Chapter 111: A Walking Star Stone Warehouse

Jiang Changkong was stunned.

He watched as Nantian Wang took out Star Stones one by one, producing a hundred pieces in the blink of an eye.

All of them were top-tier third-grade!

This was enough for him to upgrade the Three Blades of the Fleeting Swan to the minor mastery level.

“Compensation for you.”

Nantian Wang handed him the Star Stones, his expression calm, not showing the slightest hint of distress.

“I don’t need this many. Twenty low-grade third-grade stones are equivalent to five top-tier ones here.”

Jiang Changkong took five top-tier stones: “Now we’re even.”

The two were taken aback. Are you out of your mind?

“You two continue your stroll. I’ll find another place to hunt. Don’t come looking for me again.”

Jiang Changkong picked up his long blade, ready to leave.

“Wait, you can hunt here freely. We have nothing to do anyway, so we’ll just watch,” Yao Meng suddenly said.

“Hmm?” Jiang Changkong frowned.

“We won’t disturb you,” Yao Meng added.

Jiang Changkong pondered briefly and said, “Fine.”

Could it be that these two wanted to keep an eye on him and then call for reinforcements to settle the score?

Keeping a fraction of his attention on the two, Jiang Changkong continued to wield his blade and hunt Star Demons.

The two stood to the side, watching Jiang Changkong.

Because the two were present, Jiang Changkong couldn’t directly extract the Essence, so he simply dug out the Star Stones.

He wasn’t in a hurry. The Essence would dissipate and be extracted automatically, though it would be a bit slower.

“Brother, your blade-wielding technique is quite impressive. Are you willing to sell it?”

Nantian Wang watched the blade technique with some envy.

“Not for sale,” Jiang Changkong replied coldly.

After digging out a Star Stone and storing it in his Hidden Star Ring, Jiang Changkong continued.

“That force-dispersing technique earlier, the one that redirected the attack at the end—what move was that?” Yao Meng asked curiously.

“It’s not good to pry into other people’s secrets.”

As Jiang Changkong’s blade flashed, another Star Demon fell: “If you have nothing to do, go find somewhere else to relax.”

The two didn’t take out their phones or make any other moves. They just watched curiously.

He had pretty much figured it out by now—these two likely had nothing to do with the Chu family.

If they were related, they would have acted long ago, not waited until now.

After all, with their peak Star Gate strength, they were brimming with confidence before the fight.

After the fight, well, they were behaving now.

“You held back earlier. If you had used that redirection technique again, both Tianwang and I would have been severely injured,” Yao Meng continued.

“Earlier, I was thinking of capturing you two to find out where the Star Stones were,” Jiang Changkong said calmly.

“Then why didn’t you take the Star Stones when we offered them now?” Nantian Wang couldn’t understand him.

Jiang Changkong patiently explained, “The grudge between you and me was just delaying my Star Demon hunting. Compensating for the loss settles it.”

The two were stunned. Nantian Wang said in disbelief, “You’re only after Star Stones? You hunt Star Demons just for Star Stones?”

Jiang Changkong turned around and looked at him seriously. “Yes. In my book, aside from deep-seated grudges, great evils, or people I want to kill and things I want to do, everything can be measured in Star Stones.”

If there was no enmity, he wouldn’t kill or steal others’ Star Stones.

But if it was an enemy, that was different. Killing them and taking their Star Stones wouldn’t weigh on his conscience at all.

Nantian Wang smiled and said, “Since you like Star Stones so much, how about we discuss this? Tell me about that attack-redirection technique and your blade-wielding method, and I’ll give you Star Stones. How about it?”

“Not for sale. I’ve already said so,” Jiang Changkong refused.

He would never sell these martial techniques.

“Just the names, not the techniques themselves,” Nantian Wang clarified.

Jiang Changkong raised an eyebrow—so extravagant. But then again, he had casually taken out a hundred top-tier third-grade Star Stones.

This fatty was quite wealthy. That woman was probably a rich beauty too.

“The art of controlling blades is a special skill—manipulating objects and transferring force. I call it the Great Shift of Qiankun,” Jiang Changkong said calmly.

“Does it require your Taiji Diagram to cooperate?” Nantian Wang pressed.

“Taiji inherently has the ability to deflect force. It works in tandem,” Jiang Changkong replied.

“Good, these Star Stones are all yours.” Nantian Wang directly tossed the remaining ninety-five Star Stones to him.

Jiang Changkong frowned slightly but didn’t refuse further. A fool with too much money—what more could he say?

Yao Meng spoke up again, “What’s your name? No need to hide it deliberately. Your martial arts should be quite recognizable. Besides, with your strength, you’re no unknown figure in Jiangcheng. It should be easy to find out.”

Jiang Changkong replied coldly, “Jiangcheng, Jiang Changkong. If you want to settle the score, I’m ready anytime.”

“Brother, you’re still quite guarded. Why not make friends? Being friends with me will never put you at a disadvantage,” Nantian Wang said, patting his chest. “In this Jiangshui City, I still have some say in this small territory.”

“I’m afraid you’ll be the one at a disadvantage,” Jiang Changkong said calmly.

This fatty was practically a walking Star Stone vault. He was genuinely worried that one day he might not be able to resist robbing him.

Nantian Wang and Yao Meng walked to the side, watching the blood-stained river and the Star Demons continuously charging forward. They remained silent, and Jiang Changkong didn’t initiate conversation either, continuing to slay the Star Demons on his own.

One Star Demon after another charged forward, with an occasional Star Gate-level one appearing, though all were at the early or middle stages. Regardless of the type, Jiang Changkong dealt with each using only a single blade strike—never a second.

Ding-dong

His phone rang. Jiang Changkong took it out—it was Ji Zifeng calling. “What’s up?”

“Did you take down the Qingyun Demon Hunting Team?” Ji Zifeng asked with a serious tone.

“Yes,” Jiang Changkong replied. News traveled fast—even Ji Zifeng already knew.

“The Martial Arts Association is aware. Chu Yunhe sent Vice President Qin Wen to find you. He’s at the late Star Gate stage—be careful,” Ji Zifeng warned before hanging up.

Although he knew Jiang Changkong was strong, since he hadn’t reached the late Star Gate stage yet, Ji Zifeng still called to notify him.

“Late Star Gate stage?” Jiang Changkong put away his phone, a flicker of disdain flashing in his eyes. The Jiangshui City Martial Arts Association was a small one, with two vice presidents.

“You’ve offended the Martial Arts Association? Oh, right, I almost forgot—the Qingyun Demon Hunting Team belongs to the Chu family,” Nantian Wang chimed in. “How about I mediate for you and settle this matter?”

Their strength wasn’t weak, and they had clearly overheard the entire conversation.

“Do I need it?” Jiang Changkong glanced at him, his tone slightly cold.

Nantian Wang paused. It seemed he really didn’t need it. After all, he, a peak Star Gate cultivator, had almost been killed. A vice president at the late Star Cloud stage probably wouldn’t be enough for this guy to handle.

Changing the subject, Nantian Wang said with a hint of disdain, “Killing like this, how many third-grade Star Stones can you get in a day? And how many fourth-grade ones?”

Jiang Changkong’s lips twitched. I know you’re rich, but you’d better not provoke me, or I might really lose control.

After a moment of thought, he replied, “Roughly less than two hundred third-grade ones, three or four fourth-grade ones. With good luck, maybe around ten.”

“Help me with something. If you can resolve it within a day, I’ll give you five hundred top-tier third-grade Star Stones. How about it?” Nantian Wang proposed.

Five hundred pieces for top-tier third-grade, that’s twenty thousand.

This Nantian Pang, damn, he’s really rich.

Jiang Changkong was tempted, but he hadn’t lost his head: “What’s the matter? If it’s not illegal, I can help.”

“It’s not illegal. Before that, I need to know how much your strength weakens underwater. What about your blade technique?”

Jiang Changkong thought for a moment and said, “As long as it’s not a hundred meters deep, maybe one or two percent. That’s about it. My fists are no weaker than my blade.”

The Spirit Control Art could manipulate natural elements and part the water. As long as it wasn’t a hundred meters deep, it wouldn’t take much effort.

But these two clearly had extraordinary backgrounds. Could they be setting him up? Jiang Changkong remained somewhat cautious.

Nantian Wang said, “A medicinal herb and a peculiar item. We might encounter a group of Star Demons, at least Star Sea-level ones. For now, we know of ten Star Gate-level Star Demons.”

“With your strength and equipment, you still can’t handle it?” Jiang Changkong asked, puzzled.

“The underwater environment is complex. My sword technique would be suppressed. Besides, it’s not just us—we might run into competitors. That herb is decent, but it’s only fourth-grade. Hiring someone at the Star Hidden Level wouldn’t be worth it.”

Nantian Wang explained.