[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-sky-fell":3,"chapter-after-the-sky-fell-after-the-sky-fell-chapter-17":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Sky Fell",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2280873,4462,"Chapter 17","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-17",17,"\u003Cp>Qiu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is that thing?” someone asked, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Ming said: “Qiu might be unfamiliar to most, but it has another name—Qiu Long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dragon?” Everyone was instantly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiu Long was actually connected to the mythical dragon of legends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qiu Long isn’t a dragon—it’s a large horned serpent. This creature doesn’t exist on Earth; it’s a supernatural being that invaded our world after the Heaven’s Collapse event. That Qiu was found in a dangerous zone of a city, hunted down by a group of cultivators, and its corpse sold to a pharmaceutical company. The cultivation pod was developed through dissecting various supernatural creatures’ remains.” Xu Ming said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are many similar cases. If you’re confident in your strength, you can try entering the dangerous zones—if you capture or kill a supernatural creature, you can earn a substantial income.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Gao waved his hands: “Forget it. Our bodies would just be food for the dangerous zones—we’re not even enough to fill a toothpick against those supernatural beings. I’ll stick to being a guide and earning my wage. Li Yi, you agree, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi replied: “Working as a guide is just a temporary phase. Have you ever seen a laborer become rich? If I had the ability, I’d go into the dangerous zones and capture a supernatural creature. One success and you’d earn enough to live off for life. Don’t you think that’s why the Qiu Long became a component of the cultivation pod? There’s no profit, no one risks their life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The cultivators who went ahead aren’t fools—they only risked their lives because there was profit to be made.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Ming nodded: “Correct. Before massive profits, even powerful cultivators are willing to risk their lives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, everyone, have your meal first. The cafeteria has plenty of food. If you don’t want to waste time eating, we also provide nutrient solution—but you can only drink it here, not take it away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone saw that the cafeteria on this floor already had all kinds of exquisite dishes: large quantities of steak, fresh raw fish, big pots of meat broth, and piles of fruits and vegetables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These all provided cultivators with abundant nutrition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If there’s food, I’ll eat it,” Zhang Gao said. “Nutrient solution is only suitable for use during cultivation. Right now, I’m not cultivating—eating is better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why? Isn’t nutrient solution more convenient?” Li Yi asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Gao immediately explained: “Because our bodies are undergoing transformation and evolution. Consuming large amounts of food activates our digestive and absorption capabilities. If we drink nutrient solution long-term, our gastrointestinal functions will gradually weaken and eventually fail to keep up with our body’s evolution, creating hidden dangers. Most of our time is spent cultivating, so opportunities to train digestion and absorption are already scarce. So when we can eat, we should eat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s how it is,” Li Yi suddenly understood—he’d learned another new cultivation insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for the explanation. In that case, I’ll choose to eat too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Gao laughed, then continued: “Li Yi, when you eat, pick steak, chicken, duck—meat dishes. If possible, chew the bones too. That’ll better train your digestive system.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. Some wild predators in nature can even digest large bones. As cultivators evolve, our bodily functions will eventually surpass any beast in nature—so we’ll inevitably master bone digestion too. Necessary training is essential. Enough talk—let’s eat.” Another cultivator nearby voiced his agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, several people rushed to grab food and found seats to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi didn’t hold back—he casually grabbed various delicacies. This time, he was going to feast. Many of these items were things he normally couldn’t afford. Now that he had the chance, he’d make up for lost time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Yi, what happened before was a misunderstanding. I sincerely apologize here—I hope you don’t hold it against me. If you ever need help in the future, I’ll help you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, a cultivator walked over with a tray and offered a formal apology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His name was Lu Jue. He didn’t want to alienate a promising cultivator over such a small matter, and he wasn’t the instigator. He wanted to resolve the misunderstanding over this meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this misunderstanding wasn’t cleared up now, future conflicts could turn them into true enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the cultivator circle in Tianchang City isn’t large—you’ll keep running into each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi paused, put down his chopsticks, and looked at him calmly: “I’m not that petty. Since you’ve come forward to apologize and want to clear this misunderstanding, I’m happy to accept it. We’re all out here to earn money, not to make enemies. I have no deep grudge against you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Jue took a deep breath and relaxed: “I was dragged along too. I never expected Wu Zhen to act like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened before is over. Let’s eat.” Li Yi nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the strong deserve kindness. The weaker you are, the more you’ll be bullied—he’d understood this long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Yi, I also owe you an apology. In that situation, I should’ve stepped forward instead of hiding in my room and ignoring it,” Zhang Gao now came over, sounding regretful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi said: “It’s not your fault. You don’t need to apologize—I don’t blame you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t resent Zhang Gao for not helping. After all, they’d just met—they were strangers. Zhang Gao choosing self-preservation was normal. How many people in this world are truly righteous?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. So misunderstandings should be cleared early—having more friends than enemies is better when you’re out there. Enough about that—let’s eat, eat.” Zhang Gao laughed and buried his face in his food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi said nothing and kept eating heartily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiaoxiao, watching this from a distance, hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should I also apologize to Li Yi and clear this misunderstanding?” she was uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will your apology do any good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhen, his face bruised and swollen, sneered as he walked over: “You looked down on him from the start.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiaoxiao bit her lip: “I did look down on him at first, but I never meant to bully him. Besides, being opportunistic isn’t wrong—I just misjudged him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The process doesn’t matter. You were part of this. Your grudge with Li Yi is already sealed. Instead of apologizing, think of a way to get Li Yi fired. He’s struggling in cultivation because he’s short on money. If he saves up a large sum from this job and uses this environment to cultivate, he’ll become truly dangerous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Zhen said, trying to pull Zhao Xiaoxiao to his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you want to target Li Yi, do it yourself. I won’t get dragged into your schemes again,” Zhao Xiaoxiao snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Supervisor Xu Ming returned, accompanied by two assistants, each carrying a suitcase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry to interrupt your meal, but since I have other tasks, I can only settle your first day’s wages here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Payday? Great!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone immediately stopped eating and gathered around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Ming checked the payroll sheet: “Zhang Gao, six hours worked, no interruption in guiding—total wage: fifty-four thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An assistant quickly opened the suitcase, counted out the money, and handed Zhang Gao his fifty-four thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though fifty-four thousand seemed like a lot, it was just a small stack—because the highest denomination now was one thousand yuan, not the old hundred-yuan notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Zhang Gao was thrilled—it was the largest daily wage he’d ever earned as a guide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao Xiaoxiao, six hours worked, no interruption in guiding—wage: fifty-four thousand.” Xu Ming continued, instructing the assistant to distribute pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiaoxiao took her pay, counted it, nodded, and put it away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Lu Jue and another cultivator received their pay—also fifty-four thousand each.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu Zhen, six hours worked, but you woke from meditation once—so according to contract, your wage is halved: twenty-seven thousand.” Supervisor Xu Ming said: “Try to be more focused next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll adjust my state tomorrow,” Wu Zhen said, his face dark. He took his pay but didn’t leave immediately—he glanced at Li Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to know how much Li Yi had earned from six hours of guiding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, among the seven, only he had signed the second contract—the one with no base salary. Earnings depended entirely on how much cosmic energy he guided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi was also curious—how much had he earned?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Ming glanced at the payroll sheet, surprised, then said: “Li Yi, six hours worked. During that time, you guided two thousand two hundred units of cosmic energy. Your wage: two hundred twenty thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two hundred twenty thousand?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, everyone stared at Li Yi in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>",1423,"2026-06-20T01:26:56.586Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1e5e25d4db63537d474347feaea8c6a6f990f7d6eb94da7fd31306d08c2b408b","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-18","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-16",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-sky-fell-cover.jpg"]