"You want to take me away from Central Star Plaza?" Joe Di paused at the edge of the plaza.
Cheng Ji stared at Joe Di with a sinister grin. "You have no choice but to come. After you took my son Quinn Carter's Pocket World and struck my daughter Jade Carter, your life is no longer your own. If you're thinking of stalling for time, forget it. Even if you delay for a day, Huan Mingzi won't show up."
If Joe Di dared refuse, Cheng Ji would act immediately. Fighting in Nexus Plaza would damage his reputation and even affect the Immortal Watch Sect, but for the sake of the Cheng Family's Pocket World, everything else was secondary. Besides, he suspected Joe Di might have taken the flame from the sky curtain as well.
Joe Di looked at Cheng Ji and sighed, "You want to cause trouble for me, but also want to act like a hypocrite and keep it hidden. Why not just take me to your temporary residence? That way, you can do your dirty work and still keep your facade."
Murderous intent flashed in Cheng Ji’s eyes, but as long as Joe Di didn’t try to escape, he wouldn’t strike. Thinking Joe Di was about to die, he couldn’t be bothered to argue further. "Fine, then we'll go to my cave residence."
The Immortal Watch Sect already had a base at Nexus Plaza. To Joe Di, it seemed he was willingly following Cheng Ji to the sect’s base. To Cheng Ji, he was escorting Joe Di there as a captive.
Although the Immortal Watch Sect was a Nine Star Sect, it wasn’t one of Little Central Star’s Nine Star Sects, so its base wasn’t large and not many disciples came here.
When Cheng Ji brought Joe Di to his own cave residence within the Immortal Watch Sect, his anticipation of reclaiming the Pocket World and killing Joe Di was replaced by surprise.
Why did Joe Di dare to follow him into the Immortal Watch Sect’s cave residence?
"This should be your territory now, and no one outside can see you trying to kill me. If you have something to say, spit it out." Joe Di had no intention of attacking Cheng Ji first.
Cheng Ji's expression grew uncertain. In his eyes, Joe Di was no fool—why would he dare suggest coming to the Immortal Watch Sect’s base and boldly enter his cave residence?
"Did you take the Cheng Family’s Pocket World?" Cheng Ji, who had intended to subdue Joe Di immediately, suppressed his killing intent instead.
No matter what, Joe Di was here, under his control. Since Joe Di appeared so fearless, Cheng Ji wanted to see what gave him such confidence.
Joe Di sat down in the main seat and scoffed, "The Cheng Family’s Pocket World? Are you shameless or what? I did pick up a Pocket World on Celestia, but when did it become yours?"
"Celestia? Not Skystar?" Cheng Ji blurted out. His son Quinn Carter had gone to Skystar for a trial—how did it become Celestia?
Joe Di was intrigued—he had indeed seen a Skystar Palace within Celestia, but he couldn’t be bothered to explain this to Cheng Ji.
Cheng Ji muttered to himself, then fixed his gaze on Joe Di. "What gives you such confidence? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?"
"Ha!" Joe Di laughed. "You, Cheng Ji, at only the sixth Transforming True stage, aren’t qualified to kill me. If you have nothing else to say, I’ll leave. If you do, let Howard Lane be your warning."
Joe Di was certain that once his strength was revealed, the Kun Sect would guess he was the one who killed Howard Lane. He was destined to be their enemy anyway, so it didn’t matter if they found out.
"You killed Howard Lane?" Cheng Ji was shocked. Howard Lane’s strength was at least equal to his own—could Joe Di really have killed him?
Before Joe Di could answer, Cheng Ji realized he was probably lying. Joe Di hadn’t been in the cultivation world long, and had only visited the sky curtain a few years ago. No matter how fast he trained, he shouldn’t be able to kill Howard Lane. With this thought, Cheng Ji suddenly struck at Joe Di.
With Cheng Ji’s grasp, the space instantly became his private domain. No matter what support Joe Di had, Cheng Ji decided to subdue him first and seize the Pocket World.
But when Cheng Ji saw Joe Di completely unfazed, drawing his blade and slashing out, he was so shocked he nearly cried out.
Although Cheng Ji wasn’t at the Domain Stage, within his own true essence field, no one below Transforming True could break free. Yet Joe Di seemed completely unaffected, breaking free as if nothing had happened—and that slash...
As Joe Di’s blade descended, it instantly gathered a vast and overwhelming blade force, filled with killing intent. The aura of death surged from his Riftblade attack.
At this moment, Cheng Ji no longer dared see Joe Di as an ant. He unleashed his Snowglass Sword, summoning a flurry of snowflakes to engulf Joe Di.
Boom!
The blade light and the snowflake sword intent collided. The Riftblade’s intent tore through everything, and the endless snowflakes whimpered and scattered beneath its power.
Crack! Even with formation barriers, Cheng Ji’s cave residence was blasted apart. If not for the sect’s protective array outside, their battle would have been exposed to everyone.
Edward Carter felt the shattered blade intent from his Snowglass Sword transform into countless fine blade lights, each carrying a terrifying aura of destruction.
At that moment, Cheng Ji saw his Transforming True field shredded like rags. The splitting blade intent Joe Di unleashed—his domain couldn’t block a single strand.
Desperately, Cheng Ji summoned a round shield, but before it could fully deploy, a shard of blade light tore through his defenses and slammed into his chest.
"Pfft!" Blood mist exploded from his chest, and Cheng Ji felt as if his organs were dissolving in the haze.
Fortunately, his round shield finally blocked Joe Di’s strike, and he staggered back to the shattered cave entrance.
Cheng Ji didn’t dare attack again. He stared in shock at the composed Joe Di, waves of turmoil in his heart. Joe Di was far stronger than him—far more than just a little. He was ranked seventeenth among the thirty-six Transforming True Kings, and was at the sixth Transforming True stage.
"I wasn’t even using my full strength, and you couldn’t hold out. Looks like your Immortal Watch Sect is finished today." Joe Di flicked his Azure Veil Blade, speaking calmly.
In fact, Joe Di had no intention of destroying the Immortal Watch Sect, nor did he plan to kill Cheng Ji. His main opponents were the leaders of the Five Grand Sects—he’d already killed one, with four left. His grudge with the Immortal Watch Sect wasn’t that deep, and attacking the Nine Star Sect leader of Changtian Star now would only surround him with enemies. It was unwise.
Of course, if Cheng Ji dared to call another elder to besiege him, Joe Di wouldn’t hold back. His divine sense had already detected another Transforming True expert here, likely also from the Immortal Watch Sect. That expert’s divine sense was locked onto him, seemingly awed by his strength.
Cheng Ji stared blankly at Joe Di, sucking in a breath of cold air.
Now, he had no doubt about what Joe Di said—Howard Lane must have been killed by Joe Di. If Joe Di hadn’t used his full strength in that earlier strike, then today Joe Di could indeed kill him, as long as he didn’t run or Elder Quentin didn’t intervene.
As the leader of a Nine Star Sect, if he fled from Joe Di’s blade, how could he ever show his face again? The Immortal Watch Sect would lose its Nine Star Sect status on Changtian Star and fall from grace.
As a Nine Star Sect leader, Cheng Ji was no fool. Seeing that Joe Di hadn’t pressed the attack, he realized it was likely because Joe Di planned to battle Kun Sect and didn’t want to deepen the grudge with Immortal Watch Sect. But if he tried anything again, Joe Di wouldn’t show mercy.
"Red Tassel Joe, this was my fault. The Pocket World was indeed lost by my son Quinn Carter on Skystar. Joe is right—the Pocket World was something I found, and now that it’s lost again, it doesn’t belong to the Cheng Family. I was too rash and greedy, and I apologize. If you’re willing to make peace, the Immortal Watch Sect will compensate you." Cheng Ji immediately lowered his stance.
Joe Di was young, yet he could defeat Cheng Ji. It was certain that Joe Di would reach the Domain Stage someday. If Cheng Ji tried to gang up on him and failed to kill him, the Immortal Watch Sect would be doomed. As a Nine Star Sect leader, he knew when to yield.
Seeing Cheng Ji wisely stand down, Joe Di nodded. "Since that’s the case, I’ll forgive you this time. As for compensation, I only want one thing. If you can find it for me, I’ll let the matter rest—even your provocation of Senior Xian Qian on Evernight Continent."
Cheng Ji shuddered. He realized Joe Di had every reason to continue the fight. Joe Di dared to kill Howard Lane—he would not hesitate to kill Cheng Ji. With this thought, Cheng Ji cupped his fists, "Please speak, Joe. If it’s within my power, I’ll do it."
"Good," Joe Di said, "I need a Realmshatter Talisman. If you can get me one, I’ll let go of your attack and the pursuit of Senior Xian Qian. If you can’t, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Remember, you have three years."
Cheng Ji thought, if he had a Realmshatter Talisman, would he need years to travel? He really didn’t want to make an enemy of someone as monstrous as Joe Di, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Within three years, I’ll find a way to get you a Realmshatter Talisman."
"Very well. Three years from now, deliver the Realmshatter Talisman to Starstream Sect." With that, Joe Di turned and left.
Is there really a Starstream Sect on Little Central Star? As Cheng Ji pondered the location, Jade Carter rushed in from outside. "Father, what’s going on?"
She saw that her father’s cave residence had been reduced to rubble.
"We’ll talk about that later. What do you need?" Cheng Ji just wanted to leave quickly and search for the Realmshatter Talisman.
Jade Carter quickly replied, "That Red Tassel Joe Di is no ordinary man. I heard he killed Yue Henghe, ranked second on the Cauldron List in Kun Sect, with a single punch—and seriously wounded Ran Bushang, ranked thirty-seventh on the Life List in Swordcloud Sect, with one slash."
Hearing his daughter’s words, Cheng Ji was even more convinced his suspicions were correct. Red Tassel Joe was bound to offend the major sects—no wonder he hadn’t attacked further.
(That’s all for today’s update—good night, friends!)