Chapter 309
Chapter 309: The Woman from the Dream
Wang Jie grabbed it quickly, replying, “It’ll do.” He checked the star disk, confirming the direction he needed to take.
Bao Lei didn’t dare speak another word. Only after Wang Jie chose his direction and prepared to leave did Bao Lei finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Just before Wang Jie departed, a sudden thought occurred to him. He glanced back at Bao Lei, asking, “Where did your Gong Nation get the Power Accumulation Method?”
Bao Lei stared blankly at Wang Jie, puzzled, “Power Accumulation Method?”
Wang Jie fixed his gaze upon him.
Bao Lei’s eyes flickered, and after a moment, he spoke in a low voice, “From a corpse.”
“A corpse?” Wang Jie was startled. He had only intended to ask about Bone Motion Art and hadn’t expected this unexpected gain. Clearly, Bao Lei was so terrified he didn’t dare lie, fearful that Wang Jie might kill him.
Bao Lei nodded solemnly, “This is the greatest secret of my Gong Nation. All the combat techniques of my people originate from that giant corpse.”
“It was a giant without a head or limbs, only a torso.”
“Our ancestors lived upon that giant’s body for many generations, gradually comprehending the Power Accumulation Method and the Blood Stabbing Method. It was through these two battle arts and our rapid reproduction that Gong Nation managed to control the Sixth Star Chain.”
“Apart from the Power Accumulation Method and the Blood Stabbing Method, was there nothing else?” Wang Jie asked again.
Bao Lei shook his head. “Nothing.”
“Bone Motion Art,” Wang Jie said suddenly.
Bao Lei’s eyes narrowed sharply in shock as he stared at Wang Jie, “How do you know?”
Wang Jie’s eyes turned cold, his killing intent rising sharply. “You were indeed deceiving me.”
Bao Lei hurriedly explained, “I didn’t deceive you! Bone Motion Art indeed exists, but we cannot practice it. It’s a technique even greater than the Power Accumulation Method. Only the ancestor’s records mention it, but even he failed to acquire it. If I weren’t the Young Lord of the Bao family, allowed access to ancestral records since childhood, I would never have known of it. How did you learn about it?”
Wang Jie stared intently at Bao Lei. “Your Gong Nation truly cannot practice Bone Motion Art?”
“Gong Nation has countless people. You can ask anyone, or even other star links. Everything in our Gong Nation is closely watched by outsiders. If we really possessed Bone Motion Art, how could it stay hidden?”
Wang Jie believed him.
Ever since he had acquired the Bone Motion Art, he’d thoroughly investigated Gong Nation and found no trace of the technique there.
Bao Lei asked cautiously, “How do you know about Bone Motion Art?”
“Do you truly want to know?”
Bao Lei shivered inwardly and dared not ask again.
Wang Jie turned away. From Bao Lei’s reaction, Bone Motion Art must be extraordinary, but this wasn’t the time for idle chatter. There would be plenty of opportunities later.
Truth be told, the Bone Motion Art required six materials, each surpassing even the Starry Finger technique. Yet whenever Wang Jie used it, he felt it was no different from the Power Accumulation Method. He sensed he wasn’t using it correctly. Once he had time, he would investigate further from Gong Nation’s side.
This time he came with a purpose—to find Wu Yuan—and so he could not avoid people completely.
However, as long as he was well prepared, unless his opponent was Hundred Star Realm and had laid arrangements as meticulous as Guan Sou’s, no one could stop him from leaving.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward decisively, and crossed the boundary. Immediately, someone stared at him in shock.
Without a word, Wang Jie turned and left.
That person was a Nine Sword Club member, only Wandering Star Realm.
Onward to the next.
He continued his search carefully, eyes always on the star disk, wary the murderer might suddenly appear.
After a long, uncertain search—perhaps two full days had passed—Wang Jie’s heart quickened with excitement as he spotted a familiar qi near Formation Dao on his star disk. This qi belonged to Wu Yuan, no mistake about it. He’d observed Wu Yuan’s aura closely before; this intensity matched exactly.
If it wasn’t Wu Yuan himself, it would at least be someone of similar strength, another Hundred Star Realm powerhouse.
Prepared and vigilant, Wang Jie brought out his small boat, held it above his head, and charged forward.
At that very instant, a new qi appeared abruptly on the star disk, arriving almost simultaneously with Wang Jie at the same spot.
He guessed correctly. Ahead of him stood Wu Yuan.
Wu Yuan abruptly opened his eyes. To his right, Wang Jie charged forward holding the boat, but simultaneously, from another line, someone else appeared. Sword-light flashed brilliantly the moment this figure emerged. As Wu Yuan turned his head, the sword grazed past the boat, slicing through the void and leaving a faint bloodline on Wu Yuan’s neck.
With one strike, Wu Yuan collapsed, dead before fully turning around.
The force of the sword-light knocked Wang Jie back as well, causing him to lose hold of his boat, which dropped away. Yet that same boat had blocked the deadly sword-strike, giving Wang Jie the crucial chance to see who had struck.
He turned to his right.
What was this?
His heart shuddered violently at the sight.
A dream—one he’d dreamt countless times—rose vividly before him. In that dream, a woman always walked further and further away. He knew her deeply, certain she belonged with him, yet she always drifted out of reach. Eventually, her face blurred beyond recognition, untouchable except for the delicate tassel of a sword, gently swaying.
Was he dreaming again now?
He saw her clearly, finally seeing her face, those serene eyes like autumn waters, quietly hiding stars and galaxies within them. He felt her familiar aura once more.
It was her.
At that same moment, the woman, who had been about to deliver a second sword-strike, suddenly halted. Her eyes, always calm as an ancient well, flickered for the first time with ripples of astonishment as she gazed at Wang Jie. Then, without a word, she turned and vanished.
Wang Jie stood stunned for a breath, then frantically pursued.
But this was Formation Dao territory.
He chased blindly, uncertain of direction.
When he checked the star disk again, only Wu Yuan’s qi remained, rapidly fading. The woman’s aura had completely vanished, as if she had never appeared.
This was no dream.
It really was her. Wang Jie’s expression shifted rapidly. That sword-light just now… Was she the murderer? Had she been the one who killed Su Ji Kong, Lan Tui, and the others? Who exactly was she?
Wang Jie didn’t know how he should feel at this moment.
Excited? Hopeful? Or perhaps… uneasy?
All he knew clearly was that he wanted to see her again, speak to her—even if only for a single word.
“You recognized me, didn’t you?”
“Why must you run? You already knew I was here.”
“Who are you?”
“What happened between us?”
“Can’t you tell me?”
Wang Jie shouted into the emptiness, but no reply came. It was as if the woman had never appeared.
He turned again to the star disk. Wu Yuan’s energy was fading fast. Anxiously, he hurried back to check on Wu Yuan and sighed in relief.
He was grateful he had shielded Wu Yuan with the boat. Though that sword strike had sliced Wu Yuan’s throat, it narrowly missed a vital spot. If not for the boat’s protection, Wu Yuan would have surely died.
Yet, even Wu Yuan had no time to react to that blade.
Who exactly was that woman? And how terrifying must her strength truly be?
Wang Jie fed Wu Yuan a revive pill and hoisted him onto his back. He continued searching, now certain the attacker was the woman. Strangely, knowing this made him fearless. Anxiety? [To hell with anxiety—she is my woman.]
Within this formation dao, no one was safer than him right now.
Elsewhere, the woman stood quietly, the ripples in her gaze slowly calming. She looked back, thinking—after all, they still met again.
He had searched for the Red Moon. Within this formation dao, their encounter had indeed been possible.
She thought she could strike without hesitation. But as she stared down at her sword, she realized she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
[Wang Jie…]
[Don’t ever let me see you again.]
Wang Jie passed through the formation dao time and again, yet he couldn’t find her anywhere.
He knew if she truly wanted to avoid him, he could never find her. Yet he kept looking, as though searching for his lost other half.
Wu Yuan coughed weakly, finally awakening and vomiting blood.
Wang Jie carefully set him down and asked, “Elder, how do you feel?”
Wu Yuan gasped heavily, touching his wounded neck. He tried to speak but found it too difficult, so he simply pointed at himself, eyes full of confusion.
Wang Jie explained, “When I found Elder, you were already collapsed on the ground. Who did this to you?”
Wu Yuan shook his head to indicate he didn’t know.
Wang Jie hadn’t seen exactly how the woman struck either, only that Wu Yuan had barely begun turning his head. It had been far too swift. That sword strike was simply too quick for anyone to react.
“It seems the attacker thought Elder was already dead, so she left.”
Wu Yuan nodded, clearly relieved.
Yet now they faced another problem. Wu Yuan was severely injured and couldn’t assist him. How then could he rescue Nan Zhi? Without Nan Zhi, there was no leaving the formation dao. But to lure the woman into confronting Guan Sou, he first needed her to acknowledge him. And even then, he didn’t want to risk her life.
In his heart, her position far surpassed anyone else’s.
Whether Su Ji Kong or Lan Tui lived or died meant nothing to him.
In any case, it was best for Wu Yuan to heal first.
Wang Jie didn’t rush away, quietly waiting instead.
Wu Yuan began treating his own wounds. Although the sword strike was swift, it hadn’t contained any lingering force. Within a few days, Wu Yuan was finally able to speak again, albeit in a hoarse voice. His own power remained intact.
“It was too fast. I couldn’t react at all. She didn’t even use any unique power—it was just a simple, lethal sword strike,” Wu Yuan said, still shaken by fear. “I’ve never seen swordsmanship like that. It felt as if my cultivation meant nothing to her, that one strike was all it would take.”
He looked seriously at Wang Jie and continued, “You know, I’ve faced a star guardian before, defeated in a single move. Yet at least the guardian exerted power then. But this sword…”
Wu Yuan didn’t finish his thought, clearly stunned by the overwhelming might he’d faced.
“Could she be at the Star Refining Realm?” Wang Jie wondered aloud.
Wu Yuan shook his head, uncertain. “Maybe. If she’s truly only at the Hundred-Star Realm, then her battle strength surely rivals that of a star guardian.”
[A star guardian…]
“Oh right, how did you find me?” Wu Yuan asked curiously.
Wang Jie took out the star disk, something many already knew about now. “This is a star disk, a star path master’s tool.”
Wu Yuan wasn’t surprised; he’d long heard rumors. “I see. Perhaps only a star path master could achieve something so wondrous. So what’s your plan now? Can we get out of this formation dao?”
Wang Jie decided to truthfully explain Nan Zhi’s situation. He had no choice; he couldn’t avoid Wu Yuan any longer. Besides, he needed Wu Yuan’s strength to face Guan Sou.
He had already revealed to Wu Yuan the existence of Nan family’s descendants within the Dao Yi Club, to keep an eye on Shao Ling’er and the others.
“Nan Zhi?” Wu Yuan suddenly understood. “No wonder I often saw her whispering to Shao Ling’er, who would then glare at us. Clearly, she’s been provoking Shao Ling’er to attack us for her own benefit.”
“But this is troublesome now. Guan Sou’s strength is unfathomable. He has Nan Zhi; taking her away won’t be easy.”
Wang Jie bitterly smiled, “If Guan Sou hadn’t needed me alive to lure out the attacker, perhaps I would’ve already died by his hand.”
Wu Yuan frowned. “Opposing Illusion Mountain is very strong. Even with the support of a star path master, they might still kill you.” He urged Wang Jie to locate Guan Sou no matter what, to ensure Nan Zhi’s rescue.
Wang Jie nodded.
The two discussed extensively but could find no way to free Nan Zhi from Guan Sou’s plans.
Suddenly, Wang Jie sensed a strange connection. His expression turned startled. This sensation—it was the Red Moon?
“What is it?” Wu Yuan asked, noticing his change.
“It feels as if… the Red Moon is reaching out to me,” Wang Jie replied softly.