but now, he was more interested in Wang Jie himself.
How long had Shu Mu Night cultivated? How many resources had been poured into him? By contrast, this “native” couldn’t compare—not even to any of the trial participants.
Yet, this man… he wanted to take him away.
Shu Mu Night was enraged.
Universal truths meant nothing to Wang Jie. He had no need to consider the future—only the present.
And for now, Qi and Strength worked terrifyingly well together. Even Shu Mu Night had to acknowledge that.
He raised his hand.
A long blade shimmered as it slashed through the sky.
Moonlit Sky’s Flowing Slash.
Wang Jie withdrew his attack, conserving his Qi. He couldn’t waste it recklessly. His mastery over Qi was still crude, and it came from within himself—he had no means of replenishing it. Squandering it would only create an opening for Shu Mu Night.
He had faced Moonlit Sky’s Flowing Slash more than once, replaying its movements in his mind countless times.
A cold glint flashed.
It was too fast to see.
Then there was only one option—endure it head-on.
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