Waking up in the morning.
Feng Qi leaned on the balcony, holding a cup of Fruit Spirit Liquid, overlooking the city below.
The central area of Elf City was wrapped in a misty rain. Dew clung to the intertwined vines and leaves along the balcony edge, and the air was crisp and fresh.
It had been a month and a half since he arrived in Elf City.
During this time, he accepted the Elf King's invitation, teaching cultivation techniques focused on body refinement to the human geniuses the Elf King had selected. These individuals would eventually spread these techniques throughout the city.
He had also thought about teaching cultivation research to the humans in the Central Region.
After all, teaching someone how to fish was better than just giving them fish. If they learned how to study cultivation techniques, the humans here could build on what he taught and create a path more suited to them.
But thinking it through, teaching cultivation research wasn't easy.
Humans in the Eastern Region had spent five hundred years laying the groundwork, developing supporting theories and various equipment, like cultivation simulation devices, and more.
They had paid a heavy price to open the path of cultivation science.
Humans in the Central Region had none of these.
He felt the best way for them to move forward would be to establish a spatial corridor with cities in the Eastern Region and form stable cooperation.
There was no need for the Central Region to repeat the mistakes the Eastern Region made.
After all this teaching, about one-third of the body refinement techniques had already been passed on, and the human geniuses chosen by the Elf King were indeed talented. Even without any background in cultivation theory, they had quickly grasped the core of his lessons.
In less than a month, they would fully learn what he had taught.
As for how long it would take them to master it, Feng Qi didn't need to worry. Practice would take care of that.
He decided that once the body refinement course was finished, he'd be leaving.
Next, he planned to visit An Mu City, then continue heading west.
His cultivation for the God Ascension Challenge wasn't over. Honestly, it was just beginning. His future didn't belong in Elf City.
But coming here had been worth it.
He had solved a mystery that had puzzled humans in the Eastern Region for hundreds of years.
The human civilization in the Central Region still existed.
It wasn't destroyed and left in ruins like scholars had guessed.
Through a perhaps unreliable alliance with the elves, this place had developed elven technology. The quality of life here was high, and their overall strength wasn't weaker than any nearby race.
Living here, Feng Qi had already marked the Central Region as a key area for future contact and cooperation.
Though behind this civilization's surface, there were many hidden dangers.
But who could predict the future?
Now that the seed of cultivation had been planted, he'd have to wait fifteen hundred years to see how it all turned out.
After finishing his Fruit Spirit Liquid, he turned back into the room.
Inside, Po Jia was already awake, meditating, while the others were still asleep.
When it came to weird sleeping positions, Xiao You took the prize.
Her body was as soft as a noodle, hanging from a ceiling fan by her waist, both her front and back halves drooping down, slowly spinning in the air. Her straw hat had fallen off, and her silky hair hung loose.
His eyes shifted to the couch. Lei Ting was curled up in a corner, butt in the air, his face bright red—clearly drunk again.
Ever since trying the fruit wine in Elf City, this guy, despite being hundreds of years old mentally, had fallen in love with being drunk. Maybe he felt that being drunk helped him forget the burdens he carried.
Taihang was the same, often drinking with Lei Ting.
Behind their cheerful moments was a sadness too deep for words.
So Feng Qi often thought that Xiao You's carefree attitude was the truest form of happiness. For her, growing up might actually be a kind of suffering, which was why he never forced her to train or study.
The purest things were the rarest in this harsh, survival-of-the-fittest world.
It had nothing to do with age.
In comparison, Po Jia, who was younger than Xiao You, seemed way more mature.
But that maturity had come from pain.
So Xiao You's silly, carefree life was something Feng Qi couldn't bear to break.
Maybe feeling his gaze, Xiao You suddenly lifted her head.
"Boss."
Feng Qi was long used to her sudden outbursts. He nodded calmly.
Then Xiao You floated down from the spinning fan, picked up her fallen straw hat from beside the couch, and popped it back on. She then pulled out a glowing blue bracelet from her storage space, dropped to one knee, and raised it over her head like a treasure.
"Boss, this is something I got recently. Take a look!"
Hearing that, Feng Qi couldn't help but sweat a little inside.
When Xiao You got serious, she really looked like a silly fool.
He took the bracelet from Xiao You and started examining it closely.
The bracelet was woven from energy, a clear blue all over, with faint silver light flickering inside.
His consciousness extended into the bracelet. As his awareness passed through layers of energy mist, the space inside the bracelet appeared.
It was a small space of about three cubic meters.
Pulling his sight back from the space, Feng Qi looked at Xiao You's face, which practically screamed "Hurry up and praise me," and smiled as he reached out to rub her head.
"Nice, you've made great progress."
Hearing his praise, Xiao You naturally stood up, hands on her hips, tilting her head up with a smug grin.
"Ehehe."
Looking down again at the blue bracelet in his hand, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel something.
He had once given Xiao You a task—to make a spatial bracelet for everyone in the group.
But for this task, Xiao You would just slack off most of the time, and only when she suddenly felt like it would she work for a few minutes.
Normally, it took Xiao You three to six months to make one bracelet, depending on the complexity of the internal structure.
The one he was holding now had taken Xiao You three years to finish.
She had really mastered the art of slacking off.
Who knew how long it would take for her to make one for everyone in the group?
Feng Qi didn't push her about it though. He just let her do it whenever she felt like it.
No doubt, Xiao You's abilities were steadily improving as she absorbed more of her inherited memories.
The spatial items she first made had tiny internal spaces, but now she could make one with three cubic meters—that was a big leap.
So when it was time to praise her, he didn't hold back.
Xiao You was like a child who'd never grow up. A bit of praise could really make her happy.
Watching her fluttering around in joy, Feng Qi walked over to the couch and sat down, pressing a button on the plant spirit beside it.
The plant spirit immediately bloomed, releasing a mist of energy into the air, which soon formed a virtual projection.
Multiple small screens appeared in the projection, each showing a figure.
It was time. The students learning body refinement techniques were already prepared.
Next was Feng Qi's teaching session.
His body refinement class was split into two parts: theory and practice.
The practical lessons were held at the central battle plaza in Elf City, where he'd spar with students and correct their mistakes on the spot.
As for theory, he always taught those through the elf network.
Over the next month, Feng Qi passed on all his knowledge of body refinement to the talented students chosen by the Elf King, through both theory and practice.
During this time, with his permission, the Elf King sent a professional to record his lessons using visual data flowers.
After he left, even if the students had problems, they could review the recordings to find answers.
Parting always comes.
After the final class, Feng Qi decided it was time to go.
Elf City was just one stop on his journey to challenge the God Ascension, not the end.
He had a long way to go.
For the version of him on the sacrificial timeline, every area and domain field he explored was just another stop on his journey.
For the him in the main timeline, every experience on a sacrificial line was a step toward the future.
The day he planned to leave, Feng Qi called Xie Yuanli, who had taken good care of him since he entered the city, and thanked him over the phone.
After hanging up, Feng Qi took Xiao You and the others downstairs.
Before leaving, he filled his spatial bracelet with food from Elf City.
Though it wouldn't last him the whole journey, it would cover him for a while.
Enjoying good food was one of Feng Qi's few hobbies.
After leaving Star City, he'd eaten plenty of delicious meals on his travels, but more often he'd encountered awful food.
A lot of food from domain fields couldn't be eaten.
Like in the Bone Domain Field, full of deathly energy, neither the creatures nor the plants were edible. So having some backup food was never a bad idea—it could even save lives in critical moments.
He stepped out of the residential building into a misty rain.
It was clear the Weather Tree had sensed the dryness in the air of Elf City's central area and adjusted the weather—a normal thing here.
Before leaving for good, he decided to visit the Elf King one last time.
After telling the Elf King he was leaving, the Elf King invited him for a final meeting before parting.
Feng Qi didn't refuse.
He didn't know if they'd be friends or enemies in the future, but deep down he hoped the Elf King would keep moving forward with humanity.
From a young age, everything he learned told him that humans couldn't coexist with domain creatures.
But the Elf King was the first domain creature he met that gave him a good feeling right from the start.
Setting aside the uncertain future, at least for now, the Elf King brought prosperity and stability to humanity.
In this brutal, competitive world, prosperity and stability were exactly what was lacking.
Compared to the Eastern Region, the quality of life for humans here in the Central Region was much better.
It was also because of the Elf King that human civilization in the Central Region had survived. At least from this angle, he had to thank the Elf King for preserving the spark of human civilization here.
As night fell over the land, he once again stood before the Elf King.
Looking at the Elf King's massive golden trunk, he felt a kind of visual shock, like facing a towering mountain.
The swaying branches scattered countless golden spiritual energy, and the energy here was incredibly dense.
It seemed the Elf King sensed his arrival. The golden light particles in the air gathered together, forming a staircase of energy leading up to a golden platform.
Feng Qi didn't hesitate and walked up the staircase.
Soon, he arrived at the golden energy platform.
The scene around him shifted again, and he found himself in the familiar golden space—the inner space of the Elf King.
He walked a few steps forward and sat down in front of the stone table as an elder figure appeared not far away. Picking up the tea and drinking it all in one go, Feng Qi looked up and asked:
"Elf King, I've completed your task. Why did you ask me here?"
"Guest from afar, thank you for everything you've done. Before you leave, I want to give you a gift. Maybe even two."
"What kind of gift?" Feng Qi's face showed curiosity.
The Elf King's manifested figure opened his palm, revealing a small branch.
"What's this?"
"A part of my source power. It holds immense life force and can save your life in a critical moment."
Hearing that, Feng Qi couldn't help but wonder if there was some hidden trap in this gift.
After all, he had seen too many dark schemes.
Eavesdropping, infiltration, manipulation—domain creatures had endless tricks up their sleeves.
Even though he had doubts, he still took the golden branch without hesitation.
As his awareness probed it, the branch in his hand seemed to burn with blazing flames inside. The surging life force was brewing within, ready to burst out at any moment.
Just like the Elf King said, this branch's life force really could save his life when it mattered most.
From what he could sense, there was nothing unusual about the golden branch.
He looked at the Elf King and said:
"Thanks."
The Elf King nodded kindly, then smiled:
"There's another gift, but this one is a bit special. It's up to you whether to accept it."
"What kind of gift?" Feng Qi was curious.
"Elf Seed."
As he spoke, the Elf King opened his other hand, and in his palm lay a golden seed glowing with light.
The seed seemed alive, breathing, and golden liquid flowed over its surface, expanding and contracting rhythmically.
"You mean you want to give me this Elf Seed, and have me plant it in my body like the humans in the Central Region?"
"Your body is different from theirs. Your physique is incredibly strong, and you can easily handle the side effects of the Elf Seed's assimilation. For you, the Elf Seed only has benefits, no harm at all."
Feng Qi was stunned.
But thinking carefully, he realized the Elf King was right.
The problem with the Elf Seed was that the bodies of Central Region humans couldn't keep up with its growth, leading to assimilation. But during the period they could handle it, the Elf Seed only brought benefits.
His current physical strength could be seen from the weight of his Demon Blade.
Just by physique alone, he felt that even Lei Tingclap at his peak might not be a match for him.
With his strength, planting the Elf Seed wouldn't cause any issues.
As he continued his God Ascension Challenge, his body would keep pushing past limits, growing to unimaginable heights.
The potential side effects of the Elf Seed could be ignored.
Looking at the golden seed in the Elf King's hand, Feng Qi was tempted.
This was clearly a shortcut to boost his strength.
As for any hidden dangers, he wasn't too worried.
The last thing he feared was being taken over. The Sea of Negative Emotions in his mind was his biggest headache, but also his strongest shield. If one couldn't cross that sea, they couldn't take over his body.
After weighing the pros and cons, he looked up at the Elf King and smiled calmly:
"This is a good gift. I like it."
"You're not worried this seed has problems?" the Elf King asked, surprised.
"Like you said, this seed can never surpass me. What's there to worry about?"
Seeing Feng Qi grin, the Elf King couldn't help but laugh along.