The moment his feet completely left Qingxu Temple's mountain gate area, an invisible membrane seemed to be quietly penetrated. Behind him were familiar green mountains and clear waters, the warmth and protection of home. Ahead was the unknown stretching toward the distant public road, a vast world mixed with dust, spiritual energy, and countless unfamiliar scents.
Tang Xiaoqi paused beside the public road for a moment, taking a deep breath. The air was no longer as pure and sweet as inside Qingxu Temple but mixed with dust from distant merchant caravans, the greenness of roadside wild grass, faint smoke from distant towns, and various impure, uneven spiritual energy fluctuations. This was a real, vivid scent belonging to the outside world.
The rabbit spirit on his shoulder also appeared exceptionally excited. Its little nose kept twitching. Its ruby eyes rapidly turning, examining passing travelers in strange costumes, cargo-pulling camel beasts, and occasionally low-flying, uniquely shaped flying artifacts. It was curious about everything. If Xiao Qi had not constrained it with a thread of qi, it would probably have bounced out long ago to cause trouble.
"Well, we should get moving." Xiao Qi lightly patted the rabbit spirit's head and said softly. His gaze turned east. That was the direction the public road extended, also the approximate location of Tian Shu City.
He did not immediately choose to fly. Though with his Nascent Soul cultivation, flying at full speed would be countless times faster than any transportation, he was not in a rush. The Sect Master had sent him out to broaden his horizons, to experience a broader world, to comprehend more complex worldly affairs, to temper his Dao-heart, not merely to arrive at some destination. Measuring the land with his feet, observing the common people with his eyes, feeling this world's pulse with his heart — all were equally part of cultivation.
Moreover, he was now famous. World-Purifying True Lord was a household name in the Southeast cultivation realm. If he flew conspicuously, it would inevitably attract unnecessary attention and trouble. Being low-key, quietly blending into the bustling mortal world, would let him see much more of the truth beneath the glamour.
He took out from his storage ring an Omni-Shadow Cloak (experimental product, effect sometimes good sometimes bad) made by Second Senior Brother, and draped it over himself. The cloak's light flickered, and his figure and aura became blurred. In the eyes of ordinary cultivators and mortals, he was just an unremarkable-looking, seemingly ordinary blue-robed traveler. As long as he did not actively reveal his cultivation or fight anyone, it should save him a lot of trouble.
With preparations complete, Tang Xiaoqi stepped out, walking east along the wide public road at a moderate pace.
On the public road, carriages and horses moved in patterns. Travelers came and went. There were merchant caravans transporting goods, bells ringing crisply. There were rogue cultivators traveling together, softly discussing recent sightings. There were weary travelers, faces carrying anticipation or exhaustion for the road ahead. Occasionally one could see sect disciples in uniform attire, full of spirit, clearly going out for missions or travel.
Xiao Qi mixed into the crowd like a drop of water entering the sea, inconspicuous. He gathered all spiritual sense probing, only using his eyes to see, ears to hear, heart to feel.
He heard rogue cultivators talking about a remote mountain range where an ancient cultivator's cave dwelling was rumored to have emerged, drawing forces from all sides to investigate and fight fiercely. He heard merchant guards complaining about recent road unrest, seemingly bandits targeting isolated fat sheep. He heard travelers sighing about the prosperity of Central Plains cultivation civilization, and when mentioning Tian Shu City, their tones were full of longing and reverence. He also heard low-level cultivators exchanging cultivation insights, arguing over the distribution of a low-quality pill.
All aspects of the mortal world, all absorbed by his eyes.
This was drastically different from Qingxu Temple's relatively pure cultivation atmosphere with aligned goals. Here there was greed, scheming, struggle, helplessness, but also the longing for fortune, the pursuit of power, and the simple yearning for a better life. All this constituted a real and complex picture of the cultivation world.
Xiao Qi walked silently, his heart touched. He remembered when he first entered Qingxu Temple, he had also rejoiced over a Fasting Pill, had struggled desperately to break through a minor realm. Power and status sometimes made people unconsciously drift away from these most fundamental things. Walking this road again, observing and feeling with an ordinary heart, might greatly benefit him in stabilizing his Dao-heart and understanding the true meaning of protection.
The journey was not smooth sailing.
After leaving Qingxu Temple's sphere of influence by several hundred li, at a desolate mountain path, trouble indeed found them.
Three fierce-faced cultivators, two at Foundation Establishment middle stage and one at late stage, rushed out from the roadside dense forest, blocking Xiao Qi's path. The scarred-faced man leading them, at Foundation Establishment late stage, shouldering a ghost-head blade, grinned menacingly: "Kid, be smart. Hand over your storage bag and valuables! If we are in a good mood, we might let you keep your life!"
They had clearly seen Xiao Qi was alone (the rabbit spirit was ignored), his aura not manifesting, walking a desolate path. They thought he was a fat sheep that could be easily bullied.
Xiao Qi stopped, looking at them calmly, saying nothing. The rabbit spirit on his shoulder, however, seemed angered. It bared its teeth at them, making threatening hissing sounds.
"Ha! There is also this fearless beast!" A lanky cultivator beside the scarred man sneered, reaching out to grab the rabbit spirit.
Just as his fingers were about to touch the rabbit spirit's snow-white fur —
"Boom!"
A dull sound. The lanky cultivator was like being hit by an invisible giant elephant. His entire body flew backward, slamming hard against the roadside cliff. He slid down softly, directly unconscious, his chest clearly caved in.
The grins on the scarred man's and the other cultivator's faces instantly froze. Their pupils contracted sharply, as if seeing a ghost. They never saw how Xiao Qi made his move.
Xiao Qi still stood where he was, as if never having moved. He merely glanced indifferently at the two remaining men.
That gaze was calm and wave-less, yet carried a crushing pressure like thousands of mountains, instantly enveloping them. They only felt their spiritual energy circulation becoming sluggish, breathing difficult, legs soft, almost about to kneel. That was absolute crushing at the level of life itself.
"We... we beg for mercy, Senior! We were blind! We offended Senior! Spare us!" The scarred man reacted quickly, kowtowing on the ground repeatedly, his voice trembling with a sobbing tone. The other cultivator also quickly knelt, kowtowing endlessly.
Xiao Qi looked at their bully-the-weak ugly spectacle, his heart had little ripples, only finding it somewhat boring. He waved his hand, a gentle force pushing the two men several zhang away.
"Get lost."
One word, like an imperial decree. The scarred man and his companion felt as if pardoned. They scrambled to pick up their unconscious companion, fled into the mountain forest without looking back, disappearing instantly.
Xiao Qi shook his head and continued. This was merely a small interlude on the long journey, not even qualifying for him to use his real strength. But he also understood that the closer to the Central Plains core, the stronger the average cultivators encountered would be, and similar situations would probably not be rare.
He was not afraid of challenges; instead, he somewhat looked forward to them. Only by clashing with stronger opponents could he better temper himself.
Sun rose and moon set. Time passed.
Xiao Qi traveled east all the way, passing through prosperous towns, crossing barren deserts, fording rushing great rivers. He witnessed different regional customs, felt the intricate entanglements of various cultivation forces, and also conveniently resolved several unjust matters, saving some weak ones who were being bullied.
He did not deliberately hurry. Sometimes he would stay on a mountain peak with decent spiritual energy for several days, meditating and comprehending. Sometimes he would enter mortal towns, tasting local delicacies, listening to storytellers narrate bizarre stories. Sometimes he would mix into markets where rogue cultivators gathered, trading some interesting gadgets, or listening to the latest cultivation world news.
Rumors about Tian Shu City and the Asking the Way of All Things Assembly also increasingly reached his ears. Each time he heard them, his longing for that legendary place grew, and his goal became more resolute.
Tian Shu City, gathering the world's talents, hiding limitless fortune. There were the most ancient inheritances, the fiercest competition, the top geniuses, and the opportunities to break through to Spirit Transformation, even to pursue the supreme Dao of even higher realms.
His road was long, ahead unknown, perhaps with thorns, perhaps hiding dangers. But his heart was bright as a mirror, his will like a whetstone.
The destination was already locked: Tian Shu City.
He adjusted the somewhat sleepy rabbit spirit on his shoulder, his gaze piercing through mountains and waters, as if already seeing that ancient metropolis standing beneath the starry sky, carrying countless legends and dreams.
Then, he again stepped forward, resolute and unwavering, heading east, toward that place where light gathered.