The Starry Express Welcomes the Trailblazer

Yin Yi burst out laughing and hurriedly explained, "Monkey Brother, that isn't the moon. It's an electric light! It shines by using 'electricity'!"

"Electricity?" Sun Wukong scratched his head, even more confused. "Electricity... what's that? Is it the lightning in the sky? You people can catch lightning and lock it inside your houses to use as lighting?" He leaned closer to the lampshade, as if he wanted to see through it and examine its inner workings, muttering all the while.

Li Xuan watched from the side with a smile on his lips. He found the monkey's childlike curiosity rather amusing, so he gave a simple explanation: "Although we mortals lack the power to move mountains and overturn seas, we have found other paths and developed many ingenious crafts. This 'electricity' is one kind of natural force we discovered and learned to control. It may be subtle, but it can be gathered into a current to power all sorts of things. Lighting is merely one of its most basic uses."

"A natural force? Mortals controlling it?" Sun Wukong's eyes lit up as he listened. "Remarkable! Remarkable! That's far more impressive than the mortals back home who know nothing but praying to gods and worshiping Buddha!"

His attention was soon drawn to something else.

"Hey! What's this square, flat board? There are people moving inside it! Is it some kind of magic trick?" He pointed at the LCD TV on the wall. Its screen was currently black, but its glossy surface reflected his own image.

"That's called a television. It can play... uh, it can display all kinds of images and sounds, like watching a shadow play, only more realistic!" Yin Yi quickly picked up the remote and pressed the power button.

The TV screen lit up instantly, playing an animated show filled with vivid colors and lively characters.

"Whoa!" Sun Wukong jumped in fright, instinctively retreating half a step and taking a guarded stance. But he was immediately drawn in by the images. He leaned forward until his face was almost pressed against the screen. "Goodness! There really is a little world inside! How did those people get in there? They can move and talk, too! They're even more nimble than the little monkeys made from my hairs!"

Yin Yi laughed so hard she doubled over. "Monkey Brother, those aren't real little people. They're... they're images recorded using a special method!"

Sun Wukong nodded as if he understood, then pointed at the humming refrigerator. "Why is this big iron box humming on its own? And why is it giving off cold air? Is it an ice cellar?"

"That's a refrigerator. It's used to keep food fresh. It's very cold inside, so things don't spoil as easily."

"Keep food fresh? Oh! So it works on roughly the same principle as when I wrap immortal fruit in spiritual energy!" Sun Wukong suddenly understood, delighted to have found a point of common ground.

Next, he asked the spinning fan, "This iron fan can turn by itself without anyone waving it?"

The water heater that could dispense both hot and cold water drew an exclamation from him: "How can this pipe spit out hot water? It's even more convenient than the hot springs on Flower-Fruit Mountain!"

Even Yin Yi's laptop and mobile phone on her desk

"Another sparkling board? What treasure is this? There are words jumping around on it!"

All aroused his immense interest.

He was like a country boy visiting the city for the first time. Everything he saw was new, and he kept asking questions without stopping.

Sometimes he marveled, sometimes he was puzzled, and sometimes he tried to understand these technological products using the immortal-hero knowledge familiar to him, resulting in no shortage of amusing misunderstandings.

Yin Yi patiently answered his questions one by one. Watching the Great Sage Equal to Heaven show such intense interest in things she encountered every day, she found it both hilarious and incredibly novel. A wondrous feeling born from the collision of cultures across time and space filled the entire little room.

Li Xuan, meanwhile, lounged on the small sofa, sipping "Fat House Happy Water" as he watched Sun Wukong dart around, touching this and examining that, as though enjoying a lively documentary titled The Great Sage Equal to Heaven's First Experience of Modern Life.

It's good to let this monkey see more of the world.

Across the myriad worlds, Daoist magic differed and civilizations varied, each possessing its own wonders.

If Wukong could broaden his horizons, it might well benefit his future path.

Just as Sun Wukong was marveling at the many inventions of modern society, Yin Yi patiently explained them, and Li Xuan leisurely enjoyed his drink, Li Xuan's consciousness stirred slightly. He sensed movement in the Transmigrator Chat Group on the other side.

It seemed the Scholar was excitedly sharing his progress in practicing the Myriad Origin Foundation Establishment Art, after which someone casually asked a question.

Scholar Struggling to Survive: Many thanks to the Group Owner for bestowing this art! This junior feels that he can already draw qi into his body, and my spirit has been greatly invigorated! May I ask what the esteemed Group Owner has been busy with lately? Are you in secluded cultivation, comprehending the supreme Dao?

Warrior Who Goes All Out: The esteemed Group Owner must definitely be doing something major! Perhaps he's creating another ridiculously powerful cultivation art!

This Concubine Really Doesn't Want Palace Intrigue: The Group Owner's abilities are vast and profound. How could we presume to casually guess at his whereabouts?

Maiden of the Famine Year: The esteemed Group Owner must be working hard! Remember to get some rest!

Mage Fleeing for His Life Today: Huff, huff... I just shook off a squad of knights... What are you big shots talking about? Does the esteemed Group Owner have any new instructions?

Li Xuan watched the discussion in the group and found it amusing. He separated a strand of his consciousness and casually sent a reply.

Group Owner Li Xuan: Nothing much. I'm visiting a friend in another world.

Another world? A friend? Visiting?

That offhand remark instantly sent the group into an uproar!

Warrior Who Goes All Out: Another world?! Holy shit! Big shot, can you already travel freely between worlds?!

Scholar Struggling to Survive: Another world... Could it be the world of another fellow transmigrator?

This Concubine Really Doesn't Want Palace Intrigue: The Group Owner can actually cross worlds to visit friends... Truly extraordinary.

Maiden of the Famine Year: Wow! What's the other world like? I'm curious!

Mage Fleeing for His Life Today: Big shot, you're awesome!

Seeing their curiosity, Li Xuan's thoughts stirred. He casually used his divine sense to capture an image.

It showed the view outside the window of Yin Yi's little room: a city at night, with skyscrapers rising in the distance, neon lights glittering, and streams of traffic flowing along the roads—a bustling modern metropolis.

He deliberately avoided capturing Sun Wukong and Yin Yi inside the room.

Then, using the group's function, he transmitted the image to the group as though sending a photograph.

Group Owner Li Xuan shared an image.

When the image was opened, the familiar modern cityscape of the world they had all come from appeared instantly in the consciousness of every group member!

In that moment, the entire Transmigrator Chat Group fell into an eerie silence.

It was as though even time itself had stopped for several seconds.

Then came a flood of messages, erupting like a volcano and mixed with boundless shock, nostalgia, excitement, and even a trace of choked emotion!

Warrior Who Goes All Out: I... holy shit!!! This... this is... skyscrapers! Cars! Neon lights?! This is fucking modern society?! Group Owner, you... you've returned to the modern world?!

Scholar Struggling to Survive:!!! This... what is this?! Electric lights! Televisions! Robot vacuum cleaners?!

Maiden of the Famine Year: Oh my god! This background... this decor... these appliances... It's modern! It's a house from modern society!

Warrior Who Goes All Out: Holy shit! Big shot! You... you've returned to the modern world?! You can travel back to our world?!

This Concubine Really Doesn't Want Palace Intrigue: These furnishings... are unquestionably modern. Group Owner... you can travel between different worlds, including our world?

Mage Fleeing for His Life Today: Damn that God of Light! I mean... big shot! You... you're far too powerful! You can not only travel to fantasy and immortal-hero worlds, but return to the modern world as well?!

Every group member was stunned!

They had all come from the modern world, so they were more familiar with the objects in the image than anyone.

That was absolutely not a scene that could exist in any ancient era or another world!

What shocked them was not the objects in the photograph themselves, but the fact that... Group Owner Li Xuan had appeared inside a room in a modern setting!

What did this mean?

It meant that the esteemed Group Owner very likely possessed the ability to freely travel between the "hometown"—modern Earth—of all these transmigrators!

This discovery sent towering waves surging through the hearts of every transmigrator from the modern world!

They had crossed into their respective worlds. Although they had gained the golden finger of the chat group, who among them had not harbored a trace of longing for home deep down?

Who had never wondered whether they might one day be able to return and take a look?

And now, the Group Owner had told them through a single photograph: he might be able to do it!