Chapter 137
Chapter 137: Stealing
With one strike, the stars were severed, and the countless fingers scattered, yet the starry sky shrouded by the stars remained unbroken.
As the last finger descended, it struck Zong Cheng Ping, breaking through his shoulder and spilling blood across five steps.
However, the moment Zong Cheng Ping was wounded, he hurled a flying wheel. It flickered as it passed close to Wang Jie’s body. Wang Jie narrowly dodged, but his back was still struck, and a massive gash tore open, spilling blood.
As the wheel returned to Zong Cheng Ping, the endless stars in the sky faded, and everything returned to stillness.
Wang Jie and Zong Cheng Ping faced each other, both severely wounded from this battle.
Zong Cheng Ping stared at Wang Jie in shock. “You actually know Star Method. No, it should be the Lock Method. What exactly is your background?”
Wang Jie shifted his arm, causing his back wound to throb as blood dripped from his clothes. “You’d better not ask about my background.”
The spinning wheel before Zong Cheng Ping halted as he gazed deeply at Wang Jie, marveling. “Young and promising. It’s a pity you practice the Lock Force; otherwise, your future would be limitless.”
Wang Jie glanced at his own fingers. The Starry Finger technique was indeed powerful. It had nearly closed the gap in strength between him and this person. He hadn’t fully unleashed its power, and its limits were still unknown, but it should be enough to pose a threat to the Wandering Star Realm.
“Younger brother, you can leave now. I promise no one will trouble you because of Sword Mastery Heaven.”
Wang Jie nodded at Zong Cheng Ping. “Thank you.”
Zong Cheng Ping chuckled bitterly. “No need to thank me. Perhaps it’s because I helped them; otherwise, they would’ve been in serious trouble facing you.” With that, he took out a healing medicine and tossed it to Wang Jie.
Wang Jie didn’t hesitate, immediately applying it to his back.
The two of them rested for half a day in Sword Mastery Heaven before preparing to leave.
Wang Jie took a moment to say farewell to the Stone Sword Creature and reminded it to stay hidden. While very few could defeat the Stone Sword Creature in the Lock Path interval, one could never be too careful; who knew if Black White Heaven might take an interest?
There were simply too many powerful figures in the outside world, and a single Wandering Star Realm cultivator could easily deal with the Stone Sword Creature.
The Stone Sword Creature looked reluctant, but it could only watch as Wang Jie departed.
As the ship ascended, Wang Jie looked back. Sword Mastery Heaven would be visited again—though when that would be, he didn’t know. He should reach Star Breaking Realm soon.
Of the fifteen levels, he had broken through eight, with seven remaining.
As Sword Mastery Heaven grew distant, Wang Jie withdrew his gaze.
Zong Cheng Ping curiously asked, “Younger brother, where do you come from?”
Wang Jie turned to him. “I don’t really know. I just moved from one starry sky to another.”
Zong Cheng Ping smiled. “To be able to use Nebula Flow and purchase a stellar-belt-class starship upon entering the Lock Path interval… Younger brother must have quite a fortune.”
“Not bad. And you, elder brother? How much have you earned over the years through the Four Alliances?”
Wang Jie’s question seemed to make Zong Cheng Ping uneasy, as though something had caught his attention.
“Cough, not much,” Zong Cheng Ping replied. “I’ve reached the end of the road. The limit is right here. It doesn’t matter how much I earn, so I’ve given most of it to my subordinates.”
Wang Jie didn’t believe him.
The cultivation world was full of deception. He had seen enough of it on Blue Star.
Some people appeared kind but were cruel at heart, while others seemed harsh but were good inside. It was not something one could always perceive with just a glance. Like himself—he never claimed to be a good person, because he always sought revenge on those who wronged him.
As they chatted casually, Zong Cheng Ping tried various ways to pry into Wang Jie’s background. Wang Jie, in turn, sought to gather more information about the Lock Path interval.
Though he didn’t learn much about the Lock Path interval, he did discover that Zong Cheng Ping was a disciple of Xiao Rong.
He said this deliberately.
“My master, Xiao Rong, is the current first of the Fourth Star Cloud Lock Force, an expert in the Wandering Star Realm. He’s stationed at the Star Cloud battlefield, serving Tong Shou and commanding millions of Lock Force cultivators.”
Wang Jie was shocked. “Millions?”
Zong Cheng Ping smiled. “Millions aren’t too many. A long-established sect, even with only a few hundred Slaughter Stone planets, can easily bring millions of Lock Force cultivators. Not to mention that Black White Heaven has thousands of Slaughter Stone planets. Not just millions—ten billion, even a hundred billion is possible.”
“All these Lock Force cultivators come from the Lock Path interval?”
“Exactly. Every year, the Lock Path interval sends a large number of Lock Force cultivators to Black White Heaven for the Star Cloud battlefield,” Zong Cheng Ping continued, his gaze darkening. “The problem is, Lock Force cultivators are used up too quickly. A single battle between strong cultivators can cost tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even more lives.”
He looked at Wang Jie. “Not every Lock Force cultivator is as strong as you, younger brother. Even I wouldn’t dare to say I could survive the Star Cloud battlefield.”
Wang Jie looked at him. “Star Cloud battlefield? Who do you fight?”
“I’m not sure. My master knows, but I never asked. It might be another Star Cloud.”
“Hmm? We’ve arrived. Younger brother, do you want to visit my alliance? It’s not far from Lone Peak Gorge. Everyone is curious about you. Haha.”
Wang Jie politely declined.
They reached Lone Peak Gorge.
Countless eyes followed as Wang Jie boarded his ship, and Miao Tai hurriedly followed him aboard. Soon after, the ship flew off into the distance and gradually disappeared.
As Zong Cheng Ping had said, no one stopped them.
“Is he really a Ten-Imprint cultivator?” Fu An asked.
Zong Cheng Ping’s face darkened. “I still haven’t figured out his background, but he’s definitely not simple. A Ten-Imprint cultivator can go toe-to-toe with me. Even my master can’t do that.”
Fu An sighed. “The Lock Path interval is about to change.”
Cui Ye said, “That Miao Tai is clever, following along.”
In the starry sky, the ship sailed smoothly.
As soon as Miao Tai boarded the ship, he knelt before Wang Jie. “Lord, I, humble servant, neglected to inform you of the one-month deadline. It is my fault. Please, punish me.”
Wang Jie wasn’t concerned. “Get up.”
“Thank you, Lord.”
Wang Jie took a sip of water. “Tell me everything you know about Black White Heaven.”
Miao Tai began detailing what he knew. Black White Heaven controlled the Fourth Star Cloud, with domains of Black and White, an elder’s hall, and the Star Cloud battlefield…
Wang Jie listened intently, but much of it was basic knowledge. He hadn’t expected Miao Tai to truly understand Black White Heaven, but the information was enough to give Wang Jie a clearer picture.
He hadn’t asked these questions before, but now he could.
Black White Heaven was far more complex than he’d imagined.
Black and White domains ruled together—hence the name, Black White Heaven?
The Black Domain was offensive, while the White Domain was defensive.
The Four Great Training Fields, three of which belonged to the Black Domain.
The Elder’s Hall had twenty-one Hundred-Star Elders, balancing the power of Black and White Domains. This situation existed because the true ruler of Black White Heaven was the Zhi family.
The Zhi family, a family of bridge builders.
Miao Tai not only shared what he knew but also offered many speculations.
Wang Jie’s main concern was one question: “How can I acquire as many materials as possible?”
Miao Tai pondered for a moment before responding, “Lord, the essence of the cultivation world is… stealing.”
Stealing.
That one word stirred something in Wang Jie. Indeed, what could be faster than stealing? Buying? Trading? Borrowing? Hunting? None of them were as fast as stealing.
When he first entered the Lock Path interval, Du Xian had also spoken about stealing Slaughter Stone planets, stealing materials.
“Who do we steal from?”
“Does your lordship have anyone above you?”
“Black White Heaven?”
“Yes.”
Wang Jie didn’t answer but asked in return, “Does the Four Alliances or Lone Peak Gorge have anyone in Black White Heaven?”
Miao Tai bowed. “Yes. If there was no one, aside from Senior Zong Cheng Ping with Xiao Rong’s background and his own status as a foremost full-star expert, the Four Alliances couldn’t have formed, and Lone Peak Gorge wouldn’t have existed under the pressure of the Four Alliances.”
“As far as I know, the Four Alliances has support from the Deacon Hall and the Discipline Hall. Both belong to the White Domain, and their members are all Wandering Star Realm cultivators. Of course, this is just the surface—what we humble ones know. The true powers behind them are definitely more than Wandering Star Realm cultivators. It’s likely they’re Hundred Star Realm experts.”
“To move against them, it’s not enough just in the Lock Path interval.”
Does Wang Jie have anyone behind him? Of course, Xing Xue, a member of the Zhi family.
But would this Grand Elder support him in doing anything extreme? Wang Jie wasn’t sure. The old granny appeared to be very kind.
“Is there a way to send a message into Black White Heaven?”
Miao Tai nodded. “Yes, but the cost is steep.”
“Take me there.”
The ship changed direction.
Wang Jie returned to the rest area, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was in a field. He had used the Star Method to find Zong Cheng Ping, but hadn’t gained anything yet. Now, it was time to harvest.
With a Star Method in hand, he completed his task.
All nine materials were ready. As his hand touched the green sprouts, they emitted a hazy glow, which gradually merged into a single beam of light, entering his mind.
Heaven Reversal Path.
The ultimate black. This was the true limit of the Ten Seals. The blackness consumed even light.
Wang Jie opened his eyes and exhaled heavily, his thoughts tangled.
Once cultivated, the Lock Force required would be astronomical, far exceeding everything before. Reaching the Star Breaking Realm would be even harder, breaking through this Ten Seal Great Mountain.
He hesitated for a long time, but ultimately decided to cultivate.
After all, he had obtained the Heaven Reversal Path, and since it existed, it must have value. If others could create it, why couldn’t he, the successor, dare to practice it? There were too many mysterious forces in the universe. If he didn’t take a chance, how could he establish himself in the future?
Lock Force has its limits, but within those limits, he would achieve the ultimate.
The green sprouts vanished.
The field returned to normal.
Without the sprouts blocking him, Wang Jie raised his hand and used the Starry Finger technique, wondering if he could plant something else.
Nothing appeared.
No sprouts emerged; beneath the Starry Finger technique, there was nothing left.
He wasn’t disappointed. The Starry Finger technique was already very powerful, surpassing even the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger. And the Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger had been lost in the Armor One Sect. The Starry Finger’s status would only rise.
Next, the Sword Step.
The Sword Step didn’t produce anything either. Had it reached its limit?
Next, the Sword Form Technique.
Nothing again.
Next, the Armor Eight Steps. Nothing.
Next, the Power Accumulation Method. Hm? As his body’s shadow fell into the field, five green sprouts rose, just like the Starry Finger technique. The Power Accumulation Method could plant the next.
Wang Jie watched the sprouts rise and reached out to touch them.
Bone Motion Art: Required materials—complete bones from one hundred creatures. For a handsome pet, match-make. Arm wrestling with ten opponents of two realms above, the number of breaking stars, and cultivation in ten power battle techniques.
These five materials… how to say it? Somewhat odd, but not too absurd.
At least, it was much better than the materials for the Heaven Reversal Path.