Chapter 127
Chapter 127: The Upper Limit
Ten days quickly passed, and Wang Jie found himself witnessing a truly awe-inspiring sight.
Two beams of light, as sharp as blades, stretched across the sky from afar, forming a gap that obscured the sunlight. In the dark and vast starry sky, the beams were incredibly bright.
“That’s the Lone Peak Gorge,” Miao Tai explained.
Wang Jie gazed into the distance. “The only way into Sword Mastery Heaven?”
Miao Tai nodded. “I don’t know how Black White Heaven managed it, but they’ve altered the very structure of this starry sky. Sword Mastery Heaven is actually a massive floating land in space, so vast that it could swallow countless stars. It’s open on all sides, but the Four Alliances have blocked off the other routes, forcing everyone, including the Four Alliances themselves, to enter through Lone Peak Gorge.”
“Lord, look around,” Miao Tai continued, pointing at the screen. “These ships are all here to request entry into Sword Mastery Heaven.”
Wang Jie looked at the screen. The area around them was filled with ships, creating quite a commotion. From time to time, communication requests came in.
Miao Tai answered one.
“Looking to enter Sword Mastery Heaven? I can help you get in, but the price might be steep. From the looks of your ship, it’s no problem—what do you think? Just say the word if you’re interested.”
Miao Tai opened another request. “I’m a friend of Qi Sheng, the son of the Lone Peak Gorge leaders. If you want to enter Sword Mastery Heaven, come find me. I have a way.”
He continued opening communication requests, each one concerning entry to Sword Mastery Heaven.
“Your ship is so eye-catching that everyone wants a cut,” Miao Tai remarked.
“What if I pay them, but they still can’t get me in?” Wang Jie asked.
Miao Tai chuckled. “That depends on whether you’re easy to deal with or not.”
Wang Jie smiled and nodded.
The ship sped up, heading for Lone Peak Gorge. Miao Tai was very familiar with the area and knew exactly where to submit the application.
Soon after, the ship stopped, and Miao Tai directly sent the application for Wang Jie.
“Lord, be mentally prepared. Most slots at Lone Peak Gorge are booked months in advance. Without connections, it’s impossible to get in.”
Wang Jie looked at Miao Tai. “Aren’t you the connection?”
Miao Tai smiled wryly. “The Lock Path interval and Star Breaking realm aren’t a small matter. In fact, anyone who can enter Sword Mastery Heaven through Lone Peak Gorge has someone from Star Breaking realm behind them, or even Full Star realm experts. Those experts have countless friends, so even with connections, the waiting list is long unless… I personally submit an application, in which case there are no obstacles.”
Just as he finished speaking, the application was rejected.
Miao Tai turned helplessly to Wang Jie.
Wang Jie wasn’t sure if Miao Tai was truly trying to help him, but it didn’t matter. “The ones who can make the final decisions at Lone Peak Gorge must be the five Full Star realm experts, right?”
“Yes.”
“Take me to them. Let’s talk to them.”
Miao Tai hesitated. “Lord, do you really want to go?”
Wang Jie looked at him with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You don’t want me to go?”
Miao Tai’s face grew serious. “Of course not. I’m worried you might be in danger.”
Wang Jie sat down and took a sip of water. “Do as you see fit. Take me to whoever you think is appropriate.”
Miao Tai gave him a deep look. “Understood. Let’s go now.” With that, the ship turned and headed in a different direction.
Miao Tai’s mood was heavy. This person had such confidence that it made him uneasy.
There was no way someone at the Ten Seals level could defeat a Full Star realm expert. The only reason was their background. This person must have a background that even the Full Star realm experts at Lone Peak Gorge would fear.
Miao Tai was once again glad he hadn’t taken the risk of ambushing this person. But how could someone with such a background not know about the Space Time Mini Vortex?
As they flew, communication requests continued to appear, but were all ignored.
Half a day later, they bypassed the two blade-like beams of light and arrived at the other side of Lone Peak Gorge.
“Lord, this is where the Full Star realm experts of Lone Peak Gorge reside. As for how many are here now, I’m not sure,” Miao Tai said.
Wang Jie looked toward the distant planet. “Let’s go.”
The ship raced toward the planet, which was quite developed. Everywhere he looked, there were signs of advanced technology. The port for docking ships was clearly visible.
Once they landed, they immediately saw no trace of cultivation-related influence.
A flying vehicle was waiting for them, which Miao Tai had arranged in advance.
“Fu An, one of the Full Star realm experts who oversees Lone Peak Gorge, sent this to pick us up.”
Wang Jie naturally boarded the vehicle, which then began traversing the bustling city. The city was vibrant and alive, with advertisements flashing on screens and music filling the air. Colorful balloons floated in the sky, and people everywhere were enjoying themselves.
Wang Jie couldn’t help but think, If Blue Star had continued its peaceful development for hundreds of years, perhaps this is what it would have looked like.
Eventually, the vehicle stopped beside a lively street, full of noise and promotional chatter.
“Lord, we’ve arrived.”
Wang Jie entered a two-story courtyard at the side of the street. Inside, a man sat on a lounge chair, lazily swaying.
Miao Tai greeted him respectfully. “Junior Miao Tai, greeting Fu An, senior.”
Fu An opened his eyes, briefly glanced at Miao Tai, and then his gaze fell on Wang Jie.
Wang Jie met his gaze.
Fu An studied him for a moment before turning to Miao Tai. “Young man, you lack manners.”
Miao Tai felt awkward.
Wang Jie spoke up. “It depends on whether the person in front of me is an enemy or a friend.”
Fu An’s gaze turned cold, fixing on him. “What’s your origin?”
“None.”
“Background?”
“None.”
“Then how dare you be so arrogant?”
Wang Jie casually walked around the courtyard. “I’ve heard that high-level cultivators like to calm their minds in the midst of a bustling city. I suppose that’s your idea too. But it seems your mind can’t be calm.”
Miao Tai stepped back. This person certainly wasn’t being polite.
Fu An sat up. “It can’t be calm. Do you have a solution?”
Wang Jie shrugged. “No.”
“Young man, do you know the consequences of being flippant with me?”
Wang Jie walked right up to Fu An, pulled up a chair, and sat across from him, pointing at Miao Tai. “He wouldn’t dare ambush me because I bought a Stellar Belt-class starship. My own power is also considerable, and he’s unsure of my origin.”
“That’s why you’re talking to me now.”
“But I can tell you, I have no origin. Don’t worry about the consequences of dealing with me.”
Miao Tai, watching from the side, thought to himself, Is that so?
Fu An stared at Wang Jie. After a moment, he nodded. “You really have courage. Not afraid of death?”
“Let’s see,” Wang Jie replied.
Before he finished speaking, Fu An suddenly raised his hand. A leaf spun toward Wang Jie, floating gently through the air. Wang Jie flicked his finger lightly, and in an instant, the leaf was deflected, shooting off to the side, through the streets, and even piercing the stars as it flew into the void.
The ground beneath their feet stirred with a barely perceptible tremor.
The entire exchange lasted only a moment. Miao Tai didn’t even notice it.
Fu An looked at Wang Jie in shock. The leaf he had just used was a Star Breaking combat technique, but Wang Jie had deflected it with a single flick of his finger. How did he do that? Not only had he seen through the attack’s trajectory in an instant, but he had also neutralized it. Such a move shouldn’t be possible for someone at the Ten Seals level.
After a long silence, Fu An spoke again. “What’s your name?”
“Wang Jie.”
“Do you want to go to Sword Mastery Heaven?”
“Indeed.”
“Go ahead. I’ll make arrangements.”
Wang Jie stood up. “Thank you, senior.”
Fu An smiled. “Now we’re friends?”
“At least not enemies,” Wang Jie grinned. “By the way, could you take him along? I’m not familiar with Sword Mastery Heaven. It would be helpful to have someone who knows the way.”
Miao Tai looked surprised. Am I going too?
Fu An didn’t mind. “Sure, you can both go.”
Just as Wang Jie was about to leave, he suddenly had a thought and sat back down.
Fu An raised an eyebrow. “Is there something else?”
Wang Jie spoke, “Senior, I want to know more about Full Star realm Lock Force cultivators.”
Fu An leaned back in his chair and began rocking it. “For a Star Force cultivator to reach Full Star realm, it’s simple. They just need to absorb the star force of an entire planet. As for Lock Force cultivators, it’s the same—they need to absorb the Lock Force of an entire star to reach Full Star realm.”
“That simple?”
Fu An smiled. “Simple? Wrong. The difficulty for Star Force cultivators is in absorbing the star force itself, while for Lock Force cultivators, the challenge lies in the Lock Force. Where will you find so much Lock Force material?”
“Lock Force cultivation is actually the easiest. Once you reach Star Breaking realm and have enough Lock Force, you’ll naturally enter Full Star realm.”
“However, supporting a Full Star realm Lock Force cultivator is far more difficult than nurturing millions of Ten Seals cultivators.”
“On the interstellar battlefield, Ten Seals, Star Breaking realm, Full Star realm Lock Force cultivators—they’re all cannon fodder. Compared to that, many forces would prefer to have more Ten Seals cultivators. At least they have numbers.”
“Only Lock Force cultivators who reach Wandering Star realm have value. But how many Lock Force cultivators have ever reached Wandering Star realm in history?”
Wang Jie asked, “What about fighting?”
Fu An extended his hand. “Care to try?”
Wang Jie reached out, and as their palms met, both of them were taken aback.
Fu An stood up suddenly. “What color of imprint do you have?”
Wang Jie was surprised. “Are you trying to dispel my Lock Force?”
They both jumped back, startled.
Fu An stared at Wang Jie deeply. “Whether it’s Star Force or Lock Force, when a high-level cultivator uses the same power as a lower-level cultivator, they have strong control over the weaker one—such as dispelling their force or influencing their movements.”
“But just now, I found it hard to dispel your Lock Force. There’s only one possibility: your imprint is very deep, forcibly locking the Lock Force in place.”
Wang Jie exhaled. “I see now.”
He hadn’t understood this before, and Wu Ming hadn’t mentioned it to him. Perhaps Wu Ming thought he already knew.
Some knowledge takes time to accumulate before it can be understood.
…
In the starry sky, Wang Jie gazed out, lost in thought. Fu An had told him a great deal, especially about the future of Lock Force cultivators.
Lock Force cultivators have no future. He’d heard it many times before, but now he truly faced it.
Because of Fu An, he could no longer go further.
He knew that no matter how many cataclysm materials he was given, he couldn’t reach Wandering Star realm. It was an instinctive feeling, as if there were a thick wall in front of him, a wall that could not be broken.
This wall had sealed his upper limit.
Every Lock Force cultivator would encounter this limit, though the specifics would vary from person to person.
He was also told that Zhong Yi had encountered this limit and had closed himself off for good, eventually perishing.
Zhong Yi had reached the highest peak ever known for a Lock Force cultivator—Hundred Star realm.
“Miao Tai, have you reached your limit?”
Miao Tai’s eyes grew dim. “Yes, I have. I feel it clearly. That’s why I live so freely now. Cultivating no longer means anything to me.”
“Is Fu An the same?”
“Not just Fu An, the Full Star realm experts of the Four Alliances are the same.”