Chapter 352
Chapter 352: Palm Zen Style
With a loud boom, his body crashed heavily onto the ground, leaving a giant crater behind.
All around, enormous carnivorous creatures fled in panic.
Wang Jie raised his head.
The spaceship hovered just beyond the planet, then descended.
[As expected, they tracked me.]
Wang Jie took a deep breath, placing a pill into his mouth. [Trouble again. Who could it be?]
He didn’t hide; there was no point now.
Soon, the spaceship landed.
Two figures stepped out from the ship.
Wang Jie exhaled slowly as he recognized them. [Of course, it’s him.]
In Three Chan Heaven, the only ones he had clashed with were Su Qing and Jiang Yu. Su Qing didn’t have the capability to track him or mobilize Hundred Star Realm cultivators. Thus, the only one who could do this was Jiang Yu, the proud young master of Three Chan Heaven.
Jiang Yu looked immensely pleased, terribly pleased, as he said arrogantly, “Kid, I’ve finally caught up. You’re quite good at running.”
Clearly just a youth himself, yet his tone was wildly arrogant.
Wang Jie fixed his gaze on him, saying, “Why chase me? Have we even met before?”
“Ha ha ha ha!” Jiang Yu laughed loudly, raising his head proudly. “I knew you would deny it. Shu He, didn’t I tell you I’d guessed right?”
Behind him, the maid Shu He respectfully smiled, praising, “Young Master is indeed clever.”
Jiang Yu coldly glared at Wang Jie. “Not many dare compete with this Young Master in the auction house. You’ve got guts, kid.”
“How did you know it was me?” Wang Jie understood denial was useless; he only wanted clarity. It appeared that the only opponents here were these two, without any Hundred Star Realm cultivators. [That makes things easier.]
“This Young Master has many methods,” Jiang Yu bragged smugly. “Not only do I know it was you, but I can track you down. Not just in Three Chan Heaven—across the whole Pillar Bridge, if I want, I can find you. Kid, your good days are finished.” He waved his hand.
Behind him, Shu He stepped forward, eyes like rippling autumn waters fixed on Wang Jie as she said, “You’ve offended our Young Master, and you must pay a price.”
Wang Jie glanced again at the spaceship behind them. “What price?”
Shu He didn’t move immediately.
Jiang Yu took a few steps back, leisurely leaning against the spaceship as he said, “I haven’t decided yet, but at the very least, I’ll make you kneel and kowtow first. Shu He, get him.”
Shu He leaped forward, her starforce surging into the sky, pressing down on Wang Jie.
Wang Jie quickly stepped back with Sword Step, but starforce instantly swept across the entire planet. At the same moment, dark beams flashed through the void, falling down like black waterfalls.
This pressure surpassed even a Six Dao Wanderer.
Wang Jie hadn’t expected this maid to possess such terrifying strength.
Instantly, he evaded the dark beams using Armor Eight Steps.
Shu He showed surprise. “Armor Eight Steps of the Armor One Sect? You’re from Armor One Sect?”
At a distance, Jiang Yu frowned deeply. [Armor One Sect? There really is something suspicious.]
“Shu He, capture him. I have questions for him.”
“Yes, Young Master. He won’t escape,” Shu He’s figure flickered. Every step landed upon those dark beams, making her body blurry and swift. It wasn’t even a step technique, merely movement powered by her unique starforce.
Even with Armor Eight Steps, Wang Jie couldn’t shake her.
Originally, he’d planned to bypass Shu He to seize Jiang Yu directly.
Now that seemed impossible.
“Young Master, the auction house is naturally a place of competition,” Wang Jie reasoned. “You don’t need to go this far, do you?”
Jiang Yu sneered coldly, “Now this Young Master suspects you’re a spy from Armor One Sect planted in Three Chan Heaven. You’re coming back with me for interrogation.”
Wang Jie inwardly sighed. [Had I known, I wouldn’t have bid.]
He hadn’t imagined he’d be exposed or that this young master would be so relentless.
Shu He pressed closer, starforce swirling around her. As she thrust a palm forward, the wind stopped, starforce froze—everything stood still beneath this single palm.
This strike chilled Wang Jie to his core. He instantly activated lock force, unleashing a massive surge of strength.
Boom.
Their palms collided.
Both retreated simultaneously.
Shu He looked at Wang Jie in astonishment. [Such incredible strength.]
Wang Jie’s palm felt numb. This woman clearly hadn’t used much starforce, yet her palm strike had been terrifying. [What kind of technique was that?]
“No wonder you’re someone who can control mountains,” Shu He praised lightly, “but since Young Master wants you captured, you cannot escape.”
She withdrew a rope, flicking it out, causing ripples in the void.
Wang Jie felt uneasy. [Certain powers can’t be used here—otherwise, my identity will easily be discovered.]
Yet if he didn’t use them, this woman wouldn’t be easily defeated.
[Difficult.]
Shu He whipped out the binding rope like a coiling serpent. Instantly, the rope’s starforce soared, surpassing Shu He’s own limits, clearly reaching the Hundred Star Realm level.
This woman, at Wandering Star Realm, could skillfully control a Hundred Star Realm artifact.
Wang Jie tried dodging, but the rope encircled him from every direction. Under the spreading starforce, he found no path of escape. Thankfully, he also possessed something.
A resounding crack echoed.
Wang Jie wielded a long whip, forcibly deflecting the rope.
Shu He showed surprise. “A star artifact?”
The whip Wang Jie held came from the Four Seasons Train, a Six Tribulation star artifact. Since he didn’t cultivate starforce and was merely at Full Star Realm, he’d drained away its excess power, leaving it with merely Four Tribulations worth of strength.
Even so, the Four Tribulation starforce was difficult for him to handle—lock force and starforce clashed violently. For now, it sufficed to keep the rope at bay. Using whip techniques, however, was out of the question.
Shu He continued flinging out the binding rope, but Wang Jie repeatedly deflected her attacks with the whip.
Mountains crumbled, rivers split, and forests were destroyed under the clash of starforce and lock force.
Seeing she still couldn’t capture him, Shu He snorted coldly. With a twist of her arm, the binding rope wrapped around Wang Jie’s whip, and she flew along its length toward him. Every step intensified the black starforce, forcing Wang Jie to either confront her directly or abandon the whip.
With cold determination in his eyes, Wang Jie shifted the whip into his left hand. With his right, he grasped a blade, raised it, and slashed forward.
The single blade slash flowed naturally, blending strength and lock force as one. At that instant, even Shu He felt wary; darkness surged forward, only to be split apart by the slash.
Huh?
[Not as powerful as I’d imagined.]
Shu He felt surprised—this person had been bluffing her.
Wang Jie felt helpless. Although this slash was powerful, it was far from enough to threaten a master like Shu He. Seeing Shu He press forward again with star force, Wang Jie had no choice but to plant his feet, activate the Armor Eight Steps, and fiercely pull the long whip.
Shu He expected Wang Jie to try snatching the whip and binding rope by force. She swiftly spun her body, coiling the rope around her own waist. If Wang Jie insisted on tugging with brute strength, it would only bring Shu He closer to him.
Facing a dilemma at this moment—abandoning the whip? Impossible, this was a Six-Calamity Star Artifact. Then there was only one option.
Use force. Yank it over.
A massive force pulled Shu He towards Wang Jie. A faint smile curled her lips as she thrust out a finger, launching the Bone-Corroding Finger technique.
Wang Jie simultaneously extended his own finger, performing the Starry Finger technique. Unlike Shu He’s open display, his move was subtle, the shadow of the Starry Finger quietly merging with his action, difficult to detect.
Their finger strikes collided.
Wang Jie’s eyes narrowed. He felt the bones in his finger shatter, yet his flesh remained intact. [Such an insidious technique—it’s a star method, bypassing flesh and targeting the bone directly.] Just one strike had rendered his right arm nearly immobile.
Yet Shu He wasn’t faring much better. She hadn’t expected Wang Jie’s finger strike to be so fierce.
The Starry Finger shadow, blended invisibly, shattered her sleeve, splitting open her snow-white arm with lock force. Blood scattered upon the earth.
Both stumbled backward again.
Seizing this chance, Wang Jie whipped the long artifact toward himself. Shu He instinctively loosened the binding rope, allowing Wang Jie to claim the whip.
“You even know star methods? No—it’s a lock method,” Shu He exclaimed in astonishment.
Wang Jie flexed his fingers. The injury was severe. [If only I’d known her attack beforehand and reinforced my arm bones with the Immortal Body, her technique couldn’t harm me—in fact, it might have backfired against her.]
“What are you doing, Shu He? Capture him already!” Jiang Yu shouted from afar.
Shu He frowned. Even now, she still couldn’t fully read this man’s true abilities. Besides the Armor Eight Steps, he had no signature moves. [His physical strength is immense, but that’s hardly enough to reveal anything.] Even his finger strike had been incredibly subtle.
“Just who are you?” Shu He asked, eyes fixed on Wang Jie.
Wang Jie truly didn’t want to fight her anymore. [The longer this drags on, the worse it gets. I might defeat her if I went all out, but I can’t afford to use full strength.]
Because Jiang Yu was still there.
Although young, he was likely formidable.
“I am Lu Bu Qi, disciple of Cheng Chan from Chan Mountain. You’ve dared attack a Cheng Chan disciple—this matter will be reported directly to Two Chan,” Wang Jie threatened.
In the distance, Jiang Yu sneered, “I only thought you looked suspicious and wanted to bring you in for questioning. How is it my fault you’re acting guilty and got yourself hurt?”
“Shu He, hurry and take him down!”
The star force abruptly vanished.
Shu He withdrew the binding rope, her presence suddenly calm yet deep. “I don’t care who you are. Either surrender yourself and return with me to explain, or take this palm of mine—Chan Palm Style.”
The moment her words fell, the sky and earth shifted colors.
All sounds vanished in an instant.
This scene had just occurred—one palm had already put Wang Jie on edge, and the next would surely be stronger.
Wang Jie spun suddenly, directing his single blade slash at Jiang Yu.
He hoped threatening Jiang Yu might disturb Shu He’s composure. Yet unexpectedly, Shu He didn’t care in the slightest, ignoring Wang Jie’s strike as she raised her palm.
Even Jiang Yu seemed completely indifferent to the blade bearing down upon him.
Gritting his teeth, Wang Jie swung down.
The slash struck Jiang Yu directly, but countless bursts of starry radiance erupted across his body. The blade’s edge couldn’t penetrate, and even its tremendous force failed to move Jiang Yu. He clearly wore an incredibly powerful star artifact.
Behind Wang Jie, Shu He’s palm approached rapidly.
This palm caused Wang Jie’s scalp to tingle. If he took it directly, he’d be gravely wounded.
Fortunately, he was prepared. Spinning around swiftly, he brought out his boat-shaped artifact to block.
Shu He’s palm struck the boat with a thunderous bang. Wang Jie used the force of the strike to propel himself toward Jiang Yu. He had deliberately positioned himself between Jiang Yu and Shu He; now, borrowing this momentum, he employed the Sword Step to accelerate. Even Shu He couldn’t catch up.
Most unexpected to Shu He was the fact that Wang Jie had blocked her palm.
She hadn’t expected this strike to completely incapacitate him, but she believed it would at least force him to reveal his true strength. Yet even his boat-shaped star artifact remained intact.
Wang Jie swiftly closed in on Jiang Yu, reaching out to grab him.
Jiang Yu instantly turned and fled.
One step, two steps, three.
By the third step, Jiang Yu vanished completely.
Wang Jie grasped empty air, stunned. Another star artifact.
Shu He launched another palm strike. [Let’s see how many more palms you can endure.] Chan Palm Style relied on serene meditation, consuming surprisingly little star force; she could launch many more strikes, certain Wang Jie wouldn’t last long.
Strike after strike landed upon the boat.
She tried avoiding the boat, but Wang Jie continuously maneuvered it as a shield. Though powerful, the Chan Palm Style’s angles weren’t tricky enough to bypass the boat and harm Wang Jie.