Chapter 258
Chapter 258: Zhong Cui Sword Silk
The masked figure rubbed his head, clearly troubled, and said with irritation, “I can teach you, but you must promise never to pass it on to anyone else. Swear it.”
Wang Jie agreed, making a particularly harsh oath.
Afterward, the masked figure began instructing him in the sword technique.
It was a very peculiar style.
Normal sword arts grew stronger with greater sword qi. Yet, this sword art tore one’s own sword qi apart, splitting it into thin threads, finer and finer, until it became strands of sword silk. Then, by drawing these sword silks into the body, one could dispel any foreign energy within.
In theory, the sword silk could become infinitely thin, and once thin enough, no physical force could harm the user from within. It could even serve as a form of healing.
Wang Jie listened, utterly bewildered. [Such a sword art exists? How strange.]
“Did senior create this yourself?”
“Stop talking nonsense. Just practice. Once you’ve mastered it, you can agree to become the spy and leave. And remember clearly: I’ve helped you, sincerely so.”
Wang Jie practiced diligently. In the following days, the masked figure appeared daily, carefully guiding him.
Eventually, Wang Jie learned the sword technique fully, though achieving mastery would take much longer on his own.
“You’ve learned the sword method. I won’t return after this. Kid, train diligently and don’t disgrace this art.”
“Senior, what is the sword art called?”
“I don’t want to say.”
“If one day junior stands unafraid before any power in the universe, I promise to make the name of this sword art known across the stars. Senior, please share its name.”
The masked figure hesitated, then finally gave him the name—Zhong Cui Sword Silk.
Before leaving, the figure turned back toward Wang Jie and asked, “Can you feel the sincerity now?”
Wang Jie nodded and gave a deep bow, “Junior Wang Jie thanks senior sincerely.”
The masked figure left.
Even until the end, Wang Jie did not know who the person was, how old they were, or even whether they were a man or a woman.
He had only learned a most peculiar sword art.
[Zhong Cui Sword Silk, Zhong Yi—did Zhong Yi herself create this sword art?] Wang Jie pondered. That person had repeatedly asked whether Wang Jie felt their sincerity, clearly not directed at Wang Jie himself, but rather at Zhong Yi.
[What exactly did Zhong Yi do?] Wang Jie wondered, [making Edge Sect hesitate to kill me, and even causing a masked figure to desperately show goodwill.]
Now he had something to occupy himself with: practicing Zhong Cui Sword Silk.
Several days later, Luo Kui came again, bringing Edge Sect’s supposed ultimatum for Wang Jie—to either die or become their spy.
Wang Jie looked straight at Luo Kui, his attitude abruptly changing, “If you dare to kill me, my master will surely avenge my death.”
These words strangely chilled Luo Kui’s heart. [Master—Zhong Yi?]
He maintained his composure and replied, “Do you think we’re some minor place? Why would Edge Sect fear Zhong Yi?”
Wang Jie nodded calmly, “Then just wait and see.”
He chose to trust what the masked figure had said: Edge Sect would not dare kill him.
Luo Kui departed, taking Wang Jie’s words back to Edge Sect’s leadership.
Upon hearing this, some grew furious, others anxious. Yet, no one again mentioned killing Wang Jie.
Hou Xiao arrived again, still intent on learning the sword art.
Wang Jie had considered every possibility, such as whether Hou Xiao or someone from Edge Sect wanted to trick him into teaching Yi Sword Technique by using the masked figure’s identity to give him false hope. But after learning Zhong Cui Sword Silk, he became certain this wasn’t the case. By all measures, Zhong Cui Sword Silk seemed far superior to Yi Sword Technique.
In fact, the Yi Sword Technique wasn’t worth such elaborate plotting.
“Well, have you thought about it? You lose nothing in this exchange. Honestly, Yi Sword Technique is quite ordinary. There are countless sword arts among the Way of the Swordstar. If this Yi Sword Technique hadn’t come from Zhong Yi and held a bit of legendary appeal, I wouldn’t even bother,” said Hou Xiao.
Wang Jie gazed at her and replied, “Alright, I’ll teach you.”
His life was in Edge Sect’s hands. No matter what he tried, they’d eventually achieve their goal. He might as well fully trust the masked figure and gamble on a future. His earlier threat to Edge Sect had the same purpose.
Hou Xiao was delighted, “Really? That’s wonderful! Rest assured, you’ll never regret dealing with me—I promise to keep you alive.”
“What I want is your understanding of the Way of the Sword.”
“Fine, no problem.”
The value of Zhong Yi was still rising. Hou Xiao claimed Yi Sword Technique was unimportant, yet the moment Wang Jie agreed, the young girl was happier than anyone.
As for the Yi Sword Technique itself, Zhong Yi had never forbidden sharing it. She had even placed the Yi Sword Technique in Lock Path Interval, and despite having poor relations with Zhi Family, she’d still left this sword art behind, clearly demonstrating her extraordinary pride and confidence.
In the days that followed, Wang Jie taught Hou Xiao the Yi Sword Technique. In return, Hou Xiao shared her own insights into the Way of the Sword, along with those of some disciples from the Sword Pond. Thus, Wang Jie’s understanding of swordsmanship grew rapidly.
Meanwhile, the core of Black White Heaven trembled upon news of Wang Jie’s death.
First was Zhi Xing Xue, who reached out in a manner similar to the Yin Yang Battlefield incident, yet this time was much more serious. Many had witnessed Wang Jie fall into Yunxi—his death was certain. Zhi Xing Xue’s inquiry carried unwilling disbelief.
Then White Realm Lord reached out as well. His intent was unclear; he merely confirmed Wang Jie’s death.
Black Realm Lord personally arrived next. He’d already been in First Main Battlefield’s Wuchen Domain, so the trip wasn’t difficult.
After personally confirming Wang Jie’s death, he too departed.
Then came Zhi Ye.
No one had expected Wang Jie alone to draw so many lords—each a figure of the Star Refining Realm, the greatest existences of Black White Heaven. How had it come to this? Soon, whispers spread about the battle at Ying Yang Battlefield’s spaceport long ago.
“Even more powerful figures were searching for Wang Jie back then, including Celestial Master Bai Ye, refinement masters within the sect, and especially someone from the First Star Cloud,” came the gossip.
“Impossible. Why would Wang Jie be so important?”
“He’s always been strange. A mere Lock Force cultivator, yet so strong he earned the title of Rain Reaper. Anyone with a battlefield title can’t be ordinary.”
“Even so, he’s dead now.”
“I heard Senior Brother Fang He was summoned again by Tong Shou.”
“Hmph, ridiculous. Should Senior Brother Fang He have died instead? Death comes for everyone on the battlefield. We can die, and so can Wang Jie. No one is special.”
Meanwhile, Fang He stood respectfully before Tong Shou, speaking solemnly: “This disciple personally witnessed Wang Jie being struck down into Yunxi by Luo Kui. At the time, I was too far away to offer help.”
Tong Shou fixed her gaze on Fang He, asking sharply: “Luo Kui was supposed to be your opponent. Why wasn’t it you fighting Luo Kui?”
“When the Sword Formation collapsed, Luo Kui appeared. I immediately prepared to battle him, rushing forward without hesitation. Yet Luo Kui’s target was Junior Brother Wang. He bypassed me entirely, charging directly at Junior Brother Wang. Before I could even react, Junior Brother Wang was already struck down into Yunxi. It was my oversight. I should have anticipated that Junior Brother Wang’s breaking of the formation would draw Edge Sect’s attention. Please punish me, Tong Shou,” Fang He admitted, guilt in his voice.
Tong Shou studied Fang He deeply. The battlefield was chaotic, and no one could clarify what truly happened.
Most of those trapped on the shattered planetary fragments with Wang Jie had died. The few survivors had seen nothing clearly.
Death on the battlefield was common. Tong Shou had thought even the death of a Hundred-Star Elder would be accepted eventually, let alone someone like Wang Jie. Though regrettable, she had grown used to such losses.
Yet after Wang Jie’s death, powerful lords arrived one after another.
Though she feared none of them, she sensed that Wang Jie must have been extraordinary. Thus, she contacted the sect again, this time demanding not vague assurances but a definite answer.
The answer was simple: behind Wang Jie stood that Star Path Master himself.
This was why Tong Shou repeatedly questioned his death.
Fang He was restless. He never imagined a mere Lock Force cultivator’s death could cause such a disturbance. Back then, he’d deliberately let Luo Kui kill Wang Jie to avoid becoming a target himself. If this truth were revealed, even the powerful Zhi Family would cause trouble for him.
Pressure. Who knew a Lock Force cultivator’s death could burden him, a mighty Six Dao Wanderer, so heavily?
Realizing this, Fang He lowered his head deeply before Tong Shou: “It is my fault. The one who should have died on the battlefield was me. Had Junior Brother Wang not come to my aid, he would not have died. I beg you, Tong Shou, punish me.”
Tong Shou waved her hand dismissively: “No one deserves death on the battlefield. Enough, you may leave.”
Fang He bowed again and retreated.
The matter ended there.
Deep beneath Edge Sect’s central core, in a hidden underground prison, Wang Jie was staring through a wall pierced by a masked attacker. The wall was incredibly strong, capable of withstanding attacks from Wandering Star Realm cultivators. Without the masked man’s strike, Wang Jie would never have managed to break through. Now, the hole allowed him to glimpse the other side.
People were continuously taken from their cells, either killed or set free. If freed, it meant they’d agreed to spy for the enemy.
Wang Jie carefully observed and memorized the aura of each prisoner who was led away.
Every few days, Hou Xiao visited, discussing swordsmanship with him.
Yi Sword Technique wasn’t difficult to learn. Hou Xiao, able to perform Star Methods herself, quickly grasped its basics.
From Hou Xiao’s insights into the Way of the Sword, Wang Jie improved his progress with refining Sword Silk. He estimated he’d master it fully in a few months at most.
Time passed quickly, and three months later Wang Jie finally separated his first strand of genuine Sword Silk from his sword qi. Previously, his attempts had fallen short of the Sword Silk standard, but now he succeeded.
Next came integrating the Sword Silk into his body. This was difficult and painful, yet Wang Jie, familiar with training his muscles and bones, endured it readily. In fact, he found the Sword Silk actually aided in refining his body even faster, for now it flowed within him.
Hou Xiao returned again, proudly demonstrating Sword Rain Technique in front of Wang Jie.
Wang Jie praised her: “You’ve already mastered the Yi Sword Technique of the Single Sword.”
“What else?” she asked eagerly.
“The rest—I haven’t mastered yet myself.”
“You can still teach me what you don’t know, and once I learn it, I’ll teach it back to you.”
Wang Jie didn’t like the sound of that. [What if Hou Xiao surpasses me in the Yi Sword Technique before I master it myself? That would be embarrassing.]
They continued teasing each other for a while longer.
Hou Xiao kept returning frequently afterward, demanding more lessons on Yi Sword Technique.
A dozen or so days later, Wang Jie finally succeeded in integrating Sword Silk into his body.
As he felt the Sword Silk move freely within him, it was strange—like something alive yet under his control. Though uncomfortable, he adapted quickly. He tested its effectiveness in body tempering and discovered it was at least five times faster than his previous method.
Now, his body-tempering speed could match his increasing strength. This meant when he reached the second limit, his physical conditioning would also be complete—unless he chose to break through another limit.