Chapter 343
Chapter 343: Heavenly Astral Body-Forging Chart
Wang Jie waited quietly.
Half a day passed before someone finally arrived.
“You’re Lu Bu Qi?” the man asked.
Wang Jie hurried to bow. “Lu Bu Qi greets Senior Brother.”
The man laughed. “Don’t call me Senior Brother. You’re a Cheng Zen disciple. If anything, I should be calling you Senior Brother.”
Despite the words, there was no real respect in his manner. Wang Jie was only Full-Star Realm. The newcomer was Roaming-Star Realm.
Wang Jie kept his expression humble. “I only obtained a zen token by luck. How could I compare with you?”
The man seemed pleased by the attitude. “Not bad. I’m Cheng Fan, an inner sect disciple. Come on—I’ll take you to your residence. From now on, you’ll cultivate in Zen Mountain.”
“As a Cheng Zen disciple,” Cheng Fan went on, “you can claim resources yourself. Anywhere is open to you except the cultivation grounds of Second Zen. As for cultivation methods and battle techniques, you can choose one to cultivate.”
He sighed dramatically. “I’m jealous.”
Wang Jie smiled. “Junior Brother Cheng will become a Cheng Zen disciple one day as well. There’s nothing to envy. I only had luck.”
Cheng Fan grunted. “I’ll take that blessing. Come on. And one more thing—don’t call me Senior Brother. Some people are stubborn. If they hear you, they’ll make a fuss.
“Since you’re a Cheng Zen disciple, you should call me Junior Brother Cheng.”
“Understood,” Wang Jie said.
As Cheng Fan led him on, he introduced Zen Mountain in more detail.
Zen Mountain had its own independent system—like a sect unto itself. It had its own resource distribution, training grounds, markets, even a trading quarter.
And, apparently, even brothels.
Wang Jie couldn’t hide his surprise. “There are brothels here?”
Cheng Fan laughed. “Third Zen Heaven cultivates according to the heart. Some people like primal pleasure. What’s wrong with that?
“It’s nothing shameful. Brothels, gambling dens—everything. Whatever you can enjoy outside, you can enjoy here.”
Then he pointed ahead. “That’s your residence. This area is close to the cultivation grounds of Second Zen. Sometimes you can hear Second Zen chanting. If you have good comprehension, you can break through on the spot.”
He gestured to the nearby dwellings. “Next to you lives one of Zen Mountain’s only two Cheng Zen disciples—Senior Brother Xie Shen Yun. But Senior Brother Xie is out traveling to prepare for the Wandering-Star Tournament, so there won’t be anyone around you.”
“Farther out is Senior Brother Chen Song,” Cheng Fan added, lowering his voice slightly. “He’s at the Hundred-Star Realm and cultivates the Formless Zen Path. If you run into him, be careful…”
He introduced several more names and quirks before finally leaving.
Wang Jie stared into the distance.
Chen Song.
Somehow, their paths really did keep crossing.
Once Cheng Fan was gone, Wang Jie shut the door and let himself breathe.
Cheng Fan had clearly seen that he cultivated lockforce—and that he was only Full-Star Realm. Otherwise his attitude wouldn’t have been so casual from the start.
At least he hadn’t asked questions.
That was the benefit of the zen token.
The residence itself reminded Wang Jie of his old quarters in Frost Splendor Sect—simple, functional, meant only as a marker so others could find you. Many cultivators never let their true dwelling be known.
Wang Jie rested for a night.
The next day, following Cheng Fan’s directions, he found Tian Gang Gorge—Zen Mountain’s dedicated cultivation site for the Heavenly Astral Body-Forging Chart.
When he arrived, the gorge was empty.
Most disciples were already cultivating what they would cultivate. Those who weren’t wouldn’t coincidentally appear on the same day as him.
He lifted his gaze.
A massive human-shaped statue stood in the gorge—a transparent sculpture revealing organs, meridians, bones, and the flow of starforce “drawn” into form within it.
This was the process of the Heavenly Astral Body-Forging Chart.
To cultivate it, one had to sit at the statue’s center and receive transmission.
Wang Jie approached and bowed. “Cheng Zen disciple Lu Bu Qi requests to cultivate the Heavenly Astral Body-Forging Chart.”
A voice rang out from nowhere. “Approved.”
“Thank you, Senior,” Wang Jie said.
He stepped onto the air, walked to the statue’s core, and sat cross-legged as his body merged into it. The surrounding starforce stirred violently, as if provoked, then surged toward him.
“Eh?” the voice said. “You cultivate lockforce?”
Wang Jie gave an awkward laugh. “Forgive me, Senior.”
So this person hadn’t looked at him at all. One glance would have told them he cultivated lockforce.
“How interesting,” the voice mused. “A lockforce cultivator who obtained a zen token. Unprecedented.
“Little kid, you missed your chance.”
Wang Jie kept his tone respectful. “What do you mean, Senior?”
“Obtaining a zen token is pointless for you,” the voice said bluntly. “You should have sold it to some great family’s young master, earned protection, and lived comfortably for life. Now you’ve entered Third Zen Heaven—how much can you possibly improve?
“A Cheng Zen disciple can access sect resources and freely cultivate any method or technique… but you must also carry the sect’s obligations. It’s dangerous. Your future is limited.”
Wang Jie bowed his head. “Thank you for the warning, Senior. Unfortunately, I’ve already used the token.”
“Yes,” the voice sighed. “A pity. Tell me—did you watch the Full-Star Tournament and decide you could become like that Wang Jie?”
Wang Jie nearly choked.
So even here, someone was bringing him up.
He kept his face straight. “Yes, Senior. Your insight is sharp.”
“Hmph.” The voice dripped with disdain. “That boy only got that far because he has a Star Dao master behind him. Do you know he not only cultivates lockforce, he also cultivates qi refining? A Star Dao master can elevate him to that level.
“But that’s all. In the Wandering-Star Tournament, forget first place—he likely won’t even make the top hundred, because breaking into the Roaming-Star Realm is too difficult for him.”
The voice went on—complaining, reminiscing, comparing—rambling at length.
Wang Jie didn’t dare interrupt. He simply waited, letting the chatter wash over him.
Only when someone else arrived to cultivate the Heavenly Astral Body-Forging Chart did the voice finally stop.
“Enough,” it said. “Lockforce or not, it is what it is. Focus and comprehend.”
The starforce within the statue was drawn away, and then lockforce poured into Wang Jie, surging toward him.
Wang Jie closed his eyes.
At last, he could cultivate.
—
At Star Vault Vista, Ting Can stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring into the void. Behind him, a middle-aged man reported in a steady stream.
Ever since Twelve Heavenly Stems was exposed, Star Vault Vista had faced unprecedented disruption.
Forces everywhere cut off Star Vault Vista branches and began guarding against them. News channels dried up. Business in ships, the Star Fusion Center, pills—everything—plummeted.
Even some observers had been dug out.
“Everyone is guarding against us now,” the man said. “And this is only the beginning. Something big will follow.”
“Ting Chen was too impulsive,” Ting Can said.
The man gave a helpless sigh. “Yes. I am Ting Lan—the public head of Star Vault Vista, and the father of Ting He and Ting Chen.”
Ting Can listened for a while without speaking.
Ting Lan didn’t rush him. He simply waited.
After all, this was trouble, not true crisis.
“What is Wang Jie doing?” Ting Can asked suddenly.
Ting Lan answered at once. “He went to Third Zen Heaven. He has a zen token.”
Ting Can’s gaze deepened. “Send Chen’er to Third Zen Heaven.”
Ting Lan frowned. “Grandfather means…?”
“That old ghost went to the Star Palace to make trouble,” Ting Can said coldly. “He has endured for the sake of faith and inheritance all his life. If he’s truly been pushed beyond endurance, the Star Palace will lose a layer of skin.”
“Will he be killed by the Star Palace?” Ting Lan asked.
Ting Can snorted. “Even if he is, the Star Palace will pay a price. And now that Twelve Heavenly Stems is exposed, they won’t fight to the death. Part of their attention is on us.”
Ting Lan’s eyes narrowed. “Could it be that Chen’er exposed Twelve Heavenly Stems because Wang Jie forced her? Was it all part of his plan?”
Ting Can frowned. “Hard to say. By rights, he shouldn’t know Twelve Heavenly Stems belongs to us.
“But who knows what tricks that old ghost has? He tried to drag me into his mess—he even wanted his disciple to marry those two girls. What wouldn’t he do?”
Ting Can’s mouth twisted. “Send Chen’er to make contact with Wang Jie. That little kid is bold, isn’t he? I’ve delivered a person to him. Whether he can marry her depends on his own ability.”
Ting Lan’s expression soured. He didn’t respond.
“Don’t overthink it,” Ting Can said. “Chen’er will marry eventually. That boy is a suitable match.”
“But he’s only a lockforce cultivator,” Ting Lan said, displeased.
“You’ve forgotten that legend?” Ting Can asked.
Ting Lan gave a bitter smile. “That legend is older than the star position era itself. It sounds like something a storyteller made up on a whim.”
Ting Can exhaled. “Either way, Chen’er made her mistake. She should bear it herself. The future is hers to grasp.”
His eyes turned heavy. “And if the day truly comes…”
He paused, voice chilling. “Then let the world see who truly rules the Four Dipper Linked Bridge.”
—
Back at Tian Gang Gorge, Wang Jie stepped out. Another disciple glanced at him curiously before entering the statue.
Wang Jie faced the gorge and bowed. “Thank you, Senior, for the transmission.”
The unseen voice spoke again, calmer now. “Third Zen Heaven’s methods either emphasize comprehension or emphasize tempering. Both consume time. If you hope to gain fame at the tournament through this method, it won’t happen.
“But the farther you go, the more you will understand its value.”
“Go,” the voice said. “Return.”
Wang Jie withdrew respectfully.
He understood already. The Heavenly Astral Body-Forging Chart would take a long, long time to master—more troublesome even than Thunder Pattern.
No wonder no disciple of Third Zen Heaven had used it publicly in the Full-Star Tournament. At Full-Star Realm, almost no one could complete it. At minimum, it required reaching the Roaming-Star Realm.
It demanded time.
Next came battle techniques.
A rogue cultivator who entered a great force like Third Zen Heaven through a zen token should, by all outward logic, immediately seek out powerful methods.
That kind of behavior was “detail”—the kind of thing that made a disguise believable.
Wang Jie went to the scripture pavilion and, as a Cheng Zen disciple, browsed techniques.
Zen Mountain’s collection was extensive.
Among the most fearsome was Heavenly Punishment Five Injuries—a method that struck at qi, blood, starforce, meridians, and bone, forcing all five to reverse. A vicious technique that would ruin anyone it touched.
Wang Jie’s heart stirred. He could cultivate it.
The question was whether he could plant it and harvest something even better.
Refining Slash was also good—a technique meant to pair with the Heavenly Astral Body-Forging Chart to unleash its full killing power.
“Senior,” Wang Jie asked the man guarding the scripture pavilion, “do you have Outer Zen methods and techniques here?”
The guard shook his head. “No. If you want Outer Zen, go there and find it yourself.”
“Outer Zen is on the ring-sect corridor?” Wang Jie asked.
“It is,” the guard said, studying him with curiosity. “But you came all the way here. What could Outer Zen possibly have that interests you?”
“Myriad-Instant Slash,” Wang Jie said. “I heard it’s powerful.”
The guard didn’t look surprised. “Outer Zen’s First Blade is impressive. But it’s extremely difficult to master.”
Wang Jie’s eyes shone with longing. “They say once you master it, you’re invincible.”
The guard snorted. “If it were truly that simple, it wouldn’t be placed in Outer Zen. Myriad-Instant Slash is strong, but mastering it demands day after day after day. If you cultivate it, you won’t have time for anything else.
“Third Zen Heaven values comprehension. That blade technique used to be kept here, but in the end it was sent to Outer Zen—just to give those Outer Zen people something to dream about.”
“That’s a pity,” Wang Jie said.
The guard fell silent.
Wang Jie bowed. “Senior, Junior has decided to cultivate Heavenly Punishment Five Injuries.”
“Wise,” the guard said. “Go complete a mission.”
Wang Jie blinked. “A mission?”
The guard laughed. “You think sect techniques are learned for free? You need contribution.
“Yes, you are a Cheng Zen disciple. I know.” His gaze turned sharp. “But have you ever heard of a true disciple in any sect who can cultivate every method and technique without contributing anything? You may learn one technique unconditionally. Only one.”
Wang Jie froze.
He understood at once.
He had been told he could use all resources of Third Zen Heaven. That was access, not entitlement. Inner sect disciples could earn Refining Slash through missions but had no qualification to learn Heavenly Punishment Five Injuries at all.
Wang Jie had the qualification to learn anything. But he still had to exchange for it. Nothing was simply handed over.
Black-White Heaven worked the same way. Even Six-Path Roamers weren’t exceptions. Otherwise no one would ever have to go to war.
The guard continued evenly, “As a Cheng Zen disciple, you can cultivate the Heavenly Astral Body-Forging Chart directly. That’s preferential treatment.
“But other techniques require contribution. Otherwise…” He glanced at Wang Jie with a strange look. “You seemed very interested in Myriad-Instant Slash just now.”
Wang Jie nodded.
The guard smiled. “Cheng Zen disciples can cultivate all Outer Zen methods and techniques for free. If you don’t want to contribute, go cultivate Myriad-Instant Slash.”
Wang Jie’s eyes lit up. He bowed deeply. “Thank you, Senior, for the reminder.”
The guard watched him leave and shook his head. “Mastering Myriad-Instant Slash is brutally hard. Even those with high cultivation and comprehension are doing well if they can produce the First Blade within half a year. To swing it normally, without being interrupted, and truly make it yours… without ten years, it’s impossible.”
“Go on,” he muttered. “Grind it out.”
Wang Jie left the scripture pavilion and looked toward the distance.
From Zen Mountain to Outer Zen, Zen Lake lay between them. It was far.
He couldn’t cross the void himself yet. He needed a tool.
He couldn’t use the void splint—someone would recognize him.
Fortunately, the sect had routes planned.
Those below the Roaming-Star Realm could take designated paths and use sect ships to travel to the ring-sect corridor.
After half a day of travel within Zen Mountain, Wang Jie reached a docking port and boarded a ship.
The ship launched and headed for the ring-sect corridor.
Third Zen Heaven really was better than Black-White Heaven.
In Black-White Heaven, you had to pay out of pocket for every trip. Here, the sect provided public ships.
From high above, Wang Jie saw many ships traveling the route. He also spotted Third Zen Heaven disciples moving back and forth.
Below, Zen Lake came into view.
Zen Lake wasn’t truly a single lake. The region was unnaturally calm, with unique drifting matter that made it look like a lake’s surface from afar—though large areas really were water.
On this ship, Wang Jie was the only passenger.
Before long, the ship landed at a port on the ring-sect corridor. The moment he stepped out, he was met with noise and bustle.
A market stretched before him.
People came and went in thick streams—mostly Outer Zen disciples.
Wang Jie walked with purpose.
Soon he saw a familiar style of architecture. Star Vault Vista buildings were easy to recognize once you’d seen enough of them.
Behind him, a group rushed past in excitement.
“This time I’m rich! I’m buying all the Ten Seals materials!”
“Easy. Save some money for pills. That Recovery Pill isn’t cheap.”
“I’m not buying it. Healing with pills is too expensive. I’ll just endure—”
Watching them, Wang Jie remembered himself—back when he first arrived in the Silver Radiance Empire to buy disaster materials, when even a pill felt like a luxury.
This was the Star Vault Vista materials exchange.
His target wasn’t that.
It was the building beside it: the Star Fusion Center.