Chapter Thirty-Seven: As Insignificant as an Ant

“At last, I've truly mastered it...”

Wang Changsheng sheathed his long blade, exhaling deeply as excitement lit his features.

It had not been easy. At first, Wang Changsheng had believed that three months would suffice to thoroughly comprehend the second stage of the Raging Wave Saber Technique. Yet, after more than a year of arduous cultivation, he had only just now achieved true mastery, leaving him with no small measure of resignation.

Had he not finally succeeded, Wang Changsheng would have been forced to wonder if his aptitude was truly abysmal.

Nonetheless, aside from mastering the saber technique, Wang Changsheng had gained another insight that filled him with delight.

“My control over true qi... has become even more subtle and profound.”

The Raging Wave Saber Technique demanded a high degree of mastery over true essence. Lacking true essence, Wang Changsheng had adopted Fang Qing’s method, which required even more refined control over his true qi. During his cultivation, he realized that his previous use of true qi had been wasteful.

For instance, when maneuvering the small sword, he now used only a third of the true qi required before to achieve the same effect.

This was a staggering improvement, effectively tripling the potency of his true qi. Where once his reserves were already formidable among his peers—a fact even Cai Ling had once praised—now, by conserving two-thirds of his qi, Wang Changsheng had grown even stronger.

This was the true terror of advanced techniques: they not only increased his combat prowess, but also raised his command of true qi to an exquisite level.

“With things as they are, should I meet a cultivator of similar strength, even if I can’t win quickly, I could simply outlast him,” Wang Changsheng murmured.

As for advancing to the third stage of the Raging Wave Saber Technique, which required generating a third surge of force, Wang Changsheng could only shake his head in resignation.

It had taken more than a year to master the second stage, which involved producing two surges of power. To reach the third stage meant layering another surge atop the second—a process he knew from experience would be long and arduous.

Fortunately, with little else demanding his attention, Wang Changsheng had ample time to devote to his cultivation.

Boom... boom... boom...

Just as Wang Changsheng was preparing to delve into the third stage, a series of muffled rumbles reached his ears.

Hearing the sound, excitement flashed across his face.

“It’s here!”

He was intimately familiar with this sound—the thunderous arrival of a Cloud Vessel breaking through the void and the starry river.

Sure enough, before long, Wang Changsheng saw a Cloud Vessel emerge from the starry expanse, descending directly atop the peak of the Mountain Between the Two Realms.

Thud!

The vessel landed with a deep, resonant boom, clouds of dust swirling. Only after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn did the haze settle, revealing the massive Cloud Vessel.

“At last...” Wang Changsheng gazed at the enormous vessel, his eyes shining with anticipation.

He had been in the Heavenly Realm for what felt like an eternity, cultivating on the Mountain Between the Two Realms for nearly two years. Now, with the arrival of the Cloud Vessel, he finally glimpsed hope of returning to the Shentian Realm.

Only there—where the spiritual energy was rich and the resources abundant—did a cultivator truly belong. Only there could he pursue ever greater heights of power and cultivation.

Returning to his thatched hut, Wang Changsheng immediately produced the mid-grade spirit stone he’d kept hidden away.

“This is the last one—I’ve never had the heart to use it,” he muttered, gripping the stone tightly. “But now, at last, it’s time.”

All he had left to his name was this single mid-grade spirit stone. When the Cloud Vessel had not yet arrived, he had felt no particular anxiety, but now that it was here, he began to worry: would this one stone be enough to pay for his passage home?

Whether it was enough or not, he had to try.

Clutching the spirit stone, Wang Changsheng approached the Cloud Vessel, quickly noticing several cultivators descending from it in small groups.

Most of these cultivators were not particularly advanced—primarily in the first or second stage of the Open Vein realm. Some were still at the Qi Refinement stage, though there were two or three whose cultivation surpassed Wang Changsheng’s, reaching the fifth or sixth stage of the Open Vein realm.

In all, some fifty or sixty people had disembarked.

Wang Changsheng guessed that these were likely people who had failed to make a living in the Shentian Realm and had come to the Heavenly Realm to spend their remaining years.

As they descended, they too noticed Wang Changsheng, taking in his plain attire and sensing his cultivation. Surprise flickered across their faces, followed by a trace of disdain.

“That one must be a native cultivator of the Heavenly Realm, don’t you think?”

“To reach the third stage of Open Vein in a place like this isn’t easy.”

“Perhaps he’s considered a genius among the mortals here!”

Their whispered comments reached Wang Changsheng’s ears, causing him to frown.

Yet he harbored no resentment. These were people who, having failed in the Shentian Realm, had come here to eke out their days, but still clung to the remnants of their pride.

Simply because they had once been Shentian Realm cultivators, they continued to look down on those of the Heavenly Realm, oblivious to their own circumstances.

“You’ll learn soon enough,” Wang Changsheng thought, gazing at them. “The Heavenly Realm isn’t as simple as you imagine. Here, even Open Vein cultivators are nothing.”

In his eyes, these people were pitiable. They had survived the dangers of the Shentian Realm, only to perhaps meet their end here—likely not a peaceful one.

When no more descended from the Cloud Vessel, Wang Changsheng leapt up, boarding the vessel himself.

Those who had just disembarked were startled to see him boarding.

“What’s this? Is he actually getting on? Could he be planning to go to the Shentian Realm?”

“To the Shentian Realm? At the third stage of Open Vein, and from this backwater? Going there is a death sentence!”

“Maybe he just wants to see it for himself. But I’m curious—can he even afford the fare?”

Their laughter rang out.

They knew all too well that a third-stage Open Vein cultivator couldn’t survive in the Shentian Realm. Forget the deadly rivalries among cultivators—even a random demonic beast could end such a life.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come to the Heavenly Realm themselves.

What they didn’t know was that Wang Changsheng had once been one of them, forced to the Heavenly Realm by circumstance.

They had given up the path of cultivation, but Wang Changsheng never had.

From the moment he began cultivating, he had never once faltered.

Otherwise, how could he have survived for over two centuries in that world? Beyond the Longevity Art and a handful of elixirs, what kept him alive was his refusal to yield.

Even at the brink of death, he had kept his vigil atop the mountain.

That was a matter of resolve, not aptitude.

Stepping onto the deck of the Cloud Vessel, Wang Changsheng was immediately confronted by a cultivator standing before him.

Though the man exuded no visible aura, the look in his eyes made it clear that dealing with Wang Changsheng would be a trivial matter.

Normally, once the Cloud Vessel landed and everyone had disembarked, it would depart. This man must have stayed behind specifically because he’d seen Wang Changsheng board.

“What business have you on this vessel?” the cultivator asked in a deep voice.

Wang Changsheng wasted no time. Bowing with cupped fists, he answered in the same tone, “I wish to return to the Shentian Realm.”

“Return? To the Shentian Realm?” The man caught the nuance in Wang Changsheng’s words.

It was “return” to the Shentian Realm, not “go” to the Shentian Realm.

“You came down from the Shentian Realm?” the cultivator asked.

Wang Changsheng nodded in affirmation.

The man considered this, then said, “If that’s the case, you should know that with your current cultivation, you’d be nothing but an insect there. You’d be better off staying here, where at least you can protect yourself.”

He gestured toward those below. “See them? Several of them surpass you, already at the sixth stage of Open Vein. The strongest among them has even reached the ninth stage, yet he still chose to leave the Shentian Realm.”

“I know,” Wang Changsheng replied, nodding. “But I still wish to return.”

Though he hadn’t spent long in the Shentian Realm, he knew enough: without a powerful background, an Open Vein cultivator could barely survive, let alone secure cultivation resources. That was why his second uncle had sent him to the Heavenly Realm in the first place.

Of course, he hadn’t expected that his arrival would end up benefiting Fang Qing as well. Had he not played a part, Fang Qing might never have chanced upon the opportunity to join Cloud Peak, and would likely still be embroiled in the Fourth Prince’s power struggle.

“Very well. If you’re determined, I won’t dissuade you further,” the cultivator said gravely.

“My mind is made up,” Wang Changsheng replied.

“In that case, hand over your spirit stone,” the man said, extending his hand.

“H-how many spirit stones...?” Wang Changsheng hesitated.

“Hm?” The man’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know how much the fare is?”

Wang Changsheng shook his head.

“At this point, I have to wonder if you’ve ever been to the Shentian Realm,” the man said, eyes narrowing further.

“I have, I have,” Wang Changsheng insisted. “It’s just that, last time, my second uncle paid my fare. I don’t know how much it was.”

“Do you even have a spirit stone to pay with?” the man asked.

Wang Changsheng produced the tightly-clutched stone, asking nervously, “Here, take a look—will this be enough?”