Chapter 78: The Ninth Star Chain

Beyond the valley, Yu Yan gazed into the distance, his eyes locked onto Wang Jie. [This captain position should have been yours.] The aura of Ten-Seal Lockforce surrounding him felt deep and unfathomable—an uncommon sight.

Inside the valley, Wang Jie moved unhurriedly as he collected Cataclysm Materials. He didn’t compete with the others; if someone else lunged for an item, he let it go and picked up what remained.

Before long, the valley was stripped clean.

All the materials had been taken, and now, the cultivators stood still, each eyeing the others with vigilance.

Soon, one of them stepped forward—it was the first cultivator who had rushed to gather materials. “Fellow warriors,” he began, his voice steady. “Those of us standing here have all fought our way through blood and steel to reach this point. Even among those at the Ten-Seal Realm, we are among the elite. So, I will speak plainly.”

“To prevent internal strife in the upcoming mission—betrayals, ambushes, or outright plundering—I propose that we pool all our Cataclysm Materials and redistribute them based on strength. The strong will get more; the weak, less—or perhaps none at all. This way, there will be no need to covet what others possess.”

At first, his words seemed unreasonable, but surprisingly, some quickly agreed.

Wang Jie swept his gaze across those who voiced their approval. He recognized one—a man who had spoken with the first cultivator just a few days prior. [They’re working together.]

From another corner, another voice echoed agreement. Then another. One by one, more cultivators sided with the proposal.

To outsiders, it might seem irrational. But for these battle-hardened cultivators, who had survived countless skirmishes, it was preferable to fight for resources rather than rely on luck to snatch them.

Wang Jie agreed as well. He had gathered little, yet his strength far exceeded what he had collected. [I should have more.]

Most others felt the same—their confidence in their own power outweighed their greed.

“Good,” said the first cultivator. “I’ll take the lead and set an example.” With that, he tossed his Cataclysm Materials onto the ground. “I am Lei Cheng. If I walk away empty-handed in the end, I won’t blame anyone.”

The second person who had agreed earlier followed suit, throwing his own materials down. One after another, cultivators stepped forward, including Wang Jie, who was the fifth to do so.

Some had more, some less. A few undoubtedly held back portions, but no one dared to keep too much.

Soon, a mountain of Cataclysm Materials piled before them, its allure undeniable.

Lei Cheng addressed the crowd. “The rules are simple. Whoever wins five consecutive battles will take half of the materials.”

“The remaining half will be split among those who win three consecutive battles.”

“And so on. Does anyone have objections?”

Some licked their lips, their eyes gleaming with ferocity. Others swept cold gazes across the crowd, gripping their weapons with anticipation.

“Who will step forward first?” Lei Cheng asked.

No one rushed in. Everyone remained wary, scanning for potential challengers.

Lei Cheng nodded and strode toward the center. “Then I shall go first as a show of goodwill. But should I win five matches in a row—” His tone sharpened. “—I won’t be polite in claiming my prize.”

With measured steps, he moved to the center of the battlefield and retrieved a refined iron staff from his Storage Ring. He swung it gently, and with a final motion, struck it into the ground.

Boom!

The earth did not crack.

A controlled display of raw strength—the surrounding cultivators flinched slightly.

To be chosen for this mission, every participant was among the elites of the Ten-Seal Realm. Many were veterans, hardened by experience.

Lei Cheng was no weakling.

His gaze swept the crowd. “Who will challenge me?”

A man stepped forward. “I will.”

Lei Cheng raised his iron staff, pointing it at his challenger. “Come.”

The challenger charged, drawing his blade mid-stride and slashing forward.

From the shadows, Wang Jie watched in silence. The moment the blade was drawn, he already knew the outcome. [That won’t work. Lei Cheng has far greater control over his strength.]

As expected, the challenger fell.

The second challenger emerged—an elderly woman. The mission had drawn participants from all ages; Wang Jie was among the youngest.

The old woman fought with deception, feigning grand attacks while setting up hidden strikes. Her Combat Techniques leaned toward the treacherous. Lei Cheng nearly succumbed to her trickery but managed to secure victory thanks to his staff.

Wang Jie glanced at the ground. [The terrain has been reinforced. Otherwise, a battle between Ten-Seal cultivators would have already reduced this valley to rubble.] His thoughts turned to the Cataclysm Materials that had fallen from the sky. [Yan Fu Yu—he orchestrated this, intending to make us fight amongst ourselves.]

The third challenger was a man with extraordinary defense, his Lockforce forming a visible armor around his body. Lei Cheng won again, but his Lockforce was nearly depleted.

The fourth challenger seized the opportunity.

Lei Cheng fell.

The fourth challenger wielded over ten different weapons—including hot weapons. There were no rules prohibiting their use.

With Lei Cheng defeated, one after another, the Ten-Seal warriors took their turns. The strongest among them made it to the fourth round before losing to the first cultivator who had backed Lei Cheng’s idea.

Wang Jie narrowed his eyes. He studied the victorious warrior, then turned his gaze back to Lei Cheng.

[He threw that match. He could’ve won the fourth round but chose not to. Was he testing the waters?]

One after another, challengers stepped forth, yet no one had won five consecutive matches.

Wang Jie stepped forward.

At the center stood a middle-aged woman—one of Lei Cheng’s allies. No fewer than five among this group were working together.

[They planned to take all the Cataclysm Materials.]

[Too bad they ran into me.]

The woman smiled playfully. “Little brother, making it here is already a great achievement. Take my advice—don’t fight.”

Wang Jie returned her smile. “I appreciate the warning, big sister. Now, shall we begin?”

She waved him forward. “Come on then.”

Wang Jie took a step. A second step—he crossed the space between them. A third step—he vanished.

She had dismissed him at first. But the instant he appeared before her, her expression changed drastically.

By the time she realized what had happened, it was too late.

A devastating force struck her abdomen.

She crumpled, unable to even cough. The ground blurred in her vision.

[So strong…]

All were left in stunned silence. Speed and power—flawless and unstoppable.

Lei Cheng’s face darkened. Where had this youth come from? He had observed everyone carefully during this period, yet he had overlooked such a formidable individual. This young man was a force to be reckoned with.

He signaled to another man with a glance.

That man stepped forward. “Little brother, your skills are impressive. Now, it’s my turn.”

Wang Jie gestured for him to come forward. At this moment, no one dared say he was being arrogant.

The man launched an attack, striking the ground with a palm. His palm force was soft yet laced with poison, a method he had not revealed before.

With a simple wave of his hand, Wang Jie unleashed a tremendous force that completely nullified the attack. In the same motion, he countered with his own palm, shattering the man’s defenses instantly.

A third opponent seized the moment to strike, launching a surprise attack from behind.

Unfazed, Wang Jie turned and delivered a swift flying kick, as effortlessly as if he were swatting away a common thug.

To him, the power of a Ten-Seal cultivator was insignificant.

Beyond the valley, Yu Yan’s lips curled into a smirk. This kid was even stronger than he had anticipated.

The fourth challenger was the first to have answered Lei Cheng’s call earlier. This time, he displayed a sword technique far more ferocious than before. It was clear—he had been holding back in previous fights, aiming to be the one to secure three consecutive victories after Lei Cheng.

They had already divided the battle strategy among themselves.

What a pity.

Wang Jie caught the sword tip between his fingers, stopping it effortlessly. Under his opponent’s disbelieving gaze, he bent the blade. With a metallic clang, the sword flew through the air and embedded itself into the valley wall. The swordsman staggered back several steps—defeated.

Four opponents down—swift and decisive.

The spectators were left dumbstruck. Could the disparity among Ten-Seal cultivators truly be this vast? Many among them had never even had the opportunity to meet the prodigies of great sects. It had never occurred to them that the gap within the same level could be so immense.

Lei Cheng finally stepped forward. He would be the fifth and final challenger. If Wang Jie defeated him, he would be entitled to take half of the cataclysm materials on the scene.

“Little brother, what is your name?”

“Wang Jie.”

Lei Cheng’s expression revealed his admiration. “Just as I suspected, you must be from a powerful faction.”

Wang Jie responded indifferently, “Why waste words? Let’s fight.”

Lei Cheng drew a second iron staff, rubbing the two together. Lock Force surged between them, crackling like thunder.

Beyond the valley, Yu Yan raised an eyebrow. Such mastery over Lock Force! Not only that, but the sheer intensity of the force indicated a dark gray seal—a rare and formidable sign.

Even in the outer sect of the Frost Radiance Sect, such an individual would be considered outstanding.

Those with greater experience in the cultivation world had come to a common understanding—many extraordinary figures remained buried outside of great sects. Practicing Lock Force might limit one’s future, but it did not mean one was weak.

Take, for example, Wu Mian of the Frost Radiance Sect’s outer court. Even when he was only at the Ten-Seal level, his imprint had already deepened to dark gray, making him comparable to a sect’s direct disciple. With two shattered stars under his belt, he had shaken the sect. If not for the limitations of Lock Force, his potential would have been boundless.

Back in the valley, Lei Cheng attacked. His Lock Force, channeled through his iron staves, transformed into crackling lightning. The sheer force of his strikes shattered the ground, churning the air into a boiling storm. His raw power was ten times that of an ordinary Ten-Seal cultivator—an astonishing feat.

Yet, in the end, he still fell to Wang Jie.

Wang Jie had drawn his sword—

Gazing Star Sword Style.

He had used it before when assisting Mu Ran, and now, there was no longer a need to conceal it. However, just as before, he had only revealed a fraction of its power. Had he unleashed its full potential, even the Frost Radiance Sect would take notice.

Lei Cheng was utterly defeated, leaving no room for argument. The other challengers were left in awe—none of them had ever seen such a powerful sword technique.

Without hesitation, Wang Jie took half of the materials. The remaining half was divided again, with Lei Cheng claiming a quarter, while the rest had no objections. There were still many materials left, and more battles to be fought.

The more cataclysm materials there were, the greater the danger of this mission.

But Wang Jie had no room to refuse.

As the last piece of material was taken, the conflict was officially over.

Yu Yan turned to the group and announced Wang Jie as the captain of this mission. From now on, everyone would follow his orders.

No one protested. Wang Jie was far too powerful.

A few days later, the mission began.

A spacecraft soared into the distant void.

Their route? The Ninth Star Chain.

Each of them had their own private quarters aboard the ship. A full month passed before the spacecraft finally came to a halt. Yu Yan’s voice rang out, summoning everyone to look outside.

What they saw was the endless blackness of space, and—

A colossal… mantis?

Wang Jie rubbed his eyes. A mantis?

“That is a Nine-Eyed Mantis, a creature frequently deployed in defensive lines during war. While its strength isn’t particularly unique—it typically reaches the Ten-Seal level, with rare cases of Star-Breaking Realm individuals—its true specialty lies in its vision. Each mantis can link its sight with others, stacking its perception across nine individuals. If one sees something, all nine do. This ability makes them ideal sentinels for defensive lines.”

“They belong to the category of Cosmic Giant Beasts and can naturally survive in space. Even those below the Wandering Star Realm can roam freely in the void. There are many such creatures in the universe, some possessing abilities far beyond your imagination.”

“Seeing this one here means we have arrived outside the Fifth Defensive Line of the Ninth Star Chain.”

“The Ninth Star Chain has five defensive lines in total. Our destination lies between the Third and Fourth Defensive Lines, within the Green Square Star Cluster.”

“Now, we move forward.”

The spacecraft resumed its course, bypassing the Nine-Eyed Mantis and plunging into the depths of the Ninth Star Chain.

This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation

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