Chapter 315

Chapter 315: Making Amends

That was the Three-Legged Mystic Turtle—an existence so far beyond them that no one could even guess its realm.

People said the reason the Cold-Smoke Ferry served as the gateway to the Azure Nether River had nothing to do with the ferry itself, and nothing to do with the Gui family either.

It was because of the Three-Legged Mystic Turtle.

If you could obtain it, you might have a chance to find the Azure Nether River.

So how could the Gui family possibly offer the Three-Legged Mystic Turtle as a dowry?

Wouldn’t that be tearing out the very foundation of the Cold-Smoke Ferry?

“Miss Xiao Die isn’t joking, is she?” someone blurted.

No one believed it.

“Watch your words, Miss Xiao Die. Even your brother isn’t qualified to say something like that.”

“We get it—you’re proud. But don’t joke about the Mystic Turtle. If you do, you’ll be the one who suffers.”

A few people mocked her openly, clearly here to watch a spectacle.

Gui Xiao Die didn’t react.

Inside the drifting haze, a colossal head lifted.

In the blink of an eye, an overwhelming pressure crashed down. The starry sky seemed to sink. Heaven and earth trembled. The Thousand Rivers boiled. Everyone was driven to their knees by an invisible weight, blood spilling from mouths as they fought to breathe.

That was the Three-Legged Mystic Turtle.

Its enormous eyes fixed on the crowd, as if answering them.

“Don’t scare them. That’s enough.”

Gui Xiao Die’s voice carried through the mist, calm and effortless.

Only then did the Three-Legged Mystic Turtle lower its head and withdraw into the haze again.

The crowd finally dared to inhale. Faces pale, they stared in stunned silence.

Just now, regardless of realm, everyone had been crushed into coughing blood. And the Three-Legged Mystic Turtle’s attitude couldn’t have been clearer—it was backing Gui Xiao Die.

Gui Xiao Die could actually make the Three-Legged Mystic Turtle obey.

“Anyone still not convinced?” Gui Xiao Die sneered. “I can let A Gui have a chat with you.”

By the riverside, someone stepped forward. His voice was old, seasoned. “Miss, your three conditions aren’t excessive. But those proposing to you are all young. Many are still only at the Full-Star Realm. At that level, meeting your requirements isn’t just ‘impossible’—it’s beyond that.”

“So I beg to ask, Miss… must it be those three conditions? If someone can seize first place in the Starry Sky Martial Tournament, would that also be acceptable?”

One gaze after another turned to the speaker.

Gui Xiao Die studied him with interest. “Who are you?”

“I’m merely an old servant of Jia Yi Sect, asking on my master’s behalf.”

“Which house?”

“Not one of the three families.”

“Interesting.” Gui Xiao Die smiled. “Fine. If he can take first place, he can come find me. I’ll give him a chance.”

“Thank you, Miss.”

At once, people nearby began calling out their names and backgrounds, desperate to leave an impression.

More voices rose, overlapping, but the Cold-Smoke Ferry was already drifting farther away.

“Now that the Cold-Smoke Ferry has appeared, the Enlightenment Tea can’t be far.”

“Every time the Starry Sky Martial Tournament comes around, the Star Vault Vista gifts Enlightenment Tea to the top talents. The most they’ve given was thirteen cups, the fewest was five. Who knows how many there will be this time—and who will surprise everyone?”

“The Star Vault Vista has a ruthless eye. Anyone who’s ever received Enlightenment Tea has placed at least in the top twenty. And among the top three, there’s always someone who drank it. Everyone’s wondering—besides the famous monsters, who else will rise out of nowhere?”

“Soon.”

—

At the Thunder Well, Wang Jie opened his eyes and studied the thunder pattern across his skin.

Half a year had passed. The pattern’s color had shifted from blue toward red—meaning it could now withstand destructive power as high as three hundred thousand.

At the Full-Star Realm, having a single thunder pattern that could block that level of force was already impressive.

His qi was climbing steadily. Lockforce was blending deeper into his body. And Rain Sword Art had layered up to six blades.

He’d advanced a lot.

But he needed more.

No one knew how many terrifying prodigies would appear in the Starry Sky Martial Tournament.

So he kept going.

Two and a half years remained.

Time flowed on.

Wang Jie improved step by step, while the outside world grew hotter by the day, whipping itself into a frenzy over the Starry Sky Martial Tournament.

The tournament wasn’t always one-on-one duels. The methods changed constantly—sometimes it was even a chaotic melee.

That was why everyone fought for momentum. A bigger reputation could intimidate rivals… or force them to join hands.

But most people didn’t fear the second outcome.

If numbers could overwhelm quality, no one would ever reach the end of the tournament.

And in any case, if you could cut trouble along the way, why wouldn’t you?

Those who wanted to shock the world often got schemed against before they ever reached the finish line. Eliminations were endless.

The Star Vault Vista began publishing reports. More and more geniuses burst onto the scene—some backed by great powers, others unheard of until now.

Every major faction mobilized its intelligence networks, digging into names and preparing for every possibility.

In Suo Xing Jian, the people of Blue Star watched the news obsessively. Wang Jie was already at the Full-Star Realm. He was bound to contend in this tournament.

Suo Xing Jian’s connection to the outside was limited, but Du Xian’s wasn’t. She was well informed—and she took care of the people from Blue Star.

She worked for the Star Vault Vista, but she didn’t follow the observer or analyst promotion routes. She had her own tasks.

“These are what you wanted,” Du Xian said, handing a stack of reports to Hong Jian and the others.

They grabbed them eagerly.

“Official Star Vault Vista coverage, plus some gathered rumors,” Du Xian said. “But don’t take everything seriously. A lot of it isn’t accurate.”

Qing Zheng frowned. “Even the Star Vault Vista gets things wrong?”

Du Xian laughed. “This kind of news? Of course it’s unreliable. If it were perfectly accurate, there’d be no need for the Starry Sky Martial Tournament at all. We could just rank everyone ourselves, couldn’t we?”

That made sense. Qing Zheng lowered his head and started reading.

After only a few lines, the air turned heavy.

Hong Jian’s face darkened. “Are these real? We’re all at the Full-Star Realm… are there really this many monsters?”

The reports spilled name after name into their hands.

A Star Vault Vista report listed a championship favorite: Shao Gu Chen of the Southern Dipper Bridge-Pillar Cheng Yi Dao.

A genius of the Madam Shao clan, possessing the Three-Tribulation Bone Bridgeway Art, said to have shattered thirteen stars.

Another report: Qin Xiao Shu of the Eastern Dipper Bridge-Pillar Bu Zou Guan announced he had created a new battle technique—Void Swallow Belly—and declared that in the Starry Sky Martial Tournament, anyone who dared block him would be swallowed.

Rumor had it that since joining Bu Zou Guan, Qin Xiao Shu had never eaten a meal, yet never felt hunger. People called him Qin Bao Bao.

Another report: the old servant by the Thousand Rivers had been found. He didn’t hide his identity. His master turned out to be an ordinary inner sect disciple of Jia Yi Sect—but as attention gathered, that disciple’s past was slowly uncovered.

His name was Han Lin, the son of the heavenly insect clan’s clan chief, Chong Zhen. After his mother was killed, he faked his death and, with the old servant’s help, entered Jia Yi Sect. On the surface, his performance seemed unremarkable, but from multiple angles, there was a ninety percent chance he had cultivated the heaven-insect people’s forbidden book: Thousand Gu Myriad Poison Hand.

Another report: Gu Shang had emerged from seclusion.

This woman had stayed year-round in Gu Xun Yi’s courtyard. Rumor said she hadn’t even appeared during the Dual-Wind Line battle. The moment she came out, her battle power was measured above five hundred thousand—yet no one could see her true limit.

Another report: Li Ao of the Dou Huo clan declared he would crush everyone and seize the championship.

The Dou Huo clan possessed the Eleven Seals that humans could never reach.

Another report: Xi Ci, disciple of Old Man Du Mu, would enter the tournament wielding Upper Purity Seventy-Two Swords.

Old Man Du Mu was a famed figure of the Eastern Dipper Bridge-Pillar, surrounded by legends. One thing drew endless worship: his disciple Qing Huan was one of the Four Wandering Gods.

Because the Wandering Gods were all his disciples, everyone was watching Xi Ci. Rumor said Upper Purity Seventy-Two Swords was Old Man Du Mu’s signature skill—even Qing Huan hadn’t mastered it.

People wanted to see if Xi Ci could become the next Wandering God.

By the time they finished, their mood was grim.

Du Xian waved a hand. “Honestly, you don’t need to drown in these rumors. Just wait for the Enlightenment Tea.”

“The Enlightenment Tea?” Hong Jian and the others echoed.

Du Xian gazed toward the starry sky. “It’s a tradition. Based on all our intelligence and calculations, the Star Vault Vista chooses the people most likely to contend for first place and gifts them Enlightenment Tea in advance—like a congratulation.”

She smiled faintly. “Historically, anyone who receives Enlightenment Tea places at least in the top twenty.”

Then she looked back at them. “The champion is most likely among them.”

—

At Great Chen Mountain, another half year passed.

Wang Jie could feel the thunder pattern’s progress slowing to a crawl.

It was still improving, but inch by inch. He’d grown used to leaps. This pace was maddening.

So he climbed out of the Thunder Well.

Luo Yan had been waiting.

The moment he saw Wang Jie, his eyes lit up and he hurried over. “Lord—you’re finally out.”

Wang Jie nodded. “What is it? Looks like something happened.”

“The outside is on fire over the Starry Sky Martial Tournament,” Luo Yan said quickly. “Everyone’s arguing about the top hundred, the top three, the champion. I compiled some information—do you want to look, Lord?”

“No,” Wang Jie said flatly.

Everything being spread right now was deliberate. Most of it was meant to mislead. The only thing he trusted was his own strength.

Luo Yan didn’t argue. He put the information away and said, “Then it’s good timing. The Enlightenment Tea will be handed out soon.”

“The Enlightenment Tea?” Wang Jie repeated.

Luo Yan explained the tradition, and Wang Jie’s impression of the Star Vault Vista deepened again. It wasn’t just helping prodigies—it was also cementing its authority. A perfect two-for-one.

“When will it be given out?” Wang Jie asked.

“People are guessing within the next few days.”

“That’s convenient.”

Luo Yan hesitated, then added, “Oh—someone came looking for you. When they saw you were still in the Thunder Well, they left.”

“Who?”

“Zhi Shu.”

Wang Jie paused. “Zhi Shu?”

“Yes. She didn’t say why. Just asked whether you’d come out.”

If Luo Yan hadn’t mentioned it, Wang Jie would have forgotten her entirely.

At this point, she wasn’t even qualified to oppose him.

So why come now?

He didn’t return to the Thunder Well. For the moment, he wanted to see what kind of monsters the Star Vault Vista would publicly acknowledge.

A few cups of Enlightenment Tea meant a few guaranteed top-twenty placements.

That kind of weight couldn’t be faked.

Two days later, Zhi Shu came again and finally met him.

“I’m here to make amends.”

Wang Jie lifted an eyebrow. “Make amends? For what?”

Zhi Shu bowed deeply. “If you still can’t let go of the past, you can name your terms. As long as I can do it, I won’t refuse.”