"I am Aina, the Fifth Artifact Spirit of Starhail Pass in the Great Ye Dynasty. Welcome, ascended ones."
"Great Ye is a nation that values peace and hospitality. Aina will provide all of you with comfortable and warm accommodations for free."
Beneath the vast starry sky, a woman in a flowing silver-white dress walked gracefully upon the starlight.
Her eyes were gentle and filled with intelligence, her skin smooth as jade, radiating a warm glow.
A kind smile adorned her face, exuding a maternal aura. Her soft voice carried a soothing effect, as if meant to ease the fatigue of weary travelers.
"Please follow my guidance and steer your Realm Vessel to the designated location. To avoid unexpected disturbances from sudden surges in Spiritual Qi, please deactivate your vessel's defensive and weapon formations."
"I am—"
"Alright, let's skip this part." Zhao Xing spoke casually, interrupting Aina's repeated introduction in the language of the Ancient Yuanhai Kingdom.
The Fifth Artifact Spirit, Aina, had been deliberately designed to appear as a woman.
This was a psychological tactic to lower the vigilance of arriving visitors.
Her appearance and words were part of an advanced screening protocol specifically designed for ascended ones from the Barren Domain.
Some cultivators from the Universal Domain ventured into the Barren Domain to explore, and occasionally, some perished. In rare cases, native ascendants might stumble upon cosmic knowledge or even salvage a fallen powerhouse's vessel.
This screening system was in place to identify those who had limited knowledge of the cosmic order—those who knew a bit, but not too much.
Since Zhao Xing and Purple Bone arrived in a Puta-class vessel, which was unmistakably a cosmic vessel, Aina followed her programmed procedure.
The request to move to a specific location and disable the ship's defenses and weapon formations was simply a trap to kill off naive ascended ones.
After all, even a child wielding a machine gun could be deadly.
However, this trick could only fool uninformed natives.
It wouldn't even deceive Purple Bone, let alone Zhao Xing.
When Zhao Xing interrupted her, Aina's expression immediately changed—her warm facade vanished.
The silver glow of her dress retracted, transforming into a battle suit. Her expression became cold and detached, her voice turning mechanical.
"State your identity."
"Purple Divine Mansion."
The moment those words were spoken, ripples spread across the screen, and Aina's stern expression softened slightly.
"So, you are from Purple Divine Mansion. Please provide your entry identification code." She immediately searched her database for the Puta-class vessel's departure records.
Zhao Xing glanced at Purple Bone, who swiftly operated the console and transmitted the identification code.
A moment of silence followed—three seconds passed.
Even the image on the screen disappeared.
Purple Bone felt slightly uneasy, while the others grew increasingly tense, holding their breath.
They dared not utter a word, afraid they might make things worse.
Zhao Xing, however, grew impatient and scowled. "Hurry it up! Stop wasting my damn time!"
"Please calm down, sir." Aina quickly reappeared. "The Puta-class vessel's identification code is too old—it has exceeded one cosmic epoch. I require additional time for verification."
Even a First Origin Realm cultivator had a lifespan of merely one epoch.
During this period, Starhail Pass's commanding officers had already changed several times.
Thus, retrieving records did indeed take time—Aina wasn't intentionally delaying them.
Starhail Pass - Fifth Stellar Fortress
This fortress was located on a small ring-shaped star continent.
The Great Ye Dynasty had employed Earthly Bureaucrats of the Ancient Yuanhai Kingdom's Third Realm to assemble this ring-shaped landmass.
The massive star ring was embedded within the cosmos, acting as an origin of geomantic veins. It had two main functions:
Acceleration Mechanism
It allowed the defensive forces of Starhail Pass to travel instantly across the battlefield, reaching any part of the pass within moments.
It could also accelerate meteors and formations, launching them at terrifying speeds to annihilate enemies outside the pass.
Barrier Against the Void River
Half of the ring-shaped continent extended into the Void River, acting as a dam or a barrier.
Larger Realm Vessels could not utilize the Void River's acceleration currents to enter Starhail Pass.
While individuals could pass through, if a Second Origin Realm or Third Origin Realm cultivator tried to cross the border on foot just to avoid paying the passage toll, the Great Ye Dynasty was willing to turn a blind eye.
Atop the Fifth Star Continent, the commander on duty was Nalan De.
He was a mid-stage Second Origin Realm cultivator.
The defensive front of Starhail Pass was vast, and many other Void Realm cultivators like Nalan De patrolled the area.
However, within the Fifth Stellar Fortress, Nalan De was the highest-ranking officer.
Inside a cultivation dojo, Nalan De was speaking with a young man clad in silver armor, wielding a warblade.
"Hao'er, how long have you been stationed at the border under my command?"
The young man, Nalan Hao, respectfully replied, "Uncle, I have been executing the family's mission at the border for five thousand six hundred and twenty-two years."
"Hmm. Show me two of your blade techniques." Nalan De nodded.
"Yes!" Nalan Hao acknowledged the request and immediately demonstrated his proudest saber arts within the dojo.
The gleaming arcs of saber light crisscrossed the training ground, forming eight whirling vortexes of sword energy.
"That's enough."
Nalan Hao stopped and returned to his uncle's side. "Please, Uncle, provide your guidance."
"Not bad," Nalan De smiled. "You are only fifteen thousand years old, yet you have already reached mid-stage First Origin Realm. You've cultivated our family's blade techniques to the third level, and your slashes are like the morning sun's first light. Among our family's younger generation, you are among the finest."
"Uncle is too kind." Nalan Hao remained humble on the surface, but inwardly, he was rather pleased.
For a First Origin Realm cultivator, achieving the speed of Sunlight Saber usually required reaching the late stage of the realm.
Yet, he had already mastered it in the mid-stage.
"Your progress at Starhail Pass has been impressive," Nalan De continued. "Once you complete your mission and return to the Inner Territories, you'll enter a period of rapid growth."
"You have a good chance of reaching Second Origin Realm within one hundred thousand years."
Compared to the Inner Territories, Starhail Pass had low Spiritual Qi concentration and its Dao Origin energy was weaker.
Since Nalan Hao had already broken through to Origin Realm at the border, his potential would further unlock once he returned to a more spiritually rich star system.
Of course, this latent potential only increased his chances of breaking into the Second Origin Realm within a hundred thousand years.
"One hundred thousand years? Uncle, you're underestimating me."
Nalan Hao scoffed inwardly at his uncle's words. He believed Nalan De had underestimated him, but he dared not voice his disagreement.
"If you can step into the Second Origin Realm within one hundred thousand years, the family will invest heavily in you and help you develop a minor divine ability for your physical body. With that, you'll be able to join the major powers of the Ancient Yuanhai Kingdom, such as Purple Divine Mansion or the Martial God Temple."
"As long as you can gain entry into one of those great factions, there's a high chance you can reach the Third Origin Realm within two cosmic epochs. If you break through within a single epoch, you will be the family's sole heir." Nalan De looked at his nephew with expectation.
"Yes, Uncle. I will give it my all!" Nalan Hao's eyes burned with ambition.
In the Great Ye Dynasty, reaching the Third Origin Realm meant becoming a true powerhouse.
If he could achieve that within one cosmic epoch, it would signify immense potential—enough to master great divine abilities. Even the Emperor of the Great Ye Dynasty would have to treat him with utmost respect. At that level, he would undoubtedly become the family's sole successor.
Of course, achieving this was no easy feat.
He was currently only at the First Origin Realm, at the initial stage of Source Birth. He had just begun exploring the hidden treasures of his physical body. He hadn't even grasped the fundamentals of void traversal, a hallmark of the Second Origin Realm, let alone the divine abilities exclusive to the Third Origin Realm.
Just as the two were lost in their grand aspirations—
"Buzz—"
A round jade disk on Nalan De's waist suddenly vibrated. A holographic projection emerged, displaying none other than Aina, the Fifth Artifact Spirit.
"Nalan De." Aina's voice was steady.
"Lord Aina." Nalan Hao immediately bowed respectfully.
In Starhail Pass, artifact spirits possessed consciousness and held higher status than him.
After all, Aina was created by a Third Origin Realm Mechanist to oversee Starhail Pass. She could mobilize thousands of automaton warriors at the Source Birth level, making killing Nalan Hao as easy as flipping her hand.
"Lord Nalan, a Realm Vessel from Purple Divine Mansion has appeared outside the pass."
"Purple Divine Mansion?" Nalan De raised an eyebrow. He had just been talking about the Purple Divine Mansion with his nephew, and now, one of their ships had shown up?
Aina continued, "According to my database, this Realm Vessel is called the Puta. It belongs to Puta of the Purple Divine Mansion and is accompanied by Qing Yuzi and Fairy Su. Aside from Puta, the other two are Second Origin Realm cultivators."
"But there is something unusual. Based on its identification code, this vessel has been outside the pass for over 1.2 cosmic epochs."
"1.2 cosmic epochs?!"
Nalan De immediately understood the implications.
The maximum lifespan of a Second Origin Realm cultivator was two cosmic epochs at best.
If this Puta-class Realm Vessel had been outside the pass for 1.2 epochs, then its passengers had spent more than half their lifetimes in the Barren Domain.
By all definitions, they should be classified as missing persons.
"Oh? Aina, do you suspect that the Puta has fallen into the hands of Barren Domain natives? That someone simply picked it up?" Nalan De immediately considered this possibility.
"It remains uncertain. The negotiations are still ongoing. Here are the interaction logs so far."
Aina transmitted the records of her conversation with Zhao Xing and his companions.
The logs included Zhao Xing abruptly interrupting Aina, his impatient responses, and his dismissive attitude toward the identification verification process.
Nalan De's eyes narrowed.
"Doesn't seem like a native."
Typically, Barren Domain natives would respond with extreme caution, carefully selecting their words.
But this person?
He displayed frustration and impatience—not the timid, reverential behavior expected from someone unfamiliar with cosmic law.
"Aina, escort their ship inside the pass," Nalan De instructed. "Also, connect me to them. I want to gauge their reaction myself."
If he detected any anomalies during the conversation, he would immediately halt the ship's entry—and, if necessary, destroy it outright.
But if nothing seemed amiss, then a Second Origin Realm commander like him had every right to question them upon entry.
This was routine protocol.
Even members of the Purple Divine Mansion wouldn't fault him for conducting a simple inquiry.
After all, he was also a Second Origin Realm cultivator—he had the authority to exchange pleasantries with returning figures.
The real test lay in how the next conversation unfolded.
"Understood. Establishing connection now."
Though it seemed like a lengthy discussion, in reality, Aina had contacted Nalan De, relayed the information, and connected the communication link all within a minute or two.
Inside the Puta-class Realm Vessel—
The display screen inside the ship flickered, and the image of Aina disappeared.
In her place, a new figure appeared—
Nalan De, commander of the Fifth Stellar Fortress of Starhail Pass.
"I am Nalan De, Fifth Star General of Starhail Pass. Welcome back, esteemed cultivators of the Purple Divine Mansion."
His expression was warm and composed.
"Given that the Puta-class vessel has been away for an extraordinarily long time, I hope you don't mind me asking for a brief conversation before you enter. Would the three of you honor me with some time to discuss the Dao?"
At that moment, the atmosphere within the ship grew tense.
Purple Bone's muscles stiffened.
The rest of the crew felt their hearts lurch into their throats.
Previously, they had been watching the interaction with Aina, but their own images hadn't been displayed.
Now, Nalan De was requesting a face-to-face discussion?!
Wouldn't this expose them?!
But Zhao Xing remained composed.
This was completely expected.
After all, Qing Yuzi and Fairy Su had been missing for over a cosmic epoch—their return was bound to draw attention.
A "Dao discussion" was merely an excuse. It was an effective test to verify their identities.
Zhao Xing chuckled.
"Haha, under normal circumstances, a mere Star General wouldn't be worthy of my time, let alone a Dao exchange."
His voice suddenly turned hoarse and aged, imbued with an ancient authority.
"But your Great Ye Dynasty has faithfully guarded the frontiers of the Ancient Yuanhai Kingdom for ages. While you may not have earned merit, you've certainly endured hardships."
"Very well."
"I shall grant you some guidance."
Nalan De showed no signs of displeasure.
In fact, he found this reaction reasonable.
Among the three passengers aboard the Puta, the eldest—Qing Yuzi—had likely already reached the Third Origin Realm.
Back then, Qing Yuzi had been a Second Origin Realm genius. After an entire epoch, his advancement was only natural.
If he had indeed reached the Third Origin Realm, then condescending remarks toward a mere Second Origin Realm cultivator like himself were expected.
Meanwhile, Purple Bone was utterly stunned.
Big Brother… you really know how to act!
You're only at the Dao Establishment Realm, yet you dare to lecture a Second Origin Realm commander?!
But when Purple Bone turned to look, he saw that Zhao Xing had already transformed his appearance—his features shifting into Qing Yuzi's likeness.
His voice, too, had changed, now carrying the weight of years of experience.
Zhao Xing subtly motioned for Purple Bone to assume the form of Puta—and to stay silent for the remainder of the conversation.
Purple Bone obediently followed suit.
The screen connection solidified.
The true test was about to begin.
As Zhao Xing, now transformed into Qing Yuzi, appeared before Nalan De, the latter's suspicion was already easing.
Anyone daring to accept his challenge for a Dao discussion was unlikely to be a Barren Domain native—after all, a native would have slipped up immediately.
With a respectful bow, Nalan De's tone also changed, "Nalan De thanks Lord Qing Yuzi in advance. The Starhail Pass is now guiding the vessel's entry. I ask that all passengers below the Source Birth Realm enter the safety cabin to avoid any accidents."
"Hmm." Zhao Xing didn't even raise his hand, only letting out a faint response.
At that moment, the two earth veins within the Starhail Pass emitted a faint glow, the light stretching across the void and reaching the Puta-class Realm Vessel where Zhao Xing and his group were.
Originally, the Puta had been moving at low speed before its entry. At this pace, it would have taken ten to twenty years to reach its destination.
However, thanks to the Starhail Pass's starry sky array, a dedicated channel was instantly established in the void.
It was akin to creating an artificial "river" within the void, pulling the realm vessel inward like a tidal current.
With this, instead of taking years, it would only take three days to reach inside the pass.
The outside scenery blurred, yet Nalan De's figure became increasingly clearer.
He initiated the first round of questioning:
"Lord Qing Yuzi, I have walked the path of a 'Void Martial Artist' and once had the fortune to obtain a fragment of the Void Ancestor's Canon . May I ask if you are familiar with it?"
Zhao Xing raised an eyebrow, showing interest.
"Oh? You have quite the luck. Which chapter of the Void Ancestor's Canon did you obtain? Was it the Reincarnation Chapter, the Primordial Chapter, the Glazed Chapter, or the Moonsea Chapter? At the very least, you must have the Royal Fire Chapter or the Mutual Fire Chapter, no?"
"Are you cultivating the Void Ancestor's Pure Yang Gold Body, or the Void Ancestor's Glazed Gold Body?"
Nalan De froze on the spot.
"...The Void Ancestor's Canon only has the Solar Chapter and Lunar Chapter... since when were there chapters called Mutual Fire and Royal Fire?"
"I've heard of the Void Ancestor's Pure Yang Gold Body. In fact, I cultivate it myself. But... what is this Glazed Gold Body?"
Zhao Xing let out a light chuckle.
Even Purple Bone could understand the meaning behind his expression:
"Bumpkin."
Nalan De also understood instantly.
He suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.
Damn it, I was looked down upon the moment we started talking!
However, Zhao Xing's words soon grabbed his attention.
"The Void Ancestor was born in the heart of the Lingxu Star Domain and was a natural-born Divine Ability Realm cultivator. From birth, he resided on the Solar Star, nurtured by its power."
"Later, upon stepping into the Reincarnation Realm, he created the Gold Body Secret Art, which became known as the Void Ancestor's Gold Body. But sensing that his method was still incomplete, he deliberately re-entered reincarnation to refine it further."
"The Void Ancestor reincarnated nine times. Each time he perished in the starry sky, his body collapsed, his left eye transforming into the Solar Star, and his right eye into the Lunar Star. His hair became the stars, and his breath turned into wind and clouds. As a result, he created countless planetary systems and countless star continents."
"The map of the Void Ancestor's planetary system itself is the method for cultivating the Void Ancestor's Gold Body."
"There are nine planetary systems in the Void Ancestor's domain, considered humanity's supreme treasures. Three are in the Reincarnation Divine Palace, three in the Origin Heaven Palace, and three in the Primordial Hill."
"The top three chapters of his Canon—Primordial, Origin, and Reincarnation—are closely guarded secrets. Ordinary people have never even heard of them."
"The middle three chapters, Great Void, Primeval, and Extinction, are also national treasures of ancient kingdoms."
"Only the bottom three chapters—Pure Yang, Heavenly Yang, and Giant Yang—are publicly circulated. These are known as the Three Yang Gold Body Chapters."
"Even so, the Three Yang Chapters were still too difficult to cultivate, so they were further divided into over twenty sub-chapters—including Primordial Yang, Primordial Yin, Glazed, Giant Cauldron, Sky Demon, Giant Deer, Sky Chef, South Pole, Sky Gate, and so on."
"You claim to have cultivated the Pure Yang Gold Body Chapter, yet you don't even know that the Glazed Gold Body is simply a variation of the Pure Yang Gold Body?"
"Your gold body will never exceed nine thousand zhang in height. At best, as a Second Origin Realm cultivator, you will only be able to undergo three transformations into the Lunar path—never the full six transformations into the Solar path."
"You certainly won't be able to freely switch between the Lunar and Solar transformations, nor achieve the Nine Transformations Yin-Yang Divine Ability."
"The Pure Yang Chapter circulating in the world... the version you bought is probably a cheap counterfeit."
"As a Void Martial Artist, the hidden treasures within your body—you've probably only unlocked 'Sky Chef,' 'South Pole,' and 'Sky Hook' at most. If you're lucky, you might have 'Sky Boat' and 'Great Mausoleum' as well."
"During cultivation, you can probably only stay on the Solar Star for a month at most before your inner world becomes unbearably hot. Am I right?"
Nalan De stood there, utterly dumbfounded.
At first, he didn't think Zhao Xing—or rather, Qing Yuzi—would be particularly knowledgeable on this topic.
After all, Qing Yuzi was just a Shennong, right?
Yet somehow, with just a few words, the man had seemingly seen straight through him—as if he had read his entire cultivation path like an open book!
Not only could he flawlessly recount the Void Ancestor's history, but his breakdown of cultivation techniques and their flaws was terrifyingly precise.
It was almost as if...
He had personally witnessed these ancient secrets!
"Y-Yes! Absolutely correct!" Nalan De stammered.
"Lord Qing Yuzi, I... I can actually only stay on the Solar Star for half a month, and even when cultivating in deep void, I experience the same issue. If I stay too long, I make zero progress, or even regress!"
In that moment, Nalan De's attitude completely shifted.
He no longer addressed Qing Yuzi as a peer—instead, he now called him senior!
"That's because you didn't buy the full version of the Three Yang Chapters," Zhao Xing said casually. "If you were going to cultivate it, why didn't you buy the complete version?"
Nalan De fell silent.
Why?
Obviously because he was broke!
But this response felt too humiliating to say out loud...
It was just like a noble-born cultivator looking down at a commoner—mocking them for not affording a high-end realm vessel while they themselves traveled in a top-grade starlight warship.
That was exactly how Zhao Xing's words sounded to Nalan De's ears right now.
"Senior... I... I wanted to buy the full Void Ancestor's Three Yang Canon, but... the cost was simply too overwhelming..."
As he uttered these words, Nalan De's voice actually trembled.
He felt a rare sense of inferiority.
Like a peasant forced to acknowledge the vast gap between himself and a true aristocrat.
Even Purple Bone and the others could see it—
This was the first time they had ever seen Nalan De look so utterly crushed.
And the way Zhao Xing was playing his role...
Even Purple Bone's jaw nearly fell off in shock.
Big brother... you are too damn good at acting!
A few words, and this Second Origin Realm Star General was feeling self-conscious?
"Why didn't Puta teach me all this?" Purple Bone was filled with envy, convinced that this was knowledge inherited through Qing Yuzi's lineage, passed down to Zhao Xing.
Yun Tiandao, Liu Tianning, and Dong Ze thought the same.
At that moment, Qing Yuzi's legacy seemed even more profound and invaluable.
"Nalan De, how long have you been in the Second Origin Realm?" Zhao Xing smoothly changed the topic.
After all, he couldn't let Nalan De sink too deeply into self-doubt. Everything had its limits—too much, and it would backfire.
"Senior, I have lived for nine hundred ninety-eight thousand years, and I have been in the Second Origin Realm for over sixty thousand years. It was only after breaking into this realm that I was stationed here as a gatekeeper, a small benefit granted by my family," Nalan De answered honestly.
"Not even a full era yet. You still have a chance to break into the Third Origin Realm," Zhao Xing's voice softened slightly.
Nalan De noticed the shift and felt unexpectedly touched.
That was just how people were.
When the weak tried to cozy up to someone powerful, they were met with disdain.
But when someone strong offered even the smallest encouragement, it felt like a great honor.
"Thank you, Senior. But... I only own a little over thirty realm stars, and their quality isn't great. To support my cultivation to the Third Origin Realm, I fear it is beyond my reach in this lifetime." Nalan De sighed.
He was about to live past an entire era, and after nearly a million years, he had barely reached the Second Origin Realm.
At his age, his life was already halfway over.
No major faction would bother investing in him. If he forced his way into a powerful sect, he would only be a marginal figure at best.
He had also long lost the ambition to seek adventure. His path was already set in stone—the Second Origin Realm would be his final destination.
Even Purple Bone, Yun Tiandao, and the others exchanged strange glances.
Wasn't Nalan De supposed to be interrogating them?
How did this turn into him revealing his entire background instead?
Wait, hold on—
This Second Origin Realm cultivator actually owned more than thirty realm stars?
And he still considered himself poor?
The people in the cabin were completely dumbfounded.
But Zhao Xing's response was even more ridiculous:
"Thirty realm stars is a bit low, but you don't necessarily have to rely solely on wealth to break into the Third Origin Realm."
"The path of a Void Martial Artist requires you to travel extensively, to experience the Fortune of different regions, and to understand how the void interacts with various origins."
"If you remain in a stable border region like this, you'll struggle to make any real progress."
"Senior is absolutely right." Nalan De smiled bitterly.
"I've always wanted to visit the Void Ancestor's planetary system, but even the nearest one is beyond an ancient kingdom. My family has entrusted me with responsibilities, and I cannot easily leave."
"Senior dares to explore the Barren Domain, while I lack the courage even to attempt it."
Hearing these words, Nalan De suddenly felt depressed.
"I won't disturb Senior's rest any further. If you need any repairs or supplies after entering the pass, I would be honored to be at your service."
At this point, he didn't even want to ask more questions.
The more he asked, the more frustrated he felt.
He wasn't looking for guidance for himself—but perhaps he could secure an opportunity for his nephew.
However, since this conversation had already served its purpose as an informal evaluation, he decided it was best not to prolong it unnecessarily.
During official duties, one shouldn't flatter too much.
Nalan De guessed that Zhao Xing would likely rest after entering the pass, so there would be another chance to approach him again later.
"Mm. I do have some matters to handle, but we'll talk about it once I enter the pass." Zhao Xing replied casually before cutting off the communication.
Inside the Starhail Pass, Nalan De let out a deep sigh.
"The gap between people is truly as vast as the heavens and the earth. I casually asked a question and only now learned that the Void Ancestor's Secret Arts have so many variations."
"Uncle, this Senior knows so much."
This came from Nalan Hao, who was also a Void Martial Artist.
Naturally, he cultivated one of the Void Ancestor's Gold Body techniques.
The Nalan Clan couldn't afford multiple rare secret arts.
They only bought one, and it became the family's core inheritance.
"Of course." Nalan De nodded.
"The Purple Divine Mansion is a major faction within an ancient kingdom.
Ancient kingdoms have existed for countless years, and these great sects have existed just as long. Naturally, they possess incredible knowledge."
"Unlike our Great Ye Dynasty, which has only existed for five eras."
"Hao'er, later, I will seek out this Senior again.
If there is an opportunity, I will ask him to guide you."
"If you can catch his attention, even if I have to give up all my realm stars, it would be worth it.
But... I fear that my wealth is insignificant to him."
Little did Nalan De know—
The people on Zhao Xing's side were even poorer than he was.
If they knew Nalan De wanted to offer them treasures, they would probably find it hilarious.
For now, though, they only felt relieved.
Relieved that Zhao Xing had handled the conversation.
If it had been anyone else, they might not have passed the test so easily.
There were too many traps in this exchange.
A single misstep, and they would have been exposed.
"Qing Yuzi is in the Second Origin Realm, and so is Nalan De.
But the difference between an ancient kingdom and a dynasty is this vast?"
Yun Tiandao thought back on the entire conversation.
He realized that Nalan De had seemed completely inferior.
He even thought that thirty-something realm stars were nothing in Qing Yuzi's eyes.
Zhao Xing calmly explained:
"Ancient kingdoms follow the 'Thirty-Three Spiritual Crystal Theory'."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that the lower-tier cultivators in an ancient kingdom can earn about thirty-three spiritual crystals per year.
But the kingdom's taxes, cultivation resources, and various necessities are intentionally adjusted so that their yearly expenses always total at least thirty-six spiritual crystals."
"As a result, these ordinary cultivators are constantly in debt.
They never truly starve, but they can never accumulate wealth either.
This makes it easier for ancient kingdoms to control dynasty-level cultivators."
"Of course, Second Origin Realm cultivators don't count as the lowest tier, nor do Ascending Realm cultivators.
However, even the powerful clans of dynasties must provide for their family members, ensuring their growth and development.
So in the end, they also suffer from slow wealth accumulation."
"In a dynasty like Great Ye, Nalan De's family is probably considered well-off."
"But a Second Origin Realm cultivator with only thirty-three realm stars?
That's actually considered poor."
"Most likely, his realm stars have no special resources, just modified worlds used for basic survival."
Zhao Xing thought for a moment and said, "From here on, we should be relatively safe. Once we pass through the checkpoint, we can immediately send a message to Purple Divine Mansion."
"Purple Bone, as long as Zero-One connects to the Great Ye Dynasty's communication system, it should be able to send messages over long distances, right?"
"Yes, big brother. Zero-One said that as long as we pass through the checkpoint, it can send a message to Purple Divine Mansion." Purple Bone nodded obediently. "By using the Great Ye Dynasty's communication system, the Purple Divine Mansion will definitely receive it."
"As long as they get the message, then ninety-nine percent of our worries will be gone." Zhao Xing smiled. "Once Purple Divine Mansion knows about this, even if we get exposed, the Great Ye Dynasty won't dare to touch us."
Judging from Nalan De's attitude, the Purple Divine Mansion was a massive force in the eyes of the Great Ye Dynasty, something they absolutely couldn't afford to offend.
If the message didn't get through before they entered the checkpoint, then killing them for their treasures was a possibility.
But once they were inside the checkpoint and the message was out, even with a hundred times the courage, they wouldn't dare.
Otherwise, the disaster that would befall them would be catastrophic.
Of course, there was still a tiny chance of unexpected danger, but those were rare outliers, so there was no point worrying about them.
Overall, using the Purple Divine Mansion's name to pass through the checkpoint significantly reduced the risk.
And even in the worst-case scenario, if they encountered a particularly cautious enemy, even if that person discovered their true identities, they would hesitate—because killing a native inheritor could lead Purple Divine Mansion to trace them through cause and effect calculations.
Without carrying treasures from the Xuanhuang Realm, would the risk of acting against them be worth it? That was something they would have to carefully consider.
Of course, the situation now was even better—they hadn't been exposed at all.
Three days later, the flying vessel passed through Starhail Pass and landed on Fifth Star Continent.
The moment they arrived, Zhao Xing immediately requested access to the Great Ye Dynasty's communication system.
The request was quickly approved.
Zero-One successfully connected to the Great Ye Dynasty's network and transmitted a message to the distant Purple Divine Star System.
Because it had to pass through multiple star systems, even with multiple relays, the message would still take seven days to reach Purple Divine Mansion.
Since Zhao Xing and his group had no urgent business outside, they didn't leave the ship, choosing instead to wait on board for a response.
Nalan De also understood that "Qing Yuzi" and his group had just returned and must have a lot of matters to handle—most importantly, reestablishing contact with Purple Divine Mansion.
So during those seven days, he was smart enough not to disturb them.
It seemed that fate favored the Great Zhou, as their ten-man team had a smooth passage through the checkpoint.
And, miraculously, it only took ten days for them to establish contact with Purple Divine Mansion.
On the evening of the tenth day, Nalan De personally piloted a small flying vessel and delivered a large communication device to them.
"Senior, this is a Light Matrix Communicator. There are only seven of these in the entire Starhail Pass, and I've arranged for one to be sent to you."
"With this, you can communicate with Purple Divine Mansion in real-time, with only a one-hundred-eighty breath delay."
A three-minute delay was impressive, considering the transmission had to cross multiple star systems.
Zhao Xing immediately had one of his avatars transform into Qing Yuzi's form and personally retrieve the device.
Since everyone already assumed he was Qing Yuzi, and since this avatar was only at the Ascending Realm, Nalan De didn't find anything unusual.
After delivering the device, Nalan De racked his brain, wondering if there was anything else he could do to curry favor with Purple Divine Mansion.
Inside the realm vessel, Purple Bone immediately began operating the Light Matrix Communicator.
"Zzzzz~~"
"Hiss~~"
After a moment of static and distortion, the large device finally activated.
"Buzz~~"
A figure appeared in the realm vessel—an elderly man in a flowing purple robe, exuding an immortal aura.
"Qing Yuzi, Puta, you're finally back."
The purple-robed elder spoke first, his voice carrying a hint of relief.
"I thought something terrible had happened to you two."
This person was undoubtedly the Lord of Purple Divine Mansion, Qing Yuzi's teacher.
However, he was not the master of Puta and Su Xianzi.
The moment Zhao Xing saw him, he immediately reverted to his original appearance and respectfully saluted.
"Junior Zhao Xing, greets Lord of Purple Divine Mansion."
After the delay, the Purple Divine Mansion Lord's expression suddenly changed.
"You're not Qing Yuzi."
"And you're not Puta either."
"But Zero-One is in your hands. What is going on?!"
"Where are my disciples?!"
The elder's voice carried a powerful presence, and the pressure of his aura made it clear that he was extremely displeased.
However, Zhao Xing remained calm and composed.
"This is a serious matter, Senior."
"It's difficult to explain everything in just a few words."
"Currently, we cannot reveal our identities."
"And we lack the means to pilot a vessel and travel directly to Purple Divine Mansion."
"Thus, we humbly request for you to send someone to Starhail Pass to receive us."
The Purple Divine Mansion Lord remained silent for a moment.
Then, his eyes narrowed.
"Five days."
"Give me five days!"
"Five days from now, I will personally arrive at Starhail Pass!"