Chapter 176
Chapter 176: Seeking a Master
Shu Rang gazed at him with a tinge of regret: “How could you have chosen to cultivate Lock Force, such a dead-end power? Even if you didn’t want to cultivate, you could have focused on cultivating Qi. You could have waited to refine Starforce after stepping out, but now, well… there’s no future for you. What a pity, what a pity.”
“Really no future?” Wang Jie asked.
“At least not in this Bridge Pillar,” Shu Rang replied.
“Bridge Pillar?”
“Don’t think too much into it. I’ve investigated you, kid. The Starbreaking Realm can fight against the Wandering Star Realm. You’ve got some real talent. Even though Lock Force has no future, it doesn’t mean you can’t reach a higher level. If you could reach the Hundred Star Realm, that’d be quite an achievement. It’d be enough.”
Wang Jie didn’t expect that even the mysterious Star Path Master, who could cultivate both Qi and Force simultaneously without fear, would deem Lock Force as having no future. This left him somewhat disheartened.
“Kid, why are you in a daze? Pour some wine,” Shu Rang urged.
“Oh, coming right away,” Wang Jie replied.
Shu Rang took another hearty sip and smiled with satisfaction. “Look at that face of yours—what are you thinking? Everyone has their own fate. I, old man, have been through too much to just accept my fate. So what if there’s no future? If you could reach the Hundred Star Realm, even with no future, it’d still be a future that most people can only dream of.”
Wang Jie smiled bitterly: “Junior has always comforted himself this way.”
“Really? You’ve got quite the open mind.”
“….”
“Do you know why the Three Paths haven’t gone after you?”
Wang Jie wasn’t surprised that this Star Path Master had his life under close scrutiny: “Because of Su Le. Junior can refine pills, and Su Le has Bai Ye, the Heavenly Master, backing her.”
Shu Rang waved his hand: “People who know Bai Ye wouldn’t offend her, but they’re not afraid of her either—especially when it comes to core power struggles.”
“Then why is that?”
Shu Rang put down his wine cup, gave him a smile, and said, “Because they suspect you’re a Star Path Master.”
Wang Jie was taken aback—he hadn’t realized this before.
Shu Rang chuckled, “I’m glad to see you react this way. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Star Path Master or not. If there’s even the slightest possibility, they can’t act against you. That’s the position of a Star Path Master. Understand?”
Wang Jie nodded: “I understand.”
“Do you truly understand?”
Wang Jie was momentarily stunned, a sudden light flashing in his mind. He quickly knelt, “Disciple Wang Jie, pays respects to the respected teacher.”
His voice was loud enough for those around to hear, and everyone froze, staring at him in confusion.
Shu Rang yanked him up, irritated: “I didn’t mean for you to understand that much.”
“Huh? Isn’t this what you meant?”
“You think it’s that easy to become my disciple?”
“Please guide me, senior.”
Shu Rang glanced at the wine jug.
Wang Jie turned to the waiter: “I’ll buy out this wine stand.”
Shu Rang…
On the riverbank, with the night wind blowing and the stars twinkling, the moonlight gently cast its glow across the lake, creating a beautiful scene.
Wang Jie and Shu Rang sat in a pavilion, beside a wine stand filled with wine jugs.
“Kid, do you really want to become my disciple?” Shu Rang asked, his tone serious.
Wang Jie responded earnestly, “I would be honored.”
“Why?”
“Looking for a strong backing.”
Shu Rang chuckled, “At least you’re honest.”
Wang Jie, feeling a little embarrassed, explained: “I’ve been bullied all along and had to think of all sorts of ways to survive.”
Shu Rang nodded, “I’ll give you a pass for that. But becoming my disciple isn’t so easy. Right now, you can only be a registered disciple. Only when you reach the Wandering Star Realm can you officially be considered my disciple. Until then, you’re not qualified.”
Wang Jie quickly knelt again: “Disciple Wang Jie, pays respects to the respected teacher.”
Shu Rang looked down at him, his gaze complicated, as if filled with countless emotions. He seemed like he wanted to say something but couldn’t, and in the end, all he did was sigh.
Wang Jie was confused. Why the sigh? Was it because of his cultivation of Lock Force being so looked down upon?
“Get up,” Shu Rang said.
Wang Jie stood up.
Shu Rang walked towards the riverbank, stepping onto the river surface. He walked slowly toward the center, his arms spreading wide, and a Star Disk rose into the air, spreading its energy to the sky: “Star Path Master, using energy as a guide.”
Wang Jie looked up, utterly shocked.
What he saw was beyond imagination.
Shu Rang’s energy obscured the sky and spread outward, soon covering the entire Four Path Star Cluster.
The scenery around Wang Jie instantly changed. It felt as though he was being dragged through the Milky Way toward the Four Path Star Cluster. He could see the energy expanding, and the sheer magnitude of it was beyond comprehension.
He never imagined that someone’s energy could be this terrifying.
A measuring ruler also rose into the air—Shu Rang’s.
“Starforce as the ruler.”
The ruler in Wang Jie’s vision suddenly grew, quickly expanding beyond the boundaries of the Four Path Star Cluster, lying flat as if measuring the distance of the entire Star Cluster. Then, it stretched further, and Wang Jie looked toward the horizon, where he vaguely saw a spaceship floating. In comparison, the spaceship was no bigger than an ant.
“Measuring Star Dao.”
Stars were infinitely drawn closer to the two ends of the ruler.
“Measuring the heavens.”
The cosmos and the world stood, towering and unreachable.
The Star Disk and the ruler released energy and force simultaneously, forming two measuring lines that connected the four directions—up, down, left, right.
“Can measure the past, present, and future.”
The universe and the world moved, and the surroundings seemed to shift through time, as though witnessing the vast changes of the earth and sky.
Stars were born, and stars perished.
As the Star Disk and the ruler descended, the surrounding scenery of Wang Jie returned to normal. His body swayed, and he fell into the river. He didn’t know when, but he was already at the river’s center.
Shu Rang’s gaze fell, his pupils shining with endless starlight. In that moment, he looked so holy: “Wang Jie, now, do you understand what Star Dao is?”
Wang Jie, standing in the river, stared blankly. “Disciple… still doesn’t understand.”
He truly didn’t understand. Everything he had just witnessed was a shock, but he didn’t grasp the purpose of Star Dao. Measuring the distance between stars? Surely it wasn’t just that.
Shu Rang laughed heartily. “Of course you don’t understand. If merely witnessing that was enough to understand Star Dao, then Star Dao would be something everyone could grasp. Come up.”
Wang Jie snapped back to his senses, leaping from the river to the surface, soaking wet.
Shu Rang tossed the ruler to him.
Wang Jie caught it. Wasn’t this the same ruler that had covered the entire Four Path Star Cluster, reaching out to distant places?
“Star Path Masters have two essential tools. One is the Star Disk, which uses energy as a guide, and the other is the Star Measuring Ruler, which uses force as a measure. If you don’t cultivate Starforce, you can use Lock Force as your measure. It’ll work just as well.”
“This Heaven Measuring Ruler is yours now.”
Wang Jie quickly expressed his gratitude.
“By the way, here’s something else. Take a look for yourself.” Shu Rang threw over a thick book.
Wang Jie flipped through it: “Language?”
Shu Rang, hands behind his back, explained: “This is the exclusive language of Star Path Masters. From now on, whenever you interact with a Star Path Master, you’ll need to use this language.”
Wang Jie was in awe. “So advanced… They even have a dedicated language. The other three paths are truly nothing compared to this.”
Shu Rang walked toward the wine stand. “Now that you’re my registered disciple, you’re considered an entry-level Star Path Master disciple. There are some rules you need to remember.”
Wang Jie followed closely behind.
“Unless I permit it, never reveal your Star Path Master identity to anyone.”
“Never reveal anything about the Star Path Master.”
“Never disclose our relationship.”
“The most important rule.” He sat next to the wine stand, pouring himself a cup and shaking it lightly. “A Star Path Master’s fundamental duty is to maintain the normal operation of the universe’s stars. In the future, if you encounter other Star Path Masters, just stand firm on this principle. No matter what, this will always be our Star Path Master’s truth. No truth surpasses ours.”
Wang Jie respectfully said, “Disciple understands.”
Shu Rang was satisfied. “You sought me out for protection, but for now, you can’t reveal our relationship. You can still seek help from Su Le, Bai Ye, or anyone from your own family. If it gets too tough, then come find me.”
“But, if you seek my help, my opinion of you will drop.”
“Becoming a formal disciple is no easy feat. Right now, you’re barely even an entry-level Star Path Master disciple. Whether or not you truly have the fate to belong to this great path is up to you.”
Wang Jie bowed again. “Disciple understands.”
“There’s one more thing.” Shu Rang took a sip of wine, his gaze turning complex. “If you really succeed in your cultivation, you’ll need to help me with something. It’s a dangerous task, extremely dangerous, and there’s a ninety-nine percent chance it’ll cost you your life.”
Wang Jie’s heart sank—why didn’t he mention this earlier?
“You still have time to back out.”
Wang Jie didn’t hesitate: “Disciple will gladly help the master with anything. I’ll never regret it.”
Shu Rang gazed deeply at Wang Jie before smiling. “Good, as long as you don’t regret it. Of course, this task might bring you great joy and could even change your fate. But that’s something you’ll only have access to once you reach the Wandering Star Realm.”
“Learn Star Speech as soon as possible. I’ll come looking for you.”
“By the way, remember this: a Star Path Master surpasses everything. If you want to pursue Su Le, go ahead, I don’t mind. But she’s not fit to go far—at best, she can be a concubine.” With that, he left.
Wang Jie stood there, looking at the empty wine stand. All the wine was gone.
Turning around, the starlight by the river was dazzling, and everything that had just happened felt like a dream.
Had he really become a disciple?
A Star Path Master?
Even Su Le and Bai Ye, the Heavenly Master, weren’t considered worthy?
Was this real?
He still hadn’t fully processed it.
After the battle with the Wandering Star Realm assassin last night, he had become a disciple. Too much had happened, he needed some time to process.
As he returned to the shop, the training session was waiting for him.
He was glad it wasn’t in front of Shu Rang, or who knew if his actions would have been seen through.
Every training session increased his strength, and he was eager to see how powerful the limit of Starbreaking Realm could be.
Wait… wasn’t he supposed to find a place to stay? Why had he returned?
He lay down, exhausted, and fell asleep.
The next day, a knock on the door.
Wang Jie opened it, and outside stood Su Le.
This time, she wasn’t wearing the conical hat and white veil. She came directly.
“Someone tried to assassinate you?” she asked, stepping inside, her face flushed with anger, yet still adorable.
Wang Jie replied, “It was last night.”
Su Le fumed, “Unbelievable. I warned them already, yet they still dared to try this. Don’t worry, I’ll get an explanation for you.”
Wang Jie raised an eyebrow. “It wasn’t Gao Chi, I’m innocent.”
“I know. But it’s definitely connected to the Zhi family. Many at Zhi Academy listen to them. The Zhi family wouldn’t directly contact assassins.”
Wang Jie sighed. “Let it go. The Zhi family is so high up. I can’t afford to offend them.”
Su Le looked at him apologetically. “It’s my fault. If I hadn’t warned Master Bian and the others, they wouldn’t have used such methods against you.”
Wang Jie was about to say something when Su Le pulled out a pill bottle and handed it to him. “This is an apology. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again. Once Master exits seclusion, I’ll have her visit the Zhi Upper Realm and warn them. No one should mess with my master.”
Wang Jie remembered what Shu Rang had said. Was it true?
“What is this?”
“Swift Movement Pill. It boosts speed. If you ever face danger, take one first. It’s from the Fourth Fragrance.”
She really has money.
Wang Jie took it without hesitation.