Chapter 346
Chapter 346: I Will Kill You
On Blue Star, let alone eyelashes, even matters far worse wouldn’t earn a second glance.
But Three Chan Heaven was surprisingly conservative.
Perhaps that was the nature of the cultivation world. Some people could disregard everything and follow their hearts, while others treasured their reputation more dearly than life itself.
Still, that woman’s final words had merit—this matter needed settling. His material condition required obtaining the eyelashes of the next woman he met. He had no choice but to get them.
[How troublesome.]
Wang Jie shook his head, checking his personal terminal. Someone had contacted him earlier.
Nian Wei? Why would she reach out to him first?
Wang Jie contacted her. “What is it?”
Within Three Chan Heaven, personal terminals allowed communication anywhere.
“I wanted to let you know, there’s a shortcut for claiming a mountain in Zen Mountain—Killing Cliff,” Nian Wei replied simply. Ting Chen had already left, so Nian Wei avoided mentioning her to prevent being overheard. Star Dome Visage was no longer as secretive as before.
“Killing Cliff?” Wang Jie recalled something. “That’s a trial ground in Zen Mountain. Crossing Killing Cliff grants access to the Entering Zen Hall, doesn’t it?”
“That’s right,” Nian Wei explained. “Killing Cliff has four staircases. Passing all four staircases means you’ve conquered Zen Mountain and can enter the Entering Zen Hall. Even if you don’t finish all four, passing the first three still lets you control a mountain—the scope of the mountain depends on how well you perform.”
Wang Jie understood. “Thanks.” After a short pause, he added, “I’d like some information on Su Qing.”
“You want to purchase information? Unfortunately, I don’t handle intelligence,” Nian Wei answered.
Wang Jie immediately ended the call.
Nian Wei was clearly the intelligence chief of Star Dome Visage in Three Chan Heaven. How could she not handle intelligence? Her words suggested their conversation was being monitored. He’d been careless. It seemed they’d have to meet face-to-face.
For now, he’d head to Killing Cliff.
If Su Qing could find him, others surely could as well. He didn’t feel safe cultivating here, especially without any suitable stars nearby for his Indestructible Body training. He had to control a mountain—the stars hidden within mountains would suit him perfectly.
Few people in Zen Mountain had taken control of a mountain. Many knew of this shortcut at Killing Cliff, meaning it wouldn’t be easy to pass three staircases. He decided to gather information first.
Wang Jie headed to the Scripture Pavilion to research Killing Cliff.
But he quickly learned that outsiders were forbidden from discussing details of the trials at Killing Cliff. Violators would be expelled from Three Chan Heaven.
The situation was quite serious. No wonder Nian Wei hadn’t explained further earlier.
He would have to experience it firsthand.
A short while later, Wang Jie arrived at Killing Cliff.
Killing Cliff was at the peak of Zen Mountain. He’d thought the Second Zen Master’s residence would occupy the highest point, but instead it was Killing Cliff itself. No wonder passing it meant surpassing Zen Mountain—this was meant quite literally.
He gazed ahead into the distance.
The four staircases of Killing Cliff seemed enormous, visible at first glance, yet a faint ripple of void energy told him outsiders could never see what truly lay within.
Looking around, Wang Jie saw no one else nearby.
He stepped forward, ascending toward Killing Cliff, and crossed the threshold.
The moment he entered, nothing appeared different.
Glancing back, he could still see the outside clearly.
Wang Jie scanned the area carefully. This first staircase looked utterly ordinary.
But the instant that thought arose, the entire world plunged into sudden darkness, save for a single beam of light descending sharply from above, illuminating only about a meter of space—just enough to spotlight one person clearly.
From within that narrow beam, a figure emerged.
Wang Jie’s expression immediately changed. [Lu Bu Qi?]
The person who appeared was indeed Lu Bu Qi.
But as Lu Bu Qi turned toward him, he suddenly smiled, charging directly forward. His gaze was cold and utterly alien, completely unlike the Lu Bu Qi Wang Jie had known in that remote frontier town.
[What’s going on here?]
Could Killing Cliff actually summon Lu Bu Qi here? No, even if Lu Bu Qi came, he would never attack Wang Jie.
Lu Bu Qi charged straight to Wang Jie, slamming a palm fiercely toward his forehead. In that instant, Lu Bu Qi’s eyes filled with murderous intent, and low murmurs filled Wang Jie’s ears: “Kill, kill, kill…”
The word “kill” echoed endlessly, as though countless voices were whispering around him, hypnotizing and urging violence.
Wang Jie dodged Lu Bu Qi’s palm, staring in confusion. Why was Lu Bu Qi attacking him? Even if there were some deep grudge, it was meaningless for an ordinary person to strike. Lu Bu Qi couldn’t possibly harm him.
Yet Lu Bu Qi pressed forward relentlessly, the whispers of “kill” growing louder and louder, invading Wang Jie’s mind, battering him relentlessly and making it harder to resist.
When Wang Jie grabbed Lu Bu Qi’s arm to restrain him, Lu Bu Qi violently twisted his own limb, breaking it with crazed determination, and lunged at Wang Jie again.
Staring blankly at the blood-soaked figure, Wang Jie raised his hand again, pressing firmly on Lu Bu Qi’s shoulder. Yet the man struggled wildly, thrashing like a beast.
Wang Jie frowned deeply. Something was terribly wrong—Lu Bu Qi had no qi within him at all. How could this be? Although Lu Bu Qi was just an ordinary man, he’d battled on the frontier for years. There had always been qi in him, gathered in his right arm from constant fighting. Yet this Lu Bu Qi had absolutely none. This was not Lu Bu Qi—not even human.
No living person could exist without qi.
“Kill…kill…” the whispers intensified.
Wang Jie’s frown deepened as he decisively struck the heart meridian of this false Lu Bu Qi, killing him instantly.
The body fell lifelessly.
As Wang Jie leaned closer to examine it, another beam of light appeared, and yet another Lu Bu Qi stepped out into view. Wang Jie stared in shock. Another one? So Lu Bu Qi truly was fake. But why would Killing Cliff conjure the image of Lu Bu Qi specifically?
It was because of him.
Wang Jie understood now. His face had become Lu Bu Qi’s, and this Lu Bu Qi appearing before him was born from that very likeness. As for the ceaseless whisper urging him to kill, perhaps that was the true trial here. Could it be that the first step of this Slaughter Cliff required him to kill himself?
Recalling what he knew of Three Chan Heaven’s cultivation ways, this seemed entirely possible. Those from Three Chan Heaven had deep obsessions, utterly convinced of themselves without regard for right or wrong. Nothing they did would surprise him.
Again, the Lu Bu Qi before him rushed to attack. This time, Wang Jie did not hesitate, and struck down swiftly with a single palm, killing him instantly.
Another appeared immediately after.
[Killing one is the same as killing a hundred,] Wang Jie thought. [Then let them come. Let’s see how many will appear.]
Wang Jie condensed lock force into a blade, slashing downward in a single fluid stroke.
In the Starry Martial Meet, Wang Jie had wielded a sword, but here in Three Chan Heaven, he chose the blade, separating himself from Lu Bu Qi through this very difference. Conveniently, the blade was the favored weapon in Three Chan Heaven.
Each stroke fell like rain, and each stroke claimed a Lu Bu Qi’s life.
They appeared relentlessly, one after another, endlessly springing from every direction. Although they emerged one at a time, each wore a different expression, yet none could withstand Wang Jie’s blade.
Time passed, and Wang Jie mechanically raised and lowered his blade. He had no idea how many Lu Bu Qis would come, nor how many he needed to kill to pass this first step. The whispers of “kill” never ceased, and Lu Bu Qi’s face flickered constantly before him. Blood pooled beneath his feet, forming a lake thick with the stench of iron.
Normally, how long could a person endure, repeatedly killing someone who bore their own face? Wang Jie didn’t know—that was the true test of this first step.
If it was his own face reflecting back at him from the bloody lake, with the hypnotic chants of killing droning endlessly, how long would he last before choosing death for himself?
Such was the trial of Slaughter Cliff.
Unfortunately for the trial, Wang Jie was using Lu Bu Qi’s face, making this particular test meaningless to him. It simply had no effect.
The blood-red lake had long since soaked past his ankles, and even the pillar of light had turned crimson.
Finally, as one more single blade slash fell, the pillar of light ceased.
The lake beneath Wang Jie’s feet parted of its own accord, revealing a path toward the second step. He had passed. [Ten thousand?] Wang Jie realized suddenly, [I killed ten thousand Lu Bu Qis.]
Kill ten thousand of yourself, and the step was cleared.
He glanced down. The blood lake was already beginning to close behind him, but it seemed he could continue if he wished. Wang Jie, however, had no reason to stay—he was never truly here for the trial.
Performances on Slaughter Cliff would surely draw the attention of Three Chan Heaven’s higher-ups, and attracting attention was the last thing he wanted.
He swiftly ascended to the second step, pausing briefly to glance back. Beneath the blood lake of the first step, three characters appeared clearly: Mirror of Life.
Then he turned forward to the second step, which also bore three words, covered in dust: Bridgeless Edge.
Behind him, the first step reverted instantly. The lake of blood disappeared, and the darkness of heaven and earth faded away.
Ahead, a bridge emerged, leading toward the third step, and upon that bridge stood a single figure who lifted his face—once again Lu Bu Qi.
[Not finished yet,] Wang Jie sighed inwardly and walked toward the bridge.
Lu Bu Qi on the bridge regarded him coldly, speaking slowly: “I will kill you.”
Wang Jie stopped. “And then?”
“If you are killed, you pass,” Lu Bu Qi replied, standing calmly on the bridge, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Wang Jie.
Wang Jie narrowed his eyes. [Pass if killed? What ridiculous rule is this? If I’m dead, what’s the point of passing?] His gaze shifted between Lu Bu Qi and the bridge.
This second step was called Bridgeless Edge.
“Edge,” yet without a blade’s sharpness—did this truly mean he had to accept being killed?
In front, the edges of the bridge began to blur.
Wang Jie quickly stepped onto it.
Lu Bu Qi stood right before him, staring, unmoving. In his hand was a blade identical to the one Wang Jie had used to slay ten thousand Lu Bu Qis. Blood from the lake stained the bridge beneath and even soaked Lu Bu Qi himself.
Wang Jie glanced nervously at the bridge’s edges; they were rapidly fading away.
Frowning, he stepped forward.
Lu Bu Qi maintained his position, retreating step by step as Wang Jie advanced, eyes never leaving him, slowly lifting the blade.
Wang Jie’s heart quickened.
Killing intent pressed against him like breath itself, a tide of death surging closer, drenching his senses as the bloody lake had drenched his body.
Those eyes seemed to gaze at him from the abyss itself.
The cold gleam of the blade crept nearer.
His skin prickled with goosebumps.
It was instinct to dodge such murderous intent. Wang Jie’s fists clenched involuntarily; he wanted to strike—desperately. Lu Bu Qi was no match for him, easily pushed aside with a single palm. Just one strike, and all this pressure, all this deathly intent would vanish instantly.
[Strike. You can strike.]
Yet his reason held him back.
He mustn’t move. Only by accepting death could he pass this trial. This was Bridgeless Edge—he absolutely couldn’t move.
But how could he pass if he allowed himself to be killed? Perhaps precisely this paradox was the true trial.
No, the true test was to be killed by Lu Bu Qi—the very same self he had slain ten thousand times already.