Chapter 307

Chapter 307: The Murderer

Shen Yan raised an eyebrow, tightened his grip on the sword, twisted it slightly, and plunged the blade straight toward the ground.

In the next instant, a freezing chill surged outward, overwhelming Wang Jie and his companions. The force behind Wang Jie’s fist couldn’t pierce through at all. Nan Zhi prepared to move but was instantly touched by the cold air, her eyes becoming lost in confusion.

Mo Wan Yin warned urgently, “Careful, he cultivates a strange star force called Mind-Freezing Truth. Paired with star force, it can freeze thoughts.”

Wang Jie was startled. [Is it really so powerful?]

Nan Zhi retreated quickly to Wang Jie’s side and whispered anxiously, “We can’t beat him. What should we do?”

Wang Jie had originally thought that three against one wouldn’t be an issue. Yet now, he realized he’d underestimated Shen Yan. If Nan Zhi weren’t seriously injured, she alone might be able to hold Shen Yan back. Paired with Mo Wan Yin, they’d definitely have had a chance. But now, everything was different.

“Fall back,” Wang Jie growled quietly, preparing to lead the two women away.

Shen Yan’s brows furrowed sharply. “Do you think you can just retreat so easily from me?” he said coldly. With a flick of his hand, the frozen air instantly shattered into countless swords suspended high in the sky, aimed downward at the trio.

Their expressions changed dramatically.

“Run!”

Countless swords poured down like relentless rain.

Mo Wan Yin countered desperately with Heaven Thunder, while Nan Zhi gritted her teeth and collided dual-magnet star forces together. But their defenses kept shattering beneath the sword rain, and it was clear they couldn’t hold on much longer. Wang Jie immediately took out the boat, dashed over to Mo Wan Yin, and pulled her under its shelter.

The swords crashed continuously against the boat, yet they couldn’t penetrate its sturdy defenses.

Mo Wan Yin stared in astonishment. [What is this thing?]

Wang Jie swiftly led her toward the edge of the formation barrier. “Senior Sister, you escape first. I’ll go back for her.”

Mo Wan Yin decisively stepped outside the formation. She knew she’d only become a burden if she stayed, so she anxiously called back, “Be careful, Junior Brother.”

Wang Jie turned and rushed back for Nan Zhi.

At this moment, Shen Yan stood there, dumbfounded. He watched Wang Jie racing around beneath the sword rain with the boat as if completely unaffected. [Just what kind of star artifact is that?]

Nan Zhi was about to collapse from exhaustion, but at that critical instant, Wang Jie arrived and pulled her beneath the boat’s protection.

She gasped heavily for breath, raising her head to gaze at the boat. She recognized it—it had blocked her Red Moon Blade during their own fierce duel. She’d never imagined this object would save her life now.

Shen Yan’s face darkened. He swiftly grabbed his sword handle, instantly dissolving the swords suspended in the air, and leaped down toward Wang Jie and Nan Zhi, his blade slashing forward fiercely.

Wang Jie’s eyebrows twitched. “Sword Rain Technique.”

Droplets of water suddenly fell, each transforming into sword qi that sliced toward heaven and earth. Shen Yan’s star force wrapped around him, and although the sword qi couldn’t breach his defense, they slowed his movements just enough. Taking advantage of this, Wang Jie swiftly withdrew the boat and fled quickly with Nan Zhi.

As the Sword Rain Technique faded away, Shen Yan landed exactly where Wang Jie and Nan Zhi had just been sheltered. They had already vanished.

Trapped within the formation for days, Shen Yan knew better than to blindly chase. Even if the two had fled in a particular direction, the formation could easily distort spatial senses. He didn’t dare pursue carelessly and stopped, frowning.

Elsewhere, Wang Jie and Nan Zhi finally halted after running through multiple locations.

He carefully checked his star disk, confirming no presence of enemies nearby. They were safe for now.

Nan Zhi’s face was deathly pale. She quickly took another revive pill and, shaken, whispered, “That Shen Yan is one of the top three disciples of Sword Court. Even at my peak, I probably couldn’t have beaten him. You should’ve told me sooner who we were facing, at least I’d have been mentally prepared.”

Wang Jie shook his head. “I didn’t know Senior Sister Mo’s enemy was Shen Yan.”

Nan Zhi stared at him suspiciously but said nothing more.

Wang Jie glanced at the star disk again. “Come, let’s keep moving. We shouldn’t waste time.”

Nan Zhi clenched her teeth in irritation. [Who exactly is wasting time?]

They moved quietly through the area, but suddenly both froze, staring ahead in stunned silence.

A corpse lay on the ground.

They’d passed many corpses along their path, growing numb to the sight. But this corpse was different.

He was—Su Ji Kong.

The Hundred Star Realm expert from the Virtual Phoenix Club, the only male Hundred Star Realm cultivator from Crying Phoenix Palace, Su Ji Kong.

Quickly, they rushed forward to investigate.

Even a Hundred Star Realm expert had fallen. Who could have done this? The surroundings were eerily quiet, and Su Ji Kong, no matter his strength, wouldn’t have been easily killed without a trace. Yet there was no hint of disturbance around them.

After careful examination, the two fell silent.

It was swordsmanship.

Moreover, this sword technique closely resembled the one used to massacre the Nan family, sharp and merciless, lethal with a single strike.

Wang Jie felt a chill creep over his skin. He turned to Nan Zhi, seeing the same unease reflected in her eyes.

Could it be…the murderer hadn’t left?

Nan Zhi’s face paled even further. She checked Su Ji Kong’s corpse again. The more she examined, the clearer it became—it matched the wounds inflicted upon the Nan family.

“Could the murderer really still be here?”

Nan Zhi immediately denied it. “Impossible. It’s been so many years; why would the killer linger here? Someone capable of destroying my Nan family must be at least at the World Realm. A powerhouse of that level wouldn’t waste their time here.”

Wang Jie also thought it unreasonable.

And why would a World Realm cultivator want to kill Su Ji Kong?

None of it made sense.

“We must go quickly,” Wang Jie urged.

Nan Zhi’s anxiety spiked, and she frantically began seeking an exit from the formation. A bone-deep chill made her feel as if unseen eyes were watching them.

Not long afterward, they encountered yet another corpse slain by the same brutal sword technique.

Yan Long.

The leader of Ornate Jade Gate disciples was powerful enough to rival even a Six Dao Wanderer.

Yet, with Su Ji Kong’s earlier demise, his death seemed less shocking.

Soon after, Wang Jie and Nan Zhi came upon corpses scattered about.

Among them was a familiar face: Huai Si.

Wang Jie had never expected that Huai Si would also perish here. He quickly realized something terrifying.

“The killer is following our route,” Nan Zhi blurted out.

Wang Jie nodded slowly. Indeed, they hadn’t seen these bodies earlier, yet the closer they got to the formation dao’s exit, the more corpses appeared. This meant the killer was also moving in the same direction, even if not exactly along their path.

Realizing this, the two stopped immediately, their faces uncertain, each lost in their own thoughts.

Wang Jie stared intently at the star disk, his expression grim.

[Should we keep going?]

If they met the killer, death would be certain.

But if they didn’t proceed, how would they ever leave this formation dao? Wang Jie closed his eyes briefly, recalling the bodies he’d seen. All had died from a single sword technique, but the killing strokes varied: some through the neck, others through the heart. His wristguard could only block one strike—and even if it succeeded, he’d still stand no chance.

Suddenly—

On the star disk, the closest aura shifted abruptly, moving swiftly toward their direction.

Wang Jie looked up sharply.

Ahead, a figure rushed toward them, panic evident on his face.

[A man from Gong Nation?]

The person charging toward them turned out to be Bao Lei, the Young Lord of the Bao family from Gong Nation and also a member of the Ornate Jade Gate Club. Upon seeing Wang Jie and Nan Zhi, Bao Lei’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately turned to flee.

With a swift Sword Step, Wang Jie appeared in front of Bao Lei, faster than he could escape. “Don’t move.”

Bao Lei growled in anger, “Out of my way!” and lunged forward in an oddly swift, unnatural motion—this was the Power Accumulation Method.

Seeing through Bao Lei’s move clearly, Wang Jie reached out swiftly, grabbing Bao Lei’s head and forcing it violently downward.

With a loud crash, Bao Lei’s head slammed hard into the ground, echoing fiercely.

Watching from a distance, Nan Zhi’s scalp tingled with horror. [Such a brutal blow!]

Bao Lei was knocked unconscious instantly.

Bao Lei was from Gong Nation, known for tough skin and thick muscles. He had even used the Power Accumulation Method, yet Wang Jie still knocked him unconscious with just one strike. Had Wang Jie used slightly more force, Bao Lei’s head might have shattered completely.

Wang Jie released his grip, staring intently at the star disk. Seeing no further movement, he finally breathed easier.

The reason he had struck so suddenly was that the star disk had momentarily shown a strange aura, appearing without any traceable path—extremely suspicious. The only explanation was that the person could conceal their energy.

How many in these clubs knew such a method?

Wang Jie’s instincts pointed toward the killer. And the direction Bao Lei had attempted to flee was precisely toward that mysterious aura. If Bao Lei had reached it, he might have led the killer right to them, dooming them all.

That was why Wang Jie attacked so decisively, knocking Bao Lei unconscious immediately.

Nan Zhi approached slowly.

Now, even if she could escape Wang Jie, she had no intention of leaving. With such a dangerous presence hidden in the dark, Wang Jie’s star disk was their most reliable protection. It alone could warn them of approaching threats.

Wang Jie watched the star disk for a long moment, his face gradually easing.

“What happened?” Nan Zhi asked softly.

“A person appeared suddenly,” he replied. “Without any prior trace.”

“That’s impossible! The formation dao covers the entire train. How could there be no trace at all?”

Wang Jie looked at her directly, his eyes serious. “The star disk tracks energy. The opponent can conceal his aura.”

Nan Zhi’s expression grew uneasy. “Could it be… that person?”

Wang Jie shook his head slightly. “I don’t know.” He lifted his gaze, staring at the formation dao. [If only this formation dao would disappear.] At least then, they could unite all the club members to hunt down the killer. According to Wang Jie’s guess, the one who had killed Su Ji Kong was definitely not the same person who destroyed the Nan family.

World Realm masters wouldn’t waste their time like that.

Yet, the killer here might well be a descendant of that terrifying murderer, possessing strength similar to whoever killed Su Ji Kong, a truly formidable opponent.

Perhaps this person had also come after hearing rumors from the clubs.

From his estimation, the killer was probably at Hundred Star Realm. If they could unite everyone—especially Young Miss Ling’er—they might stand a fighting chance.

But now, with the formation dao separating everyone, the killer could pick off the strongest cultivators one by one.

That was the real danger.

“Do you think,” Wang Jie suddenly said, “this person might understand the formation dao and could be waiting at the exit to ambush anyone who approaches?”

Nan Zhi’s expression twisted slightly, her eyes filling with dread. “The killer certainly knows something about the formation dao, or they wouldn’t share our direction. But waiting at the exit isn’t likely—if they were, there’d be no reason to kill people here. This place is still some distance from the exit.”

“I suspect their understanding of the formation dao is also limited,” Nan Zhi continued, “and they haven’t found the exit yet.”

Wang Jie nodded thoughtfully. “Then let’s move.”

Nan Zhi hesitated, watching Wang Jie’s back. “It’s only my guess.”

“Aren’t we all guessing?” Wang Jie replied without looking back. “Guess or truth, we must still leave this formation dao. Right now, our only hope is that they haven’t found the exit, and that we can use the star disk to avoid them and get out first.”

“That’s our only chance of survival.”

Nan Zhi’s expression shifted, and finally, she nodded in agreement. “Then watch the star disk carefully.”

“Obviously,” Wang Jie muttered, staring down again. He had no intention of dying either.

Soon, they left.

As for Bao Lei, he remained unconscious on the ground, forgotten.

Another day passed, and Wang Jie and Nan Zhi reached their next position.

At this point, they were only half a day’s travel from the exit—so close to escaping.

But suddenly, both stopped at once, turning immediately to flee. Someone was ahead—alive. Why hadn’t the star disk detected them? Because their opponent was concealing their energy.

The killer.

“Why are you two running? Stop now.” Suddenly, a mirror appeared before them, blocking their escape. Within the mirror, the killer’s face emerged clearly, staring at them coldly.