Volume One: First Steps on the Path Chapter Ninety: The Commercial Sun Continent

When Ye Junze saw the two of them looking at each other with lingering unease, he waved a hand and said, “You two needn’t be so stiff around me. Feel free to relax. It’s fine.”

“We’ll do as you say, Senior,” Qi Yi replied. Though he said so, his whole body remained taut with tension, and he did not lower his guard in the slightest just because of Ye Junze’s words.

After all, he had heard that these old monsters who had achieved true mastery in cultivation all had their own peculiar habits. Perhaps one moment they were laughing and chatting with you, and the next they would strike without warning and leave you dead on the spot. Qi Yi therefore dared not relax for even an instant.

By contrast, Wen Yu did not think that way at all. Perhaps her nature was simply lively by birth. She had already been somewhat puzzled by Qi Yi’s earlier reaction, but since she was used to obeying him, she had gone along with it. Yet now, hearing what Ye Junze had said, her thoughts shifted, and her restless temperament immediately showed through.

Her eyes rolled mischievously, as though some new idea had just occurred to her.

Then she stepped forward, looked up at Ye Junze, and asked in a coquettish tone, “Senior, I have a question. May I ask you?”

Seeing Wen Yu walk forward, Qi Yi’s heart sank at once. He inwardly muttered, Not good, and promptly called out in alarm, “Yu’er!”

Then he looked to Ye Junze and, with great unease, cupped his fists. “My younger sister is lacking in manners and did not mean to offend you, Senior. I beg you not to take it to heart.”

Ye Junze had been about to ask Wen Yu what her question was, but after hearing Qi Yi say this, he quickly waved it off. “It’s all right. I said there’s no need to be so restrained.”

“Yes, thank you, Senior, for your generosity,” Qi Yi said again with deference.

Ye Junze waved once more, then looked at Wen Yu and smiled. “What is it? Go ahead and ask.”

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony,” Wen Yu said. Thinking she had worried Qi Yi again, she first cast him an apologetic glance, then continued, “But first, thank you, Senior.”

“There’s no need for thanks. Go on. Perhaps I’ll have something to trouble you with later,” Ye Junze said lightly.

At that, Wen Yu asked straightforwardly, “When you were flying through the sky just now, Senior, were you using a flying magical artifact?”

“A flying magical artifact? What is that?” Ye Junze asked, frowning in confusion.

“What? You don’t even know what a flying magical artifact is, Senior?” Wen Yu exclaimed in surprise.

Ye Junze shook his head to show that he truly did not know.

Like an inquisitive child, Wen Yu pressed on with another question. “Then, when you flew just now, did you do it entirely by your own cultivation level?”

Ye Junze nodded. “That’s right.”

“Wow! Then, Senior, aren’t you really one of the immortals from legend?” Wen Yu said in delighted astonishment. Turning to Qi Yi beside her, she added, “Brother Qi, see? I told you he was an immortal, but you still wouldn’t believe me.”

Qi Yi looked at her helplessly, thinking that if one had heard the other party might be an immortal and could still speak so boldly to him, that person was probably only his Yu’er. Yet aloud he said, “Yes, yes, I was wrong to doubt you. Senior’s formidable strength is there for all to see, and it is not for us to speculate recklessly about.”

Hearing the two of them, Ye Junze’s gaze turned puzzled, and he realized they might have misunderstood something. After thinking it over for a moment, he decided how to explain.

“You may be mistaken about something. I am probably not what you call an immortal,” Ye Junze said to them.

At this, Wen Yu looked doubtful and said, “Huh? Then how could you possibly fly through the air, Senior? Are you trying to say that you’re like us, only at the foundation stage...”

“Ah, no,” Wen Yu blurted, suddenly recalling something, and quickly covered her mouth.

Qi Yi glanced at her with resignation. He had long warned her never to reveal their background casually when outside. Yet now it seemed she had forgotten everything clean away. Still, it hardly mattered. With this senior’s cultivation, he likely had already thoroughly probed the situation between the two of them.

Seeing the girl’s expression, Ye Junze could not help but smile inwardly. So she was about to say foundation stage? That may have been true before, but now...

Of course, he would not say that out loud. Looking at them both, he said calmly, “Not foundation stage like you two. By the standards of where I come from, I should be in the Nascent Soul stage, though I do not know whether your world uses the same term.”

Qi Yi, hearing Ye Junze speak so calmly, could not remain calm himself. His mind was full of shock. A Nascent Soul expert? Since the disappearance of the immortals, Nascent Soul cultivators had been unseen for centuries. How could it be that today, of all days, they had happened to encounter one?

In his astonishment, he did not even notice the other implications of Ye Junze’s words.

Wen Yu, however, did not think nearly so much. Her simple mind only filled with admiration as she exclaimed, “Wow! Nascent Soul? Senior, you’re actually at the Nascent Soul stage? In this day and age, Nascent Soul can already count as immortality. Senior, you’re amazing!”

Hearing such a stream of praise, Ye Junze felt a little embarrassed and for a moment did not know how to respond.

So he could only assume a more composed demeanor again and say, “Nascent Soul is nothing difficult. So long as you cultivate diligently in the future, you can surely achieve it as well.”

Wen Yu, as though she had not expected Ye Junze to encourage her so, grew even happier. “Even though spiritual energy is so scarce in this era, and reaching Nascent Soul is harder than ever, with your encouragement, Senior, I’ll definitely work hard!” she said, even lifting a small fist as if to cheer herself on.

“Do not be hasty for quick success. Simply cultivate steadily,” Ye Junze said again.

“Yes, yes, I will,” Wen Yu replied with a rapid nod.

Qi Yi, standing by, respectfully said, “Thank you for your guidance, Senior.”

Ye Junze waved it off. “It’s nothing.”

Then, as though remembering something, he added, “Come to think of it, you don’t need to keep calling me ‘Senior.’ Just call me by my name. We’re not so far apart in age, and it feels rather strange for you to address me that way.”

Qi Yi’s expression changed several times at that. Inwardly, he grumbled, Not far apart in age? Leaving aside your white hair, even if your face does look young, who knows what means old monsters like you, who have lived for who knows how many years, use to make themselves appear youthful? Besides, if we really were not that far apart in age, a Nascent Soul cultivator in his teens or twenties? Who would believe that if you told them? Do you take us for children, that easily fooled?

Though his heart was far from calm, years of practice meant none of it showed on his face. Instead, he wore an expression of flattered alarm and hurriedly said, “That would not be proper. In our homeland, there has always been a saying: the accomplished should be respected first. I hope you will forgive us, Senior.”

Ye Junze heard the rigid reply and could only press a hand to his forehead, looking at a loss for words.

By contrast, Wen Yu looked utterly innocent as she said in surprise, “Huh? Senior, are you actually about the same age as us? Then couldn’t I just call you brother?”

At that, Ye Junze gave Wen Yu an approving look. This little girl is quite observant, he thought.

Then he nodded. “Of course. It’s fine to be more casual.”

“Then, Brother Junze, hello,” Wen Yu said at once, calling out sweetly.

Seeing this, Qi Yi could not help worrying again, and immediately chided her, “Yu’er, you must not be rude!”

At the rebuke, Wen Yu jumped in fright and said a little aggrievedly, “But Brother Junze already agreed.”

Ye Junze quickly waved his hand. “It’s all right. I rather like the title. As for you, you should learn more from your sister and not be so inflexible.”

“You are right to instruct us, Senior. If Yu’er has offended you in any way, I hope you will bear with her kindly,” Qi Yi said, cupping his fists.

“All right, Brother Qi, look, Brother Junze doesn’t mind at all. You really don’t need to worry so much,” Wen Yu said with a laugh.

Qi Yi glanced at her with indulgent helplessness, then smiled and gave a quiet “Mm.”

Seeing that there was no further issue, Ye Junze said, “Very well. Then tell me about your homeland, Sky River City, and about this so-called Ruins of the Red Star. What exactly is going on here?”

“Yes,” Qi Yi answered respectfully, preparing to explain.

“Let me, let me! I know all about it,” Wen Yu said at once, raising her small hand eagerly.

Qi Yi, fearing she might say something she should not, shot her a look and said, “Yu’er!”

“Oh, what does it matter? Brother Junze surely won’t mind,” Wen Yu said with a coaxing smile. “Right, Brother Junze?”

Even Ye Junze found it hard to resist such a charming young girl pleading so sweetly, so he nodded and said, “It’s fine. Whoever speaks is the same. Let Wen Yu tell me.”

“Yay!” Wen Yu cried in delight at once, then looked toward Qi Yi and said happily, “Brother Qi, see? Brother Junze agreed.”

Qi Yi had no choice but to abandon his attempt to stop her, and instead reminded her, “All right, then go ahead. But remember what I told you when we came out earlier.”

“I know, Brother Qi. Don’t worry. I know my limits,” Wen Yu said with a smile.

After thinking for a moment, she began to tell Ye Junze everything.

“This place is the Heavenly Sun Continent...”

The girl’s clear voice rang out, and through her account, Ye Junze gradually deepened his understanding of the place where he now found himself.

...

After Wen Yu had spoken for what seemed like a very long time, Ye Junze finally learned quite a bit about this so-called Heavenly Sun Continent.

It was a land with a complete system of cultivation. Yet, according to the girl, spiritual energy on the Heavenly Sun Continent had already become extremely scarce, to the point that, as the elders of their two families had said, it might now have entered the age of the waning laws. If nothing unexpected occurred, then after several decades or perhaps a hundred years more, all the spiritual energy across the entire continent would be exhausted. At that point, people would no longer be able to cultivate and would become entirely ordinary. Thus, all the powers on the Heavenly Sun Continent had nearly united in order to find a way to solve the problem of the depletion of spiritual energy.

The reason the brother and sister had come to the ruins of the Crimson Star this time was that they had received a mission from their clan to investigate the place.

“Oh? Investigate what?” Ye Junze asked curiously.

Once Wen Yu had opened the floodgates, she was now almost always able to answer any question. So when she heard Ye Junze ask, she immediately said, “Well, it’s...”

But before she could finish, Qi Yi coughed once. “Ahem, Yu’er.”

At the sound, Wen Yu promptly covered her mouth.

Sensing something amiss, Ye Junze asked, “What is it?”