Chapter 016

Chapter 16: Time

At the same time, deep in the vast cosmos far from Blue Star, stars hung like a waterfall, the water falling to a lake’s surface. Beneath the lake were images of the trial takers of Blue Star, sixty-seven in total, representing the remaining survivors of the trials.

When Wen Zhao unleashed her White Fang Strike, the old one, playing chess atop the waterfall, chuckled softly. “It’s over. The Qingfeng lineage has indeed produced a fine talent. His use of the bridge technique is enough to rival the current Starry Martial Meet.”

But when Wang Jie unleashed his finger technique, the old one’s expression changed drastically, his gaze fixed on the lake below. “Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger?”

Opposite the old one, a young girl, wearing glasses and possessing an unreal, almost ethereal beauty, turned her gaze to the lake as well. “A martial technique lost to the world?”

“The Martial Hall gathers the cultivation images of our Armor One Sect’s past masters, some of which even predate ancient times. For a native to witness the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger, it is not impossible. The heavens have shown mercy. Let me go and tell those old fellows. This one must be brought back,” she said before standing and leaving.

After the old one departed, the young girl withdrew her gaze, slipped off her shoes and socks, revealing her delicate, pale feet, which she dipped into the waterfall’s water. Gently, she rocked her feet back and forth, one hand resting on her chin as she once more peered into the lake. “Too bad it’s not the Starry Finger.”

Wang Jie, having expended most of his imprint power, had only been able to execute this technique after his recovery. It came from the first field, the technique born from his first field of cultivation.

The onlookers were stunned, unable to comprehend the sheer magnitude of what they had just witnessed. In the era of apocalyptic cultivation, such an exaggerated display was unheard of.

The sword qi spread for dozens of meters before those two fingers, like giants, came together, crushing the overwhelming sword qi with sheer force. Wen Zhao poured her strength into her own hands, struggling against the fingers’ approach. Blood trickled from her mouth, but she could not prevent the destruction of her white sword.

Her eyes flashed, and she suddenly charged forward. The two fingers collided with a thunderous sound, like the clash of heaven and earth. Outside Golden Hill City, the ground shook, and those on the city walls felt as though they might be knocked off.

The white sword had shattered completely, leaving no trace behind.

Wen Zhao, panting heavily, stood some distance away, her eyes wide in shock as she stared at the scene. The ground had sunken several meters, and the damage had spread for a hundred meters. Such terrifying power could not have been created by someone of the Seven-Seal level.

She turned her gaze to Wang Jie.

Wang Jie himself was equally shocked. He had not expected the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger to have such power—it was almost absurd. His imprint power was nearly drained, and he had almost collapsed from the exertion. He was just fortunate enough to have pulled it off. Had he not exhausted nearly all of his energy, this technique would have cost him even more.

The area fell into silence, no one daring to speak.

Hong Jian, too, was left in utter shock. If he had been in Wen Zhao’s place, that single finger would have easily defeated him, with no chance of escape.

Lian Fei and the others were pale, unable to believe the level of destruction. Was this really the power of a human?

“Is that move also from the Sky Projection?” Wen Zhao asked incredulously, her purple veil falling away to reveal her stunningly beautiful face.

She had her back to the eastern gate of the base, so most of the onlookers could not see her.

But Wang Jie saw her clearly and was momentarily stunned. It had been a long time since he had seen a woman so beautiful, especially with such an otherworldly air. She seemed detached from the mortal realm.

“Yes,” Wang Jie acknowledged directly.

Wen Zhao frowned. “Armor One Sect has eighteen ultimate techniques, but I have never heard of this one. Are you really a native of Blue Star?”

Wang Jie responded, “I was born outside Golden Hill City, one of the orphans rescued by the Leading Pillar Group. You can verify it.”

Wen Zhao was at a loss for words. If he truly was a native of Blue Star, then what he had learned was something even the official disciples of Armor One Sect did not know.

That finger was too terrifying.

“Do you want to continue?” Wang Jie asked, trying to sound casual, though he had no intention of continuing the fight. He wasn’t going to exhaust himself completely.

Wen Zhao gave him a long look before taking out a wooden whistle and blowing it. From afar, a white shadow came speeding toward them. Wang Jie grew cautious, thinking she had reinforcements.

Hong Jian also gripped his blade tightly.

The white figure turned out to be a dog—a beautiful, snow-white dog, its fur gleaming with faint light, flawless in appearance.

“A snow steed?” someone exclaimed in surprise.

The snow steed stopped next to Wen Zhao, and she mounted it before turning to Wang Jie. “Congratulations. You’ve saved your hometown, but I will return,” she said before the snow steed bolted away, quickly disappearing into the distance.

No one tried to stop her.

No one knew how much power Wen Zhao had left.

Once she had gone, the crowd’s gaze turned back to Wang Jie, their astonishment still palpable. The collision of those two fingers, connecting heaven and earth, had left an unforgettable impression on them.

Hong Jian walked up to Wang Jie. “Thank you.”

Wang Jie responded, “I want the Three-Eyed Wolf King.”

Hong Jian nodded. “That’s doable.”

Wang Jie turned and, under the watchful eyes of many, returned to the base. There was no need for him to leave an address—one word from Hong Jian, and they could find him.

He entered the wastewater district and closed the door behind him. He took out the cataclysm materials he had collected and began absorbing them, replenishing his imprint power.

He was careful now. This was a delicate moment.

The news of what had happened quickly spread throughout the Golden Hill Base, leading to Lian Fei and the others leaving in haste, unwilling to remain any longer.

The Zhao family was holding urgent meetings, discussing how to resolve the conflict.

Outside Wang Jie’s residence, people gathered, watching him from a distance. Many of them had been sent by Hong Jian to stand guard around the area, ensuring no one disturbed Wang Jie.

He knew Wang Jie was now recovering his imprint power.

A pile of cataclysm materials sat outside Wang Jie’s door, waiting for him to use them.

A little over an hour later, Hong Jian himself arrived and quietly waited outside.

At this moment, Wang Jie stood at the threshold of a blurry world, preparing to use the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger once again. It was clear that the sensation of his imprint power being drained was uncomfortable. But as the technique took root, five green sprouts emerged from the first field, similar to how it had been when he had first planted the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger.

This time, however, five materials were required, compared to the original three.

Wang Jie touched the green sprouts.

The five materials were: the will of the defeated, an evil person’s severed palm, sweet tears, ten marriage proposals, and a snow-white canine tooth.

“Ten marriage proposals?” Wang Jie muttered in disbelief.

He immediately thought of the snow steed when he saw the snow-white canine tooth.

Five materials were needed to cultivate the new technique—the Starry Finger.

He opened the door and invited Hong Jian inside.

Not only had Hong Jian brought the Three-Eyed Wolf King, but he had also brought more cataclysm materials, leaving Wang Jie to choose.

“Didn’t you say that these materials were taken by Yan Si?” Wang Jie asked.

Hong Jian replied, “Yan Si wanted them, but I didn’t give them to him. I just kept them under his name to placate him for now. As long as Yan Si stays, he can’t take these materials out.”

Wang Jie nodded. “Thank you.”

Hong Jian sighed. “I should be thanking you. If it weren’t for you, this base would have been overtaken by aliens long ago.” He looked at Wang Jie with a serious expression. “Come, be the base’s captain.”

Wang Jie met Hong Jian’s gaze calmly.

Hong Jian smiled. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not testing you. I simply can’t handle it anymore. That Wen Zhao is too strong. Forget her—even Yan Si, I couldn’t defeat him, and there are many more trial takers like her.”

“One of the tacticians from the Three Gods was killed. I don’t think I can surpass a tactician.”

Hong Jian’s gaze was open and honest, and Wang Jie could tell that it was sincere.

“I have something to take care of,” Wang Jie replied.

“Is it related to Zuo Tian?”

“If I don’t kill him, humanity won’t stand.”

“What do you mean? What do you have against Zuo Tian?” Hong Jian asked, puzzled.

Wang Jie didn’t respond. “Remove the bounty for him.”

“With your strength, Zuo Tian is no match for you. It’s only natural you should step forward, but unless it’s an irreconcilable hatred, you’d better hold off. After all, the real disaster we face isn’t from mutated plants and beasts, but from Armor One Sect,” Hong Jian advised.

Wang Jie looked at him seriously. “You underestimate Zuo Tian.”

Not continuing the topic, Wang Jie inquired about the other bases.

Only Hong Jian knew the details.

Though the weaponry was destroyed ten years ago, many communication lines and transportation routes had been severed due to the mutated plants and beasts. Information from external bases had been hard to transmit to the lower levels. Only high-level figures like Hong Jian had access to the full picture.

Hong Jian’s expression grew dim. “Yan Si didn’t lie to us. That night we besieged the Moon Plant, it was indeed the tenth year of the metamorphosis period. Since then, the plants and beasts in the wild have evolved. Most have reached a higher level, and we can’t go out there for now. There are Seven-Seal level mutated beasts, and some are even comparable to the Moon Plant in power.”

“That night, when we dealt with the Moon Plant, we solved the base’s disaster. Many smaller bases were destroyed.”

“Of the five major bases, the Southern Base and Jiang Base survived thanks to the trial takers. Upper Capital City is protected by Bai Yuan, and Tianfu Base relies on Zuo Tian. They all made it through.”

“The five major bases are temporarily secure.”

The information continued flowing into Wang Jie’s ears through Hong Jian.

Wang Jie had been serving as a guide for the past two years and hadn’t proactively sought information from the outside world to avoid disturbing Hong Jian and the others. The most he knew about was the Golden Hill Base’s situation. Now, he realized that the outside world had indeed changed.

The five major bases had grown larger, with smaller bases being attacked and absorbed into the major ones.

As Wang Jie processed the information, the world outside learned that the bounty on him had been removed.

In Tianfu Base, the Broken Blade hunting team, a young man who appeared to be under thirty stood in the dim underground space. Two corpses lay at his feet, dressed in clothing completely different from Blue Star’s. They were trial takers.

Further off in a corner, another trial taker’s corpse lay sprawled.

The young man lowered his head, his expression unreadable.

A voice echoed from outside: “Minister, the bounty on Wang Jie has been removed.”

The young man suddenly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his pupils. “Who?”

“Hong Jian. A person named Wang Jie from Golden Hill Base, about the same age as the minister predicted, has defeated an Eight-Seal trial taker.”

The young man’s gaze darkened. “It’s him. Golden Hill Base, huh? No wonder.”

“Minister, should we contact Hong Jian? After all, the bounty was placed by you.”

“No need. Announce to the public that the second batch of Eight-Seal trial takers from Armor One Sect will arrive because someone from Blue Star has broken through to Eight-Seals. I, Zuo Tian, call on all of Blue Star to refrain from breaking through Eight-Seals, or no one will be able to stop the second batch of trial takers.”

“Yes.”

Zuo Tian’s announcement spread quickly throughout Hua Xia, drawing the attention of all cultivators.

This news shocked the cultivation world.

No one had expected there to be a second batch of trial takers. Zuo Tian’s words not only confirmed the authenticity of Armor One Sect’s trials but also served as a warning to everyone: anyone who broke through to Eight-Seals would be responsible for the arrival of the second batch of trial takers, becoming a sinner in the eyes of all of Hua Xia.

As this message spread, it became clear why trial takers had assassinated the Three Gods and Five Extremes—they were the closest to breaking through Eight-Seals, and the first batch of trial takers didn’t want the second batch arriving too soon. They preferred to fully exhaust Blue Star’s resources, then battle the second batch of trial takers after breaking through to Eight-Seals themselves.

Not long after Zuo Tian’s announcement, Bu Qiao, one of the Five Extremes, was killed in River City by a five-man trial taker team. Each of these five trial takers was a Seven-Seal expert, and together they easily overwhelmed Bu Qiao.

Their act of assassination once again sent a clear message to all of Hua Xia: no one from Blue Star was allowed to break through.

This was a bottom-line warning.

Afterward, the team left River City, and no one knew their next destination, but their goal was clear—to target the Three Gods and Five Extremes, or at least Seven-Seal level powerhouses.

Back at Golden Hill Base, Wang Jie looked at the images that continued to pour in, his brow furrowing.

These photos showed the current state of the trial takers appearing in Hua Xia. Wherever the trial takers went, death followed. They had a purpose, and their actions were clear: their targets were not mutated plants and beasts, but the people of Blue Star.

“If this is a trial, there must be a target. Has Yan Si ever mentioned it?” Wang Jie asked.

Hong Jian shook his head. “No.”

Behind him, Feng Yu stood quietly, as the two of them observed the Mysterious Lake.

Wang Jie’s gaze shifted to the still lake surface. “By rights, the first enemy should be the mutated plants and beasts. But these trial takers have directly targeted cultivators, including Yan Si. His reason for organizing the siege against the Moon Plant was to obtain cataclysm materials. But clearly, the importance of those materials is secondary to preventing Blue Star people from breaking through Eight-Seals.”

He stepped closer to the lake, kneeling down and peering closely at it.

Hong Jian didn’t interrupt. He had invited Wang Jie here to see if he could solve the mystery of the mutated beast hiding beneath the Mysterious Lake. It had been lurking for too long and needed someone with power to deal with it.

Wang Jie reached his hand into the cold lake. Despite the heat of summer, the water felt icy. His imprint power surged as he spread it throughout the Mysterious Lake, sensing its depths. After a moment, he looked up at Hong Jian.

“Use instruments to pinpoint the coldest spot in the Mysterious Lake.”

He realized, belatedly, that he didn’t need to waste his imprint power—a thermometer would suffice.

Hong Jian gestured, and a group of people began the search.

It didn’t take long before they pinpointed the location.

It was in the southwestern corner of the Mysterious Lake.