Chapter 027
Chapter 27: Rush
Looking at the group, Zuo Tian chuckled softly, “It seems I was right in my research direction. A deadlock truly does bring out hidden potential.” He turned his gaze to Wang Jie. “Two years ago, there were eight people who tried to assassinate me, and over a hundred orphans. It’s impressive that so few survived to become elites.”
Qing Zheng’s hand moved as if to strike, but Wang Jie quickly stopped him.
“Now is not the time.”
Zuo Tian grinned, his voice filled with amusement. “Leading Pillar group’s little boss, you don’t seem to be part of this group. Why are you helping them?”
Qing Zheng gritted his teeth. “Because you’re a beast.”
Zuo Tian’s grin widened. “The successful rise, and beneath their feet, lie the corpses of the failures. Didn’t your father teach you that? I spared you.”
“No need,” Qing Zheng growled in reply.
Bai Yuan glanced at them. “Zuo Tian, stop talking.”
Zuo Tian turned his gaze back to Wang Jie. “Handing all the good resources to the most suitable people and allowing some to grow stronger—that is the future path of humanity. I should be about ten years older than you; you should be grateful to me.”
Wang Jie stared at him and nodded. “Not just me, but the batch of orphans you burned alive should be grateful to you. I’ll make sure they send you to meet them.”
Zuo Tian smiled faintly and said nothing more.
Wang Jie turned to Wen Zhao. “Are you sure it’s Insect Ruo Ruo?”
Wen Zhao nodded, her face grim as she looked into the distance. “She’s intimidating us. This is a tactic common among the heavenly insect people. Humans instinctively fear insects, and by using an insect tide to intimidate Upper Capital City, she creates panic, making it easier to achieve her goals.”
“What does she want?” Sister Tang asked, unable to hold back.
Wen Zhao narrowed her eyes. “Either the base, or me.”
“You?” Sister Tang asked in surprise.
“I have an enemy among them.”
Bai Yuan looked at Wang Jie, who nodded slightly in return.
“How do we deal with her most effectively? What exactly are the heavenly insect people?” Bai Yuan asked.
Wen Zhao then explained what she knew about the heavenly insect people, leaving Bai Yuan and Zuo Tian shocked. They had always thought humans were just humans, with no significant differences. They hadn’t realized there were people who could control insects, and that there were many similar special groups scattered throughout the universe.
Zuo Tian’s eyes gleamed. This was the universe, the starry sea that everyone longed for. Blue Star was but a corner of it.
Sister Tang spoke, her voice heavy. “So you’re saying we can’t deal with this Insect Ruo Ruo? What if she uses the insect tide to attack the base? What is her power like? Can we decapitate her?”
Wen Zhao thought for a moment. “She probably won’t attack the base.”
Bai Yuan and the others did not trust Wen Zhao’s words.
They waited in silence.
According to Wen Zhao’s estimation, the insect tide would intimidate them for two days, gathering more insects. Bai Yuan and the others discussed whether they should attempt decapitation now.
But the intimidation did not last long. Insect Ruo Ruo soon appeared.
Riding atop a massive centipede, the young girl looked down arrogantly at Upper Capital City Base. “Listen up, you inside! You are surrounded. Hand over Wen Zhao immediately, and I will spare you. Otherwise, you will face eternal damnation.”
“Say it again, you inside…”
Everyone watched as Insect Ruo Ruo spoke from afar.
Bai Yuan moved his finger; at this distance, he could attempt a strike.
However, the centipede suddenly reared up, sensing the killing intent, positioning itself between Insect Ruo Ruo and the base.
Bai Yuan withdrew his hand. The centipede was far too strong. He couldn’t guarantee one-hit kill, and there were also many eight-seal insects within the insect tide. The scale of this insect tide surpassed any previous beast tide.
Sister Tang and the others turned to Wen Zhao. Clearly, she was the target.
Wen Zhao looked calmly at the outside. “You have two choices now. Either you continue to imprison me, waiting for the insect tide to find me, or you let me go. It’s up to you.”
No one could answer.
No one knew what to do. Upper Capital City Base was analyzing Wen Zhao’s powers. Although slow, they believed that as long as they trapped her, they would eventually figure her out. This might even change the cultivation methods of the people of Blue Star. But now, facing the insect tide, they didn’t want to fight.
“If we release you, you might join forces with Insect Ruo Ruo. Then we’ll be in trouble.” Zuo Tian said lightly, his gaze fixed on Wen Zhao. “How can we believe that you really have a grudge with her?”
Wen Zhao didn’t care. “Believe it or not, I’d rather stay inside the city. At least it’s safe.”
Zuo Tian didn’t rebut. That was true.
Bai Yuan turned to Wang Jie.
The situation was too complicated. Wen Zhao couldn’t be released. They were afraid this was all part of a scheme to free her. But they couldn’t keep her either. If it wasn’t a scheme, and it was real, Upper Capital City Base would face the insect tide.
Zuo Tian’s voice came through the drone, speaking to Insect Ruo Ruo. “We can give you Wen Zhao, but only her dead body.”
Insect Ruo Ruo exploded with fury. “What use is a dead body to me? I need to prove to Brother Xiao that this woman is far inferior to me. You natives, if you dare kill Wen Zhao, I will flatten your base.”
Wang Jie frowned. This sounded more like she was trying to save Wen Zhao.
Zuo Tian glanced over. “Wen Zhao, young lady, from what you know of this woman, will her insect tide really wipe out Upper Capital City Base?”
Everyone looked at Wen Zhao, their nerves on edge.
No one was confident in facing such an overwhelming insect tide.
Wen Zhao answered indifferently, “No.” She looked into the distance. “Insect Ruo Ruo may not be kind, but she is not pure evil. The heavenly insect people can directly enter the Armor One Sect’s inner courtyard. She is here to prove herself by surpassing me, not to participate in a trial. So even if you don’t let me go, you don’t have to worry about her wiping out the base.”
“By saying that, we might actually not let you go.” Sister Tang interjected.
Wen Zhao didn’t care. “That’s your business.”
Wang Jie spoke up, “Even without an attack, if we let the insect tide surround the base, how long can the base last? No outside aircraft can enter, and we can’t leave. We’ll be trapped. And when the third batch of trial takers arrives, we won’t be able to fight back.”
Zuo Tian agreed. “Now, we have to sever all ties with the trial takers. What we need to do is keep improving our strength—constantly hunting mutated creatures—rather than exhaust ourselves fighting the insect tide.”
“Are you saying you have a plan?” He turned to Wang Jie.
Wang Jie looked at him. “I do. I’ll take her out.”
Wen Zhao was stunned.
“Boss.” Qing Zheng and the others were taken aback.
Wang Jie raised his hand to stop them from speaking, then looked at Zuo Tian. “I’ll keep an eye on her. Even if Insect Ruo Ruo is here to rescue her, I’m confident I can either kill or severely injure one before dying. And I don’t think it’s a scheme. She already told me about an enemy who is heavenly insect people. She never expected to be trapped in Upper Capital City Base.”
Bai Yuan and the others studied Wang Jie carefully. “Once we leave the base, life and death are uncertain. Are you willing?”
“There’s no choice.” Wang Jie’s tone was heavy.
Wen Zhao stared at him.
“But I have two conditions.” Wang Jie raised a finger and pointed to Zuo Tian. “First, he comes with us. For three days.”
Zuo Tian narrowed his eyes.
Bai Yuan frowned. “Now, the situation is critical.”
Wang Jie cut him off. “Stop talking about the big picture. I don’t want to wait for revenge. Let him stay with me for three days. After that, whether he lives or dies, it’s up to him.”
Everyone looked at Zuo Tian.
Qing Zheng and the others tried to persuade Wang Jie, but he stopped them, urging them to stay safe in the base.
“Alright.” Zuo Tian agreed.
Wang Jie locked eyes with him. “What if you can’t last three days?”
Zuo Tian looked up. “Then let Bai Yuan kill me. He must kill me.”
Bai Yuan’s gaze hardened. Seeing Old Five and their murderous looks, he agreed.
Wang Jie also nodded.
“The second condition?” Bai Yuan asked.
Wang Jie glanced at his three brothers. “From now on, as long as my brothers haven’t wronged the people of Blue Star, no one can use any excuse to trouble them.”
Old Five clenched his fist. “Boss, we’re going with you.”
“I’m fast, I should be able to escape.” Old Nine said.
Qing Zheng gritted his teeth. “I’ll gather the whole Leading Pillar group’s resources and attack the insect tide. I won’t believe we can’t capture that woman.”
Wang Jie chuckled. “Did you forget what I just said? Even if we break through the insect tide, we can’t break free from the fate of battle slaves. I have my own choice.”
The three men’s eyes grew dim.
The reason Wang Jie was willing to take the risk wasn’t for anything else but because of a word Wen Zhao had said—fight.
Fight to the end.
He didn’t want to become a battle slave, nor did he want the people of Blue Star to become battle slaves, to turn Blue Star into a purgatory. So, he would fight. The insect tide was dangerous, but it also held endless cataclysm materials. He would use the fitness routine to integrate imprint power and increase his strength. This was one way forward. Even without the insect tide, he had planned to break out and hunt mutated creatures in the danger zone.
Against the insect tide, against the endless mutated beasts of the danger zone, he still had a small chance. But if he were thrown into an interstellar battlefield, there would be no chance left.
He didn’t think his current strength could resist the star-breaking power of those who could reach the breaking star stage at any time.
As he was now, he couldn’t even destroy a city.
This way, taking Zuo Tian with him was a win-win. He didn’t know if Zuo Tian would survive the three days, but it was better than letting him live in comfort within the base.
Wang Jie looked at Wen Zhao. “Let’s go.”
Wen Zhao stared deeply at Wang Jie. “You’ll die.”
“I know.”
Wen Zhao nodded. “Alright.” She then walked to the edge of the city wall, positioning herself within the sight range of the insect tide.
Insect Ruo Ruo immediately saw Wen Zhao. Her eyes lit up, and she stood up, shouting without any grace, “Little Zhao, you’re really still alive. Hahaha, come, let my little bugs greet you. You won’t escape now. Brother Xiao will see how pathetic you look, hahaha.”
Wen Zhao looked down at Insect Ruo Ruo from above. “Die, lass. Your chest isn’t big, but your mouth sure is.”
Insect Ruo Ruo froze.
Others who heard the comment were stunned. That was a sharp retort.
“Ah! You’re dead, Wen Zhao! You filthy woman, you’re dead! I’ll kill you! I swear I will kill you!” Insect Ruo Ruo screamed in rage, her insect tide chirping restlessly as it surged toward Upper Capital City Base.
Bai Yuan and the others’ faces changed.
Wen Zhao glanced at Wang Jie. “Let’s go.”
Wang Jie turned to Zuo Tian.
Zuo Tian took a deep breath. “I still stand by what I said. I don’t regret anything I’ve done. Resources must be given to some people first.”
“Enough talk.” Wang Jie leaped down and, together with Wen Zhao, faced the vast insect tide. They landed and then immediately turned to run.
Zuo Tian landed as well, following behind Wang Jie and the others.
This was the condition; otherwise, he could have chosen another direction and avoided the insect tide entirely.