Chapter 73: Giant Strongman

"It's in her room!" Thus line: Ye Ying said plaintively.

Among Wei Yuning's two fake Dao companions, Qiu Hu is 100% fake—at least for now—and Thus line: Ye Ying is half‑true, half‑false.

The half‑fake side is Wei Yuning; he truly has no thoughts about Thus line: Ye Ying and treats her as an unlovable little sister. The half‑true side is Thus line: Ye Ying, whose feelings have gradually shifted toward Wei Yuning since becoming his "Dao companion," turning a pretended act into something real.

Even though Wei Yuning is broad‑minded, he senses something off and now tries to minimize the time they spend alone together.

A knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Qiu Hu asked from inside.

"It's me!" Wei Yuning replied.

Qiu Hu opened the door, stepped out, then swiftly shut it behind him and asked, "What's up?"

Since he began setting up the formation, Qiu Hu's room has become a forbidden zone; even Thus line: Ye Ying hasn't entered.

"Here, the space stone is ready!"

Two standard dodecahedral space stones appeared in Wei Yuning's hands, gray‑white in color; at first glance they look like ordinary rocks, but upon close inspection a faint veil of mist drifts over their surfaces, beneath which specks of light shimmer.

"Wow, quality's good—still retaining so much star energy! One piece like this is enough," Qiu Hu exclaimed delightedly.

"I'll just give them all to you; I have no use for them," Wei Yuning said.

"How could they be useless? Space stones aren't just for making storage items; many cultivators in the Eternal Immortal City often use them to aid cultivation!" Qiu Hu replied.

"What can they assist in cultivating?" Wei Yuning asked curiously.

"They can help you perceive star energy!" Qiu Hu said.

"Star energy? Is that these glowing things?"

"Yes. Star energy is formless and intangible yet omnipresent, only manifesting within a space stone. If you can perceive it, your cultivation will surely leap forward!" Qiu Hu explained.

"That sounds easy; why don't you try perceiving star energy yourself?" Wei Yuning asked, puzzled.

"Perceiving star energy requires talent. My talent's decent but still insufficient! Moreover, I'm a Spirit Immortal with innate longevity; even a slow cultivation can advance me to True Immortal and achieve immortality, so why risk it?" Qiu Hu said with a hint of pride.

"You mean perceiving star energy is dangerous?" Wei Yuning frowned. Qiu Hu's thoughts seemed increasingly reckless, showing no concern for his Dao companion's safety.

"Of course. If you want real progress, a little danger is nothing. Your cultivation is so low; without effort, when will you reach Nascent Soul? Do you really expect me to watch you die on the path?" Qiu Hu said as if it were obvious, his expression unreadable—whether gloating or frustrated.

"Fine, you make a good point; I can't refute you. Let me ask, are successful cases of perceiving star energy common?" Qiu Hu was turning a bit sarcastic, and Wei Yuning felt the image of the graceful fairy he once imagined fading away.

"Examples certainly exist. Legend says one of the founders of the Eternal Immortal City could wield star energy—that's true great power," Qiu Hu said with admiration.

"You really overestimate me!" Wei Yuning sighed, "But since it's your goodwill, I'll keep the space stone."

Space stones are expensive; even if not used for cultivation, selling them for cash is fine.

"Anything else? If not, I'm going inside to set up the formation!" Qiu Hu said.

The main missing materials have arrived; she is a bit eager.

Only now did Wei Yuning remember the most important thing he hadn't mentioned.

"Uncle Yun Yan said the celestial envoy is a Celestial Realm strongman and will arrive the day after tomorrow riding the Seven‑Deer Celestial Chariot. What exactly is this strongman?" Wei Yuning asked.

Qiu Hu's eyes darted wildly; after a moment he said, "It might be a bit troublesome!"

Wei Yuning, seeing Qiu Hu's solemn expression, grew nervous and asked, "Is a strongman stronger than an immortal?"

Hearing that, Qiu Hu couldn't help but laugh, "How could that be? A strongman is just a mortal of the Celestial Realm, even inferior to a Spirit Immortal!"

"Then what are you worried about?" Wei Yuning asked.

"Calling strongmen Celestial Realm mortals isn't precise; they're a special, extremely rare group of mortals who can cultivate," Qiu Hu explained.

"Ordinary Celestial Realm mortals can't cultivate?" Wei Yuning was genuinely intrigued.

Qiu Hu rarely discusses immortal matters; seizing this rare chance, he asked more.

"Of course they can't cultivate. They have mortal bodies, but being born in the Celestial Realm grants them an extra five hundred years of lifespan, enough to keep pace with Golden Core elders of the Cultivation Realm. Yet with that comes limits; no Celestial Realm mortal may follow the path to true immortal cultivation."

"Their main avenues are serving as Celestial Realm laborers, maidens, or Heavenly Soldiers, etc. Just as a few mortals in the lower world possess cultivation talent, a few Celestial Realm mortals do too, but their cultivation path is that of a strongman."

"A strongman, as the name suggests, is a warrior of immense strength; they know no techniques, only earth‑shaking power. Strongmen are divided into four grades: Great Strongman, Giant Strongman, Dragon Strongman, and Mountain‑Moving Strongman. Even the lowest grade Great Strongman can wield ten thousand jin of force, while the top‑grade Mountain‑Moving Strongman can literally lift a mountain. Their status in the Celestial Realm is high, often serving as Heavenly Generals!"

Wei Yuning stared in astonishment; strongmen are such terrifying beings—ten thousand jin of strength; if you clash face‑to‑face, even a Golden Core cultivator might not be a match.

"Wait, if they don't know any techniques, they can't fly either; so what good is raw strength?" Wei Yuning thought quickly.

Qiu Hu looked at Wei Yuning with extreme contempt and sneered, "Has your brain gone bad? Do Celestial Realm strongmen still lack flying devices? Giant Strongmen and above don a full set of celestial armor, impervious to blades and immune to techniques; with invincible divine power, even Earth Immortals must keep their distance."

Wei Yuning was choked, unable to speak.

"If it's just a Great Strongman, that's fine; they might not hold any position in the Heavenly Realm. But if it's a Giant Strongman, you'll have to obey the celestial envoy's decree. Moreover, the envoy rides the Seven‑Deer Celestial Chariot, whose lowest rank is probably at least a Giant Strongman," Qiu Hu said expressionlessly.

Wei Yuning felt a cold chill in his heart; glancing at Thus line: Ye Ying in the distant pavilion, a wave of helpless sorrow rose within him.

Yun Long was exterminated by the sect; not only the instigator Thus line: Ye Ying and he escaped culpability, the sect still faces an uncertain crisis. However, the Yun Yin Sect has the Dao Min Realist of Earth Immortal rank stationed, as well as other first‑generation ancestors said to be in seclusion.

If a real battle broke out, they'd certainly not fear the celestial envoy.

But the sect certainly won't court death; most likely they'll compromise, given their past misdeeds—one demon‑slayer almost caused the sect to betray itself, let alone the Celestial Realm visitors today.

So, it looks like he and Thus line: Ye Ying are in danger.

He longed to bring the dead Yun Long back to life and then torture it mercilessly.

At that moment, a flash of white light passed before his eyes, and a paper bird gently landed on Wei Yuning's arm.