Chapter 205
Chapter 205: Skeletal Clan
Heavenly Master Bai Ye suddenly changed her tone, smiling lightly as she said, “Of course, now there is a second possibility.” Her lips curved in amusement. “Perhaps you truly don’t know Star Dao, because the one who taught you qi cultivation wasn’t that old fellow, but someone from the First Star Cloud.”
Wang Jie sighed helplessly, replying, “Senior, you’re overthinking again.”
“Hmph! Does that Qi Xue Yin not know you?”
“She does.”
“I mean before.”
“No, she didn’t.”
“You’re lying again. Do you think we’re fools? Would she offend White Realm Lord’s disciple just for a celestial refinement master? You think she’s that kind-hearted? Kid, you’ve deceived me far too much in this short while.”
Wang Jie knew many people suspected his relationship with Qi Xue Yin, yet without proof, they didn’t press the issue.
But this Heavenly Master Bai Ye truly had no boundaries. She asked everything, always prying into personal secrets.
After several days of torment under Bai Ye, Qi Xue Yin finally sought him out. She asked him to attend the bridge building ceremony disguised as a representative from Galaxy Combat Equipment Company, handing him an extremely ordinary mask.
Wang Jie squeezed the mask, almost crushing it. He frowned. “Is this thing even useful?”
Qi Xue Yin confidently replied, “Of course not.”
Wang Jie stared at her in shock.
She smiled slightly, “It may be useless, but who would say anything?”
Wang Jie understood her meaning, but even if others didn’t care, he did. If the people from Black White Heaven saw Qi Xue Yin taking him to witness bridge building, what would they think? That it was because of his charm?
After struggling for a moment, under Qi Xue Yin’s urging, he reluctantly put on the mask and departed.
Compared to the temptation of witnessing the bridge building, he’d rather have used another excuse—especially since many had already seen through their connection during the Pill Assembly.
The bridge building held special significance in Wang Jie’s heart—not because of the bridge law itself, but because Blue Star had once endured a bridge building ceremony. He wanted to witness from another angle just what kind of despair he’d previously experienced.
Only five people went to the bridge building site. Aside from Qi Xue Yin and Wang Jie, there were three others: Zhi Ye, Zhi Lan Xue, and Luan Dao.
Zhi Lan Xue was from Black White Heaven and was herself a Six Dao Wanderer. With the surname Zhi and her status, it made sense.
However, Wang Jie didn’t expect Zhi Ye to attend instead of White Realm Lord.
Zhi Ye noticed Wang Jie but, just as Qi Xue Yin had said, no one seemed to care.
Zhi Lan Xue didn’t care either. Luan Dao paid even less attention, not even glancing his way.
The bridge building site was located within the Fourth Star Cloud, territory belonging to Black White Heaven. Normally, benefits from such ceremonies wouldn’t be shared with Galaxy Combat Equipment Company. But the universe didn’t follow normal rules; once others knew, disagreement meant war, and even Black White Heaven had no choice.
Even a colossal power occupying an entire Star Cloud was helplessly constrained. Wang Jie felt reassured that his decision to avoid the First Star Cloud was correct.
Even with Zhi Ye’s speed, it took nearly ten days to reach the bridge building location from Black White Heaven’s main sect.
Looking at the distant Dark Red Planet, Wang Jie gazed into the starry sky but saw nothing special. Was the bridge building site truly any different from other places?
“Go,” Zhi Ye commanded.
Zhi Lan Xue moved towards the Dark Red Planet.
It seemed even someone who already possessed a bridge law could perform another bridge building and acquire an additional law.
Upon entering the planet, they arrived at a familiar barren desert—not dark red, but scarlet, blood-red scarlet.
Wang Jie gazed at the desert, stained nearly black by endless blood. Even from afar, the stench of blood filled the sky. This was the foundation—the piling of sacrifice.
There were no humans here, only creatures.
Zhi Lan Xue walked steadily toward the altar. Whatever she did next caused countless creatures to surge madly toward her from every direction, biting and clawing furiously. Zhi Lan Xue, mechanical and emotionless, swung her snow-white blade repeatedly, cutting them down, raising the altar higher, blood spilling everywhere.
Watching her emotionless slaughter, Wang Jie recalled Shu Mu Night. He had similarly killed countless Blue Star creatures, including humans, raising the altar higher and higher. The familiar scene struck Wang Jie’s heart like thunder; he clenched his fists, breath tight with suppressed emotions.
Qi Xue Yin coughed softly.
Startled, Wang Jie slowly relaxed his fists.
The altar was nearly completed. In just a few hours, as the final blade fell, the Dark Red Planet trembled violently. Blood flowed consciously toward the altar, forming a crimson pillar of blood rushing skyward, surging toward the unreachable bridge above.
That bridge eternally hung overhead. No one could climb it; none knew how high it was.
Only this blood pillar linked heaven and earth, breaking through the barriers of space and time, approaching that invisible height in another way.
Zhi Lan Xue looked upward, standing at the center of the blood pillar, gently closing her eyes.
“This is bridge building?” Luan Dao’s calm gaze turned fiery, more intense even than during his battle with Han Ling.
Qi Xue Yin nodded. “Indeed, this is bridge building.”
“Once the blood qi completely enters the bridge, it will bring down a bridge law, entering Lan Xue’s body. The law obtained will depend entirely on her luck,” explained Zhi Ye.
Wang Jie gazed up at the bridge.
What exactly was that bridge?
Using endless flesh and blood sacrifices to obtain laws from above, did this mean there existed a power beyond human comprehension atop that bridge? If beings existed there, what did those above think of those below?
What thoughts judged their bridge building?
His eyes fell back onto Zhi Lan Xue. Suddenly, Wang Jie’s pupils shrank as two figures abruptly appeared—completely white beings, as if they’d always been there, standing before Zhi Lan Xue on the Dark Red Planet.
Zhi Ye’s pupils contracted sharply, immediately charging forward. “Skeletal Clan, stop!”
On the altar, Zhi Lan Xue opened her eyes, confronted by two pale humanoid creatures. Though human-shaped, they weren’t human—their entire bodies were white, with a hole at their chest where a heart should have been.
One creature soared upward, intercepting Zhi Ye.
The other stepped toward Zhi Lan Xue, instantly appearing before her.
Zhi Lan Xue slashed down fiercely, starforce erupting. Twelve bronze scrolls whirled around her, launching her strongest attack.
Yet, the pale creature merely raised its right arm and struck precisely twelve times, knocking each bronze scroll away effortlessly. Zhi Lan Xue’s blade hit its head directly, leaving not even a scratch.
Zhi Lan Xue stared in horror and disbelief.
A white hand grasped her blade, snapped it, and then casually flicked its fingers. Blood sprayed through the air; Zhi Lan Xue’s eyes dulled as she stumbled back two steps and fell, her head separating from her body mid-descent.
Above, Zhi Ye clashed with the other pale creature. Their invisible forces collided, shaking the entire Dark Red Planet and sending out waves of violent wind.
Wang Jie was swiftly dragged back by Luan Dao, while Qi Xue Yin was similarly pulled away.
The stars twisted before their eyes, blinding them completely.
They retreated an unknown distance, only seeing the blood pillar gradually dispersing from top to bottom.
“The bridge building is over,” Qi Xue Yin said in shock. “Luan Dao, hurry!”
Luan Dao once again grabbed Wang Jie and Qi Xue Yin, rushing toward the Dark Red Planet. Yet they were soon forced back again by an unseen force—unseen by Qi Xue Yin and Luan Dao, but Wang Jie saw it clearly. It was an immense and bottomless energy, pure white, eclipsing even the darkness of space.
It came from the creature battling Zhi Ye.
That energy seemed the center of the universe itself, unwavering despite Zhi Ye’s overwhelming starforce.
After multiple attempts, the fight finally subsided.
When Wang Jie and the others saw the Dark Red Planet again, they saw Zhi Lan Xue’s lifeless body beneath the altar—and Zhi Ye’s eerily calm eyes.
What were those two creatures just now?
Zhi Lan Xue was dead.
One of the esteemed Six Dao Wanderers, the prodigy of the Zhi Clan, had perished so abruptly.
On the journey back, Zhi Ye remained utterly silent, not speaking a single word.
Qi Xue Yin’s face was as pale as death, clearly still lost in shock.
Luan Dao’s eyes likewise held astonishment and disbelief.
Upon returning to Black White Heaven, Wang Jie immediately contacted Little Blue, asking her to bring him to Zhi Xing Xue.
In the quiet courtyard, after Zhi Xing Xue heard Wang Jie’s words, she also sank into silence, a profound and lingering silence.
“That was the Skeletal Clan.”
Confused, Wang Jie asked, “Skeletal Clan?”
Zhi Xing Xue spoke in a deep, uneasy voice, her eyes filled with indescribable dread and caution: “They’re a branch of the human race from the Death Realm. They cultivate qi but not physical power. Every being from the Skeletal Clan is born with Wandering Star Realm strength. The one who killed Zhi Lan Xue was likely only recently born.”
Wang Jie’s mouth fell open at such an unbelievable claim.
Just born, yet already possessing Wandering Star Realm strength? [How could that be possible?]
[Death Realm? Isn’t that similar to the Corpse Sect?]
Zhi Xing Xue rose, her eyes heavy with complicated emotions: “I never expected Black White Heaven had already drawn their attention. Otherwise, it couldn’t have been mere coincidence that the Bridge Building was taken.”
Little Blue’s expression grew serious: “Master, why would the Skeletal Clan focus on Black White Heaven? Is there something in the Fourth Star Cloud they desire? They usually move within the First Star Cloud.”
Zhi Xing Xue shook her head: “No one understands why the Skeletal Clan acts as they do. They have no sense of good or evil, no hearts. No one truly knows their intentions.” After speaking, she turned to Wang Jie, “Humans have always struggled to find a foothold in the universe. Though the Skeletal Clan is a branch of humanity, their cruelty toward humans is no less fierce than that of other species. You should consider yourselves lucky to have returned alive.”
“Forget about this matter—it’s not something you should dwell upon.”
“Little Blue, escort him back to Lock Path Interval.”
Wang Jie bowed respectfully to Zhi Xing Xue, then left with Little Blue.
Black White Heaven sealed itself off, its atmosphere entirely changed from before.
Wang Jie sent a message to Qi Xue Yin, bidding farewell, and boarded the spaceship with Little Blue, heading toward Lock Path Interval. Suddenly, they received word from Zhi Xing Xue directing them to proceed directly to Great Star Mountain.
[It’s probably because I helped the sect secure two victories that I’ve earned this privilege. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be easy to visit Great Star Mountain.]
[Those in Zhi Qing’s faction won’t have such an opportunity.]
“Senior, how does the Skeletal Clan compare to Armor One Sect?” Wang Jie asked Little Blue.
Little Blue replied, “I don’t know. I’ve never encountered the Skeletal Clan.”
“Senior hasn’t encountered them?”
“The Death Realm has always operated in the First Star Cloud and rarely ventures into the other three star clouds.” She turned to Wang Jie, adding, “Master asked whether you’d be willing to go to the First Star Cloud. Your answer pleased her greatly. But do you truly understand the difference between the First Star Cloud and the other three?”
Wang Jie shook his head: “I only know the First Star Cloud is the strongest, but I don’t understand the specifics.”
“It’s like comparing the Four Great Training Fields to Black White Heaven’s sect,” Mu Lan suddenly interjected.
Wang Jie was stunned: “The gap is that wide?”
He was already deeply familiar with Lock Path Interval and Zhi Academy. As for Death Island and Great Star Mountain, their overall strength was actually inferior to that of Zhi Academy.