Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Unknown Future

In the days that followed, seeing her sorrowful and despondent gaze, Li Xingyu could not bear it, so before leaving he said to her, “Miss Zhong, I understand your feelings. But I must go now. If fate allows, and if you are able to cultivate the techniques I have left behind, then surely we will have another chance to meet.” Perhaps it was these words before his departure that made Zhong Ling’s resolve to pursue cultivation grow incomparably strong and determined. As for what achievements she might reach in the future, neither she nor Li Xingyu could have imagined.

By this time, Li Xingyu had already left the mountain range where the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines was located. In his ring, there were several healing pills and rare medicinal herbs that Master Zhong had given him, including some whose origins, names, and effects even Master Zhong did not know. Some had been collected by the Valley over many years, and some he had obtained by chance. Li Xingyu altered his original plans; he decided not to enter Tianfeng City for the time being. After the events of the past few days, the Tianfeng Clan had become exceedingly vigilant towards him. Even if he were to disguise himself and sneak into Tianfeng City, it would be impossible to gain anything. Previously, he had not known that the Tianfeng Clan possessed experts like the man in black, so he had confidence in his own abilities. But now, aware of such formidable opponents, he realized that it was no longer possible to infiltrate the Tianfeng Clan and steal or seize what he wanted undetected. Therefore, he temporarily abandoned his initial plan and decided to journey toward the capital while exploring along the way, hoping to meet the cultivator of the royal family and perhaps gain something from him.

The future is inherently unknown, nearly impossible to predict, and Li Xingyu was now walking the path of cultivation. Cultivation itself is a process that defies the established order, opposing the natural laws, thus increasing the uncertainty of the future; even the most conventional predictions became impossible. Li Xingyu understood that since he had chosen this path, there was no turning back. Moreover, the joy of pursuing the Dao and the adventure and exploration inherent in cultivation were things that deeply attracted him, for his nature was innately adventurous.

Since the future could not be predicted, the only things one could—and must—do to go farther and experience more were twofold: first, to gather as much knowledge as possible about cultivation, cultivators, and the world of cultivation. Coming from an age of information, he deeply understood that the more information one possessed, the more advantageous it would be, and the less dangerous exploration would become. Second, of course, was to improve his own strength as quickly and as much as possible. Whether facing any difficulty or trouble, or contending against the mysterious Dao and the forces of nature, strength was always the most important and fundamental thing. All schemes and troubles pale before absolute power; even the most dangerous environments or the balancing laws of energy can be overcome by overwhelming strength.

As he walked the official road toward the imperial capital, Li Xingyu kept these two points in mind, focusing all his efforts on them. Whether through cultivation, seeking communication with other cultivators, or finding opportunities to learn the script of the cultivation world, all his actions revolved around these two goals. He understood the methodology of handling affairs, knowing that in any complex and unknown situation there was always a primary contradiction to be found. The first thing to do was to concentrate all energy and resources on resolving that primary contradiction; once it was solved, secondary issues either resolved themselves or were not worth addressing.

Li Xingyu knew that the fastest and most convenient way to improve his strength and knowledge of cultivation was to master the script of the cultivation world. Besides the beast hide he had brought from Earth, he had also acquired jade slips recorded in the same script. If he could learn the techniques, pill refining methods, artifact forging methods, and secret arts recorded on the hide and the jade slips, it would greatly boost his strength. Based on some patterns recorded in the jade slips, he already had a rough understanding of their contents. Though the information on the beast hide and jade slips was mainly focused in a specific direction, he believed there must be other knowledge about cultivation contained within, and through studying these basic means he could further deepen his understanding.

Originally, he had planned to enter Tianfeng City to see whether the Tianfeng Clan, as he suspected, possessed knowledge of the cultivation world's script and teleportation array techniques. But after the events in the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines, he had to temporarily abandon this plan. Now, as he traveled, he sought such information through other channels, hoping to learn even fragments of the cultivation world's script, which would be immensely helpful to him. This strategy proved effective. Along the way, he visited many families and sects whose powers were now weak but whose histories were ancient. Through communication, exchange, and trade, he obtained some records of the cultivation world's script and comparative records with the script of the planet Nastar. Though their accuracy and authenticity could not be verified, some were likely accurate enough, and with enough accumulation and the powerful computational abilities of MVP5, he hoped to gradually master the script. Besides these, he acquired materials and items that looked like artifacts, whose original owners did not know their purpose or origin, but claimed they had been passed down from their ancestors. Since they were useless to them and Li Xingyu offered enough to tempt them, he was able to trade for these items. He knew that few would truly be useful, perhaps none at all, but since the items he exchanged were mainly Earth technology or things of little use to him, he did not care. If even one item proved useful for cultivation, it was worth it.

After the incident in the Valley of Ten Thousand Laws, Li Xingyu’s reputation in the Divine Empire began to rise. As time passed, more and more people heard rumors about him. Along his journey, he continually engaged with various middle and small powers, trading and exchanging—offering things or theories never before seen on this planet. These two factors combined to make his name very prominent in the Divine Empire. Were it not for his habit of frequently entering seclusion or, to avoid trouble, disguising himself except when necessary for cultivation-related exchanges, and his generally low-profile behavior, his fame would likely rival that of the most renowned figures of the empire.

Various factions with close ties to him, or with grudges—such as the Tianfeng Clan—were constantly monitoring his information. Yet since he was always cautious, seldom staying in one place for long and often secluded, even after more than three years since the incident in the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines, neither friendly powers nor enemies like the Tianfeng Clan could accurately track his movements. Several women who felt affection for him—though they kept watch for news—could not find him or send letters, and could only think of him in their hearts. The main ones were Mu Xueqing and Zhong Ling, but Li Xingyu could never have guessed that Chen Xuerou and the master of Linglong Gate also secretly cherished him.

That noon, after climbing to the peak of a mountain, Li Xingyu gazed at the towering ranges stretching into the distance on both sides. He realized this place was the sole passageway through a natural defensive barrier. Standing on the broad summit, he looked toward the capital, and seeing a nearby peak, thought to himself: That must be the peak where the Carefree Gate is located. This mountain truly stands apart, alone on the vast plain, far from the ranges—its very name suits it, carefree between heaven and earth.

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