Seeing their expressions, Li Xue realized her ideas were a bit naive. She could only add, "It’s just a beautiful hope for now. But gaining a deeper understanding of space will certainly be beneficial. Our Dream Realm is so small right now; perhaps we can open up an even larger space in the future!"
This sentiment was something they could agree with, and both Hei Yan and Li Lin nodded.
"Then, once I’ve gathered all the materials, I can find a high-level master smith to refine them. I’ve heard that the alchemists in the Hongmeng Star Domain are also more skilled than ours, so we can go and see for ourselves," Li Xue planned as she thought. "Oh, right. Interstellar teleportation arrays require mid-grade spirit stones. We need to prepare enough of them! Xiao Lin, don't you think your mother has thought of everything?"
Li Lin pursed his lips and kept his head down without speaking. One look at his expression told Li Xue she had missed something. She thought carefully, then slapped her forehead. "There’s one more crucial thing. Although it’s very likely your father went to the outer domains, we can’t give up searching within the Hongmeng Star Domain. Besides, we need to collect maps of the outer star fields, so we must include that in our plans!"
"Mm!" Li Lin’s face instantly brightened from cloudy to clear. Li Xue breathed a sigh of relief. Her son’s presence was quite intense; it seemed Li Ran held an even higher place in the boy's heart than she had estimated. She would have to pay more attention to her precious son’s thoughts in the future.
Ji Rufeng arrived as promised, but Dongfang Jing was trailing behind him. Li Xue couldn't help but complain inwardly upon seeing them. Whoever said the secret of opening the interstellar teleportation arrays was restricted to those above the Nascent Soul stage was lying; everyone who should know knew, and even those who shouldn't knew as well. She seriously doubted the security measures of the cultivation world.
"Sister Li, this is the Bai family jade token my master asked me to bring. He said the Bai ancestors once produced a Great Overarching Golden Immortal. There are many sects in the outer star fields, and most will have some reservations regarding the upper realms. This might help if you run into trouble!" Ji Rufeng hung a crystal-clear jade pendant around Li Xue’s neck. It was small and delicate, and Li Xue liked it very much.
"Daoist Lord Ruihua is truly thoughtful. Please thank him on my behalf. Is your master not going out to gain experience?" Li Xue asked.
"Sigh, with the state of the Bai family, how could he possibly leave?" Ji Rufeng sighed.
"Then when will you form your Core? Right, these are some insights Xiao Lin and I had during our Core Formation. Study them well; I hope they help!" Li Xue handed a jade slip to Ji Rufeng.
"Thanks!" Ji Rufeng accepted it joyfully; this was a precious treasure. Standing to the side, Hei Yan watched for a moment before tossing over another jade slip. "Since you're a friend of the Master and Mistress, I'll give you this!"
Ji Rufeng took it and scanned it with his divine sense. He was stunned, his voice trembling as he asked, "The... the Ice Heart Divine Art?"
Li Xue and Li Lin were confused. "Is the Ice Heart Divine Art useful for something?"
Hei Yan said indifferently, "It’s a mental cultivation technique left behind by the Ice God. It helps condense the mind, steady the spirit, and resist inner demons! Oh, but it’s only of great use to those with an Ice Spiritual Root."
"That’s incredible! Xiao Feng, you’re in luck!" Li Xue said happily. This would make the inner demon trial much easier for Ji Rufeng when he formed his Core.
"This... this... thank you, Hei Yan!" Ji Rufeng was so excited he was at a loss for words.
Hei Yan snorted a few times and wandered off to daydream. Dongfang Jing finally couldn't take it anymore. He frowned and said dissatisfiedly, "Sister Li, you’re ignoring me!"
Li Xue turned her head helplessly. "Why did you run over here too? Weren't you in seclusion?"
Dongfang Jing immediately became animated. "Oh, I was in seclusion! But my Great-Great-Grandfather called me out. He excitedly told me about the teleportation array, then handed me over to my Great-Great-Maternal-Grandfather to watch over me while he went out to play by himself! He didn't even take me!" By the end, he was sounding resentful again.
Everyone sighed inwardly. Given Daoist Mingyuan’s personality, such behavior was entirely expected. However, since Dongfang Jing hadn't even formed his Core, they certainly wouldn't dare take him out to wander aimlessly.
"Sister Li, this was left behind by the ancestors of our Dongfang family. Great-Great-Grandfather said it was something from the ancient era for me to play with. I thought it looked pretty, so I made two earrings. You’ll definitely look beautiful wearing them, Sister Li!" Dongfang Jing showed off the two earrings, intending to put them on Li Xue.
Hei Yan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly lunged forward and snatched the earrings. He examined them closely for a long while before shouting, "This is Heavenly Extinguishing Wood! It’s definitely Heavenly Extinguishing Wood! You spendthrift, you actually used a rare ancient material to make earrings? Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning, kid? You’re infuriating me!" Hei Yan lost all the dignity of a Black Wolf King, jumping up and down on the spot, leaving everyone dazed. It took a while for them to recover.
Li Xue’s eyes sparkled. She pointed at the earrings and asked, "This is Heavenly Extinguishing Wood? Is it related to Golden Extinguishing Wood?"
Hei Yan said excitedly, "It’s a hundred times—no, a thousand times better than Golden Extinguishing Wood. Golden Extinguishing Wood is just an ordinary smithing material, but Heavenly Extinguishing Wood is a material for refining Divine Artifacts! If even a tiny bit of Heavenly Extinguishing Wood is added to Mistress’s flying shuttle, it will possess certain divine characteristics. Haha, it’s a match made in heaven!"
"A Divine Artifact? Do you think a mortal cultivator can refine a treasure with divine characteristics?" Li Lin poured cold water on the idea without mercy.
Hei Yan was instantly silenced, but Dongfang Jing was delighted. He hadn't expected the gift he gave to have such an extraordinary origin. Li Xue took the earrings and looked at them; they were indeed very beautiful. After a moment, she said to Dongfang Jing, "This seems too precious. You should take it back and treasure it."
Dongfang Jing shook his hands vigorously. "How can I do that? I’ve already given them to you. How can I take back a gift? As long as you can use them, I couldn't be happier!"
Li Xue thought about it and decided to accept them. Heavenly Extinguishing Wood might truly be of great use to her own treasures, whereas other refining methods might not necessarily be able to utilize it. Thus, she tucked them away and said to Dongfang Jing, "I’ve accepted a huge favor from you. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word, and I’ll do it if it's within my power!"
Dongfang Jing’s eyes lit up, and he opened his mouth to speak. Seeing his expression, Li Xue immediately clarified, "If you want me to take you along, that’s a no. You haven't formed your Core yet. You know it’s impossible, right?"
Dongfang Jing immediately wilted, his head drooping as he sulked on his own. The others couldn't help but laugh.
Li Xue and Li Lin announced to the outside world that they were entering seclusion, then set off with Hei Yan.
Planet Mangyun was located in the southwest corner of the Hongmeng Star Domain. The first stop of the teleportation was a lifeless planet. Comparing it to the star map, the first jump had crossed five planets. If they had flown by themselves, it would have taken a year or two. This showed just how vast the star domain was.
After more than a dozen jumps, the two finally reached a transit planet. A transit planet served as a hub to reach planets inhabited by cultivators; once the teleportation arrays there were calibrated, one could reach inhabited or life-bearing worlds.
Just as Li Xue and Li Lin stepped out of the teleportation array, they saw sand and stones flying through the air, and the sun and moon obscured. This was the result of people fighting. Judging by the scale, they were definitely at the Nascent Soul stage or higher. *Damn,* these high-level cultivators really have no civic virtue, fighting right at a major transportation hub. Aren't they afraid of damaging the teleportation array and trapping everyone?
With their cultivation levels, Li Xue and Li Lin couldn't stay there. They could only retreat back into the teleportation array and quickly begin calibrating the coordinates. They were heading for Planet Jinming, the largest cultivation planet in the southwestern Hongmeng Star Domain, where cultivation civilization was extremely advanced.
Suddenly, a red light flashed within the teleportation array. A middle-aged cultivator in red robes with white hair cascading over his shoulders rushed in. Without a word of concern for anyone else, he directly activated the teleportation.
"What are you doing? How can you—you... DAMN!" Before Li Xue could finish her curse, she was teleported away.
(End of Volume 1)
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