Chapter Six: The Radiant Galaxy
After carefully studying for a while, Wang Changsheng summoned all the true energy in his body and began to circulate it along the lines depicted in the second illustration of the Longevity Technique.
Boom... Boom...
Two consecutive thunderous rumbles echoed from within his body as the true energy followed the prescribed path into his dantian, which immediately roiled like turbulent waters. At the same time, Wang Changsheng felt his meridians throughout his body begin to swell.
After experiencing this sensation, he immediately halted his cultivation.
“As expected of the second illustration of the Longevity Technique,” Wang Changsheng muttered to himself. “I can clearly feel my meridians expanding, and my dantian surges even more violently.”
After reaching the consummate stage of Innate, the next realm was Meridian Opening. What did Meridian Opening entail? It meant widening the meridians—not just their breadth, but also their resilience—so that when the true energy condenses into primal essence, the meridians can withstand the impact.
Moreover, the Meridian Opening realm was a process of accumulating true energy.
Having finished his practice, Wang Changsheng turned his attention to the last item in his bundle: a jade box.
The jade box was scarred and weathered, clearly having existed for many years.
Wang Changsheng slowly opened the box.
“Ah... so soothing...”
The moment he lifted the lid, a rich aura wafted out. With just a single breath, Wang Changsheng felt his mind clear and his spirit refreshed.
“This is... a spirit stone?” Wang Changsheng stared in surprise at the contents of the box. “This... this is definitely not a common spirit stone!”
He had seen ordinary low-grade spirit stones before—he’d witnessed his second uncle pay with three of them while using the teleportation array. Though those stones were rich with spiritual energy, they paled in comparison to the one inside this jade box.
“Could this be a mid-grade spirit stone?” Wang Changsheng said in a low voice.
He had never seen a mid-grade spirit stone; he only knew of their existence through jade slips. In the Shentian Realm, the spirit stones in circulation and used for cultivation were all low-grade. It was said that mid-grade spirit stones were reserved for those who practiced the Grand Dao of Golden Core.
“According to the jade slips, mid-grade spirit stones can only be produced in the Shentian Realm. As for the situation within the Shentian Mirror, those who can afford such stones are extremely rare—perhaps none at all,” Wang Changsheng mused.
“Was this left by my second uncle, or by my father?”
He could not be sure, but he felt it was likely a legacy from his father.
Regardless of whether his second uncle could obtain mid-grade spirit stones in the Shentian Mirror, the master of the Wandering Cultivators’ Hall had once said that his second uncle had exhausted his fortune to bring Wang Changsheng here. Given how rare and valuable these spirit stones were, they represented a vast wealth.
“It seems that my cultivation at the Meridian Opening stage will rely on these three mid-grade spirit stones!” Wang Changsheng declared. “My second uncle must have known about these stones, which is why he sent me to the Chengtian Realm.”
Having put away his father’s keepsakes and organizing the information he’d collected over the past two days, Wang Changsheng took out the second illustration of the Longevity Technique and began to study it.
As for his father’s death, he could only suppress his grief deep within. Yet he had already resolved that once he achieved mastery in cultivation, he would follow in his father’s footsteps and uncover the truth.
For now, the most important thing was cultivation. Only by first gaining the strength to protect himself could he hope to avenge his father.
Boom... boom... boom...
Just as Wang Changsheng was delving deeper into the Longevity Technique and nearly unraveling all the mysteries of the second illustration, a series of deafening rumbles reached his ears.
Immediately afterward, the entire structure began to tremble violently.
He quickly stowed away the Longevity Technique and hid the mid-grade spirit stones in the jade box, then stood up and opened his door. He saw the corridor crowded with cultivators—some looked panicked, while others remained calm.
“What happened?” Wang Changsheng asked, confused.
“Fellow Daoist, finished reading the jade slip?” came a teasing voice.
It was the young cultivator who had given Wang Changsheng the jade slip.
“Thank you for your guidance!” Wang Changsheng immediately cupped his fists in thanks.
“All right, all right, you’re too polite!” the young cultivator waved his hand. “Do you know what’s going on? With all this commotion, why aren’t you panicking or trying to escape?”
“I don’t know,” Wang Changsheng replied, puzzled. “What’s happened? There’s nothing in the jade slip about this. As for escaping, seeing how calm you are, I figured it couldn’t be anything life-threatening.”
“That answer will cost you a low-grade spirit stone!” the young cultivator said with a grin.
Wang Changsheng’s face darkened. “Come on, you know my situation. If I had spirit stones, I’d have paid you already!”
“I know, of course I know!” The young man laughed. “But you can owe me for now, and pay me back when you have it!”
“Uh...” Wang Changsheng was momentarily stunned. “Fellow Daoist, I’ve learned a bit about the Chengtian Realm. It’s hard enough to cultivate there, let alone find spirit stones!”
“There are some, just not many! But there are definitely some!” The young cultivator slung an arm over Wang Changsheng’s shoulder. “So, deal or not?”
Wang Changsheng nodded.
It was an empty promise, after all. Who knew if he’d ever get his hands on any spirit stones, or even run into this person again after leaving the cloud vessel? He now understood that the Chengtian Realm was vast beyond measure—just one empire here was larger than his homeland, and who knew how many empires the realm contained.
“Come with me!” said the young cultivator. “Don’t forget, you owe me two spirit stones!”
“Two?” Wang Changsheng protested. “Wasn’t it just one?”
“And what about the one for the jade slip?” the young man said, still hanging on his shoulder. The sight of the two—a young man and an older one—was rather incongruous.
Wang Changsheng’s brow furrowed. “Didn’t you say the jade slip was a gift?”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter—one debt or two, what’s the difference?” the young man said carelessly.
Wang Changsheng: “...”
The young cultivator led Wang Changsheng up onto the cloud vessel. Soon, they reached the deck.
“What... is this...?”
Looking out from the vessel, Wang Changsheng’s expression turned to awe.
Beyond the cloud vessel, the starry river flowed. Brilliant streams of light, each trailing a long tail, shot off toward the horizon.
“That’s right, this is the Domain!” the young cultivator said proudly. “Of all the Three Heavens, this is the most dazzling, the most mysterious, and the most dangerous Domain!”
“Even those who have mastered the Golden Core Dao may not survive unscathed within the Domain!” he continued with a laugh. “Impressive, isn’t it? Take a good look—scenes like this are rare!”
“The tremors earlier were caused by the cloud vessel entering the Domain!”
Staring at the radiant Milky Way, Wang Changsheng’s sense of awe only deepened.
“It truly is astonishing!” he breathed.
“Of course!” the young man went on. “Rumor has it, some mighty cultivators of the Golden Core Dao train within the Domain itself, comprehending the flow of the stars!”
Boom!
A streak of light struck another, sending out a thunderous explosion. The entire galaxy rippled like a spreading wave.
Boom, boom, boom...
The ripples reached the cloud vessel, which immediately emitted a protective barrier, accompanied by a series of resonant booms. The whole vessel began to shake.
When the ripples subsided, the light shield vanished as well.
“That must be the formation protecting the vessel...” Wang Changsheng said in amazement.
How could human strength withstand such force?
The power of those explosions, in his eyes, was far beyond what mortals could resist. Yet the cloud vessel’s barrier was unscathed—a testament to its formidable defenses.
“But... that’s still no reason for you to extort a spirit stone from me...” Wang Changsheng said, turning to the young man.
Even without his guidance, Wang Changsheng could have seen this scene by following the crowd—most of the cultivators on the vessel had come out to witness it, after all.
“Uh...” The young man hesitated, then shrugged it off. “Doesn’t matter. Consider the spirit stone my fee for explaining it to you!”
“See those people? They’re still clueless. Isn’t it nice to be ahead of the pack?” he added with a grin.
Wang Changsheng: “...”
“See? Thinking of it that way, doesn’t it feel a bit better?” The young man patted his shoulder with a laugh.
“I suppose it does,” Wang Changsheng conceded.
“Exactly!” the young man said as if it were only natural.
Wang Changsheng: “...”
Could it really make you feel better just thinking that way?
Wang Changsheng could no longer understand his companion’s logic.
Ignoring the young man, he continued gazing at the boundless star river, a sigh of wonder escaping him.
“Fellow Daoist... Fellow Daoist... How about this?” the young man said, patting Wang Changsheng’s shoulder and grinning. “I, Li Fusheng, am not one to take advantage of others. In honor of those two spirit stones, let me give you another bit of information for free.”
“Li Fusheng?” Wang Changsheng looked at him. “That’s your name?”
“What, you’ve heard of me?” Li Fusheng asked, a little surprised.
“No.”
Wang Changsheng continued, “You said you had some news for me?”
“That’s right! I, Li Fusheng, am not one to take advantage of others!” he declared with satisfaction.
“Does it cost anything?” Wang Changsheng asked, skeptical.
“Fellow Daoist, you need to see me in a new light!” Li Fusheng declared righteously. “Absolutely free of charge!”
Wang Changsheng eyed him with disbelief.
Seeing that Li Fusheng was about to put on another act, Wang Changsheng relented. “All right, let’s hear it.”
“That’s the spirit! You have to trust me!” Li Fusheng suddenly leaned in, wearing a mischievous grin, and whispered in Wang Changsheng’s ear, “Let me tell you—the Saintess of Cloud Palace Peak has a birthmark on her backside!”