Chapter 84: Essentials of Star Method
Wang Jie reached into his pocket and frowned. His funds were running low.
Jiang Cai immediately stepped forward. “Master, rest assured. The Tower Master instructed before leaving that you may buy whatever you need.”
Wang Jie sighed. “The main issue is that I spent too much earlier. Had I known, I wouldn’t have purchased so many Cataclysm Materials.”
The moment he had stepped out, forty-five million Star Stones had disappeared from his hands. Puppeteer Tower had covered thirteen million of that amount.
How could money be spent so fast?
The answer lay in the extravagant purchases. His Storage Ring was far superior to Wen Zhao’s. Even in the Silver Radiance Empire, few could own such a high-quality storage ring. The Formation Books were no exception—who else could afford them?
Upon returning, the Berserk Clan Creatures were already waiting. To Wang Jie, these creatures looked like walking piles of wealth. After all, there was still so much he needed to buy: Star-Sealing Stones, Celestial Artifacts, and, of course, more Formation Books. Not to mention the ever-expensive Cataclysm Materials.
He was far too short on money.
“Master, after discussing it, our clan has decided: If you are willing to refine two hundred weapons for us, we shall offer this to you.” One of the Berserk Clan Creatures pressed a button on their Personal Terminal, and a holographic screen appeared.
Wang Jie found it odd seeing such beast-like creatures using modern technology. More importantly, how had the required number increased? Two hundred now?
The projection displayed an ancient, yellowed book, its few pages exuding an aura of antiquity.
“This is the Essentials of Star Method.”
Wang Jie’s eyes widened. “What?”
“The Essentials of Star Method,” the Berserk Clan Creature repeated, its tone shifting with reverence, as if the item was immensely valuable.
Wang Jie didn’t know its exact worth, but anything related to the Star Method was not to be taken lightly.
The Star Method—he had seen its terrifying potential firsthand.
Shu Mu Night’s mastery of the Star Method was overwhelming. If he could learn it as well, his combat ability would soar.
“Can this book allow one to cultivate the Star Method?”
“We do not know. However, it was obtained from a powerful practitioner of the Star Method. Our Eight-Prison Berserk Clan does not practice this method, but we have also never been willing to let it leave our possession—until now. With you here, it is only fitting that we entrust it to you.”
Wang Jie spoke slowly, “Giving me a book that may not even allow me to practice the Star Method—what’s the point?”
Before the Berserk Clan Creature could respond, he continued, “However, I do see your sincerity. How about this?” Controlling his Puppet, he raised three fingers. “Three times the price, plus the Essentials of Star Method, and I guarantee the fastest possible weapon refinement. But I cannot promise a fixed number.”
The Berserk Clan Creature spoke in a low voice. “Master, isn’t that too high a price?”
His Puppet made a simple gesture—an invitation to leave if they weren’t interested.
Wang Jie wasn’t worried about them refusing.
Did others not understand the situation? He certainly did. The Frost Radiance Sect was preparing to invade the Ninth Star Chain. The Eight-Prison Berserk Clan was in a rush to refine weapons because they were aware of this impending conflict.
Yan Fu Yu’s offensive against the Fourth Defensive Line was not mere harassment.
Facing war, even if he had demanded four or five times the price, they would have paid. Controlling an entire Star Chain meant their resources were unfathomable. However, Wang Jie did not dare to push them too hard, lest they set their sights on him instead.
The Berserk Clan Creatures discussed briefly, then contacted someone before replying, “Master, we agree to four times the price, along with the Essentials of Star Method, in exchange for two hundred weapons refined within three hundred days. Additionally, as long as you have time, you may continue refining weapons for us in the future.”
Wang Jie was surprised. The pressure must be immense if they were raising the price on their own.
“Deal.” He accepted—there was no downside for him.
Two hundred weapons? Even two thousand would not take him long. It was a trivial task.
The Berserk Clan Creatures were skeptical. Could he really refine them within three hundred days? The Ninth Star Chain had seen Celestial Refinement Masters before, and not just one. The best among them could refine a One-Tribulation Celestial Artifact every three days—assuming they barely rested. Two hundred weapons would normally take six hundred days.
Could this man work at double their speed?
Since Wang Jie had agreed, they did not argue further. If he failed, they wouldn’t have to pay the full price anyway.
Immediately, they transported the two hundred weapons to the Puppeteer Tower, along with a deposit of two million Star Stones.
Looking at the mountain of Star Stones, Wang Jie mused that war was truly profitable. In normal times, two million Star Stones would have been the entire payment. Now, it was just the deposit. Completing the contract would earn him eight million.
After the Berserk Clan Creatures departed, Wang Jie summoned Jiang Cai and returned the thirteen million Star Stones to Puppeteer Tower.
Jiang Cai tried to refuse, but Wang Jie insisted.
A loan was a loan. A gift was a gift. Principles mattered.
Now, it was time for weapon refinement.
Jiang Cai’s eyes held nothing but awe. Two hundred weapons—how long would it take to refine them all?
One night.
Wang Jie did some calculations. At most, he needed a single night. Of course, he wouldn’t deliver them that quickly. He would refine them one by one, maintaining an average pace of one every day and a half.
As for his Mourning Water Art, which required ten Celestial Artifacts—that was no longer a concern. He could simply imbue ten weapons with Celestial Force and be done with it.
At this moment, Wang Jie was carefully examining the Essentials of Star Method.
The yellowed pages were made of beast hide, aged beyond estimation, as though they would crumble at a touch.
Handling it with care, he read it word by word.
By the end, he wasn’t sure if he had been deceived. It was called “essentials,” and indeed, it was. It contained only the most basic introduction to the Star Method and its stages, without any details on its actual applications.
In essence, it merely explained what the Star Method was.
The so-called Star Method was simply the method of utilizing Star Force.
A method—not a technique.
Though similar in nature, there exists a profound disparity between combat techniques and star methods. Both rely on the power of Star Force, yet the latter demands a mastery far beyond the former. The starkest difference lies in their application: while combat techniques wield Star Force as raw strength, star methods dissect it at an unimaginably intricate level, reshaping it into miracles beyond ordinary comprehension.
Only those who have attained a profound understanding of Star Force can wield star methods. Generally, reaching the Star-Breaking Realm is the bare minimum requirement for such mastery. Those who can utilize star methods at this level are considered prodigious talents, appearing once in a century. Even within the Full Star Realm and the Wandering Star Realm, practitioners capable of utilizing star methods are revered as geniuses.
And yet, someone like Shu Mu Night, who could already wield star methods at the Eight Seal Level, defied all conventions. He was beyond mere genius—an anomaly beyond measure.
The more Wang Jie delved into the vast cosmos, the more he grasped the sheer magnitude of his past victory over Shu Mu Night. Those three battles… If spoken aloud, few would believe them.
His gaze fell once more upon the Essentials of Star Methods, which detailed the four progressive realms of Star Force Mastery: One Glance Sees Three Thousand, A Drop Contains an Ocean, Leaves Falling in the Starry Firmament, and Infinite World.
Yet, the tome in his hands only introduced the first realm—One Glance Sees Three Thousand.
This realm signified a transformation of perception. If an ordinary person viewed Star Force as a single drop, then one who had attained this level would perceive it as three thousand identical droplets. By continuously dividing and magnifying that singular essence, they could witness its myriad forms. Attaining this realm was the fundamental threshold for executing star methods.
Without reaching it, one could not truly perform star methods—only combat techniques.
Since star methods were cast using Star Force, could the same principles apply to Lock Force? If he cultivated Lock Force to the same level of refinement, would it become what he might call Lock Methods?
Contemplating this, Wang Jie raised a hand, summoning forth Lock Force. It danced within his palm—a single droplet.
He attempted to restrain it, to condense it into a singular essence. The difficulty was immense, yet not insurmountable. And then, a sudden wave of familiarity washed over him.
Soybeans.
His eyes flickered with realization.
Indeed, soybeans.
His journey into Qi Cultivation had begun with soybeans, and now, breaking Lock Force down to its most fundamental form bore a striking resemblance to that training.
Though their targets differed, the methodology felt the same.
This was a concept he understood well.
Within a mere two days, he had not only mastered the ability to separate Lock Force into individual droplets but had also peered into its intricate essence. By the standards of Essentials of Star Methods, he had reached One Glance Sees Three Hundred.
However, the threshold for performing star methods lay at One Glance Sees Three Thousand.
At first glance, three hundred and three thousand seemed close. Yet, Wang Jie was well aware of the steep climb ahead.
Some paths grew exponentially more arduous the further one traveled.
There was no choice but to persist. Fortunately, Qi Cultivation and this endeavor complemented one another, amplifying his progress.
On this day, a visitor arrived.
“Brother, are you here?”
Wang Jie glanced toward the courtyard entrance.
Bei Feng.
As expected, he could no longer contain himself. Wang Jie had anticipated this—the man would inevitably find a way to convince him to leave.
“Brother Bei Feng, do come in.”
Stepping into the courtyard, Xia Bei Yi concealed his urgency behind a casual demeanor. He needed Wang Jie to escort him beyond these walls. The mission deadline loomed, war was on the horizon, and his role was crucial. This was his first mission—failure was not an option. Even if it meant offering a price, so be it.
“A Two-Tribulation Star Artifact?!”
Moments ago, he had made his request to leave, only to be rejected once more.
The reason remained unchanged—Wang Jie refused to violate the rules. Even though this man had already left the premises several times before.
Helplessly, Wang Jie sighed. “Brother, if it’s an urgent matter, I won’t press you further.”
Xia Bei Yi clenched his teeth, his voice taking on a pleading tone. “Brother, you can leave freely at any time. Just take me along for a brief stroll. I only need some air—I shouldn’t have to pay a Two-Tribulation Star Artifact for that, should I?”
Such artifacts were rare treasures, far from commonplace. Even as a Direct Disciple of the Frost Radiance Sect, he could not casually give one away.
Curious, Wang Jie asked, “Didn’t Puppeteer Tower say they feared infiltrators from the Eighth Star Chain, and that any intruder would only be at the Ten Seal Level? You are far beyond that level, Brother Bei Feng. Why are you still barred from leaving?”
A bitter smile formed on Xia Bei Yi’s lips. “I don’t know.”
“That answers it, then.” Wang Jie grew solemn. “It means the situation is far graver than we imagined. There are things we are not meant to know.”
Xia Bei Yi clenched his fists. “But asking for a Two-Tribulation Star Artifact just to leave—brother, isn’t that excessive?”
Wang Jie turned, opening the courtyard gate. “Then this conversation is over.”
Silence.
A long pause.
Then, gritting his teeth, Xia Bei Yi relented.
And so, Wang Jie obtained a Two-Tribulation Star Artifact—a massive bell. In times of peril, it could form a protective barrier around its wielder. But its most invaluable function? If one were to fall into the boundless void of space, this bell could keep them adrift, safeguarding them from immediate death.
It was, in essence, a lifeline—a priceless means of survival in the harsh emptiness of the universe.
Xia Bei Yi parted with it begrudgingly, forced to smile despite his resentment.
Strolling through Green Mountain City, Wang Jie introduced various landmarks, while Xia Bei Yi subtly directed their path toward his mission’s objective. Wang Jie saw through him but played along—he, too, was curious.
As they neared their destination, Xia Bei Yi’s gaze sharpened.
It was here.
The mission contact had arrived.
A mark had been left behind.
At that moment, Wang Jie also spotted it. He had walked this route countless times, memorizing every detail. This mark was new—sudden and deliberate. And in the same instant, Xia Bei Yi’s breath faltered.
It was the mark that unsettled him.
More importantly, this location was different from what they had been led to believe.
Indeed, the supposed mission site was a ruse. From the very beginning, they were meant to be sacrificial pawns.
This place—this was the true battlefield.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation