Chapter 79: The Star-Breaking War
The Fifth Defensive Line was not heavily fortified. This was not an era of war, and the Ninth Star Chain still required access for travelers. But the Fourth Defensive Line was an entirely different matter.
Two months later, their ship finally reached the Fourth Defensive Line.
Compared to the previous barrier, the number of Nine-Eyed Mantises had multiplied. These monstrous sentinels patrolled the void with an eerie vigilance. As the ship’s light screen magnified their surroundings, an unbroken row of planets came into view—each one positioned like an eternal guardian, forming a cosmic wall against the darkness beyond.
“This is the Fourth Defensive Line.”
Yan Fu Yu’s voice was as cold as ice. “According to my plan, whoever successfully completes this mission shall gain direct entry into the Outer Court of the Frost Radiance Sect as a specially recruited disciple, with all the privileges of an Outer Sect disciple.”
“Prepare yourselves. The mission could begin at any moment.”
Inside the lounge, Wang Jie sat in silence, awaiting Yan Fu Yu. As the captain of this operation, he knew the Vice Domain would visit him.
The mission’s objective was straightforward: Yan Fu Yu would launch an assault on the Fourth Defensive Line, creating chaos while a group of Ten-Seal cultivators slipped past the defenses. Their destination? The Green Square Star Cluster, where a certain lifeform awaited them. This entity carried intelligence vital to the Frost Radiance Sect.
If they could retrieve the intelligence and return alive, their futures would be transformed.
“To be a specially recruited disciple of the Frost Radiance Sect—to hold the same status as an Outer Sect disciple—this is a dream countless cultivators from the Eighth Star Chain would die for,” Yan Fu Yu continued. “If we wished, we could gather three hundred, three thousand, even thirty thousand Ten-Seal cultivators to launch this attack. But the larger the force, the greater the disturbance, and the lower the chance of success.”
“You should be grateful that the Berserk Clan can detect the scent of our sect’s disciples. Otherwise, this mission wouldn’t have been given to you.”
Wang Jie bowed respectfully. “I will do my utmost to fulfill the mission and not disappoint you, Senior.”
Yan Fu Yu nodded. “Once you reach the Green Square Star Cluster, if there are others who manage to arrive as well—kill them.”
Wang Jie’s heart trembled. “Kill them?”
Yan Fu Yu’s expression was unreadable. “This mission can only be completed by one person. The others are mere pawns meant to mislead our enemies. If you don’t kill them, they will kill you.”
With that, he left.
Wang Jie gazed into the endless expanse of stars. So that was the truth. The supplies, the promises, the preparations—it was all a calculated price for their lives. To Yan Fu Yu, the Ten-Seal cultivators were nothing more than sacrifices. He was merely selecting the one with the highest chance of survival. The rest were already dead in his eyes.
Such was the cultivation world—harsh and merciless.
Wang Jie had struggled for ten years on Blue Star, living by the principle: Do not provoke unless provoked. Yet, he could never match the ruthless indifference of those who treated human lives as mere stepping stones.
“Be ready. It’s starting.”
A voice echoed through the ship. Wang Jie and the others took their places inside their individual spacecraft, awaiting the crucial moment.
A storm of white frost surged toward the Fourth Defensive Line. The Nine-Eyed Mantises screeched in alarm. The entire defensive line descended into chaos.
Countless ice pillars rained down, shattering mantises, piercing through planets, tearing apart defenses.
“Frost Radiance Sect! Courting death!” A thunderous roar erupted from within the defensive line as a formidable warrior surged forth to intercept Yan Fu Yu.
At that moment, the hatches of Wang Jie’s and the others’ spacecraft opened. A tremendous force, carried by the freezing winds, flung them toward the distant stars.
Wang Jie had never experienced such speed before. In the blink of an eye, the Fourth Defensive Line was already behind him.
This was no ordinary ship propulsion. He vaguely glimpsed a young man in the distance.
Boom!
Beside him, a spacecraft exploded. Swarms of Cosmic Giant Beasts surged toward them, while beams of energy from planetary turrets cut across the void.
Gritting his teeth, Wang Jie maneuvered his spacecraft, evading the deadly beams and Cosmic Giant Beasts, sticking to the designated route.
His ship trembled violently.
One after another, ships were obliterated—each explosion marking another life lost.
He saw Lei Cheng perish, his body reduced to ashes. This was war. Here, Ten-Seal cultivators had no chance to resist.
Sweat dripped from Wang Jie’s forehead. His spacecraft jolted—something had latched onto it. A Cosmic Giant Beast had sunk its claws into the ship’s hull.
With swift precision, Wang Jie unleashed Luo Xuan Finger.
A spiraling force of Qi struck the beast, sending it hurtling into the void.
These creatures were not human. They were born in the abyss of space, surviving in the void without the need for cultivation.
Again and again, Wang Jie fired Luo Xuan Finger, tearing through the creatures. Yet, his greatest concern was the energy beams. Wasn’t the Ninth Star Chain ruled by Cosmic Giant Beasts? Why were technological weapons also present?
If a single energy beam hit him, he would be finished.
Ahead, an interwoven web of energy beams illuminated the darkness. His spacecraft’s alarms blared incessantly.
More and more ships disappeared. Wang Jie had lost track of time. Every second was a battle for survival.
Then, suddenly—the energy beams ceased.
He had broken through the Fourth Defensive Line.
He exhaled heavily.
But there was no time to rest. Others had made it through as well. Pure luck had kept them alive.
Gazing at his light screen, Wang Jie hesitated for a moment before adjusting his ship’s trajectory, veering away.
Not far from him, another pilot noticed Wang Jie’s sudden course change. Before he could react, a sharp spike burst through his ship, shattering his skull. The spacecraft erupted into a fiery explosion.
The spike had come from a Cosmic Giant Beast.
Countless creatures filled the void. The Fourth Defensive Line was not so easily escaped.
Wang Jie glanced back. As expected, a horde of Cosmic Giant Beasts pursued them. Survival came first.
He controlled his ship, descending toward a desolate planet, the beasts close behind him.
Inside his cockpit, Wang Jie’s breath was ragged, sweat dripping from his brow. The sky above stretched in a sickly green haze, while below, a vast and treacherous marsh lay waiting. His ship’s analysis painted a grim picture—this planet’s atmosphere was laced with toxins lethal to human life. Stepping outside was not an option.
Suddenly, through the murky swamps, a pair of piercing eyes emerged.
Without hesitation, Wang Jie extended his finger, unleashing a spiraling force of Spiral Qi Force, instantly obliterating the lurking behemoth. Yet, this single attack acted as a beacon, drawing forth a horde of Cosmic Giant Beasts, their forms writhing like insects as they surged through the marshlands.
Then, without warning, a colossal finger rose from the depths of the swamp, another descending from the sky itself—
Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger!
With one strike, half the Cosmic Giant Beasts were annihilated. The survivors, struggling against the residual force, met their end beneath Wang Jie’s relentless Spiral Qi Force.
Wasting no time, he steered his spaceship away from the treacherous marshlands, seeking shelter in a distant region. Yet the threat remained; countless Cosmic Giant Beasts scoured the planet, hunting for the intruder. Would they ever relent? For now, at least, he had eluded their gaze.
Reaching into his storage, Wang Jie retrieved Cataclysm Materials, absorbing their Seal Power to replenish his strength. Outside, the beasts continued their descent—undoubtedly, they had confirmed the presence of an invader.
A weary sigh escaped his lips. There was no end to this pursuit. As soon as his strength was restored, he ascended once more, streaking through the cosmos in search of a planet fit for human survival.
Two days passed before he finally found one.
But behind him trailed a swarm of Cosmic Giant Beasts. Fortunately, they were all below the Ten-Seal level. However, if the chase persisted, it was only a matter of time before a Star-Breaking Realm beast joined the hunt.
Upon descent, Wang Jie threw open the spaceship’s hatch, stepping out to take a deep breath of the alien air. It was heavy. The oxygen concentration was far greater than that of Blue Star.
Towering flora stretched as far as the eye could see, while enormous beasts and monstrous insects lurked among the vegetation. As soon as the Cosmic Giant Beasts arrived, these native creatures scurried away, vanishing into the shadows.
Wang Jie swiftly concealed his spaceship before striding deeper into the terrain. If they insisted on this relentless pursuit, he might as well turn the tables.
Freed from the constraints of his ship, he wielded his strength unrestrained. Each sword stroke cleaved through mountains, reducing the cosmic beasts to lifeless husks.
Beast after beast descended, each wielding the full might of a Ten-Seal cultivator. Yet none could withstand his blade.
Then, he looked up.
Even more beasts loomed above. Exhaling sharply, he raised his sword skyward—
Gazing Star Sword Style!
Sword light cascaded like falling stars, draping the heavens in luminescence, rendering all beneath it pale in comparison.
The beasts perished in droves, their corpses raining down, staining the rivers crimson.
Seated by the river, Wang Jie watched as his bloodied sword rested against the water’s surface, crimson rivulets dispersing with the current. Shadows loomed behind him. His gaze turned sharp.
“I expected a Star-Breaking Realm beast to appear eventually,” he mused. “Didn’t think you’d be stalking me all this time.”
He turned.
A mantis stood before him—
A Nine-Eyed Mantis.
Yan Fu Yu had mentioned these creatures before. They were typically Ten-Seal level, though exceptions existed. Wang Jie hadn’t expected his luck to be so abysmal as to draw the attention of one such rarity.
Escape was impossible. Nine-Eyed Mantises were bred to guard defensive lines, and their specialty was pursuit.
This one stood at five meters tall, its twin scythes glinting with a chilling light. Its crimson, narrow pupils locked onto him with unsettling focus, exuding cautious hostility.
It had been watching him for some time, shaken by the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger yet patient enough to follow, waiting for Wang Jie to exhaust his Seal Power. Now, with most of the Cosmic Giant Beasts slaughtered, it feared he would recover, prompting it to strike.
The river roared, its waters reflecting the dying embers of the sunset. A sliver of red light entered Wang Jie’s vision. Instinctively, he dodged.
A scythe came crashing down—
Fast. Too fast.
No time to think—he raised an arm, his foot executing the Armor Eight Steps—
Clang!
A sharp impact rang out. His wrist guard absorbed the brunt of the blow, yet the force sent him hurtling through the air. He hadn’t even completed a single step of Armor Eight Steps before he was flung away.
So fast!
The mantis struck again.
This time, he reacted purely on instinct, using one arm to push off the ground, launching himself into the sky. The mantis’s scythe cleaved through empty air. It tilted its head upward, its crimson pupils splitting open—
Then, it took flight, scythes gleaming as they slashed toward him once more.
Suspended in mid-air, Wang Jie brandished his sword—
Gazing Star Sword Style!
Sword lights rained down like a meteor shower, enveloping the mantis. Yet with astonishing dexterity, it swung its scythes, deflecting every blade before vanishing from sight.
Wang Jie narrowed his eyes. His blade remained steady, his Qi and Strength converging as he positioned it before him.
The mantis reappeared, its twin scythes cleaving in unison.
Steel clashed against steel. A tremor surged through Wang Jie’s arms as an immense force resonated through his sword, numbing his hands. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip, his Seal Power surging as he bellowed—
“Get lost!”
A mighty slash forced the mantis back. It skidded across the terrain, its narrow pupils widening in disbelief. A mere Ten-Seal cultivator had repelled it?
The chasm between Ten-Seal and Star-Breaking Realm was vast. Only the rarest of prodigies could bridge that gap.
Yet one stood before it now.
Wang Jie landed, his breath ragged. The pressure was immense. This was the power of the Star-Breaking Realm. If not for his Qi shielding his blade, the mantis’s scythes would have shattered it entirely.
As if on cue—
Crack.
His sword fractured, then shattered.
The mantis narrowed its many eyes before lunging once more, its scythes slashing mercilessly.
Wang Jie, however, was already prepared. In his grasp, a blade materialized—
A Star Artifact he had seized from a certain group. Though he had drained its Star Power, preventing backlash, its durability far exceeded any ordinary weapon.
Steel met steel.
The mantis was blindingly fast. Even with Armor Eight Steps, Wang Jie barely kept up. His wrist guards absorbed the worst of the attacks, but he had no room to counter.
Yet all he needed was one chance.
One strike.
This creature’s speed and offense were unparalleled, but its defense? Surely lacking.
If he could land a single clean blow, it would be enough…
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