Chapter Sixty: Preparing to Return to Earth

“I can’t take it anymore. It seems I really have a problem. I need to rest properly for a few days!” When Yi Wu saw Tang Yi, clad in his warrior’s uniform, smile and nod at him, he turned around and vanished. This made Yi Wu rush straight back to his room to sleep.

Time flew by swiftly. In the blink of an eye, Tang Yi and his companions had already been on Dream Blue Star for seven months. Tonight, Tang Yi gathered everyone in the spaceship’s conference room for a summary meeting. After seven months of hard work, they had secured the mining rights to most of the mineral veins.

“Everyone’s here. First, I want to thank all of you for your tireless efforts. So now, I’m announcing that as a reward, I will grant each of you one wish—provided it’s within my capabilities,” Tang Yi announced cheerfully.

“Wow! Is that for real? Brother Tang, don’t fool us!” Hua Shaojie said incredulously.

“You’re the one who trusts me the least! Fine then, you’re off the hook—I’ll just put in less effort! Heh heh...” Tang Yi teased.

“No, Brother Tang, I was wrong! Count me in—I’m willing to work overtime for free for a month. How about that?”

“Only one month? That’s too little. Work unpaid for a year, then maybe I’ll consider you!” Tang Yi retorted.

“Ah? Fine, I’ll just shut up from now on. You all just stand there laughing, no loyalty at all, calling yourselves brothers. My life is so hard...” Hua Shaojie’s voice trailed off as Tang Yi shot him a murderous glare.

One after another, everyone voiced their wishes. Having a master like Tang Yi, a seasoned craftsman, making such a rare offer once in hundreds of years was an opportunity not to be wasted. Tang Yi’s generosity stemmed from the unprecedented abundance and quality of ores, materials, and herbs they had obtained on Dream Blue Star—these resources accounted for roughly seventy percent of the planet’s total. Hence, his magnanimous offer.

For instance, Lu Zhengyang wanted more super rings—actually ten of them. Tang Yi explained that ten rings meant ten wishes, which was beyond the limit, but he could grant Lu Zhengyang nine additional rings identical to the one he currently used. It was worth noting that Tang Yi had failed thousands of times to create space rings capable of holding living creatures, resulting in thousands of intermediate second- to third-generation super rings. Tang Yi and Hua Ruoxue wore what he called third-generation super rings—the only couple with matching ones.

Then there was Ding Pengfei, who wished for a time-space chamber similar to the speed repair room. Tang Yi warned, “Think carefully. The speed repair room accelerates time, but if your cultivation isn’t sufficient, it will effectively shorten your lifespan.” In the cultivation world, only those who have crossed the tribulation could enjoy near-immortal longevity, living as long as the heavens and earth. Eventually, such cultivators naturally ascend to the celestial realm. So unless a family or sect is confident in crossing the heavenly tribulation, the speed repair room is more of a burden than a boon. “Don’t worry, Brother Tang! I understand the crucial point,” Ding Pengfei replied earnestly. Tang Yi nodded without further comment.

Zhang Sanfeng’s request was more intriguing—he wanted several anti-matter boxes. Tang Yi smiled faintly and said, “Master Zhang, I know you want these for your disciples, since you already have one. I originally intended to give each of you one to guarantee nearly a hundred percent chance of surviving the tribulation. How about you choose something else?” Zhang Sanfeng didn’t hesitate and switched his wish to a high-quality flying shuttle. Tang Yi decided to gift him a multifunctional flying vessel of model 005.

Most others chose either super rings or flying devices. The few girls didn’t put forward any requests, saying they hadn’t thought of anything yet and would tell Tang Yi later. He didn’t mind and told them to come whenever they had ideas.

Suddenly, Hua Ruoxue said she missed home. It had been nearly two years since they left. Although two years was but a fleeting moment in their lifetimes, continuous space travel made time feel especially long. After arriving on Dream Blue Star, their constant back-and-forth for mining activities left everyone feeling mentally exhausted—not physically, since the labor was child’s play for them, but the psychological fatigue was real. Hearing Hua Ruoxue’s words, the mood instantly grew somber and subdued.

“Looks like everyone is homesick. Alright, over the next few days, let’s wrap up the affairs of the Xuandao Foundation on Dream Blue Star. I’ll also visit the dean of the Three Talents Academy to discuss my studies. Then we can set off for home. Meeting adjourned!” Tang Yi declared.

“Really? Haha, that’s great!” Everyone cheered before dispersing.

The next day, Tang Yi went to the Three Talents Academy and found Yi Wu, asking him to accompany him to see the dean. They arrived at Dean Jin’s villa, where the other two founders happened to be present. Tang Yi straightforwardly explained his purpose.

“What? You’re going home? Xuandao is actually close by. How could it take so long?” Jin Rui asked, puzzled.

“Actually, we’re not from Dream Blue Star. By your stage, you must understand the vastness of the universe. It’s not strange to meet people from other planets,” Tang Yi smiled.

Lan Xinyue suddenly narrowed her eyes at Tang Yi. “Tang Yi, no beating around the bush. Be honest—what level are you exactly?”

Tang Yi smiled faintly and nodded. “Watch closely.” Then his aura began to surge upward. As it changed, Jin Rui and the others’ expressions shifted accordingly.

Level ten, fifteen, thirty, thirty-two… Tang Yi’s aura kept rising. At first, the three founders were unfazed, but as it grew stronger, they struggled to resist its pressure. Seeing this, Tang Yi retracted his aura almost immediately. The three were drenched in cold sweat.

“Uh, Lord Tang, may I ask, what level are you really?” Jin Rui asked respectfully, trying to compose himself.

“According to your ranking system, about level thirty-seven,” Tang Yi replied with a hint of helplessness. Then, a black pouch appeared in his hand, which he handed to Dean Jin. This was a storage pouch Tang Yi had crafted for sale on Dream Blue Star—actually, there were two types yet to be officially released. One was ownerless, meaning anyone could use it, with a small space of about thirty cubic meters. The other required a blood oath to bind ownership and could hold up to three hundred cubic meters.

“These are some of the space storage pouches I made, as a thank-you for allowing me to study at the Three Talents Academy. Perhaps we’ll return soon, after all, there are Xuandao’s assets here. Alright, no need to see me off,” Tang Yi said, then gradually vanished, leaving the three founders stunned.

Their spaceship’s luxurious banquet hall was used for the first time to celebrate their journey home. Glasses clinked repeatedly, and everyone vowed not to leave until drunk. “Mingde, how’s the Xuandao Foundation business?” Tang Yi asked Liu Mingde.

“Don’t worry, Tang Yi. Everything has been handed over. The new person in charge is Jiang Dawu. We met him on the first day at the inn in Eastmouth City. He’s sharp in business and, best of all, trustworthy. Entrusting him means our hard-earned foundation won’t be ruined,” Liu Mingde replied.

Tang Yi nodded. “Good. By the way, I’m planning to establish a sect when we get back. Hua Shaojie and the others already have family sects, so you, Zhang Qiang, and Guo Ziping will be the elders of this new sect. Make sure to prepare well!”

“Really? That’s fantastic! Brother Tang, rest assured, with our current resources, we’ll be the top sect as soon as we open our gates!” Liu Mingde said excitedly.

“No, be low-key, low-key. Otherwise, we’ll have endless trouble. Understand?” Tang Yi whispered.

“Oh, got it! Low-key, low-key! Heh heh!” Liu Mingde said before joining the others in drinking.

Hua Ruoxue appeared, slightly flushed from drinking. “Brother Tang!”

“Ruoxue, come, let’s go look at the stars. Once we’re back on Earth, we won’t see these beautiful stars anymore.” Tang Yi took her hand and led her out of the banquet hall.

“Alright! By the way, Brother Tang, what’s your cultivation level now?”

“Well, how to put it… my cultivation and spiritual power have reached the late Great Success stage in quantity, and my realm is at mid-Great Success.”

“Ah? But what about crossing the heavenly tribulation? I didn’t hear about that!”

“No tribulation yet. Maybe it’s due to the cultivation method I’m practicing—simply increasing cultivation and spiritual power, with realm advancement happening passively, so no tribulation appears. Also, the attack techniques I learned on Dream Blue Star don’t include post-tribulation methods, which explains this odd situation.”

“Oh, Brother Tang, what are your plans once we return to Earth?”

“Good question. I’ll let you in on a secret, but you must keep it before we go back! Otherwise, I won’t say a word.”

“I promise!” Hua Ruoxue’s face turned a deeper red as she made a determined expression. Tang Yi couldn’t resist tickling her nose.

“I believe you. I have three things to do. First, I’m ninety percent sure I can make space rings that can hold living creatures. That’s my first priority. Second, I’ll establish a sect—though a small one, since I don’t want a huge crowd bothering you. Third… can you guess? It involves me!”

Hua Ruoxue was stunned, then blushed even more but said, “I can’t guess. Just tell me!”

“Ha ha ha...” Tang Yi laughed heartily, then suddenly knelt on one knee, holding Hua Ruoxue’s right hand with his right hand. In his left hand was a beautifully crafted ring. He looked at her and said, “Ruoxue, will you marry me?”