Chapter 92: Dare to Try?
“Greetings, Emperor.”
“Where have you been all this time?”
“Do you truly not know, or are you just pretending?”
“I truly don’t know,” Jun Hua responded. “I only heard from Senior Sister Jin Chu that you were assigned to a mission.”
Wang Jie met her gaze and explained plainly, “The mission was simple—head to the Ninth Star Chain, make contact with a certain creature, obtain an item, and deliver it to the Frost Radiance Sect.”
“You completed it?” Yu Dong asked in shock. Though he spoke casually, the mission was clearly one of certain death.
How could a Ten-Imprint Lock Force Cultivator traverse the Ninth Star Chain freely?
Wang Jie did not delve into details. He had no intention of revealing the identity of the Celestial Refinement Master he had met, nor the fact that he had become a Guest Elder of Frost Radiance Sect. That was a matter to be addressed once the Domain Master Ning returned.
For now, he just wanted to cultivate in peace.
The lower his profile, the better.
A Celestial Refinement Master who also wielded Ten-Imprint Lock Force was bound to attract attention—especially enemies.
The Ninth Star Chain surely had infiltrators hidden within the Eighth Star Chain. Otherwise, there would have been no need for Frost Radiance Sect to secretly coordinate with the Silver Radiance Empire to keep the mission undisclosed.
At this moment, he was still too fragile.
As Wang Jie departed, Yu Dong’s expression darkened. “Your guess was right. There’s something off about him. That mission was a death sentence.”
Jun Hua nodded. “Senior Sister Jin Chu mentioned that the mission was originally meant for a Direct Disciple and told us not to wait for his return. Now that he’s back, there must be a force beyond Frost Radiance Sect’s schemes backing him.”
Both of them thought of Armor One Sect, entirely dismissing the possibility of Wang Jie being a Celestial Refinement Master.
“It’s fortunate we kept Accompanying Lake Residence intact,” Jun Hua murmured, her gaze complicated.
Accompanying Lake Residence
Wang Jie had been back for ten days.
For ten days, he had been practicing swordsmanship.
The Sword-Form Technique fascinated him. Truthfully, he had no idea how he had even learned it.
Standing in the center of the lake—Accompanying Lake Residence’s most secluded spot—he was completely hidden from prying eyes.
Scattered at his feet were dozens of swords. At a mere thought, one sword rose into the air, hovering before him, its tip aimed forward. Then a second, a third—until nine swords aligned neatly in midair.
He raised his hand. The nine swords tilted in unison and slashed forward.
The nine blades twisted in a spiral, slicing into the water’s surface. The impact was small—he wasn’t trying to cause a commotion, merely experimenting with the technique.
As the swords ascended from the lake once more, more blades flew from the shore toward them. They combined midair, forming the shape of a lotus. The center of the lotus bloomed into a circular shield—Sword Shield.
Then, the formation shifted again. Under Wang Jie’s control, the swords morphed into various forms—a weapon, a beast, even delicate flora.
Though he had not bound the swords with Lock Force, they moved as if they were connected. When he channeled Lock Force into them, it flowed seamlessly through each blade. In that moment, the sword formations seemed to come alive.
Dozens of swords assembled into a pair of wings. As Lock Force surged through them, the wings seemed to radiate light.
He tried once more—but as soon as he intensified the connection, one by one, the swords shattered into fragments.
He sighed. Again.
Every attempt ended the same way.
He wanted to imbue the swords with Lock Force to test his battle power using a Battle Power Detector. Infusing Lock Force into a single sword was effortless, but forming a Sword-Form technique was a different matter.
The swords endured a unique form of pressure.
Ordinary swords simply could not withstand the strain of Lock Force in this technique.
Unless they were crafted from exceptional materials, even Star Artifacts would shatter. The essence of Sword-Form Technique did not rely on the wielder’s Starforce or Lock Force, but rather on the quality of the weapons themselves.
It was paradoxically primitive yet brutally efficient.
“Sir, here are the swords you requested,” Cheng Qian announced, leading a group of attendants carrying a fresh stock of blades. They placed them neatly before stepping back.
Wang Jie nodded in acknowledgment. Once they had left, he cast a glance over the new swords. One by one, they levitated and combined before him, shaping into a humanoid figure—a being formed entirely of blades.
At his command, the Sword-Human walked, leapt, and executed combat techniques with fluid precision.
How did the Sword-Form Technique work?
No one had taught him, yet he could control the swords as though it was instinct.
The only possible explanation was her.
Once again, the formation collapsed as the swords shattered.
Wang Jie left Accompanying Lake Residence, seeking out Su Ying Yu and purchasing the best Cataclysmic Materials she had. The price was negligible—he now had a fortune nearing three million Star Stones. A mere fraction was enough to procure the necessary materials.
Su Ying Yu was grateful and mentioned that Accompanying Lake Residence had been making large purchases of swords recently. She promised to keep an eye out for any notable finds.
That was precisely Wang Jie’s goal.
Compared to her connections, Cheng Qian’s network was limited.
Unfortunately, the Berserk Clan, from whom he obtained his Celestial Refinement materials, rarely used swords. Their massive frames favored battle axes, war hammers, and chains—not blades.
Although he hadn’t acquired the ideal weapons yet, Wang Jie had much more to refine.
Besides swordsmanship, he also had to train in Qi Cultivation, auxiliary Star Methods, and his Armor Eight Steps technique—not to mention Yellow Beans.
There was much to do.
His most basic priority was to deepen the color of his Imprint Marks. Silver Radiance Art had reached its limits, but Mourning Water Art surely held greater potential—if only he could gather the required materials. It was proving to be a challenge.
Beyond that, elevating his overall battle power was paramount.
It was Qi’s presence that had allowed him to recognize Xia Bei Yi. Without that insight, he might never have left the Ninth Star Chain alive.
Thus, Qi cultivation was essential—more than just necessary, it had to be honed to perfection.
The Armor Eight Steps were meant for escaping, while the Star Method was the least crucial. However, Qi cultivation could naturally complement the Star Method, achieving both goals at once.
For his training in Armor Eight Steps and the Soybean Technique, Wang Jie sought out Jun Hua and acquired a High-Gravity Planet, where the gravitational force was over a hundred times that of a normal world—a formidable challenge.
Three months later, Wang Jie assessed his own progress.
In his normal state, his battle power had reached ten thousand, rivaling that of the Star-Breaking Realm. If he unleashed his Hundredfold Strength, he could surpass thirty thousand. And at his absolute peak—when merging his two streams of Qi—his power skyrocketed to fifty thousand, the very threshold of the Full Star Realm.
Yet, Wang Jie was merely at the Ten Imprints Stage.
Who could fathom that a cultivator at Ten Imprints could possess the initial strength of the Full Star Realm? In the vast universe, even most Star-Breaking Realm cultivators paled in comparison to him. Only true Heaven’s Chosen could battle him at that level.
He now longed to test his strength against a worthy opponent. The first name that came to mind was Xuan, the former War God of the Silver Radiance Empire.
Xuan had once stood against Jun Hua on behalf of Jun Tang but was ultimately defeated by Yu Dong. Even now, he refused to submit to Jun Hua’s rule. To the extent that Jun Hua had delegated authority regarding him—whoever could break Xuan’s will and make him confess Jun Tang’s co-conspirators would be handsomely rewarded.
Jun Tang had ambitions of seizing control over the Silver Radiance Empire, but he couldn’t do it alone. Jun Hua had already purged many of Jun Tang’s allies, yet remnants still remained.
Why was Xuan so loyal to Jun Tang? Wang Jie was curious.
He traveled to the Imperial Capital’s high-security Prison for Cultivators, where all inmates were periodically stripped of their Star Force and Lock Force, bound in heavy chains, and injected with suppressants to ensure they had no means of escape.
At the deepest part of the prison, Wang Jie found Xuan.
In the dimly lit dungeon, the sound of clanking chains echoed faintly. The other prisoners bowed and withdrew upon Wang Jie’s arrival. Over time, they had seen countless people attempt to sway Xuan—none had succeeded.
Before him sat a man in meditation, his head lowered, unkempt black hair hanging over his face. Shackles bound his wrists and ankles, with thick chains extending from them, anchoring into the surrounding walls. Each chain was as thick as an arm and forged from an incredibly resilient metal.
Even in this notorious prison, such treatment was unprecedented.
Wang Jie stepped forward.
“Sir, please remain behind the white line. Any further, and you’ll enter his attack range,” a distant voice warned.
Wang Jie glanced at the white line on the ground. “He attacks people?”
“There was an incident. The Empire’s Minister of Finance unknowingly crossed the line—Xuan killed him with a single strike.”
Wang Jie’s eyes gleamed with interest. Then, he lifted his foot and crossed the white line.
The distant guard tensed but said no more. The warning had been given.
The instant Wang Jie stepped over the line, Xuan’s head snapped up, his eyes gleaming with an icy, feral intensity. His gaze locked onto Wang Jie, suffocating the surrounding air as if a beast had just fixed upon its prey.
“You have no fear of death?” Xuan’s voice was low, reverberating throughout the prison. The other prisoners shrank back, terrified.
Wang Jie met his gaze. “A former War God, now a mere prisoner, bound in chains… how pitiful.”
Xuan’s stare remained cold. “State your purpose. Your identity.”
“Wang Jie, resident of the Accompanying Lake Residence. I’m here to make you submit.”
Upon hearing where Wang Jie lived, Xuan’s gaze sharpened. “Who are you to Jun Hua?”
Wang Jie took a step closer.
From a distance, the prison guards rushed to report the situation. They didn’t know this man’s identity, but anyone with clearance to enter had to be significant. If another high-ranking figure died here, it would be a disaster.
Xuan watched as Wang Jie advanced, his suppressed Star Force stirring within him, his glare growing sharper.
“I earned my place at Accompanying Lake Residence by accomplishing something.” Wang Jie stopped five meters from Xuan—well within striking distance. “I killed Jun Tang.”
Xuan’s eyes widened as he stared at Wang Jie. “What did you say? Jun Tang… was killed by you?”
“Doesn’t it look like it?” Wang Jie lifted his chin slightly.
Xuan studied him intently, his gaze laced with a dangerous glint. “The outside world says that the one who killed Jun Tang also perished. So that was false. Do you not fear that I might kill you here?”
“If I were afraid, I wouldn’t have come.” Wang Jie smirked. “How about a wager?”
Xuan narrowed his eyes. “What kind of wager?”
“A bet that you can’t kill me—but I can kill you.”
Xuan stared at him, then suddenly burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the prison. “Boy, you’re merely at Ten Imprints, while I am at the Full Star Realm. Even without my Star Force, you’re no match for me. What makes you think you can say such things?”
Wang Jie raised his hand, grasped one of the massive chains, and pulled.
With a deafening crack, the chain tore free from the wall. The entire prison trembled as dust filled the air.
Alarms blared from a distance. “Sir, what are you trying to do?”
Ignoring them, Wang Jie yanked again, ripping out a second chain. Fissures spiderwebbed through the walls. Then, with a stomp, he shattered the shackles binding Xuan’s legs. The reinforced ground bore deep footprints from the impact.
Xuan’s eyes flickered. These chains had been specially crafted to restrain even Peak Star-Breaking Realm cultivators. Yet, a mere Ten Imprints cultivator had shattered them with ease.
With his chains broken, Xuan was free—but his Star Force was still suppressed, and the drugs remained in his system.
Wang Jie tossed a pile of Star Stones toward him. “Recover your Star Force, dispel the suppressant. I’ll wait.”
Xuan’s gaze lingered on Wang Jie. “You’re serious?”
Wang Jie grinned. “Afraid?”
Xuan smirked. “As long as no one interrupts us, I’ll play along.”
“There will be no interruptions.”
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