Chapter 108

Chapter 108: A Generous Reward

A month passed quickly.

Wang Jie finally pushed his seventh imprint to a deep black.

During that same month, Master Luan refined two batches of pills while Wang Jie continued processing materials: barrier-breaking pill and breath-holding pill.

Master Luan could only refine those two with Wang Jie present. Any higher-grade pill would generate heat beyond what Wang Jie could endure.

Wang Jie already understood the barrier-breaking pill.

The breath-holding pill, however, was even more valuable. It was refined specifically for cultivators who couldn’t survive in the vacuum of space. It could allow someone to live for ten days in open space without breathing.

Ten days.

If Wang Jie’s ship ever exploded, he would at least have ten days to find an answer—or die on luck.

Each batch produced thirty pills.

Wang Jie carried the sixty pills back to his residence on Mist Peak and prepared to star-refine them.

Luo Yan was already waiting. He’d been allowed into Pale-moon Mountain as well.

“Senior,” Luo Yan said earnestly, “this disciple has discovered that someone is secretly in love with someone else.”

Wang Jie’s eyes lit up. “Who?”

“Outer Court disciple Dong Xing is secretly in love with Outer Court disciple Xie Yun’er.”

“Let’s go.”

Luo Yan froze. “Go where?”

“Find them.”

Luo Yan stared at him, bewildered. Asking him to investigate crushes was strange enough. Why confront them in person? Wouldn’t that only expose who’d been prying?

Before he could protest, Wang Jie paused, then waved a hand. “Keep digging. When you’ve got three, tell me. Then we’ll go.”

The Outer Court wasn’t close to Mist Peak. It lay in Frostglow Domain, outside the three peaks.

Luo Yan left in a daze.

Wang Jie didn’t care what he thought. He’d seen far worse on Blue Star. Besides, it wasn’t even his idea—why should he be embarrassed?

He turned his attention to star-refining.

He deliberately increased his star-refining speed to one pill per day. He wanted to return to the high-heat refining environment as soon as possible.

But the success rate couldn’t be perfect.

Two months later, when he brought the results to Master Luan, Master Luan’s eyes widened.

“Eighteen pills?”

Wang Jie lowered his gaze, voice full of contrition. “Junior is incompetent. I couldn’t successfully star-refine all of them. These eighteen should be correct, but the other forty-two…”

He trailed off.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely accidental—some had only a trace of Frostglow starforce infused, and some had none at all.

Master Luan cut him off immediately. “This is already excellent.

“Star-refining pills isn’t something mastered in a day. Your speed is fast, and your success rate is not low. Even I have failures when refining the simplest barrier-breaking pill.

“This is normal.”

Wang Jie finally relaxed.

Master Luan had the Scent Bird confirm the grade. The star-refined pills had all risen by a full grade.

Master Luan nearly glowed with excitement.

He gave Wang Jie the “failed” pills, saying they were for further experiments, then handed him a new batch—breath-holding pill, barrier-breaking pill, and revival pill—telling him to either use them himself or star-refine them as he pleased.

They were all basic pills, but to Wang Jie they were priceless.

Not long after, Xia Xiao Nian entered, expression unchanged. “Master. Tao Er requests an audience.”

Master Luan’s brow lifted. “What does he want? I’m not seeing him.”

Wang Jie’s thoughts stirred. Was Tao Er here for him?

Xia Xiao Nian left, then returned. “Master. Tao Er says the pill cauldron we previously asked Master Que Yi to repair will be delayed.”

Master Luan’s face darkened. “He dares?”

Xia Xiao Nian didn’t flinch.

Master Luan ground his teeth. “Let him in.”

Tao Er hurried in, bowed to both men, and said, “By my master’s order, I invite Master Wang to visit Earth Forge.”

Wang Jie looked up. “Master Que Yi wants to see me?”

“Yes.”

Master Luan snorted. “Go back and tell your master that Master Wang is helping me star-refine. He’s not free.”

Tao Er lowered his head further. “Master said that if Master Wang doesn’t go, then all pill cauldrons, medicine jars, medicine shovels—every tool in Pale-moon Mountain—will be unrepairable from now on.”

Master Luan’s eyes flashed. “Are you threatening me?”

“It’s what Master said.”

“Fine.” Master Luan surged to his feet. “Then I’ll go to the Sect Master. Let’s see if Que Yi dares play this game.”

Tao Er swallowed. “Master said he doesn’t dare.”

Master Luan’s lips curled. “Then what?”

Tao Er forced the next words out. “Earth Forge craft refiners… having headaches, fevers, and body weakness… is also normal.”

Master Luan glared hard enough to scorch.

Tao Er didn’t dare meet his eyes.

Wang Jie stepped in before the room turned into a battlefield. “Senior, Junior is a chen refiner. Perhaps Master Que Yi truly has something to discuss. I’ll go and come back quickly.”

Master Luan exhaled through his nose, then forced a smile. “Fine. If you want to go, go—but don’t delay. Those blacksmiths don’t even acknowledge chen refiners. Don’t take their attitude to heart.

“If anything displeases you, tell me. I’ll make sure you’re treated fairly.”

Wang Jie thanked him, then followed Tao Er out.

Behind Pale-moon Mountain lay Earth Forge—a vast underground region beneath Mist Peak, home to Forging Branch.

It was hot, but compared to Master Luan’s refining heat, it almost felt gentle.

Wang Jie met Master Que Yi there.

The moment Que Yi saw him, he started talking. “It’s been days. I didn’t expect you to end up in Pale-moon Mountain. How is it? Did that old ghost Luan force you into something? Say the word—Forging Branch stands with you.”

“Master Luan treats me well,” Wang Jie said politely. “Senior doesn’t need to worry. Why did you call me here?”

Que Yi’s gaze sharpened. “You really can star-refine pills?”

Wang Jie nodded.

“That old ghost Luan tried other chen refiners. They failed.” Que Yi sighed. “I didn’t expect you could do it. Among chen refiners, you really are… special.”

“Maybe it was luck,” Wang Jie said.

“This time I called you for something else.” Que Yi pointed to the corner, where something like a stump lay on the floor.

“That is the ugly tree rhizome. A fine material. Only a seventh-grade craft refiner can truly use it. I need you to star-refine it.”

Wang Jie glanced over. “I can only infuse starforce at the Star-breaking Realm level.”

“That’s enough.” Que Yi lowered his voice. “But you should know: this is for the Han Domain Lord.”

Wang Jie’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The Han Domain Lord was the Ning Domain Lord’s mortal enemy.

Que Yi rubbed his temple, clearly unhappy. “I owe him a favor. I had no choice but to find you. He knows if he comes in person, he’ll be turned away—and with you spending time at Pale-moon Mountain, he might not even get a chance to speak to you.”

“If this puts you in a difficult spot, you can refuse.”

Wang Jie looked at the ugly tree rhizome again, then nodded. “It’s fine. I’ll help Senior repay that favor.”

Relief crossed Que Yi’s face. “Thank you. And since I know this complicates things…”

He produced a sword from his storage ring. The blade was icy blue, light rippling across it like ocean waves.

“This is Blue Sea,” Que Yi said. “Forged from seventh-grade materials. It can be used up to Hundred-star Realm.

“I heard you prefer a sword. This should suit you.”

Wang Jie accepted it with unconcealed delight.

A sword forged from seventh-grade materials. No more worrying about breaking a blade.

At last, a weapon worthy of his hand.

Two days later, he finished star-refining the ugly tree rhizome and returned to Pale-moon Mountain to continue refining with Master Luan—cultivating in the high heat, tightening his lockforce until it felt like a second skeleton.

Time passed.

His ninth imprint turned deep black.

The disaster materials he consumed were absurd—so many that Alchemy Branch cultivators visibly slowed their pill-making progress. Without materials, their trials stalled.

Wang Jie didn’t manage their complaints.

Only one imprint remained.

He needed to hurry the heaven-reversal path.

Since he’d come this far, stopping wasn’t an option. He would reach the limit first—then decide what came next.

His lockforce control rose to one gaze, two thousand four hundred.

The climb was slower the farther he went, yet he hadn’t been dragged down too badly.

One day, Luo Yan brought word: the Ning Domain Lord had come to see him.

Wang Jie took leave of Master Luan and returned at once. The Ning Domain Lord had been the one to bring him into Frostglow Sect in the first place. Even Master Luan couldn’t refuse that connection.

It had been over a year since Wang Jie last saw him.

Wang Jie initially assumed it was about the ugly tree rhizome.

He was wrong.

The Ning Domain Lord held out a piece of jade no bigger than Wang Jie’s palm, shaped like a wolf’s eye. “You can star-refine this?”

Wang Jie turned it in his fingers. “That’s what you want?”

The Ning Domain Lord’s voice was heavy. “I can’t tell you what it is. I only ask you to star-refine it. There will be a generous reward.”

Wang Jie studied his eyes and saw the tension there.

“Understood. Senior can wait here. Two days at most.”

The Ning Domain Lord didn’t even pretend to leave. The item was too important.

Two days later, Wang Jie handed it back.

The Ning Domain Lord checked it once, then stored it away, relief loosening his shoulders. “Thank you, Master.”

“It’s nothing,” Wang Jie said with a small smile. “Senior brought me to the sect. If anyone should be thanking someone, it’s me.”

The Ning Domain Lord produced a storage ring and pressed it into his hand. “Please accept this. And keep this matter secret.”

Wang Jie tried to refuse, but the Ning Domain Lord wouldn’t allow it. In the end, Wang Jie accepted.

After the Ning Domain Lord left, Wang Jie checked the ring.

He froze.

Inside were over a thousand starsea stone.

Starsea stone—not starstone.

Converted, it was the equivalent of ten million starstone.

And that wasn’t all. A token lay beneath them. When Wang Jie touched it, its purpose flooded into his mind.

It granted the right to requisition Outer Court disciples.

With that token, he could requisition one hundred thousand Outer Court disciples.

Wang Jie stared in the direction the Ning Domain Lord had departed.

This wasn’t payment.

This was recruitment.

—

Xu was a chen refiner—proud, powerful, and feared. His cultivation was at Roaming-star Realm.

He lived in the First Star Chain. This time, he’d received a mission that brought him to the Eighth Star Chain to handle a task.

To him, it was simple.

Because he was Xu—one of the strongest chen refiners alive.

In Frostglow Domain, countless disciples gathered to welcome him. At their head stood Domain Lord Zhu Cheng of Coldglow Domain.

When Xu’s ship landed, he stepped out slowly.

He wore a green robe, smiling with effortless arrogance—restrained, yet wild in the eyes.

It was a smile he’d worn for years in the First Star Chain.