The deep space spacecraft base was located thirty kilometers from Ancheng, one of the largest in Old Earth, ranking among the top four. Travelers from neighboring provinces headed here to reach New Star. From a distance, the sight was a jungle of steel, with numerous large starships docked, ensuring the highest security measures were in place. Robots patrolled, and surveillance systems monitored everything.
The surrounding environment was pleasant, dotted with evergreen trees, but they appeared small next to the massive ships. Even trees towering six to seven meters seemed like mere blades of grass against the shimmering metallic vessels.
Wang Xuan, about to leave Old Earth for the first time aboard a starship, arrived three hours early to avoid any potential issues. After passing through intelligent security checks, he found himself in the waiting hall, realizing he still had over two hours before boarding.
As time passed, the moment finally arrived. Taking one last look at Old Earth, Wang Xuan resolutely turned and stepped onto the ship. The enormous vessel glided into space, and once clear of Old Earth, the warp engines ignited, propelling them past the speed of light.
As the journey progressed, the speed increased, and the ship seemed to float within a massive bubble, transcending the constraints of time and space. Their first stop was Proxima Centauri b, located 4.2 light-years away, the closest exoplanet to the solar system. This planet was equipped with a wormhole that allowed direct travel across the vastness of space, bringing them closer to New Star.
Initially, there had been a wormhole connecting the Moon and New Moon, making travel easy. However, concerns about safety due to their proximity to two habitable planets led to the relocation of the portals. Proxima Centauri b replaced the Moon, and Deep Space 8 took the place of New Moon, becoming the new transportation hub.
Currently, ships from alien systems could not reach New Star directly; the established gates could be closed or even destroyed at any moment, severing connections to the outside world. Though the journey from Old Earth to Proxima Centauri b was 4.2 light-years, with the warp engine activated, they would arrive in just over four hours.
Wang Xuan felt that this interstellar travel was akin to flying between two distant cities on Old Earth. Unfortunately, the sealed metal cabin lacked the windows of airplanes, denying him the chance to gaze out at the starry expanse, a disappointment that dashed his hopes of witnessing the cosmos up close.
While the seat featured "full sensory imagery" to simulate the experience of stargazing, he quickly found it unimpressive and decided against it. The journey was not entirely smooth; occasional vibrations caused murmurs of surprise among the passengers, as the shields worked to neutralize obstacles.
Inside the cold ship, the atmosphere was stiflingly quiet; most people were dozing off. Wang Xuan closed his eyes, not intending to sleep, but to attempt a daring experiment. He had begun to form a portion of his mental domain and wanted to test it outwardly.
Facing the golden cabin wall, a faint white mist appeared on his forehead, with tendrils of mist penetrating the metal. This was a newfound ability gained from his emerging mental domain, allowing him to sense the situation beyond obstacles.
Suddenly, he encountered the real universe—what had appeared as a brilliant starry river and magnificent deep space was merely a digitally enhanced image. What he truly experienced was akin to falling into a bottomless abyss, suffocated by an oppressive darkness that seemed to swallow one's soul.
This sensation was unbearable, producing a sense of despair that left him gasping for breath. All around him was an endless void, cold and silent, reminiscent of a post-mortal world. Only in the far distance did he glimpse faint, flickering lights. The vastness of space made the stars seem like mere specks of dust, far less dazzling than photographs suggested.
This firsthand experience brought forth feelings of emptiness, coldness, and deep-space terror. Wang Xuan began to sweat profusely, overwhelmed by the profound darkness.
His mental domain clung to the ship's exterior, where he detected strands of supermatter, energies akin to those wielded by practitioners of the New Technique. Additionally, he sensed a mishmash of peculiar energies, invisible to the naked eye but tangible to his spirit.
One massive, cloud-like energy cluster drifted by, mysterious and terrifying, encapsulating fragments of broken metal. Wang Xuan felt a shiver run down his spine—was his mental perception real? Was there truly strange, cloud-like matter in the cosmos entangling broken metallic objects? What could they be?!
Unfortunately, the encounter was fleeting, and they were too far apart for him to scrutinize further. He had attempted to draw closer, but the instinctual dread struck him, and he quickly retracted, narrowly avoiding losing a portion of his mental domain in the process.
What followed was a terrifying sensation of "flying in the sky while one's soul trails behind," a truly chilling experience! Fortunately, the attraction between his physical and spiritual forms brought him back to himself, and he managed to return without straying too far.
Wang Xuan took a long time to recover, accepting a cup of water from a crew member to soothe his dry throat—he had nearly found himself in peril. Deep in thought, he pondered the unseen, strange energies lurking in the dark cosmos, wondering what the fragments of broken metal could be.
Were they pieces of a ship? He couldn't be sure. To his astonishment, he realized his mental domain had strengthened somewhat!
Then, he recalled ancient myths where those close to becoming immortal would refine their bodies using the winds of the realm, entering the azure skies to absorb celestial energies. He speculated that perhaps he had indeed ascended from the surface into outer space, gathering various strange energies!
If his guess were accurate, wouldn't modern humans have it much easier? Boarding a spaceship could allow them to gather celestial energy even in their mortal forms.
Yet, the thought of the ticket price—two hundred thousand New Star coins—made his head throb. Such an exorbitant fee was prohibitive for ordinary folks!
For the first time, Wang Xuan felt the urgent need to earn money. He had never cared much before, but after leaving campus, he recognized that emotional bonds and practices of the Old Technique were tightly bound to material support.
As the ship neared Proxima Centauri b, he observed it was the closest exoplanet to the Sun, orbiting a red dwarf star. The planet was largely desolate, with only a well-developed base resembling a small city.
Two hundred years ago, when humanity had yet to leave the solar system, there were once hopes that Proxima Centauri b might be a habitable planet. Clearly, those ideas were overly optimistic.
Once the spacecraft landed, it underwent the most rigorous security checks. It was evident how stringent the requirements were for those wishing to travel to New Star; security was airtight. For over an hour, both the interior and exterior of the ship, along with all passengers, were subjected to multiple stringent inspections before they were finally cleared.
Naturally, there were others like Wang Xuan, experiencing deep space travel for the first time, filled with questions and curiosity about New Star as they chatted amongst themselves.
"We're about to enter the wormhole. Our bodies won't really break down, will they? What if something goes wrong? Where exactly is New Star?"
"Don't worry, just take a nap, and we'll be there. New Star is probably not even in the Milky Way. In this vast universe, finding a habitable planet is incredibly difficult. They say Old Earth might be the only life-sustaining place in the entire galaxy. When you think about it, it's really terrifying—look up at the sky; it's all just lifeless void."
Wang Xuan was astonished, unsure whether to believe them. The idea that New Star was so far away, outside the Milky Way, was mind-boggling. If that were true, traveling through a wormhole was essential; otherwise, even with the warp engine, it would take years just to leave the galaxy.
Everything proceeded smoothly, and the ship slowly entered the wormhole. The crew announced to the passengers that it would only be a short nap until they arrived.
This time, Wang Xuan didn't dare to take risks. He had heard various stories about traveling through wormholes, so he remained prudent and did not extend his mental domain this time.
He felt himself drifting into a haze, and he didn't know how long had passed when he saw a brilliant light ahead. The ship exited the wormhole and arrived at Deep Space 8.
From here, the ship would continue to New Star, while Wang Xuan needed to transfer to a medium-sized spacecraft to reach New Moon, where he wanted to visit Qin Cheng. In this star system, Deep Space 8 held a position equivalent to Proxima Centauri b, located 4.5 light-years from New Moon.
Five hours later, Wang Xuan smoothly landed on New Moon, the moon orbiting New Star.
"It's been two months; I wonder how Qin Cheng is doing," he thought as he disembarked, eager to reunite with his friend.
The two locations were so distant, far exceeding the bounds of the Milky Way, that he and Qin Cheng had struggled to maintain normal contact.
New Moon was beautifully constructed; the base was vibrant with life, teeming with various plants and well-developed infrastructure. It looked like a livable garden city.
Before long, Wang Xuan spotted a holographic advertisement featuring a magnificent celestial palace, with celestial maidens soaring, fragrant osmanthus trees, and flying rabbits drifting through the air.
On New Moon stood a Grand Palace of Cold Radiance.
Aside from feeling a bit weightless, he found everything else manageable and began to adapt to the environment.
The base was vast, transformed into a city suitable for habitation. Wang Xuan hailed a hovering vehicle, ready to follow the address to find Qin Cheng.
On the way, he was stunned to see a series of temples. They weren't particularly grandiose, but there was a sacred feeling about them, bathed in sunlight, that moved him deeply.
This wasn't just a psychological effect; as he observed closely and extended his mental domain, he sensed an incredibly rich, mysterious energy emanating from there. For a moment, he felt a powerful urge to explore immediately.
"This is a temple complex with a history of two thousand years. Each brick and tile was airlifted from Old Earth, steeped in history and tradition. It's said that the deities here are quite effective," the driver of the hovering vehicle explained.
New Moon had not only this ancient temple but also a very old Taoist temple, a significant ancestral site of Taoism, which had been completely relocated here.
Wang Xuan felt uneasy, contemplating whether he should go and take a look. He hesitated, fearing he wouldn't be able to control himself.
These ancient structures were extraordinary; if he disturbed anything, who knew what might be released? He even suspected that he might inadvertently summon "Old Zhang," the mysterious figure he often referenced!