Chapter 136: Solitude Will Not Belong to Her

Even though Ding Huan had not yet maximized the Blue Star's speed, the Blue Star instantly broke free from Earth's gravity.

Ding Huan's spiritual sense clearly saw that when the Blue Star reached a certain speed, a white ring would appear on its surface.

This might be a protective layer activated by the Zhan Shen crystal, preventing damage from atmospheric friction at high speeds.

But before Ding Huan could examine it closely, the Blue Star pierced through the atmosphere.

After entering space, Ding Huan immediately pulled out the Cosmic Guidance Ball.

The Cosmic Guidance Ball remained its dull gray-brown color; not only was there no red arrow, there wasn't even a red dot.

The Blue Star's speed was indeed fast—when Ding Huan extended his spiritual sense further, he could no longer detect anything outside.

And within just one second, his spiritual sense vanished completely.

Not only that, his brain sent waves of excruciating pain from the spiritual sense being shredded.

Ding Huan's gaze fell on the control panel's data—he could still understand the Chuang Yuwen interface.

The speed was still far short of light speed.

It seemed his spiritual sense was still too weak—below light speed, it would be shredded.

"Xinyue, I feel this speed, though fast, probably won't get us out of the solar system in just a few years."

As he spoke these words, Ding Huan realized he had overlooked something.

Qi Qi Xinyue walked over to Ding Huan's side and, after studying it for a long while, said:

"I wasn't allowed near the cockpit before, but I heard Captain Wu mention something called Field Flight Mode, and also something called Jump Flight."

Field Flight Mode?

Ding Huan immediately began searching—and indeed, he found Field Flight Mode, but no Jump Flight.

He switched the flight mode to Field Flight and extended his spiritual sense outward.

No matter the flight mode, his spiritual sense could not clearly perceive the outside scenery—it was simply too fast.

Ding Huan placed the Cosmic Guidance Ball on the control panel:

"Xinyue, you go train too. I'll keep watch here. I suspect that unless we leave the solar system, the Cosmic Guidance Ball won't give any guidance."

In fact, Ding Huan doubted that even if the Blue Star left the solar system, the Cosmic Guidance Ball still wouldn't guide them.

The reason was that neither he nor Qi Qi Xinyue had truly understood how the Zhan Shen Continent arrived here.

They must have used the Cosmic Guidance Ball, but certainly not just by relying on it alone.

Qi Qi Xinyue nodded and turned away—here, she could not help anyway.

She had survived in the vast universe before and could endure solitude completely.

Moreover, in Qi Qi Xinyue's heart, after entering the vast universe, she had no intention of ever surviving.

If she could die alongside Brother Ding Huan, she would have not the slightest regret.

At least, she wouldn't be too lonely or afraid.

Lao Liu had been training nonstop like crazy ever since he obtained the Zhan Shen crystal upon boarding the Blue Star.

He was undoubtedly a training fanatic.

After Qi Qi Xinyue also went to train, Ding Huan extended his spiritual sense outside the Blue Star again.

Within just one or two seconds, his spiritual sense was shredded and vanished again.

Ding Huan continued extending his spiritual sense outward, and it continued being shredded and vanishing.

The best training method, in Ding Huan's own view, was practice.

He believed this constant shredding of his spiritual sense might strengthen it, pushing it toward materialization.

Previously, his spiritual sense had been too weak to remain stable during the Blue Star's high-speed flight, resulting in it being shredded by speed.

So he repeatedly extended his spiritual sense outward to temper it.

Ding Huan didn't even know how many times he had extended it—until he felt a continuous needle-like pain in his brain and passed out completely.

When he woke again, Ding Huan extended his spiritual sense outside the Blue Star once more.

To his surprise, his spiritual sense seemed genuinely stronger.

Previously, it could remain outside for at most one second; now it could stay for three to five seconds.

This confirmed Ding Huan's belief—he had been right: searching outside the ship at high speed could indeed increase spiritual sense strength.

Though each attempt caused great pain, Ding Huan clearly knew: the stronger his spiritual sense, the greater the benefits to him.

Days passed in this silent, unremarkable training.

Every day, Ding Huan tempered his spiritual sense in the endless vastness of space, while Qi Qi Xinyue and Lao Liu remained in seclusion training.

The Blue Star had an abundance of Zhan Shen crystals and piles of energy capsules.

For an ordinary person, one energy capsule every three days was sufficient; for a Level Nine Gene Cultivator like Ding Huan, only two or three per month were needed.

As for water, there was no need to worry—so long as there were Zhan Shen crystals, there was ample water.

The Blue Star could condense water in space, though at the cost of consuming Zhan Shen crystals.

After six months of continuous flight, Ding Huan's spiritual sense could faintly discern objects in space.

Due to half a year of tempering, his spiritual sense could now remain outside for extended periods.

But its strength was still insufficient—everything remained blurry.

After one year, Ding Huan's spiritual sense could remain completely outside—even at the Blue Star's maximum speed, he could perceive everything outside clearly.

And see it clearly.

His cultivation level, even without deliberate training, had automatically reached Level Nine Gene Cultivator peak.

Unfortunately, he had no method or scripture for Gene Foundation Establishment.

The Luo Shi Jing could only cultivate up to Level Nine Gene Cultivator peak.

Originally, Ding Huan had thought that once he reached Level Nine Gene Cultivator peak, the memory of the post-establishment cultivation techniques would appear.

In fact, he had overthought it.

No matter how hard he pondered, no post-Foundation Establishment cultivation technique suddenly surfaced in his memory.

But there were plenty of concepts regarding the overview, cultivation details, and directional principles of the post-Foundation Establishment realm.

This made Ding Huan wonder: was that ten-thousand-year-old cypress tree guiding him to seek answers there?

In his past life, Ding Huan had wandered the vast universe for a hundred or two hundred years, escaping death countless times, and he trusted his instincts completely.

Subconsciously, he always felt that the ten-thousand-year-old cypress yearned for him to go there—and the more he felt that, the less he wanted to go.

His urgent departure from Earth may well have been influenced by this very consideration.

His spiritual sense landed outside the Blue Star, gazing at the boundless starscape; suddenly, Ding Huan felt a flicker of confusion.

In the infinite, boundless universe, he wasn't even a speck of dust.

Was it truly possible for him to wander aimlessly through the cosmos and fulfill his dream—find the immortals and gods?

A meteorite brushed past the edge of his spiritual sense; Ding Huan sent a wind blade flying.

"Huh!" Ding Huan gasped, nearly leaping to his feet.

He had merely instinctively formed a wind blade from his spiritual sense and effortlessly split the meteorite in two.

Did this mean his spiritual sense had gained substance?

Not only had it gained substance—it was incredibly powerful.

All that year of spiritual sense tempering had truly not been in vain; before, his spiritual sense could only gain substance by fusing with true qi.

Ding Huan's spirits lifted: so what if he was wandering the cosmos?

In his past life, he'd wandered for a hundred or two hundred years—and he'd made it through.

Since the Blue Star didn't know how much longer it would fly, he turned to studying talismans, jade slips, and the bamboo slips he'd copied earlier.

There were still over twenty jade slips in the star cabin, and he hadn't examined them carefully yet.

"Xiaotu." Qi Xinyue walked over.

Over the past year, Qi Xinyue had come to chat with him at intervals.

Ding Huan silently admired Qi Xinyue's thoughtfulness—she had traveled through the cosmos for a long time.

She knew better than anyone that solitude was the greatest fear when walking alone through a silent universe.

Only Lao Liu, that mad monkey, cared only for cultivation.

"Xinyue, congratulations on entering the seventh-level gene cultivator realm."

Ding Huan saw at a glance that Qi Xinyue had already reached the seventh-level gene cultivator realm.

In time, Qi Xinyue's cultivation realm would not fall behind his.

Qi Xinyue sat beside Ding Huan:

"I'm deliberately holding back my advancement, or else my foundation will be unstable."

Ding Huan nodded; the Dao forbids an unstable foundation. Though Qi Xinyue had only recently begun cultivating the Network Consciousness Scripture, she already understood this truth.

It had to do with her having had a formidable master since childhood.

"Xiaotu, if we keep going like this, the Blue Star will have a hard time finding a cosmic transmission vortex," Qi Xinyue said, worried.

She knew well that no matter how fast the Blue Star flew, it could not exit the Solar System in the short term.

"Are you afraid?" Ding Huan looked at Qi Xinyue.

Qi Xinyue met his eyes:

"No. When I left Earth with you, I knew we might remain forever beneath this boundless cosmic sky."

In my heart, having Brother Ding with me is the greatest happiness."

This time, she did not call him Xiaotu.

Ding Huan reached out and stroked Qi Xinyue's hair:

"Thank you, Xinyue."

This was why he had never suggested that Seeing Qu Yi join him in the boundless stars.

In the stars, if no life-bearing planet is found, there is only one path: wait alone for death.

Seeing Qu Yi is different from him—he is alone, his life and death left to fate.

Seeing Qu Yi has parents; he has no reason to make her accompany him in lonely cosmic wandering until they both die alone.

Qi Xinyue still gazed at Ding Huan:

"Xiaotu, if we never find our way out of this boundless starry expanse, can I marry you?"

Ding Huan looked into Qi Xinyue's bright eyes and gently pulled her into his arms.

"Xinyue, when I took you out of Earth, we were already together. Look—within this endless void, only the two of us remain."

If one day we can never leave this boundless, lonely cosmos, let us become its most solitary companions."

At least, countless nameless planets in this universe will adorn us, keeping us company."

Qi Xinyue's heart melted; she leaned gently into Ding Huan's arms.

In her world, at this moment, the entire boundless starry sky belonged to her.

After leaving her mother, she had her first sense of home.

Unlike what Ding Huan had said.

In her heart, from today on, solitude would no longer belong to her.

"When we both reach Foundation Establishment, no matter whether we've escaped this boundless starry expanse or not, we'll marry."

If we can't escape, let the boundless cosmos be our witness, and the infinite stars our wedding guests. If we do escape, I'll give you the most beautiful wedding."

Qi Xinyue shook her head, her voice sounding as if from the edge of heaven:

"No—this boundless starry sky is already the most beautiful. From today on, I'll cultivate even harder."

She wanted to reach Foundation Establishment sooner.

(That's all for today's update, friends, good night!)