The afterglow of the setting sun shrouded the vast East Courtyard. Amid the busy work of the servant disciples, the snow covering the ground melted away.
From a dilapidated courtyard in the southeast corner came a succession of dull collisions.
Chen Fusheng stopped to watch. Liu Bai and Wang Lie, two fifth-grade geniuses, were pitting the Vajra Star against the Shield Armor Star. The energy they released was actually far more intense than Teng Xiong's.
Teng Xiong was at the third heaven of the Other Shore Realm, but although the two had only just entered the Other Shore Realm, the support of their fifth-grade Natal Stars had pushed their combat power to an even higher level.
Golden light flowed across Wang Lie's body. His already massive physique resembled an enraged Vajra, and the golden radiance that poured from him burned like flames. His moves were broad and forceful.
The Body Refinement Department was clearly different from other professions. It mainly granted the physical body formidable combat power, with the emphasis on becoming impervious to blades and spears.
Now Wang Lie's fleshly body blazed with golden light. Every punch was fierce beyond compare as he launched a storm of attacks at Liu Bai.
By contrast, energy surged from Liu Bai's qi sea and condensed into a gigantic illusory shield. Controlled by his mental force, it slammed repeatedly into Wang Lie's fists.
Chen Fusheng watched the battle seriously, comparing them with Teng Xiong as well.
Fortunately, he had struck first that day. Otherwise, if he had fought Teng Xiong head-on, it would have been difficult to withstand the impact of Other Shore Realm energy.
Clang, clang...
Liu Bai controlled the enormous shield and smashed it down again and again, but Wang Lie was too steady. Meeting it with his fists, he pounded fine cracks into the shield.
"I'm done, I'm done!"
Liu Bai cursed, "I'm exhausted to death! Don't get smug, Old Lie. The Divine Weapon Series only shows its true value once you reach the spirit-traveling domain. When that time comes, I'll bring out my Phenomenal Shield Armor and smash you to pieces!"
"With my Vajra Body Protection, why would I fear vermin like you?"
Wang Lie gave a cold laugh, leaving Liu Bai hopping mad.
Mu Zhen could not hold back her laughter. "The Divine Weapon Series is a very special profession. It can only display its combat prowess at higher realms."
"Moreover, if you advance far enough, Liu Bai, you may even be able to nurture a giant shield divine weapon within your qi sea!"
"Of course, the Vajra Star is no small matter either."
"The Other Shore Realm consists of one level after another. Every time you tear through a level, it is like climbing a stairway to heaven, bringing us ever closer to the Natal Star suspended in the starry sky!"
"Of course, this closeness does not refer to the physical body, but to spiritual fluctuations."
"Only by drawing close to the Vajra Star can you better contemplate it!"
"Contemplate it?" Wang Lie seemed to understand, yet not quite.
Mu Zhen explained, "If you close your eyes and mentally envision a mighty eagle soaring through the sky, can you see the eagle's entire form clearly?"
"The answer is naturally difficult. But as you repeatedly break through the Other Shore Realm, you can see the appearance of the Vajra Star more clearly, and may even be able to fully contemplate it within your body!"
"It is equivalent to the star shining into your body, myth shining into the Human Realm. In the words of ordinary folk, it means inviting the Star Gods filling the heavens down into your body!"
"Only after we complete our contemplation can we condense a complete stellar dharma form and thus advance toward the spirit-traveling realm."
Chen Fusheng could not help raising his head and sweeping his gaze over the Sun Star. If he completed his contemplation of the Sun Star and condensed a phenomenon, would his body and mind not resonate with the sun and unleash the divine radiance of the sun?
Wang Lie was troubled. With only four points of mental force, fully contemplating a star was far too difficult.
At present, Wang Lie could only vaguely sense his Natal Star. Mu Zhen was different, however. During her cultivation, she could easily see the Heavenly Water Star.
Chen Fusheng asked, "Can mental force be increased?"
"This..." Wang Lie and the others widened their eyes. Was that even possible?
Mu Zhen shook her head. "It is almost impossible, because it requires exceedingly rare heavenly treasures."
"In the beginning of cultivation, the soul is extremely fragile. Ordinary soul-nourishing objects can only destroy the soul!"
"Even if some techniques can cultivate the soul, those texts are far too precious, and they also require supporting resources."
Mu Zhen sighed. "Even if we had access to such things, you must not forget that the soul is the soul, while perception is perception!"
"She has a point." Wang Lie was stunned. It was like having two physically powerful warriors, one with a dull mind and the other with nimble thoughts!
Chen Fusheng committed all this to memory. Though his path involved contemplating the physical body, the realm breakthroughs were still largely the same.
"Dinner's ready!"
Wang Dapang had been busy in the kitchen for half the day. The dishes he had prepared with such care had instead become mere supporting characters, completely overshadowed by the fragrance of the premium spirit fish.
Liu Bai was somewhat flattered. What scale of banquet was this? He had no idea that Chen Fusheng had caught the premium spirit fish.
Even though Mu Zhen came from a great family and had several varieties of spirit fish at her birthday banquets, the spirit fish on this table was practically an overbearing tyrant...
Wang Lie sat in silence. He felt more and more that Huang Tiancheng was a true master.
He had brought out premium spirit fish just like that. Would even a High-Ranking Star Official have such boldness?
"What a wonderful fragrance..."
A strange fragrance suddenly swept over them. Everyone looked toward the jade basin Wang Dapang carried over. It was filled with spirit rice as green as jade.
Wang Dapang laughed heartily. "This is Emerald Corn. It can't be considered any high-end spirit rice."
"The Inner Courtyard has a hundred mu of spirit fields, but the annual yield of Emerald Corn is only four or five thousand jin. It isn't even enough to distribute among the Core Disciples of the Inner Courtyard."
Mu Zhen was amazed. The soil in the spirit fields was rare spirit soil, and Spirit Planters cast spells to bring down rain and cultivate the spirit rice, but the yield was extremely low.
Of course, if one consumed spirit rice over a long period, one's cultivation speed would naturally advance a thousand li a day!
"To be honest, this was a welcoming gift from the master chef. You could say I'm half his disciple."
Wang Dapang's words made them cry out in surprise. The master chef of the Inner Courtyard's Spirit Chef Hall was in the spirit-traveling realm, a High-Ranking Star Official!
To take such an expert as one's master—Wang Dapang's ancestors must have been burning incense in their graves...
"Master Wang has great fortune protecting him. Reaching the spirit-traveling realm in the future won't be difficult. I'll borrow flowers to offer to Buddha as well—this is a jar of Six Spirits Wine. Please give it a taste."
Mu Zhen took a white jade jar from her storage pouch. When she lifted the seal, the intoxicating fragrance of spirit-fruit wine wafted out, making anyone who merely inhaled it feel light-headed.
"This is Six Spirits Wine!"
Wang Dapang was startled. The Mu Family had inherited its legacy for ten thousand years and remained glorious and unshaken, all because of six spirit-fruit trees.
It was said that the ancestor of the Mu Family had once ventured into an ancient secret realm and obtained six spirit-tree saplings. After hundreds of years of cultivation, they had blossomed and borne fruit. Every spirit fruit was worth tens of thousands of star stones!
"It isn't as exaggerated as you make it sound. Although Six Spirits Wine is brewed from six kinds of spirit fruit, each batch can produce several hundred jin."
Mu Zhen still sounded somewhat proud. "But it is true that they take thirty years to flower, thirty years to bear fruit, and thirty years to mature. After all, they are heavenly spirit roots, planted in rare spirit soil and carefully tended day and night. Normally, I can't even get close to them."
Chen Fusheng's imagination ran wild. When would he be able to establish a cave dwelling amid the Spirit Mountain Great Marsh, cultivate fertile spirit fields, and raise several spirit roots?
"I say, Old Lie, shouldn't we contribute something too?" Liu Bai could not sit still any longer.
"You damn dog, you already know I'm poor. Right, why don't you put out your Multi-Treasure Turtle?" Wang Lie had a sudden inspiration.
"Get lost, get lost! That's my heaven-defying fortune. I'm raising it properly at home!" Liu Bai cursed with a dark expression.
"Hahaha..."
Everyone raised their bowls and laughed. "Let's finish this bowl and toast to all of us achieving the Great Dao of spirit travel in the future!"
Everyone's expressions turned solemn as they drank the sweet fruit wine in great gulps. It felt as though they were being cleansed by the waters of heaven, their souls seemingly taking flight and drifting straight into the blue sky.
Chen Fusheng felt as though he were lying asleep among the clouds, eating sunset clouds and breathing qi. During the process, six streams of spiritual energy nourished his physique and seeped into his organs, bringing incomparable comfort.
Chen Fusheng could sense it even more clearly. His slumbering organs were being activated, and some extraordinary power surged forth, filling his limbs with strength.
"This Six Spirits Wine is truly terrifying. It contains the essences of six kinds of energy!"
Chen Fusheng was moved. He turned his head toward the black-dressed girl sitting beside him. Her smooth, delicate skin had flushed red, her cheeks so bright they seemed ready to drip with color.
Mu Zhen looked over as well. Yang energy surged within Chen Fusheng's body, like blazing fire pouring into her mouth and nose and making her somewhat dizzy.
Mu Zhen's heartbeat quickened slightly. Taking advantage of her drunkenness, she whispered into Chen Fusheng's ear.
"Little Chen, you've only been cultivating for half a month or so, right? This spirit fish is only one step below premium quality. No wonder your cultivation has advanced so quickly. But your physique hasn't reached its limit yet, has it?"
Mu Zhen had not tasted that it was premium spirit fish. The fish had mainly been stewed a second time, causing it to lose some of its spiritual energy.
"It seems it hasn't reached the limit? Right, I haven't had time to thank you for what happened today." Chen Fusheng changed the subject.
"Ling Yao is not someone to provoke. Be careful from now on."
Mu Zhen reminded him, "Ling Yao's grandfather is a High-Ranking Star Official of the Star Palace, and he dotes on Ling Chen exceptionally."
Chen Fusheng's heart sank. This trouble he had inexplicably stirred up would likely bring even greater trouble in the future.
"Of course, an important figure has recently arrived at the Tian Yuan Star Observation Manor. The various regions are under martial law, and the enforcement teams have all been dispatched. They won't openly move against you."
"An important figure? How important?" Chen Fusheng was stunned. In his eyes, a High-Ranking Star Official was already a heaven-reaching figure.
"It seems to be connected to the Heavenly Star Manor!" Envy flashed through Mu Zhen's eyes. Across the Abyss Realm, there were only around thirty Heavenly Star Manors, and the minimum requirement for entry was to be a sixth-grade spirit-traveling Star Master!
"Senior Sister, who exactly founded the Heavenly Star Manor?" Chen Fusheng asked.
"That topic is rather high-end. To establish a Heavenly Star Manor, one would at the very least need an incomparably terrifying Dao Star Master to act."
Mu Zhen said, "The Heavenly Star Manor can govern vast stretches of the starry sky and countless Natal Stars. Only a Dao Star Master has the qualifications to command the stars and establish a Heavenly Star Manor. Of course, what I've told you is merely one-sided. My understanding is limited as well."
Chen Fusheng was still shaken. It was as if he had seen an supreme Star Master commanding the stars of the heavens, mobilizing oceans of stellar energy, shaping a Heavenly Star Manor, and ruling the world.
Chen Fusheng suddenly felt a chill. If his Contemplation Method were exposed one day, would the Heavenly Star Manor send heavenly soldiers and generals to capture him?
"Gurgle!"
Chen Fusheng downed a large bowl of Six Spirits Wine to calm his nerves.
He ate heartily, shoveling spirit fish, spirit rice, and dishes into his stomach in one sweep.
Mu Zhen's eyes were hazy with drunkenness. She took a book from her storage pouch. "Your physique is special. You should focus on the physical body. This contains an introduction to physiques. Also, also, if you really have a Pure Yang Body, uh, we'll talk about that later."
"What Pure Yang Body? Why is your face so red?"
"No, I just drank a few too many cups." Mu Zhen lowered her head and smiled.
Before you continue