Chapter Sixty-Six: The Deal

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Transaction

Zhou Jie’s cultivation method leaned toward darkness, somewhat similar to Duan Kun’s, yet even more overbearing. No wonder he had always looked down on Duan Kun. What he didn’t know, however, was that Duan Kun’s constitution was quite unique, and in terms of sheer force, he was by no means weaker.

Right now, Duan Kun stood quietly to the side. For both of them to attack together would resemble bullying, and neither he nor Chu Jie would stoop to such tactics. Yet, should Chu Jie find himself in danger, Duan Kun would intervene without hesitation. He cared nothing for appearances—Chu Jie was his brother, and he would not allow harm to befall him.

At this moment, the battle between Chu Jie and Zhou Jie had reached its fever pitch.

The forehead guard of the Azure Wave Divine King glimmered, constantly shielding Zhou Jie. Black flames blazed upon his body, eerie and distorted.

It was Chu Jie who was first affected. He was still channeling his spiritual power, gathering it for his strongest strike. The Reincarnation Scroll within him rotated nearly at its limit—the more spiritual energy it absorbed, the more powerful his attack. Of course, there were limits; no matter how much spiritual energy some techniques consumed, their destructive power could only reach so high.

Under the influence of Zhou Jie’s aura, his body was also affected. Zhou Jie’s spiritual energy, dark and oppressive, was deeply unsettling and exerted a subtle pressure on Chu Jie as well.

Their auras clashed, surging higher and higher, poised to unleash their greatest blows at any moment. All around, people could feel their formidable presence; the ground nearby began to crack and split.

Duan Kun watched with a shock in his heart, sensing that, unbeknownst to him, Chu Jie had already far surpassed him. As for Zhou Jie, Duan Kun now reevaluated his strength—for if he were to face Zhou Jie, the outcome would be anything but certain.

Suddenly, Chu Jie and Zhou Jie moved at the same instant.

With a long, resounding cry, Chu Jie’s Universe Wheel shot from his hand, expanding swiftly in the air until it was taller than a man, cleaving toward Zhou Jie with unstoppable force.

Under the protection of the Azure Wave Divine King’s forehead guard, Zhou Jie’s defenses were formidable—primarily in defense, however, and now Chu Jie sought to shatter those defenses with his full might.

As the Universe Wheel flew forth, Chu Jie unleashed the Nine Suns Sky-Shattering Claw, locking his aura directly onto Zhou Jie.

A twisted grin played across Zhou Jie’s face as black flames surged around him, a fearsome sight. By now, he was only a few meters from Chu Jie.

The Universe Wheel struck him first, as if colliding with a shield. Though Zhou Jie had intended to attack, he seemed eager to showcase his formidable defenses, standing his ground to withstand Chu Jie’s Universe Wheel.

In truth, he had no choice but to stop and block the attack. The protective barrier cast by the Azure Wave Divine King’s forehead guard was extraordinary, but if not used wisely, it could still be breached.

The moment the Universe Wheel appeared, many onlookers recognized it, and at once, Chu Jie’s identity became clear.

“The Luo family’s Universe Wheel—could this be Chu Jie, the one who caused such havoc in the Luo family’s medicinal fields?”

“It really is him! The person I admire most, standing right before my eyes!”

“What audacity! No wonder someone with such strength dares so much!”

The murmurs lasted only a moment before fading, for the duel was at its most intense.

Zhou Jie called out, “So your treasure is the Universe Wheel—I like it. Why not give it to me? I’m in need of a supreme weapon.”

“You’ll have to beat me first!” Chu Jie sneered. The Universe Wheel spun ferociously against Zhou Jie’s body, but still failed to pierce his defense.

“It’s useless—even if your artifact is formidable, it can’t break through my shield!” Zhou Jie’s spiritual power surged as he pushed the Azure Wave Divine King’s forehead guard to its limit, laughing triumphantly.

At that instant, Chu Jie’s Nine Suns Sky-Shattering Claw struck.

A golden dragon’s claw descended over Zhou Jie’s head, while behind Chu Jie, nine blazing suns appeared.

Black smoke billowed from Zhou Jie, the pressure mounting. Only now did he sense the overwhelming power Chu Jie brought to bear, yet he still forced a laugh. “Is that all? One claw alone won’t do anything to me, ha—”

Before he could finish, the golden dragon’s claw crashed down. The Azure Wave Divine King’s forehead guard above his head dimmed, the shield wavering. The golden claw smashed through, and the Universe Wheel sliced inside.

At the critical moment, the forehead guard flared brilliantly again, but Zhou Jie was wounded.

The nine blazing suns whirled over, slamming into Zhou Jie with blazing speed. Nine thunderous explosions rang out; Zhou Jie staggered, nearly collapsing, yet the shield of the Azure Wave Divine King’s forehead guard still shone undiminished.

Blood spurted from his mouth as he crashed to the ground, but he still drew breath. Chu Jie stared in disbelief—how was he still alive? But he himself had no strength left to strike again; his spiritual power was spent, his core utterly drained.

“Chu Jie, are you alright?” Duan Kun stepped forward.

“I’m fine,” Chu Jie replied, forcing the Reincarnation Scroll to frantically absorb the ambient spiritual energy.

Meanwhile, Zhou Jie’s forehead guard also hungrily drew in spiritual energy, but compared to Chu Jie, its absorption was meager.

Du Xuan, afraid Chu Jie might finish Zhou Jie off, stepped between them. “Whatever our differences, we did survive the beast tide together. I hope you won’t kill him.”

Chu Jie glanced around. Though no one in the group seemed fond of Zhou Jie, they were all part of one team. If he truly struck to kill, perhaps he could end Zhou Jie, but his own condition was poor—he and Duan Kun might not survive the aftermath.

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill him,” Chu Jie said coolly, choosing compromise. If Zhou Jie attacked again, he and Duan Kun would see him dead.

He was sorely tempted to claim the Azure Wave Divine King’s forehead guard, but as it still protected Zhou Jie, there was no way to seize it now. So, Chu Jie decided to let it go for the moment. In the future, if Zhou Jie were ever caught alone, the forehead guard would be his. Though his own Nine Tribulations Body was already supremely resilient, no one ever felt they had too many treasures.

The artifact on Zhou Jie was truly of the highest tier—he must have had incredible luck to obtain it.

Were it not for the many onlookers, Chu Jie would have acted already. And if his strength returned, so would Zhou Jie’s; there would be no opportunity then. So, after weighing it, Chu Jie decided to wait. Zhou Jie could keep the forehead guard a little longer; when the time was right, he would claim it.

Though Chu Jie had promised not to kill Zhou Jie, no one stepped forth to help Zhou Jie up—no one was close to him. He was left face-down in the dirt, defeated and dejected.

In truth, everyone coveted Zhou Jie’s artifact. If Du Xuan and Chu Jie’s group were not present, someone might well have killed Zhou Jie in secret—such a possibility was very real.

Everyone longed for treasures; they risked their lives in the Abyss of Gods and Demons for the chance to obtain such artifacts.

Just then, a middle-aged cultivator stepped up and said, “Master Chu, I have some pills here—you may be interested? They’re spirit pills for recovery.”

The man had noticed Chu Jie always relied on his own body to restore spiritual power. Though quick, it was not as fast as using pills. In battle, a surplus of spiritual energy could be decisive.

“How much are you selling them for?” Chu Jie’s interest was piqued. He’d never been to the outer city, but word had it that merchants there traded goods for profound crystals, and the deeper one ventured, the better the wares.

The cultivator replied, “Well, as you know, in the Abyss of Gods and Demons, pills are far more costly than outside, so…”

Chu Jie cut in, “Alright. What’s the usual price?”

With a pained expression, the man said, “Normally, a single Azure Pill would cost five mid-grade profound crystals.”

“I’ll give you ten for each,” Chu Jie said.

The man was overjoyed—he’d bought each Azure Pill for only four, so this sale would more than double his profit. He was elated.

“Thank you, Master Chu! Truly a generous young hero!” The man pulled out two bottles. “Here are two bottles of Azure Pills—ten in each. That’ll be two high-grade profound crystals in total!”

Chu Jie took the pills, uncorked a bottle, and found the blue pills exuded a fragrant aroma, much like the blue pills he’d obtained before—likely the same kind.

“Very good,” Chu Jie said, retrieving two high-grade profound crystals from his Savage Cauldron and passing them to the man.

He was not foolish for paying a high price for recovery pills; in the Abyss of Gods and Demons, he needed them desperately, so a higher price was acceptable. Furthermore, he didn’t want to shortchange the man—using his strength to force a better deal could backfire, discouraging future transactions.

“Um, Master Chu, I’d like to trade with you as well.” Another cultivator, not particularly strong, seemed to have brought quite a few pills—perhaps with the intent to sell them here.

“Good. Anyone else who wants to trade with me, rest assured you’ll get a fair deal,” Chu Jie said, newly flush with profound crystals.

Several more approached. Some, lacking much to sell, watched enviously as others earned crystals, eyes turning red with jealousy.

In the outer city, earning profound crystals was no easy matter. Now, given this rare opportunity, those who could profit were overjoyed. Wherever you were, cultivation resources were always precious. Of course, such transactions only happened when both parties were of similar strength—if Du Xuan’s group had not been so numerous, few would have dared trade with Chu Jie.