Chapter 030
Chapter 30: What Is He Doing?
Wang Jie had finally finished his training. Though his eyes were closed, he knew what had happened.
Seeing Wen Zhao struggling to stay upright, he took a step forward, caught her in his arms, and grasped the sword she held, swinging it in a horizontal slash.
The force of his imprint surged within him, unleashing a terrifying wave of power. The sword sliced through the air, leaving visible cracks around them, with the sharpness forming a circle that swept across a thousand meters.
Where the sword passed, two eight-seal insects and several other creatures were slain. Even Insect Ruo Ruo was taken aback by the sheer might of his sword qi.
Wen Zhao, drained, muttered, “Let’s go.”
Wang Jie lifted her and leapt into the air, rushing toward the distance.
Back at their original position, Insect Ruo Ruo watched them flee, quickly reacting, “Keep chasing them.”
The insect tide was endless, designed to wear them out until they had nothing left.
Wang Jie carried Wen Zhao for hours, and only when night fell did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Taking refuge in a basement, Wen Zhao pushed him away and glared at him angrily.
Wang Jie, helpless, said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
Wen Zhao’s face was pale as she took out some medicine to treat her wounds.
“Let me help?” Wang Jie offered.
“Leave me alone.”
Wang Jie, feeling guilty, stepped back, watching her in silence.
Wen Zhao glared at him, “Turn around and close your eyes.”
Wang Jie obediently did so.
After some time, her wounds were treated. She sat down but avoided leaning against the wall as it still hurt too much.
“You must be crazy,” she muttered.
Wang Jie chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah, I promise I won’t do it again next time.”
Wen Zhao didn’t know how to respond. Thinking about his proposal to someone earlier, she couldn’t help but find his earlier actions more understandable. She didn’t want to argue anymore.
“Thanks,” Wang Jie said gratefully.
Wen Zhao said nothing. Being around him made her so frustrated that she’d even resorted to swearing, something she’d never done before.
This guy was infuriating.
Wang Jie sighed, touching his wristguard. He blamed it all on her.
But through his training, he had absorbed a lot of imprint energy, turning it into power. Now, his strength had increased—equivalent to four times what it had been when he first arrived in Upper Capital City. That was why he could strike so powerfully. It wasn’t swordsmanship but pure strength combined with imprint energy.
He was definitely much stronger now.
Had it not been for being chased by the insect tide, he wouldn’t have accumulated so many cataclysm materials.
There was still more to be done.
“We should counterattack,” Wang Jie suddenly said.
Wen Zhao was resting, her eyes closed.
Wang Jie looked at her. “That centipede is the most troublesome. It’s strong, not weaker than the moon plant outside Golden Hill Base. But we’re not weak either. By the way, how strong is Insect Ruo Ruo in battle?”
Wen Zhao opened her eyes, already calm again. “Not very strong.”
Wang Jie nodded. “As long as we can get close to her, right?”
Wen Zhao replied, “Heavenly insect people are their own weakness, so they protect themselves well. They’re not easy to catch. Insect Ruo Ruo specializes in the Armor Eight Steps.”
“Actually, all the heavenly insect people are required to master Armor Eight Steps. She can take seven steps.”
Wang Jie frowned. “Is she faster than us by a step? That’s troublesome.”
As long as that centipede was there, if Insect Ruo Ruo was faster by even one step, they would never catch her.
The Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger was a killing move. Wen Zhao had reminded him not to kill Insect Ruo Ruo. Wang Jie, though decisive in battle, wasn’t stupid. If Insect Ruo Ruo died, the whole of Blue Star would suffer. So unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want to use that move.
Wen Zhao rested.
This basement was sealed on all sides, and logically, it wasn’t a good place to hide—it could be surrounded easily. But they had no choice. Insect Ruo Ruo had become more skilled and had been destroying buildings on their path to prevent them from hiding.
It was only a matter of time before they were found. But Wen Zhao had to rest.
Fortunately, they had a battle power detector. As long as no eight-seal insects approached, even if they were surrounded, Wang Jie could fight his way out.
That night, Wen Zhao slept deeply. She was too exhausted.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The battle power detector’s alarm went off.
Wen Zhao opened her eyes. “Let’s go.”
Wang Jie reached for her to help, but she refused. It was then that he noticed her wounds had already scabbed over, healing at an incredible rate.
“Let me borrow your sword.”
Wen Zhao handed it to him.
Wang Jie gripped the sword’s hilt and slowly exhaled, recalling the sword technique he had seen in the sky projection. He didn’t particularly like swordplay, feeling it was too flashy and always seemed less practical. What if the sword broke?
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t use it.
He had once seen the most stunning sword technique.
He crouched slightly, the sword pointing backward, gripping the hilt tightly, and lowered his head.
Seeing his movements, Wen Zhao seemed to recall something. Was this… the sword drawing technique?
Imprint energy flowed through his arm and into the sword’s edge, forming a spiral of wind.
With his breath held to its utmost limit, he suddenly lifted his head and drew the sword with explosive force.
An unmatched sword qi slashed upward, cleaving the earth in two. Even the five-story buildings above them were cut in half in an instant. The sword qi continued upward, slicing through the sky, cutting down the swarming insects and letting a sliver of sunlight shine through.
With this strike, the sword shattered, unable to withstand the force.
Wang Jie hadn’t expected the sword to break so easily. “Hurry up.”
Wen Zhao quickly followed him.
As they burst out of the underground, Wang Jie took a strand of spider silk—cataclysm materials from the eight-seal spider he had just slain with that sword strike.
The insect tide closed in.
Wang Jie moved faster and more decisively. The sudden surge of power made his strikes quicker and more powerful.
Not only Wen Zhao, but even Insect Ruo Ruo noticed.
How had he gotten stronger again? He was still only an eight-seal cultivator.
Wang Jie suddenly fixed his gaze on Insect Ruo Ruo and made a decapitation gesture.
Insect Ruo Ruo felt a chill at her forehead, and her anger quickly overshadowed her reason. She yelled, “Native, you dare threaten me? Dare threaten a heavenly insect people? You’re dead, no one can save you, native.”
Wang Jie laughed. “Little insect, I’m coming for you.” With that, he pointed a finger, and the spiral qi force surged, twice as strong as before, clearing a path through the swarm and carrying Wen Zhao away.
The giant centipede hissed menacingly, raising its upper body.
Insect Ruo Ruo’s face flushed with anger. She quickly summoned more insects, as many as possible. This man was even more infuriating than Little Zhao.
The safety zone northeast of Upper Capital City Base had been expanded by several dozen kilometers. Wang Jie wanted to expand the entire safety zone around Upper Capital City Base, but it was simply too vast, so he decided to head back the way they came.
The main goal was still to gather those cataclysm materials.
Insect Ruo Ruo now controlled only two eight-seal insects, the centipede excluded.
Several days later, as they were fleeing, Wen Zhao suddenly reminded Wang Jie, “You’re going to do your training soon.”
Wang Jie glanced at her. “You know about that?”
Wen Zhao spoke seriously. “I don’t care why you suddenly need to train, but you’d better confirm the time. I don’t want to die.”
“Confirmed. It should be tomorrow afternoon.”
“Find a place.”
“The lake we’ve been to before works.”
Wen Zhao thought for a moment and agreed.
There were many mutated creatures in the lake, and the water would help them see their surroundings clearly.
Wang Jie also wanted to check if Zuo Tian was dead.
The next afternoon, they arrived at the spot where Zuo Tian had been overwhelmed by insects. Aside from a pool of blood, there was nothing left. Wang Jie picked up the nearby cataclysm materials and silently headed toward the lake.
Zuo Tian was not dead.
He was sure of it.
After all the fighting with Insect Ruo Ruo, they knew this woman wasn’t truly cruel. She only wanted to suppress Wen Zhao, never truly intending to kill them. Even if Zuo Tian had been killed, there should have been a body. Insect Ruo Ruo wouldn’t allow his body to be consumed by insects.
Now, there was no body, only one explanation.
Insect Ruo Ruo had spared Zuo Tian.
Wang Jie cast aside his distractions and saw the lake. He leapt to the center of the lake’s empty ground, where the pavilion had completely vanished.
“When did this happen?”
“I don’t know.”
Wen Zhao looked at Wang Jie. “You really are just forced into doing this training, aren’t you?”
Wang Jie didn’t deny it. “Is this something that doesn’t happen in the universe?”
Wen Zhao withdrew her gaze. “I don’t know either.”
In the distance, the insect tide approached, black and oppressive.
“Wait five more minutes. If you haven’t trained by then, we’ll run,” Wen Zhao said, pausing for a moment. “This time, we’ll split up.”
Wang Jie nodded. He didn’t want her to keep risking her life for him.
Though several eight-seal insects had been killed, the centipede was still around, and the threat of the insect tide wasn’t small.
Within two minutes, a sound reached their ears.
Wang Jie sighed in relief and began his training.
Wen Zhao also felt a sense of relief.
Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she didn’t want to leave Wang Jie behind. He wasn’t all that bad.
In the distance, Insect Ruo Ruo watched Wang Jie training in the middle of the lake. Her adorable face seemed confused as she asked Wen Zhao, “What is he doing?”
Wen Zhao replied calmly, “Exercising.”
Insect Ruo Ruo blinked. “I don’t believe you. What exactly is he doing?”
Wen Zhao responded, “Making a spell.”
Insect Ruo Ruo…
From all directions, the insect tide closed in again. This time, Insect Ruo Ruo proudly showed off two more eight-seal insects she had under control.
Wen Zhao’s expression changed.
“Don’t think you’re the only ones making progress,” Insect Ruo Ruo sneered. “I’ve made progress too. Not only have I absorbed lock force, but I’m close to the ninth seal. Plus, I’ve controlled more insects.” She waved her hand. “Go.”
Above and below, four eight-seal insects charged toward Wen Zhao. Insect Ruo Ruo stepped down from the ground, and the centipede snarled as it charged toward the lake.
Wang Jie, still training, watched with interest. Recently, the imprint energy from the heaven stone had caused the mutated creatures to evolve rapidly. Whether insects, plants, or beasts, if they hadn’t been caught in the insect tide, or gone into danger zones to fight other mutated creatures, the number of eight-seal insects under Insect Ruo Ruo’s control would have easily surpassed ten. Maybe even more.
This was considered a good situation.
“Wait,” Wen Zhao suddenly spoke.
Insect Ruo Ruo sneered. “Little Zhao, you don’t still think you can delay time, do you?”
Wen Zhao looked at Insect Ruo Ruo seriously. “Armor One Sect’s three branches are all connected. Do you know why Xiao Hui has never accepted your affections?”
The insect tide stopped.
Insect Ruo Ruo glared at Wen Zhao, her face darkening. “Because you’re in the way.”
“Has nothing to do with me. Someone else walked into Xiao Hui’s heart. I didn’t want to say anything about this, promised that person I wouldn’t. But now, I can’t keep quiet anymore,” Wen Zhao said.
She was buying time, and Wang Jie could tell. Insect Ruo Ruo could tell too. But compared to the answer, Insect Ruo Ruo would rather have time delayed.
“Who?”
“If I tell you, will you let us go?”
“Fine. Say it, but it must be true.”
Wen Zhao glanced at Wang Jie. Why was he still not done yet?