Chapter 165
Chapter 165: Zhi Academy
Upon hearing Xing Xue’s words, Wang Jie turned in surprise to look at the old woman.
The old woman smiled and nodded. Their conversation wasn’t hidden from her, and she could hear everything.
“Great Star Mountain, star method.”
This revelation intrigued Wang Jie. Having already mastered the Starry Finger technique, he had entered the realm of Star Methods, which meant he could potentially cultivate many other star methods. However, how could Elder Xing Xue be so sure that he could master one? After all, he was practicing Lock Force.
“When I first met you, I noticed your exceptional control over Lock Force,” Xing Xue began. “Later, when we crossed paths during the sect’s escape, I saw your continuous improvement. Now, you should be capable of mastering a star method.”
“Once you master one star method, it opens the door to mastering others.”
“Unfortunately, going to Great Star Mountain is far more difficult than reaching Zhi Academy. Otherwise, I would have sent you there directly.”
Despite her manipulations, Xing Xue had genuinely treated him well. Helping him secure the Silver Radiance Empire under the Fourth Star Cloud wasn’t a mere calculation—it was a heartfelt gesture.
The old woman’s voice came again: “The star method at Great Star Mountain is called Stacking Heavenly Light, a defensive type. Once mastered, even facing Wu Yun alone, you won’t easily be defeated. The key is—” She grew serious, “Once you perfect Stacking Heavenly Light, you will automatically be part of the Heavenly Light Pavilion.”
“In Black White Heaven, the Heavenly Light Pavilion is a hidden force.”
Wang Jie frowned. “A hidden force?”
“It means a power that exists, but isn’t officially acknowledged. They only accept those who have mastered the Stacking Heavenly Light method. Their influence is immense. Once you can master it, whether you practice Star Force or Lock Force, the Heavenly Light Pavilion will have to accept you and protect you.”
Wang Jie understood now. Xing Xue’s next target was the Heavenly Light Pavilion.
The Lock Path interval, the Heavenly Light Pavilion—one was part of the Four Great Training Fields, while the other was a hidden power in Black White Heaven. Both might seem insignificant on the surface but wield great influence. Xing Xue was methodically positioning herself to secure a stronger voice in Black White Heaven.
Wang Jie sighed. “The family is truly difficult.”
To get from the Lock Path interval to Zhi Academy, they couldn’t take the Nebula Flow, as it only moved from top to bottom, not the other way around. Therefore, they would have to travel through the Star Link by spaceship. Since Zhi Academy was at the highest point of the Four Great Training Fields, they couldn’t directly cross Death Island or Great Star Mountain. Instead, they had to take a longer route around the border, which would take a considerable amount of time.
Miao Tai couldn’t come along.
The old woman had made it clear—bringing him to Zhi Academy had already cost a great deal. It was impossible to bring Miao Tai along.
Before he left, Wang Jie contacted Miao Tai and asked him to hide. Then, he reached out to Du Xian, telling her he was going to Zhi Academy and asking her to connect him with someone from the Star Dome Vision there.
The Star Dome Vision was invaluable for intelligence.
“Are you close with the Star Dome Vision?” the old woman asked.
“They have excellent intelligence, and they’re involved in all kinds of industries, from old to young, trustworthy across the board,” Wang Jie replied. As he said this, he remembered his first stellar belt-class starship purchase, “Though sometimes they can be a little tricky, but it’s manageable.”
The old woman smiled slightly. “Use them as you wish, but don’t get too familiar.”
Wang Jie was curious. “Senior, what exactly is the Star Dome Vision? How do they have such a presence everywhere?”
The old woman’s expression darkened, her eyes deep. “They are a vast and unfathomable entity. You can see their influence everywhere in the universe, but understanding them? Impossible. Their reach stretches across the cosmos, yet no one can find their true form.”
“Even Armor One Sect can’t find them?”
“You know about Armor One Sect?”
“I’ve heard of them.”
“Armor One Sect is one of the Four Great Star Clouds. I don’t know much about them.”
Wang Jie hadn’t expected Armor One Sect to be even more formidable than he’d thought. One of the Four Great Star Clouds? No wonder the Three Chan Sky Zhenling had caused such a stir among the Third Nebula Star-Link level experts. Armor One Sect was on an entirely different level.
And what about Shu Mu Night’s Sincere One Dao? He didn’t dare ask; asking too much could lead to trouble.
The Shen Wang ship would take a month to traverse the Star Link. So, the quickest way to reach Zhi Academy from the Lock Path interval would still take at least two months.
During this time, Wang Jie trained quietly.
With the old woman around, he had no reason to worry. It felt reassuring.
Meanwhile, the old woman often spoke to him about Zhi Academy, curious about how a Lock Force practitioner like him had become a Celestial Refinement Master.
Wang Jie couldn’t explain, and the old woman didn’t press the issue.
He gradually learned that Death Island was the easiest place to reach in the Four Great Training Fields. It was a death zone where people trained for combat without hesitation, welcoming outsiders as long as they weren’t afraid of death. If the only goal was to avoid Wu Yun, Xing Xue could have sent him to Death Island, but as the old woman had said, Xing Xue wanted him to use his Celestial Refinement Master skills at Zhi Academy.
Although it wasn’t explicitly stated, Wang Jie knew he was expected to contribute in some way. But not by force.
Two months passed quickly.
As their spaceship entered the Zhi Academy area, Wang Jie felt a shift in the atmosphere—whether it was his imagination or not, things felt different. The screens showed more spaceship light spots, and it was more lively than the Lock Path interval.
“We’ve arrived at Zhi Academy. I have to leave now,” the old woman said, stepping out of the spaceship.
Wang Jie bowed slowly. “Thank you for seeing me off, Senior.”
Once the old woman was out of sight, he opened his personal terminal, where a new contact had appeared—Mu Ran. This was from the old woman.
It seemed the Frost Radiance Sect’s group wasn’t doing well at Zhi Academy.
Zhi Academy, a unique place in the Four Great Training Fields, had a relaxed atmosphere for cultivation and trained all sorts of professional cultivators. It was the only place where one could stay without being forcibly conscripted to battlefields.
If you joined Zhi Academy, you could stay for life, enjoying an easy existence without the fear of being drafted for war—far better than the other three training fields.
Zhi Academy’s territory was simply divided. At its core was the Four Path Star Cluster, with four directions extending from it: Artifact, Alchemy, Formation, and Cultivation.
The first three were self-explanatory, while the last, Cultivation, gathered practitioners who didn’t want to fight on Death Island but also had no confidence in mastering Star Methods. They didn’t need to go to the Lock Path interval to become cannon fodder.
Cultivators here mainly practiced Star Force. Cultivators held the lowest status at Zhi Academy, while Masters of each profession were highly respected. Even the Four Path Star Cluster was known as the Four Path Marketplace, where one could buy anything related to any profession.
So, as the old woman had said, here, martial strength was second, but expertise was first.
In the Lock Path interval, one could climb the ranks through killing. But at Zhi Academy, that was impossible.
On a certain planet, within a valley, a group of people were mining, the heat making it hard to breathe.
Mu Ran stood on hard stone, carrying minerals, and looked up at the sky, wondering when this would end.
Since the Frost Radiance Sect was destroyed, they had come to Black White Heaven, hoping for better conditions. But after joining Zhi Academy, things had only gotten worse. Not only were they targeted, but they were also falsely accused of stealing tools. What a joke—he was a Formation Daoist, not a smith. If anyone was going to steal something, it would be the Star Sealing Stones.
But there was nothing they could do. Zhi Academy was against them.
They were sent here to mine as punishment, yet they were still able to contact the outside world, ensuring others knew what they were doing.
Mu Ran wasn’t stupid; he understood this was meant to be seen by Xing Xue.
“If we’re being targeted in the Star Refining Realm, then fine. But why drag us into this mess?” he muttered.
“Hey, you there! Hurry up and dig, or no food for you!” someone shouted.
Mu Ran sighed and continued mining.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
His personal terminal rang.
He glanced at the screen, seeing an unknown number. He ignored it. Lately, people had been contacting him from unknown sources, mocking him and asking him to speak ill of Elder Xing Xue. He wasn’t foolish enough to engage. If he didn’t respond, he could still be seen as part of Xing Xue’s faction. If he spoke out, he’d have no place on either side.
“Hey! Why aren’t you picking up? Pick it up now.”
Mu Ran rolled his eyes. Reluctantly, he answered: “Who is it?”
“It’s Wang Jie.”
Mu Ran froze. “What?”
“Long time no see, Master Mu.”
Mu Ran’s eyes widened. Wang Jie? Wasn’t he in the Lock Path interval? How was he contacting him? Was this real?
“Is this really Master Wang?”
“Yes, it’s me. How have you been?”
Mu Ran almost cried. After all this time, he was finally hearing from someone he knew.
“Master Wang, you have no idea how tough we’ve had it since…”
Wang Jie listened quietly as Mu Ran explained. He now understood just how bad things had been for Mu Ran and the others at Zhi Academy. They hadn’t had a single good day since joining.
Frost Radiance Sect’s disciples had died in large numbers, some betraying the sect and spreading rumors about Xing Xue. Only a few, like Mu Ran, still held on, but they too were being forced to mine.
No one here was helping them.
It was a bleak situation.
“Master Wang, I thought you were still in the Lock Path interval. How did you manage to contact me?” Mu Ran asked, curious.
Wang Jie gazed at the starry sky. “I’ve moved on from the Lock Path interval.”
Mu Ran was dumbfounded. “You can move between them? Can I move to the Lock Path interval?”
“Who has been targeting you the most?” Wang Jie changed the subject. He needed to know who the enemy was.
Mu Ran’s voice was bitter. “So many people are after us. I’m a Formation Daoist, and yet I’m being falsely accused of stealing from a smith. Can you believe that? And no one in the Formation Dao can help me.”
“Alchemy Dao is even worse. Someone came saying I stole a Revive Pill, even stuffing it into my arms without any disguise. Ridiculous.”
Wang Jie sighed. Now he understood. His original plan wouldn’t work.
“Master Wang, can you help us? You’re a Celestial Refinement Master. You have status at Zhi Academy. Please, help us,” Mu Ran pleaded.
Wang Jie replied, “Don’t worry, just wait.” He ended the conversation.
Originally, he had planned to rescue Mu Ran and the others, but now he realized that if he revealed himself, it wouldn’t be good for him either. Mu Ran and the others were being forced to mine but still had contact with the outside world, meaning no one cared who he asked for help.
If brute force didn’t work, he would have to come up with another solution.