Chapter 051

Chapter 51: Just Once

Wang Jie’s body slammed harshly against the mountain wall, his vision blurring as Shu Mu Night appeared before him. “Struggle to rise, don’t make me wait an entire month for nothing.” With that, he threw a powerful punch. Wang Jie dodged, but the mountain behind him was obliterated in an instant, sending shockwaves through the earth. A massive crack tore across Hua Xia, reaching the sea and causing the waters to rush inward.

Wang Jie retaliated, his finger striking Shu Mu Night’s body, but the latter didn’t even attempt to evade, allowing the attack to land. The release of power surged through Shu Mu Night, causing his defense to skyrocket. Even Wang Jie’s Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger was no longer effective.

Shu Mu Night turned and swept his arm across, the sheer force sending Wang Jie crashing toward the sacrificial altar. Before him, Shu Mu Night’s blade glinted ominously. He unsheathed it, slashing downward with a single, swift motion—the Rainbow Drinking Sword Style.

But before the slash could fully complete, Shu Mu Night caught the blade between his fingers, holding it immobile, slowly bending the edge. “My blade, you cannot wield,” he said calmly. The shockwaves from his grip reverberated through the weapon, but Wang Jie’s eyes narrowed. He gripped the hilt tighter, forcing the blade to cut through the air with raw power, disregarding technique and relying purely on strength.

Even Shu Mu Night’s immense power couldn’t fully ignore this strike. Wang Jie’s strength wasn’t far behind, though his control of it still lagged behind his opponent’s. With sheer force, he forced the blade to bite into Shu Mu Night’s fingers, drawing a thin line of blood.

But before Wang Jie could react, Shu Mu Night elbowed him in the chest, nearly causing him to suffocate. The blow sent Wang Jie sprawling backward, blood spilling from his mouth as his body flew through the air.

Before he even hit the ground, Shu Mu Night appeared behind him again. With a mighty punch from above, he aimed for Wang Jie’s head. There was no time to evade—Wang Jie’s body was held in place by the sheer force of inertia, and the only thing he could do was raise his arm to block his head.

Boom!

The ground shattered, the shockwave rippling out for hundreds of kilometers, almost burying the entire mountain city. Wang Jie’s body was crushed deep into the earth, the impact sending him far below the surface.

From a distance, Wen Zhao, Qing Zheng, and the others stood frozen, helpless, unable to even approach the battleground. They could only watch in stunned silence. Only now did Wen Star Ru and the others fully comprehend the terrifying might of Shu Mu Night. To them, one move was not a necessity—it was a guarantee. Their gap in strength was not something that could be bridged by numbers.

Shu Mu Night stood atop the ruins, the wind gently tousling his hair as he retracted his fist with a touch of melancholy. “In the end, it doesn’t bring me satisfaction. But for a native, reaching this point is impressive.” He glanced ahead, noting the ruined blood-red altar, now in need of relocation.

Without a care, he turned and began walking toward the west, his figure fading into the horizon.

After Shu Mu Night’s departure, Old Five and the others hurried to the site, digging furiously. “Boss, don’t die, please don’t die!” They dug relentlessly, desperate to free Wang Jie, even though they knew the chances of him surviving were slim. That punch had been fatal.

Wen Zhao stared at the shattered earth, his gaze full of complexity, his eyes dim. Insect Ruo Ruo and the others remained silent. None of them had underestimated Wang Jie—after all, who in the universe could withstand such a battle with Shu Mu Night? Had he not crossed paths with such a foe, he might have shone brightly across the stars. Unfortunately, he had encountered the worst of adversaries.

They quietly joined in the digging, but no words passed between them.

Wen Star Ru and the others departed, their only takeaway from the battle being the month-long delay Wang Jie had caused, a delay that would make their names more renowned. As for Blue Star and Wang Jie… he would soon be gone.

“Zhao’er, let’s go,” Wen Zhao said, his voice tinged with sorrow.

He looked at Wen Star Ru, who shook his head. “After that punch, it’s hard to even say whether there’s a body left.” With that, he turned and left, showing no further concern.

The people from Armor One Sect stood in silence. They had witnessed planetary destruction and battles of far greater scale, yet this conflict still left them shaken.

Gu Moon sighed. “If this man could have lived to step into the stars… he would have been an excellent asset.”

He directed this comment to Ting He.

Ting He’s expression was dim as she thought about the young man who had stepped into the sunlight only to be buried beneath blood and darkness.

Shu Mu Night’s punch was something no one on Blue Star could withstand.

Not too far from the mountain city’s ruins, Chu Yao scratched his head, looking around. “He’s here, right? Where is he?” He wandered about, glancing off into the distance.

Suddenly, the earth cracked open, and Wang Jie, covered in blood, crawled out, coughing violently.

Chu Yao’s eyes lit up, and he rushed over, dragging him to a nearby tree for support.

Wang Jie exhaled weakly, his face pale, his breathing shallow.

Chu Yao inspected him with surprise. “Brother, impressive, you didn’t die? How did you manage that?”

Wang Jie barely opened his eyes, speaking in a hoarse voice, “Was it… your thing… that saved me?”

Chu Yao rolled his eyes. “Enough with that. Look at this.” He reached into Wang Jie’s arms, pulling out a strange object—a disembodied eye, its pupil still spinning, looking confused.

“Think this thing could block Shu Mu Night’s punch? It would have flattened the eyeball. You held on yourself. Gotta give credit where it’s due.”

Wang Jie smiled weakly, but the movement caused him to cough up more blood.

He looked down, remembering the final punch that was absorbed by his wristguard. Without it, not only would his head have been destroyed, but his body would have been crushed too.

That guy’s power definitely exceeded eighty times, almost reaching ninety.

“I… where is he?”

Chu Yao replied, “He’s gone to find another place for the bridge-building.”

Wang Jie tried to push himself up, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. “You’re just going to leave like that?”

“Don’t bother saying goodbye to your old friends. It’s pointless. Right now, you need to focus on healing, and then you’ll come with me. I’ll give you a way out. As for your Blue Star buddies? They just took a hit from losing you. What’s the point of going back? You’ll just lose them again.”

Wang Jie exhaled heavily, his gaze fixed on Chu Yao. “If I don’t come with you… stay with them… I won’t lose them.”

Chu Yao laughed coldly. “Brother, what do you take me for? I finally dragged you out, and you think I’ll let you die?”

Wang Jie stared at him, and Chu Yao met his gaze, saying, “No matter what you think, I’m taking you with me. Now, should I go find them?”

Wang Jie turned his head to look into the distance. If he were to go with Chu Yao, it would indeed be better not to see them again. But that was only if Chu Yao could take him. Right now, he couldn’t resist, nor could he see them.

“Fine,” he muttered, “Let’s just wait. Let’s see if Shu Mu Night can make some headway with the bridge-building. That might bring us an opportunity, and then we can leave.”

“‘Can’t wait’? You sure about that?”

“Yeah, it’s almost impossible, but it’s been done before in history. Otherwise, why do you think those sect’s chosen ones are still here? Just playing around?”

Wang Jie didn’t have the strength to argue anymore. He just wanted to heal his injuries.

“Can you help me heal?”

Chu Yao shook his head. “It’s too hard. Your injuries are too severe. But it’s probably better this way, makes it easier to take you with me.”

Wang Jie silently watched him.

Chu Yao felt uneasy under his gaze. “What are you looking at me for?”

Wang Jie smiled weakly. “Do you think… before my final battle with Shu Mu Night, I had a chance of winning?”

Chu Yao shook his head honestly.

Wang Jie chuckled, but his expression grew even paler. He was weaker now, but his voice was steadier. “I came knowing I’d die. So if I want to die, do you think… cough… you can stop me?”

Chu Yao sighed. “I told you, there’s no need to say goodbye to your friends. They…”

“Take me to Upper Capital City,” Wang Jie interrupted.

“You’re not going to see your friends?”

Wang Jie looked into the distance, his voice soft. “No.”

Chu Yao sighed. “I really owe you.” With that, he picked Wang Jie up and headed toward the spaceship.

“What are you doing?”

“Aren’t you going to Upper Capital City?”

“Don’t touch the spacecraft. Leave it for them.”

“Then how are we going?”

“That’s your problem.”

Chu Yao glanced at Wang Jie. “I really want to kill you.”

The only people who knew Wang Jie was alive, aside from Chu Yao, were the people from Armor One Sect. They could only see the trial taker’s perspective, and Chu Yao’s actions were also visible to them. But Gu Moon didn’t know Chu Yao’s identity—he only assumed he was another trial taker sent to deal with Shu Mu Night.

The one who was most relieved was Ting He, who, seeing that Wang Jie hadn’t died, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Though she didn’t know him personally, she had felt a tremendous shock when this young man stepped toward the blood-red altar, dispelling the darkness with his radiance. Such a person shouldn’t die.

Chu Yao, ever clever, captured a mutated beast larger than a mutated eagle and headed toward Upper Capital City. As they neared the city, he let it fall to the ground.

Lu Yin had come here to find the Four-Eyes Doctor.

The doctor, brought from Golden Hill Base, had arrived in Upper Capital City. Wang Jie thought of him immediately when considering healing.

It wasn’t that the Four-Eyes Doctor’s healing medicine was especially powerful, but it worked quickly, especially when paired with exercises. And of course, the abundance of cataclysm materials at the ten-seal level made the medicine far more effective than before.

There were only a few days left before the next round of exercises.

The midday sun wasn’t as intense as it had been a few months ago. The weather had started to cool, four months having passed since the trial takers first descended.

Wang Jie sat in the small courtyard, watching Chu Yao tease Liu Ying. He looked up at the sky—so much clearer and more beautiful than it had been in peacetime.

When the Four-Eyes Doctor had first come to Upper Capital City, Liu Ying had been there too, and she had been the one to care for Wang Jie these past few days.

Chu Yao often teased Liu Ying when bored, for while she appeared calm, her inner turmoil was evident. She was cautious of the outside world, yet curious, almost like a startled rabbit. Chu Yao found it highly amusing.

Behind them, the disheveled Four-Eyes Doctor walked out. “Bai Yuan and the others are back. Your ‘good brothers’ are still digging at the mountain city. You don’t plan to tell them?”

Wang Jie’s gaze dimmed. “If it’s to be a farewell, just once is enough.”

Four-Eyes rolled his eyes. “Don’t start with the poetry. Do whatever you want. By the way, a customer’s coming. You know him.”

Wang Jie raised an eyebrow.

“Qing Sheng.”

Wang Jie was shocked. “What’s he doing here?”

“Delivering materials.”

Wang Jie nodded, then said nothing more.

The Four-Eyes Doctor turned and went back inside.

That afternoon, Qing Sheng arrived, bringing a pile of materials. However, these weren’t the cataclysm materials Wang Jie was familiar with. Instead, they were from the craft used by trial takers—the oval-shaped objects they used when descending to Blue Star.

Four-Eyes had been collecting these.

He had a strong interest in alien technology, which set him apart from the others in Upper Capital City. While they focused on the cataclysm materials to strengthen cultivators against post-apocalyptic creatures, Four-Eyes was solely interested in his personal research.

The only source of materials for him came from the Leading Pillar group, the super conglomerate with influence across the five major bases. They had people in every corner of Hua Xia.