Chapter 331

Chapter 331: Face Death Head-On

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

Wang Jie didn’t speak to anyone. He simply sat on his meditation cushion and rested—until the second day arrived.

As his vision cleared, he found himself standing on an arena. His first instinct was to look straight ahead.

Across from him stood a woman.

Gui Xiao Die.

Gui Xiao Die saw him at the same time.

They were both surprised—then calm.

Ten people remained. Any opponent was possible.

Gui Xiao Die stared at Wang Jie, remembering yesterday’s message.

What did this man have, to make someone of that level send word to the Cold-Smoke Ferry?

It had even alarmed her Old Ancestor.

Wang Jie looked across the field at the other arenas.

This round would be lively.

Besides him and Gui Xiao Die, there was Qing Kong against Zhou Ye, and Wu Ming facing Hou Qing Ge.

As for Jing Hong and Ting Chen, their opponents were clearly weaker cultivators. It was obvious at a glance.

The cultivator facing Jing Hong looked utterly despairing.

So this was it. He was getting eliminated.

He knew his own strength. Forget top ten—top hundred was a stretch.

He’d made it this far on luck, and he’d still hoped for one more miracle, just to see if he could break into the top five… maybe even the top three.

But his luck ended here.

His opponent was Jing Hong.

The most unfathomable person in the entire tournament.

He turned his head and saw a smug smile on the other side—the man standing across from Ting Chen.

That man had clearly ridden luck this far too, and now he looked thrilled, because his luck seemed to be holding.

Beat that unknown woman, and he’d enter the top five.

Perfect.

Wang Jie saw the man grinning at Ting Chen and felt a flicker of pity.

That idiot still didn’t know what kind of opponent he’d drawn.

Wang Jie didn’t know either, but anyone who could step into his Bargain Master’s circle had to be extraordinary.

“Hey.”

Wang Jie looked back. Gui Xiao Die was calling him.

She sized him up. “What’s your background?”

Wang Jie blinked. “Why are you asking?”

“Curious.”

“I’m from Black-White Heaven.”

Gui Xiao Die sneered on instinct, barely holding it back. “And?”

“And what?”

“You’re definitely not just Black-White Heaven. What other identity do you have? Tell me.”

“I refuse.”

“Scared to say it?”

Wang Jie let out a breath, oddly pleased. “I know you’re an undercover agent.”

Gui Xiao Die froze. Undercover?

Undercover for who?

Wang Jie’s satisfaction deepened. Perfect. That should count as completing two tasks.

One: rejecting her—Gui Xiao Die was chased by countless people across the universe, so she counted as a dazzling beauty, right?

Two: telling a tsundere girl, I know you’re an undercover agent.

No doubt about it. This woman was definitely a tsundere.

“Did someone tell you something?” Wang Jie asked, turning serious.

Gui Xiao Die didn’t deny it.

Wang Jie’s guess hardened into certainty. His Bargain Master’s enemy was making a move.

Even Zhi Yu, the Old Ancestor, had said it: if Wang Jie couldn’t rise into the brightest presence in the universe, no one could protect them—and even Black-White Heaven would struggle to survive.

Wang Jie still didn’t know how powerful that enemy truly was.

But if they could influence the Cold-Smoke Ferry, it was possible.

Gazes fell on him from all sides.

Wang Jie frowned and glanced around—Hou Qing Ge, Wu Ming, even Ting Chen.

All of them were looking at him at the same time.

His heart sank.

No way.

Had that enemy spoken to them too?

His expression darkened.

Gui Xiao Die looked him up and down and muttered, “Nothing special about you. But a lockforce cultivator making it this far really is breaking history.”

Her eyes sharpened. “Still, this is as far as you go.”

Wang Jie met her gaze. “What did that person say?”

“They told me I have to beat you.”

She said it plainly. There was no need to lie. Men didn’t need to be deceived—they just needed to behave.

“What if you lose?”

“Hmph. Impossible.”

“I’m saying if.”

Wang Jie asked because he wanted to gauge that person’s status within the Cold-Smoke Ferry.

Gui Xiao Die ignored him and looked away.

Wang Jie nodded gravely. “Then it looks like I should lose on purpose. Otherwise, your Cold-Smoke Ferry is finished.”

Gui Xiao Die snapped her eyes back. “What did you say?”

“I said I should lose. Aren’t you all scared?”

“Who’s scared? Don’t talk nonsense.”

Gazes turned toward them.

Gui Xiao Die glared. “Stop talking nonsense. Our Cold-Smoke Ferry isn’t afraid of those madmen from the Star Palace.”

Halfway through, her voice caught. Her face went pale, like she’d realized what she’d just said.

Wang Jie’s heart jolted.

The Star Palace?

Madmen?

He thought of the madmen at Skyport.

Most people outside didn’t understand Gui Xiao Die’s words, but the ones who did looked uneasy.

As if those two words carried terrifying weight.

At Black-White Heaven, Shu Rang stood beside Zhi Yu.

Zhi Yu shook his head. “You should’ve told that kid earlier. Then he wouldn’t have forced that girl to say it in this setting.”

His gaze tightened. “Now there’s no way back. Either he takes first place in the Full-Star Realm tournament and enters the next Roaming-Star Realm tournament under the Starry Sky Martial Tournament’s protection, or…”

He didn’t finish. The meaning hung there.

Shu Rang stared at the light screen, thoughtful. “My disciple is already walking the hardest road. It’s fine if he forces himself upward.”

“People have to gamble once.”

Zhi Yu muttered, “Then don’t drag my Black-White Heaven into your gamble. We don’t dare.”

Shu Rang laughed softly. “Worst case, we start over from scratch.”

Zhi Yu rolled his eyes. “Easy for you to say when you’ve got nothing to lose. I’ve got a big family business—don’t ruin me.”

Shu Rang smiled, then let out a slow breath. “Don’t worry, old friend. I guarantee you won’t have trouble here.”

Zhi Yu’s gaze turned complicated.

The matches began.

The first match was Jing Hong.

The person across from him watched Jing Hong offer a red packet and made a face like he’d swallowed a dead fly. “I don’t want it.”

Jing Hong frowned and slapped him unconscious with one palm.

Second match: Zhou Ye versus Qing Kong.

Everyone wanted to see how strong Zhou Ye truly was.

Yesterday, Cheng Yi Dao had received inquiry after inquiry from outside, trying to learn through Shao Gu Chen.

But Shao Gu Chen went straight into seclusion, and not a single word leaked out.

As for Qing Kong, she’d been awarded the Enlightenment Tea. She was a top expert, no question.

Now it depended on whether Qing Kong could force Zhou Ye to reveal his real strength.

“Please enlighten me,” Zhou Ye said politely, as always.

Qing Kong looked at him calmly. “Shao Gu Chen saw through your power, didn’t he?”

Zhou Ye nodded. “He saw through it.”

“I want to see through it too.”

Her beautiful purple eyes locked on Zhou Ye. “You can move.”

On the arena, the scene turned deeply strange.

One was cross-eyed. One had purple eyes. Neither was ordinary.

Even stranger, Qing Kong made no move to defend or counterattack.

She let Zhou Ye’s arrow pierce her body. Blood spilled.

Zhou Ye frowned. “You’re not dodging. You’re not blocking.”

“I want to see your archery.”

“But doing this is insulting me.”

“If Cheng Yi Dao can do it,” Qing Kong said abruptly, “then our Alliance can too.”

Outsiders didn’t know this, but the Southern Dipper Bridge-Pillar was currently split into two major forces. One was Cheng Yi Dao, which controlled most of the Southern Dipper’s territory and rich resources, strong enough to contend with giants like Jia Yi Sect and Third Zen. The other was the Alliance.

Essentially, it was the remaining forces of the Southern Dipper joining together to oppose Cheng Yi Dao.

Qing Kong came from the Alliance.

So if Shao Gu Chen could do it, she had to do it too.

Because whatever Cheng Yi Dao understood, the Alliance had to understand as well.

Zhou Ye’s expression cooled. “I’m also from the Southern Dipper Bridge-Pillar. The fight between Cheng Yi Dao and the Alliance has made life harder and harder for us rogue cultivators. Now that I can stand here, in a way I represent those rogue cultivators too.”

Qing Kong’s gaze didn’t waver. “Who you represent has nothing to do with me. I just refuse to be beneath Cheng Yi Dao.”

Total disregard.

Both Cheng Yi Dao and the Alliance disregarded rogue cultivators.

Not just in the Southern Dipper—every Bridge-Pillar was the same.

There was nothing more to say.

Zhou Ye fired again.

If she wanted to feel it, he’d let her feel it.

Qing Kong let arrow after arrow pierce her. She was using her life to sense his power.

If she could see through it, she might win. If she couldn’t, it would be better to preserve her strength and save herself for the Roaming-Star Realm tournament—better than losing and exposing her power anyway.

At Cheng Yi Dao, Shao Gu Chen watched the light screen. Shao Ling Er stood beside him.

“That girl is your greatest enemy,” Shao Ling Er said. “From the start, her target has always been you.”

Shao Gu Chen stayed calm. “But I lost.”

Shao Ling Er didn’t care. “Little tricks won’t carry you to the end. Zhou Ye has some ability, but once you see through him, there are plenty of ways to deal with it.”

Her smile sharpened. “The sect didn’t tell you because they wanted you to figure it out yourself.”

“At the Roaming-Star Realm tournament,” Shao Gu Chen said, “I won’t lose to him again.”

Shao Ling Er smiled. “He might not even have the right to meet you again.”

Everyone watched as Qing Kong’s body was pierced again and again. The stunning woman’s resolute gaze never changed beneath those purple eyes—until her body vanished completely from the arena.

In the end, no one knew whether she’d seen through Zhou Ye’s power.

But everyone was deeply impressed by her.

Not everyone had the courage to walk toward death, especially after being awarded the Enlightenment Tea.

Even if this wasn’t true death.

Zhou Ye bowed in Qing Kong’s direction.

Next match: Wang Jie versus Gui Xiao Die.

Another recipient of the Enlightenment Tea would fall.

Before this, Wen Qing, Shao Gu Chen, and Qing Kong had already fallen. Now, between Wang Jie and Gui Xiao Die, one of them would join them.

As the barrier vanished, Gui Xiao Die crooked her finger. “Make your move.”

Wang Jie didn’t hold back. He slapped forward with one palm.

A fierce, tyrannical palm force tore through the air and smashed toward Gui Xiao Die.

Above her head, starforce condensed into a fish that leaped as if the void were a lake—Fish-Watching Force.

The fish swam into the palm force. In an instant, that brutal power dissolved.

Wang Jie raised a brow, stepped in, and struck again. This time, qi and strength fused.

Still a single palm.

Fish-Watching Force swam out again. It took a little longer to dissolve this palm.

Wang Jie threw a third palm.

If she wanted to dissolve everything he had with Fish-Watching Force, fine—try it.

At the same Full-Star Realm, unless you were a starry-sky behemoth, no human could face his strength head-on.

Third palm—Qi-Qi Convergence.

Visible air currents steamed upward as the palm pressed down on Gui Xiao Die.