Chapter 200

Chapter 200: White Realm Lord

Wang Jie looked away. “No.”

“I’m more curious why you came here.”

Qi Xue Yin answered evenly, “To discuss cooperation.”

Wang Jie nodded. “All right. We’ve talked long enough. Let’s go.”

“You’re afraid people will find out we know each other?”

“A little.”

“For our old friendship’s sake, don’t make things hard for me.”

Qi Xue Yin’s lips curved. “Old friends?”

“Back on Blue Star, we barely spoke.”

“You were pretty cold back then.”

“I felt inferior.”

Qi Xue Yin gave a small nod. “Fine.”

“I can also help you deal with a problem.”

“You mean Yun Ju? He doesn’t seem friendly to you. Want me to handle it?”

“It’s one word from me.”

“Do as you like.”

Wang Jie had never been the type to refuse help. When you were stuck at the bottom, what was there to turn down?

People were dying to know what Qi Xue Yin had said to Wang Jie, but the two of them kept their mouths shut. No one could pry an answer out.

Only one person asked without the slightest shame.

“What did you two talk about?”

Celestial Master Bai Ye looked positively eager, eyes practically glowing.

Wang Jie stared at her. “Nothing. I was just curious how a lockforce cultivator could reach the Star-Refining Realm.”

Celestial Master Bai Ye rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Star-Refining is all about attaching yourself to a powerhouse. Once you reach the Star-Refining Realm, it stops meaning anything.”

“As the Third Miss of the Milky Way Defense Corporation, you’ve been in the First Nebula for ages. Star-Refining is common there. Why would you care about a Chen Refiner?”

Wang Jie had no idea how to answer.

Celestial Master Bai Ye huffed, then put on a deliberately aggrieved look. “You won’t teach me star speech. You lied and said it had nothing to do with Star Dao. Now you’re lying about this too, Wang Jie. In such a short time, you’ve tricked me twice.”

Wang Jie met her gaze and caught the laughter she wasn’t bothering to hide. Helpless, he said, “Senior, I really didn’t lie.”

He just couldn’t say it.

And no normal person would ask those two questions. They were impossible demands.

Celestial Master Bai Ye gave a pointed snort and turned away.

Mo Wan Yin hurried over to smooth things over. She knew her master was asking far too much.

“Master only cares about making pills and rarely deals with the outside world,” Mo Wan Yin said apologetically. “She doesn’t understand a lot of things. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Wang Jie actually found Celestial Master Bai Ye refreshingly genuine—almost disarming—in the cultivation world.

What happened between Yun Ju and Wang Jie was only a small incident. It didn’t change anything at the pill assembly.

The people Qi Xue Yin brought forward challenged Black-White Heaven on the Pill Path.

“I’ve long heard of Celestial Master Bai Ye,” a young woman said as she stepped out. “The Milky Way Defense Corporation’s alchemy branch would like to exchange pointers with your lineage. Would you allow it?”

She looked about the same age as Mo Wan Yin. Until now she’d kept a low profile, so no one expected her to be the one to speak.

Celestial Master Bai Ye exchanged a glance with Si Shang He and the others, then nodded.

They’d come to challenge them in person. Refusing would only invite ridicule.

Naturally, the one to accept was Mo Wan Yin.

As Celestial Master Bai Ye’s leading disciple—and the senior among the younger generation—she was not only one of the Six-Path Roamers, but also a master alchemist on the Pill Path.

Qi Xue Yin watched Mo Wan Yin with a smile. “Senior Sister is outstanding in combat, and your talent on the Pill Path is just as incredible. Junior Sister admires you.”

Mo Wan Yin returned a few polite lines, but she didn’t relax for even a heartbeat.

They had come on purpose. This wouldn’t be simple.

The young woman faced her across the space.

Wang Jie didn’t know the exact rules of an alchemy duel, but the match began without delay.

Two identical cauldrons. Identical ingredients. Two master alchemists. One used lightning to control the flame; the other released a dazzling purple fire.

“Purpleflame Meltfire?”

“That flame is best for tempering meridians. It’s my first time seeing someone use it to refine pills.”

“It’s an unusual starforce. Of course it can be used for pill refining.”

“We just haven’t seen it before.”

“Senior Sister Wan Yin will definitely win. She’s unmatched in both pills and cultivation.”

Everyone watched closely.

At first, they looked evenly matched. Their rhythm and speed were nearly identical. The only obvious difference was the flame itself.

Heat rippled outward in waves.

They were refining the Revival Pill—the most common pill for the Roaming-Star Realm.

As time passed, Wang Jie’s expression darkened. Mo Wan Yin was falling behind.

Others couldn’t tell, but he could see their pill-refining states through qi sight.

The Revival Pill wasn’t difficult. The real test was speed without sacrificing quality.

The murmurs around him made the criteria plain.

Speed and quality.

Mo Wan Yin pushed her pace, using lightning to sharpen her control, but her opponent’s Purpleflame Meltfire was faster. Years of tempering her meridians with Purpleflame Meltfire had likely made the starforce in her body flow smoother.

If speed weren’t part of the test, the outcome would be hard to call. But now—

Before long, the young woman completed her pill.

Mo Wan Yin finished ten breaths later.

Celestial Master Bai Ye watched without any visible change in expression.

A scent bird was brought over. It sniffed the young woman’s pills first and chirped three times—a three-scent Revival Pill. Achieving that quality at that speed was already impressive.

If one aimed for four scents, the time would increase.

Since the test was speed and quality, three scents was the best balance.

Once the young woman’s pill was confirmed as three scents, the result was essentially decided. Mo Wan Yin’s Revival Pill could not exceed three scents at that pace.

Sure enough, the scent bird chirped three times again.

Same quality.

But Mo Wan Yin had been slower.

“Thank you,” the young woman said.

“Thank you,” Mo Wan Yin replied.

Mo Wan Yin lost.

Si Shang He announced the result on the spot.

Qi Xue Yin smiled at Celestial Master Bai Ye. “We only won by taking a shortcut. Long-term tempering with Purpleflame Meltfire made our master alchemist’s starforce flow smoother, and Senior Sister Wan Yin is better at fighting. This win isn’t glorious.”

Celestial Master Bai Ye waved it off. “A loss is a loss. There’s no excuse.”

Then she looked at the young woman. “You’re very good. Given time, you’ll reach the master level.”

The young woman bowed respectfully, clearly grateful.

Qi Xue Yin turned to a burly man beside her. “We came from the First Nebula, and we’re curious about the Fourth Nebula’s Three Paths—pills, arrays, and forging. How about we compete in those as well?”

“Senior Ling.”

That man was Ling Chang, Black-White Heaven’s only Saint Artisan. His status matched Celestial Master Bai Ye’s, and he could forge with ninth-grade materials.

Ling Chang met Qi Xue Yin’s faintly provocative gaze and grinned. “Sure. Let us see the First Nebula’s forging methods too.”

Si Shang He’s brow furrowed.

Qi Xue Yin’s eyes shifted to an old man who had remained silent in the corner the entire time, standing opposite Wang Jie.

“And Senior Xuan?”

“The Array Path is deep and unfathomable. Reaching the Clear-Illumination Realm earns respect. Even in the First Nebula, there aren’t many like that.”

“I’m sure Senior Xuan won’t be stingy about teaching us a few moves.”

The old man looked at her. “Girl, trying to crush all three paths won’t be easy.”

Qi Xue Yin smiled. “Just exchanging pointers.”

Xuan Shen glanced at Si Shang He.

Si Shang He nodded.

Black-White Heaven accepted the challenge.

They’d thought this would be only a pill assembly, but Qi Xue Yin had come to challenge all Three Paths. That meant the forging meet and the array meet would be dragged forward.

Alchemy had already fallen.

Now only forging and arrays remained.

Celestial Master Bai Ye suddenly asked, “You didn’t bring anyone from Star Dao to challenge us?”

The moment she spoke, the entire crowd froze.

Even Si Shang He and Qi Xue Yin looked stunned.

Star Dao.

A truly mysterious existence. Not only was it rare in the Fourth Nebula—it was rare even in the First Nebula.

Any Star Dao master held an exalted status.

Qi Xue Yin’s expression sobered. “Black-White Heaven has a Star Dao master?”

Before Celestial Master Bai Ye could answer, Si Shang He cut in. “Of course not.”

“We’re just curious,” Celestial Master Bai Ye said, breezily innocent. “With the Milky Way Defense Corporation’s ability, what kind of shock would it be if you brought a Star Dao master?”

Qi Xue Yin looked from Celestial Master Bai Ye to Si Shang He, then laughed. “A Star Dao master wouldn’t take orders from us. If Black-White Heaven has one, Junior would like to pay a visit.”

“We don’t have one either,” Si Shang He said.

Qi Xue Yin nodded and didn’t press further, and the crowd moved toward the forging area.

Wang Jie shot Celestial Master Bai Ye a look. This senior really wasn’t as old as she acted. When she couldn’t win, she tried to scare them with a Star Dao master.

The truth was, Black-White Heaven did have a Star Dao master. Just now, Wang Jie’s heart had nearly jumped into his throat. He’d been terrified she might say his name.

Celestial Master Bai Ye looked pleased with herself. With one sentence, she had not only rattled Qi Xue Yin’s group—she had also baited that little kid.

Yes, she’d said it on purpose. The moment the words left her mouth, she’d watched Wang Jie.

Sure enough, she’d caught the flicker of unease in his face. He couldn’t hide it.

Little brat. You’re definitely a Star Dao master.

You just haven’t started learning yet.

That old bastard was ruthless—taking a lockforce cultivator as an apprentice. Wasn’t he afraid the kid would die young?

The forging match was straightforward: forging.

Qi Xue Yin’s side brought an expert artisan who could forge with sixth-grade materials. Black-White Heaven sent someone of the same level.

They competed in technique.

Wang Jie still didn’t fully understand the subtleties, but through qi sight he could tell Qi Xue Yin’s side won.

They had come prepared.

Unless Black-White Heaven wanted to be shameless and crush them with higher-realm power, this was the result.

Last came the Array Path.

Outsiders couldn’t see much. With Seal-Chen Stone set, wind and clouds churned inside the formation. No one could make out what was happening until Si Shang He announced Qi Xue Yin’s side had won.

Three rounds.

Three losses.

Black-White Heaven’s people wore grim expressions.

Was the gap really this large?

They had sent the best among the same realms and still lost.

And the people the other side had sent might not even be their best.

This was the difference between the Fourth Nebula and the First Nebula.

Si Shang He’s face had gone sour.

Qi Xue Yin kept calling it a trick, but the cultivation world didn’t care about fairness.

“Your Three Paths in the Fourth Nebula truly opened Junior’s eyes,” Qi Xue Yin said lightly. “But in the end, the cultivation world values cultivation and battle. Black-White Heaven unified the Fourth Nebula, so your true strength should be combat, right?”

“Junior dares to ask Black-White Heaven to enlighten us.”

Si Shang He narrowed his eyes. “What else do you want to compete in?”

By now everyone could taste it.

This competition wasn’t simple.

And Qi Xue Yin’s group hadn’t come to Black-White Heaven without reason.

Maybe the matches were tied to their real purpose.

Qi Xue Yin smiled. “Star-Breaking, Full-Star, Roaming-Star.”

“Three realms. Each side can send one person per realm. Junior happens to have brought three people, and I’d like Black-White Heaven to enlighten us.”

“Is that acceptable?”

At this point, Black-White Heaven couldn’t avoid it.

If they refused, they would be laughed to death.

“Fine,” Si Shang He said.

“Black-White Heaven accepts.”

A voice came from afar, drawing every head.

As the person arrived—

Black-White Heaven’s people all bowed. “Greetings, White Realm Lord.”

“We greet White Realm Lord.”

The newcomer was White Realm Lord Jun Qian.