Chapter 297
Chapter 297: Gone Mad
Several days later, Wu Yuan announced to everyone that the other clubs had agreed to Wang Jie’s demands.
They would guarantee that Black White Heaven Club entered the Southern Family’s inheritance grounds first.
Moreover, they were willing to give Wang Jie any additional rewards he desired.
Wang Jie released a quiet breath of relief. It seemed the other Lock Force cultivators had all failed. That was good news; had anyone else succeeded, not only would he gain nothing, but he’d also become a laughingstock after offending so many people earlier. Now, control rested in his hands.
Everyone gazed at him curiously.
He had caused such a commotion, and only he could locate the Red Moon, so naturally, everyone was eager to hear what he would demand.
Wang Jie took a deep breath, met their expectant gazes, and paused for a moment. Then, without speaking, he walked straight out of Accompanying Lake Residence under everyone’s astonished eyes. Once outside, he shouted loudly, “I want ten six-tribulation star artifacts!”
“I want ten six-tribulation star artifacts!”
“I want ten—”
His voice echoed repeatedly, spreading through the entire Imperial Capital Star.
Everyone heard him clearly and froze in shock.
[Has he lost his mind?]
Not only people from other clubs, even Wu Yuan stared at Wang Jie, stunned. Had he truly gone mad?
What were six-tribulation star artifacts? Those were weapons exclusive to World Realm powerhouses. Not to mention these clubs, even their backing forces could hardly produce a few. Such treasures were exceedingly rare.
In all of Black White Heaven, there was only a single six-tribulation star artifact, and it rested in the hands of Ancestor Zhi Yu.
And yet, Wang Jie casually asked for ten?
Impossible! Forget ten—even one was utterly unthinkable. The Southern Family’s hidden inheritance might possess, at most, one such artifact, if they were incredibly fortunate. Ten of them was a value far surpassing the entire Southern Family’s inheritance.
An eerie, stunned silence enveloped the entire Imperial Capital Star.
After shouting, Wang Jie felt thoroughly pleased. One of the materials required for the Immortal Body technique—making everyone think he’d gone insane—was now fulfilled.
At this moment, absolutely everyone believed he had lost his mind.
Even Wu Yuan rarely showed a change in expression, yet now he stared blankly.
“Wang… Junior Brother Wang, what did you just say?” Mo Wan Yin asked numbly.
Wang Jie turned back and replied casually, “Was it too much? Then should I ask for less? How about just one artifact?”
The drop was enormous. From ten directly down to one? Wait, was this even about the size of the drop? Even one six-tribulation star artifact was impossible!
Yu Zhi, speechless, said, “Junior Brother Wang, a single six-tribulation star artifact could become the core treasure of an entire sect. Surely, you’re joking.”
Wang Jie blinked innocently. “Oh, really? Alright, fine. Then forget the star artifacts. How about just giving me a hundred billion starstones? That’s not much, right?”
Everyone fell silent again.
Indeed, compared to ten six-tribulation artifacts, a hundred billion starstones was nothing. Spread across multiple clubs, each would only need to give around ten billion.
Ten billion starstones really wasn’t much—they could all afford it.
Yet, why did it feel so strange? Bargaining from ten priceless artifacts straight down to mere starstones… Was that how negotiation worked? Had they been living under a rock, or was Wang Jie deliberately toying with them?
Nobody understood Wang Jie’s logic.
Only Wang Jie himself knew that asking for rewards was merely a side benefit. His real goal had always been to fulfill the material requirement.
Now that was complete. As for the reward, just give him some starstones as a symbolic gesture, and he’d be satisfied.
While Wang Jie relaxed, outside, people from the other clubs were about ready to curse him. They hadn’t even recovered from the initial shock of ten six-tribulation star artifacts before the price abruptly dropped to starstones. This wasn’t negotiating—this was pure mockery.
But now that Wang Jie’s request had become reasonable, they didn’t even know how to curse at him. All they could do was grudgingly transfer the starstones according to the Stellar Integration Card he provided.
Watching the steadily rising numbers on his Stellar Integration Card, Wang Jie felt his heart leap with each increase.
These clubs truly weren’t short of money.
He had asked for a total of one hundred billion starstones, yet two clubs had stubbornly given that amount individually. Together with contributions from other clubs, in mere moments, he had accumulated over three hundred and fifty billion starstones.
[This is ridiculous. How wealthy are these people, really?]
Wu Yuan rubbed his forehead in pain. He realized that Wang Jie might appear calm and composed, but he certainly wasn’t easy to handle. Sometimes, Wu Yuan couldn’t even guess what he was thinking.
On the same day, Accompanying Lake Residence welcomed representatives from every influential club with a voice in the matter.
These clubs shared one trait: each had Hundred-Star Realm experts within their ranks.
Some Wang Jie had already met—such as Shao Ling’er, Yuan Qiao Qiao, Ke Mu Sheng, and Yun Jian. Others, like Su Ji Kong from Void Phoenix Club, Lady Candle Shadow from Darkness Under Lamp Club, Chen Song from Three Chan Heaven Club, as well as Lan Tui and Guan Sou from Mountain Viewing Club, had only appeared on projection screens before, never face-to-face.
Now, all of them gathered at Accompanying Lake Residence.
Counting Wu Yuan, there were a total of ten Hundred-Star Realm cultivators here.
It was a tremendously powerful group.
These ten individuals weren’t ordinary Hundred-Star Realm cultivators, either. Their strength couldn’t simply be measured by numbers. Regardless of their current combat power, each was young and talented enough to remain valued by their respective clubs, indicating limitless future potential.
There was at least an eighty-percent chance each would reach the Star-Refining Realm.
In other words, assembled here was the future elite of the Four Pillars, future Star-Refining Realm cultivators who could each establish their own sect-level power.
Wang Jie studied the gathering thoughtfully. [If someone wiped them all out at once, I wonder how violently the Four Pillars would tremble?]
“Younger brother, your gaze is rather unfriendly,” Lady Candle Shadow teased, smiling strangely. The face reflected by the flame wick flickered unsettlingly, matching her eerie expression.
Wang Jie calmly replied, “Senior Sister misunderstands. Junior is merely a Full-Star Realm cultivator; how could I possibly bear ill intentions toward esteemed Hundred-Star Realm seniors?”
Lady Candle Shadow chuckled softly, the face in the candle flame also smiling gently.
Meanwhile, standing quietly behind Chen Song, Mo fixed his stare firmly on Wang Jie.
He never imagined this man would still be alive, let alone meeting him again under such circumstances.
Earlier, when he heard of a lock force cultivator named Wang Jie, a wanderer from Black White Heaven Six Dao, he’d wondered if it might be the same person from the trial on Blue Star. But the thought seemed absurd; that man was dead. Even Armor One Sect had confirmed it—otherwise, they would have already whisked him away.
Yet, seeing Wang Jie standing here now, he instantly knew it was indeed that man.
The one who had defeated Shu Mu Night.
The one he would remember forever, the one who haunted his memories.
This man was somehow still alive.
Wang Jie’s gaze passed over Mo and settled on another figure—a bald youth who had been shown to him by Si Yao. This youth was one of those extraordinary geniuses, someone clearly at only the Full Star realm yet able to help over ten people break through to the Wandering Star realm.
As soon as Wang Jie laid eyes on him, an inexplicable caution rose within him, as though beneath the boy’s harmless appearance lurked something deeply hidden.
The bald youth also stared back at Wang Jie. His gaze was calm like an ancient well, carrying none of a young boy’s spirit but instead reflecting the depth of a seasoned elder who had endured many lifetimes.
Wu Yuan spoke up: “Now that all clubs who have the right to speak here are gathered, I’ll get straight to the point. You all previously agreed that if Wang Jie found the Red Moon, my Black White Heaven Club would be first to enter the Nan family. Does that promise still stand? Please confirm again.”
Ke Mu Sheng nodded: “I agree.”
“I agree,” said another.
“I agree.”
Voices echoed one after another. Everyone agreed.
Wu Yuan nodded: “Very well.” He turned to Wang Jie, “You may begin.”
Wang Jie began cultivating the Red Moon’s Opening chapter openly, right in front of everyone’s eyes.
He had no choice but to cultivate openly, or else who knew if he might find the Red Moon and then claim he hadn’t.
In fact, Wang Jie had planned exactly that.
Not for any complicated reason—just because he wanted to obtain a few more techniques of the Red Moon cultivation method. The hidden Nan family member was anxious to enter the Nan family, so their success depended solely on Wang Jie.
All these clubs had already paid a price; the hidden figure shouldn’t be exempt.
Watching Wang Jie cultivate, everyone remained calm. This method wasn’t difficult, and all practiced it in the same way.
After about the time it took to burn an incense stick, Wang Jie suddenly opened his eyes and stood, excitement visible on his face.
Everyone stared at him: “You found it?”
Wu Yuan and the others weren’t surprised, as Wang Jie had already sensed it before.
Wang Jie pointed toward the distance: “That way—I can sense it.”
Immediately, someone took out a star map and prepared to mark it down, asking, “Precisely where?”
“I don’t know,” Wang Jie replied.
Everyone was stunned.
Even Wu Yuan looked taken aback.
“You don’t know?”
Wang Jie frowned: “I can sense the Red Moon, but I can’t pinpoint its exact position, nor can I force it to appear. I think I don’t have enough cultivation methods. If I could practice a bit more, I should manage.”
Lady Candle Shadow raised her eyebrows skeptically: “The one secretly spreading these methods clearly wants us all to help open the Nan family’s grounds. The provided cultivation methods should be enough. Could it be you just don’t want us to enter?”
Wang Jie looked at Lady Candle Shadow with absolute seriousness: “I’m a lock force cultivator—lock force—do you understand?”
“The person secretly spreading information must be a star force cultivator who doesn’t know the difference between lock force and star force. She probably believes star force cultivation methods alone are enough to find the Red Moon, but lock force is still lacking. Or do you think the person hidden in the dark practices lock force?”
No one could argue against this point.
Everyone regarded lock force with disdain. Among all those gathered, Wang Jie was the only lock force cultivator.
Lock force cultivators were cannon fodder in the eyes of the entire cultivation world—that belief ran deep.
Lady Candle Shadow fell silent.
Wang Jie gazed into the distance, continuing, “Just give me a few more techniques to cultivate, or enough time, and I’ll gradually narrow the area down. Eventually, I’ll find the Red Moon.”
“How long will that take? Who has that kind of patience?” Pei Lin grumbled irritably.
Yuan Qiao Qiao shot him a glance so fierce he instantly quieted down.
Wang Jie helplessly shrugged, “I can’t help it—lock force cultivation isn’t as powerful as star force.”
Wu Yuan studied Wang Jie intently. Could he really not find the exact position? With his current understanding of Wang Jie, he had his doubts.
Wang Jie sat cross-legged again, resuming his cultivation of the Red Moon Opening.
Star Dome Visage had given him a mission to obtain the Red Moon techniques. If he didn’t take advantage of this opportunity, he might not have anothTwo Chance even after reaching the Nan family.
In any case, he wasn’t anxious.
The hidden Nan family member was the one who should worry.
Wang Jie’s guess was correct. From the shadows, someone was indeed staring at him with a dark, brooding expression. Was it still not enough? Offering even the Red Moon Opening had already crossed a line. If she gave out more, perhaps those at Hundred Star Realm could directly acquire the complete Red Moon cultivation method aboard the third train—this was utterly unacceptable.
Yet if she refused and just let things drag on, who knew how long Wang Jie might stall?
What if her identity were uncovered? That would be even more troublesome.
Her eyes grew colder as she watched Wang Jie. She herself couldn’t tell whether he spoke the truth or not.
The problem now was, even if she continued revealing the Red Moon techniques, everyone would learn them—not just Wang Jie alone.
Wang Jie had thought of this issue as well, but it wasn’t his headache. The hidden Nan family member would surely find a way. All he had to do was wait.
As expected, after some time passed, a major incident occurred.
The mysterious figure who had been secretly spreading the information—had been captured.