Still, it was strange—why did the principles behind the Devouring Star Technique from the TV adaptation of "Laughing in the Wind" end up exactly the same as in all the other versions? Shouldn't each story's setup make a difference in the details?
He shook his head and opened his eyes. In the end, he was just curious. No matter how the Devouring Star Technique was supposed to work, it didn't really matter. Gravity was part of nature, after all. If he wanted to absorb spiritual energy faster, he could just channel it into his body directly.
There might be some differences in the effect, but the basics weren't that different.
Not that it really mattered—he was already getting stronger at an incredible pace. Following some old "secret manual" could even slow him down.
It's like a superhero who becomes a god but still relies on their transformation device—sometimes, the device just holds them back.
Honestly, rather than worrying about himself, Brandon was more interested in creating a universal technique that could speed up cultivation for everyone. Thanks to the [Authority of Nature], every time humans or even mutant beasts grew stronger, he got a proportional boost as well. His own growth rate was now tied to the progress of every living thing on Earth.
So really, there was no reason to keep anything secret.
But… it still wasn't that easy.
Maybe he'd just wait until the group chat updated with a new feature—one that could optimize manuals for each world's energy system.
In the group chat…
Invincible East:
"@Child of Nature, does the Devouring Star Technique from my world actually work in yours?"
Invincible East (a.k.a. Dongfang Bai) was curious. Different worlds had different power systems, so she really wanted to know if her world's internal arts could work in Brandon's world—especially now that she'd experienced spiritual energy, which felt like the purest, most refined power of all. Just a single spiritual energy bead had pushed her cultivation up an entire level, taking her straight into the late innate stage. Only her own master could probably defeat her now.
Even the famous Wind Elder from Mount Hua would stand no chance against her after this breakthrough.
She thought back to Linghu Chong. Without this chat group, would she ever have fallen for him? Her expression softened, but she understood why her future self might have loved him.
But now? She wasn't the type to get swept away by romance, not after seeing her own less-than-happy fate in those memory files. Besides, was Linghu Chong even worth it? His heart would probably always belong to his junior sister.
Child of Nature (Brandon):
"Nope, doesn't work. And funny enough, the content's exactly the same as the stuff you can find on the internet."
Child of Nature:
"Probably just a different setting slapped onto the same thing."
Ordinary Group Admin:
"Wow, that's a rip-off! Does that mean all martial arts manuals from other worlds are useless here?"
There were a few techniques she'd really wanted to try out once her body was fully recovered, especially Tai Chi passed down from the legendary Zhang Sanfeng. Maybe with a new world, she'd find a new path to greatness… but it looked like that wasn't happening.
Child of Nature:
"We've still got the group chat. Maybe it'll unlock a new function someday that makes that possible."
Ordinary Group Admin:
"Group chat, huh?"
Ordinary Group Admin:
"I keep forgetting it can do anything besides chatting, check-ins, and the lottery. Guess it's got some hidden talents."
Ordinary Group Admin:
"Stupid group chat."
"Ding! Unknown error detected. The group admin has been muted for thirty minutes."
Cook Soup from Dagu:
"..."
Cook Soup from Dagu:
"That's the second time, isn't it?"
Most Evil Spirit:
"Isn't the admin the first person in history to be muted by the group chat?"
Child of Nature:
"Not just the first person, but the first admin to ever get muted."
Richest Man:
"Our admin's kind of a noob."
Glory of the North God:
"Pretty bold words for someone like you."
Richest Man:
"Hey, just joking—I'm braver than you think!"
Glory of the North God:
"Please, show us your courage. jpg"
Richest Man:
"...Wasn't the original meme something like, 'let me take a look'? What's with you and all these sneaky dog memes, huh?!"
Glory of the North God:
"Mischievous Shiba smile. jpg"
Glory of the North God:
"Shiba Inu scornful glance. jpg"
Glory of the North God:
"Don't forget, I'm Thor, God of Thunder!"
Richest Man:
"You damned Shiba, wait until I finish my Anti-Thor Armor! You'll be the one begging for mercy!"
Most Evil Spirit:
"Planning to become 'Hong Qigong' now?"
Invincible East:
"He should just be grateful Thor's dad is a human—otherwise, he'd be planning to become a dog."
Uchiha Dance King:
"I wonder whose dog he'd end up being, though."
Come Be My Son:
"Kurararara! Obviously, he'd be MY dog!"
Child of Nature:
"...What on earth have you all been learning from Roxie Vale these past few days?!"
Why was he seeing so many modern memes—even the "Jack Bro" joke? What exactly had Roxie taught this chat group while he was away?
Glory of the North God:
"Shiba thinking. jpg"
Glory of the North God:
"Lots and lots of things."
Richest Man:
"Can't say I understand most of them. Sometimes when I annoy her, she asks if I want to 'go mountain climbing.' What does that even mean?"
Child of Nature:
"Mountain climbing? ..."
Brandon's eyelid twitched. He had a feeling she was talking about the kind of banquet you only attend when someone wants you out of the picture. Inviting Iron Man to go 'mountain climbing'—that took guts.
Cook Soup from Dagu:
"She sometimes says 'Ye Qing Hui.' What does that mean?"
Most Evil Spirit:
"Pretty sure it means 'Grandpa's youth is back.' Whenever the Old Man posts a fight with Kaido, and that earthquake power shows up, the admin says that."
Most Evil Spirit:
"So, was her youth really about the Old Man?"
Most Evil Spirit:
"@Child of Nature, you and the admin are from the same world, right? In your world, what does 'youth' look like?"
The question made Brandon fall silent for a moment, lost in memory.
Child of Nature:
"Youth…"
Child of Nature:
"It's probably a spiky-haired kid shouting he'll become Hokage. Or a boy with a straw hat yelling he'll be King of the Pirates. It's a glowing staff turning to dust in midair, a pink cap drifting in the wind, a tennis ball bouncing on the court…"
Child of Nature:
"It's a time when we had no worries—a long stretch of days carried along by anime, year after year. But then, before you know it, it's over, and we're all adults. The shows that defined our youth quietly reach their final episodes."
End of Chapter 44
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