Chapter 046
Chapter 46: Chu Yao
Wang Jie gasped for breath, his mind sharp as he felt his imprint power plateau before reaching a new realm, no longer increasing in strength. Was this the limit?
He glanced at the video feed, where Shu Mu Night’s power seemed like an endless abyss, incomprehensible in its vastness.
He could do it too. Why couldn’t he?
If eight imprints were not enough to face him, then neither would nine or ten.
Limitless limit. Beyond human.
Where did that leave him?
“Are you practicing?” a sudden voice interrupted his thoughts.
Wang Jie’s expression changed, his head whipping toward the sound. Outside the window, a figure clung to the wall like a gecko, waving at him.
So close, and yet he hadn’t sensed them? Wen Zhao and the others hadn’t noticed either.
Wang Jie scrutinized the newcomer. He hadn’t seen this person before. Young, and smiling.
“Not going to invite me in?” the figure spoke again.
Wang Jie narrowed his eyes, wary. He slowly moved to the window and opened it.
The stranger entered.
Under the light, Wang Jie finally saw the man more clearly. His skin had an unhealthy gray pallor, as though he hadn’t seen the sun in years. His smile was strange, unsettling, with an eerie chill.
“My name is Chu Yao. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Wang Jie,” the man said, bowing with both hands, performing the ancient Hua Xia greeting.
Wang Jie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Are you a trial taker?”
“Aren’t you going to return the greeting?” Chu Yao held his posture, looking expectantly at Wang Jie. “Hua Xia people are supposed to be polite, aren’t they?”
Wang Jie regarded him silently, then slowly clasped his hands in return, offering a formal bow.
Chu Yao smiled broadly. “Your humble servant, Chu Yao.”
“Wang Jie.”
“Not asking to be born in the same year and month, but hoping…” Chu Yao paused, tilting his head. “Sorry, I got it wrong, hehe.”
Wang Jie’s gaze remained steady. “What’s your purpose?”
Chu Yao’s eyes roamed the room, his attention landing on the video feed on the wall. Taking a few steps forward, he stood with his back to Wang Jie, admiring the view. “Honestly, I never expected a trial from a native planet to be able to confront Shu Mu Night. Though he hasn’t even used half his strength, it’s already impressive.”
The man seemed entirely unguarded around Wang Jie.
“Wang Jie, come with me,” Chu Yao suddenly turned around and said.
Wang Jie’s brow furrowed. “What exactly is your purpose?”
“Come with me. No one can stop Shu Mu Night. Trust me—no one. You can’t do it. I can’t either. But I can take you away, and it would count as my contribution, hehe.”
“Where are you from?”
“Death Realm. Corpse Sect.”
Wang Jie blinked, confused.
Chu Yao waved dismissively. “Don’t worry about that. Just know Blue Star is going to be used for the bridge building. All of Blue Star’s people are going to die, except for those special trial takers. The only ones who can keep you alive are either Shu Mu Night or me. Or Armor One Sect. But think about it—Shu Mu Night will destroy Blue Star for the bridge. You can’t go with him, right? You’ve got a blood feud with him. Armor One Sect doesn’t care about Blue Star either. Even if Shu Mu Night is driven off, they’ll still take Blue Star’s people as war slaves after the trial.”
He paused, tapping his chest. “Only I—only I—have no grudge with you and can take you away, give you a bright future… wait, no, dark future, never mind. I can keep you alive and help you get revenge. How about it? Not a bad deal, right?”
He rambled on.
Wang Jie remained calm. “In one month, I’ll fight Shu Mu Night again.”
Chu Yao sighed. “Brother, don’t be so stubborn. You really can’t defeat Shu Mu Night. No one in the universe of his level can beat him. He’s not just on a different level, he’s two concepts apart. He’s only eight imprints, but you? Even if you could fight him with eight imprints, what about nine? He’s someone who’s rebuilt his cultivation three times. The higher the realm, the greater the difference. He can reach Ten Seals in no time.”
“If you break through to Ten Seals, the difference will only get bigger.”
“You can’t change Blue Star’s fate, but you can change yours.”
“Come with me now, and I’ll secure your dark future.”
Wang Jie studied him, his expression hardening. “Outside Tianfu Base, Shu Mu Night was about to kill me. He stopped only because of you, right?”
Chu Yao smirked. “Remember? I saved your life. If I hadn’t interfered, you’d already be dead.”
“You and I together might not be able to fight him,” Wang Jie muttered.
“Brother, if you want to die, don’t drag me into it. Can those so-called ‘heaven’s chosen prodigies’ even block a single move? Do you understand the gap? The difference is massive. He can use star techniques with only eight imprints.”
“I don’t believe Armor One Sect can’t do anything,” Wang Jie replied firmly.
Chu Yao shook his head in frustration. “You just don’t get it. If Armor One Sect could do something, they wouldn’t have started the highest-level trial. It would attract too much attention. They can’t do anything about Shu Mu Night. Do you think Sincere One Dao is a joke? Even if Armor One Sect drives him away, Blue Star is still going to be sacrificed.”
“You don’t think Armor One Sect will spare you, do you?”
“Do you know what staking is? It’s not just about hitting a rock; Blue Star is the stone. What’s the point?”
Wang Jie’s eyes narrowed. “What did you just say?”
Chu Yao shrugged. “Even if Shu Mu Night leaves, Armor One Sect will still use Blue Star and all its people for the bridge. You won’t escape. Even if they take you, it’s just to study why your power is so great. You’ll die a painful death in the end.”
“Did you understand?”
Wang Jie repeated Wen Star Ru’s words.
He immediately felt a pang of unease.
Chu Yao sneered. “You figured it out, huh?”
Wen Star Ru swore in the name of her family that once Shu Mu Night was driven off, Blue Star’s people would be removed from the list of war slaves. But she didn’t give any promises about their fate after that.
She wasn’t lying—just not being fully transparent.
At the time, Wang Jie hadn’t cared, because she had said Blue Star would definitely be used for the bridge. It was true, and they didn’t know that the bridge required flesh and blood.
“What about the mutated creatures’ blood? Would that work?” Wang Jie asked.
Chu Yao shook his head. “Maybe. But maybe not enough. The bridge building is a one-time opportunity. Do you think Armor One Sect will take the risk?”
No one could be trusted—they were at an absolute disadvantage.
Shu Mu Night. Armor One Sect. Who could they control?
Wang Jie stood there, dazed. He wasn’t afraid of Shu Mu Night. No matter how powerful the man was, he would dare to challenge him—just as he had once led a team to assassinate Zuo Tian.
But even if he defeated Shu Mu Night, what then? He couldn’t defeat Armor One Sect.
Chu Yao sighed in pity. “When you step into the stars, you’ll realize just how small a planet is. There’s no need to waste your life here. If you have feelings for Blue Star, or for Hua Xia, you can always seek revenge later.”
“There’s no other way.”
“Unless…”
Wang Jie’s gaze sharpened on him.
Chu Yao grinned. “If you can defeat Shu Mu Night and make it to the headlines of Star Dome Visage, maybe some lord will take notice of you and help save Blue Star. Of course, the chances are slim.”
Wang Jie pressed, “Defeat Shu Mu Night and make waves across the universe?”
“That’s one way to look at it. Star Dome Visage is the largest intelligence network and media organization in the universe. Its influence surpasses even that of human factions. Defeating Shu Mu Night would definitely be newsworthy.”
Seeing Wang Jie lost in thought, Chu Yao shook his head. “A small native like you can’t understand the might of Shu Mu Night. He’s like the brightest star in the night sky, while you’re just dust.” He turned to leave. “Think about it. In a month, don’t even think about fighting him, or no one will be able to save you.”
Wang Jie watched him go, feeling a strange unease. This man came from the Death Realm, clearly not aligned with Wen Star Ru and the others. His attitude toward Shu Mu Night was also different. He had managed to approach him unnoticed, meaning he had considerable skill.
Wang Jie didn’t want to stir trouble, but the ocean stretched endlessly before him. Several dozen kilometers from the coastline lay the Southern Country Base, built in this location because, after years of the apocalypse, mutated sea creatures rarely ventured inland.
That day, an alarm blared across the entire Southern Country Base.
Countless sea creatures surged forth, crossing the furthest distance they had ever traveled since the apocalypse, heading straight for the base. Leading the charge was a massive mutated octopus, hundreds of meters tall. It was visible even from the base.
As the creatures tore through the sky, a blast of freezing cold shot up, nearly freezing the air itself and halting countless rocks. It was Qi Xue Yin, standing at Southern Country Base.
Lian Qin’s face turned pale as she immediately called for help.
The mutated octopus was at the ten-imprint level.
At Golden Hill Base, Wang Jie quickly received the distress signal and immediately set off. Disaster materials were no longer an issue for him, and the mutated beasts outside Golden Hill Base were already in disarray due to the insect tide, posing no threat.
Insect Xuan remained behind to control the insect tide heading to Mountain City. Only Insect Ruo Ruo accompanied Wang Jie.
The journey from Golden Hill Base to Southern Country Base was fraught with five attacks. Such frequent assaults hadn’t occurred before the trial takers arrived, and the creatures attacking were no small threat.
That night, Wang Jie and his party arrived at Southern Country Base. In the distance, the endless sea creatures continued to approach.
Lian Qin hurriedly arrived with Lian Fei to greet them.
“Miss, Wang Jie has arrived,” Qi Five said.
Qi Xue Yin stood atop the city wall, periodically freezing the earth, her power spreading deep into the ocean. Without her, the sea creatures would have already breached the base.
She looked out into the distance, her gaze meeting Wang Jie’s.
They locked eyes.
Qi Xue Yin gave a slight nod as a greeting.
Wang Jie turned his gaze away.
“The most troublesome part is that mutated octopus,” Lian Qin said, her tone one of frustration as she spoke to Wang Jie. “We asked that trial taker for help, but she’s not planning to leave the base at all.”
Lian Qin’s beauty was undeniable. Though older than Wang Jie, her charm—her every smile and glance—was enough to captivate. She had a natural allure that made her hard to ignore, especially when she played the role of the helpless woman.
Lian Fei was different—lacking that same charm. As for Insect Ruo Ruo and Wen Zhao, they were beautiful, but… they were still young girls.