Chapter 185
Chapter 185: It Ends Here
Sword upon sword pierced the gaps, preventing the Star Locking Formation from fully taking shape. Wang Jie swept forward using the Sword Step beneath his feet, fiercely shattering a Star Sealing Stone with a single strike. As the stone crumbled, the formation broke instantly. Wang Jie then swiftly shifted into Armor Eight Steps, vanishing through the void just as Wen Yuan’s attack closed in but failed to catch up.
Wen Yuan, seething in anger, was about to give chase when a sudden thought made him pause. Reluctantly, he watched as Wang Jie fled, helpless to pursue further.
Wang Jie released a quiet sigh of relief. [This Wen Yuan didn’t hold back because he couldn’t chase me; he has to stabilize the formation, or Li Cai would escape and take revenge on him.]
Li Cai’s hatred for Wang Jie was far greater than Wen Yuan’s. Wen Yuan feared Li Cai would kill him if freed, forcing him to strengthen the formation instead. [He ended up serving my purpose instead.]
Wang Jie tightly gripped the jade stone—finally, he had secured one.
He continued running, moving swiftly to create distance.
Behind him, Li Cai’s mocking laughter faintly echoed.
[Let’s hope that fellow doesn’t provoke Wen Yuan into silencing him.]
This battle shook the entire Devour Star.
Wen Yuan’s incredible formation amazed everyone.
Outside Devour Star, an elder watched in astonishment. Wen Yuan’s formation was breathtaking, and Li Cai’s Thunder Pattern combined with the Stacking Heavenly Light technique was impressive as well. But that disciple…the elder found himself struggling to describe him—his methods weren’t exactly despicable, yet his conduct was certainly disgraceful.
Someone nearby asked curiously, “Whose disciple is that? Snatching the jade from Wen Yuan is not easy. Especially that sword technique—does Black White Heaven even possess such sword arts?”
The elder replied calmly, “Black White Heaven has existed for countless ages; who knows the full extent of its techniques? Besides, each disciple encounters their own fortunes; best not to pry.” After a pause, he added quietly, “But this old man is indeed curious about whose disciple he is.”
“Is Elder tempted?”
“Just curious.”
Elsewhere, the old woman Little Blue also witnessed the scene.
Initially drawn by Wen Yuan’s formation, her attention soon landed on a familiar face that others did not recognize. She knew the person as Qiu Chou from the Lock Path Interval. [Wasn’t he supposed to have died at Sword Mastery Heaven? Why is he here?]
After a brief reflection, realization dawned. [Only Wang Jie would know this identity.]
Seeing Wang Jie escape the formation safely, she exhaled softly. [This kid truly has many tricks—and a bold heart. Snatching something right from Wen Yuan…if Li Cai hadn’t distracted Wen Yuan, he’d surely be doomed.]
[Let’s hope he doesn’t perish here.]
On Devour Star, Wang Jie hid inside a mountain cave, examining the jade stone in his palm.
The jade carried a single engraved word—”Black.”
Black and White represented two jade stones. Whoever gathered both stones and presented them to the elder outside Devour Star would claim ownership of Devour Star itself.
Acquiring this one was mostly luck. Without Wen Yuan plotting against Li Cai, Wang Jie knew he would never have succeeded.
[What about the other stone, then?]
At that moment, Wang Jie was unaware that his appearance had already been spread throughout Devour Star. Wen Yuan, having glimpsed Wang Jie’s face, had broadcasted news of the stolen jade stone everywhere.
Those who had previously teamed with Wang Jie were left dumbfounded.
“Brother Qiu?”
They’d assumed he had died beneath the Star Method formation, yet now he had stirred such trouble. How bold did one have to be to rob a Wandering Star Realm cultivator? And just how was he able to do it? It was unbelievable.
Qiu Chou’s image soon reached Zhi Shu’s eyes.
Zhi Shu stared at Qiu Chou’s face, sensing familiarity. After a moment, she remembered. [Isn’t this the lone Wandering Star Realm cultivator from Lock Path Interval?]
Back then, to defeat Wang Jie, she’d considered exploiting Qiu Chou. However, Qiu Chou had stolen Shen Wang’s materials, preventing her plan. She had closely examined his appearance at that time.
[Why is this person here? He supposedly died at Lock Path Interval. It must be Wang Jie.] She stood, her gaze fixed intensely on his eyes. [This man is Wang Jie.]
[No wonder no one on Devour Star could find him.]
[Let’s see how you hide this time.]
She immediately spread the truth: Qiu Chou was Wang Jie. Soon, everyone knew.
“What? He’s the lock force cultivator Wang Jie?”
“I’ve seen him before.”
“Nonsense, so have I.”
“Brother Qiu…he’s the lock force cultivator we’ve been looking for? But wasn’t he cultivating star force?”
“Appearances and star force can both be disguised; we didn’t examine closely enough.”
“What a treacherous fellow!”
“Wait, it was said earlier he already obtained one jade stone; wouldn’t this count as the second? Does that mean he has both now?”
“Impossible.”
“You actually believe that? Before it was false; now it’s true. He truly has a jade stone.”
Zhong Yu stared in shock at the image on-screen. He recognized this person from the group earlier. [That was Wang Jie? Unbelievable—I didn’t notice at all.]
“Senior Brother, it’s this Junior Brother’s fault,” Zhong Yu admitted guiltily.
Standing before him was Ye Huang, who calmly replied, “No matter. I meant to protect him, but if he missed that opportunity, so be it. Everyone has their own fate.”
Zhong Yu asked hesitantly, “What about the jade stone?”
Ye Huang gazed into the distance. “Leave it to destiny.”
Elsewhere, Huo Xiao had no such luck. Yun Ju kicked him fiercely, sending him sprawling and coughing blood.
“You worthless wretch! You can’t even distinguish lock force from star force? He was right next to you, and you let him escape?”
Huo Xiao begged, “Please give me one more chance, Young Master. I swear I’ll find him and tear him apart.”
Yun Ju coldly sneered, “You? That man could snatch the jade from Wen Yuan himself—could you? Get out of my sight. Don’t let me see you again.”
Huo Xiao staggered away, eyes burning with hatred.
Yun Ju stared at the image of Qiu Chou, murmuring coldly, “Kid, you won’t get far.”
Days later, hidden in a derelict spaceship, Wang Jie learned about these events. Now, Qiu Chou’s appearance was useless. Besides Zhi Qing’s group and Yun Ju’s people, Li Cai and Wen Yuan would surely hunt him down. With so many powerful enemies, he had to adopt another disguise.
He stepped out of the ship, and at that exact moment, a young man approached directly, meeting Wang Jie’s gaze head-on.
They stood face-to-face.
The young man’s eyes shifted—from puzzlement to excitement, then blazing eagerness.
Wang Jie also felt excitement swell within him. [Perfect timing.]
“Wang Jie!” The man burst forward, striking with a palm, unable to suppress his smile at his incredible luck.
Wang Jie was delighted too—he needed a new face, and here was a low-key yet capable Star Breaking Realm cultivator.
He raised his hand, catching the palm strike head-on.
Their palms clashed explosively, star force and lock force erupting, destroying the spaceship and cracking the ground. Wang Jie’s expression changed as his arm bent slightly under the unexpected force. He swiftly pushed back, astonished by the other’s strength.
The young man thought he’d overwhelmed Wang Jie, only to find him immovable as an ancient tree, firmly rooted and immovable, pushing him back instead.
[Impossible!]
They separated, each shocked by the other’s power.
“Who are you?” Wang Jie asked, meeting someone able to match him for the first time.
“Impressive for an ant to attract Zhi Upper Realm’s attention. You cultivate lock force yet remain strong. I am Zhi Nan Xing,” the man replied proudly.
Wang Jie understood. [The Zhi family controls the entire Fourth Star Cloud—no wonder he’s strong.]
“No need to hide. Everyone already knows your disguise,” said Zhi Nan Xing, attacking again.
Wang Jie used Armor Eight Steps, vanishing instantly, shocking Zhi Nan Xing.
Behind him, Wang Jie unleashed Heaven and Earth Luo Xuan Finger. Zhi Nan Xing quickly countered but underestimated Wang Jie’s strike, forced backward repeatedly.
Wang Jie punched again, powerfully striking a bronze scroll artifact Zhi Nan Xing summoned defensively, sending him crashing backward, coughing blood.
Wang Jie reached for the scroll, but it transformed into twelve bronze scrolls swirling around him, slicing and blocking his path.
Zhi Nan Xing smiled grimly. “You forced out my Zhi Family’s Spring-Autumn Hands.”
Wang Jie swiftly evaded using Armor Eight Steps, admiring the technique’s tight defense.
“No wonder you’re from Fixed Star Zhi Family; truly remarkable.”
Zhi Nan Xing sighed inwardly, knowing he could only defend himself.
“No matter,” Wang Jie declared, stepping forward decisively, raising his finger. “It ends here—Starry Finger!”