Chapter 261

Chapter 261: Plenty of Time Ahead

In the distance, the man watching Wang Jie opened his eyes.

Half a year.

Out of boredom, he’d observed Wang Jie’s strange practice and gradually pieced together its purpose. Even without seeing the sword threads themselves, he’d seen enough—flesh peeling, blood seeping, the kind of suffering that would break most people.

And he’d watched Wang Jie stack four swords of Rain Sword Art.

He still didn’t understand how it was possible.

It reminded him of the Myriad-Stars Finger technique—one finger extended, stars turning in its wake. One finger, yet somehow the whole of it.

Who could imagine all five fingers could unleash it?

Wang Jie intrigued him.

Now Wang Jie took out a combat power detector.

Testing battle power?

At star-breaking realm, even the most gifted only reached a little over one hundred thousand. That was already absurd. Even a Six-Path Roamer at star-breaking realm didn’t exceed that by much.

If this boy reached roaming-star realm, he’d definitely be a Six-Path Roamer.

That was, if a lockforce cultivator could even break through to roaming-star realm.

The combat power detector began to beep. Wang Jie flared his lockforce, watching the number climb—and then stopped abruptly.

He lifted his head and looked straight into the distance.

The observer’s eyes narrowed. He’d noticed him?

Wang Jie exhaled, then bowed toward that direction. “Greetings, Senior.”

The other man said nothing. He turned and left.

Wang Jie watched him go, a weight settling in his chest.

How long had he been watched?

If the man hadn’t leaked a trace of qi by accident, Wang Jie would never have noticed him. At minimum, he was a hundred-star realm expert.

Wang Jie glanced at the combat power detector, then put it away.

No test.

The half-year was over. Time to leave.

He shot out of Meditation Peak and immediately went looking for Elder Wu to confirm he’d exited—so no one could accuse him of overstaying.

But Elder Wu was gone. So Wang Jie headed to the mission desk instead and made sure people saw him out in the open.

“Senior Brother Wang? Congratulations on returning.”

A disciple greeted him, and others nearby followed, one after another.

Starforce cultivators looked down on lockforce cultivators by habit—but Wang Jie had long since stepped outside that category. He’d dared to clash head-on with a Six-Path Roamer. Few could do that.

Wang Jie returned greetings politely, calm and cordial.

“Senior Brother, here for missions?”

“Take them all.”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

Wang Jie paused. “Has Xiao Luo Si completed any missions recently?”

The disciple shook his head. “No.”

“Understood.”

The disciple brightened, eager to talk. “Senior Brother, you’re incredible. You broke the Sword Dao Grand Array. Across the First Main Battlefield, only our Cloudstream Domain has managed that. No-Chen Domain and Hao Qian Domain still can’t solve it.”

He lowered his voice. “With you here, Edge Gate’s been a lot quieter on our side.”

Wang Jie’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Edge Gate hasn’t been making moves?”

“Not many,” the disciple said. “A lot less than before. Especially Fang He—Senior Brother Fang goes out constantly.”

He stopped himself, remembering the tension between Fang He and Wang Jie, and smiled awkwardly instead of continuing.

The available missions hadn’t changed much. Wang Jie accepted another task related to the Sword Dao Grand Array—he’d already cracked it once.

Afterward, he walked to the edge of the command hub’s planet and looked out at the cloudstream, fog thick as milk. His mood wasn’t bad.

If he could push his body limit again, it would be even better.

He turned—and saw a large group preparing to depart. Among them was the man from Meditation Peak.

The mole.

Wang Jie’s eyes lit. He approached. “Senior Brother, do you remember Junior Brother?”

The man looked at him, brows knitting. Of course he remembered—this was the one who’d disturbed his cultivation.

He nodded and started to walk past.

“Senior Brother,” Wang Jie pressed, “you’re heading out?”

The man slowed. “You need something?”

“No,” Wang Jie said smoothly. “I only wanted to become acquainted.”

“Then come with us,” the man replied.

Wang Jie’s heart tightened.

Go out with a traitor? That was begging for death.

But then again—on Edge Gate’s side, Wang Jie was also a traitor.

Before he could decide, a familiar voice cut in with sneer and scorn. “Well, well. Who’s this? Isn’t it Junior Brother Wang Jie?”

Wang Jie turned.

Fang He.

“What,” Fang He continued, “you plan to follow Junior Brother Song and earn merits too?”

The man—Song Yan—glanced at Fang He, his expression easing. “Senior Brother Fang, you know this Junior Brother?”

Fang He smiled without warmth. “Know him? I’ll never forget him. Right, Junior Brother?”

Wang Jie’s mouth curved slightly. “Yes. My impression of Senior Brother Fang is deep as well.”

Song Yan’s eyes flicked to Wang Jie. “You’re the Wang Jie who confronted Senior Brother Fang before?”

Before Wang Jie could answer, Fang He stepped forward. “That’s him. Junior Brother Wang is stubborn. A lockforce cultivator gets abandoned? He should accept it. Instead, he insists on making noise.”

He turned to Song Yan. “Junior Brother Song, he’s trying to use you to earn merits. Be careful. If anything happens to him out there, he’ll bite back and report you to the Chief Huntsman—claim you left him to die.”

A cluster of disciples behind Fang He jumped in eagerly.

“That’s right. Senior Brother Song, keep your guard up.”

“If he’s in danger, it’ll somehow become your fault.”

“Protect him tight. Haha.”

“This is the battlefield—if you’re afraid of dying, get lost. Running to the Chief Huntsman to tattle…”

Song Yan’s gaze sharpened, cold now.

Wang Jie’s eyes slid to Fang He, and the look he gave him was almost pity.

Of all people to stand beside, Fang He had chosen to cozy up to a mole.

Wang Jie spoke, calm and cutting. “Senior Brother Fang, you can dress up fleeing in battle with elegant words. That’s impressive.”

Fang He’s eyes darkened. “What did you say?”

Wang Jie rolled his eyes. “You didn’t dare face the Three Swords of Edge Gate, so you shoved me—a lockforce cultivator—into it. And you’re still called a Six-Path Roamer. You’re insulting Senior Sister Mo Wan Yin. Even Senior Brother Han Ling has more grace than you.”

A disciple barked, “Wang Jie! How dare you speak to Senior Brother Fang like that!”

Song Yan’s voice was icy. “Junior Brother Wang. Enough.”

Wang Jie looked at him. “Senior Brother, I still don’t know your name.”

Fang He laughed loudly. “Junior Brother Song, tell him. He’s desperate to befriend you.”

Song Yan’s expression didn’t change. “We’ve met twice. That’s enough. There’s no need to know each other further.” His eyes flicked away. “Take care of yourself.”

He walked past Wang Jie and left.

Fang He followed, slowing just long enough to lean in and murmur, “Kid. Our score isn’t settled. Wait and see.”

A cultivator nearby sneered. “Senior Brother Song knows the Cloudstream Domain well. He’s led people to merit more times than I can count. Not just anyone is qualified to latch on.”

“Coward, get lost.”

“Go cry to the Chief Huntsman for merit points. Maybe she’ll pity you and throw you scraps. Haha.”

Wang Jie turned to the group and raised his voice. “Everyone, a friendly warning as fellow disciples: stay close to Senior Brother Fang. If danger comes and you run one step too slow, he’ll abandon you.”

He smiled faintly. “Don’t let it end with all of you going out and only Senior Brother Fang coming back alive.”

The words carried across the area.

Faces shifted. Some looked uncomfortable. Others looked delighted.

Fang He turned, his expression so dark it seemed to swallow light. “Wang Jie. Plenty of time ahead.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Wang Jie replied.

As Fang He and Song Yan’s group left, the area thinned. Tens of thousands departed with them—many of them elites. Anyone who followed Liu Dao You into battle wasn’t ordinary.

Wang Jie returned toward the command hub and met Xiao Rong head-on.

Xiao Rong paused, then bowed. “Senior Brother Wang.”

He was much older than Wang Jie. Back in Suo Xing Jian, Wang Jie had heard stories of him—the number one lockforce cultivator, a legend. Even Shen Wang, who once hunted Wang Jie, couldn’t compare.

And now Xiao Rong was calling him Senior Brother.

Wang Jie nodded and led him to the side. Curiosity tugged at him. “How did you end up here?”

Xiao Rong’s smile was bitter. “I was originally stationed at the Silver-Sand Battlefield. The Steward Hall wanted to deal with you, Senior Brother, so they summoned me back. But your methods were… unfathomable. I never made it back to my post. I was dragged here instead.”

Wang Jie studied him. “So I dragged you down with me.”

“It has nothing to do with you,” Xiao Rong said quietly. “Whether it’s Silver-Sand Battlefield or here, death is the end. Where you die doesn’t matter.”

“You really can’t return?”

“The sect saved my life. The price was that I remain on the battlefield forever—as a ‘model’ lockforce cultivator.” Xiao Rong’s voice tightened. “Unless the Zhi family speaks, I’ll never go back.”

Wang Jie fell silent. This was the tragedy of lockforce cultivators. First or not, no starforce cultivator cared.

Xiao Rong looked at him. “Why are you in Cloudstream Domain, Senior Brother?”

“Bad luck,” Wang Jie said simply.

Xiao Rong sighed. “With your strength, you’ll return alive one day. When you do, the words lockforce won’t be able to bind you anymore.”

Wang Jie’s gaze softened. “Suo Xing Jian has set its own rules now. Zong Cheng Ping is doing well.”

Xiao Rong smiled, relief genuine. “That’s good.”

Over the next few days, Wang Jie led small groups to explore nearby space.

Edge Gate was quieter than before—far quieter.

The skirmishes they encountered were nothing like the early chaos. It felt wrong.

Edge Gate wouldn’t abandon Cloudstream Domain, and Song Yan had been too active. Something was being prepared.

When Wang Jie returned to the command hub, a voice reached him—Chief Huntsman Shuang Jin.

“Come to me.”

Not long after, Wang Jie stood before her and bowed. “Greetings, Chief Huntsman.”

Shuang Jin’s smile held a hint of amusement. “What? Nervous?”

He was. The Chief Huntsman shouldn’t have any reason to summon him.

Last time was because of Fang He. This time—he had no idea.

Shuang Jin tapped a finger lightly against the table.

The world spun.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Jie was no longer where he’d stood. His eyes snapped to the familiar planet before him, and his heart lurched.

“Star-Devourer?”

He blurted it out, staring. Had she brought him back to the sect? That fast?

Was star-refining realm really so terrifying?

Shuang Jin’s voice carried a faint smile. “So it really is yours. Star-Devourer suddenly got pushed here. It should be for you.”