Chapter 273
Chapter 273: Substitute Death
As expected, there was indeed a problem.
Luo Kui’s suspicion was right: that heavenly thunder likely had something to do with Grandmaster Qi.
But after scheming against Edge Sect, Edge Sect had immediately struck back.
In the starry void, countless sword qi surged upwards, enclosing the vast battlefield. It was a massive sword formation.
Wang Jie looked in all directions. Sword formations surrounded them on every side.
Never had he seen such a colossal sword formation before. They were all trapped inside it. Edge Sect had paid an unimaginable price to arrange this formation.
Wang Jie could normally break a sword formation, but this one was far beyond his abilities. He could only watch helplessly as the formation began shrinking. Countless cultivators vanished in flashes of sword qi, instantly annihilated.
It didn’t matter whether they were from Black White Heaven or Edge Sect—all who stood within the formation’s boundaries were indiscriminately slain.
Wang Jie’s face paled; he too was within the sword formation.
At this moment, many cultivators began gathering in a certain direction. Without hesitation, Wang Jie rushed toward them. Several hundred-star realm experts were gathered there, and at their center stood Su Xian Yin, the strongest hundred-star realm expert from Phoenix Cry Hall.
Zhu Cheng had also returned.
Alongside them stood Elder Wu from Black White Heaven, Yan Hui Xue from Ornate Jade Gate, and other formidable figures, all clustered around Su Xian Yin.
Wang Jie wished to leap toward them by stepping on meteorites, but there were none nearby. This prevented anyone below wandering-star realm from approaching.
Fortunately, at that critical moment, someone called out to him. It was Qi Five.
The little fatty winked meaningfully at him, saying, “Brother, hurry up and follow. Young Miss has high expectations of you. You mustn’t die here.”
He said this deliberately for the wandering-star realm expert beside him.
Hearing these words, Wang Jie immediately showed respect, replying, “This subordinate wouldn’t dare betray Young Miss’s trust.”
Qi Five looked toward the wandering-star realm cultivator, explaining, “He was personally selected by Young Miss; let’s bring him along.”
The wandering-star realm cultivator hesitated briefly, then nodded, saying, “I can bring him along, but there might not be a place for him.”
“Bring him first,” Qi Five insisted.
The wandering-star realm cultivator grabbed Wang Jie’s arm, taking him swiftly toward Su Xian Yin’s group.
Wang Jie turned to Qi Five, wanting to ask something, but Qi Five silenced him with a discreet gesture.
Soon, they arrived near Su Xian Yin. More and more wandering-star realm cultivators gathered around, but Ran Dao, Su Su, and even Qi Xue Yin were absent. Where had they all gone?
Qi Five leaned close and whispered, “No one can break this sword formation, but Phoenix Cry Hall possesses a star artifact called the Substitute Paper Man. If you stick it onto your body, it can die in your place one time. However, spots are limited, so you must fight for it yourself.”
Wang Jie asked in confusion, “What exactly is going on?”
Qi Five sighed helplessly, “It’s warfare, each side scheming. Our side used a traitor to send false information, drawing away their strongest fighters and allowing us to unleash the Heavenly Thunder from Thunder Abyss. But the enemy struck back immediately with this enormous sword formation. Consider it an even exchange—just seeing who loses more.”
“These are games played by the higher-ups. Our only job is to survive.”
“Especially you. The Substitute Paper Man spots are limited, so figure something out.”
Wang Jie finally understood why there had been no response when he tried to contact the elder—he had always been a pawn.
He looked towards Su Xian Yin in the distance. Substitute Paper Man? Then he glanced at Elder Wu, trying to contact him immediately.
Unfortunately, Elder Wu’s personal terminal had broken down, rendering communication impossible.
Having no choice, Wang Jie could only wave his hand.
Everyone was focused anxiously on the surrounding sword formations, their expressions grim. In such circumstances, Wang Jie’s waving stood out awkwardly.
Many saw him but chose to ignore it.
Zhu Cheng noticed, frowned slightly, and said something to a wandering-star realm cultivator behind him. That cultivator immediately approached and rebuked Wang Jie, “All below wandering-star realm must leave immediately.”
Before Wang Jie could respond, Qi Five intervened, “He’s from my Galaxy Combat Equipment Company. Who do you think you are, telling our man to leave?”
The wandering-star realm cultivator was startled, glanced at Wang Jie in surprise, and returned to report to Zhu Cheng.
Zhu Cheng hadn’t anticipated Wang Jie’s connection to Galaxy Combat Equipment Company and said no more.
Wang Jie continued waving.
But Elder Wu was facing another direction entirely, oblivious to Wang Jie’s desperate attempts to catch his attention.
They were simply too far apart for Wang Jie’s voice to carry.
The wandering-star realm cultivator beside him, already burdened with Qi Five, wouldn’t help him relay messages. Even bringing him here had been challenging enough.
“Master Wang?” came a surprised voice.
Wang Jie turned around, equally astonished, “Senior Jiang?”
The man who appeared was unexpectedly Jiang You Sheng, the puppet master tower master whom he had met in Ninth Star Chain and who had taken him to Thunder Well for the first time.
Wang Jie had never imagined running into him here.
Jiang You Sheng was equally stunned to see Wang Jie again.
The Ninth Star Chain had intentionally surrendered to Frost Radiance Sect—something Jiang You Sheng only learned upon returning to the Puppet Master Sect. Later, after Frost Radiance Sect’s destruction, Jiang You Sheng learned that Wang Jie had been saved once by their ancestor. Originally intending to bring Wang Jie back to the Puppet Master Sect, he had been inadvertently let go by Yi Yi.
Wang Jie had once saved Jiang You Sheng’s life.
Though Wang Jie had infiltrated Ninth Star Chain, deceiving him, it was due to their different positions. If not for Wang Jie, Jiang You Sheng would already be dead.
He remained deeply grateful to Wang Jie.
Likewise, Wang Jie was equally thankful toward Jiang You Sheng. Regardless of the circumstances, this man had helped him. Without Jiang You Sheng’s intervention during the Frost Radiance Sect battle, Wang Jie would’ve died.
They had each saved the other’s life.
“It really is you, Master Wang! How did you end up here?” Jiang You Sheng stepped forward. Though happy to reunite, he realized their circumstances weren’t good.
Wang Jie smiled bitterly, “I was thrown onto the battlefield. What about you, Senior Jiang?”
“Reinforcements,” Jiang You Sheng replied helplessly. “My Puppet Master Sect had to send someone as well. By the way, Master Wang, did you manage to get a spot?”
It seemed many people knew about the substitute paper man, or perhaps everyone gathered here had already received a quota. Were these spots arranged beforehand?
Wang Jie shook his head, replying simply, “I don’t have one.”
Jiang You Sheng’s face changed immediately, saying nervously, “What should we do? Without a quota, surviving this sword formation is nearly impossible.”
“Senior Jiang, could you call Elder Wu for me?” Wang Jie pointed to the distance.
Jiang You Sheng dared not delay and hurriedly summoned Elder Wu.
Elder Wu approached with surprise, glanced at Wang Jie, and quickly understood his intent. Turning, Elder Wu whispered a few words to Su Xian Yin.
Su Xian Yin turned her gaze toward Wang Jie.
Wang Jie respectfully bowed.
Su Xian Yin’s expression remained calm as she quietly responded to Elder Wu. Elder Wu showed astonishment before approaching Wang Jie with a slight smile, easing his anxiety, “You were already included in the quota. Why are you so nervous?”
Wang Jie was startled, asking in surprise, “I have a quota? How come I didn’t even know myself?”
Jiang You Sheng was equally astonished. Although a celestial refinement master was important, if thrown onto a battlefield, the status meant little. Could Master Wang have other hidden skills that granted him such a rare spot?
After all, substitute paper man quotas were extremely limited, prioritized first for wandering star realm experts, and the remainder carefully allocated. For Wang Jie to have one was no small matter.
Qi Five, however, wasn’t surprised at all. He had personally witnessed Wang Jie defeat Shu Mu Night. After seeing such strength, anything Wang Jie did seemed reasonable.
Elder Wu shook his head, indicating he also hadn’t known—it was Su Xian Yin who had informed him.
Wang Jie wasn’t sure who had arranged his quota, but having it meant survival. Actually, with his Star Dome Visage identity token, he’d survive anyway, but keeping that secret hidden was certainly better.
The sword formation shrank rapidly.
Countless cultivators couldn’t outrun the terrifying speed of the tightening formation and were torn apart by sword qi.
Wang Jie watched as endless crowds desperately rushed toward the center, their faces filled with despair. In that instant, human lives became worthless.
Su Xian Yin moved, producing a paper sheet. She gently tapped it, causing countless illusory copies to merge silently into everyone’s bodies nearby. Wang Jie also received one, but felt no immediate difference.
No one moved, standing frozen as sword qi swept toward them.
Even with the substitute paper man, the feeling of awaiting death by sword qi wasn’t something a normal person could bear easily.
Several cultivators around couldn’t help but step back.
Just then, a gentle zither melody filled the air, calming the hearts—it was Su Xian Yin playing.
Wang Jie took a deep breath, staring intently at the incoming sword qi. He felt it tear into his flesh, pain instantly replaced by numbness. In that moment, the substitute paper man shattered into fragments. As the sword qi passed, everyone who received the paper remained unharmed.
Beside him, Qi Five was soaked through, his whole body trembling as though utterly exhausted.
Most people were similarly affected.
They had now personally experienced the feeling of death itself.
Wang Jie gasped heavily. He never wanted to experience this again.
They stood at the very center of the sword formation.
When the sword qi finally swept past, the formation faded into nothingness.
From afar, countless cultivators of Edge Sect surged forward, and beneath this starry sky, only a handful survived. From another direction, cultivators rushed forth, among them prominently stood Luan Dao and his allies.
The war continued.
What had just occurred felt like an extreme exchange, a brutal trade of lives. But it didn’t lessen the battle’s intensity.
Now, the wandering star realm experts took center stage.
Qi Xue Yin and others reappeared.
Luan Dao struck first with Hundred Million Instant Slash, but his attack was stopped by a young cultivator named Tang Zhou, one of Blade Gate’s Three Blades, and also its strongest. The same Hundred Million Instant Slash had once defeated Han Ling with ease, yet couldn’t overcome Tang Zhou now.
At once, Luo Kui and Fei Qiu Yun drew their swords.
Han Ling and Qing Xiao countered immediately.
A Great Sun Halberd swept forth with black flames while a gourd opened, absorbing incoming blades.
Elsewhere, a puppet bounced along, catching Wang Jie’s eye. It was none other than the girl who had guarded him under Jiang Yun Ji’s orders on Heavy Depth Star.
She must be connected to Jiang You Sheng.
Hundred star realm experts simultaneously joined the fray, while even farther away was the fierce battlefield of star refining realm cultivators.
Wang Jie again encountered the man who had used the imprisonment technique on him before. Twice they had clashed, each time ending prematurely. Now, Wang Jie had no intention of letting him escape, especially since this man specialized in sneak attacks.
Fang He once again targeted Wang Jie, but Yue Bai stood firmly in his path.
Once a disciple of Shield Mountain Peak took full defensive stance, breaking through wasn’t easy.
Wang Jie wanted to thank Yue Bai, though he knew Yue Bai acted solely to avenge a previous loss to Fang He, and it had little to do with himself.
On this battlefield, there were too many Six Dao Wanderer-level prodigies, scattered everywhere.
Wang Jie wished to distance himself from them, but the man who wielded the imprisonment technique wished even more fervently to escape from Wang Jie. Yet this time, Wang Jie would not let him go. His Armor Eight Steps technique shadowed the man relentlessly.
With countless deaths thinning the battlefield, evasion became difficult.
The man unleashed star force in strange forms, attempting to trap Wang Jie in place. Wang Jie swung his sword decisively, tearing through it with sheer strength.
“Brother, is it really necessary to focus so heavily on me?” the man protested.
“You attacked me before. I can’t just let you go,” Wang Jie replied coldly.
“I swear I won’t target you again!”
“Nonsense.” Wang Jie raised his hand, cyan-colored thunder patterns surging aggressively, shattering the man’s star force instantly. Simultaneously, multiple blades stabbed outward, his voice firm as he unleashed his sword form technique—Single Line to Heaven.