Chapter Fifty-Seven: Half a Year of Wandering

After Li Xingyu expressed his gratitude to everyone, he promised that when he was ready to leave Naster Star, he would inform them and invite them all to return here together. Not only would he share the next cultivation method, but he would also teach them how to use the teleportation array. This commitment delighted everyone, and after some further conversation, they prepared to leave the Divine Gift Mountains along the same path they had taken to arrive. Upon entering the Divine Gift Prairie, Li Xingyu bid farewell to the group and departed alone; they did not insist on persuading him to stay.

After Li Xingyu left, the group discussed the pros and cons of the matter and how to respond in the future before dispersing, leaving only Mu Chenhua standing in place, pondering how he would explain Li Xingyu to his granddaughter. He felt that, given Li Xingyu’s current cultivation level, it would be best if his granddaughter did not become too emotionally involved with him. Although such a connection might benefit the Mu family, it would not serve her own interests. He was deeply fond of his granddaughter.

Having found the teleportation array, Li Xingyu now possessed a method to leave Naster Star in a short time. This meant he might soon enter the true world of cultivation, and with his family still alive on Earth, the hope of seeing them again had grown much stronger. This filled him with joy and a subtle gratitude toward Mu Chenhua and the others. By now, he had already crossed Bian Grass City and entered the heart of the Empire. Knowing that the Tianfeng family might possess the method for using the teleportation array and perhaps also had some knowledge of the common language of the cultivation world, he resolved that, if given the chance, he would do whatever it took to acquire these things from the Tianfeng family. If an exchange was not possible, he would resort to stealing or seizing them by force. After all, his years of experience had given him a general understanding of the Tianfeng family, for whom he felt little affection. In a world where only the strong survive, he felt no qualms about resorting to such means.

Thus, his path now led directly to Tianfeng City, the Tianfeng family’s base within the Divine Gift Empire. Tianfeng City ranked among the top five largest cities in the Empire, boasting a vast population—over half of whom were direct or branch members of the Tianfeng family and their affiliates. The city had been bestowed upon the family in recognition of their ancestors’ contributions to the founding of the Empire, and its governance rested entirely in their hands. The Tianfeng family had since made the city the center of their power, establishing their influence and interests throughout the Empire and neighboring nations.

Li Xingyu was in no rush to reach Tianfeng City. He traveled at leisure, exploring along the way and occasionally stopping for several days to solidify his cultivation at the initial stage of the Spirit-Focusing Realm or to practice the spells he had acquired. By comparing the texts of the cultivation methods he had obtained over the years with those recorded on the sheepskin scroll from Earth, he had gained some familiarity with the written language of the cultivation world. His guess had been correct: the techniques the old man on Earth had given him, as well as those of Qin Shi Huang, had either been translated from or were essentially the same as those on the sheepskin—though the latter were more extensive and complete. Additionally, his powerful computer, MVP5, aided him by gradually comparing and simulating the different texts he inputted. Still, limited by vocabulary, he could only recognize some common characters and phrases, unable to fully comprehend entire sentences or passages.

It had now been half a year since he parted from Mu Chenhua and the others. Occasionally, he would think of Mu Xueqing, but knowing that he might soon leave Naster Star—and that even if Mu Xueqing was suited for cultivation, it would be decades before she could hope to leave with him—he refrained from visiting her again before departing the Divine Gift Prairie. After all, unlike him, who could rely on his spacesuit for protection, she had no such resources. He trusted Mu Chenhua would understand and handle things appropriately, though he overlooked how matters of the heart are seldom so easily resolved, and countless people are troubled by such emotions.

Over the past six months, nothing major had occurred, nor had he encountered any trouble—largely due to his low profile. When required to present identification upon entering a city, he simply showed the guest elder token Mu Chenhua had given him, which always elicited respect and politeness. He had intended to return the token before leaving, but Mu Chenhua insisted that it would make his travels in the Empire far more convenient, so he accepted it. As a result, his cultivation had grown even more stable, and he was now almost ready to break through to the next level—a process that did not require much spiritual energy. However, he still had not found a good solution for the mass of energy within him. He had tried to absorb it gradually by opening a small gap, but the energy immediately became violent, threatening to break free from the control of his true essence. Realizing that his breakthrough to the Spirit-Focusing Realm had consumed only about half the energy, far more than was needed, he dared not continue and decided to leave it for now. The danger he had faced during his earlier breakthrough, caused by an excess of spiritual energy, still haunted him.

Aside from cultivation, he had gained much from his journey, particularly a deeper understanding of the Divine Gift Empire, its martial world, and its ordinary people. He had made some friends along the way—commoners, merchants, martial artists, and young members of various families. Though they could not offer him much help, their presence gave him companionship and eased the emptiness he felt, gradually dispelling the shadow left in his heart by his sudden departure from Earth. In the world of cultivation, those who attain higher levels must undergo tribulations, during which inner demons test them. The more flaws and shadows in one’s heart, the more powerful those demons become.

On this particular day, after bidding farewell to a simple mountain village hunter, he entered the forest. Once he crossed this forest, he would be within Tianfeng City’s territory.

As he neared the summit, a sudden scream and cry for help from a young woman reached him from the dense forest to his right, accompanied by the faint, malicious laughter of a man. With only a moment’s thought, he understood what must be happening. By nature, he could not ignore those in need, and, shaped as he was by Earth’s values of respecting women, he abhorred such acts. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the source of the commotion.

There, he saw a young man attacking a young woman lying on the ground and pleading for help, her clothes being torn at that very moment. Four others, who appeared to be the young man’s servants, stood guard around them. Noting that the five were only middling martial artists, Li Xingyu acted without hesitation. A flash of green light shot out, striking the young man and sending him flying over a yard past the woman before crashing to the ground, motionless, a patch of green blooming on his back—the result of a wild fruit Li Xingyu had casually plucked and thrown.

The sudden turn of events stunned the four guards. Two of them immediately rushed to check on the young man. Although Li Xingyu despised such behavior, since the man had not yet succeeded in his crime, Li Xingyu had not struck a fatal blow. Nevertheless, the man was severely wounded—perhaps crippled for life and never able to practice martial arts again, as Li Xingyu’s true essence had gravely damaged his meridians and even his dantian. It was an apt punishment.

[Editor’s joint recommendation: The complete collection of popular titles on Zhulang is now online. Click to add to your favorites.]