Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Seeking the Sword and Asking the Way

What is the Full Star Realm? It is the process of absorbing the entire star force of a planet.

When many attempt it, they risk their bodies exploding under the overwhelming power. The primal bone pill is used at that critical moment to reinforce the bones, to withstand the shock of the star force, and to increase the chances of success in the Full Star Realm. It is a precious pill, expensive enough to rival a second-tier star artifact.

Here, there are fifty pills.

What may seem costly to others is often nothing more than trash in the hands of some individuals.

Master Luan didn’t care about these primal bone pills at all.

Wang Jie could successfully absorb twenty-nine, leaving the remaining twenty-one for himself.

Next, he would head to the outer courtyard.

Right now, the most important thing for him was to complete the materials needed for the Heaven Reversal Path. One of the materials required was fame in swordsmanship. The best place for that was the outer courtyard, where there were plenty of people.

Moreover, the strongest lock-force practitioner in the outer courtyard was Wu Mian, and Wu Mian was no match for him.

The outer courtyard lay at the farthest edge of the Frost Radiance Domain, surrounding the entire area. It essentially served as the domain’s gatekeeper.

Here, there were exclusive training grounds for the outer courtyard and the greatest number of Slaughter Stone planets.

Wang Jie arrived at a planet called Grace Crystal Star. This planet was at the core of the outer courtyard, and the elder in charge of the outer courtyard resided here.

This elder’s surname was Zhong. He was not a lock-force practitioner but a true elder of the Frost Radiance Sect, with a status akin to that of the Four Great Domain Lords.

Wang Jie first visited Elder Zhong.

Elder Zhong’s attitude was neither warm nor cold, and after a brief exchange, he dismissed Wang Jie.

Wang Jie didn’t mind. Given his position, he couldn’t expect to freely roam the Frost Radiance Sect. A simple greeting was enough. What mattered now was setting up his challenge.

In the busiest street of Grace Crystal Star, a massive arena was set up across the entire street, sparking endless discussions.

In the outer courtyard, land was precious, and setting up such a large arena was costly. Many people didn’t even have the qualifications to do so. Even inner disciples would never dare act recklessly here—it would be too ostentatious.

But now, the arena had been set up.

“Seeking the Sword and Asking the Way—Heart and Mouth Aligned.”

Eight large characters hung on either side of the arena, and in the center were a hundred starsea stones. Below the starsea stones was a screen, displaying Wang Jie.

“At your service, Wang Jie, skilled in the sword and deeply devoted to it. Today, I seek guidance from all the masters of the sect, but only through the art of the sword,” the words read. “Should I win, I may claim these starsea stones. Should I lose, there will be no consequence.”

“Please, senior brothers and disciples, bestow your teachings.”

Outside the arena, people were gathering, most of them outer courtyard and outer sect disciples. Inner sect disciples were less likely to come here.

The street was filled with at least a million people. Above, ships flew by slowly, and beast-drawn carts rumbled through the air. Floating pavilions and towers filled the sky, each with people inside.

“Who is this? So arrogant, challenging the sect’s swordmasters?” someone murmured.

“Hmph, just a clown, thinking a bit of swordsmanship makes him exceptional. If he truly had the ability, he’d have already entered the inner sect,” another commented.

“The esteemed one is wrong. This person must be a lock-force practitioner. Who knows how good his swordsmanship is, but he likely can’t make it into the inner sect,” someone else said.

“Can’t enter the inner sect but still setting up a challenge here? Senior brother, you underestimate this street.”

There were various opinions being shared, and many women watched Wang Jie with shining eyes, fully aware of the cost involved in setting up such a challenge. Also, with no cost for losing and the chance to take the starsea stones if he won, it was an offer too tempting to resist.

Many people were eager to try.

After the arena was set up, Wang Jie waited for a full day, letting the crowd gather before showing himself.

Standing on the platform, facing the countless outer courtyard disciples staring at him, there was still pressure. Though none of these disciples were his match, there were too many of them.

Moreover, most were at the Ten Seal Realm.

A hundred thousand, several hundred thousand, even a million? If such a vast number of Ten Seal cultivators were thrown onto Blue Star, they could easily wipe out all life on the planet.

And the outer courtyard disciples numbered fifty million.

Wang Jie looked ahead and called out loudly, “It’s time to begin. Anyone who believes they can match your humble self in swordsmanship, come to the platform.”

Before he even finished speaking, many leapt forward, eager to compete with Wang Jie in swordplay.

This was exactly what Wang Jie had expected. Drawing his sword, he swept it.

Rainbow Drinking Sword Style.

With one swift strike, he cut through the clothes of every disciple who had climbed onto the stage, forcing them all back. The sword remained horizontally, with a neat line of buttons from their garments resting on the blade.

The scene left the disciples stunned.

So fast!

Far off, from a sky pavilion, a figure’s gaze descended. “Not bad, he has some ability. No wonder he dares challenge the swordmasters.”

A woman beside him commented, “That strike just now would be considered fast even in the inner sect. To execute such speed with Ten Seals, this is a rare talent in the outer courtyard.”

“Let’s see if he continues. If so, we can take him to the Small Sword Mountain to entertain Senior Brother Mu.”

“Ha, I hope so.”

Wang Jie’s sword style had successfully forced the disciples back. Those who were sent off the stage didn’t dare say a word.

Ahead, the disciples stared at the tip of Wang Jie’s sword, trying to figure out how to counter it. But they found that no matter how they tried to recall it, they couldn’t remember the details of the sword strike. It was simply too fast.

At that moment, someone jumped onto the stage, holding a soft sword and swinging it from his waist, making a clinking sound as he pointed it at Wang Jie. “Outer courtyard disciple Ren Jun, please teach me.”

Wang Jie appraised the newcomer. The fact that this person still dared to attack at this point clearly meant he was no ordinary individual. “Please.”

Ren Jun raised his sword and swung it out. The swordlight was blinding, like the sun shining.

“Solar Gaze Sword,” someone below the stage exclaimed. “Ren Jun’s self-created sword style. He has used this move to defeat countless masters in the outer courtyard.”

The soft sword swept past Wang Jie’s side and struck nothing but air. Ren Jun’s expression froze in surprise. He turned back, only to have his head smacked with the hilt of Wang Jie’s sword. He nearly fainted.

Wang Jie, still holding the sword handle, looked at him dispassionately. “Petty tricks won’t work. Let’s see something real.”

Ren Jun clutched his head, feeling dizzy. “Apologies, your humble self was reckless.” He then leapt off the stage and staggered away.

Wang Jie hadn’t expected this guy to rely on such a trick. Blinding someone’s eyes—was that supposed to be effective? Wang Jie didn’t even need to look to avoid it.

Another person jumped onto the stage to challenge him, only to have Wang Jie knock him out with the sword handle. This continued, with each challenger defeated in the same way, until many people stopped watching Wang Jie and started focusing solely on his sword handle.

“This person loves to use the sword hilt to hit people. This isn’t the way of a gentleman,” a voice came from the sky pavilion.

The woman beside him chuckled and asked, “Senior brother, will you step in?”

The man shook his head. “If I step in, it will be bullying him. Senior Brother Mu enjoys watching all types of sword techniques, strong or weak. I can’t ruin his fun. Besides,” he seemed to remember something, “let Junior Brother Lian handle it. He’s also joined the Small Sword Mountain.”

The woman was surprised. “Junior Brother Lian? He doesn’t hold back. Is that wise?”

“Tell him that this person’s swordsmanship is worth showing to Senior Brother Mu. He’ll understand.”

“Alright, I’ll contact him immediately.”

Despite Wang Jie defeating each challenger with a single strike, the starsea stones were too tempting, and more people continued to step forward.

As each outer courtyard disciple was defeated, word began to spread from the outer courtyard to the outer sect.

Star force cultivators typically looked down on lock-force cultivators and rarely paid attention to the outer courtyard’s events. However, this time, they were intrigued, and one by one, they made their way to the outer courtyard. They gathered beneath the arena, commenting and mocking.

An old man, leaning on a cane, slowly ascended the stage.

Wang Jie was surprised. He looked at the old man. “Senior, what is this?”

The old man waved his hand. “I’m just a Ten Seal elder, not worthy of being called senior. I’m here to challenge your swordsmanship. I hope you won’t show mercy.”

Wang Jie sized up the old man and was increasingly surprised. The aura around this elder was incredibly strong, even surpassing his own.

In fact, of all the Full Star Realm experts he had encountered, none exuded an aura like this. He suspected this person might have cultivated Qi.

The old man’s aura was concentrated around his wrist, where it connected to his cane, forming a whole.

Wang Jie’s expression turned serious. “Junior would never dare underestimate senior. Senior, please.”

Below, many outer courtyard disciples fell silent.

The outer sect disciples sneered. “Good thing I didn’t cultivate lock force. Otherwise, I’d be stuck, just like this old fool, challenging a true expert.”

Their words stirred the anger of the surrounding outer courtyard disciples, who glared at them.

But the outer sect disciples remained calm, a cold smile on their faces, unshaken in the slightest. There were both men and women among them.

In the sect, outer courtyard disciples had no power. This was common knowledge.

No matter how angry they were, they dared not attack the outer sect disciples.

In the sky pavilion, the man’s expression turned grim. “I didn’t expect him to still be alive.”

The woman beside him was puzzled. “Senior brother, do you know this old man?”

“Of course. How could I forget? Senior Brother Mu came to the outer courtyard three times, all because of him.”

“Three times? Wait, could it be the rumor?”

“It’s not a rumor. It’s true. Senior Brother Mu lost twice to him, only winning the third time.”

The woman was stunned. Her gaze shifted to the arena.

Above, the old man raised his arm, positioning his cane before him. His gaze was complex, as though reminiscing or preparing something. “It’s been so long since I’ve made a move. I thought I would die in the outer courtyard, and my swordsmanship would be buried. Who would have thought I’d have the chance to fight again?”

He looked at Wang Jie. “Little brother, you’re a lock-force practitioner, aren’t you?”

Wang Jie nodded. “Indeed.”

The old man sighed. “Lock-force practitioners have no future. Out of the five hundred million disciples in the outer courtyard, how many end up fading away, like Wu Mian, who can reach the Full Star Realm? Few, very few. Most of us, like me, can’t even break the Star-Breaking Realm.”

“We are like weeds in the eyes of star-force practitioners, to be used and discarded.”

“But we cannot give up on ourselves.”

“Respect is not given by others.”

As he spoke, the wood covering his cane slowly peeled away, revealing a sword. The sword was blunt and lacked any sharp gleam.

But with its appearance, a heavy, indescribable aura began to spread from the old man.

Wang Jie’s eyes widened. The aura expanded, radiating outward, centered on the old man’s sword. It seemed to grow larger, enveloping the old man and everything within a ten-meter radius.

This wasn’t the sword itself growing, but the aura expanding.

“Come, strike,” the old man’s gaze lifted.

Wang Jie took a step forward, no longer holding his sword by the hilt but drawing it directly. With a single strike, he unleashed his Rainbow Drinking Sword Style.

This strike was swift, precise, and lethal. In his mind, few at the Ten Seal level could endure it, much like Shu Mu Night’s strike against Wen Star Ru—one blow was enough.