Chapter 333
Chapter 333: Wang Jie VS Zhou Ye
The next battle was between Ting Chen and the full star realm cultivator called Chen Yang.
Chen Yang was no ordinary warrior. He hailed from the Armor One Sect and was one of their contenders at the Full Star Martial Meet.
Initially, everyone expected him to barely squeeze into the top hundred. Yet surprisingly, he outlasted even Wen Qing and Han Lin, remaining until now.
At this moment, Chen Yang had undeniably become the focal point of Armor One Sect.
But his ambitions stretched even further. This woman before him had also never been featured in Star Dome Visage, just like him. If he won—if he could just defeat her—he’d secure a place in the top five. How many Armor One Sect disciples had ever reached that height? His name would undoubtedly go down in history.
Excitement surged through him.
He would surely receive boundless recognition when he returned to the sect.
[Come, the top five is beckoning to me.]
A soft boom echoed; Chen Yang’s vision blurred. When he opened his eyes again, he was stunned: [Huh? Why am I back here?]
He glanced downward and found himself seated on a meditation mat. Utterly confused, he raised his head to the glowing screen.
On the battle stage within the light screen, only Ting Chen remained standing.
Chen Yang had lost.
And he had lost in such an inexplicable way that no one even saw clearly how it happened.
[What just happened?]
To those unfamiliar with the two, it wouldn’t have been surprising if either Ting Chen or Chen Yang won.
Yet, Ting Chen’s victory seemed too effortless.
She had simply raised her hand and killed Chen Yang. It was as if Chen Yang had intentionally stood still, waiting for her to end his life. It had been too swift, too unbelievable.
But some spectators now gazed at Ting Chen with new eyes.
This woman was not ordinary at all.
Only one match remained now: Wu Ming against Hou Qing Ge.
Another battle involving those who had received the enlightenment tea.
Everyone was curious about Wu Ming. Whether before or during the martial meet, he had never displayed any noteworthy strength.
His only notable victory had been against Han Lin, defeating him and over a hundred cultivators from Han Lin’s side.
Yet Wang Jie had closely watched the fight. Wu Ming only used footwork and palm techniques, yet this alone had utterly crushed Han Lin’s insect tide and Thousand Gu Poison Hand, killing him outright. Nobody could grasp exactly how strong that palm technique was.
As for Hou Qing Ge, if not for that last mysterious sword strike, she surely would have lost to Qin Xiao Shu.
But that single strike remained incomprehensible to everyone who saw it.
Thus, this match was eagerly anticipated by many.
Within the Armor One Sect, Han Lin clenched his fists tightly, staring into the screen. He recalled their encounter days ago at Libra Battlefield. With merely a single exchange, Wu Ming’s strike shattered his starforce, along with all his poison. That bald man was far more terrifying than he looked.
A dreadful power indeed.
As the barrier disappeared:
Hou Qing Ge immediately unleashed a sword strike. She had many sword techniques, so she began by testing Wu Ming’s abilities.
Wu Ming raised his head, calmly sending out a single palm. The strength within his palm instantly shattered the sword qi.
Next, no matter how many strikes Hou Qing Ge unleashed—be it Azure Lotus Flower Burial or Sun-Eroding Slash—no matter how profound or strange, each strike was effortlessly crushed by Wu Ming’s palm.
Hou Qing Ge’s expression turned grim. Her sword qi couldn’t even approach him.
This man defended purely with palm strength, flawless and impenetrable.
Wu Ming gazed calmly at Hou Qing Ge, saying: “You were given the enlightenment tea solely for that final sword strike against Qin Xiao Shu. Use it now. Your other sword techniques are useless against me, including your Hou Family Bridge Sword.”
Hou Qing Ge refused to believe it. Pressing her sword against her shoulder, she twisted it, tearing open her flesh. She used her body as the lesser sword, her life as the greater blade—Hou Family Bridge Sword erupted forth.
This strike was not merely sword qi; it carried blood.
Each drop of blood embodied a trace of the Way of the Sword.
She had similarly wounded Qin Xiao Shu. She refused to believe Wu Ming was so powerful as to ignore all her sword arts.
Wu Ming shook his head slightly. A swirling vortex emerged faintly in his palm. Then he struck out with the Great Radiance Palm.
All of the sword qi and blood were swallowed by that vortex. His palm traversed the void, striking Hou Qing Ge squarely. She was hurled through the air, coughing blood as she crashed heavily onto the ground.
Everyone had guessed that Wu Ming was strong.
But no one had imagined the difference would be this immense.
Even Qin Xiao Shu, who was stronger than Hou Qing Ge, had needed to enter the void and still was wounded. Yet Wu Ming suppressed Hou Qing Ge without taking a single step, leaving her completely helpless.
Countless faces from the Sword Pool grew dark.
Although many despised Hou Qing Ge, seeing her suppressed like this meant Sword Pool itself was suppressed by the Reverse Delusion Mountain.
All those broken moves had been Sword Pool’s ultimate techniques.
“This worthless woman shames our Sword Pool!” a woman scolded harshly.
No one answered. They stared intently at the screen, waiting for Hou Qing Ge’s astonishing sword.
That single strike had killed Qin Xiao Shu. But how would it fare against Wu Ming?
Wu Ming had spoken the truth—Hou Qing Ge only received the enlightenment tea from Star Dome Visage because of that one sword.
Hou Qing Ge slowly rose, Wu Ming’s palm force had pierced through her abdomen, leaving her barely able to stand.
Yet Wu Ming didn’t hurry to finish her off, watching her with curious eyes.
She coughed out more blood, tightly gripping her sword as she gazed toward Wu Ming. After drawing a deep breath, she unleashed a horizontal slash.
A sudden flash of cold brilliance flickered. Wu Ming’s pupils contracted sharply, and just as he began to move, the sword blade swept across his neck. He froze in place, motionless.
Everyone watching froze in stunned silence.
Their expressions turned blank with shock.
Wu Ming was clearly far stronger than Hou Qing Ge, yet this single sword had still severed his neck. What sort of sword technique was this?
At that moment, Sword Pool’s craving for Hou Qing Ge’s sword reached its peak.
Panting heavily, Hou Qing Ge stared ahead, then let out a bitter laugh: “Still… I can’t win.”
With those words, her sword slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground.
Ahead, Wu Ming, whose head had been cleanly severed, began breaking apart piece by piece, dissolving into fragments that resembled shattered mirrors rather than flesh and blood.
“Unbounded Mirror Domain… I never thought Wu Ming could master Unbounded Mirror Domain at the full star realm. Such genius,” someone exclaimed in amazement.
“I’ve long heard Reverse Delusion Mountain had the Unbounded Mirror Domain. Now I’ve finally witnessed it.”
Wang Jie gazed deeply at Wu Ming as he stepped off the stage.
[Unbounded Mirror Domain, huh?]
He had seen it before. Guan Sou had once tried to kill Ban Xia using this exact method, back when Ban Xia was slaughtering one powerful cultivator after another. This demonstrated Reverse Delusion Mountain’s deep confidence in the Unbounded Mirror Domain.
Still, in the end, Guan Sou had died at Ban Xia’s hand.
Wu Ming watched Hou Qing Ge, whose sword had fallen from his grasp, and shook his head lightly, saying: “It’s over.”
This battle belonged to Wu Ming.
At last, the top five of this year’s Full Star Realm martial assembly had emerged clearly: Jing Hong, Zhou Ye, Wang Jie, Ting Chen, and Wu Ming.
The champion would inevitably rise from among these five.
The arena shifted once more.
Five participants meant one person would receive a bye.
Everyone eagerly watched to see who it would be.
As the scenery changed, Wang Jie saw Zhou Ye standing in front of him. Turning his head, he saw Wu Ming and Ting Chen beside him. Thus, it was clear the one who had received the bye was Jing Hong.
Jing Hong was exempted from this round.
In truth, whoever got the bye among these five mattered little. Whether reaching the top five or top three, the true prize was always the first place. To become number one, one had to defeat all opponents; it was merely a question of timing.
Perhaps the only dissatisfied one was Jing Hong himself, who had been hoping to offer a red packet.
His figure vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already back within the Lock Path interval.
Wang Jie gazed into the distance. He was nearing the final peak, and nobody disturbed him. He moved into the Devour Star, absorbing lock force.
At the same time, on Reverse Delusion Mountain, that voice sounded again: “Old friend, do you still remember our promise?”
“No, I don’t.”
“The grave chain’s favor can be wiped clean—all it takes is for Wu Ming to defeat Wang Jie. Simple enough, isn’t it?”
“If it were simple, why would you return again? I’ve told you before, you’ve crossed the line.”
“The Star Palace will eventually reclaim its glory. Does Reverse Delusion Mountain truly not desire a place among the stars?”
“It does not.”
“Old friend, you—”
Just then, Wu Ming’s voice echoed out: “There’s no need to trouble Senior. If I encounter Wang Jie, Junior will spare no effort to defeat him, for he deserves my full strength.”
The voice praised him warmly: “Truly worthy of a genius who, despite his young age, comprehended the Mirrorless Realm. Nirvana may yet be within your grasp. Good! If you defeat him, regardless of whether you did so for our sake, I will erase Reverse Delusion Mountain’s debt to the grave chain.”
One day quickly passed.
Wang Jie once again stood on the arena. Ahead, Zhou Ye stared at him intently, eyes sharp as a fighting cock.
“In the Balance Battle, we joined forces and worked together well, yet I never expected we’d meet now in the top five,” Zhou Ye said earnestly, adding, “Brother Wang, I hope you will fight with all your strength.”
Wang Jie faced Zhou Ye, his expression grave as he answered: “Brother Zhou’s archery is peerless. Of course, I will fight at my best.”
Zhou Ye smiled, saying: “I look forward to seeing your full power, Brother Wang.”
Two arenas, side by side.
Either could begin first.
The barrier disappeared—it was Wang Jie and Zhou Ye who would fight first.
In this instant, all eyes turned toward them, eager to witness the outcome of this battle.
Wang Jie had defeated Yuan Mu and Gui Xiao Die, his strength already recognized by everyone. Zhou Ye was equally astonishing; Shao Gu Chen and Qing Kong couldn’t even touch him. Particularly Qing Kong, who never once countered Zhou Ye’s arrows from beginning to end, allowing them to pierce through him repeatedly just to uncover Zhou Ye’s secret power.
To countless people, Zhou Ye had become synonymous with mystery.
“Brother Wang, let’s begin.” Zhou Ye shot an arrow.
Everyone watched intently.
Wang Jie raised his head but did not move.
The arrow pierced straight through him, emerging from his back, blood splattering onto the ground.
Zhou Ye paused in surprise. [The same as Qing Kong?]
“Does Brother Wang also not intend to fight back?” Zhou Ye asked.
Wang Jie smiled faintly, replying: “Brother Zhou, shoot freely. When the moment is right, I will retaliate.”
Zhou Ye nodded. “Very well, I await your technique, Brother Wang.” With that, he shot arrows one after another, exactly as he had against Qing Kong.
But this time, only the first arrow fully pierced through Wang Jie’s body. The rest were trapped within him, just as had happened with Shao Gu Chen.
Shao Gu Chen relied on his Three Tribulations Bone, using triple explosive strength to suppress the arrows, seeking Zhou Ye’s weakness.
Wang Jie instead used his body’s natural physical strength combined with protective qi to trap the arrows inside himself, carefully observing Zhou Ye.
To defeat Zhou Ye, one must touch him.
Yet so far, no one had uncovered the flaw in Zhou Ye’s ability.
Wang Jie had no choice but to find it himself.
Three arrows, four arrows, five arrows… nine arrows—one after another pierced into Wang Jie’s body.
Wang Jie stared intently at Zhou Ye, suddenly sensing it clearly. [So that’s it.] It was no wonder nobody had ever been able to touch him.
Zhou Ye loosed yet another arrow.
Wang Jie stepped forward swiftly, dodging it.
He had moved.
Everyone watching unconsciously leaned forward, unwilling to miss even the smallest detail. They saw Wang Jie approaching Zhou Ye swiftly, unleashing his Starry Finger technique.
Countless finger shadows descended, all piercing through Zhou Ye harmlessly.
It remained ineffective.
But Wang Jie was not disappointed. With Armor Eight Steps, he instantly appeared in front of Zhou Ye, beckoning him provocatively with one finger.
[Is he taunting him?]
Zhou Ye’s brow twitched slightly. He released another arrow.
The arrow pierced into Wang Jie’s body once more, yet at the exact same instant, a finger shadow landed on Zhou Ye’s back, utterly shattering his shoulder.
Shock swept through the spectators. [He actually landed a blow!]
Zhou Ye stared in disbelief at his shattered left arm, then looked back at Wang Jie.
Wang Jie calmly spoke: “Brother Zhou, I must admit you’re truly impressive. Without understanding your technique, winning would have been impossible. Unfortunately, while you hold a great advantage, you also carry a weakness.”
Zhou Ye sighed with admiration, responding: “Shao Gu Chen and Qing Kong could also see through my method, but they had to exchange their lives to do so. Yet you, Brother Wang, endured without faltering. This round, I’ve lost.”