Chapter 015
Chapter 15: Wen Zhao
Flames erupted from Yan Si’s body, his arm raised in a fierce strike. But before the blow could land, a woman’s hand grasped his arm, extinguishing the fire in an instant. In the next moment, she appeared behind him, striking with the hilt of her sword. There was a soft crack, like bones shattering, and Yan Si’s body jerked forward. He collapsed, defeated.
The entire process seemed effortless, as though it were a master easily overpowering a child.
Yet, Yan Si was defeated just like that.
From the crowd behind, Wang Jie’s gaze widened in surprise. The woman’s steps were identical to his own — Armor Eight Steps. But unlike him, she took one additional step.
Moreover, her method of extinguishing Yan Si’s Fiery Flame Body was far more forceful. She had used her own cultivation power to suppress his, preventing the flames from reigniting.
This woman was decisive and domineering in her actions.
Yan Si struggled to rise from the ground, his bones broken, his face twisted in pain.
The woman looked at him coldly and waved her hand.
Yan Si gritted his teeth, unwilling to accept his defeat, but he said nothing. He turned and left. The woman had spared his life, and that alone was a stroke of good fortune.
Survival was part of the trial for these trial takers. As long as one didn’t die, the trial wasn’t considered over.
The woman had shown mercy.
She then turned to look at Hong Jian. “And you? Do you want to try?”
Hong Jian raised his blade and faced her directly. “The base of Hua Xia will not fall into the hands of aliens.”
She smirked. “You don’t plan to join the other cultivators in your base to surround me?”
“You’re not a mutated beast, you’re human.”
The woman smiled. “You have spirit. But you’ll fall even faster than he did.” Just as she was about to make her move, a voice rang out. “How about you let me try first?”
Both the woman and Hong Jian turned to look behind them.
It was Wang Jie.
The crowd around them looked at him in surprise. Some recognized him as the Weed, but they couldn’t fathom where he found the courage to act at this moment.
Among the crowd were Lian Fei, Feng Yu, the Zhao Clan, and others, all equally astonished.
Wang Jie wasn’t acting impulsively. First, he respected Hong Jian’s spirit. Since his failure two years ago, he had remained cautious of the Three Gods and Five Extremes. He had never revealed his identity at Golden Hill Base. But over these two years, he had come to understand Hong Jian, and this man was different from Zuo Tian.
Second, his old injuries had healed, and now he could take action. Hiding his identity? There was no longer any need.
Third, he might not lose. Though he knew he couldn’t win, the woman’s Armor Eight Steps alone placed her in an invincible position.
But Wang Jie also knew Armor Eight Steps.
He stepped forward, releasing his energy in response to Hong Jian’s and the woman’s surprised gazes.
Three seals, four seals… Seven seals.
The pressure from his seven-seal battle power caused the air to distort.
Hong Jian recognized Wang Jie but hadn’t expected him to conceal his cultivation level. How had he done it?
Lian Fei’s face darkened. It was him, the one who knocked him out outside the mutated eagle’s nest. It was actually him.
Feng Yu also recalled it. The one who took the Hibiscus Tears from him was Wang Jie.
The woman appraised Wang Jie. “Armor One Sect’s Breath Concealment Method, you know this too? That sky projection technique isn’t easy to learn. It seems you’ve seen many martial shadows.”
Wang Jie admitted, “Quite a few.” He flicked his finger, and a long sword flew from the crowd into his hand. It was rough, like a piece of iron, but it was still a sword.
He raised it and pointed it at the woman. “Golden Hill’s Wang Jie, please guide me.”
The woman looked at him. “Where do you get the confidence to make a move?”
Wang Jie smiled but said nothing. He stepped forward and slashed with his sword. Three strikes in one motion, each sword Qi visibly cutting through the air toward the woman.
The woman moved. Her figure flashed and disappeared, avoiding the sword Qi. In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance between them, just as she had with Yan Si.
One step, two steps, three steps.
On the third step, she appeared on Wang Jie’s left, her hand reaching for his arm. Wang Jie’s gaze remained fixed forward, seemingly unaware of her presence. Just as her hand was about to grasp his arm, he turned his head, smiling at her in astonishment. At the same time, his sword struck with an unusual angle, aiming directly for her shoulder.
The woman hadn’t expected him to react so quickly. She instinctively took her fourth step to avoid the sword, but as she moved, Wang Jie’s figure vanished, stepping aside with Armor Eight Steps. She blinked, her eyes widening in surprise.
Another Armor Eight Steps?
She was stunned.
In Armor One Sect, only a few geniuses could achieve Armor Eight Steps within ten seals. It was one of the standards for testing disciples. For someone on Blue Star to master it was truly remarkable.
Just like the Breath Concealment Method, it was nearly impossible to learn by simply observing the sky projection.
Wang Jie was already behind her, using the sword hilt to strike at her back. It was a sneak attack. She had completed her fourth step, so there was no way to avoid it.
The hilt connected with her back, but it felt like striking soft cotton.
Wang Jie sighed. It wasn’t going to be so easy.
He took a step back, performing the third step of Armor Eight Steps, increasing the distance.
The woman didn’t pursue. She simply turned to face Wang Jie, her expression filled with astonishment.
Their movements, as fleeting as Jing Hong’s dance, were almost like illusions. To the onlookers, it was impossible to follow. The two of them seemed to dance around the same spot, avoiding each other’s attacks. Ordinary cultivators couldn’t keep up.
Only Hong Jian had a clear view.
He marveled at the incredible steps, but he was even more shocked by Wang Jie’s strength.
Golden Hill Base had hidden such a master, and so young. Wait a moment—he stared at Wang Jie. This man couldn’t be older than twenty, yet his strength reminded him of the first place on the bounty list, the one who had done something earth-shattering.
The woman looked Wang Jie up and down, her gaze piercing. “Are you truly from Blue Star?”
Wang Jie shrugged. “Authentic.”
“Incredible,” the woman said, her eyes brightening as she looked at him in a way that was different from how she regarded the others, including Yan Si. “Breath Concealment Method, Armor Eight Steps. What else can you do?”
Wang Jie replied, “That depends on what you can do.”
She nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. “Fighting me would be a disadvantage for you. Eight seals will crush seven. Not to mention, the lock force you cultivate is the weakest of powers.”
Lock force? Wasn’t it seal power?
Wang Jie’s eyes flickered. “There’s no choice. Protecting my homeland is everyone’s duty.”
The woman met his gaze, lifting her sword and drawing it. “Qingfeng Wen Clan, Wen Zhao, please enlighten me.”
Wang Jie pointed his sword to the ground. “Golden Hill Base, Wang Jie, please enlighten me.”
Around them, the simple tents swayed in the strong wind. Those who couldn’t enter the base had to hold onto the tents to prevent them from being blown away, lest they have nowhere to sleep.
Wang Jie and Wen Zhao charged toward each other.
Their swords clashed.
A soft ringing sound echoed as Wang Jie’s sword snapped, but he wasn’t concerned. He swept the broken sword, and Wen Zhao pressed her blade down first. Another sound rang out, and Wang Jie was forced to retreat under the powerful force.
Eight seals versus seven seals was indeed overwhelming.
Wang Jie could only dodge, as each of Wen Zhao’s strikes was countered by him. But he couldn’t keep it up for long. As Wen Zhao’s sword style became more fluid, Wang Jie was forced to create distance.
Swords rained down like a storm.
It was the same move used when attacking the moon plant.
Wang Jie gripped his broken sword tightly, thrusting it into the earth. Seven currents of energy surged within him. He struck the sword hilt, and the energy flowed along the broken sword, creating sword shadows that collided with the falling blades.
The earth cracked.
The surroundings began to sink.
Wen Zhao was astonished. Another move from the Martial Arts Hall? How many techniques has this person learned?
Wang Jie flipped backward and raised his head. The falling swords missed him, some striking the thick city walls, while others aimed for the surrounding area, but were blocked by Hong Jian.
Wen Zhao stepped onto the broken sword’s hilt and charged at Wang Jie. Wang Jie stared at her and raised his hand, pointing.
Spiral Qi Force, across the air.
With a whistle, the attack shot toward Wen Zhao.
Her pupils contracted. Instinctively, she activated Armor Eight Steps to avoid it. Yet a strand of her hair was still sliced off, and she stared at Wang Jie in astonishment. “Luo Xuan Finger? How many battle techniques do you know?”
“You guess.” Wang Jie pointed again.
The Spiral Qi Force visibly crashed into Wen Zhao.
She stood her ground, reversing her grip on her white sword and slashing downward.
The energy was cut off.
Wang Jie’s finger shot out again, while Wen Zhao casually swung her sword, slicing the Spiral Qi Force apart. With each step, she grew closer to Wang Jie.
Wang Jie had seen someone use this technique before with the sky projection and had thought it was just for show. He hadn’t expected it to be so powerful, as it used the sword’s momentum to maximize the attack’s strength.
Wen Zhao continued to close the gap, and Wang Jie’s Luo Xuan Finger no longer posed a threat.
At this moment, Wen Zhao’s eyes sparkled. To her, Wang Jie’s figure began to blur, and seven currents of energy within him became clearer than ever.
How could he have consumed so little?
She was shocked. By now, his lock force should have been reduced by at least half, but he had barely lost a third of it. He used it more proficiently than they did, the trial takers.
She didn’t know that Wang Jie had spent two years unable to improve his cultivation. He had been using cataclysm materials to treat the injuries of Old Five and Old Nine. As a result, he rarely used the materials to recover seal power, learning to conserve it over time.
It had become second nature after two years.
In the apocalypse, who would dare to do that? Not even the Three Gods and Five Extremes—they relied on cataclysm materials to recover their seal power.
Hong Jian had exhausted himself fighting the mutated eagle with a single powerful strike.
Such a thing would never happen with Wang Jie.
Wen Zhao clenched her sword, no longer willing to waste time. How long would it take to wear this person down? Her legs bent, and her sword was raised in front of her.
Armor Eight Steps.
Three steps, leaping through the air, her figure shifting. Wang Jie’s gaze sharpened. Here it came. A flash of white light appeared in front of him as she took her fourth step.
A downward strike.
White Fang Strike.
The light shot toward the sky, like a sword magnified several dozen times, striking forward.
The sword covered everything around it. Without Armor Eight Steps, there was no way to avoid it.
The air thickened.
Wang Jie took a deep breath, watching the sword blade fall like a waterfall. Now was the moment. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
A loud snap.
Above the sword, a giant finger appeared in the sky, as though it had broken through the clouds. Below, another finger emerged from the ground. The two fingers, one above and one below, pointed at the void.
Wen Zhao’s face changed. What was this?
Her body trembled. The finger below her had a powerful suction that dragged her upwards. Above, her white sword shattered, a large crack spreading down the blade, coming from the finger that had broken through the clouds.