Chapter 159
Chapter 159: Personally Coming to Kill
The Five Tribulations Star Artifact corresponded to the Star Refining Realm.
This was a weapon that only Star Refining Realm experts could wield, and its value was beyond estimation. Most Star Refining Realm practitioners still used weapons from the Hundred Star Realm period, so one could only imagine how valuable a Five Tribulations Star Artifact sword must be.
Although Wang Jie had no idea how Zhong Yi, being a Lock Force cultivator, could possibly use such a weapon, it did not diminish its value. How much could it be sold for? Just thinking about it made Wang Jie salivate. Qiu Chou had been willing to fight Shen Wang again for it, even risking offending the Lords of Black White Heaven. That was the value it held.
Now, that sword was right before him.
Before seeing it, Wang Jie hadn’t been so eager, but now that it was in front of him, his desire grew. He quickened his steps toward it.
He hoped the creature was dead.
Just as he was about to take a few steps forward, he hesitated, stepping back with a sigh. He had felt the aura—it was still moving. The creature hadn’t died; it was only pretending. Its internal qi flowed into eight arms, ready to strike at any moment.
Wang Jie retreated.
Gradually, the creature could no longer hold back. It suddenly sat up and stared at him. “Human~~”
The ground beneath them trembled with chains as terrifying Lock Force surged toward Wang Jie like an overwhelming wave. His battle power detector spiked to 150,000, and Wang Jie immediately took several steps back with Armor Eight Steps, then turned and walked away.
150,000 battle power and a creature from the Eight Prison Berserk Clan? Wang Jie didn’t feel confident. Even if he won, what would happen? If he defeated this creature, someone from Black White Heaven’s Star Breaking Realm would just come in and take the sword. That would be a real hassle.
The sword… he couldn’t take it.
It was better not to fight.
“Human~~ come back, I want to eat you~~” the creature called after him.
Wang Jie looked back, waiting. It wouldn’t be long before someone would come for the sword.
He left the tenth level and returned to the surface.
Qiu Chou was there, his gaze cold. “You didn’t make a move?”
Wang Jie shrugged. “Sorry, I didn’t dare. The opponent has 150,000 battle power and is a creature from the Eight Prison Berserk Clan.”
Qiu Chou was shocked. “From the Eight Prison Berserk Clan? 150,000 battle power?” He clicked his tongue. Zhong Yi was truly exceptional, using a Star Breaking Realm to suppress creatures with 150,000 battle power. No wonder this kid didn’t dare act.
Looking at Wang Jie now, his own battle power was probably below 150,000. But then again, he himself was also below that level.
Qiu Chou’s thoughts raced.
Wang Jie spoke, “Stop thinking about it. We can’t pass the tenth level for now, and even if we could, the sword might not be here. Just wait. We have plenty of time. We’ll break through eventually.”
Qiu Chou exhaled and then glanced at Wang Jie again, confirming he didn’t have a storage ring or a sword. He then said, “Go back, improve your strength, and come back when you’re more confident.”
Wang Jie reached for his storage ring.
“Wait, leave all those materials in your storage ring.”
Wang Jie looked at Qiu Chou. “I never said I’d give you the rewards for every level, only the sword.”
Qiu Chou’s voice darkened. “I don’t want them, but you can’t take them. You can take them only when you get the sword.”
Wang Jie laughed. “If you don’t give me the materials, how am I supposed to increase my strength?”
Qiu Chou’s patience wore thin. “That’s your problem. Go.”
Wang Jie’s eyes flashed coldly, but he didn’t say more. He took his storage ring and left.
After leaving Sword Mastery Heaven, he immediately contacted Du Xian. “I want to buy all the information on Qiu Chou.”
Du Xian replied with interest, “I hear a killing intent.”
“Indeed,” Wang Jie admitted directly. He truly wanted to kill Qiu Chou. The man really thought of himself as a lamb.
“Five million star stones.”
Wang Jie was stunned. “Five million?”
“That’s the friend price. If we didn’t have other relations, it would cost at least an extra million. After all, he’s a wandering star realm cultivator. A Three Tribulations Star Artifact suitable for wandering star realm cultivators starts at four million star stones.”
“But Qiu Chou is only a Lock Force cultivator.”
“That depends on which Lock Force cultivator. In the Lock Path interval, you won’t find anyone who can beat him. He holds significant influence in that region.”
The price made Wang Jie hesitate. He could afford it, but it didn’t seem worth it.
Forget it, he thought. He wasn’t in a rush to kill Qiu Chou. He could wait until the next time he visited Sword Mastery Heaven, when he was more confident.
Of course, if it came to dealing with Qiu Chou and he wasn’t completely sure, he would still buy the information, no matter the cost. The lesson with Shen Wang was still fresh in his mind.
For now, there was no urgency to take the materials.
The materials needed to move from Star Breaking Realm to Full Star Realm were enormous. It would take time to gather them all, and he might as well let Qiu Chou hold onto them for now.
The spaceship soared through the starry sky.
Ahead, another ship was heading toward him.
It was a Stellar Belt-class starship, and its captain was Lie Qiu.
Not long after, the two ships drew closer, each noticing the other.
Wang Jie was surprised. What was Lie Qiu doing here?
On the ship approaching, Lie Qiu stared at Wang Jie’s ship on the screen, looking bewildered, his eyes full of complexity and unease.
“Bring him over,” a cold female voice said from behind.
Lie Qiu lowered his voice. “With your strength, why not just blow up his ship? Why bother bringing him over?”
“Don’t you think that ship is valuable? Not only its price, but the added value comes from Zhi Ye. It was bought in the Lock Path interval. Blowing it up would be a waste.”
Lie Qiu hesitated.
“I told you to bring him over, didn’t you hear?”
Lie Qiu said, “I’m thinking of a reason, afraid it will raise his suspicion.”
“If you can’t bring him over, you’re dead. We’ve already seen him. He can’t escape.”
Lie Qiu thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth. He opened the screen and contacted Wang Jie’s ship. “Wang Jie?”
Wang Jie looked at the ship drawing nearer and responded, “Lie Qiu? What brings you here?”
“I’ve been looking for you. I want to make a trade with you.”
“A trade?”
“A Strange Planet in exchange for your people helping me refine a venue. I want to go to Zhi Academy.”
Wang Jie was taken aback.
Behind Lie Qiu, the woman was equally surprised.
“You want to go to Zhi Academy? Why?”
Lie Qiu answered, “It’s none of your concern. Do you want to make the trade or not?”
“I can’t promise you, but I can help you contact my people. What kind of planet is this Strange Planet? Did you hide it yourself?”
“Yes.”
“How can I trust you?”
“I can give you half of the star map coordinates. The other half will be given to you once your people agree.”
The two ships slowly came to a stop.
Wang Jie looked at the side. “Send it to me.”
“It can’t be sent. Didn’t you know that personal terminal info can easily be stolen? You come here yourself. I’ve already split the star map in two, half is with me, the other half is somewhere else. If you try to steal it, I guarantee the other half will be destroyed.”
With that, the ship’s door opened, facing Wang Jie’s ship.
Wang Jie wasn’t suspicious. After all, when he obtained Nie Zhou’s Strange Planet, he also got it through a rough star map, not a personal terminal. That planet had saved his life, and now there was another one—he naturally couldn’t wait to get it.
Besides, Lie Qiu was no match for him.
He thought about it, stepped out of his ship, crossed the door, and entered Lie Qiu’s vessel.
Lie Qiu approached.
Wang Jie looked at him, seeing eyes filled with unease and tension, along with a stiff walking posture.
In that moment, a chill spread in Wang Jie’s mind. He immediately activated Armor Eight Steps and began to leave, but an indescribable coldness surged through him.
The door had already closed. He would need two steps to escape—first, to break through the door, then leave.
Unfortunately, he didn’t even manage the first step. The moment Armor Eight Steps stopped, black snowflakes drifted before him. A cold voice, accompanied by an icy chill, swept toward him.
“I’m curious to see how powerful your ten seals really are.”
Wang Jie turned and retreated, the space freezing in place as black snow spread toward him.
Lie Qiu hurriedly ran away.
All those controlling the ship were frozen, shattered, and not a drop of blood spilled.
Wang Jie raised his hand and shattered the ice before him. His battle power detector kept warning, the value climbing from 100,000 to 120,000. He turned and saw a woman.
She was a wandering star realm expert.
Moreover, she was a Star Force cultivator, wielding strange Star Force.
“Who are you?” he asked.
The woman sneered. “Wu Yun.”
Wang Jie’s pupils contracted. Deacon Wu Yun? The one with direct ties to the Four Alliances and Lone Peak Gorge? He never expected someone from Black White Heaven’s Deacon Hall would personally come to kill him.
Wu Yun’s gaze was cold. “Kid, you’ve caused enough trouble in the Lock Path interval. Don’t you know ants can easily be crushed?”
As she spoke, she swung her arm, and endless black snowflakes swirled toward Wang Jie.
Wang Jie, with Armor Eight Steps, approached Wu Yun and threw a simple, direct punch.
Wandering Star Realm, he had fought them before.
However, this punch slowed in the black snow, his fist, his arm, his body, growing numb and frozen. His power visibly waned until, when he neared Wu Yun, it posed no threat.
Wu Yun sneered. “A mere Lock Force cultivator, today you’ll learn just how vast the difference between Star Force and Lock Force is.”
More black snowflakes piled up at his feet. Meanwhile, all ship communications failed, including personal terminals. She was preventing Wang Jie from contacting anyone.
Wang Jie felt his body freezing. This chill had created a new world inside the ship.
He immediately fused his qi and strength, releasing visible shockwaves in all directions. A finger pointed out, and Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger pierced the black snow, heading straight for Wu Yun.
Wu Yun was surprised. Could he really break through her Black Snow Star Force? No wonder he could suppress the entire Lock Path interval. But it still wasn’t enough. The black snow around her intensified, increasing tenfold. Wang Jie’s finger struck the swirling black snow and was forced to dissipate.
All around, endless black snow spiraled, from the ground and the void.
Wang Jie’s breathing slowed. The overwhelming Star Force crushed him, and this was strange Star Force.
That single finger, which had the power of a Star Breaking Realm peak attack, couldn’t even touch Wu Yun. If he hadn’t reached Star Breaking Realm, he would have had no power to resist today.
Wu Yun was far stronger than Shen Wang, Qiu Chou, or any other wandering star realm cultivator Wang Jie had faced before.
This was Black White Heaven’s Deacon Hall, someone who could command the Four Great Training Fields below and communicate with the Zhi Upper Realm above.
From afar, Lie Qiu trembled, not from fear, but from the cold. The black snowflakes had brought such intense cold that she couldn’t control herself.
She hadn’t expected Wu Yun would personally come to kill Wang Jie.
This man was doomed.