Chapter 237
Chapter 237: Walker of the Vast Dome
Perhaps thinking Wang Jie didn’t understand, Zhi Xing Xue explained patiently, “Imagine a normal person wanting to destroy a mountain. They can do it with tools, or even bare hands if they’re determined enough. Eventually, the mountain will fall. But what if that person wants to move the entire mountain somewhere else without damaging it at all? That would be impossible.”
“In the same way, relocating Blue Star to the Lock Path Interval would be extraordinarily slow, even for someone in the Star Refining Realm. My father is above that realm, but he’s currently in closed-door cultivation, and no one knows when he will emerge.”
“So whether we rely on the Star Refining Realm or wait for my father, either way, it will be a very long wait.”
“And that’s not even considering potential accidents.”
“More importantly, you’re a Star Path Master yourself. I’ve heard that Star Path Masters have a basic duty.”
Wang Jie remembered clearly. His master had told him that the fundamental duty of a Star Path Master was to maintain the regular order of the universe’s stars.
Moving a star casually would obviously go against that responsibility.
Thinking of this, his heart grew heavy.
Zhi Xing Xue spoke gravely, “I don’t know if the one behind you will interfere. Even if there’s no interference, moving Blue Star here won’t be easy. That’s why I suggest bringing the people of Blue Star here first. Blue Star itself is just a planet. Yes, it’s your birthplace and you have strong feelings for it, but your descendants, once they’ve left Blue Star, won’t have the same attachment.”
Wang Jie truly wanted to bring Blue Star here, but circumstances wouldn’t allow it now.
There might be unexpected troubles during the relocation, and even more problems during the long wait.
In that case…
“Then I’ll trouble you, Senior. Let’s bring the people of Blue Star here first,” Wang Jie decided. Although there were still enemies in Black White Heaven, his master had already revealed himself. Zhi Qing’s faction likely wouldn’t dare cause trouble now.
It was time for the people of Blue Star to step onto the path themselves.
Struggle and competition were eternal truths of the universe, and only through cultivation could one climb upward, step by step.
Coming to Black White Heaven would surely put the people of Blue Star in danger, and some might even die. But if he, Wang Jie, had dared venture out alone, why couldn’t others?
Protecting them forever would selfishly deprive them of their chance to grow stronger. He had already done all he could. What happened next depended on them.
“Alright, I’ll arrange it immediately.”
“I’ll have to trouble Senior. Please ask each person if they’re willing. Those unwilling shouldn’t be forced.”
“Don’t worry,” Zhi Xing Xue reassured him. “Those who have cultivated Lock Force will be directly placed in the Lock Path Interval. Because of you, they’ll face no serious danger. The rest can be settled either in Great Star Mountain or at Zhi Academy.” She had thoughtfully planned for the ordinary people as well.
Wang Jie felt deeply grateful.
…
In a distant corner of the Fourth Star Cloud, a strange sight unfolded.
Countless stars blazed to life, each radiating streams of starforce visible to the naked eye. They connected into a vast shape resembling an immense ruler, stretching across the Star Dome.
Beneath this cosmic ruler stood a lone figure, motionless, his expression extremely grave.
“A Star Path Master…,” a voice murmured.
Another voice replied softly, “Walker of the Vast Dome?”
The figure beneath the ruler slowly bowed, “Walker of the Vast Dome, Si Yao, greets the Star Path Master. May I inquire which Star Path Master meditates here? Forgive my intrusion.”
“Whom were you observing?”
Si Yao answered without hesitation, “A cultivator at the Star Breaking Realm named Wang Jie.”
As soon as the words left his lips, the immense ruler vanished, leaving no trace. The once brilliantly glowing stars dimmed back into their usual silence.
Si Yao gazed into the distance. If not for his unsettled breath, he might’ve thought it was an illusion.
A Star Path Master…
How could a Star Path Master appear in Black White Heaven?
And why had this person noticed him?
Si Yao stood pondering a long while, his thoughts eventually settling upon one name—Wang Jie.
Could it be because of him?
As a Walker of the Vast Dome from Star Dome Visage, Si Yao traveled the universe, observing those invited to join the Star Dome. No matter their strength, anyone who drew close to the threshold required investigation. Recently, his journey had brought him to the Fourth Star Cloud, so he decided to observe Wang Jie.
This youth cultivated Lock Force, and by normal standards, he shouldn’t even be considered. Yet the local overseer had reported Wang Jie as being at the absolute pinnacle of the Star Breaking stage, surpassing even the legendary guardian of Sky Vast Star. This was unusual, so Si Yao had no choice but to investigate.
Observation always began with reviewing the individual’s past thoroughly.
Only afterward would he approach the individual personally.
Currently, Wang Jie was in the Yin Yang Battlefield, so Si Yao decided to study his history first.
The Star Dome Visage’s intelligence records weren’t accessible to Walkers of the Vast Dome, lest their assessments become biased. Thus, he had to investigate personally.
In other words, he must review Wang Jie’s entire past himself.
Yet, before he had even observed long, a Star Path Master had already noticed him.
Star Path Masters were extremely mysterious beings, indifferent to worldly affairs. Aloof and solitary didn’t begin to describe them. Even the Armor One Sect’s Sect Master might not capture a Star Path Master’s attention unless it involved something connected to the Star Path Master’s interests.
That made perfect sense now.
Without the help of a Star Path Master, how could Wang Jie have surpassed even the guardian of Sky Vast Star?
Furthermore, Wang Jie was also a Celestial Refinement Master.
A Lock Force cultivator mastering Celestial Refinement? Far too unreasonable. The only possible explanation was interference by a Star Path Master.
Considering this, Si Yao resolved to quicken his observation. If Wang Jie truly had a connection with a Star Path Master, then he must immediately issue the invitation.
Right now, Wang Jie was in pain—extreme, unbearable pain. He was currently cultivating the Bone Tempering Method. Though he had practiced this method countless times before and should’ve grown numb long ago, this time he’d added ice slurry.
Yes, it really was ice slurry.
Ice pulp had excellent effects for tempering the body, which was precisely why Qing Huan had specially reminded him before she left.
But Wang Jie never imagined that tempering his body with ice pulp would hurt this much. He had thought it would merely feel cold, but instead, the chill pierced straight to his bones. Combined with the Bone Tempering Method, it felt as if he were being forged in fire and ice.
He had bitten his lips until they bled.
But the results were remarkable.
It was far more effective than tempering his bones and muscles alone.
Especially when practiced alongside his fitness sequence, he could clearly sense his strength increasing, almost as if he had returned to the days below ten seals.
Back then, each time he performed the sequence, his strength increased noticeably, multiplying dozens of times in a short span. However, at the Star Breaking Realm, the rate of strength improvement slowed greatly. Until now, he had only multiplied his strength by over ten times.
Yet, now with the ice pulp assisting his bone tempering, his improvement rate surged again.
Painful yet joyous.
Nothing in this mortal realm could ever be perfect.
Only those who endured what others could not, could achieve what others never would.
So, he continued to temper himself.
Every time he practiced, a large amount of ice pulp was consumed. He didn’t know how it went for others, but as soon as the ice pulp was applied to his skin, the biting cold sank deep into his marrow, and the ice pulp rapidly evaporated like steam.
He had initially thought his large supply would last longer, but after just three months, all of it was gone.
Three entire months of tempering, never once stepping outside the resting chamber.
He hardly treated himself as a human being.
But the effects were clear. His strength increased to thirty-nine times at the Star Breaking Realm. His body could now bear considerably more lock force, leaving him feeling somewhat empty inside. Another evident improvement was his qi.
It had increased significantly.
Though slow, growth was still growth.
Compared to three months ago, his combat strength had improved notably. Yet, even with this improvement, the increase wasn’t overly exaggerated. His current combat strength at the Star Breaking Realm was already astonishing; he was challenging the very limits of humankind.
Every step forward was tremendously difficult.
Next, it was time to go to the spaceport and gather more ice pulp.
“What? You’re going back to the spaceport again? I’m not going!” Wen Yuan nearly jumped up. The battle at the spaceport had left psychological scars on him. All kinds of frightening people had appeared. Even Yun Que, the Six Dao Wanderer, had nearly died there.
And yet he wanted to return?
Li Cai and Zhi Qing Po also wore uneasy expressions.
Wang Jie’s gaze swept across his team, ignoring Yun Ju’s opinion, but respecting the others’.
“If you don’t want to go, that’s fine. But I’m definitely going.”
Han Song asked, “Why must it be the spaceport?”
“To collect ice pulp,” Wang Jie replied bluntly.
“For body tempering?” asked Li Cai.
Wang Jie nodded.
Yun Ju sneered, “You’re tempering your own body but expect everyone else to risk their lives with you—ridiculous.”
Wang Jie turned to him, saying, “The others can refuse, but you must come.”
Yun Ju glared fiercely, “Why should I?”
“Because I dislike you, and I want you dead,” Wang Jie responded directly.
Everyone stepped back silently.
Yun Ju angrily glared at Wang Jie—[that bastard].
Shi Wei spoke up: “I’ll go.”
Everyone turned to look at him.
He said solemnly, “It feels like the gap between us and those people is only getting wider. We don’t even dare return to the battlefield.”
The team members grew quiet.
In the battle at the spaceport, they had witnessed Su Su, Yun Que, Qing Xiao, and later the elite Zhi Clan reinforcements. They were all from the same generation, yet why was the gap so vast? Su Su alone had suppressed an entire battlefield with just her zither melody—it was unbelievable.
And even a Six Dao Wanderer was not considered the absolute strongest of their generation.
Above them still existed the number-one Star Cloud Heaven’s Chosen Prodigy, and at the very top, the Star Guardians, along with mighty beings from various exotic civilizations.
If all beings of their generation were ranked together, their team might not even reach the top three tiers.
This realization deeply stung their pride, having once been considered geniuses.
Han Song smiled calmly, “I’ll go too. Ice pulp tempering truly is effective.”
Li Cai nodded in agreement, “Then let’s go.”
Wen Yuan turned pleadingly to Zhi Qing Po, “Uh, Qing Po, what about us?”
“I’m going,” Zhi Qing Po said resolutely.
Wen Yuan grimaced and glanced at Yun Ju, before reluctantly sighing, “Do I even have a choice?”
Yun Ju had no choice, and neither did he—when the whole team was going, he simply couldn’t escape.
Without waiting for Yun Ju’s reply, Wang Jie clapped his hands, “Good, since it’s decided, we’ll set off tomorrow. But let’s agree beforehand: Life or death is up to fate, no one can blame anyone else.”
Elsewhere, Li Tong He quickly received news that Wang Jie’s team intended to return to the spaceport and immediately sought Wang Jie out to dissuade him.
He truly did not want to experience again the feeling of being watched by various lord-level figures.
To think that as an elder, he felt so helpless.
He himself was a lord-level figure.
Yet his persuasion failed; Wang Jie insisted he had to go. Li Tong He pleaded repeatedly without success, until eventually, he decided he would have to accompany them.
Indeed, he had to go along.
Without outside interference, after the previous great battle, there weren’t many polar earthworms left at the spaceport, so it wouldn’t be overly dangerous. But his true fear was enemies targeting them from outside.
Although Yue Jian, that traitor, was gone, the central command surely still harbored other traitors. If the news leaked and Wang Jie’s team got ambushed, even an ordinary Hundred Star Realm cultivator could annihilate them all. That would be disastrous. Not to mention, his own son was among them.
The following day, the spaceship launched, heading straight to the spaceport.
Li Tong He watched the central hub grow distant and sighed heavily.
But Wen Yuan’s spirits lifted considerably—[with an elder protecting us, what’s there to fear?]