Chapter 77: The Wanderer Among the Stars
Su Ying Yu offered a faint smile before turning away, departing gracefully into the distance. Just before she left, she reminded Wang Jie that the trade process would take a full month to complete. This meant he had a month to hunt down creatures freely. Coincidentally, that was just the right amount of time needed to eliminate the most formidable Ten-Seal Beasts on the Slaughter Stone Planet.
Watching her retreating figure, Wang Jie murmured, “The process may take a month, yet she settled the payment in advance. Su Ying Yu, huh?”
In his grasp was a storage ring, brimming with an immense quantity of cataclysm materials—the funds from renting out Slaughter Stone Planet had already been converted into resources. Clearly, she had arranged everything ahead of time.
“What kind of background does that trading house have?” he asked.
Cheng Qian respectfully replied, “The Star Dome Vision Material Exchange. It’s said to be under the jurisdiction of Star Dome Vision itself.”
Wang Jie raised an eyebrow. “Star Dome Vision?”
“Yes. It is the greatest intelligence force in the universe, far beyond even our Frost Radiance Sect, which cannot afford to offend them.”
Wang Jie nodded, pushing the thought aside. Such colossal powers were far beyond his reach. For now, he would focus on the present—his next task was to return to Slaughter Stone Planet.
The first planet he had visited had already been cleansed of any significant threats. Now, it was time for the second one. This location was much farther away, and Wang Jie needed special approval before departing.
Onboard his starship, he continued his training—performing his calisthenics, refining his Seal Power, and steadily strengthening his abilities.
Upon arriving at Slaughter Stone Planet, he used his battle power detector to search for Ten-Seal Beasts. The numbers were few, given that the planet had already been harvested once, but some still remained. Within just over ten days, he had eliminated them all. The quantity of cataclysm materials he obtained was not substantial, but it was better than nothing.
Upon returning, he noticed his fifth seal mark had darkened to a light black hue.
Around him, three hundred golden beans revolved in orbit, their speed increasing steadily. His training in Qi refinement had also improved, but he lacked a proper way to enhance his Qi reserves. No matter how much he practiced, it merely refined his techniques rather than expanding his power.
Suddenly, an alarm blared.
Wang Jie turned his gaze forward. The light screen displayed an incoming starship, approaching at extreme speed.
“This is my private navigation route. Where did this ship come from?”
Immediately, he transmitted a signal ordering the approaching vessel to yield.
Yet, the ship ignored the command and continued on a direct collision course. Left with no choice, Wang Jie maneuvered to evade. As their paths crossed, he took a careful glance—
The vessel was smaller, incredibly ordinary. Its exterior gave away no indication of its contents.
Wang Jie quickly transmitted the ship’s details for investigation. This was no minor matter—had he failed to react in time, a collision in space could have meant instant death.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, another alarm blared—
Again?
His gaze snapped back to the light screen, and his eyes widened.
This time, it wasn’t a starship.
It was a man.
A lone figure traversing the void.
He turned to look outside—
A black-robed man emerged from the abyss, closing in from a great distance. In an instant, a frosted white surface extended beneath his feet, forming an icy path that stretched across the cosmos. With a single fluid motion, he glided along the frozen bridge, tapping against Wang Jie’s starship before vanishing into the darkness.
Wang Jie spun around to look behind him—
And witnessed something unbelievable.
The vast starry void had turned white, as though the entire cosmos had been frozen solid. The once endless black was now bathed in the pale glow of ice.
In the distance, the mystery starship that had nearly collided with him was completely encased in ice. A mere breath later, it shattered, scattering into the void like fragments of dust.
Destroyed.
Whoever had been inside… they were all dead.
Wang Jie’s breath caught as he watched the frost recede into the distance, the darkness of space slowly reclaiming its territory.
“That was… Wandering Star Realm.”
A realm above Star-Breaking, beyond Full Star Realm—a level of existence far beyond his grasp.
Even among Lock Force cultivators, few ever reached the Star-Breaking Realm. Fewer still reached the Full Star Realm. Yet, he had never heard of anyone reaching the Wandering Star Realm.
If nothing changed, he would never attain such heights in his lifetime.
And yet, today, he had seen it with his own eyes.
Before such power, even starships were fragile. A single gesture could obliterate them. And their speed? Even faster than light-speed travel.
Was this still human?
How could anyone train to such a level?
As his mind spiraled into thought—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound echoed.
Wang Jie’s eyes snapped toward the door of his starship.
This was the depths of space.
His expression darkened as he turned—
There, outside his ship, the black-robed figure stood.
The man lifted his head, his features now visible beneath the hood. He smiled, then casually gestured toward the door.
Wang Jie swallowed hard. His hand trembled as he unlocked the hatch. He had no choice. This man could destroy the entire vessel with a thought.
The black-robed figure stepped inside, moving with ease before collapsing into a chair, his posture exuding fatigue. Tossing his robe aside, he leaned back and sighed.
“Got any water? Give me a drink.”
The man was middle-aged, his expression relaxed, almost carefree.
Wang Jie hurriedly poured him a drink.
The man took a sip and exhaled with satisfaction. “Ah… That hits the spot.”
Then, placing the cup down, he turned his gaze to Wang Jie and smiled again.
“Though you gave me water, I’m afraid I still have to kill you.”
Wang Jie’s pupils shrank. His throat went dry. “Why?”
The man shrugged. “No choice. You’ve seen me. To be safe… I need you dead.”
As he spoke, a single droplet of water rose from the cup, suspended in the air, slowly spinning.
In that instant—
A chilling dread surged through Wang Jie’s body. It was as if he had stepped into the abyss of death itself.
He stared at the man, his voice hoarse. “You… you’re from Frost Radiance Sect, aren’t you?”
The man’s eyes gleamed. “See? Another reason to kill you. You figured it out.”
“Wait!” Wang Jie gasped. “I am too!”
“You bear no trace of the Frost Splendor Sect’s power upon you,” the man frowned, his gaze sharp. “Lying is unwise. A man should face death standing, with dignity. Grit your teeth—it will be over soon.”
Wang Jie activated his personal terminal, revealing the Contribution System for the man to see.
Seeing the display, the man raised an eyebrow as a droplet of water fell from his damp hair. “Well, I’ll be damned.” He scrutinized Wang Jie. “But you’re not one of our people. You hail from the Silver Radiance Empire?”
Wang Jie nodded.
The man exhaled, rubbing his temple. “Odds aren’t in your favor for survival, but I’m a man who likes to give chances. Perhaps it’s my kind heart.” He chuckled dryly.
“I’ll make an inquiry. Whether you live or die depends on the response.”
With that, he accessed his personal terminal and contacted someone.
A voice soon responded from the other end, “Vice Domain Lord Yan, is it done?”
Wang Jie immediately recognized the voice—Jin Chu. He had met this woman once before.
The man, now identified as Yan Fu Yu, replied, “It’s handled, but there’s a complication.” He then explained Wang Jie’s situation before turning to him. “What’s your name?”
“Wang Jie,” he answered evenly. “I am an Emperor’s Guard, and I have met Lady Jin Chu before.”
On the other end, Jin Chu seemed to recall. “Wang Jie? What does Vice Domain Lord Yan intend to do with him?”
Yan Fu Yu shrugged. “You’re in charge before the battle. It’s your call.”
Wang Jie’s heart clenched.
He knew that contacting Jun Hua now would be futile. Jin Chu had assigned him a task before—even Jun Hua had to consult before declining, which showed the vast difference in their status.
Jin Chu’s voice came firm, “Our years of planning in Frost Splendor Sect must not be compromised. If it were up to me, I’d kill him outright.”
Wang Jie’s expression darkened, his fists slowly tightening.
“However,” Jin Chu continued, “Vice Domain Lord Yan, you still have that task, don’t you? I had wanted him involved before, but Jun Hua refused. Let him take part now. He has done us a service by assisting Mu Ran with formation placements.”
Hearing this, Wang Jie’s heart eased slightly. Though he had no idea what the task entailed, it was better than immediate death.
Yan Fu Yu glanced at Wang Jie again and nodded. “Fair enough. One more or one less doesn’t make much difference. Besides, I see some talent in this kid.”
With the discussion settled, Yan Fu Yu ended the communication and turned to Wang Jie with a smirk. “Congratulations. You get to live.”
Wang Jie exhaled fully, bowing slightly. “Many thanks, Senior.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Yan Fu Yu said with a knowing smirk. “Sometimes, surviving is harder than dying. From now on, you follow my orders. I am Yan Fu Yu, known to them as Vice Domain Lord Yan. You may address me the same—if you manage to survive this mission.”
“We’re changing course.”
The spaceship altered its trajectory, heading toward a location Wang Jie was all too familiar with—the Silver Radiance Empire’s border, where he had previously aided Mu Ran in arranging formation arrays.
War was inevitable.
He had evaded once but not twice—truly, an unfortunate twist of fate.
Yet, Wang Jie felt no fear. He had fought for survival on Blue Star’s apocalypse for ten years. Moreover, Mourning Water Art required rare materials, and war provided the fastest way to obtain them.
Moments after Wang Jie’s spaceship changed course, a disturbance was detected on Imperial Capital Star.
“Quickly, report to the Emperor! Guard Wang’s spaceship has deviated from its route. He has not returned.”
“Understood!”
Jun Hua furrowed her brows. “Deviation?” A heavy sensation weighed upon her. She turned toward Yu Dong.
Yu Dong’s voice was grave. “We can’t reach him.”
Jun Hua immediately ordered a border lockdown. At this critical juncture, even the smallest flaw could lead to catastrophe. The price of failure was too great.
However, an instant later, Jin Chu’s message arrived.
Jun Hua glanced at it—and withdrew the lockdown.
“What’s wrong?” Yu Dong asked, tension rising. The Frost Splendor Sect’s arrangements were far too vital.
Jun Hua met her gaze. “Wang Jie has joined the mission.”
Yu Dong was baffled. “Didn’t you refuse on his behalf?”
Jun Hua shook her head. “I don’t know how, but right now, only Senior Jin Chu can reach him.”
“Why would Senior Jin Chu insist on including him twice? A mere Ten-Seal Lockforce cultivator shouldn’t draw such attention. Could it be…”
The two exchanged looks, both falling into silence. Their thoughts aligned on one thing—that Armor One Sect’s spaceship.
Beyond the planet where Wang Jie had aided Mu Ran’s formations, a technological civilization thrived. However, its technology was still in its infancy, incapable of detecting the landing of a spaceship.
Wang Jie was brought to a remote mountainous region, where he encountered more than thirty cultivators, all at the Ten-Seal level.
Mist wreathed the floating peaks, their summits brushing the clouds.
“Stay put. Until the mission ends, do not leave,” Yan Fu Yu ordered before departing.
No one paid much attention to Wang Jie’s arrival. It was as if his presence was a mere formality.
These Ten-Seal cultivators exuded impressive strength—all were Lockforce practitioners.
Wang Jie withdrew to a quiet corner, waiting.
Over the next few days, more cultivators arrived, while some left. The number of warriors fluctuated constantly.
Then, one day, cataclysm materials rained from the heavens.
Each piece was ten times richer in Seal Power than ordinary Ten-Seal cataclysm materials. Wang Jie had seen such treasures at trade fairs, though never in such abundance.
Now, they fell like raindrops.
He was utterly stunned.
Just how many were there?
The other Ten-Seal cultivators stared skyward, equally astounded—yet none moved. The materials fell unchecked, carpeting the valley floor.
For two days, no one dared touch them.
On the third day, someone finally reached out and took one. The world remained silent. That cultivator continued collecting, emboldened.
Seeing this, the others could no longer hold back. Even if they didn’t need the materials, they could sell them for a fortune.
In an instant, the entire valley erupted into a frenzied struggle for the materials.
A storm was brewing.
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