After a while, the crowd dispersed, and both the sword and spear users left.
Mu Xin stood there for a while before leaving in another direction.
He bypassed a tea house with a storyteller excitedly telling a story about the legend of a cultivator who fought multiple enemies.
After walking another distance, he stumbled upon a wild fight breaking out in a restaurant, and city guards came running from another direction.
Walking slightly further, he saw an establishment with men drinking with women and some men walking deeper inside together with the women.
Feeling a slight twitch on his face, Mu Xin walked away.
After a while, he saw a dark alley with people sitting on the ground with their heads hanging low.
(Slum…)
Not wanting to have anything to do with it, he turned back toward the crowded area.
Walking in a different part from the previous crowd, he saw sick and injured people walking into a certain building.
He kept walking until he reached another tea house with a different storyteller, and he decided to sit outside and listen.
"There was a swordsman that would sit at the foot of a mountain. When people asked him what he was doing, he answered that he was comprehending the sword. People laughed at him for trying to comprehend a sword from a mountain, but he ignored them and meditated there for a long time. After three years passed, a cry of a sword could be heard for hundreds of li away! It was the birth of a sword cultivator who comprehended sword intent!"
The customers were cheering loudly and screaming for the next story while Mu Xin felt awed by such dedication from the swordsman.
"In the Central Continent, the great forces have waged war against the demon race for countless years. Victory and defeat come hand in hand. The demon race is both cunning and mad, yet—time and again—a peerless genius rises among humanity, holding the line and forcing the demons back. Because of them, the other continents remain peaceful to this day."
Hearing this, some customers cursed at the demon race while others were grateful to the Central Continent. Mu Xin, on the other hand, furrowed his brow as he felt this was too one-sided a story that favored the human race.
Soon, the customers asked for the next story, and Mu Xin snapped back from his thoughts and returned his attention.
"In the distant continent lies the land of the Titans, a race of gigantic humans taller than fourth-story buildings. Their greatest strength lies in their overwhelming physical power, which they value more than their own lives and take pride in. Because of this, they only accept the strongest Titan as their emperor. It is said that the current Titan Emperor can easily lift a small mountain!"
The customers all fell silent, feeling awed by the Titan race, which also included Mu Xin.
The storyteller kept telling stories as people changed, customers leaving and new ones entering, while Mu Xin stayed outside, listening attentively.
Unknowingly, the air felt chilly, and people started lighting oil lamps.
Mu Xin felt like he had just woken up from a dream and noticed that the sky had gradually turned dark.
He stood up and started walking back to the temple. The road stalls were all closed, but the nightlife had just started, with brothels full of customers.
Mu Xin looked around at the nightlife as he walked back to the temple.
He opened the gate and found a group of young monks pulling water from the well and washing clothes.
He walked deeper to the room where he stayed and found that Monk Chu was inside with a bowl of porridge and sweet potato.
"Elder."
"You're back. I'm sure you're hungry. Why not eat first?"
Mu Xin walked to the table and sat as he immediately ate the food.
Monk Chu looked at Mu Xin's face, then smiled.
"Seems like you have gained something from walking outside."
Mu Xin paused briefly as he swallowed his food.
"Well, I heard a lot of stories at the tea houses.
The world was so vast and full of wonder."
Monk Chu chuckled slightly.
"The world indeed is vast, but the most important thing is still one's heart, and I see that your heart has calmed down."
"But I still don't know what to do."
Mu Xin continued eating in silence.
"But your heart is calm now, and you just have to take your time finding it."
Soon, Mu Xin finished the food and turned to the monk.
"Elder, do you think the type of reason for living is important?"
The monk was surprised at this question.
"Child, you're more mature than your age. In my opinion, as long as the reason does not bring harm to others, then it is a good reason."
Mu Xin went back to pondering while the monk picked up the bowl and rose to leave.
"It's fine to take your time. With purpose or not, life is precious."
Monk Chu left the room, and Shu Hua appeared.
"Little Xin, if you're surprised by what you heard at the tea house, how about listening to sister?"
Mu Xin blinked his eyes a few times.
"Sister Hua? You know something?"
Shu Hua smiled mysteriously.
"I learned it from my memory inheritance. Wanna know?"
"Yes, I want to know."
Mu Xin looked at Shu Hua attentively.
"You see, there are three realms, and we live in one of them called the 'Sea of Stars.' Just like its name, it is where countless worlds and stars exist. This world we live in is just one of them."
Mu Xin trembled slightly as his eyes widened.
"There are countless worlds?"
"That's right. But this 'Sea of Stars' is separated into three domains. The outer domain is the 'Star Cluster.' The worlds in this domain are the most numerous, but none of them can sustain cultivation, so there are no cultivators in this domain. The middle domain is called the 'Mortal Domain.' The worlds in this domain can sustain cultivation, but it is limited to the peak of the Mortal Realm, and we live in one of the worlds in this domain."
Mu Xin was shaken again, his mind churning with this revelation.
"And in the center is the main domain called the 'Divine Domain.' In this domain, there are four Primordial Worlds, each of them a hundred thousand times bigger than worlds in the Mortal Domain. These four worlds are the first worlds created at the beginning of the Sea of Stars Realm. In these Primordial Worlds, one can cultivate into the Immortal Realm because of how dense the spiritual qi is there."
Mu Xin's mouth was wide open at this point. He simply didn't know what to say.
"Little Xin, don't you think this universe is more interesting than what the storyteller talked about?"
Mu Xin blinked a few times and looked at the night sky from the window, the sky filled with glowing stars.
"Yeah… it is interesting, Sister Hua…"
Suddenly, something clicked inside him, as if a gear that had never moved finally turned for the first time.
He smiled slightly to himself.
"I guess it would be a shame not to see all those sceneries."
He turned to Shu Hua with a certain light in his eyes.
"I think I know what I want to do, Sister Hua. I want to travel to all four Primordial Worlds and see what kind of wonderful scenery they have to offer."
Shu Hua smiled at his simple purpose, or maybe his dream.
"I'm sure you will like it. All four Primordial Worlds are so big, after all."
"But how do I go there?"
Mu Xin asked curiously, already half expecting the method.
"Then," Shu Hua said softly, "should we start your cultivation, little Xin?"