Chapter Eight: Starlight That Shatters Boundaries

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“Two years... it's almost here...” Wang Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, a look of quiet reflection showing within them.

Wang Changsheng had never imagined he would spend two years aboard the Cloud Ark. Though his cultivation had not advanced in that time, and he had not stepped into the Meridian Opening Realm, his journey was not without gain. From Li Fusheng, Wang Changsheng had picked up countless secrets, and while the truth of them remained unknown, they had deepened his understanding of the Three Heavens.

Knock, knock...

A knocking sound came at the door. Wang Changsheng rose and opened it.

“Fellow Daoist Li, what brings you here this time?” Wang Changsheng asked with a smile.

As the saying goes, if resistance is futile, one may as well enjoy it. This was precisely how Wang Changsheng now faced Li Fusheng—since he had no spirit stones to activate the formation and block out Li Fusheng’s voice, he might as well listen and glean as much news as possible.

“No, nothing to say!” Li Fusheng replied cheerfully. “No chatting today. Let’s go up to the deck!”

“To the deck? For the scenery?” Wang Changsheng asked, puzzled.

“The scenery?” Li Fusheng said with pride, “I’m taking you to see a marvel!”

“We’re nearly at Cheng Tian Realm. The Cloud Ark is about to cross the boundary. I’ll show you something wonderful!” Li Fusheng grinned. “Come along!”

With that, Li Fusheng made his way to the deck.

When the two arrived, they found many others already gathered, all gazing out beyond the Cloud Ark.

Rumbling sounds echoed...

Soon after, Wang Changsheng saw beams of light shoot from the Cloud Ark, each containing terrifying energy. The beams struck the boundary, sending out a chorus of thunderous roars.

“What are they doing?” Wang Changsheng asked, bewildered.

“Breaking open the boundary!” Li Fusheng replied gravely.

Li Fusheng’s usual playful expression was gone, replaced by solemn seriousness. “Between each world in the Three Heavens lies a boundary. The Cloud Ark can cross it, and powerful cultivators can as well!”

“But to possess the strength to break through the boundary itself is unimaginably fearsome!” Li Fusheng’s voice dropped. “To my knowledge, throughout the entire Shen Tian Mirror, not a single soul can shatter the boundary with cultivation alone!”

Not a single soul could break open the boundary?

“What about Second Uncle?” Wang Changsheng wondered.

After traveling so long within the boundary, Wang Changsheng was now certain that when he had followed his Second Uncle into Shen Tian Mirror, they had indeed shattered the barrier and walked the ancient road of the stars. According to Li Fusheng, breaking the boundary was nearly impossible—how had his Second Uncle managed it?

Just then, Wang Changsheng saw, not far ahead of the Cloud Ark, a pitch-black hole open—identical to the one his Second Uncle had created, except this rift was many times larger!

Streams of starlight swirled at the mouth of the black void, dazzling to behold.

Suddenly, these dazzling starbeams twisted in the air, merging into a pale blue streak that shot straight toward Wang Changsheng.

“What is this?”

A look of shock contorted Wang Changsheng’s face.

What was the boundary? Even true cultivators of the Golden Core Dao found it nearly impossible to escape unscathed—not only because of the chaotic void currents, but because these starbeams were also immensely powerful. Now one was shooting directly at him—what was happening?

Wang Changsheng tried to dodge, but compared to the speed of the starbeam, he was woefully slow. Before he could react, the beam was upon him.

It struck straight at his eyes. Instinctively, he raised his left arm to block, but it was useless—the beam passed right through his arm and into his eye.

Immediately, Wang Changsheng’s consciousness grew hazy.

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“Is this how I die...” Wang Changsheng murmured in his heart.

At this moment, he found himself oddly calm.

Boom!

A thundering sound echoed inside his mind. Wang Changsheng felt a strange aura flash within his consciousness.

“What is this...” he wondered, but his awareness faded into a muddled haze.

After a while, the strange aura gradually dissipated, and Wang Changsheng slowly regained consciousness.

“Fellow Daoist Wang... Fellow Daoist Wang... wake up!”

“If you don’t wake soon, I’ll be leaving without you!” Li Fusheng’s voice reached his ears just as he returned to himself.

“Wh... what’s going on?” Wang Changsheng asked, still dazed.

“What’s going on? See for yourself!” Li Fusheng replied with a mischievous grin. “Why have you been standing here for so long?”

“I...” Wang Changsheng was bewildered, but at the sight of Li Fusheng’s sly smile, he realized he’d been tricked yet again.

“Li Fusheng, you’ve set me up!” Wang Changsheng said, his voice dark.

“No, no, absolutely not!” Li Fusheng denied at once.

Wang Changsheng soon learned that he had been standing on the deck for seven days, and the Cloud Ark had already arrived at its destination three days prior.

Most of the passengers had already disembarked.

Moreover, as each person left the Ark, they glanced at Wang Changsheng standing there, as if he were some kind of fool.

“I was standing there for seven days...” Wang Changsheng thought, bewildered.

To him, the time from when the starbeam entered his mind to when he woke was but an instant.

“Fellow Daoist Wang, I really didn’t trick you!” Li Fusheng protested. “Whenever the boundary is breached, anyone who sees the star marvel will receive a starbeam. The starbeam enters your mind, and you fall into a stupor!”

“But usually, that dazed state lasts no more than the time of a single incense stick!” Li Fusheng continued. “Who could have predicted you’d remain muddled for so long...”

“This...”

Wang Changsheng was at a loss for words.

He had never expected such a result, and had feared he was in grave danger.

Now it seemed that the starbeam shooting toward him was something everyone experienced.

“This fellow Daoist speaks the truth!”

Just as Wang Changsheng doubted Li Fusheng’s words, a voice reached his ears.

An elder descended from the top of the Cloud Ark, his hair white as snow, looking even older than Wang Changsheng. Yet Wang Changsheng could sense a surging vitality from him, and his true strength was beyond Wang Changsheng’s perception.

“That was the starbeam of boundary breaking. Anyone who sees it will receive one,” the elder said kindly. “And everyone falls into a daze, but the time varies. The longest I’ve seen was three days.”

“So that’s how it is!” Wang Changsheng nodded.

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Though Wang Changsheng didn’t know who the elder was, it was clear from his descent from the Ark’s top that his status was extraordinary.

“There, you see!” Li Fusheng chimed in. “Now do you believe me?”

“Besides, rumor has it that the starbeam of boundary breaking contains insight into powerful arts!” Li Fusheng chuckled.

“Powerful arts?” Wang Changsheng looked puzzled.

“It’s just a rumor, not to be taken seriously,” the elder interjected. “Of the countless cultivators who have seen the boundary-breaking starbeam, not one has ever comprehended a powerful art from it—not even the Golden Core Daoists.”

At this, Li Fusheng looked a bit embarrassed, clearly knowing all along and merely wanting to see Wang Changsheng make a fool of himself.

“Hmph, Li Fusheng!” Wang Changsheng snorted coldly at him.

“All right, time for you two to disembark. You’re the last ones left!” the elder urged with a wave of his hand.

Wang Changsheng nodded and followed Li Fusheng off the Cloud Ark.

“Fellow Daoist Wang, you should thank that old man. If he hadn’t spoken for us, we’d have been thrown off long ago!” Li Fusheng muttered as they went down. “If it had been up to the others on the Ark... hmph...”

Wang Changsheng could not be bothered to answer him.

Once off the Ark, Wang Changsheng saw he stood atop the summit of a towering mountain.

The peak was treacherous; even the clouds could only gather halfway up, a testament to its height.

The Cloud Ark’s landing here effectively prevented ordinary folk from ever reaching it.

Fortunately, Wang Changsheng had already reached the perfection of the Innate Realm, and was on the verge of breaking into the Meridian Opening Realm. Such rugged terrain posed little challenge to him.

Li Fusheng, too, clearly possessed superior movement techniques, descending the mountain even more lightly than Wang Changsheng.

“Well then, Fellow Daoist Li, this is where we part ways,” Wang Changsheng said, cupping his hands after reaching the foot of the mountain.

Without waiting for a reply, Wang Changsheng leapt away.

“Wait—”

Li Fusheng barely had time to call out before Wang Changsheng was already a distant blur.

“Don’t forget, you still owe me three spirit stones!” Li Fusheng called after him.

Three?

Wasn’t it two?

As Wang Changsheng, growing distant, heard Li Fusheng’s shout, he nearly stumbled—when had the debt grown to three stones?

“This Wang fellow’s cultivation method is no simple thing; his speed is impressive, and his vital energy is thick and robust, far beyond that of his peers!” Li Fusheng mused as Wang Changsheng’s figure vanished from sight.

Wang Changsheng had trained for over two centuries—though his progress was limited by his art and locale, preventing him from breaking through to the Meridian Opening Realm, his accumulation and refinement of vital energy were leagues beyond an ordinary cultivator at the peak of the Qi Refining stage.

“Ladies of Cheng Tian Realm, your kindhearted brother comes!”

Li Fusheng’s voice echoed, but he himself had long since disappeared.