Chapter 145
Chapter 145: The Invisible Blade Qi
Wang Jie lifted his leg and stomped down.
The tremendous force shattered the mountain peak below. From the shadows, someone shot out, rapidly fleeing.
This person was a full star realm expert, with cultivation comparable to Fu An’s, no less formidable, especially skilled in concealment. If not for Wang Jie’s ability to observe the qi, he would not have noticed this individual.
Everything before had been a facade; the true trump card of Zong Cheng Ping was this person. He had orchestrated everything to ultimately trap Wang Jie in a joint assault with this hidden figure. Fu An and Lie Qiu were unaware.
But in the end, Wang Jie saw through it all.
Zong Cheng Ping let out a deep breath. “Younger brother, we once fought in the Sword Mastery Heaven to a standstill. Now, I must strike at you, though it is out of necessity. Whether you live or die today, it is only to fulfill my orders from above. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”
Wang Jie smiled. “Then please, elder brother, show me your skill.”
“One move will decide it. The Lone Star Full Moon Wheel.”
“Starry Finger Technique.”
The spinning wheel shot towards Wang Jie at high speed, splitting the desolate canyon in an instant, but in the blink of an eye, stars replaced it. The stars spun as if to crush the heavens and earth. As the finger shadow within the stars struck, it brought immense pressure.
One single finger shadow froze the flying wheel in place, while more finger shadows shot towards Zong Cheng Ping.
From Zong Cheng Ping’s palm, a broken sword tip flew directly at Wang Jie.
Wang Jie saw it. With a flick of his finger, the sword tip shattered. Yet, from the shattered tip, identical tips quickly emerged, hurtling toward him.
This sword tip was invisible to the naked eye. It was… qi.
Wang Jie stared blankly at the approaching tip, the qi?
It was a blade qi, but not the ordinary blade qi a cultivator could strike out. This was the Qi of the Blade.
Humans have their qi; blades too have their qi.
Without cultivation in qi, one could never see it.
Wang Jie hadn’t expected to encounter a weapon infused with qi here. The weapon itself had been destroyed, yet the qi remained. Had he not cultivated qi, he would have surely been defeated in that instant.
Such a cruel method.
Zong Cheng Ping’s gaze fixed intently on Wang Jie. Having fought against the Starry Finger technique before, he knew it was impossible to win. So, his first plan had been an overt siege. The reason he sought Miao Tai was to have him inform Wang Jie, hoping to make Wang Jie suspect they were being hunted, gaining him a psychological advantage.
That was an advantage, but also a weakness.
Then, the hidden individual was the second step. If Wang Jie failed to detect it, this method might be enough to deal with him, but if Wang Jie realized it, it would also create a second psychological advantage, which would mean a weakening of his guard.
The true killing move was the sword tip.
This was a gift from the master, brought from the Star Cloud battlefield, possessing a strange invisible power.
Normally, if Zong Cheng Ping had used the sword tip from the start, Wang Jie’s mental defenses would likely have been wary. The more ordinary something appeared, the more dangerous it should be. But after two rounds of psychological easing, Zong Cheng Ping believed it was the right time.
Even if it didn’t work, he had no other options.
It should work.
He had already shown an attitude of disregarding death. It should be fine.
His eyes locked on Wang Jie. As long as Wang Jie didn’t avoid it, the plan would succeed.
Above, the finger shadows descended, and Zong Cheng Ping ignored them, deciding to endure the blow in exchange for Wang Jie not dodging.
The finger shadows fell, and the blade qi neared.
Under Zong Cheng Ping’s unwavering gaze, Wang Jie side-stepped, avoiding the blade qi. It sliced through the air and vanished.
Zong Cheng Ping’s pupils contracted sharply, unwilling to accept what had just happened. The finger shadows landed, the earth caving in. The endless finger shadows pressed on, smashing through the earth and leveling the surrounding canyon.
Outside the canyon, Fu An and the others anxiously watched, hoping Zong Cheng Ping could finish off Wang Jie.
The smoke rose like a gray dragon, scattering under the gale.
Wang Jie stood by the broken canyon, looking down. Zong Cheng Ping had fully endured the Starry Finger technique. While it wasn’t the overwhelming fusion strike that killed Nie Zhou, it was still a heavy blow—at least enough to severely injure him.
From beneath the shattered earth and rocks, Zong Cheng Ping crawled out, kneeling on one knee and coughing up blood.
Wang Jie walked down and stood in front of him, watching in silence.
Zong Cheng Ping panted heavily, wiped his mouth, and raised his head, meeting Wang Jie’s calm gaze with bitterness. “I’ve lost. Younger brother, you’re truly formidable.”
Wang Jie looked at him. “I didn’t expect you, elder brother, to have so many tricks up your sleeve.”
“How did you see through the sword tip?” Zong Cheng Ping asked curiously, his face pale.
Wang Jie was puzzled. “What problem?”
Zong Cheng Ping froze, thinking Wang Jie knew about the invisible power.
“I just felt danger, so I moved aside,” Wang Jie replied.
Zong Cheng Ping stood stunned, unsure if Wang Jie was telling the truth, unable to tell at this moment.
Wang Jie stared at him. “Now, it’s your turn. Buy your life. Let’s see what this life of yours is worth.”
Zong Cheng Ping narrowed his eyes. “You won’t kill me?”
Wang Jie’s tone grew cold. “I really want to kill you, but Cui Four is right. If I kill you, someone else will come after me. It’s better to keep you alive. You don’t want to end up in the Star Cloud battlefield or be abandoned by Black White Heaven, do you?”
Zong Cheng Ping studied Wang Jie for a long time, then sat down cross-legged, blood pouring from him. “I never thought my life would be saved by that coward, Cui Four.” He tossed a pile of storage rings to Wang Jie.
Wang Jie was surprised. “You were prepared?”
Zong Cheng Ping smiled helplessly. “One life to live, who wouldn’t be cautious? I’m a careful person.”
Wang Jie was impressed. This wasn’t just caution. To deal with him, Zong Cheng Ping had used three methods, each involving multiple full star realm experts. This man was ruthless and decisive. Had he not planned to use him, Wang Jie would have surely killed him.
Keeping him alive was far too dangerous.
For now, though, let’s call it buying his life.
Wang Jie checked the items, and the result was surprising. The materials exceeded what Lie Qiu had given him by double. This meant he could now deepen two of his seals to Heaven Reversal. A pleasant surprise.
Zong Cheng Ping sat weakly on the ground. “Elder brother, all my years of accumulation, and you emptied them in a single sweep. Younger brother, are you satisfied?”
Wang Jie shook his head. “Not quite.”
Zong Cheng Ping was truly curious. “What do you need so many materials for?”
“I’m a Celestial Refinement Master. I’m looking for a way to open up a future for Lock Force cultivators,” Wang Jie explained.
Zong Cheng Ping’s gaze changed, locking onto him.
Wang Jie casually answered, a response he had come up with while in the Frost Radiance Sect to explain to others. Little did he know, this answer struck like a thunderbolt to someone like Zong Cheng Ping, who had been trapped by the limitations of Lock Force cultivation for countless years.
It was like a cripple hearing hope for their legs, like a blind person regaining sight.
For an ordinary Lock Force cultivator, even someone like Wang Jie, with his ten seals capable of defeating full star realm experts, his words might not carry much weight. But Wang Jie was a Celestial Refinement Master.
Celestial Refinement Masters were a world apart from Lock Force cultivators.
Any Celestial Refinement Master, even one with only ten seals, would be regarded as a precious guest by large sects, while Lock Force cultivators were the lowest, the least valued.
Wang Jie, being a Celestial Refinement Master yet a Lock Force cultivator, shook Zong Cheng Ping to his core.
“Are you serious?”
Wang Jie put away the storage rings and dusted off his clothes. “Of course, I’m cultivating Lock Force too, and I need to think of a future for myself.”
Zong Cheng Ping seemed to want to say something, but a gust of wind blew past, and he couldn’t help but cough, blood dripping to the ground.
He took a few deep breaths, recovering somewhat.
Wang Jie said, “These materials are enough to buy your life. If there’s a next time, I will definitely kill you.”
Zong Cheng Ping waved him off. “No, there won’t be a next time. You can rest assured.”
Wang Jie couldn’t fully relax, but he was no longer the vengeful figure of Blue Star’s apocalypse, who only knew how to kill. He needed to think several steps ahead.
“But our failure doesn’t mean Wu Yun will give up. She has someone behind her. I don’t know who, but their status is very high. All the materials we’ve gathered over these years have been turned in.”
“Wu Yun?”
“She’s from Deacon Hall, a Wandering Star Realm expert. It’s said she knows my master Xiao Rong.”
“Was it her who ordered the siege on me?”
“Yes, she’s ruthless. Be careful.”
“I want to talk to her.”
Zong Cheng Ping was taken aback. “You want to talk to Wu Yun?”
Wang Jie nodded, grabbing him and leaving to seek Wu Yun for a conversation. It wasn’t possible here.
At the same store, the same indifferent servant.
The servant smiled the moment he saw Wang Jie, his smile never fading. He was quick to serve tea and water.
No matter what Xing Xue’s status in the Zhi family was, that was above his paygrade. Even if he deliberately ignored Wang Jie and tried to oppose Xing Xue, it wouldn’t make any difference.
“How long?”
Zong Cheng Ping watched the servant’s overly enthusiastic demeanor toward Wang Jie, feeling uncomfortable. When he came, there was never such enthusiasm. At most, he was allowed to cut in line. “About half an hour.”
“Alright, don’t worry about it. Go about your business,” Wang Jie instructed.
The servant quickly retreated.
Zong Cheng Ping looked at Wang Jie. “Your people behind you, their status is very high, right? At least an elder. Otherwise, this servant wouldn’t be so courteous.”
“Zhi family,” Wang Jie replied directly.
Zong Cheng Ping was shocked, then seemed to realize something, his voice becoming low. “So, Wu Yun’s background is also with the Zhi family.”
It made sense. If not, how would Wu Yun dare to act against Wang Jie? The servant knew Wang Jie’s connections, and Wu Yun couldn’t possibly be unaware.
“So, all the recent events that could change the Lock Path interval’s structure… are just the result of an internal struggle between two people from the Zhi family?”
Wang Jie nodded. “Not bad.”
Zong Cheng Ping let out a breath and fell silent.
Soon after, the call connected, and Wu Yun’s voice came through. “How is it? Is he dead?”
Zong Cheng Ping looked at Wang Jie.
Wang Jie smiled and leaned in. “Sorry, not yet.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end. “Wang Jie?”
“It’s your Master Wang.”
Wu Yun’s voice was low, suppressing her anger. “Do you know who you’re speaking to?”
Wang Jie retorted, “Do you know who you’re speaking to?”
Zong Cheng Ping quietly listened. He had never heard anyone talk back to Wu Yun like that—his master wouldn’t dare.
“Where’s Zong Cheng Ping? Is he dead?”
“Half-dead.”
“You wretch.”
Wang Jie watched Zong Cheng Ping with interest. Zong Cheng Ping didn’t care; it wasn’t the first time he’d been insulted.
“Wang Jie, do you know what you’re doing? Do you know who your opponent is?”
“How, is it your great-grandmother?”
“Impudent.”
“Come at me if you can. I’m waiting.”
“I have a thousand ways to make you wish you were dead.”
“Like what?”
“I can force you to the Star Cloud battlefield.”
Wang Jie glanced at Zong Cheng Ping.
Zong Cheng Ping shook his head.
“I don’t believe it,” Wang Jie replied.
Wu Yun angrily said, “It’s the right of the Deacon Hall.”
“Whatever hall. Your master Wang has someone backing him from the Zhi family’s elder.”
Wu Yun fell silent.