Chapter 216
Chapter 216: Fight to the Death
Falling Bow Hall.
Wang Jie had learned much about this place from Zhi Nan Xing these past days. It was the leading power of the Fourth Star Link in the Third Nebula, a sect whose warriors specialized in using arrows to sweep across battlefields. These arrows ranged widely in strength.
From every direction came piercing screams as arrows found their marks, and the earth ran red with blood.
Wang Jie stepped lightly with Sword Step, swiftly weaving unharmed through the battlefield. To his side, groups of cultivators huddled beneath shields, charging forward recklessly. They moved in units of three; one group was clearly targeting Wang Jie.
Wang Jie avoided them with ease, leaving the attackers stumbling forward, bewildered as their target vanished without a trace.
These shield-bearers belonged unmistakably to the Third Nebula, distinctive and disciplined. In contrast, cultivators from Black White Heaven had no defining features—perhaps this very ordinariness made them ideal targets for Third Nebula’s coordinated assaults.
The battlefield was chaotic and savage, filled with cries of pain and fury. Above, two Hundred Star Realm cultivators clashed relentlessly, making the heavens themselves forbidden territory.
Amidst the chaos, Wang Jie finally spotted Zhi Nan Xing, relieved that they had not become separated.
Zhi Nan Xing was struggling, encircled by two shield-bearing groups—six cultivators in total. Three belonged to the Star Breaking Realm, the other three to the Full Star Realm.
Each strike Zhi Nan Xing unleashed slammed harmlessly against the shield wall, echoing uselessly across the field. With his strength, he should have easily overwhelmed them, yet their defense was flawless. Even his Fixed Star Technique could only temporarily immobilize one opponent’s Starforce, leaving the remaining five to immediately fill the gap. Left with no choice, he unleashed the Bronze Scroll: Spring-Autumn Hand.
Twelve bronze scrolls soared forth, half crashing into the shields, half sweeping around from the opposite side. The three Star Breaking cultivators died instantly under the brutal impact, but the Full Star cultivators endured, shouting furiously, “He’s from the Zhi Clan! He’s one of them!”
Those words echoed clearly across the battlefield, igniting greed and malice in many nearby eyes. To kill a member of the Zhi Clan meant high merit.
Blood trickled from Zhi Nan Xing’s lips, his face pale as he hurriedly retrieved the bronze scrolls and fled.
But the revelation of his identity intensified the enemy’s pursuit. Arrows from above turned towards him, raining down mercilessly.
Desperate, Zhi Nan Xing summoned Spring-Autumn Hand again, bronze scrolls circling around him, shattering the earth with each clash.
At that moment, Wang Jie burst through, seizing Zhi Nan Xing and swiftly pulling him away.
Startled, Zhi Nan Xing instinctively struck out with a palm, but Wang Jie swiftly grabbed his hand.
Seeing clearly, Zhi Nan Xing breathed in relief.
Sword Step’s speed quickly threw off their pursuers. Though still on the battlefield, no one here knew Zhi Nan Xing’s identity.
He had already hidden away the bronze scroll.
“Th-thank you. You saved my life,” Zhi Nan Xing gasped gratefully. “Rest assured, the Zhi Clan will repay you. When I return, I’ll plead with Qing Ancestor, I’ll beg—”
Before he finished speaking, Wang Jie interrupted, “Your turn.”
Zhi Nan Xing blinked, confused. [What does he mean, my turn?]
Then, right before his eyes, Wang Jie began performing… exercises.
Zhi Nan Xing stared blankly.
He had witnessed Wang Jie doing these strange exercises before—but on a battlefield? [What kind of madness is this?]
“Brother Wang! What are you doing?” he hissed urgently. “Please, endure it. Let’s leave the battlefield first!”
“I’ll finish exercising, then I’ll get you out of here,” Wang Jie replied calmly.
Zhi Nan Xing was about to argue further when more enemies charged towards them. He quickly blocked the attacks. Fortunately, most were below the ten-seal level, manageable for him.
His foot brushed against an identity token on the ground, but he didn’t even glance at it. Amid such fierce combat, who would dare to pause for loot? Corpses, weapons, and storage rings littered the ground—but touching them might mean instant death.
He gritted his teeth, continuing to defend Wang Jie.
Zhi Nan Xing endured, watching helplessly as Wang Jie casually completed his strange routine amidst the deadly chaos. All the curses welling up inside him stayed trapped in his chest. “Hurry, let’s go! I detect someone with immense battle power.”
Wang Jie sensed it too—a menacing gaze locked onto him, making his heart uneasy.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Zhi Nan Xing and activated Sword Step. Abruptly, a massive shield plunged from the sky, embedding itself deeply into the ground ahead and kicking up clouds of dust and debris.
Wang Jie swiftly changed direction to avoid the obstacle. From behind the shield emerged a figure, gripping its edge with one hand, sweeping it violently toward them, roaring, “Stop right there!”
The shield swept like a blade, but Wang Jie’s Sword Step anticipated the move, narrowly escaping the deadly slash. Yet even so, the strike nearly found its mark. A fierce, visible gash spread into the heavens, cleaving open the void itself.
Zhi Nan Xing glanced at the battle power reader and paled in shock. “Three hundred thousand!”
Wang Jie’s heart sank. Immediately switching to Armor Eight Steps, he prepared to flee.
The enemy sneered coldly, pressing down his shield with one hand. Starforce surged forth, becoming countless chains extending swiftly in every direction, vanishing into the void above their heads.
Wang Jie rushed forward again, but Sword Step collided with an invisible shield flashing in midair, blocking him completely.
He turned back sharply, facing the enemy. [This one is dangerous.]
Zhi Nan Xing clenched his teeth, whispering urgently, “This is the Shield Lock of Shield Mountain Peak, Third Nebula! It can lock skies, bind the earth, even chain the stars at its peak. We must break out, or we’re trapped like rats.”
A deep voice rumbled from afar. “Those I, Yue Bai, wish to kill have never escaped.”
Zhi Nan Xing’s expression darkened instantly. “He’s Yue Bai?”
“Who?” Wang Jie felt his unease deepen.
Zhi Nan Xing spoke grimly, “The strongest disciple of Shield Mountain Peak. He once fought Six Dao Wanderer, and although he lost, he escaped alive. He’s beyond us.”
Wang Jie’s fingers trembled slightly. [Trouble.]
Six Dao Wanderer represented a height Wang Jie couldn’t yet dream of challenging.
Even if Yue Bai wasn’t quite his equal, surviving an encounter with Six Dao Wanderer suggested his battle power neared five hundred thousand, far surpassing Wang Jie’s limits.
Yue Bai sneered coldly, lifting his left arm and spreading his fingers toward them both.
“Kneel.”
As soon as the words left his lips, a terrifying surge of dark star force exploded forth, tearing through the Star Dome. Shattered stones erupted from the earth, and even the air trembled violently.
Zhi Nan Xing’s knees softened; he nearly fell to the ground. [This is gravity!]
This person cultivated gravity star force—instantly pushing it to one hundred and fifty times normal.
Wang Jie released Zhi Nan Xing and vanished with a single step of Armor Eight Steps.
Yue Bai’s eyes flashed with surprise. [He can still move freely under one hundred and fifty times gravity? Such a genius—it’s almost a pity to kill him.] Thinking this, he released another burst of star force, raising gravity to two hundred times normal.
Wang Jie’s body faltered for just a moment. Yue Bai sneered, seizing this opening to punch forward, his knuckles wrapped in star force that formed a shield. With this punch, even heaven and earth trembled.
This strike combined both raw strength and skill.
Wang Jie twisted sideways, raising his right hand, pulling it back, gathering energy. Then he launched a fierce punch of his own. Qi merged with qi, and a powerful ripple visible to the naked eye surged outward. Yue Bai stared in disbelief as Wang Jie matched his punch head-on.
[Daring to face me directly? You’re brave.]
Yet Yue Bai’s punch met empty air—Wang Jie was merely an illusion. With another Armor Eight Steps, Wang Jie appeared directly behind Yue Bai, unleashing Starry Finger.
[How could he clash head-on with Yue Bai? He’s not a fool.]
Stars whirled around him as finger shadows descended from above, fusing together into one devastating strike aimed right at Yue Bai.
Having missed, Yue Bai spun furiously, thrusting his hand out. Dark star force surged forth, grasping at Wang Jie’s Starry Finger, swallowing the finger shadows completely.
“Star Method?” Yue Bai muttered in surprise.
But Wang Jie had simultaneously launched two Starry Finger attacks: one at Yue Bai, and the other aimed skyward.
He intended to shatter the shield lock.
Finger shadows repeatedly struck the void above, causing the shield’s silhouette to flicker as the heavens shook.
Zhi Nan Xing gritted his teeth and dropped to one knee. Under such immense gravity, he couldn’t move an inch, only helplessly watching Wang Jie fight.
[Move! If only I could move, even just once, to activate Fixed Star Technique.]
Yue Bai crushed Wang Jie’s attack with his grip, stepping forward and reaching for him, speaking coldly: “You’re the first Star Breaking Realm cultivator to ever force me to get serious.”
Wang Jie watched Yue Bai approach, feeling the star force around him swirl like a vortex, pressing down relentlessly.
First, he swallowed a Revive Pill, then threw out a Formation Book—the Light Banishing Array.
In an instant, darkness enveloped everything.
Countless swords emerged from the shadows, all slashing toward Yue Bai: Sword Form Technique—Single Line to Heaven.
Yue Bai swept his arm, releasing star force wildly, twisting and tearing at the Light Banishing Array until its light flickered unsteadily.
Wang Jie pointed skyward once more.
Finger shadows smashed into the shield lock again, causing it to shake violently.
Suddenly, a fierce wind swept toward him. Wang Jie raised his arms, unable to dodge in time.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, his body flew backward.
Yue Bai seized the shield and leaped high, pressing down fiercely. The shield’s shadow expanded rapidly, completely covering the area enclosed by the shield lock, trapping both Wang Jie and Zhi Nan Xing within.
[He intends to kill.]
Zhi Nan Xing’s eyes widened sharply. At that exact moment, the crushing gravity vanished. Seizing the chance, he shouted inwardly: [Fixed Star Technique!]
Yue Bai’s descending shield suddenly froze for just a heartbeat.
The Zhi Clan’s Fixed Star Technique varied in effect depending on the gap in strength. Completely immobilizing Yue Bai’s star force was impossible at Zhi Nan Xing’s level, but freezing it momentarily—just a single heartbeat—was enough.
Wang Jie fought back the urge to vomit blood, seizing that instant to unleash another finger strike.
This finger shattered the shield lock.
The moment it shattered, he turned and fled. Zhi Nan Xing simultaneously ran in the opposite direction.
Yue Bai glanced at Zhi Nan Xing. [Fixed Star Technique—he must be from the Zhi Clan.] Then he looked toward Wang Jie. [And this one? A lock force cultivator… far less valuable than a Zhi. Yet he withstood my attacks far longer than anyone else could, even Six Dao Wanderer in his Star Breaking Realm days.]
Whom should he pursue?
After hesitating briefly, Yue Bai chased after Wang Jie.
[This one’s talent is too exceptional—he even learned a Star Method despite cultivating lock force. His strength and speed both surpass what anyone at his level could achieve. I must capture him and find out his secrets. The Zhi Clan member doesn’t matter; I’ll run into more sooner or later.]
Wang Jie hadn’t expected Yue Bai would choose him. He finally spat out a mouthful of blood he’d been holding back. Behind him, a powerful blast of star force thundered forward.
The surrounding cultivators caught in fierce combat were caught unaware by the surging star force; many died without even knowing how.
Wang Jie clenched his jaw. Although Yue Bai couldn’t surpass his speed, as a Wandering Star Realm expert, Yue Bai couldn’t easily be shaken off. One solid hit would spell certain death.
[No choice now—I have to risk it.]
He swallowed another Revive Pill. [It’s time to use—the Debt Slip.]
He swiftly wrote his name.
An incomprehensible power suddenly filled his body. Wang Jie turned abruptly, swords manifesting around him, piercing straight at Yue Bai.
Yue Bai raised his shield, charging through directly.
Swords shattered continuously. Wang Jie stepped into Armor Eight Steps again, reappearing behind Yue Bai. Yue Bai dropped his shield and swept his left arm around, striking Wang Jie’s Thunder Pattern.
The crimson Thunder Pattern shattered instantly but bought Wang Jie one crucial moment.
Seizing it, Wang Jie thrust out a finger, merging all his energy and intent, fusing qi into one strike.
[Die!]