The night sky above the quiet mountain village shimmered with countless stars, casting their gentle light over the world below. Chen Wu stood outside the small, simple hut that had been his home for the past six years, his eyes fixed on the heavens. Each star seemed to pulse with a distant energy, reminding him of the long nights he had spent beneath them, cultivating, seeking strength in the silent embrace of the cosmos.
The village was peaceful, as it had always been. But peace was fleeting, and Chen Wu knew that this calm would not last. In two years, the cultivators would come, and the quiet life he had known would be shattered. He would not be here to witness it.
"It's time," Chen Wu muttered to himself, his voice low but firm. The decision had been made long ago—he would leave before danger arrived.
Silently, he walked through the village streets, his presence unnoticed by the few who remained awake at this hour. He made his way up a small hill on the outskirts, a place where the starlight seemed to shine brighter, where he had spent countless nights cultivating in solitude.
At the top of the hill, he sat in the familiar lotus position, the starlight enveloping him like an old friend. The energy of the heavens flowed down, washing over him, as it had for the past six years. His body, now at the 6th level of Qi Refining, felt steady and strong.
He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift back over the years. Each day had been spent cultivating, absorbing the essence of the stars. There had been no risks, no unnecessary ventures. His only goal had been survival and steady growth.
Six years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Now, his cultivation had reached a bottleneck. The village, once a place of peace and safety, could no longer shelter him. He needed to move forward, to find new opportunities and resources, to continue his path toward immortality.
Chen Wu opened his eyes, and the stars above seemed to twinkle in response.
"It's time to leave."
With that final thought, he rose to his feet, his decision firm. There was nothing left for him here. The road ahead was long, uncertain, and filled with dangers. But as long as he focused on survival and steady cultivation, he would persevere.
Without looking back, Chen Wu descended the hill, leaving the village.
Chen Wu gazed up at the night sky, his heart filled with determination. The stars had always been his guide, their silent light offering him a sense of direction that no mortal map could. It was more than just a simple belief—his mythic talent, "Child of Stars", allowed him to connect deeply with the celestial bodies. They whispered to him, showing him the path to survival.
"I should just follow the stars," Chen Wu muttered, his eyes tracing the constellations. With a final glance at the peaceful village he was leaving behind, he embarked on his journey.
Months passed as he moved in sync with the stars' guidance, traveling through forests and over hills, always under the cover of night. The stars led him through safe routes, and fortune seemed to favor him. He discovered several spiritual plants along the way, each filled with potent energy, and avoided any serious dangers. The journey had been smooth—almost too smooth.
One night, as Chen Wu reached the edge of a vast mountain range, he paused to take in the scene before him. The dark night was lit by the stars above, their light illuminating the endless valleys and peaks stretching out below him. The sky was clear, and he could feel the stars pointing him forward, indicating that something lay ahead.
As he looked down the steep edge of the mountain, his eyes caught sight of something unusual—a soft blue glow, shimmering in the starlight. It was faint, yet unmistakable. A powerful, almost magnetic force seemed to pull him toward it.
"That's it," Chen Wu whispered, his gaze fixed on the glowing object far below. Without hesitation, he carefully began his descent down the mountain. The climb was treacherous, but he moved slowly, ensuring his safety with every step. After a few hours, he finally reached the source of the glow.
It was a spiritual plant, unlike anything he had seen before. The plant had three small, glowing fruits, each pulsating with concentrated spiritual energy. The starlight danced around the fruits, making them look almost ethereal.
Chen Wu's eyes widened in awe. "These fruits… they're filled with dense spiritual energy."
Without hesitation, but with great care, he picked the fruits. Climbing back up the mountain was no easy task, but Chen Wu's focus was unshaken. After reaching the top, he sat at the mountain's edge and inspected the fruits.
Greed flashed in his eyes. The fruits were brimming with spiritual qi, and Chen Wu couldn't resist the temptation. He took a small bite from one of the fruits, and immediately, a wave of soothing warmth spread through his body. The dense spiritual qi surged within him, filling every corner of his being.
Before he knew it, he had eaten the entire fruit.
He wasted no time. Sitting in a lotus position, Chen Wu began to cultivate, guiding the newly absorbed energy through his meridians. The qi flowed smoothly, and by the time the night ended, he could feel the change in his cultivation.
In just one night, he had advanced from the early 6th level of Qi Refining to its peak.
Chen Wu opened his eyes, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. The stars had once again shown him the right way.
Chen Wu sat at the edge of the mountain, holding the remaining two glowing fruits in his hands. The spiritual qi swirling within them was dense, almost overwhelming. He knew that if he consumed both at once, the results could be extraordinary, but he was in no rush.
"I'll wait until night," he decided, his gaze once again turning upward toward the stars that had guided him this far. The connection he had with them was strongest under the night sky, and he wanted to maximize every benefit these rare fruits could offer.
The sun slowly dipped beneath the horizon, painting the sky in shades of crimson and gold before giving way to the deep blues of twilight. As the stars began to emerge, twinkling one by one, Chen Wu closed his eyes, centering himself.
When the sky was fully dark, with the starlight bathing him in its serene glow, Chen Wu finally consumed the two remaining fruits at once. Their energy was explosive, far more potent than the first fruit. His body felt like a vessel overflowing with spiritual qi, but he remained calm, focusing on guiding the surge of energy into his meridians.
As he entered the familiar lotus position, his connection with the stars intensified, allowing him to harmonize perfectly with the energy within the fruits. The dense spiritual qi flowed into his dantian, swirling around in a powerful vortex.
Hours passed, and the breakthrough came. His cultivation surged past the 6th level, the barrier shattering with ease. His body hummed with newfound strength as he directly entered the peak of Qi Refining Level 7.
When Chen Wu finally opened his eyes, the night had faded, and the first rays of morning light illuminated his face in a soft, red glow. He rose to his feet, feeling the boundless qi coursing through his veins.
"The stars… they truly never lead me astray," Chen Wu muttered under his breath, his eyes still reflecting the light of the heavens.
With this newfound power, he had taken another significant step toward survival in this dangerous world.