Chapter 109
Chapter 109: Cruelty
“At your service, Cold Domain Master Zhu Cheng. I have long heard of Master Xu’s esteemed name. This time, with Master Xu’s arrival, it is truly an honor for our Frost Radiance Sect,” Cold Domain Master greeted hastily.
Xu smiled, “It is your warm reception that makes it impossible for me to decline. I had no choice but to join the Frost Radiance Sect.”
Upon hearing this, Cold Domain Master laughed, “Master, please, follow me.”
“Where is the Sect Master? Why hasn’t he come to greet me?” Xu inquired.
Cold Domain Master paused in surprise. “The Sect Master is at Lush Peak.”
Xu’s face darkened. “It seems your sect doesn’t care much for a small Celestial Refinement Master like myself.”
Cold Domain Master quickly explained, “The Sect Master is currently in seclusion. I failed to inform him of your arrival. I will go right away and ask him to meet with you.”
Xu’s expression softened slightly. “Fine.”
…
At Mooncrown Mountain, Zhen Zhen stormed in, clearly furious. Wang Jie, having just exited, saw her rushing over. Master Luan was refining a higher-level pill, and the temperature was unbearable, forcing him to step outside for a while.
“What’s wrong? Why are you so angry?” Wang Jie asked.
Zhen Zhen’s face flushed with anger. “I’m furious! I don’t know where this Celestial Refinement Master came from, but as soon as he arrived, he demanded to meet with the Sect Master. He told Cold Domain Master to step down from his position as Fog Peak’s master, threatening to take over unless Cold Domain Master showed respect. He even said our Frost Radiance Sect is a small place, and we haven’t seen the world. He claims he could open our eyes!”
Wang Jie raised an eyebrow. “Celestial Refinement Master?”
Zhen Zhen nodded. “A Celestial Refinement Master from the Wandering Star Realm, able to refine the tools needed for the Hundred Star Realm. It’s not just about materials; the sect is taking this very seriously.”
Wang Jie’s expression shifted. This was no ordinary individual.
He could refine various materials, but his ability to infuse Star Force only reached the Star Breaking Realm level. That was good enough for the Hundred Star Realm, but someone who could infuse Star Force at the Hundred Star Realm level would be far superior to him.
For the Frost Radiance Sect, the difference between a ten-seal Celestial Refinement Master and a Wandering Star Realm Celestial Refinement Master was clear—there was no comparison.
No wonder Zhen Zhen was so upset. Her grandfather was also vying for the position of Fog Peak Master. Now, with Cold Domain Master making such a move, the position of Fog Peak Master was most likely his.
Ning Yu’s hopes were dashed.
Just then, Tao Two contacted Wang Jie, telling him some troubling news. Wang Jie’s face turned grim.
“What’s wrong?” Zhen Zhen asked.
Wang Jie spoke darkly, “That Master Xu told me not to bother with him, called me a fraud. He said a Lock Force cultivator could never be a Celestial Refinement Master, and now he’s here demanding to meet with Master Luan.”
Zhen Zhen’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t let him in.”
Zhen Xiao Nian shook his head. “I can’t. I must report to Master. Whether he comes in or not is up to Master’s decision, not mine.”
Master Luan also couldn’t stop Xu’s visit. After all, Xu wasn’t just any Celestial Refinement Master, and for Master Luan, the more Celestial Refinement Masters, the better.
However, Master Luan was currently busy refining pills and wouldn’t be available for a few days.
…
At Mooncrown Mountain, Wang Jie and Zhen Zhen watched Xu return from afar. Zhen Zhen almost wished she could kick him down the mountain.
Zhen Xiao Nian, however, looked serious. “Something’s off.”
Wang Jie and Zhen Zhen turned to him. “What’s going on?”
Zhen Xiao Nian took a deep breath, his face solemn. “Who let the big onion out?”
Wang Jie and Zhen Zhen were both taken aback.
As a Celestial Refinement Master himself, Wang Jie knew that Xu’s arrival would naturally draw comparisons to him. The result? There was no comparison.
Celestial Refinement didn’t have ranks like Alchemy or Artifact Forging, but it was all about results. Wang Jie could infuse materials with Star Force to the Star Breaking Realm level, but Xu could infuse them with Star Force at the Hundred Star Realm level. The gap was huge.
Even an idiot could tell which was better.
Especially when Xu looked down on Wang Jie, fueling the sect’s disdain for Wang Jie. Despite the fact that many of these people had never even seen Wang Jie, they still mocked him.
Luo Yan had been ridiculed as well, and rightfully so. He had acted quite lecherous recently, trying to gather information on his secret crush.
…
A few days later, Xu finally met with Master Luan.
Master Luan was extremely courteous, hoping that all Celestial Refinement Masters would help, as Wang Jie’s cultivation level was still too low. However, Xu constantly mocked Wang Jie. Master Luan didn’t mind; it was common for fellow practitioners to insult each other.
But when Xu claimed that refining pills was impossible, Master Luan’s attitude changed.
Xu looked at Master Luan seriously. “Pills are different from tools. The materials for tools are fixed, and the focus is on the outcome. But pills are constantly changing, and their potency diminishes over time. This is a process.”
“Ask yourself, if the result can change, how can the process be fixed?”
“Master Luan, have you been deceived?”
Master Luan took out an obstacle-breaking pill refined by Wang Jie and showed it to Xu. Xu took it, squinting at the pill. Inside, there was Star Force—definitely Frost Radiance Star Force. But how could it be infused into a pill? He had never heard of such a thing.
Seeing the change in Xu’s expression, Master Luan spoke calmly, “I, old man, also sought a Celestial Refinement Master before, but none could do this. Yet Master Wang has managed it. Honestly, I don’t understand Celestial Refinement, perhaps everyone has their strengths.”
Xu’s eyes flickered. “Master, may I take this pill with me?”
Master Luan nodded. “Of course, consider it a gift from Master Xu for joining our Frost Radiance Sect.”
“Thank you.”
…
As Xu left, Master Luan fell deep in thought. This man was from the Wandering Star Realm, yet he couldn’t refine pills. He had previously sought other Celestial Refinement Masters, but none could do it either. So, how had Wang Jie managed it?
Xu’s arrogant words were not without merit. Master Luan was sure that no Celestial Refinement Master could do such a thing. So, how?
…
After leaving Mooncrown Mountain, Xu sought out Cold Domain Master. “Bring Wang Jie to me. Don’t harm him.”
Cold Domain Master was confused. “What do you want him for?”
“You don’t need to know. Just bring him to me.” Xu glanced at his storage ring. The obstacle-breaking pill was inside. He was certain that no Celestial Refinement Master could refine pills, otherwise their status would be much higher. But Wang Jie had done it. There must be some extraordinary method involved.
Capture him, interrogate him, and obtain that technique.
…
Wang Jie sat back, finally finishing the task at hand. His last imprint had turned a deep black. He exhaled heavily. It was finally done. How many Cataclysm Materials had he used? A lot. Way too many. In fact, it was almost absurd.
By using the Alchemy Dao’s Cataclysm Materials for his own purposes, he had slowed the progress of Alchemy Dao cultivators.
These cultivators were supposed to use the Cataclysm Materials for pill refining, but now, without the materials, their progress had naturally slowed.
Looking at the mountains of Cataclysm Materials piled outside the valley, Wang Jie wondered if there was any way to take them all with him.
If all went well, the Heaven Reversal Path could make the imprints even darker. That would require even more Cataclysm Materials.
…
Luo Yan arrived. “Master, I’ve heard that someone has a secret crush.”
Wang Jie nodded in approval. “Continue. Let me know once you find out who the three are.”
“Yes, and I’ve also found news about the Slaughter Stone. It’s at the auction house in the outer market. A batch of Slaughter Stones is being auctioned.”
Wang Jie’s eyes brightened. “When? How many?”
“I don’t know the exact number, but it’s guessed that at least ten are up for auction. The auction will be on the evening of the third day.”
“Good, well done. You may leave.”
“Yes.”
Wang Jie looked toward the sky, deep in thought.
The most important thing now was to grow the Heaven Reversal Path as quickly as possible. Not just because of the Heaven Reversal Path itself, but because it required nine materials. It had completely occupied the entire field, preventing him from planting any other cultivation techniques or battle skills.
He still wanted to plant the Sword Form technique.
But the materials required for the Heaven Reversal Path were all very difficult to find. He had only completed one so far. The rest, whether it was Star Method or gathering Slaughter Stones, were incredibly hard.
The one he understood least was the Yu Gong Moves Mountains. He had no idea what that meant.
…
Three days later, at the Frost Radiance Domain’s outer market, Wang Jie entered the auction house.
Everyone was given a mask to prevent conflicts during the bidding. In the Frost Radiance Domain, nearly no one would resort to robbery.
Wang Jie had gathered that the auction had not only Slaughter Stones, but also planetary regions, ancient books, rare treasures, and even—people.
This auction house had claimed an entire star country. The country had been destroyed in war, and everything, including people, had been brought here to be auctioned.
Wang Jie displayed a hundred Starsea Stones and was immediately escorted upstairs to a private room. Most people at the auction were competing for items in public.
In a private room, one could avoid exposing their identity. Those downstairs were reluctant to bid against those in private rooms, fearing offense.
…
Soon, the auction began.
Item after item was sold, including planetary regions. Whoever won the bid for these regions could determine the fate of the species living on them. Several planets contained people, and these people were also considered private property.
“The next item to be auctioned is the second princess of the Tech Valley Empire.”
“This princess has been raised in the palace, accustomed to luxury, and only the finest products are used for her. Lords, please take a look at her skin—when water touches her skin, it reflects a pink hue…”
On stage, a young girl wept sorrowfully. She was undeniably beautiful, yet in the universe, young ladies like her were far from rare.
No one in the private room bid. All the competition was among the people downstairs.
Wang Jie watched calmly. He had witnessed many such things during Blue Star’s last ten years of apocalyptic rule. Women being fought over as resources was nothing new, but here, it was more blatant.
No one cared. The sects were the same.
As long as you had the power, not just a second princess, but even the daughter of Frost Radiance Sect’s Sect Master could be taken. This was the reality.
…
“Next, we’ll be auctioning the Third Fragrance Obstacle-Breaking Pill.”
Bidding erupted in the room.
In their eyes, human life wasn’t worth more than a single pill.
“Next, we’ll auction the Slaughter Stones. This batch comes from the Tech Valley Empire. The Tech Valley Empire had a stockpile of 157 Slaughter Stones, most of which were lost. Now, 62 are being auctioned, starting at 5 million Star Stones.”
Wang Jie was shocked. The Tech Valley Empire’s Slaughter Stone stockpile was even larger than Silver Radiance Empire’s.
Before Jun Hua left Frost Radiance Sect, Silver Radiance Empire’s Slaughter Stone stock was no more than a hundred, and while it had increased, it still couldn’t compare to Tech Valley Empire’s stockpile.
Although the number of Slaughter Stones didn’t directly represent national power, it was a rough indicator.
The Tech Valley Empire’s strength was likely greater than Silver Radiance Empire’s. Such a power could destroy an entire nation at will. The auctioning of its resources left a heavy weight in everyone’s heart.
Back when the Armor One Sect trial began, Blue Star cultivators were supposed to be sent to the star battlefield. That was no joke. To Armor One Sect, Blue Star cultivators were no more important than ants.
“7 million Star Stones.”
“7.2 million.”
Bidding began. There were likely star forces behind some of the bidders, hoping to increase their Slaughter Stone reserves.
Wang Jie raised his bid. “8 hundred Star Sea Stones.”
The auction hall fell silent. Everyone instinctively turned to look at his private room.