Chapter 113: Zhou Jie Appears

Chapter 113: The Appearance of Zhou Jie

By assuming the identity of a Golden-Armored Warrior, Chu Jie had managed to acquire a significant amount of equipment and medicinal pills without shedding a drop of blood. However, he was unaware that while he spared the warriors he encountered, those very individuals were subsequently discovered and slaughtered by the rampaging Zhou Jie.

Chu Jie and his eight companions sped toward the next location where a lightning strike had occurred. In truth, the phenomenon of warriors killing others to seize purple flames was now rampant everywhere.

Since the appearance of the violet-red thunder had persisted for some time, many warriors had already collected a fair amount. At this moment, the frequency of the thunder strikes had slowed significantly, appearing as though it might cease at any moment.

Those who had failed to secure the purple flames now turned their eyes toward others. To them, obtaining the flames meant not only receiving rewards at the center of the Abyss but perhaps even earning a chance to contend for rare treasures.

Because of the sensitivity surrounding the Golden Armor, whenever Chu Jie appeared in his golden attire, warriors would immediately cease their fighting. At this moment, two groups were locked in a chaotic skirmish, but as soon as Chu Jie’s silhouette emerged, everyone froze. They stopped fighting and, to his surprise, joined forces to defend against him.

Chu Jie surveyed the crowd; this was the largest group of warriors he had encountered recently. Originally, these were two separate teams of forty, but upon merging, they now numbered eighty.

Drawing upon the power of his golden armor, Chu Jie hovered in the air.

"The usual rules: drop all your equipment, medicinal pills, and rare treasures, and you may leave," Chu Jie said calmly.

He felt a hint of tension. Dealing with over eighty people was no small feat; if they refused, a massive battle would be inevitable. Moreover, these individuals generally possessed high cultivation levels, with very few at the Body Tempering Realm, indicating that those who organized these teams had put in significant effort.

The warriors sneered, "If we give you everything, we won't even have the strength to resist. By then, we’ll be at your mercy."

Chu Jie shook his head. "I have let many people leave before today."

One of the leaders retorted, "But I heard that many people were killed after being looted by you. You have no credibility whatsoever."

Chu Jie frowned. It was true that the first thirty or so people had been killed, but had the ones he spared later been hunted down as well?

"Bullshit! Everyone who handed over their treasures and cultivation supplies was set free," Wu Long stepped forward, indignant. They had spared these people’s lives, only to be accused of killing them.

Chu Jie stopped Wu Long from speaking further.

"Since you don't believe me, then none of you shall leave." A spark of anger rose in Chu Jie’s heart. He suspected that Zhou Jie was the one responsible for the killings.

The eighty-plus warriors immediately prepared to engage, but at that moment, a golden figure flew in from the distance.

Chu Jie’s eyes narrowed. That had to be Zhou Jie, now at the Star Core Realm, though he was little more than a puppet devoid of consciousness. He was also wearing golden armor, and Chu Jie wondered if he would be recognized.

Chu Jie touched the Blood Dragon Ring on his finger. The artifact could sense nearby iron armor. When he projected his divine sense into it, he saw three golden light points—including himself—and seven white light points representing Wu Long and his companions in their iron armor.

The Blood Dragon Ring was unique; his divine sense triggered no reaction when it touched the light points of his companions, but when it touched the light point representing Zhou Jie, the spiritual energy in his body surged into the ring as if the artifact were devouring his power.

Chu Jie immediately severed his connection to the ring and withdrew his divine sense. This was a critical moment; he could not afford to lose any spiritual energy.

As soon as Zhou Jie appeared, the eighty-plus cultivators were stunned. They looked back and forth between Chu Jie’s group and the newcomer.

Zhou Jie posed a greater threat and perfectly matched the legends of the Golden-Armored Warrior, whereas the cultivation levels of Chu Jie’s group felt comparable to their own.

"Let's run! They have three golden armors; how can we fight this?" Panic began to set in among the warriors.

"We have no choice but to fight. If we retreat, we can't outrun these golden armors," someone shouted.

They had heard constant accounts of the terrifying power of the Golden-Armored Warriors. Seeing three of them at once made it feel as if the heavens were collapsing.

Chu Jie noticed that Zhou Jie did not seem to recognize him. The puppet looked at him with a dazed expression before losing interest. Zhou Jie was entirely encased in his golden armor, revealing only eyes that lacked pupils. Because Chu Jie and his group were also clad in golden armor, Zhou Jie failed to distinguish them. If he had recognized Chu Jie, he would undoubtedly have been driven by an inherent instinct to kill him, even in his puppet state.

"Everyone, run! We can’t beat so many golden armors," a leader-like figure shouted.

Immediately, everyone began to scatter, transforming into streaks of white light as they pushed their speed to the limit.

Zhou Jie, however, began a frenzied slaughter.

Many warriors had taken only a single step before their necks went cold and their lives were extinguished. They collapsed to the ground, only to realize they had been decapitated. Others used the power of their magical artifacts to boost their speed, yet they were struck down within meters.

In just a few breaths, the warriors closest to Zhou Jie were dead.

Zhou Jie continued his carnage. Golden light flashed; anyone he caught was killed. A faint, illusory river of stars seemed to swirl around his body—it appeared spectral, yet it felt terrifyingly real.

This was the first time Chu Jie had witnessed a Star Core Realm expert in action, and he was deeply shaken. He remained in place only because Zhou Jie, seeing his golden armor, had not yet attacked him. He wanted to see just how strong a Star Core Realm practitioner truly was. He knew that the Luo family had a Star Core Realm expert guarding them; if he were to destroy the family in the future, he would inevitably face the wrath of such an expert.

"Too strong. Even an eighth-level Spirit Convergence Realm warrior cannot compare to one at the Star Core Realm." Chu Jie desperately longed to reach the Star Core Realm, but he certainly didn't want to become a puppet like Zhou Jie.

From the current situation, even a nascent Star Core Realm expert could completely crush any warrior at the Spirit Convergence Realm. Even Chu Jie was not confident he could handle Zhou Jie right now. Fortunately, he was hidden within the golden armor, keeping Zhou Jie’s aggression at bay.

Seeing that Chu Jie was not attacking, some of the fleeing warriors gathered their courage. A dozen of the strongest among them unleashed their magical artifacts at Zhou Jie.

"They say the Golden-Armored Warrior has incredible defense! Let us test your power!" one warrior roared.

A dozen streams of light converged into a torrent of artifacts, flying toward the golden figure.

The Golden-Armored Warrior stood in the air, emotionless. As the torrent approached, the river of stars wrapped around him surged outward, releasing an infinite amount of spiritual energy, and his aura climbed steadily.

The artifacts reached him. With a single punch, Zhou Jie shattered a low-grade magical artifact. Others, too durable to be broken, were simply swatted away.

Zhou Jie stood in the sky like a war god. Once the artifacts were neutralized, he moved, tracing the trajectory of a star river in the air and appearing instantly among the warriors who had attacked him.

Without a word, Zhou Jie swung his long blade, reaping lives amidst a flurry of sword light.

Chu Jie and his group stood in the distance, watching the slaughter. It was not the time to engage Zhou Jie; he was far too powerful.

"Let’s go." Chu Jie sighed. His cultivation was only at the sixth level of the Spirit Convergence Realm; he had no true understanding of the Star Core Realm. But it was clear that even if he exerted all his power, he might not be able to defeat Zhou Jie.

Yet, Zhou Jie had to die.

Chu Jie glanced coldly at him. As long as he wore the golden armor, Zhou Jie would not recognize him, but if he were to take it off, Zhou Jie would surely be the first to kill him.

Therefore, only one of them could survive.

He and Zhou Jie were currently at a distance. If they were closer, it was hard to say if his identity would be discovered. After all, he knew nothing of the capabilities of a Star Core Realm warrior.

Zhou Jie continued his frenzied killing. Though some of the eighty warriors managed to escape, most were hunted down and crushed one by one by Zhou Jie. For Chu Jie, killing eighty people would have taken significant effort, but for Zhou Jie, it was effortless.

There were other experts in the Abyss who contemplated intervening, but Zhou Jie was elusive, leaving the scene immediately after his kills, ensuring no mistakes were made.

The survivors had sent out signals, hoping for rescue. But everyone in the ninth terrace was currently busy collecting purple flames; who had the time to save others? Although the vortex above was vast, the purple flames and the violet-red thunder only descended upon the ninth terrace.

Chu Jie and his group had already traveled a great distance, but Chu Jie felt an uncomfortable sensation, as if he had been locked onto.

Just then, he saw a streak of golden light flying toward them from the distance.

Squinting, he realized it was Zhou Jie, having finished his slaughter. His speed was terrifying; even at his fastest, Chu Jie could not compare.

A Star Core Realm warrior was a true master, not to be underestimated. Although Zhou Jie was currently a mere puppet of a peerless fiend, his combat prowess was immense, and his singular will was to kill.

In the depths of his consciousness, he sensed that these two golden armors were his must-kill targets. And so, he had come.