Early the next morning, the members of the Chat Group agreed on a time to meet. Although they inhabited different worlds, their timelines had somehow synchronized through the Chat Group.
In Ning Yi's world, it was approaching dusk, and the Lantern Festival of the Lantern Festival had already begun. Having spent over half a month in the village, Shi Heng could not wait to step out of the village entrance and plunge into the adjacent woods.
The Willow Deity opened her eyes, as deep and starry as the firmament, glanced at the spot where Shi Heng had vanished, and frowned slightly...
"Ding... Video chat connected."
Jiangning City, Ning Yi's secret cottage.
"Swish, swish, swish!" A white light flashed, and all four members of the Chat Group appeared together. Luo Feng had only just conceived his clone a month ago, so seeing him would have to wait another year. Xu Xin and Bai Yuekui were dressed in Song Dynasty Hanfu; Xu Xin appeared quiet and gentle, while Bai Yuekui's short silver hair made her look bold, dashing, and ethereal. Both were rare beauties.
Shi Heng and Xu Qi'an—one in beast-skin clothes, the other in scholarly robes—stood together in a bizarrely harmonious style. It just went to show that good-looking people looked dashing in anything.
"Group Leader, I've brought you the cultivation method. This is the version provided by Babata, universal for the human race. I don't know if your side can cultivate it, but I hope it gives you some help." Xu Xin covered her mouth and chuckled softly; Shi Heng's plea for help yesterday was still vivid in her mind.
This was the first step the group members had discussed.
Shi Heng was currently in the Blood-Moving Realm, and the Xiangu cultivation method could only push the physical body to a strength of one hundred and eight thousand catties of arm strength. If he could successfully cultivate Devouring Starry Sky's genetic aptitude-energy guidance technique, he could break free from the shackles of relying on Precious Medicine. Combined with a gravity chamber, he could push the physical body's limit to 256 tons—that was five hundred and eleven thousand catties of arm strength.
This offline gathering was primarily for Shi Heng to receive in-person guidance from Xu Qi'an. Xu Qi'an had already begun cultivating the evolutionary method, and after only half a month, his strength in his original world had greatly increased. Barring any accidents, Shi Heng would also be able to effectively cultivate the genetic aptitude-energy guidance technique.
In Bai Yuekui's world, Earth had actually touched the threshold of genetic evolution, but it had taken a detour, turning into life essence that resonated with emotions. Now that she had obtained the cultivation method provided by Luo Feng, Bai Yuekui should be even stronger than in the original work; after all, she was also an peerless talent unique to the entire Earth.
"Alright, I've handed the item over to you. Bai Yuekui and I are going out to stroll through the lantern festival! Otherwise, if Xiaochan comes looking for Ning Yi later and sees the two of us, it won't be easy to explain." With that, Xu Xin took Bai Yuekui's arm and walked out of Ning Yi's secret courtyard.
"I don't understand matters of the heart, but if you ever need someone to brainstorm in the future, you can come to me. This big shot is always ready to supply you with three ingenious schemes." Ning Yi bantered with Shi Heng from the side. Anyone who heard about Shi Heng's predicament would be completely baffled.
"Master Consort! The young miss is already waiting! Hurry up and come! Otherwise, we'll miss the auspicious hour!" Xiaochan's voice came from the courtyard gate in the distance. Fortunately, Xu Xin and the others had left quickly, or else Ning Yi would have another headache on his hands.
"I'm coming," Ning Yi replied, then took his leave of Shi Heng and Xu Qi'an.
"Alright, it's quiet now. Let's begin! I won't go into detail about my side's cultivation method—the upper limit is too low, and the Heavenly Dao even wants me to help beg you to find food for it, which means I have to help it work for a living!
Luo Feng's universe is far too vast, and the human race has the virtual universe to interconnect; basically, the basic cultivation methods of the human race have been optimized to the absolute limit.
Take a look at the cultivation method first and see if there is anything you don't understand."
The *Devouring Starry Sky* cultivation method was divided into the cultivation method and the guidance technique. Thanks to Babata's assistance, the version they had obtained now was the universal human version, extremely suitable for beginners. Shi Heng scanned it ten lines at a time, and understanding dawned in his heart.
"I'm going to start!"
He sat cross-legged on the ground, adopting the five-hearts-facing-the-sky posture. Shi Village also had meditation training, so meditation came relatively easily to Shi Heng.
After entering a slight state of meditation came "perception," which required finding cosmic energy. This step was the most difficult threshold of the cultivation method, and ordinary people always got stuck at this stage.
One minute, two minutes... half an hour. Shi Heng knew this could not be rushed; in the original work, Luo Feng had also taken three hours to perceive it for the first time, though the version he was cultivating now was even better.
An hour passed...
Just when Shi Heng thought there would be no harvest, a point of starlight suddenly lit up in the endless darkness. Then, a daze washed over his mind, and he instantly sensed the energy present everywhere across all space in every direction—it was in the shape of fine threads, yet like a starry river piercing the heavens, filling the sky with starlight.
In truth, the aptitude of the Earth humans in the original work's Luo Feng was extremely poor; Mountain Seeker's modification of the Earth human race was mainly reflected in their mental aspect.
As for Shi Heng's body, it had been tempered by the marrow of a God, and coupled with the subtle, pervasive influence of Ziyun's halo, he was able to perceive cosmic energy in just one hour.
Shi Heng set the guidance technique into motion, and wisps of cosmic energy were converted into genetic energy. Shi Heng felt every cell in his body fill with desire, every cell sending signals to his brain as the long-starved cells frantically devoured the cosmic energy entering his body.
The transformation at the genetic level quietly began, and the cells also began to accelerate their division.
He did not yet realize what kind of impact today's choice would have on the Xiangu evolutionary system, which was still in the ancient era.
Another two hours passed...
Shi Heng opened his eyes, shook his head with a lingering sense of unfulfillment, and said to Xu Qi'an, "There is no more cosmic energy around. After all, this isn't a transcendent universe, and cosmic energy is scarce. My body isn't completely saturated yet, but I already feel unimaginably powerful!"
"Is that so? Come on, the two of us will go outside the city and spar!" With that, Xu Qi'an took the lead and walked out the door.
Five miles outside Jiangning City.
"The strength you feel is just an illusion brought on by a sudden surge of energy. Come, let go and attack me."
Shi Heng raised his fist and shot toward Xu Qi'an. "Thud! Thud! Thud!" There were no techniques to speak of; what Shi Heng was testing at this moment was pure strength.
The air vibrated and rippled outward, and the trees within a few meters crashed to the ground in a disorderly heap.
Xu Qi'an stood motionless, using only his arm to block the force of the punch. "Attack with all your might! Get used to your own strength!"
"Alright!" Shi Heng knew he couldn't control his surging strength—even walking just now had been a struggle—and no longer held anything back.
Shi Heng launched a fierce assault for several hundred rounds, yet Xu Qi'an did not budge an inch.
"That's enough! Thank you, Sea King Xu! Let's go, I can already get a preliminary grasp of my body. Right now, the gap in our strength is too vast, there's no way to compare."
"Mn, your world is similar to Luo Feng's, with an extremely high upper limit. On my side, I have to feed the Heavenly Dao every day, otherwise my strength can't continue to break through.
Right, don't forget what I told you before about catching a few ferocious beasts. The Heavenly Dao nags me every day, making it impossible for me to even enjoy listening to music at the brothel, and sometimes it even eggs Yuheng on to chatter endlessly. Sigh! To be stuck with a Heavenly Dao like this is truly having terrible luck for eight lifetimes!" Xu Qi'an made a gesture to Shi Heng, pointing toward the nearby woods.
"Cut it off! Surrounded by beauties every day and you're still here nagging endlessly. Look at the group—Luo Feng, me, Bai Yuekui, Ning Yi; who isn't like they're on a pilgrimage to the Western Heaven? And you? You're enjoying retirement life right now and you're still not satisfied! Let's go, let's go find Ning Yi to play!" Shi Heng deliberately said Ning Yi's name in a loud voice.
As the sound of the two men's voices faded into the distance, a woman in black emerged from the nearby woods. Looking at the spot where the two had just fought, a look of utter shock crossed her face. She muttered to herself, "Ning Yi?"
"Was that Lu Hongti just now?"
"Probably! Ning Yi meets her for the first time during the Lantern Festival. We came a bit earlier, and it's around eight o'clock now."
"Hehe! I wonder how Ning Yi is going to explain us to Lu Hongti later! Just thinking about it is interesting!"
"Thank you this time, Xu Qi'an!"
"Don't mention it, as long as it helped you. Besides, you're our Group Leader."
"Speaking of which, why didn't you bring a few of your beauties along this time?"
"Bring who? You give me an idea! If I bring one, what will the others find out?"
"Bring all of them!"
"Forget it! Aren't you afraid of tearing Jiangning City straight apart?"
"Hiss." Shi Heng shivered. "Good thing I only want one!"
"I know you're pure-hearted, alright? One hundred million years older than you! Even you dare to dream! You're something else!" Xu Qi'an gave him a thumbs up. "When do you plan to pull her into the chat group?"
"I'm not ready yet. Right now, I'm too weak..."
"True... Let's go. Let's go find Xu Xin and the others, bid them farewell, and then I'll head back. Being stuck in ancient times, I don't really have any interest in this lantern festival."
"I'm going back too. If I disappear for too long, I'm afraid the villagers will worry. It's a pity I haven't gotten to see what an ancient lantern festival looks like!"
A flash of white light, and Shi Heng returned to the small woods beside Shi Village.
When he left it was morning, and when he returned it was nearly noon.
*I tossed and turned all morning and didn't even have time to eat before coming back. I wonder if the Old Chief and the others noticed... I'll go home and make lunch first.* Shi Heng muttered to himself as he walked toward the village.
At this moment, Shi Heng still did not know that the Willow Deity was already aware of his disappearance, and had scanned and observed the spot where he vanished with her divine sense several times...