Chapter 035
Chapter 35: Active and Passive
“You’re at the Nine Seals, he’s at the Eight Seals, you can’t win by force!” Sister Tang shouted.
Her words ignited a murderous gleam in Yun Lai’s eyes. He raised his hand, and a tiny bow and arrow appeared in his grasp. The arrow shot out instantly—at Sister Tang’s level of power, there was no way she could dodge it. Just as it was about to reach her, a figure appeared in front of her, swatting the arrow away with a casual flick. “Let me take over,” Wang Jie said, stepping forward.
Everyone turned to look at the person now standing in front of them—Wang Jie? Was it really him?
Bai Xiao supported Bai Yuan, glancing at Wang Jie, who had his back to them. She knew him—he was the only trial taker from the base, and he had been with them all along.
Yun Lai’s gaze locked onto Wang Jie, surprise flashing in his eyes. “Was that just… Armor Eight Steps?”
Wang Jie faced him squarely. “I’d like to see your Eight Cloud Arrow.”
Yun Lai narrowed his eyes. “As expected of a base so focused on natives—one expert after another. Fine, you want to die? I’ll grant your wish.” With that, he bent his bow and fired an arrow straight toward Wang Jie.
The moment the arrow was released, a stillness fell over the surroundings.
The Eight Cloud Arrow was deflected by the Armor One Divine Sword. While it wasn’t that the Eight Cloud Arrow lacked power, it was that the Armor One Divine Sword was simply too powerful.
Bai Yuan had taken ten years to master this technique, even with the help of the third wave of trial takers. Apart from that, Yun Lai didn’t believe anyone among the natives could block his Eight Cloud Arrow, even just one of them.
Seeing Yun Lai’s reaction, Wen Zhao confirmed that he had never seen Wang Jie before—the trial taker’s information had been hidden. Despite Yun Lai’s high status, he was still just a disciple, and not even a full-fledged disciple at that.
The arrow was aimed directly at Wang Jie, and just as it seemed it would pierce him, it stopped dead in mid-air, suspended right before his forehead. Wang Jie had caught it in his hand.
A stunned silence fell over everyone witnessing the scene. What was happening?
Yun Lai’s eyes widened in disbelief. How was this possible? He hadn’t seen Wang Jie before, and the trial taker’s status wasn’t something just anyone could view. If it hadn’t been for Yun Lai himself, he would never have been able to see it. Other trial takers would never have access to this information either.
Lian Qin and the others were left dumbfounded. Was this even possible?
Bai Yuan stared in astonishment. Without the Armor One Divine Sword, he too would’ve struggled to block the Eight Cloud Arrow at such a close range. Wang Jie was stronger than he had imagined—far stronger.
Wang Jie lowered his arm, the arrow now cool and firm in his hand. The material was unlike anything he had seen before—extremely tough.
In the instant the arrow was released, Wang Jie had considered dodging it, but in that fleeting moment, he had known he could catch it with his enhanced strength.
He managed to catch the arrow, though his palm was slightly scraped—the arrow’s power was immense.
Yun Lai said nothing, drawing two more arrows and shooting them.
Wang Jie didn’t try to catch them this time. His feet moved in the Armor Eight Steps, sidestepping as the two arrows tore through the air, narrowly missing him and striking the city walls, collapsing a corner of the base.
With a flick of his finger, Wang Jie unleashed the Luo Xuan Finger technique.
Yun Lai faced an empty space, releasing another arrow. He thought it would miss, but the arrow seemed to have a mind of its own, homing in on Wang Jie.
Wen Zhao, watching the scene, recognized it immediately—this was the Eight Cloud Arrow. Its power was one thing, but its control over the arrows was what made it so deadly. Ordinary cultivators under Ten Seals could control at most five arrows, but Yun Lai could control eight. That was why he had mastered the Eight Cloud Arrow.
Wen Zhao hadn’t shared this information with Wang Jie—not because she didn’t want to, but because she couldn’t. Her stance was with Yun Lai and the sect.
Wang Jie hadn’t expected the arrow to track him so precisely. He quickly dodged again.
Yun Lai, suppressing his aura, released arrow after arrow—he clearly wasn’t planning to waste any time.
Eight arrows flew, spinning around him. Wang Jie’s Spiral Qi Force would have been ineffective against Yun Lai, who was clearly skilled with the Luo Xuan Finger technique, using the arrows to counter his attacks.
As the eight arrows circled, Wang Jie found himself forced back.
He reached up, attempting to grab one of the arrows.
Wen Zhao almost called out to him to stop. Fortunately, Wang Jie hesitated at the last moment.
He could catch one arrow, but the remaining seven would fall at the same time, and he would have to defend against all eight arrows at once. Without the Armor One Divine Sword, no cultivator at his current level could manage this feat.
Yun Lai turned his gaze back toward Wang Jie, now forced to retreat. “You’re strong, and with Armor Eight Steps, you managed to catch one of my arrows. But so what? There are countless powerful beings in the universe. If power alone could defeat the Eight Cloud Arrow, my Armor One Sect would have been destroyed long ago.”
With that, he raised his hand, condensing a swarm of tiny arrows in his grasp. His internal energy surged. “You want to show off? Fine, I’ll make sure you die.”
Countless tiny arrows shot toward Wang Jie.
Wang Jie flipped backwards, spinning his arms in reverse, compressing the air around him. The earth cracked beneath his feet as the wind suddenly stopped, dust swirling in the air.
With a powerful burst, his imprint force erupted, forming a visible storm that charged at Yun Lai. The shockwave forced Bai Yuan and the others to retreat, while the storm surged forward, meeting a rain of arrows.
Yun Lai hadn’t expected such a force from a native, someone who could directly compress the air into a battle technique. Simple, yet effective, he was able to reverse Yun Lai’s arrow rain with raw power. Yun Lai clenched his fist and launched all eight arrows at Wang Jie.
But this time, the storm didn’t reverse the arrows.
The eight arrows combined into one massive strike, ripping through the storm and heading straight for Wang Jie.
Instinctively, Wang Jie grabbed the arrows with both hands, and was sent crashing into the city wall. The wall shattered on impact, and he was propelled deep into the base, gritting his teeth as he raised his left arm and slammed it down.
The wristguard struck the arrows, forcing them off course, grazing his cheek and leaving a streak of blood. The arrow continued its path, piercing through the entire Upper Capital City base, all the way through the northern wall, eventually vanishing.
A deep scar was left across the entire base.
Everyone was stunned.
Wang Jie had been dragged nearly a kilometer away.
This was the strength of Yun Lai—recognized by the Armor One Sect as a Heaven’s Chosen Prodigy. Even Wen Zhao couldn’t compare.
The trial takers before him were nothing on his level.
But in that moment, Yun Lai too was stunned by Wang Jie’s power.
Wang Jie slowly lifted his head, wiping the blood from his face. Without the wristguard, that arrow would not have been deflected so easily. He walked toward the base’s edge.
Silence surrounded him, everyone speechless.
This person had caught that arrow?
Bai Yuan smiled. With this battle, the base had been saved. Yun Lai couldn’t win against Wang Jie—there was still something up his sleeve.
Wen Zhao understood that Wang Jie could stand against Yun Lai, but only after breaking through to the Nine Seals—not before.
The combined eight arrows had only left a slight scratch on him.
Yun Lai couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Who are you?”
Wang Jie shrugged, flicking his arm. “I’m Wang Jie, a native.”
“It’s impossible,” Yun Lai muttered. “How could a native block my Eight Cloud Arrow combined?”
Wang Jie wiped his cheek again. “See? No harm done.”
Yun Lai felt like he was seeing ghosts.
A trial ground with no real value, and now, two strange beings had appeared—one wielding the Armor One Divine Sword, and the other blocking his Eight Cloud Arrow combined. It was inconceivable. Not even a full disciple of Armor One Sect could manage such feats, let alone a native.
“Where did you learn that? Are you really a native?”
“Absolutely a Hua Xia person,” Wang Jie said, pointing to the sky.
Yun Lai looked toward the sky projection. Was there one in the Martial Hall?
Wang Jie raised his hand and clenched his fist. “Alright, alien. You have two choices. Either surrender voluntarily, or surrender the hard way. Pick one.”
All the cultivators around them stared at Yun Lai. Could this powerful trial taker really be defeated?
Yun Lai sneered, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. “Surrender? You think I’m going to surrender to a bunch of cannon fodder being sent to the interstellar battlefield?”
His voice boomed, reaching the ears of everyone at Upper Capital City. “This is just a trial, understand? I may have lost, but why should I surrender to those sent to fight for the stars?”
“You’re all just natives, battle slaves.”
“Do you really think you can do anything to me? I can make Blue Star disappear from the universe with a single word. Ask Wen Zhao, I can do it.”
Many turned to look at Wen Zhao.
Wen Zhao didn’t argue. To the Armor One Sect, a planet was insignificant. The Yun family was one of the sect’s three founding clans, and their experts were numerous.
Yun Lai dusted himself off and coldly glanced at Wang Jie and Bai Yuan. “Natives, remember my name—Yun Lai. I have dozens of planets like Blue Star under my control. I can summon cultivators at the Breaking Star Stage, enough to destroy Blue Star in an instant. I control the lives of billions. Do you really think you can make me surrender?” With that, he turned and walked away.
The thousands of cultivators in attendance stood in stunned silence.
Yun Lai had once again showcased the grim fate of Blue Star—battle slaves, doomed to die.
He hadn’t walked far when an icy chill suddenly appeared. Yun Lai quickly turned around, only to see a fist.
Bang!