Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Nine Sprouts

Wang Jie listened quietly. It was time he understood more—otherwise, one day he’d face enemies without even knowing who they were.

Back in his room, he finally let himself breathe.

The farewells had been rushed, but he’d met everyone he needed to meet.

Aside from Blue Star’s people, there was also Su Ying Yu. Somehow, she’d dug up a sword of astonishing quality—better than the Mad Clan’s weapons that required star-refining. She claimed it was forged from fifth-grade materials.

The sword was named Flying Fish.

Wang Jie paid her, and she’d only taken a token amount.

He’d even pressed a gift into her hands on top of that. The Imperial Capital Star hosted celebrations every day; different customs didn’t stop him. A gift given was a gift given.

With that, all the materials for Sorrowwater Art were complete.

On the Imperial Capital Star, he hadn’t had time. Now he did.

Wang Jie closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he was standing in the field.

The instant he appeared, five green sprouts flared with light. They fused together in midair and sank into his brow.

Sorrowwater Art.

Wang Jie sat down and began to cultivate.

Sorrowwater Art was far more complex than Silver Radiance Art—layer upon layer upon layer. But techniques grown from the field didn’t require painstaking study. The moment the light entered him, he understood it as naturally as breathing.

He circulated Sorrowwater Art again and again. On his skin, the Ten Seals stirred for the first time since they’d reached pale black. This technique could deepen them further—turning pale black into deep black.

Wang Jie opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

Deep black…

The Frost Splendor Sect’s Frost Splendor Moon could only bring the Ten Seals to pale black.

So what would happen if his Ten Seals became deep black and someone noticed?

Pale black was already absurdly conspicuous.

In the end, he didn’t overthink it. He would perfect it first and worry about the consequences later.

Not long after, his body slowly spun as the technique completed. A shadow sank back into the field, and the cultivation ended.

He could keep farming.

Wang Jie’s eyes sharpened.

He could keep farming even after reaching deep black? Did that mean deep black wasn’t the Ten Seals’ limit?

Was there something even darker?

As he was thinking, more green sprouts pushed up from underground—only to halt. Several were blocked by the sprouts belonging to Sword Steps.

There wasn’t enough space.

Wang Jie counted, then sucked in a breath.

Nine sprouts.

Myriad-Stars Finger and Sorrowwater Art had been the most demanding techniques so far, and even they had only produced five sprouts.

Nine at once—what kind of technique was this?

He glanced at the Sword Steps sprouts. He needed to finish that technique quickly.

Only one material remained: an exquisite sword tassel.

The starry sky outside did nothing for him.

He missed the wild grasslands of home.

During the long journey toward the Frost Splendor Sect, he cultivated Sorrowwater Art while doing his exercises to absorb imprint power. The calamity materials he’d gotten from Deputy Domain Lord Yan—plus what he’d bought himself—were steadily consumed. He’d thought he could push his imprints to deep black quickly.

He’d underestimated that step.

In the Frost Splendor Sect, pale black was already considered the pinnacle.

Because the sect had never truly chased deep black.

It wasn’t just a matter of having more calamity materials. It demanded a level of innate talent as well.

Otherwise, a technique like Sorrowwater Art—no matter how precious—wouldn’t be something the Frost Splendor Sect couldn’t obtain. After all, it was only a technique within the Ten Seals.

For most cultivators, deep gray was already the limit.

No one needed to go further.

And there was something else Wang Jie had only learned recently, a fact that left him grimly amused.

From the Ten Seals to the star-breaking realm, there was a saying: Ten Seals are mountains; breaking stars is hard.

To reach star-breaking realm, you had to shatter the Ten Seals’ toughness—and at the same time, shatter a star. Only then did it count as star-breaking.

Wang Jie had known that. What he hadn’t known was this: the darker the Ten Seals’ color, the tougher they became, and the harder they were to break.

The Silver Radiance Empire had no one who had reached pale black. Even the Frost Splendor Sect had very few. Outside records barely mentioned it.

Once the Ten Seals turned pale black, their toughness doubled.

As for deep black, there was no data at all—but it would certainly be worse.

If he couldn’t break the Ten Seals, star-breaking realm would be a fantasy.

Wang Jie exhaled slowly.

He’d stepped onto this road. There was no turning back. Hard was hard, but he’d survived life and death too many times to fear the next wall.

So he continued.

They switched ships again and again, entering stronger and stronger star nations. Each transfer meant faster vessels, more distance devoured. The journey from the Silver Radiance Empire to the Frost Splendor Sect’s Frost Splendor Domain was so long Wang Jie couldn’t even estimate it—especially after they began riding ships far beyond anything the Silver Radiance Empire possessed.

Four months later, the ship finally slowed.

They had entered the Frost Splendor Domain.

Outside, the starry sky seemed brighter. Icy planets blanketed in snow floated one after another, all belonging to the Frost Splendor Domain.

The Frost Splendor Sect spoke of three peaks and four domains. Wang Jie knew the four domains; the Silver Radiance Empire was located within the Congealing Splendor Domain, and Domain Lord Ning ruled the Congealing Splendor Domain.

The three peaks were Xia Peak, Rainbow Peak, and Mist Peak. Together they were called Star Peak—the sect’s true core.

Wang Jie’s destination was Mist Peak.

He had been confirmed as a Guest Elder.

Mist Peak would be his home from now on.

“Master, look,” Domain Lord Ning said. “That is Star Peak.”

Wang Jie stared into the distance.

The so-called peaks weren’t mountains at all—they were stars. Massive ones.

Their scale was beyond comprehension. If Blue Star were set beside them, it would be less than a mote of dust.

He had never seen stars that large.

Three colossal stars formed a spectacle like snow-white mountain peaks visible from impossibly far away. Mist swirled around them, steaming upward. Just looking made Wang Jie’s skin prickle with cold.

Domain Lord Ning began to explain. “Xia Peak sits at the highest layer. It’s the absolute core of our Frost Splendor Sect. The Sect Master and elders live there, and it’s the largest star in the entire Eighth Star Chain.”

“Rainbow Peak blooms with icy rainbow flowers and carries Frost Splendor starforce. It’s where true inheritors and Inner Sect disciples reside.”

“Mist Peak also carries Frost Splendor starforce. It’s where Guest Elders of alchemy, formations, forging, and other paths reside.

“It’s also where Outer Sect disciples who have made contributions can enter to cultivate Frost Splendor starforce.”

Domain Lord Ning’s gaze sharpened slightly. “Every thousand years, Mist Peak changes its master.

“And right now, I am Mist Peak’s master.”

Wang Jie was taken aback. “Senior is a Domain Lord. You can also become Mist Peak’s master?”

Domain Lord Ning chuckled. “It’s the sect’s way of motivating old fellows like us.

“Among the three peaks, only Mist Peak’s master can be contested. All four domains will try to take the position.

“And since you’re someone I brought back, you’ll likely face certain troubles. If anything becomes difficult, contact me.”

Wang Jie didn’t refuse. Pride was useless.

The ship descended onto Mist Peak.

Xia Zhen Zhen, Jin Chu, and the others said their farewells. Xia Bei Yi didn’t even look at him.

A disciple came to receive Wang Jie. The disciple was extremely respectful, speaking nonstop as he guided Wang Jie through Mist Peak.

Mist Peak lived up to its name. Fog blanketed everything.

But this wasn’t ordinary fog. It was condensed from Frost Splendor starforce.

For those cultivating starforce within the sect, it was a treasure. For Wang Jie, it meant nothing.

The disciple explained the sect’s systems—how Guest Elders could hire disciples to run errands, how sect contribution points worked, and how Guest Elders could access Frost Splendor Sect history.

He also mentioned that within Mist Peak’s Forging Branch, the highest-status figure was Master Que Yi.

“Grade refers to materials,” the disciple said.

Wang Jie had learned a bit already. Seventh-grade was the level of materials used to forge weapons suitable for hundred-star realm experts.

For the Frost Splendor Sect, it might not be considered high—after all, the sect possessed star-refining realm experts. Yet raising a seventh-grade craft refiner was still said to be extremely difficult.

In the Silver Radiance Empire, craft refiners didn’t exceed third grade.

A chen refiner’s status was high because a chen refiner could star-refine.

A craft refiner’s status was different—because they could teach, pass down methods, and raise successors.

Wang Jie understood one thing clearly: if the Frost Splendor Sect had to choose between him and Master Que Yi, it would choose Master Que Yi.

Even though chen refiners were rare.

Rare didn’t always mean indispensable.

As a Guest Elder, you gained resources and status from the sect, and in return you had to contribute—such as providing star-refining.

After a full day of walking Mist Peak, the disciple finally brought Wang Jie to his residence.

Wang Jie had chosen it himself: beneath a cliff on the back side of a mountain, remote and quiet. Even if someone wandered around, they were unlikely to stumble onto it.

Across from the cliff was a waterfall. Below, a clear lake. The scenery was peaceful.

Inside, a row of tools had already been placed. There was also a storage ring filled with enough starforce starstones.

This was his yearly task: star-refine for the sect, and complete it within a year.

Only thirty items.

For an ordinary chen refiner, it would take three to four months.

Not crushing… but not light work, either.

For Wang Jie, though?

An incense stick.

Still, he didn’t rush. He’d only just entered the Frost Splendor Sect. The safest thing was to learn first.

For the next period of time, he spent his days at Mist Peak’s library pavilion and rested at night. The routine was steady—almost satisfying.

To avoid drawing attention, every three days he star-refined one tool and had someone take it away, as if he were simply turning in his work.

Then, one day, someone came to visit.

“Disciple Tao Er requests an audience with Guest Elder Senior.”

Wang Jie stepped out onto the cliff and found a young disciple bowing deeply.

“Greetings, Guest Elder Senior,” Tao Er said. “Disciple Tao Er has come to pay a visit.”

“What is it?”

Tao Er kept his head lowered. “Disciple wishes to request Guest Elder to star-refine a tool. In exchange, I will offer ten thousand contribution points.”

Wang Jie studied him.

The first person to come seeking star-refining.

Honestly, it was strange no one had come earlier. But once the first appeared, the second wouldn’t be far behind.

“Leave it,” Wang Jie said. “Come back in three days.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Tao Er left.

Elsewhere, Tao Er returned to a place like a furnace buried beneath the earth. There, he met a scruffy, middle-aged man.

Mist Peak was perpetually snow-covered like the rest of the Frost Splendor Domain, yet this underground chamber was blisteringly hot.

“You gave it to him?” the man asked.

“Yes.”

“I want to see how a lockforce cultivator star-refines.”

Tao Er hesitated, then said, “If this Guest Elder weren’t a lockforce cultivator, people would have come to him for star-refining long ago.”

“The identity of chen refiner is surely real,” the man muttered. “Domain Lord Ning wouldn’t be fooled. Otherwise, those other old fellows would seize the excuse to cause trouble.

“But how good he truly is… we’ll see. I hope it isn’t too poor.”

Three days later, Tao Er returned to Wang Jie’s cliff residence right on time.

Wang Jie handed the tool back without ceremony and went inside.

Tao Er immediately brought it to the middle-aged man.

The man took it, examined it, and his eyes widened. “Not bad.”

He lifted his gaze. “What do you think?”

“Disciple… also thinks it’s very good,” Tao Er said carefully. “It’s almost—”

The man cut in, eyes bright. “Perfect.”

Tao Er nodded.

The man laughed. “Come on. Let’s go visit this chen refiner Guest Elder.”

Not long after, the two arrived back at the cliff.

“Disciple Tao Er pays a visit to Guest Elder Senior—”