Chapter 201

Chapter 201: Three Battles

Wang Jie held his bow, but he couldn’t help lifting his head to look at White Realm Lord Jun Qian.

It was his first time seeing a realm lord in person.

Jun Qian looked like a refined middle-aged man. Every gesture carried a restrained warmth, yet his eyes were sharp and deep—calm, watchful, and wise. Standing there, he seemed slightly out of place with the world around him, as though the space itself had adjusted to accommodate him.

This was the Star-Refining Realm.

It felt different from Elder Xue Yin.

White Realm Lord Jun Qian clearly hadn’t been in the Star-Refining Realm for long, while Elder Xue Yin had stepped into it long ago, and the traces on her were far fainter.

But Star-Refining was still Star-Refining. The moment he appeared, everyone felt pressed down.

Qi Xue Yin bowed with perfect courtesy. “Junior greets White Realm Lord.”

White Realm Lord Jun Qian looked at her and smiled. “I once visited the Milky Way Defense Corporation. Back then, your second brother was still small. I even held him, but this is our first time meeting.”

Qi Xue Yin smiled. “Second Brother often mentions White Realm Lord too.”

“He said Senior is gentle and elegant—not like a cultivator at all. More like a schoolteacher.”

White Realm Lord Jun Qian laughed. “That little kid is mischievous. Next time I see him, I’ll teach him a lesson.”

Qi Xue Yin smiled but didn’t answer.

White Realm Lord Jun Qian’s gaze swept over the people behind her. “Three realms, three battles. Girl, did you come prepared to embarrass Uncle Jun?”

Qi Xue Yin’s eyes shone. “Junior truly came to seek guidance. I want to see the power of Black-White Heaven’s Roam-Refining Scripture and Great Domain Scripture.”

“And back then, Senior Sister Wan Yin made quite a name in the First Nebula.”

“With geniuses like Senior Sister Wan Yin, Black-White Heaven still has five more. Junior also wants to broaden her horizons.”

White Realm Lord Jun Qian chuckled. “You’re a sly little girl.”

“Fine. We’ll fight somewhere else.”

As his words fell, the space around them twisted. In an instant, an indescribable sensation wrapped around everyone—and then lifted them into the sky.

Wang Jie felt as if he’d been cut off from the universe.

It was unfamiliar, and strangely intimate, as though he’d been pulled much closer to White Realm Lord Jun Qian. He could even faintly hear the man’s heartbeat.

When he looked again, stars streaked past in the cosmic dark. In a blink, they had left the Zhi Study Valley far behind.

This was the strength of the Star-Refining Realm.

In an instant, they crossed an unknown distance.

Then Wang Jie saw a magnificent mountain gate upheld by countless stars. It was a strange structure built directly into the starry sky. Massive beasts circled the area, and stairways connected to a ring-sect corridor that stretched into the far distance.

Five-colored light flowed like a living aura—dazzling, beautiful.

Behind the grand hall, black and white split the starry sky, bringing a heavy pressure that made people instinctively lower their voices.

This was Black-White Heaven.

Wang Jie had been in the Fourth Nebula for so long, and he was finally seeing the sect that had taken him in.

It was immense, as though it needed billions of stars to fill it.

From afar, countless buildings floated and linked together. Then, in the next moment, they arrived at a plaza where many Black-White Heaven disciples had been sparring.

As White Realm Lord Jun Qian brought them in, the disciples bowed and retreated.

They didn’t actually leave. They gathered around the plaza to watch, faces bright with excitement, calling other disciples over in quick, urgent whispers.

Si Shang He glanced at White Realm Lord Jun Qian. He hadn’t expected to be brought here.

The Milky Way Defense Corporation had clearly come prepared. Weren’t they afraid of losing even more badly on Black-White Heaven’s own ground?

Wang Jie wondered the same thing.

Stands surrounded the plaza. Everyone took their seats.

White Realm Lord Jun Qian looked at Qi Xue Yin. “Girl, your people can go up now.”

“If Black-White Heaven is going to fight, we’ll do it openly. No matter what you’ve prepared, we can win, and we can lose.”

Qi Xue Yin praised him smoothly. “Father said White Realm Lord was broad-minded. It’s true.”

“Junior admires you.”

She glanced back.

A short young man stepped out, leapt into the plaza, and bowed toward the stands. “Ghost Arrow, please enlighten me.”

White Realm Lord Jun Qian clasped his hands behind his back. “Shen Zhao.”

“You will face him.”

A man walked out from the crowd holding a long black saber. He stepped onto the platform and stopped in front of Ghost Arrow. “Black-White Heaven, Shen Zhao. Please enlighten me.”

Wang Jie stood behind the crowd and looked up.

Whispers rose around him—mostly from disciples familiar with the Three Paths.

“Shen Zhao?”

“He’s actually in the sect?”

“They say he’s our number one at the Star-Breaking Realm, and he’s earned merit on the Star-Cloud Battlefield.”

“That ‘number one’ is questionable. Didn’t you hear that during the star-devourer fight, someone at the Star-Breaking Realm beat countless experts—even a Zhi family Roaming-Star cultivator?”

“Just listen to that kind of talk. You believe it?”

“Of course not.”

Su Le stood beside Wang Jie and said softly, “Master should have gone up. I refuse to believe anyone below the Roaming-Star Realm can beat Master.”

Wang Jie kept his tone modest. “There’s always someone stronger. The First Nebula seems far more powerful than the Fourth Nebula.”

Su Le didn’t argue. That part was true.

She used to believe Senior Sister Wan Yin was invincible among her peers in both battle and pills, but she had lost too.

“Begin,” White Realm Lord Jun Qian said.

The moment his voice fell, the match started.

Shen Zhao took a single step forward and swung his saber at Ghost Arrow.

On the battlefield, only the brave survived. The more you hid, the faster you died.

Ghost Arrow clearly specialized in archery. Shen Zhao’s only chance was to close the distance.

Ghost Arrow lifted his eyes and raised a hand. No one saw what he did, but an arrow suddenly appeared and stabbed toward Shen Zhao.

Shen Zhao cut it with his saber—clang!

The impact knocked him back, and the force nearly tore the saber from his grip.

The crowd jolted.

Wang Jie’s eyelid twitched.

Eight-Cloud Arrow.

In the distance, Qi Xue Yin glanced at Wang Jie.

That’s right—it was Eight-Cloud Arrow.

Ghost Arrow had been seconded to the Jia Yi Sect, and with his rare talent he had mastered one of the Jia Yi Sect’s eighteen ultimate techniques. He couldn’t compare to Yun Lai, who could control the entire Eight-Cloud Arrow within the Ten Seals, but it was still terrifying.

Back on Blue Star, Yun Lai had destroyed a city with a single arrow. Only Bai Yuan’s Jia Yi Divine Sword had suppressed Eight-Cloud Arrow.

Wang Jie had crushed it with raw power back then.

That made it hard for others to see how monstrous Eight-Cloud Arrow really was.

But if it ranked among the Jia Yi Sect’s eighteen ultimate techniques, it deserved the name.

Jia Eight Steps was also one of those eighteen, and Wang Jie had used it this whole time without meeting an equal.

Shen Zhao stared at Ghost Arrow in shock, then charged again.

Wang Jie sighed.

It was already decided.

He had barely survived the first arrow. How could he take the next?

The strongest part of Eight-Cloud Arrow wasn’t the instant it was shot, but the moment it was controlled.

Eight-Cloud Arrow could defend.

It wasn’t just archery.

Sure enough, with the second and third arrows, Shen Zhao couldn’t get close at all. Each impact knocked him back and shattered his momentum, forcing him to pour out starforce.

When his dense starforce burst outward, the entire plaza grew heavy.

Gravity.

Shen Zhao cultivated gravity starforce, and his saber style was heavy, perfectly suited to it.

Once the starforce spread, some of the pressure eased. He tried to suppress the arrows with gravity.

White Realm Lord Jun Qian sighed softly. “It’s actually Eight-Cloud Arrow. Girl, borrowing the Jia Yi Sect’s ultimate technique can’t be cheap. The price must be high.”

Qi Xue Yin smiled. “Not too bad. The Milky Way Defense Corporation produces things exclusively for the Jia Yi Sect. We’re practically family.”

“If Black-White Heaven is interested, we can let outstanding disciples be seconded to us. I’ll find a way for them to compete for a chance to enter the Jia Yi Sect.”

“The slots are few, but geniuses from your sect should be able to seize them.”

Si Shang He’s eyes lit up. “Truly?”

Qi Xue Yin nodded. “Of course.”

If it happened, it would be a massive benefit to Black-White Heaven.

Once you entered the Jia Yi Sect, the environment, the resources, your horizons—everything changed.

Until now, the only ones seconded to the First Nebula who had made names for themselves were the Six-Path Roamers, and they were on an entirely different level from the rest of the sect.

If they could cultivate more disciples like that…

Thinking of it, Si Shang He stopped caring about this match’s win or loss. His mind went straight to what came after.

On the platform, Shen Zhao roared and unleashed all his starforce. It spread from his saber into a massive saber glow that chopped down like a falling cliff.

But he didn’t notice the arrow that had already flown past him—circling back.

“Senior Brother Shen, watch out!” someone shouted.

Too late.

Shen Zhao’s blade fell and was blocked by two arrows, but another arrow pierced his shoulder. His body went slack, and his saber slipped from his fingers.

The saber hit the ground with a light clang.

Blood dripped down his arm.

His face went pale. Helpless, he said, “I lost.”

Ghost Arrow remained calm. “Thank you.”

Only after they left the platform did everyone realize Ghost Arrow had not moved even half a step the entire time.

The gap was enormous.

Black-White Heaven’s disciples fell silent.

White Realm Lord Jun Qian didn’t seem to care. “Second match. Full-Star Realm.”

“Qing Po,” he said, “you will fight.”

Si Shang He looked startled. “Qing Po?”

“She’s back?”

White Realm Lord Jun Qian nodded.

Qi Xue Yin asked curiously, “Is this disciple special?”

White Realm Lord Jun Qian smiled. “Nothing special. Her surname is Zhi.”

Qi Xue Yin’s eyes widened. “Someone from the Zhi family?”

“No wonder.”

Then her smile sharpened. “Now this is interesting. Fixed-Chen Zhi family.”

A woman behind her stepped out at nearly the same time Zhi Qing Po climbed onto the platform.

“Azure, please enlighten me.”

“Zhi Qing Po, please enlighten me.”

“Begin,” White Realm Lord Jun Qian said.

The two women attacked at once.

Zhi Qing Po released twelve bronze slips—Spring-Autumn Hand.

Azure raised her arm, drew her saber, then gripped the blade in her right hand and the hilt in her left, shifting into a strange stance.

Si Shang He spoke, voice low and precise. “Guillotine Platform. The Milky Way Defense Corporation’s battle art, and also a Qi family battle art.”

Qi Xue Yin nodded. “Azure is a distant relative of the Qi family. Because of her talent, she was allowed to cultivate this move.”

“If I remember right,” Qi Xue Yin continued, “Guillotine Platform requires cultivating two kinds of starforce at the same time.”

“Correct,” Si Shang He said.

The twelve bronze slips rushed at Azure.

Azure swung saber and sheath together, striking the bronze slips in rapid succession. Even when the twelve slips surrounded her, none could get close.

Zhi Qing Po thrust a palm forward, and a bone-chilling white current swept in—an unusual starforce: Eternal Freeze.

Azure lifted saber and sheath together. Light bloomed around her, spreading upward and forming something like a small house above her head.

“Earth Bastion,” Si Shang He said. “A defensive trait condensed with starforce. Also a Qi family battle art.”

“You treat this girl pretty well,” he added, eyeing Qi Xue Yin.

Wang Jie, watching from the back, widened his eyes.

Through qi sight, he could see two different currents cycling through Azure’s body. Like Elder Si said, two kinds of starforce.

It was his first time seeing someone cultivate two at once.

Then—

The air on the platform trembled.

Earth Bastion collapsed.

Wang Jie’s gaze tightened.

Fixed-Star Technique.

Mo Wan Yin couldn’t help blurting it out, shock cutting through her composure. “Fixed-Star Technique.”