[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars":3,"chapter-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-443":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Immortal Path Among the Stars",{"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},2320375,4537,"Chapter 443","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-443",443,"\u003Cp>\"The reward is no problem—anything within our three’s means and capabilities, feel free to ask, but there’s one rule: nothing that violates the law or harms our country.\" Li Shiyi replied without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Li, it’s not that extreme—I’d never ask for a reward harmful to China. The condition is simple: I hope the three of you can teach me some ancient martial arts, especially your Instant Step. I’m very interested and want to learn this footwork.\" Wang Yu smiled in reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s it? Only this one condition?\" Li Shiyi paused, genuinely surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, just this one condition—and I hope you three can begin teaching me immediately after we return to China. But as an ancient martial family, you don’t still follow the old rule of never teaching outsiders, do you?\" Wang Yu blinked and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In ancient times, there were indeed customs like passing martial arts only to sons, not daughters, or to outsiders. But in modern times, because ancient martial arts are so difficult to learn, very few meet the requirements, and even fewer are willing to endure the hardship. That rule has long vanished.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In fact, over the past few years, some ancient martial families, fearing their ancestral techniques would be lost, have openly opened martial arts schools and boxing halls in major cities, publicly taking students and teaching these arts. So there’s no need to worry—anyone willing to learn, we three will gladly teach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The only issue is that the ancient martial arts we know are among the hardest even within China’s vast array of techniques. Without talent, it’s nearly impossible to master them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take my Instant Step—if you don’t have some special ability like ‘Super Eyes,’ mastering it is almost unthinkable.\" Li Shiyi replied hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh, no need to worry, Brother Li—just teach me. If I can’t learn it, that’s my problem, and it won’t affect our deal.\" Wang Yu smiled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like Number One is a straightforward man. Then it’s settled—you help us find remedies and pill formulas from the cultivation world, and we’ll do our best to teach you the ancient martial arts we know.\" Li Shiyi, now without hesitation, extended his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s settled then.\" Wang Yu firmly grasped the other’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two exchanged a knowing smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a cup of tea, the small door was pulled open, and Li Shiyi stepped out, turning through several narrow submarine corridors toward his room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he entered the slightly ajar iron door, he suddenly saw two figures inside—one standing, one lying—waiting for him: Mu Lan and Meng Jiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finished talking with Number One?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad woman Mu Lan, seeing the old man in Tang attire enter, brightened instantly and asked first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finished. He’s agreed to help us find a way to restore our lifespan.\" Li Shiyi shut the small door behind him and replied with a faint smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Great! Number One’s a good guy—I’m claiming him as a friend.\" Meng Jiang sat up abruptly from the bed, beaming with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t get too excited yet. What conditions did Number One set? Tell us every detail.\" Mu Lan asked calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright. Actually, Number One’s condition was simple:…\" Li Shiyi began speaking with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu lay again on his small bed, then suddenly realized he’d forgotten to ask something: how had Li Shiyi slipped up to the door without his spiritual sense detecting a thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this also be the effect of the Instant Step?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could a footwork technique become so fast it evaded spiritual sense?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu pondered, still unable to grasp it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was plenty of time ahead—he’d have chances to figure it out later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to consider instead how he’d face Chen Boshi and the others after returning to China.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu narrowed his eyes, silently thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than ten days later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a secret port near Jingcheng, China, a long convoy emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At both ends of the convoy were several military vehicles packed with armed soldiers; in the middle were three identical black sedans, heading straight toward Jingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the convoy vanished without a trace, as if it had never appeared nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two months later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a secret underground base in Jingcheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a vast, ancient stone hall built of blue stone slabs, two figures moved swiftly in a strange, fixed rhythm—left, right, left, right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the blue stone floor where they passed, dozens of clear white footprints were etched, scattered chaotically around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The front figure moved faster and faster, each step landing precisely on a white footprint; the rear figure gradually fell behind, finally stopping with a long exhale, plopping onto the stone floor, drenched in sweat—his age seemed barely twenty, and it was Wang Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Number One, that’s it? Your body’s too weak.\" The front figure turned, stopping effortlessly, dressed in Tang attire, smiling—it was Li Shiyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Li, my body’s only just begun training—how can I compare to you guys from the Wu Shen Squad? I’ve used every ounce of strength just to keep up this far.\" Wang Yu wiped sweat from his brow, struggled to steady his breathing, then replied with a bitter laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every muscle in his body ached; his legs felt limp, utterly unable to support him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh, you’re doing well. In just over a month, you’ve barely kept pace with my first-stage footwork. The Four Beasts Art must be incredible—you’ve already reached the physical level of China’s top athletes after so little training.\" Li Shiyi glanced over Wang Yu and chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Li, you’re joking. The Four Beasts Art is powerful, but to reach your level of physical cultivation, it’d take at least five or six years—no way around it.\" Wang Yu shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Five or six years and you think it’s long? I’ve soaked in medicinal baths since birth, trained fundamentals since age three, only mastered ancient martial arts at twenty, and at forty, I’ve reached this level.\" Li Shiyi’s aged face showed a hint of disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand—I’m just too eager, wishing to master all your ancient martial arts right away.\" Wang Yu shifted on the floor, admitting fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. That’s enough for today. Now it’s Mu Lan’s turn—train hard with her. She’s not as easygoing as I am.\" Li Shiyi laughed, turning toward the stone door on the hall’s first level, and slapped a protruding brick beside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the stone door flipped open, revealing a white corridor—he vanished in a flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Wang Yu didn’t dare delay—he immediately sat cross-legged, hands on his knees, eyes half-closed, breathing in a strange rhythm—sometimes fast, sometimes slow—beginning the Black Tiger Breathing Method.\u003C\u002Fp>",1104,"2026-06-20T15:44:32.565Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5e72f63ec9e178d274228df3335719a8076cf8bb4a246631b8d2bdb804fdfa66","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-444","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-442",530,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-immortal-path-among-the-stars-cover.jpg"]