Chapter 93: A Gift for You
The actions of Wang Jie swiftly reached Jun Hua’s ears. She opened a light screen, revealing the scene inside the prison with surprise.
“What’s going on?” Yu Dong asked in a low voice, her tone grave. She had personally captured Xuan and was well aware of his strength. In the entire Silver Radiance Empire, aside from herself and the Old General, no one else could truly suppress him. What was Wang Jie planning?
Jun Hua replied calmly, “Let him be. Since he dares to act, he must have confidence. After all, he survived the Ninth Star Chain.”
Xuan continued absorbing the star stones’ star force, recovering his strength. A long time passed, yet no one disturbed him.
Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at Wang Jie. “You and Jun Hua seem to share a close relationship. Not only has no one interrupted us, even Yu Dong hasn’t come.”
Wang Jie responded with confidence, “I don’t need them.”
Xuan said nothing more. He was cautious. Ten Seals? It didn’t matter. Even if Wang Jie were an ordinary man, daring to challenge him in this manner was enough to warrant serious attention. This would be a life-and-death battle.
Time passed—perhaps ten hours, maybe more.
Xuan slowly stood, his entire body appearing sturdier than before. His once-dull hair had regained its luster. “Let’s begin.”
Wang Jie clenched his fists and took a step forward. Within the cramped prison, he wasted no movements—he struck with a direct punch.
Xuan was a master of palm techniques. He held nothing back, raising his palm. The thick palm force, surging with star force, suppressed even the light in the room. The moment he struck, the entire prison trembled, sending dust cascading down.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out. A section of the prison was completely destroyed.
Both Wang Jie and Xuan were forced backward.
Xuan was shocked. He had unleashed only half his strength—enough to kill an ordinary Star-Breaking Realm cultivator—yet Wang Jie had blocked it.
Wang Jie silently assessed his opponent. Twenty thousand battle power? He had yet to unleash his full strength. Again.
The prison shook violently as Wang Jie increased his power. The destruction spread, even shattering the surveillance devices, making it impossible for Jun Hua and the others to watch.
Unable to sit idly by, Yu Dong left the Imperial Palace, heading toward the prison. If Wang Jie failed to contain Xuan, they couldn’t allow him to escape.
Boom!
Xuan’s palm split open, blood dripping from his fingertips. He stared at Wang Jie in disbelief. He had already exerted his full strength, yet Wang Jie was still at ease, his attacks growing fiercer with each strike. What kind of monster is this? Could a Ten-Seal cultivator really be this powerful?
The air around Wang Jie twisted, as though a transparent flame engulfed his body, making his figure hard to perceive.
Wang Jie grinned. “Again.” His qi surged, merging with the atmosphere, distorting the very air. Every fiber of his being pulsed with explosive energy, eager to be unleashed.
Xuan gritted his teeth, pouring all his star force into his palm. The impact rippled outward like tidal waves as he struck again.
Boom!
Yu Dong watched in astonishment as the prison’s most fortified structure was torn apart like mere scaffolding. The shockwaves sent nearby cultivators flying. She rushed inside, parting the swirling dust. When the scene cleared, Xuan lay on the ground, breathing heavily, staring blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Wang Jie, on the other hand, leaned against a wall, calm and collected.
Yu Dong looked at him. “Is it over?”
Wang Jie nodded. “He truly lives up to the title of the Empire’s War God.”
Xuan sat up, cast a glance at Wang Jie, and remained silent.
“So, you lost?” Yu Dong pressed.
“He won.” Xuan’s voice was quiet but resolute.
Yu Dong was stunned. A Ten-Seal cultivator defeating a Full Star Realm expert? If word got out, it would sound utterly absurd. She had only heard of such feats from monstrous geniuses.
Though Xuan had been imprisoned and was likely not at his peak, he was at least at the Peak Star-Breaking Realm. This meant Wang Jie had the power to defeat someone an entire realm above him.
She herself, despite being a Ten-Seal cultivator, was nowhere near that level.
At this moment, she became even more convinced that Wang Jie hailed from the Armor One Sect. Where else could a Lock Force Cultivator become this strong?
Xuan stood and extended his hand toward Yu Dong. “Give it to me.”
She handed him a pen and paper.
He signed his name at the bottom of the document, then let out a bitter laugh. “I never thought I’d fall to such a state.”
Wang Jie noticed. “What does this mean?”
Yu Dong turned and left, ordering others to re-imprison Xuan.
Xuan remained silent as he walked into the depths of the prison.
Wang Jie watched his retreating figure. In that moment, Xuan looked much older.
“You’re improving quickly.”
A familiar voice called from behind.
Wang Jie turned and bowed. “Greetings, Old General.”
The Old General studied him carefully. Unlike their first encounter aboard the warship, where he had ignored him, or their second meeting in the library, where he regarded him as a stranger, this time his gaze held a trace of curiosity and inquiry. “How did you do it?”
Wang Jie was puzzled. “What does the Old General mean?”
The Old General sighed. “So many prodigies have been buried beneath Lock Force. It’s not that they lacked ability, but that they failed to find the right cultivation method and resources at the right time. You are a rare case.”
Wang Jie was at a loss for words. Was this a compliment?
“Xuan, too, is a pity,” the Old General added.
Wang Jie was surprised. “What exactly happened?”
The Old General explained, “Xuan is loyal. If he pledged himself to Jun Tang, he would never betray. In truth, all of Jun Tang’s conspirators are already dead. What they truly wanted was not some supposed traitors, but a legitimate reason to eliminate certain people.”
Wang Jie’s expression shifted. He understood now. No wonder Xuan had signed only his name without adding any accusations. The rest of the document? Jun Hua would fill it in.
Whoever she named would be condemned. They were as good as dead.
At this moment, his emotions were mixed. He had only wanted to challenge Xuan to test his own limits. But unknowingly, he had become a pawn in someone else’s game.
He recalled the sorrow in Xuan’s eyes.
He turned and left without hesitation.
The Old General also departed in silence.
Within the Imperial Palace, Wang Jie sought out Jun Hua, demanding that piece of paper.
Jun Hua gazed at him calmly. “It has nothing to do with you.”
Wang Jie replied, “I won against Xuan, but I only told him to surrender. I never instructed him to write something like this.”
Yu Dong snapped, “Wang Jie, mind your place. You are merely a guard.”
Wang Jie’s tone remained low and steady. “Precisely because I know my place, I have come.”
Jun Hua and Yu Dong exchanged glances, both catching the flicker of surprise in the other’s eyes. His confidence was unshakable—an undeniable sign that he hailed from Armor One Sect.
Realizing this, Jun Hua softened her tone. “Xuan is not a mere cultivator; he is a General of the Silver Radiance Empire, involved in rebellion. From the very beginning, he could never be a pure warrior. I understand that you have your own path of cultivation, but you should not meddle in the affairs of my Silver Radiance Empire.”
Wang Jie nodded. “If it had nothing to do with me, I wouldn’t interfere. But he wrote that because he lost to me. That paper—I must take it. If you want it, go get it from him yourself.”
Jun Hua’s eyes flickered as she studied Wang Jie. After a moment, she said, “Senior Sister Yu Dong, give it to him.”
Yu Dong frowned, clearly wanting to object, but in the end, she held back, retrieving the paper and tossing it toward Wang Jie.
Wang Jie caught it. “Much obliged.”
Jun Hua warned, “This must not happen again.”
Wang Jie met her gaze. “From now on, I will always be clear on what I am doing.”
With that, he swept his eyes over the surroundings. This was no grand hall but a garden, where he had found Jun Hua and Yu Dong conversing.
“Apologies, Your Majesty, for interrupting your leisure.”
Jun Hua shook her head. “It’s no matter. Would you care to sit and talk?”
Wang Jie declined and turned to leave. As he did, he noticed Yu Dong glaring at him with open hostility. However, before he had taken a few steps, a vibrant display of seven-colored light caught his eye. He turned his head and saw a patch of Seven-Colored Flowers, basking in the sunlight, their petals shimmering with morning dew. Through the water droplets, refracted rainbows danced.
A thought jolted through his mind—Cheng Qian had once mentioned that Seven-Colored Flowers existed within the Imperial Palace.
This was one of the materials for Sword Step.
Without thinking, he approached. These Seven-Colored Flowers were far more magnificent than those Cheng Qian had found.
Jun Hua and Yu Dong watched curiously. What was he doing?
Standing before the Seven-Colored Flowers, Wang Jie turned to Jun Hua. “May I take one?”
Jun Hua raised a brow. “Of course.”
Carefully, Wang Jie plucked a single flower. The requirement for the material’s effectiveness was to give it to the nearest person.
He turned his gaze. The nearest person was Yu Dong.
To give or not to give?
If he didn’t give it, the material would be rendered useless. He wasn’t sure if picking another would work, and he might waste a valuable opportunity to complete Sword Step.
If he did give it… it would be incredibly awkward.
He clenched his teeth. No matter—Sword Step was more important.
He strode toward Jun Hua and Yu Dong.
The two women were utterly perplexed. Picking flowers? Did he like flowers?
As they pondered, Wang Jie halted before Yu Dong and extended the flower toward her.
“This is for you.”
Yu Dong was stunned. She stared at him, completely at a loss. In all her years, she had never encountered such a situation.
Jun Hua was equally frozen. She had long grown accustomed to carrying herself with the dignity of an Emperor, always mindful of her image, but now, her daze was evident.
Wang Jie studied Yu Dong. She wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, but she wasn’t unattractive either—she had the warmth of an elder sister from a neighboring household. Yet, she was also Jun Hua’s sharpest blade.
“Take it,” he said again, “please.”
Yu Dong, still in a daze, instinctively reached out and accepted the flower. She stared blankly at it, then at Wang Jie.
Seeing her accept it, Wang Jie let out a breath of relief. If she hadn’t, his materials quest would have failed. Of course, that was assuming this particular Seven-Colored Flower was valid.
“Thank you,” he said briefly before turning and walking away, without another word.
The two women remained standing in the breeze, completely dumbfounded.
Leaving the Imperial Palace, Wang Jie checked his status—and grinned. Completed. Excellent. Now, Sword Step required only two more materials: Star-Gazing Sword Style: Annihilate Stars and an exquisite sword tassel.
He already had a sword tassel, but he was reluctant to use it. He would find another.
As for Star-Gazing Sword Style: Annihilate Stars, he was confident he could achieve it—he just needed the right moment.
Now, it was time to head to the prison.
Xuan had been relocated after the destruction of the previous prison.
It didn’t take long for Wang Jie to find him. Without hesitation, he tore the paper before Xuan’s eyes.
“Apologies. That was never my true intention. I’ve disturbed you.”
With that, he turned and left.
Xuan watched Wang Jie’s retreating figure until he disappeared, then lowered his gaze to the torn pieces on the ground.
Not his true intention?
In a grand residence within the Imperial Capital, the Old General reclined in luxury. Soon, an informant delivered a report.
The Old General’s eyes gleamed. Gazing toward the Accompanying Lake Residence, he chuckled to himself.
“An interesting young man, indeed.”
Upon returning to the Accompanying Lake Residence, Wang Jie resumed his cultivation.
Days passed.
Then, news arrived from the frontlines.
The Ninth Star Chain’s Third Defensive Line had collapsed. The Eighth Star Chain’s warships advanced toward the Eight Prison Realms.
This was expected. The Third Defensive Line was always fated to fall. The real concern was the next report.
The Eight Prison Realms had been ambushed.
The Berserk Clan suffered heavy casualties.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jie’s first thought was of a certain mission.
The Eight Prison Realms were the Berserk Clan’s core stronghold. Unless the defensive lines were broken one by one, no one should have been able to enter.
Yet, the Frost Radiance Sect had launched a massacre within the Eight Prison Realms.
There could be only one reason—they had found another way in.
And such a passage could only be known by the Berserk Clan themselves.
Exhaling deeply, Wang Jie shook his head. None of this concerned him.
He focused back on cultivation.
More days passed.
Then came bad news…
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