Chapter 102: Encountering Wang Shan Again

Chapter 102: Encountering Wang Shan Again

The group walked inside. The path had been abandoned for a long time, pitch black and devoid of any light. Chu Jie summoned the Qiankun Treasure Wheel, which emitted a brilliant radiance, bathing the space around him in a snowy white light.

This passage was different from the one they had taken down; the previous route was the path of a peerless, murderous fiend, whereas this was another way entirely. They climbed the stone steps, encountering no danger along the way.

When the steps reached their end, Chu Jie saw another stone gate. Opening it would surely lead them out of the underground tunnel. Chu Jie had always felt deeply uncomfortable in the underground space, and he was relieved to finally be leaving.

Unlike when they first entered, the two of them were now clad in golden armor, and the seven others wore iron armor. They were a formidable force, radiating immense combat power. The golden armor worn by Chu Jie and Duan Kun were artifacts that even those in the Star Core Realm would covet. If a Star Core Realm warrior saw them, they would likely be seized by greed immediately.

"Boss, we're finally getting out!" Wu Long was incredibly excited. With their strength now greatly enhanced, anyone thinking of attacking them would have to think twice.

Chu Jie was also exhilarated, feeling as though he were about to see the light of day once more. Following the method for opening the gate he had learned in the stone hall, Chu Jie pressed several specific points on the door. With a series of rumbles, the stone gate slowly creaked open.

A gust of wind blew in from outside, instantly refreshing their spirits. Chu Jie and his companions stepped through the gate one after another, finding themselves in a mountain cave. As they emerged, the stone gate behind them slowly closed. Upon closer inspection, it was actually part of a rock face, perfectly camouflaged; without careful investigation, one would never have discovered it.

They stepped out of the cave to find themselves on a small peak on the eastern side of the ninth terrace of the Abyss of Gods and Demons. Standing on the peak, Chu Jie looked up at the sky. The massive vortex in the heavens was still swirling incessantly, but the light pillars rising from the center of the abyss were appearing one after another, significantly faster than before.

"Does anyone know what that vortex is for?" Chu Jie asked. He felt that the massive vortex in the sky was the key to everything.

Duan Kun and Wu Long shook their heads; they had no idea what it was.

"We'll grab a few warriors later and ask," Chu Jie sighed. He had been too focused on killing before to inquire about news regarding the Abyss of Gods and Demons.

The vortex was clearly on the verge of a major change; a black core had appeared at its center, with purple lightning constantly flickering within. The surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth was also noticeably chaotic, completely different from before. The Abyss of Gods and Demons was about to undergo a total transformation!

Chu Jie suddenly sensed someone approaching—a large group of them, over five hundred in total. These warriors ranged from the low-level Body Tempering Realm to the seventh level of the Spirit Gathering Realm. Leading them was a warrior at the eighth level of the Spirit Gathering Realm. Chu Jie recognized this man: it was Wang Shan, who had been hunting them down.

"So many people!" Wu Long’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Looks like it’s time for a massacre," Duan Kun sneered, his shuttle-shaped treasure circling his body and emitting a blinding spiritual light.

Chu Jie, clad in his golden armor, hovered three feet above the ground, spiritual energy swirling around him as he prepared for battle. In the distance, Wang Shan and his men had already surrounded them.

Wang Shan floated in mid-air. Only those at the eighth level of the Spirit Gathering Realm or above, or those in the Star Core Realm, could fly on their own. Wang Shan was at the peak of the eighth level, just one step away from reaching the Star Core Realm.

"Finally found you, golden-armored warriors. Wait? Why are there two?" Wang Shan frowned and looked at his underling.

A shifty-eyed warrior immediately stepped forward: "Boss, if we kill a golden-armored warrior, we get a reward of five thousand profound crystals. Two of them means ten thousand!"

Wang Shan looked at Chu Jie and Duan Kun, then at the iron-armored warriors behind them, his eyes glinting with malice. One of his underlings asked worriedly, "I heard the golden-armored warrior is already in the Star Core Realm. Can we really take them?"

Wang Shan slapped him across the face and roared, "You fool! There are so many of us, and I am about to become a Star Core Realm warrior myself! What are you afraid of?" The underling fell silent.

Despite Wang Shan’s control, Chu Jie could clearly see that many of the five hundred men were terrified—not of Wang Shan, but of him and Duan Kun. Putting their reactions together with what he had heard, he quickly realized that Zhou Jie must have reached the ninth terrace first, engaging in a frantic slaughter. These men were so terrified by the sight of the golden armor that they were already trembling.

Chu Jie had assumed that with Zhou Jie drawing the attention of these warriors, no one would dare target them. But now that they were also wearing golden armor, they had become the center of attention once again.

Just then, Wang Shan’s face lit up with joy. He had been staring at Chu Jie and Duan Kun, feeling that these two golden-armored warriors seemed different from the one he had seen before—as if something was missing. Now, he realized it.

"Haha, heaven helps me! I was almost fooled. You aren't Star Core Realm warriors at all; you just acquired this golden armor from somewhere. I’ll give you two choices: first, take off the armor, and I’ll spare your lives, though I will cripple your cultivation. Second, I beat you to death and strip the armor from your corpses!" Wang Shan laughed maniacally.

Chu Jie frowned. He was at the sixth level of the Spirit Gathering Realm and had the protection of the golden armor, allowing him to fight Wang Shan. However, Wang Shan had brought so many people. He and Duan Kun might be able to escape, but Wu Long and the others might not be so lucky.

Before they entered the underground tunnel, there hadn't been such a large gathering of warriors. Yet, only two days later, they had emerged to find such a massive force. Looking over the crowd, Chu Jie saw that most were at the Body Tempering Realm, with the rest being Spirit Gathering Realm practitioners. This was a true show of numbers; together, they could potentially contend with a Star Core Realm expert.

Chu Jie stared at Wang Shan, his thoughts racing. He recalled the instructions of the old man in the dungeon: if he couldn't find the descendants of the Wang family within half a year, he would melt into a pool of blood. He still didn't know what kind of restriction the old man had placed on him; he had checked himself repeatedly but found nothing. He suspected this man might be a descendant of the Wang family, and if he could capture him, he could interrogate him. But could he really capture him with so many enemies around?

Chu Jie let his aura expand, his golden armor glowing with a dazzling light. He would only know if he could succeed by trying. Though the enemy was numerous, defeating Wang Shan would surely make the rest easy to handle. If it were before, he wouldn't have dared to challenge Wang Shan, but now, with his cultivation at the sixth level and the defensive power of the golden armor, it shouldn't be difficult.

Wang Shan was now surrounded by spiritual energy, more than double that of Chu Jie. He hovered in the air, sneering down at his opponent.

"I haven't achieved anything since coming to the abyss; I’ll start by cutting you down!" A giant blade glowing with blue light appeared in Wang Shan’s hand. The blade was two zhang long, covered in scale-like runes. At the hilt, two dragon whiskers moved with the wind, each twitch causing the entire blade to tremble violently.

The Crouching Dragon Blade—a high-grade treasure!

Wang Shan’s underlings cheered him on. "The boss has finally unsheathed the Crouching Dragon Blade! Last time, he killed a seventh-level Spirit Gathering warrior in seconds!"

"Indeed! Even if the opponent were in the Star Core Realm, they would surely be wounded!"

"Once we get those profound crystals, I’ll be able to live it up when we get back to the city, haha!"

...

Seeing the weapon, Wu Long shouted, "Boss, watch out for that blade! It can manifest a dragon’s form and is incredibly powerful—don't let the dragon head bite you!"

As soon as Chu Jie moved, they would follow. Wu Long and his seven companions were battle-hardened fanatics who craved slaughter; the more enemies there were, the more excited they became.

The vortex in the sky spun faster, and the purple lightning within the black sphere became increasingly violent, as if it would descend at any moment to destroy everything.

"Watch as I shatter your soul!" Wang Shan laughed, pouring his spiritual energy madly into the blade.

*First Style of the Crouching Dragon: Sever Body, Extinguish Soul.*

A long blue dragon suddenly flashed into existence, transforming into a massive blade of light that slashed toward Chu Jie. The attack had locked onto his spiritual presence, making it impossible to dodge. Wang Shan’s eyes were filled with madness as he pushed his power, causing the blade of light to grow another three zhang!

Chu Jie’s golden armor shone with unprecedented brilliance. The Samsara Scroll inside him turned frantically. He now realized that Wang Shan was no ordinary eighth-level Spirit Gathering warrior; he was merely a step away from the Star Core Realm.

As the two flew into the air, Chu Jie summoned the Barbarian Cauldron. It grew rapidly amidst violent vibrations, casting a massive shadow over the ground. Seeing their boss engage, the others followed suit. The five hundred warriors glared at Duan Kun and his group; those with treasures unleashed them, while those without charged forward with ordinary weapons.

Duan Kun let out a long roar and led the seven men into the crowd. He didn't go to help Chu Jie; he knew that if he didn't lead the others to restrain the mob, the seven would surely be killed. If all five hundred attacked at once, he and Chu Jie would have no choice but to flee.

Duan Kun was clad in golden armor, his defensive capabilities top-tier; ordinary treasures could not harm him.

"Kill!" Wu Long roared.

Seven streaks of light flew from their formation, and in just a few passes, they had slaughtered a swathe of Body Tempering warriors; even several Spirit Gathering warriors fell to them. Duan Kun’s shuttle-shaped treasure was also reaping lives in rapid succession.