Chapter 99: The Only Choice
Below, shockwaves visible to the naked eye erupted, surging towards the heavens. Billowing smoke and dust covered the sky, obscuring vision in a suffocating haze of destruction.
Kui Yan had broken through his own limits, reaching a level of strength equal to Wang Jie after utilizing Borrowing Force. The two clashed fiercely upon the Apocalyptic Planet, their struggle reduced to a battle of pure will.
Meanwhile, Xuan was locked in combat with another Full Star Realm cultivator from the Gong Nation. His expression was devoid of emotion—this was his destiny. As he had said when leaving Imperial Capital Star, the battlefield was the best place to die.
But all power had its limits.
Wang Jie’s Borrowing Force had its constraints, just as Kui Yan’s Blood-Stabbing Method did. The searing heat caused Kui Yan’s blood to evaporate rapidly; with his already reduced blood volume, he was struggling to sustain himself.
Wang Jie sensed it—Kui Yan’s attacks were slowing, his deep crimson pupils fading to white, his body shriveling like dried wood, teetering on the edge of death.
Boom!
The fractured earth split apart, mountains collapsed and drifted into space. Wang Jie struck Kui Yan’s forehead with a mighty palm. Kui Yan, unwilling to accept defeat, glared at Wang Jie, trying to see his face clearly. But his vision had already blurred—what was once red turned to black, and then nothing at all. He fell lifeless to the ground.
Wang Jie gasped heavily. Finally, he had slain a Full Star Realm cultivator.
His breath grew erratic—the oxygen in the air was depleting. He retrieved his Three-Tribulation Star Artifact Cauldron, his trump card. As long as Kui Yan was dead, he could hide within it and wait for rescue.
If there was any rescue to wait for.
Jin Chu’s ship must escape safely.
Just as he was about to enter the cauldron, he turned his head and saw a horrifying sight—Xuan lay motionless on the fractured ground, and beside him, the Gong Nation warrior he had fought was barely alive.
Wang Jie’s eyes widened in alarm. Clutching the cauldron, he leaped toward Xuan, lifting him up. “What happened? Why aren’t you on the ship?”
Xuan coughed up blood and smiled bitterly. “No one held the enemy back. The ship couldn’t leave.”
Wang Jie’s heart sank. He had been so focused on Kui Yan that he hadn’t realized Xuan had been holding the enemy at bay, preventing their escape from being thwarted.
“I’m sorry. I dragged you into this.”
Xuan looked at his opponent—the Gong Nation warrior was still alive, but too injured to move. “It was worth it. I was always meant to die. Taking an enemy with me makes it worth it.”
He chuckled weakly. “Wang Jie, did you know… I’ve never killed such a strong opponent before?”
The Silver Radiance Empire and the Gong Nation were on different battlefronts—their true enemy was the Frost Radiance Sect. A Full Star Realm warrior from the Gong Nation should have been Jin Chu’s opponent, not Xuan’s.
Xuan hadn’t even been able to defeat Jin Chu, yet now he had slain a Full Star Realm cultivator. It was something to take pride in.
Wang Jie watched as the light faded from Xuan’s eyes. “Tell me if you have any last wishes. I’ll see them through.”
Xuan shook his head. “Do you know why I helped Jun Tang?”
Wang Jie genuinely didn’t. To him, Jun Tang wasn’t worth Xuan’s loyalty. Jun Hua was already the Emperor, yet Xuan had still attempted an assassination. Even if he had succeeded, he wouldn’t have been able to survive in the Silver Radiance Empire.
He could only assume that Jun Tang had some leverage over Xuan—perhaps hostages or blackmail.
“Because… he was once my subordinate. He followed me onto the battlefield.”
Wang Jie was stunned. “Just because of that?”
Xuan closed his eyes. “So many so-called great men talk about sharing hardship, but few ever do it. No matter what his motives were, how hypocritical he may be, at least he did it. And that’s enough.”
“At least… he lived among us.”
With those final words, Xuan took his last breath.
Wang Jie stared blankly at his fallen comrade. The ground beneath him cracked once more. In the distance, a flash of light signaled the presence of the ship.
He lifted Xuan’s lifeless body and entered the cauldron.
The next moment, the earth beneath them completely disintegrated.
The barely-alive Gong Nation warrior drifted into space, his death imminent. Around them, shattered landmasses crashed against the cauldron. Any ordinary artifact would have been obliterated, but the Three-Tribulation Star Artifact Cauldron was designed for Full Star Realm warriors. Not even the heart of a planetary explosion could destroy it.
Time passed.
Eventually, the cauldron was retrieved by the ship.
The moment Wang Jie stepped onto the deck, he gasped for air—he had nearly suffocated.
Jin Chu helped him up. His injuries were severe, and his body was completely drained.
Wu Mian stared at him in awe. “A Ten-Seal warrior defeating a Full Star Realm Gong cultivator in Blood-Stabbing Method state… Guest Official, you are truly worthy of respect.”
Even Jin Chu looked at Wang Jie in disbelief.
If he could defeat Kui Yan, then he could defeat her as well.
A mere Ten-Seal?
Who had ever seen such a monstrous Ten-Seal?!
Wang Jie was taken to be treated. The ship had medicine, but the effects were mediocre. He still needed to complete his calisthenics routine—it wouldn’t take long now.
“What about the Gong Bone Ship?” he asked.
Jin Chu respectfully replied, “It escaped. We didn’t chase it—we kept our focus on you and Kui Yan’s battle.”
Wang Jie looked toward the stars. Where the planet once existed, only cosmic debris remained. “Head to Blue Star.”
The ship set course for Blue Star, stopping in orbit upon arrival. Wang Jie did not descend immediately. Only after completing his calisthenics routine did he finally step foot on the planet.
As for Xuan…
He would erect a monument in his honor.
Without Xuan, he would have perished. Xuan had not only held off another Full Star Realm warrior but had also, in his final moments, prevented the enemy from stopping the ship’s escape. If not for him, none of them would have survived.
A monument.
One of the materials needed for the Mourning Water Art.
But Wang Jie was not erecting it for that reason—he was doing it sincerely.
Of course, it just so happened to serve its purpose as well.
The Mourning Water Art required only one last material—a customary gift. A trivial requirement, as presenting a small tribute at any ceremony would suffice. In other words, he could obtain the Mourning Water Art at any time.
As for Sword Step, it too lacked only a single component: an exquisite sword tassel. He had already mastered Star-Gazing Sword Style: Annihilate Stars, proving its might by obliterating an entire planet.
He possessed a sword tassel, but he was reluctant to use it.
Returning to Blue Star, Wang Jie stood solemnly as Xuan erected a memorial for the fallen. He briefly recounted the battle but refrained from detailing its true intensity. If the others knew that his battle had annihilated an entire planet, the sheer devastation would be beyond comprehension.
Such was the destructive power of a Full Star Realm warrior.
After spending half a day with the others, Jin Chu voiced her concern: Gong Nation never let grievances go unanswered. The Gong Bone warship that fled would inevitably report Kui Rock’s demise. This place was no longer safe.
Wu Mian spoke with a grave tone, “In the Nebula Battlefield, Gong Nation lost a Hundred Star Realm warrior. In retaliation, they mobilized millions of cultivators for a suicidal assault, killing two enemy Hundred Star Realm warriors and one Star-Refining Realm warrior at immense cost to themselves. Their losses nearly crippled them.”
“And yet, they never regretted it. That is Gong Nation.”
“Kui Rock’s death won’t alarm all of Gong Nation, but he belonged to the Kui Clan, and that clan alone wields enough power to devastate this entire region.”
Wang Jie frowned. “They would rather pursue revenge than consider the broader consequences of war?”
Wu Mian shook his head. “I once fought alongside Gong Nation. Their logic is simple: vengeance. The bigger picture never concerns them.”
“There is only one way to make them back down.”
“Fight.”
Wang Jie raised an eyebrow. He had heard similar words before. Back when Wen Zhao declared that if Blue Star Humans did not wish to be treated as war slaves, they had only one path—to fight and force the outside world to acknowledge them.
In the end, strength was the only law.
“Only by making them suffer will they consider retreat. Otherwise, they will fight to the death,” Wu Mian affirmed.
Wang Jie understood. “What are our options?”
Jin Chu and Wu Mian exchanged glances. “If you truly wish to save the Blue Star Humans, there is only one option: evacuate them. Abandon Blue Star.”
Wang Jie looked out the window. The sky was a brilliant blue, clouds drifting gently across it.
Abandon this place?
This was home. For every Blue Star Human, or more precisely, every Hua Xia descendant, home was irreplaceable.
“The Silver Radiance Empire cannot hold Blue Star. Their main forces are entrenched in the Ninth Star Chain and cannot spare reinforcements. Unless you are willing to perish alongside this planet, leaving is the only logical choice.”
“Can’t we move the entire planet?” Wang Jie asked.
Jin Chu and Wu Mian froze, then stared at him in disbelief.
Wang Jie recalled how Blue Star had once been relocated to this position. Though he still did not understand the exact force required to move a celestial body, it surely couldn’t be impossible.
Jin Chu coughed. “Relocating a planet is vastly different from destroying one. The universe is imbued with Star Force, and planets absorb it naturally. Moving a celestial body involves manipulating Star Force itself.”
“I don’t know if the sect has anyone capable of such a feat, but I have never heard of it being done.”
Wang Jie had not anticipated the sheer difficulty of the endeavor.
Jin Chu’s meaning was clear—even if their sect had someone powerful enough, there was no guarantee they would intervene.
After a moment of contemplation, he made his decision. “Contact the Silver Radiance Empire. I want to evacuate the Blue Star Humans.”
Jin Chu immediately used the spaceship’s communicator.
Wang Jie spread the news. This was a monumental decision that needed deliberation.
Yet, there was nothing to discuss.
Everyone agreed.
One trial, one invasion by Gong Nation, had plunged them into utter despair time and again. No one wished to experience that feeling again. Leaving Blue Star was painful and filled with reluctance, but sometimes, survival required sacrifice.
Before long, Jin Chu received a response—the Silver Radiance Empire was dispatching an enormous warship to retrieve them.
Transporting tens of millions of Blue Star Humans would not be an issue.
Standing atop the walls of the Golden Hill Base, Wang Jie gazed into the distance.
For eighteen years, he had lived here. For eighteen years, he had fought here. The memories were endless. Leaving now, he knew there was a chance that Blue Star—his home—would vanish from the universe, just like that planet destroyed by his own sword.
The thought suffocated him.
Leaving behind family and friends was heartbreaking. Leaving behind his homeland was equally so.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
The arrival of the Silver Radiance Empire’s fleet signaled the countdown to their departure.
Everyone cherished their final moments on Blue Star—preparing for the exodus while bidding their home a reluctant farewell.
Wang Jie walked through the ruins of the orphanage where he had spent his childhood. Only rubble remained.
At the entrance, a broken sign lay buried beneath dust and darkened stains of dried blood.
It was here that he had first tasted fried chicken. That flavor—so simple, so irreplaceable—was burned into his memory.
Not far from the orphanage was the place where Zuo Tian had burned them alive. The site of his most agonizing memory.
Yet Zuo Tian still lived.
A regret he could never swallow.
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