Chapter 353

Chapter 353: Ultimate Speed

Jiang Yu’s constant shouting began to needle Shu He too, but she still couldn’t break through Wang Jie’s shield.

Sometimes Wang Jie even counterattacked, shaking her Zen state and weakening the next palm.

Boom.

Somewhere in the distance, the ship exploded.

Under the aftershocks Wang Jie deliberately guided, the wreckage was ground into nothing.

Wang Jie seized the moment and pulled out the Soaring Pendant.

It was a meeting gift from Black-White Heaven’s Old Ancestor Zhi Yu. Once activated, it granted him Star-Refining Realm speed for the time it took an incense stick to burn.

He hadn’t wanted to use it.

But Shu He’s relentless pressure left him no choice.

He’d also considered using a formation like the Memory-Devouring Spider Nest, but Jiang Yu already knew he had it. They’d be prepared. Using it now would only waste it.

Without exposing his identity, the Soaring Pendant was the best option.

And he was tired of being hit without hitting back.

These two were going to pay a price.

Activate.

In an instant, the void blurred around him. His vision stretched outward, as if the universe lay in his hand.

So this was Star-Refining Realm speed?

He felt like he could vanish from their sight whenever he wished.

Shu He didn’t notice the change at all. She swung another palm.

Jiang Yu hopped around in the distance, still yelling.

Wang Jie moved.

He disappeared.

In the next heartbeat, he appeared behind Shu He and tapped her once—light, precise.

Then he appeared in front of Jiang Yu, flicked his whip to bind him, and vanished again.

Jiang Yu’s defensive chen artifacts had limited coverage. The whip couldn’t hurt him through the protection, but it could still restrain him—and Wang Jie could drag him away like luggage.

Shu He stared at empty space, mind blank.

Where did he go?

Then she spun.

Where was Young Master?

Both were gone.

Not too far from the planet they’d fought on, but far enough that even the stars felt different.

Jiang Yu slammed into the ground. Starlight armor flared around him, keeping him uninjured.

Wang Jie landed a short distance away.

One incense stick.

Not long.

He had to move fast.

Jiang Yu climbed to his feet, glaring. In his eyes flashed shock—and the thrill of uncovering a secret.

He sneered, “So you really are suspicious. What kind of speed is that? What chen artifact is it? How can a lockforce cultivator like you have something like that? Even if you did, it must’ve been modified for you to use. Otherwise, the moment its starforce flares, you’d collapse—especially as a lockforce cultivator.”

His voice sharpened. “Who are you? Why did you sneak into the Third Zen? Tell the truth, or I’ll make you wish you were dead.”

If Wang Jie had a choice, he wouldn’t have exposed the Soaring Pendant.

It needed recharging after one use, and the charge required Star-Refining Realm starforce—something he couldn’t easily obtain.

All because of this brat.

Wang Jie’s gaze went cold. “What, did the Zen token rules change? Let me remind you: no matter what my purpose is, as long as I entered the Third Zen with a Zen token, the Third Zen isn’t allowed to dig into my past. That’s your Third Zen’s rule.”

Jiang Yu snapped back, “That only applies if you’re not plotting against our sect. I think you’re up to no good.”

Wang Jie nodded slowly. “Yeah. I am up to no good.”

Jiang Yu’s expression tightened.

Wang Jie continued, voice calm. “So sorry. I’m going to silence you.”

Fear flashed across Jiang Yu’s face—then he seemed to remember something. His smugness returned.

“You want to kill me?” he scoffed. “You can’t even break my protective chen artifact. Go ahead. Try.”

Wang Jie frowned.

Then he used Jia Eight Steps and appeared behind Jiang Yu.

Qi-Qi Convergence.

He unleashed his full power and drove a finger strike toward Jiang Yu’s back.

In front of Shu He, he hadn’t dared use qi. If she noticed, everything would unravel.

The Zen token rules failed in only one case: people from the dead realm.

So no matter what, he couldn’t let anyone see that he could use qi.

But right now, only Jiang Yu was here. The boy had plenty of chen artifacts, but he wasn’t strong himself, and his eyes weren’t sharp enough to see through Wang Jie’s qi—especially not from behind.

Starlight flared.

Blocked again.

Jiang Yu turned, about to mock him, but Wang Jie slipped out of his line of sight with Jia Eight Steps and struck again.

And again.

Each blow grew more destructive—yet none could break Jiang Yu’s defense.

A true rich family.

Not only had they given him layers of defensive chen artifacts, they’d even modified them so the protection activated automatically.

Wang Jie attacked relentlessly.

Jiang Yu remained unhurt. Sometimes the impact sent him tumbling, but he’d stand up laughing, dusting himself off without a scratch.

The incense-stick time was running out.

Wang Jie had no choice.

He bound Jiang Yu with the whip again, leapt into the void, and shot elsewhere.

With Star-Refining Realm speed, he crossed huge stretches of space around Madam Miao in moments.

This time, he arrived on a planet at the edge of the Sea-Cliff Grand Array.

The surface crawled with insects, disgusting beyond words. Corpses and bones littered the ground like a painted hell.

Jiang Yu saw it, and his face drained white.

Wang Jie dragged him forward as if to throw him down.

Jiang Yu screamed, voice cracking. “No! Lu Bu Qi—stop! Stop—”

Wang Jie ignored him and hurled him into the insects.

Jiang Yu struggled in sheer terror but couldn’t break free. He slammed into the swarm and was swallowed in a blink.

Wang Jie hovered above, looking down.

No matter who you were, any normal person felt instinctive horror and revulsion in front of that writhing mass.

Jiang Yu was no exception.

If he was already making trouble now, he’d keep making trouble later.

So Wang Jie collected a little interest.

Sea-Cliff Madam Miao deserved to be erased.

His body blurred again, heading toward the lockforce star-devourer.

The moment his feet touched it, the Soaring Pendant’s effect ended.

His vision returned to normal.

Wang Jie exhaled slowly.

Star-Refining Realm speed was intoxicating.

He wondered if he would ever reach it in this life.

He pushed the thought away and began his exercises to heal.

During the fight with Shu He, the bones in his right arm had fractured badly. But one round of cultivation smoothed the damage back into place.

Then he examined the lockforce within the star-devourer beneath his feet.

Before long, delight flickered across his face.

This lockforce star-devourer held far less lockforce than the one in Black-White Heaven.

That was good.

The Black-White Heaven star-devourer held so much lockforce that he couldn’t absorb it directly unless his Master processed it first. But this one didn’t need processing—he could absorb it immediately.

Because there was less, his body could withstand it.

He began absorbing at once.

Not long after Wang Jie replenished his lockforce, the battle at Madam Miao ended.

Miao Sha was killed by Xu Zhao Nan together with another Hundred-Star Realm disciple. Before dying, he screamed unwillingly, never even knowing who he’d truly offended.

Miao Mei also died under the siege of Yue Jian and the others.

Old Ji was desperate to find Jiang Yu, so when Yue Jian and the others came to encircle them, he abandoned Miao Mei and withdrew immediately.

He met up with Shu He first. When he learned Jiang Yu was missing, he searched in panic.

Fortunately, Jiang Yu had a way to contact them—not through a personal terminal, but through something else.

That was how they finally dug Jiang Yu out of the endless insects.

When Jiang Yu was hauled free, he looked hollow-eyed, exhausted, terror still clinging to his gaze.

Shu He’s face twisted with fury. “Young Master, I’ll avenge you. I’ll kill Lu Bu Qi.”

Old Ji checked Jiang Yu carefully. Seeing he wasn’t injured, he relaxed. “Young Master, are you alright?”

Jiang Yu swallowed hard and forced a strained laugh. “I-I’m fine. It was just some insects. I’m fine.”

Old Ji nodded approvingly. “Young Master has truly grown up. Those insects can’t really hurt people, but ordinary folk feel instinctive fear when facing them. You stayed calm. In the future, you’ll become someone great.”

Jiang Yu forced another smile.

Could he admit he’d cried down there?

No. Absolutely not.

“Where’s that bastard?” he snarled.

Shu He’s expression turned solemn. “We couldn’t find him. Young Master, his speed is far beyond Hundred-Star Realm. It’s probably already at Star-Refining Realm. A Full-Star Realm lockforce cultivator with that kind of speed is abnormal. We should return and report it to the sect.”

Old Ji added quietly, “The sect doesn’t usually hold grudges, but if this man comes from the dead realm, that’s another matter. We need to inform the sect first and say we suspect he’s problematic. Otherwise, if he files a complaint and says we chased a Zen Heir Disciple, even the First Zen Lord won’t be able to smooth it over.”

Jiang Yu looked around, unwilling.

If only he could find that bastard…

But it was impossible.

“Fine. We’ll go back first,” Jiang Yu said through gritted teeth. “This young master only followed him from the start because I suspected him.”

“Young Master is wise,” Shu He said smoothly.

After one full replenishment, Wang Jie finally restored the lockforce within his body.

He checked the mission hall.

The missions for Miao Sha, Miao Mei, and several Roaming-Star Realm members of Madam Miao had already been submitted.

However, a few Roaming-Star Realm survivors remained.

The Sea-Cliff Grand Array had been bait—meant to lure Third Zen people into breaking it so Miao Sha and the core could slip away.

But Madam Miao wasn’t full of fools.

Clan members scattered in every direction. Especially the Roaming-Star Realm experts. They didn’t need ships. Once they disappeared into the stars, who knew where they would hide?

Still, with Miao Sha and Miao Mei dead, Madam Miao was essentially finished.

The escapees wouldn’t amount to much.

Wang Jie contacted Nian Wei at once to arrange the handover of the lockforce star-devourer.

Nian Wei warned him that if anyone else had boarded the lockforce star-devourer during this time, it might no longer belong to Wang Jie, and he wouldn’t be able to hand it over directly.

Anything claimed for Star Vault Vista had to be ownerless—especially now.

Wang Jie set down the terminal.

Star Vault Vista’s situation during this period didn’t look good. They were already being cautious just to claim a star-devourer.

He gazed into the stars.

All he had to do was make sure no one else boarded the lockforce star-devourer before Star Vault Vista arrived.

He sat cross-legged and began cultivating, merging lockforce into his bones and blood.

There was so much to cultivate… and so little time.

The Wandering-Star Tournament was drawing closer.

Breaking through to Roaming-Star Realm mattered most.

Snow began to fall.

To ordinary people, strange planets weren’t so different from familiar ones. Some had springlike warmth year-round; others were bitterly cold.

Wind swept through the silence, and red leaves drifted down into the snow.

Wang Jie caught one and studied it. It looked like a maple leaf.

It reminded him of a maple forest he’d visited on Blue Star.

Under the starry sky, a ship approached the lockforce star-devourer.

The ship was packed with Madam Miao cultivators.

Madam Miao could be considered a major clan. They had two Hundred-Star Realm experts. They couldn’t compare to forces that ruled Star Chain, but they still had plenty of members and cultivators.