Chapter 220
Chapter 220: A Painting of Peerless Beauty
Wang Jie raised his head and gazed upward. The battle between the three Hundred Star Realms was still far away, and even he could barely make out their forms.
Still, as long as he kept an eye on the main forces from Black White Heaven, it was enough.
When an army retreated, their Hundred Star Realm masters always took most of their people with them.
Huh? [It’s him?]
Wang Jie spotted Cang Wu. Even now, he still didn’t know this man’s real name.
Cang Wu was even more familiar with battlefields than Wang Jie. He deftly avoided the most intense fighting, drifting through safe zones. Occasionally meeting one or two enemies posed no threat to him.
Wang Jie saw Cang Wu move off in a certain direction and immediately followed.
Cang Wu was at the Full Star Realm. Somehow, he’d disguised his Star Force as ordinary Lock Force cultivation, but his true strength was still far below Wang Jie’s.
Because of his disguised Lock Force aura, Cang Wu confidently believed no one could track him—never suspecting Wang Jie was following closely behind.
After trailing him for a while, Wang Jie discovered Cang Wu was heading toward the rear of the Second Nebula Battlefield.
Cang Wu constantly roamed the edges of battle, never allowing himself to be swept into the fiercest combat. Wang Jie naturally followed behind.
Eventually, Wang Jie saw Cang Wu meet up with a woman from Crying Phoenix Palace. Both disguised their faces, then headed toward the palace territory.
Wang Jie was astonished. [This man is connected to Crying Phoenix Palace?]
No, not Crying Phoenix Palace itself. That woman might also be a Death Realm cultivator, infiltrating the palace. But Crying Phoenix Palace only accepted women; how had Cang Wu managed to slip inside?
Wang Jie turned and left, carefully memorizing Cang Wu’s disguised appearance.
On his way back, Wang Jie continuously monitored the surroundings using the Star Disk. However, seeing enemies everywhere, he was forced to choose a direction to break through.
Wang Jie chose the direction to his left front—the same path he’d taken to get here.
Currently, an enemy was lying in ambush ahead, but according to the Star Disk, it was only one Wandering Star Realm cultivator.
Wang Jie concealed his aura and approached cautiously. Ahead lay a forested piece of land, already half-destroyed and drifting into the starry void. Behind the shattered forest, the Wandering Star Realm cultivator lay in hiding.
Had Wang Jie not detected this beforehand, anyone passing through would surely suffer a surprise attack.
Determining the enemy’s exact location, Wang Jie slashed his sword forward. A brilliant sword qi swept through the void, splitting the forest neatly into two.
From behind the forest sprang a startled woman. [How did he find me?] Her gaze fell upon Wang Jie—only to witness a second sword strike.
On the battlefield, trying to guess cultivation realms was foolish. Only true battle strength mattered.
Wang Jie’s sword caused the woman to feel an intense sense of danger, and she immediately turned to flee. Even as a Wandering Star Realm cultivator, she had no intention of fighting.
She was clearly an experienced veteran.
Wang Jie had intended to simply pass on, but suddenly thought of that man from earlier. Since that fellow had disguised himself to sneak into Crying Phoenix Palace, why couldn’t Wang Jie do the same? Moreover, wouldn’t an identity within Crying Phoenix Palace make him much safer on this battlefield?
Thinking thus, Wang Jie locked onto the woman’s figure, executed Sword Step, and swiftly chased after her.
Chen Qi felt she had terrible luck. She’d hesitated a single moment when accepting her mission, and thus got assigned to the Hanhai Sea battlefield. It wouldn’t have been so bad normally—Crying Phoenix Palace disciples always traveled in groups on this battlefield, so it wasn’t excessively dangerous.
Yet her entire squad of senior sisters had unfortunately encountered a ruthless Wandering Star Realm expert from Black White Heaven. Except for her, everyone else had died.
Fortunately, she had escaped, and her promotion was within reach. She just needed to kill one more Wandering Star Realm enemy to leave this battlefield.
For safety, she had resorted to ambush tactics.
In her experience, ambushes were the safest method on this battlefield. One strike—if unsuccessful, immediately flee—just as the dagger bearers taught.
She had successfully ambushed three cultivators already: one at Star Breaking Realm, one at Full Star Realm, and even one Ten-Seal cultivator. She couldn’t imagine how a lone Ten-Seal cultivator had survived on the battlefield, but no matter—dying by her hand was his luck.
Just as she was about to ambush her fourth target, unexpectedly, this enemy had acted first.
[How did he notice me?]
His sword qi was shockingly powerful. Even though he seemed to cultivate Lock Force, if he was strong enough to threaten her, a Wandering Star Realm, she had to avoid him.
Yet, incredibly, this enemy chased after her. [He’s seeking death.]
Wang Jie’s speed was vastly superior to Chen Qi’s, catching up in mere moments. Another sword slashed forth.
Chen Qi hurriedly drew out her jade flute to block the sword, immediately countering with a palm strike. Wang Jie also met her palm. The two palms collided, Lock Force and Star Force clashing explosively between their hands. Chen Qi’s eyes widened—she could clearly feel the opponent’s majestic Lock Force vastly surpassing her own Star Force. [How does he possess so much Lock Force?]
Before she could think further, Wang Jie Force fully pressed down, overwhelming her with sheer strength. Immense Lock Force crashed onto her shoulder, causing half her body to numb. She twisted away desperately, yet Wang Jie seemed to need no pause, his body striking a second blow from an impossible angle.
Chen Qi had never seen such an eerie attack posture before—it reminded her of warriors from Gong Nation.
Bang! Chen Qi flew back, spitting blood. Enduring the pain through half her body, she quickly blew her jade flute.
“Eight Tones, Eight Destructions!”
Huh? [Where’d he go?]
Chen Qi looked up, and Wang Jie had vanished.
Instinctively, she tried dodging, but it was already too late. Wang Jie appeared behind her, gripping her shoulder firmly. His fingers sank into her flesh, blood running down his hand as bones cracked beneath his strength.
Chen Qi froze, not daring to move. She was completely restrained. Her attacker’s strength was bizarrely powerful, his speed frighteningly fast. His Lock Force surpassed even her Wandering Star Realm power, and his attacks were strangely unpredictable. [I’ve never seen anyone like him.]
“Who are you?” she asked nervously.
Wang Jie calmly retrieved the Nine Form Diagram. As he released her shoulder, his other palm slammed heavily into her back, severely injuring her.
Chen Qi felt the Lock Force blast through her body, nearly collapsing as her vision blurred. Turning slowly, her face turned deathly pale.
Wang Jie looked at her calmly and said, “Perform these nine movements.”
Chen Qi stared at him blankly.
In the moments that followed, Chen Qi began performing the required movements, the Nine Form Diagram quickly capturing her form.
As Wang Jie closely monitored the diagram, he kept a wary eye on the Star Disk, afraid enemies might approach.
Fortunately, this woman was cooperative, and the Nine Form Diagram recorded her swiftly.
Wang Jie lowered his head, slowly channeling his energy into the star disk, expanding its range.
At that very moment, Chen Qi swallowed a medicinal pill and swiftly threw down the formation book. Starforce scattered around him, transforming into countless fireflies—this was the Bewildering Star Array.
These starforce fireflies would merge into different killing moves to strike at enemies.
The power of this Bewildering Star Array reached the Wandering Star Realm.
Seeing Wang Jie encircled by the glowing starforce, Chen Qi took out his jade flute once again, playing the Sorrowful Sea Tidal Star Melody, determined to end Wang Jie’s life.
A deafening boom echoed as heavenly thunder exploded.
Chen Qi stared ahead in shock. The thunder pattern surged, shattering the Bewildering Star Array from within. Wang Jie emerged unharmed, stepping calmly forward, sweeping past Chen Qi, and vanished with the next step.
Chen Qi stood rooted to the spot, eyes dull as his life force slowly faded, and he gently collapsed to the ground.
The Nine Form Diagram was complete.
[Time to leave quickly.]
The commotion from the thunder pattern just now had been enormous, bound to attract unwanted attention.
Over the next two days, Wang Jie moved cautiously through the battlefield. With the help of his star disk, he evaded every strong enemy he encountered, no matter whether they were friend or foe.
But on the third day, everything suddenly changed.
Li Tong He, the Heaven Elder of Black White Heaven, was defeated.
Beneath the vast starlit sky, countless people heard Li Tong He roar in fury: “Cowards! You’ve been secretly hiding a Hundred Star Realm cultivator all this time!”
The cold, confident voice replied, “This junior wasn’t hidden; I just happened to break through now. Senior Li, rest in peace.”
Expressions changed instantly among the cultivators from Black White Heaven. Wang Jie’s face also darkened. If Li Tong He died, they’d be swept clean by the two Star Clouds—an outcome that would bring disaster.
[Escape first.]
“You want to kill me, old man? None of you are qualified!” Li Tong He spat blood defiantly, fleeing in a particular direction beneath Star Dome’s formation.
An enormous voice echoed through the Hanhai Sea battlefield: “Everyone from the Third Nebula, listen! Whoever kills Li Tong He will immediately be promoted to Battle General.”
Another voice swiftly followed, “Everyone from the Second Star Cloud, listen! Kill Li Tong He, and you will not only be promoted to Battle General but will also leave the Star Cloud battlefield forever, exempt from all future drafts.”
These two orders ignited greed in countless eyes, and a tide of figures surged in pursuit of Li Tong He.
Li Tong He’s hoarse voice commanded, “Black White Heaven cultivators, block the enemy!”
They had no choice but to intercept—Li Tong He must survive. But with two entire Star Clouds focused solely on him, the pressure on the Black White Heaven cultivators multiplied dramatically.
Li Tong He could be killed; Wang Jie knew that much.
Otherwise, the Hundred Star Realm experts from the two Star Clouds would never shift the battle. Only because they were restricted by each other were they unable to act.
The true threat to Li Tong He now was the battlefield’s hidden elites, the Wandering Star Realm cultivators.
Powerful auras rose from every corner of the battlefield, charging toward Li Tong He.
Many had hidden their true strengths like Wang Jie, remaining low-key until now. But secrecy was no longer possible.
Wang Jie watched in disbelief as a ragged Lock Force cultivator leapt skyward, his Wandering Star Realm starforce overwhelming all nearby cultivators as he charged toward Li Tong He. [They’ve hidden their power even more fiercely than I did.]
In the distance, Li Tong He was quickly encircled.
Powerful Wandering Star Realm experts aggressively attacked, met in fierce battle by those from Black White Heaven, desperately buying him a chance to escape.
Wang Jie originally intended to move away from there, but noticed Li Tong He communicating urgently.
[It must be the battleship that can leave Hanhai Sea.]
Only Li Tong He had authority over a battleship that could depart from this battlefield.
Right now, Li Tong He must leave.
Thinking this, Wang Jie followed cautiously, neither too close nor too far. If he got a chance to escape, it would be ideal.
An arrow pierced through the air like a dragon.
Lan Ning was approaching.
Wang Jie spotted her position clearly. Unlike when she had attacked him earlier, Lan Ning was no longer casual. Each arrow carried deadly intent, aimed directly at Li Tong He.
Yue Bai appeared as well, along with Shield Mountain Peak’s cultivators, who soared upward to block Wu Jiang. Yet Wu Jiang cleaved them apart with a single blade. Yue Bai had no choice but to fight Wu Jiang, unable to chase Li Tong He.
Everywhere, Wandering Star Realm cultivators revealed their true powers.
Many were quite elderly, some appearing older even than Li Tong He.
[A cultivator from Ornate Jade Gate?]
This must be Qing Ge, whom Yan Xiao Nian had mentioned—a top-five disciple of Ornate Jade Gate, absolutely formidable.
Suddenly, Wang Jie’s gaze locked onto someone near Qing Ge. [Huai Si?]
Back in Frost Radiance Sect, Wang Jie had encountered this man after walking countless winding paths. Huai Si had watched him intently, seemingly determined to understand him completely. Later, Wang Jie went to Heavy Depth Star, only to find Huai Si had followed him there.
That person was Huai Si.
Wang Jie hadn’t expected to meet him here.
At that time, Huai Si was merely at Full Star Realm; now, he had already reached Wandering Star Realm.
More and more people closed in on Li Tong He.
Li Tong He retreated constantly, ever wary of attacks from the Hundred Star Realm experts above. Occasionally, their mighty strikes crashed down, attempting to claim his life.
Wang Jie quietly backed away; this battlefield wasn’t suitable for him.
Any slip-up here would spell instant death.
He had barely retreated when the tumultuous battlefield suddenly fell quiet beneath the sound of a zither. Soft and faint at first, the melody drifted like mist, gentle as fleeting shadows of startled swans. Yet as the musician’s fingers pressed harder, the music abruptly intensified like an avalanche, shaking the very void.
Across the battlefield, everyone stopped, staring into the distance.
No sound could rise above that zither melody; all were bound by its captivating spell, as though the void itself had become strings of an instrument.
Wang Jie gazed into the distance, seeing a woman dressed in flowing white robes, calmly seated in midair. Her fingers danced gracefully over the zither, weaving a melody powerful enough to silence the battlefield. She appeared as beautiful as a painting, ethereal and untouchable.
“Su Su? Why is she here?”
“Impossible, how could she appear on this battlefield?”
“Retreat, quickly!”