Chapter 353

Chapter 354: A Fulfilling Day for the Big Nephew

It seemed impossible to figure out where those black-robed cultivators came from just by their techniques: it was the first time Yu Sheng realized cultivation could even be “distance learning.”

Even so, Immortal Yuan Ling did gain something from examining the black-clad attackers.

Immortal Yuan Ling said with a thoughtful look: “The ones who attacked you had solid body cultivator foundations, and most showed signs of marrow cleansing and bone remodeling and bloodline alteration. You see this a lot on border planets. Those immigrant worlds often aren’t fully terraformed. Outside the domes you get extreme cold and heat, acidic toxins, and radiation. The pioneers who settle the border do carry protective treasures, but for safety they still ‘modify’ their bodies.”

Yu Sheng caught on fast and asked, brow lifting: “You mean they weren’t locals of the Grand Void Spiritual Axis? They came from the Featherwing region’s border?”

Immortal Yuan Ling gave a small nod: “Very likely.”

Yu Sheng frowned, then shared what he had: “On that note, I used some of my own methods and got a lead from one of the black-robed men. They seem to be looking for something called the ‘Sovereign’s Legacy,’ and it’s strongly tied to the Otherworld that appeared on Nethermoon.”

He laid out everything he knew, and as he spoke, Immortal Yuan Ling’s expression visibly grew heavy.

Immortal Yuan Ling said at last, voice low: “I truly haven’t heard of this ‘Sovereign’s Legacy.’ But a band of likely border-planet outlaws searching on the capital’s satellite for a so-called legacy of a Celestial Sovereign is no small matter,” then he turned to Xuan Che and asked, “When you fought them, did you notice signs of madness or delusion, or sudden changes in their bodies, or techniques turning strange all at once?”

Xuan Che hesitated and then shook his head: “No. They were clear-headed when they fought, and they even knew battle formation coordination. After they slipped up and were captured, they still had backbone. They didn’t look like people who’d lost their minds.”

Yu Sheng heard that question and sensed something, so he asked: “Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

Immortal Yuan Ling answered with a grave face: “Cultivators who wander far from the Grand Void Youth Form are easily tempted by foul things, especially those whose Mind Tempering was lacking at Foundation Establishment. That danger is part of the path of cultivation. Cultivation seeks transcendence, but people are still flesh and blood. That climb is not easy. If your mindset can’t keep up with your techniques, falling into the demonic path can happen in a blink. The farther you go from the capital of the Youth Form toward the border of the star regions, the more the environment differs from humanity’s old cradle. In that kind of place the mind gets fragile. Beyond the Youth Form River lies the vast void. Between the stars is deep darkness full of strange secrets. Stare into that darkness too long and who knows what you will hear or see. And besides, border regions are hard to govern. Even if the Grand Void Spiritual Axis tries its best, wicked outsiders still slip in now and then. They seduce border cultivators and trick common folk. Holy Revere Hermitage infiltrated that way before.”

He paused, the gloom on his face easing a little, and added: “But it isn’t all bad. You took down this group of demonic types, and that gives me a direction. I’ll inform the border disciples and the other four sects to investigate along this line and also look into what this ‘Celestial Sovereign’ is.”

Yu Sheng said casually: “Want our help?”

Immortal Yuan Ling waved with a quick smile: “No need to trouble you. You came from far away as guests. You hadn’t even rested at Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain before demonic riffraff attacked you and you had to fight. That’s shameful enough for me. Go rest first. Tomorrow I’ll arrange for you to tour the sea of mountains and clouds. There are good places at the foot of the peaks too.”

Yu Sheng saw no need to be polite and said as he turned to leave: “Alright, we’ll go rest. Call if you need us.”

Immortal Yuan Ling cupped his hands in farewell, then watched as Yu Sheng casually pulled open The Door beside him, stepped from the front of the Parted Clouds Palace Hall straight onto the Cloud Viewing Terrace, and vanished.

As the Phantom Door slowly faded from sight, Immortal Yuan Ling exhaled and murmured with a wry sigh: “I think I finally understand what Director Bai Li told me before.”

Xuan Che blinked and asked: “What did Director Bai Li say to you?”

Immortal Yuan Ling answered with a helpless smile: “She told me to get used to Mr. Yu’s habit of opening a door anywhere, stepping through, and being gone.”

Xuan Che said after a beat: “That is accurate.”

On the Cloud Viewing Terrace, the sun was sinking.

When Yu Sheng arrived, he spotted a very familiar figure near the parcel pickup stand: Zheng Zhi.

To be honest, on the way back he had worried about his big nephew, thinking that leaving a young man who knew no one in an alien world to watch The Door alone was a bit much. After all, his group had gone out through The Door to see the world and even enjoyed some space tourism, although the last leg got a little exciting. But the moment he saw Zheng Zhi, that guilt vanished.

Because he saw Zheng Zhi had dragged a recliner onto the Cloud Viewing Terrace and set a small borrowed table beside it. Snacks, fruits, and a wine jug were piled on the table to almost falling. He lounged in the recliner, scrolling short videos on the Special Affairs Bureau’s tablet, chuckling as he watched, nibbling immortal fruit and sipping nectar and jade dew. He was living his best life.

Seeing this, Yu Sheng had not spoken yet when the little doll on his shoulder bounced up and shouted from a distance: “Big nephew!”

Zheng Zhi jolted so hard the tablet almost flew from his hands. He sprang up, turned, and looked at Yu Sheng’s group with delight: “Hey, Brother Yu, you’re back?”

Irene planted her fists on her hips on Yu Sheng’s shoulder and said with full drama: “You sure know how to enjoy yourself, while we were in the Otherworld and almost knocked a bunch of killers’ brains out.”

Before she finished, Foxy poked her and whispered: “Strictly speaking, the killers didn’t really act like killers in the end. But Luna truly didn’t blink once.”

Irene glared at Foxy and said: “That was a figure of speech. Go by the vibe. Those guys in black looked like people who grew up without parents. We, on the other hand, look upright and honest at a glance.”

Foxy scratched her cheek and said, doubtful: “Something about that feels off.”

Luna nodded and said: “Mm. Right.”

No one knew which sentence she was agreeing with.

Zheng Zhi hurried over, and after hearing Irene’s jab, he got flustered and said: “Uh, I was just…”

Yu Sheng waved it off and cut in: “Ignore her. Her mouth is always like that,” then his eyes landed on the tablet in Zheng Zhi’s hand and he blurted, surprised: “You turned on interstellar roaming just to watch short videos?”

Zheng Zhi froze at the unexpected question, then waved his hands: “No, no. I’m using Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain’s wifi.”

Yu Sheng stared and said: “Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain has wifi?”

Zheng Zhi laughed and explained: “Yeah. The format isn’t the same as Boundary City’s civilian signal, but it’s compatible with Stellar Communications’ broadcast signal, so Bureau-issued devices can connect directly. I asked an immortal maiden I met nearby.”

Yu Sheng said, giving up on understanding the tech: “Alright. Anything happen while we were gone?”

Zheng Zhi thought for a moment and reported: “Nothing much around the Cloud Viewing Terrace. Pretty quiet. But I did run into a bunch of interesting things while walking.”

Yu Sheng raised a brow and asked: “Interesting?”

Zheng Zhi nodded and said: “Yeah. In the afternoon on the path to the Mid-Mountain Pavilion, I ran into two groups of Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain disciples fighting.”

Yu Sheng blinked and asked: “Fighting?”

Zheng Zhi sighed and said: “Uh-huh. Word was, a Beast Taming Peak disciple’s final project ate a Spirit Infusion Peak disciple’s final project.”

Yu Sheng’s face twitched and he said: “Right. What else?”

Zheng Zhi thought a bit and continued, counting on his fingers: “I saw a girl crying on another platform. She majors in forging at Divine Armaments Peak. She spent ten years warming and nourishing her flying sword and finally got an artifact spirit, but it turned out to be an idiot and fell in love with her forging hammer. I also met a talking rabbit in the Little Grove Halfway Up the Mountain. He was shocked I could see him. First thing he said was, ‘How the heck can you see me?’ We chatted. He said he’s an inner disciple from Beast Taming Peak. Because he bred mosquitoes that can survive winter and live for ten years, his senior brothers and sisters are hunting him. He had to hide by shapeshifting in the woods. I promised to keep his secret, but then his seniors arrived. Poor kid cried so hard. Oh, and behind the cliff I found a steep slope with a small river at the bottom. There was an old man fishing there. I thought I’d hit a hidden encounter, like the kind where a hermit gives you a secret manual. Turned out he is the dorm warden from Enlightenment Hall. He didn’t feel like going home after work, so he sneaks off to fish. He was also surprised to see me. Just like the ‘rabbit,’ the first thing he said was, ‘How the heck did you find this place?’”

The more he spoke, the more excited he got. His whole day at Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain had been surprisingly full. Yu Sheng, listening beside him, went from amazed to blank to completely numb.

[Figures.]