Chapter 175
Chapter 175: The Gap Between Heaven and Earth
This person moved in the split second they borrowed force.
Turning around, a pale face met his, and a dagger lunged toward his abdomen.
Wang Jie didn’t move. He had already reacted—he could evade with Armor Eight Steps, but he didn’t, for the Thousand Spirit Armor was on him.
The dagger strike made a faint sound again. As it was about to land, Wang Jie slapped out a palm, the horizontal wind of his palm sweeping the attacker away. Armor Eight Steps brought him closer, but the attacker flicked the dagger away, narrowly avoiding Wang Jie’s strike, and fled.
Wang Jie stepped on Sword Step and pursued, casually throwing out a sword, which vanished in a flash. A fragment of a sleeve drifted down from midair, and then, nothing.
The assassin disappeared under the moonlight.
Wang Jie glanced at the sleeve on the ground, but didn’t try to keep it. After all, the assassin was a Wandering Star Realm expert, a killer. If it had come to a real fight, this person’s combat power would have surpassed even Wu Yun’s.
In less than a moment, a group of people arrived. They were members of the Four Path Marketplace enforcement team.
The Four Path Marketplace was composed of various factions, and the rule was clear: no fighting within the marketplace. Once outside, one could do as they pleased.
The commotion earlier had been large enough to naturally attract the enforcement team.
Wang Jie explained the situation and had Du Xian testify that he had been followed.
One of the officers asked, “Knowing you were being followed by an assassin, why did you still lure them into attacking?”
Wang Jie replied, “I didn’t know they were an assassin. I thought it was some kind of enemy. Wouldn’t I need to see who it was?”
“And did you see?”
“Of course. It was Gao Chi.”
…
Watching the enforcement team members leave with murderous intent, Wang Jie breathed a sigh of relief. Gao Chi should not be able to follow him any longer.
He turned back toward his path.
He hadn’t walked far when he stopped, standing motionless.
Under the silent black night, the shadows of the branches looked like monstrous, grotesque shapes.
Wang Jie slowly took out a Revive Pill and put it in his mouth. In that brief moment, he felt an overwhelming pressure, as if an invisible mountain had descended upon him, pressing the very sky and earth down. He couldn’t breathe.
Someone was still there.
And this person was beyond the Wandering Star Realm, unnoticed even by the enforcement team.
He wanted to call back the enforcement team but instinctively dared not make a sound, nor did he dare move.
Who was it?
Another assassin?
No, if it were another assassin, he might already be down.
Then who?
“You already noticed the assassin following you. Knowing their strength might not pose an absolute threat to your life, you lured them in, all while leading the enforcement team into believing an innocent person was behind you.”
Wang Jie’s eyes shifted. This voice came from no discernible direction, resonating from all around him.
Despite the loud voice, the sound of the wind and tree branches was still perfectly clear. This meant the speaker’s voice was suppressed within a fixed range, not spreading out.
“Facing an enemy two realms above yourself, using a Star Artifact and step techniques to defend, along with Thunder Pattern and the ability to read their attack trajectory… If I’m not mistaken, you should be able to use the Star Method. Oh, and you practice Lock Force, so you use the Lock Method.”
“More importantly, you can see the enemy’s—Qi.”
Wang Jie’s heart jolted. Qi. It was the first time since leaving Blue Star that he heard someone else mention this term.
“Senior, who are you?”
“Little fellow, I can see everything about you, but there is one thing I don’t understand. How do you divine?”
Wang Jie’s fingers trembled. He tried to locate the speaker, to observe the Qi, but he saw nothing.
“Don’t bother looking. You won’t find me. Since you can observe Qi, you should know it can be hidden, moved, and its intensity can be controlled.”
Wang Jie responded, “I only use information and methods to create trouble for those people, then solve their problems through divination. It’s not difficult.”
“Is that so? Do you think I’m foolish, or do you think they are?”
Wang Jie replied cautiously, “I wouldn’t dare. If Senior doesn’t believe me, you can ask Du Xian. She is the manager of the Star Dome Trading Hall.”
“Enough. Everyone has their secrets. I’m not interested in yours. Now, you can leave.”
Wang Jie tried to move, but found he could not.
Earlier, it had been instinctive fear that kept him still, but now, it felt as though an invisible force had him bound, preventing any movement.
“Senior, what do you mean?”
“Leave. If you can, I will give you a great reward.”
Wang Jie took a deep breath and said no more. This person did not seem to harbor ill intentions. Could they be an observer from the Star Dome Visage? It was not impossible. Otherwise, who else would do such a thing to him? It felt like a test.
He tried to move again, focusing on breaking free, but no matter how much strength he summoned, he remained immobile.
Qi and force merged.
Cracks appeared in the ground, and his body collapsed deeper into the earth, but still, he could not move.
He scanned his surroundings. As the force of Qi and star force merged, the surrounding void rippled. And then, he saw it. He saw the Qi—no, it wasn’t just Qi. It was Star Force, hidden beneath the void, Star Force.
He hadn’t been able to see this before.
How was this possible? It was beyond his understanding.
He stared at the Qi and Star Force. These two distinct powers had formed a kind of intersecting cage, trapping him in place. Yet it wasn’t their strength that trapped him; it was some form of invisible array, an array-like method that confined him without any clear origin.
What kind of method was this?
An array? No, he had seen many arrays before, but this wasn’t one. Arrays needed a continuous release of star force, like star-sealing stones, but the Star Force trapping him now dispersed like mist, without any apparent source.
Could Qi be released to this extent?
Wang Jie’s mind expanded.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his emotions, and let Qi and force merge.
The invisible flames burned, making the Qi and Star Force around him even more apparent. Suddenly, he had an idea. He took out the Star Disk, infused it with Qi, and watched as the Qi formed a symbol on the map: Lock.
It was as though he was trapped inside this word.
What about the Star Force?
He closed his eyes and mentally traced the position of the Star Force in the void, connecting the dots. Eventually, he discovered another word—Lock.
Both the Qi and the Star Force had been perfectly controlled.
The difference was immense. This was something he couldn’t even imagine before.
The two words—Lock—represented the difference between Heaven and Earth.
Wang Jie stared at the Star Disk, occasionally glancing around. He raised his hand, and the Qi spread, slashing diagonally in front of him, while simultaneously using Lock Force to slice horizontally along his left arm, interfering with the two “Lock” words. In that brief moment, he was able to move.
His foot hit the ground as he bolted forward, crashing into a nearby house. The house shattered on impact, and inside, an old man sat on a bed, staring at him in shock.
Wang Jie quickly apologized, offering compensation, and then left.
He was free.
Without hesitation, he headed toward a crowded place. The Four Path Marketplace had no curfew.
The streets were busy, lit up by the glowing taverns. The air was thick with perfume, and the sounds of lively chatter filled the night.
“Little fellow, care for a drink?”
Wang Jie turned to see the old man from before, sitting in a corner with a smile, looking very amiable.
It was him.
Wang Jie walked over and sat down. “Greetings, Senior.”
The old man waved to the waiter.
The waiter quickly brought over a pot of wine.
Wang Jie poured wine for the old man, watching as he sipped it with pleasure, a small dish of peanuts in front of him. He seemed completely at ease.
“Care for a cup?” the old man asked.
“Sure.” Wang Jie poured a drink for himself, took a sip, but found little interest.
Seeing the old man finish his cup, he poured another.
And so, the old man continued to drink, one cup after another. Before long, the pot was empty.
“Waiter, another one.”
Another pot of wine was brought.
The old man drank several pots before sighing in satisfaction. “Ah, that’s good.”
Wang Jie set the pot down, maintaining a respectful attitude.
The old man looked at Wang Jie, nodding in approval. “Not bad, not bad. Though you’re just a Lock Force practitioner, it’s not often I meet someone here at Zhi Academy who can observe Qi.”
“Allow me to introduce myself. I, the old man, am named Shu Rang, a Star Path Master.”
Wang Jie froze, looking at the old man in surprise. “Senior, you are a Star Path Master?”
Shu Rang smiled and picked up a peanut, eating it with relish.
Wang Jie was deeply shaken.
A Star Path Master. That was a legendary profession.
From what he knew, among cosmic cultivators, there were the Dao of Artifact Forging, Formation Dao, and Alchemy Dao—these were the mainstream paths. But above them was the Star Dao.
The Star Dao had no concrete records. He had heard only the name but didn’t understand its meaning.
He had once read a few scattered mentions of the Star Path Master in ancient texts at the Frost Radiance Sect, but those were just expressions of awe, not true explanations.
Even though no one understood the Star Dao, it was still regarded as supreme above all other Dao.
The Four Path Marketplace revolved around the Four Path Star Cluster, which was divided into four sections: Artifact, Formation, Alchemy, and Cultivation. However, one of these sections was now dedicated to Star Dao instead of Cultivation.
No matter who the Star Path Master was, Star Dao was always one of the Four Path Star Cluster’s pillars, irreplaceable.
Wang Jie had never imagined that a Star Path Master would take an interest in him.
He remained respectful, “Waiter, another pot of wine.”
Shu Rang looked at him with a smile. “Surprised? Well, yes, in this remote place of the Fourth Star Cloud, not many understand the Star Dao, but that doesn’t diminish its supreme status.”
Wang Jie asked curiously, “Senior, what is the Star Dao?”
“Star Dao, you ask? Well, it’s the way of manipulating the stars. That’s the Star Dao.”
“Manipulating the stars?” Wang Jie thought of Blue Star’s displacement, something that few in the Frost Radiance Sect could manage. Could this man…
Shu Rang laughed lightly. “Right now, you don’t understand. No rush, you’ll learn in time.”
Wang Jie hesitated. “Senior, why have you come to me?”
Shu Rang took out something familiar and placed it on the table. Wang Jie looked down and saw a Star Disk—so that’s what it was. He took out his own Star Disk, placing it beside it. Both disks were identical.
“Anyone who can use a Star Disk must be able to control Qi. I, the old man, am curious to see who in this Zhi Academy can use Qi. That’s why I came.”
“So, this Star Disk is Senior’s consignment in the shop?”
“Sort of. One hundred million starstones. If you’re willing to buy it, it means you understand the Star Disk. Not bad, right?”
This was true. If it were sold for a hundred thousand or a million starstones, some people would buy it, but they would never be able to use it. In the Fourth Star Cloud, training in Qi was nearly impossible.
“Senior not only cultivates Qi, but you also practice Star Force, right? I’ve heard that cultivating both powers at the same time doesn’t end well.” Wang Jie asked, curious.
Shu Rang looked pleased. “You missed a point.” He paused, took a sip of wine, and slowly added, “Unless you’re a Star Path Master.”
Wang Jie’s eyes brightened. “Then what about Lock Force?”
“That has no future.”
Wang Jie…