Chapter 275
Chapter 275: A Single Hand
While deep in thought, Jiang Yi Yi suddenly called out: “Hey, you.”
Wang Jie turned to look at her.
“Are you really a Lock Force cultivator?”
“Genuine and true,” Wang Jie answered.
“Then how are you so strong? I’ve seen you fight. Your strength must have reached at least three hundred thousand.”
Even Jiang You Sheng looked at Wang Jie with surprise. He hadn’t expected Wang Jie to possess such terrifying strength—especially since he was still merely at the Star Breaking realm. It was simply beyond comprehension.
Not knowing how to explain, Wang Jie could only reply: “Because I’m a genius.”
Jiang Yi Yi was speechless.
The three of them hid inside the meteor for a while longer. Only when Wang Jie had finished his exercises and recovered his strength did they leave.
They had to find a way to meet up with the others; they couldn’t hide forever.
It was crucial to escape the territory controlled by Ancient Sword Pillar Keeper, even though this region originally belonged to Big Dipper Bridge Pillar.
Moving carefully from one meteor to another, Jiang You Sheng reasoned that since Big Dipper Bridge Pillar’s forces had scattered widely, there should be allies nearby. As long as they could regroup, their strength would grow. It would certainly be better than staying as just the three of them.
Although Ancient Sword Pillar Keeper had also suffered losses, they still held the advantage of an intact command structure. Unlike Big Dipper Bridge Pillar, whose forces were utterly dispersed, gathering more people was their best way to minimize the disadvantage.
Before long, they spotted distant figures hiding on a faraway meteor. They hesitated to approach since they couldn’t confirm their identities.
“If I were Tong Shou from Ancient Sword Pillar Keeper,” Jiang You Sheng said grimly, “I would order my experts to scatter throughout the asteroid belt to flush out hidden enemies. If those people belong to Ancient Sword Pillar Keeper, they’re surely powerful cultivators.”
“How can we be sure?” Jiang Yi Yi asked nervously. “What if they’re our own people?”
Jiang You Sheng couldn’t answer that.
Then Wang Jie spoke firmly: “Let’s go. They’re enemies.”
Their puppet didn’t move, but inside, Jiang Yi Yi and Jiang You Sheng turned to stare at him. “How can you tell?”
Wang Jie replied calmly: “I recognized one of them. They ambushed me on the battlefield earlier.”
After this explanation, neither of them doubted him further.
But the truth was that Wang Jie hadn’t actually recognized anyone. Instead, on his Star Disk, he sensed an extremely strong presence in that direction—someone at the level of a Six Dao Wanderer. The energy was remarkably abundant.
He remembered clearly that the Skeletal Clan’s creatures had severely injured most experts on the battlefield. By logic, none of their own side could still possess such abundant energy, especially considering the constant pursuit and escape of Big Dipper Bridge Pillar’s forces.
Thus, the probability of those people being enemies was extremely high.
Wang Jie’s analysis was accurate.
Far away, more than a dozen cultivators were hiding, occasionally peeking out before quickly hiding again, as though deliberately avoiding detection. Among them was Scarlet Gauze Sword Fiend herself.
She was a formidable Wandering Star realm expert whose normal combat power had reached five hundred thousand. Luo Kui had once warned that if they encountered certain figures, they should immediately avoid them. Scarlet Gauze Sword Fiend was precisely one of those people.
The trio quickly changed directions again, continuing their cautious journey. Yet their path wasn’t entirely aimless. They moved steadily toward Big Dipper Bridge Pillar’s territory, confident that others would do the same.
The next decisive battlefield would inevitably lie ahead, beneath the Fourth Star Cloud, where it bordered the First Main Battlefield.
If Ancient Sword Pillar Keeper broke through that region, they would enter the Fourth Star Cloud and thus gain direct access to Big Dipper Bridge Pillar territory. With such a critical foothold, Ancient Sword Pillar Keeper’s assault on Big Dipper Bridge Pillar would become effortless—a scenario Big Dipper Bridge Pillar couldn’t allow.
Hence, Big Dipper Bridge Pillar would undoubtedly send massive reinforcements, and Wang Jie’s group planned to join them, aiming to cooperate at the crucial moment from within.
There was no need for explicit instructions—anyone could guess the strategy.
But the closer they moved in that direction, the greater the danger became. Ancient Sword Pillar Keeper was not foolish either, and would surely strengthen their patrols along that route.
More than ten days passed quietly. Suddenly Jiang Yi Yi shouted joyfully: “I’ve found our sign!”
Jiang You Sheng hurriedly looked and nodded in relief. “You’re right. It’s our mark.”
Wang Jie stared ahead in confusion. [What sign?] He couldn’t see anything special on the meteor ahead.
Neither Jiang You Sheng nor Jiang Yi Yi explained to him. After all, Wang Jie belonged to the Fourth Star Cloud, while this secret sign was something crafted by the Third Nebula’s Sect Master, known only to certain people.
Having no other choice, Wang Jie silently followed as they navigated carefully from meteor to meteor, finally arriving at their destination.
Soon, they met up with some survivors from Shield Mountain Peak and Fallen Bow Hall, including five Wandering Star realm experts and more than ten Full Star realm cultivators. As for those in the Star Breaking realm, Ten-Seal cultivators, and Lock Force cultivators, it was almost impossible for them to have survived the devastating ultra-large sword formation attack. These few were lucky exceptions.
A single massive sword formation had wiped out ninety percent of the cultivators within its range.
Only after joining these survivors did Jiang You Sheng finally relax completely, even stepping out of his puppet to breathe fresh air.
Yet Wang Jie quickly urged him to leave again.
“Why should we leave?” Jiang You Sheng asked in confusion.
Wang Jie hesitated, unsure how to explain clearly. Within the gathered survivors, he’d sensed the presence of a traitor—indeed, it was the exact same aura he had encountered in the underground prison of Edge Sect. The existence of a traitor here meant they were undoubtedly being watched closely by Edge Sect. It was just a matter of when Edge Sect would choose to strike.
Perhaps the enemy hadn’t attacked yet because they were patiently waiting—using these people as bait.
“One among them is very likely a traitor,” Wang Jie finally said.
Following Wang Jie’s gaze, Jiang You Sheng turned to look, but Wang Jie quickly reminded him not to stare.
Jiang Yi Yi voiced her disbelief: “Everyone here is a disciple from Shield Mountain Peak and Fallen Bow Hall. How could there possibly be a traitor among them?”
“I once owned a disguise mask,” Wang Jie explained quietly, “so it’s not impossible that the traitor might also have methods to alter his appearance.” [Appearances can be faked, but qi cannot. Without cultivation, one’s qi will always reveal the truth.]
“If he’s disguised, how could you recognize him?” Jiang You Sheng asked, skeptical.
Wang Jie calmly replied, “By demeanor, habits, gaze, and even the rhythm of his steps. I’ve seen someone whose manner closely matches a cultivator who once followed Fang He—and that cultivator betrayed us alongside Fang He.”
Jiang You Sheng’s face turned grave. Although Wang Jie had spoken vaguely, at this moment it was safer to believe than to doubt.
“Let’s go.”
Wang Jie released a quiet sigh of relief.
The three departed in silence.
On their way, Jiang Yi Yi couldn’t hold back her discomfort, muttering, “We were looking for our own people. If there really is a traitor among them, shouldn’t we catch him instead? Isn’t leaving like this unfair to everyone?”
Jiang You Sheng responded solemnly, “If there’s truly a traitor, the Edge Sect would already have their eyes on him. If we expose him ourselves, we’ll suffer the consequences too.”
“Why should we believe whatever he says?” Jiang Yi Yi retorted angrily.
“Because,” Wang Jie replied softly, “I escaped from Wandering Star Realm experts with only ten seals.”
Jiang Yi Yi glared at Wang Jie, speechless with frustration.
Jiang You Sheng shook his head and urged, “Let’s hurry. Since we’ve decided to leave, we should get far away.”
Several days passed quietly.
One day, the three of them hid inside a meteorite, their breaths carefully suppressed to their limits.
Above them, two figures flew past swiftly.
“You’re certain they fled in this direction?” one voice asked.
“They should have. We’ve searched everywhere else,” the other answered.
“Useless fools—letting people slip away.”
“They’re merely two Wandering Star Realm puppet masters. Their escape won’t change much.”
“You know nothing! We’ve finally penetrated the Big Dipper Bridge Pillar. Once we establish a foothold here, future attacks will be easier. We won’t need to waste strength across the Three Domains anymore. No one must escape.”
“Yes, Junior understands. Let’s continue searching,” the voices faded into the distance.
Inside the meteorite, Jiang You Sheng and Jiang Yi Yi both glanced at Wang Jie, their eyes no longer doubtful. One of the two speakers was someone they’d met during their earlier gathering; the other clearly belonged to the Hundred Star Realm of Edge Sect.
Wang Jie’s guess had been right.
Yet Wang Jie felt no satisfaction at this discovery. [I’m also a traitor. One traitor naturally recognizes another.]
“We should hide here a few days more,” Wang Jie suggested.
This time, Jiang Yi Yi dared not object—Wang Jie had proven himself right.
After some time, they saw an open stretch of starry sky before them. Behind lay the meteorite belt. To their surprise, they’d reached the belt’s edge.
This edge had two paths: one leading to the deadly outer boundary of the Bridge Pillar, the other going inward—the passage used by warships en route to the First Main Battlefield.
They now stood right beside that very passage.
Wang Jie grew uneasy, whispering, “This place is easily monitored, and if Ancient Sword Pillar Keeper sends reinforcements, they’ll pass through here. Even a casual glance from a strong cultivator could discover us. Retreat.”
Jiang You Sheng agreed immediately. They had wandered without intention, never planning to arrive here.
As they withdrew a short distance, beams of light suddenly streaked overhead, blasting into distant meteorites, clearing a path.
Wang Jie and the others quickly crouched low, looking up carefully.
Warships appeared, heading toward the Fourth Star Cloud.
“Reinforcements from Ancient Sword Pillar Keeper—why so fast?” Jiang You Sheng wondered aloud.
Wang Jie also sensed something was off. According to their calculations, these reinforcements should still be en route. How had they arrived so swiftly after their defeat?
Suddenly, someone attacked those warships.
One attacker was familiar—Yan Hui Xue, a Hundred Star Realm powerhouse from Ornate Jade Gate, once their strongest core disciple.
Alongside Yan Hui Xue were many cultivators launching coordinated strikes against the ships. Their movements were precise, clearly experienced at such assaults—focused solely on disabling ships. But this time, luck abandoned them.
From a warship emerged a gigantic hand, effortlessly capturing Yan Hui Xue and the cultivators around him. In an instant, they were crushed.
Wang Jie’s pupils shrank in horror, his face pale.
[Crushed…just like that?]
Jiang Yi Yi covered her mouth in shock, equally horrified.
The three remained silent, understanding they must not utter a sound. They simply watched as blood spilled into space, the warships slowly leaving. Each lowered their gaze, afraid to look anymore.
Only after the ships vanished completely did Jiang Yi Yi whisper fearfully, “Was that a Star Refining Realm expert?”
Jiang You Sheng nodded grimly, then turned to Wang Jie. “We need to leave. It’s too dangerous here.”
Wang Jie nodded quietly, preparing to depart. Suddenly, lights flashed wildly on his star disk. His blood turned cold. [They’re all around us? Why so many powerful auras?]
A shadow fell over them, bringing chilling dread that froze them in place—not from cold, but from raw terror, a fear that pierced their very souls.
Someone stood behind them.
Wang Jie stared numbly at his star disk. The nearest presence was immense beyond measure, like an endless abyss—the strongest qi he’d ever felt.
[Who?]
A hand reached past Wang Jie’s ear, pale and withered, covered in dark, blood-colored veins. An awful stench wafted from it—the decay of rotting flesh.
That hand took Wang Jie’s star disk away.
Wang Jie dared not move or look back. It felt like Death itself stood behind him.
Suddenly, their surroundings shifted. Though they hadn’t moved, they now found themselves within an iron-chained cage. Yet ahead, the starry scene remained unchanged—meteorites drifting silently. The sight stayed constant, yet somehow their positions had shifted. [What just happened?]
New scenes layered rapidly around them, as though space itself was reshaping swiftly, creating new landscapes in moments. Strangely, these scenes overlapped perfectly with the previous starfield, blending without the slightest flaw.
“Rise,” came a hoarse voice, rusty as if it hadn’t spoken in ages.
The three rose stiffly.
Jiang You Sheng and Jiang Yi Yi’s puppets disintegrated into dust, untouched by hands, dissolving as if eroded by the passage of time. The dreadful sight drained all remaining color from their faces.
“Heh, frightened? Don’t be afraid. We’re on the same side now. Turn around and look.”
The three slowly turned—but no one was there.
Whoever spoke had vanished. Instead, their eyes fell upon rows of figures bound tightly in iron chains—familiar faces.
Su Su, Qing Xiao, Tang Zhou from Edge Sect, Zhu Cheng from Ornate Jade Gate—all chained prisoners before them.