Chapter 232
Chapter 232: Traitor
Wu Yan relentlessly pursued Wang Jie, but Wang Jie poured all his strength into escape, making him almost impossible to catch unless someone like Su Su unleashed an attack covering the entire battlefield. Wu Yan excelled in sneak attacks, but his offense was too single-minded. Though his speed matched Armor Eight Steps, it could never surpass it.
Thus, Wu Yan found himself endlessly chasing in vain, growing increasingly frustrated.
Yet, Wang Jie’s escape was also difficult. The battlefield was filled with danger at every turn. He didn’t wish to flee like this, but facing Wu Yan head-on was impossible; he’d surely lose.
Meanwhile, the battle situation was becoming increasingly grim for Black White Heaven.
They’d been ambushed from the start.
Defeat was only a matter of time. Even Yue Jian was forced onto the defensive.
Wang Jie considered pulling out the brooch to seek help from Flower Country’s people.
Just then, behind Su Su appeared a solitary figure, proud and poised, head raised high, a short dagger clenched tightly, slicing down.
Wang Jie stared blankly, wondering, [Who is that?]
The zither melody stopped abruptly.
Countless eyes turned toward that scene.
No one had imagined that, under the protection of so many Ming Huang Palace experts, someone could get this close to Su Su unnoticed.
Only Yue Jian remained unsurprised, as if she’d anticipated this all along.
The dagger fell.
Yet, it abruptly vanished. The attacker stood astonished, staring at his empty hand. In its place hovered a gourd, floating gently behind Su Su. Her snow-white neck shimmered beautifully in the gourd’s turquoise glow, mysterious and enchanting.
Su Su turned slowly, her gaze deep and calm: “Six Dao Wanderer, Yun Que. It has been a long time.”
The figure who appeared behind Su Su was indeed Yun Que, one of Black White Heaven’s renowned Six Dao Wanderers.
Wang Jie recognized him immediately; he’d once purchased information on this person.
Yun Que’s sudden appearance caught everyone completely off-guard. There’d been no hint beforehand. Equally shocking was that Su Su survived the attack. [That gourd… What is it?]
Yue Jian’s expression grew solemn.
Yun Que stared at the gourd with a heavy gaze, murmuring deeply, “Void Mountains, Qing Xiao.”
The gourd spun, flying off toward a distant figure, finally landing in the hand of a young man.
Dressed in azure robes embroidered with clouds, the man caught the gourd and smiled at Yun Que, bright and carefree, radiating a fresh, clear aura.
“We’ve never met, yet to be recognized by a Six Dao Wanderer is an honor.”
Yun Que stood just one meter behind Su Su.
But that single meter was insurmountable. Yun Que knew he couldn’t kill Su Su. She, unafraid, didn’t even flinch.
“It would be ignorant indeed not to recognize the distinguished successor of the Void Mountains,” Yun Que coldly replied, eyes locked onto Qing Xiao. “I merely didn’t expect you’d appear at the Yin Yang Battlefield.”
Qing Xiao fastened the gourd to his waist and calmly approached Yun Que, saying cheerfully, “The Yin Yang Battlefield isn’t bad. At least it’s safer than the First Star Cloud battlefield—there are too many monsters there. Even I’m afraid.”
Yun Que drew another short dagger, advancing toward Qing Xiao: “Better still. If I manage to kill the famed successor of the Void Mountains, my name will echo throughout Big Dipper Bridge Pillar.”
Qing Xiao shook his head casually. “You overestimate me. But perhaps you’ll gain fame in the Second Star Cloud.”
As soon as these words left his mouth, both figures vanished simultaneously.
Yun Que moved directly through the air with his dagger, traces still faintly visible. Qing Xiao, however, completely disappeared without a trace.
Wang Jie watched, stunned. [What movement is that? I can’t even see clearly—it’s faster and stranger than Armor Eight Steps. He doesn’t even leave a trace of aura.]
Yet, what followed shocked him and every spectator even more.
Qing Xiao’s figure reappeared, flowing gracefully like gentle waves, becoming clearer and seemingly slower. But when Yun Que’s shadow touched him, Yun Que was instantly forced back, step after step, the surrounding space rippling and twisting subtly.
Wang Jie widened his eyes. [A technique that distorts space itself?]
How could such a powerful movement technique exist?
“It’s the Immortal Walk! Void Mountains’ legendary Immortal Walk!” someone exclaimed.
Wang Jie had never heard of this “Immortal Walk.” In fact, he’d never heard of the Void Mountains before today. Yet, if even Yun Que—a Six Dao Wanderer—believed slaying Qing Xiao could bring fame across the Big Dipper Bridge Pillar, the Void Mountains must hold an incredibly high position.
At the very least, no less than Ming Huang Palace or the Dagger Bearers.
The entire war paused, captivated by the duel between the two experts.
Aside from Su Su and Yue Jian, no one else could interfere, not even Wu Yan.
Wang Jie continued watching the distant battle while glancing down at his Star Disk, making sure Wu Yan wasn’t closing in. Fortunately, Wu Yan, too, was distracted by the duel.
The outcome between Qing Xiao and Yun Que would decide the battle’s fate.
The zither melody resumed. Su Su struck again. Yue Jian also moved, Force fully interfering in Qing Xiao and Yun Que’s duel.
The battle between these four mighty cultivators created shockwaves, forcing everyone else to retreat.
Wang Jie retreated as well.
Especially after seeing Qing Xiao summon his mysterious gourd once again to absorb Yun Que’s dagger, Wang Jie felt an indescribable yet compelling fascination reach its peak. What kind of battle technique could transform the mundane into the miraculous, stealing away another’s weapon? Such methods were unheard of.
And Yun Que, not discouraged, simply picked up another blade lying on the battlefield, demonstrating a knife art so fierce that even from afar, Wang Jie felt threatened by its sharpness.
Just gazing at it, one’s sight seemed severed.
The frozen ground shattered, ripped apart by the fierce combat between these four masters until their movements became nearly impossible to track.
At this moment, Wang Jie sensed Wu Yan approaching again and immediately fled.
Wu Yan felt helplessly frustrated. [How does this guy know whenever I get close? He always picks the perfect escape route, like he’s holding something.] Wu Yan chased, no longer hoping to catch Wang Jie, but determined to discover exactly what item Wang Jie possessed.
But Wang Jie had no intention of letting anyone see.
If Qiao Xi could recognize Armor Eight Steps, someone like Wu Yan would surely recognize the tools of a Star Path Master. Wang Jie couldn’t afford to expose this identity yet, or else his enemies would seek his life with even greater desperation.
Meanwhile, Han Song once again clashed fiercely with Qiao Xi.
The battlefield spread farther away, yet its intensity did not lessen in the slightest.
Wang Jie ran swiftly, skirting the edges of the battle, eyes focused firmly on Wu Yan’s aura.
He wasn’t sure if the battleground had expanded or if the fighting had grown fiercer near the main battlefield, but soon they saw more polar earthworms.
Dodging the icy fluid spit by a polar earthworm, Wang Jie raised his gaze. In the distance, countless polar earthworms surged from a single direction—the very heart of the main battlefield. Clearly, something grave had happened there, forcing these creatures back. No, they weren’t just returning—they were fleeing.
“Yue Jian!”
A furious roar resounded, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
Wang Jie turned sharply, eyes narrowing in shock.
High in the sky, Yue Jian had thrust her hand through Yun Que’s chest, her expression as cold as frost. Crimson blood tainted the turbulent star force surrounding them. Yun Que glared at Yue Jian, his eyes filled with rage and confusion.
Yue Jian had betrayed them.
A flash of insight struck Wang Jie’s mind. [Why hadn’t the second star cloud attacked the central hub when we rescued Zhi Nan Xing? That made no sense—unless they knew it was heavily guarded, meaning there must be a traitor in Black White Heaven.]
Yet why had the Six Dao Wanderer from Black White Heaven been at the spaceport, not appearing until now? Perhaps suspicions had existed from the start.
Black White Heaven must have prepared for two possibilities: an attack on the central hub and an assault on the spaceport.
But they hadn’t known who the traitor was.
No one could have guessed it would be Yue Jian.
How long had Yue Jian served in Ying Yang Battlefield? She had commanded countless battles, assigned countless missions. Without her, Black White Heaven would suffer immense losses.
Even if an elder betrayed them, Yue Jian should have remained loyal.
Yet here she was, stabbing Yun Que without hesitation, delivering a grievous wound.
Wang Jie felt his heart sink into despair. [It’s over.]
With Yun Que gravely injured and Yue Jian’s betrayal, there was no way to reverse this disaster.
Yue Jian withdrew her hand, her pale arm dripping crimson blood that froze into scarlet crystals midair, scattering onto the icy ground. She spoke coolly, “Farewell, Yun Que.”
Yun Que stared at Yue Jian, gripping his short blade so tightly that his knuckles turned white: “Why?”
Yue Jian’s gaze remained icy: “Bone star force has its benefits and flaws. I’ve always wondered why that twin star chose Zhi He, who is far inferior to me.”
Realization dawned on Yun Que: “So that’s why you betrayed us.”
Yue Jian examined her bloodied arm coldly. “In Black White Heaven, the Zhi family is the true heaven. One careless word from their direct descendant, and what was mine vanished. Tell me, shouldn’t I betray?”
Su Su’s lips curved into a smile: “Of course you should.”
Qing Xiao sighed deeply: “The greatest injustice in this world is the divide between noble and lowly.”
Yun Que laughed bitterly, his voice filled with grief: “You suffered injustice from the Zhi family and chose me for revenge. Then to whom should I turn with my injustice?”
“You wish to kill me? Fine, but let’s see who has the strength!” Saying this, Yun Que gripped his blade tightly in his left hand and shattered it. Razor-sharp fragments circled around him, each piece surging with powerful star force.
Yue Jian’s eyes hardened, swiftly retreating.
Su Su and Qing Xiao immediately fell back as well.
Yun Que was ready to stake his life.
Blade fragments showered across the battlefield, slicing through frozen earth with terrifying force, splitting the land apart.
Seeing a shard flying toward him, Wang Jie dodged hastily. The shard plunged into the ground, ripping apart the ice, causing the earth to tremble and shake violently.
In that chaotic moment, Wu Yan seized an opportunity, rapidly closing in.
Wang Jie couldn’t spot Wu Yan’s figure clearly. Anxiously, he checked the star disk, seeing Wu Yan’s aura approaching swiftly. At the same time, from beneath the frozen earth, a giant polar earthworm erupted skyward, swallowing Wang Jie along with a vast chunk of ice and soil.
Wang Jie swiftly executed Armor Eight Steps, but at that instant, a zither melody filled the air—Su Su was playing.
The melody struck at him alone, disrupting his internal force.
Wang Jie turned and saw Su Su’s gaze locked onto him. [This woman is still targeting me. How petty.]
The melody disrupted his seal energy, causing his Armor Eight Steps to falter.
From below, the massive polar earthworm surged upward, swallowing Wang Jie along with the frozen soil, before diving underground once again.
In the distance, Su Su smiled, satisfied.
[Finally done. This one was quite troublesome—even Qiao Xi and Wu Yan couldn’t kill him. Did he really think he could escape amid this chaos? My zither melody is flawless.]
Being devoured by a polar earthworm meant almost certain death.
[Die.]
Inside the earthworm, Wang Jie was not plunged into darkness. Instead, faint white light emanated from the creature’s skin, casting a dim glow.
The worm wriggled and jolted as it moved.
Wang Jie desperately gripped the cold, slimy flesh around him, looking down at his feet where undigested corpses lay. Just below him was a head, eyes wide open, filled with lingering resentment.
He raised his gaze forward, the twisting flesh walls stretching endlessly.
The worm moved continuously, and there was no telling when it would stop.
A stabbing pain began spreading through Wang Jie’s fingers. The worm’s flesh was beginning to digest him.
Suddenly, he heard a noise from further inside. [Is there someone else?] Wang Jie squinted into the gloom, “Who’s there?”
A shadowy figure approached through the pale light, slowly revealing itself until their gazes met.
Wang Jie was startled, exclaiming in disbelief: “Wu Yan?”