Journey Observations!

The carriage traveled at an unhurried pace along the official road leading to Qingfeng City. Its wooden wheels rolled over the packed earth with a rhythmic rumble, mingling with the clip-clop of hooves to form a monotonous yet reassuring lullaby for the journey.

Xiao Wu was practically sprawled against the carriage window, her fair little hands gripping the frame as her large pink eyes stared unblinkingly at the scenery flashing past outside.

For someone who had lived in the Star Dou Great Forest Core Area for a Hundred Thousand Year, everything in the human world was filled with novelty.

"Wow! Little San, look! What are those neat rows of green shoots in the fields? They smell so fresh!"

"Look, look! There are so many big windmills turning over there! What are they for?"

"Huh? Why are those houses built so strangely? Their roofs are round?"

"There are so many cows over there! They look so docile, completely different from the Soul Beasts in the forest!"

Like a lark released from its cage, she chirped away, one question after another, overflowing with curiosity about everything she saw Along the Way.

That pure joy and curiosity also dispelled the faint melancholy inside the carriage caused by their farewell.

Tang San leaned against the window on the other side. He appeared to be Resting Eyes, but his mind was actually highly focused.

He devoted part of his attention to patiently answering Xiao Wu's questions, which seemed somewhat "childish" to him:

"That is rice, one of humanity's staple foods."

"That is a windmill. It can be used to grind flour or draw water."

"That is a granary, used to store food."

"Those are oxen. They help people with farm work."

Meanwhile, most of his focus sank into his body as he carefully maintained the "disguise" formed by the Internal Force of the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

This disguise was like a thin layer of ice clinging to a raging river. It appeared stable, but in truth, he needed to continuously expend Soul Power and Spiritual Power to reinforce it. In particular, he had to constantly soothe the proud Blue Silver Emperor bloodline within him, making it temporarily accept this "ordinary" state.

At the same time, he was using this rare travel time to fully stabilize his suddenly increased cultivation.

Level 33 Soul Power was simply unimaginable for a Seven Years Old child.

Not to mention the immense energy brought by that Eighty-Six Thousand Year Third Soul Ring.

Although he had already absorbed that power, it was like an untempered Divine Weapon. Its sharpness was contained within, yet it had not fully achieved Man-Sword Unity with him.

He needed to carefully comprehend the characteristics of every strand of Soul Power, familiarize himself with the sensation of it flowing through his broader, tougher meridians, and temper it until it moved as easily as his own limbs and flowed with perfect ease.

He examined the Soul Power within his Dantian, which carried a faint Amber Blue Gold luster and was as viscous as Mercury Slurry.

He sensed the subtle growth and refinement that came with every circulation.

His Spiritual Power was also intensely focused. Although the Purple Demon Eye at the Mustard Seed Realm was not activated, its formidable perception spread like invisible tendrils, meticulously scanning every minute change in his Physical Body.

The Bone Density, Muscle Strength, and Visceral Vitality that had been transformed by the Earth Core Marrow Spirit Fruit and the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, along with the subtle nourishment brought by that strange External Soul Bone fused with his meridians.

He would never allow himself to develop even the slightest arrogance or impatience because of this sudden, massive advancement.

He understood the importance of a solid foundation better than anyone.

The teachings of the Original Work, the various theories of this life, and his father Tang Hao's reminders had all made him understand that every step on the Path of the Soul Master had to be taken steadily.

He was now like a towering peak that had just risen after a violent geological upheaval. It looked majestic, but its internal structure still needed time to settle and compact before it could withstand the future wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and even fiercer impacts.

The coachman, Old John, was a talkative man. Seeing that his two young employers seemed interested in the scenery Along the Way, he drove while enthusiastically introducing the sights in his heavy accent:

"You two Little Guests are traveling far for the first time, aren't you? Our Nuoding City area is fairly peaceful, and the land is fertile too. Look at how well these crops are growing!"

"About half a day farther on, we'll pass through a place called Qingshui Town. There's an Ancient Well there, and its water is wonderfully sweet. They say drinking it can improve your eyesight! There's also an old Sesame Cake shop in town. Their cakes are crisp outside and tender inside, sprinkled with sesame, and they smell amazing!"

"Once we pass Qingshui Town, there'll be vast orchards on both sides of the road. This season, there should be some early-ripening pears..."

Xiao Wu listened with great interest, exclaiming in surprise from time to time. She showed immense interest in the Sesame Cakes and pears Old John described.

Though most of Tang San's attention was on cultivation, he committed this information to memory as well.

His father had been right. Reading Ten Thousand books was not as good as traveling Ten Thousand miles. These seemingly ordinary local customs were also part of cultivation, allowing him to better understand this real world.

Moreover, as a transmigrator, he was especially curious about the new things in this world.

He spent most of his usual time cultivating at the academy and had never come out to see these things. Now, he rather liked this feeling as well.

The first day of the journey passed in this peaceful yet slightly novel atmosphere.

At dusk, following Old John's suggestion, the carriage stopped before an inn in Qingshui Town that looked clean and tidy.

"Little Guests, shall we rest here tonight? The food here tastes good, and the backyard is spacious enough to take care of the horses," Old John arranged with practiced ease.

Tang San nodded and paid for their lodging and meals.

He and Xiao Wu requested two adjacent Upper Rooms.

Although maintaining the disguise consumed quite a bit of energy, the foundation of Level Thirty-Three Soul Power was enough to support such daily expenditure. He simply needed more time meditating to recover.

During dinner in the inn's main hall, Xiao Wu was curious about every dish. She especially loved the freshly baked sesame cakes that Old John had strongly recommended. Her eyes narrowed into happy crescents as she ate, and she praised them again and again.

Tang San ate relatively simply. More often, he observed the merchants and travelers and passersby coming and going through the inn, listening to them discuss local sights, prices, and even hearsay tales about Soul Masters.

These scattered pieces of information pieced together a more vivid side of Douluo Continent.

Late at night, after Tang San set up a few simple Warning Mechanisms in his room, he sat Cross-legged on the bed and fully circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

On one hand, he accelerated his recovery from the expenditure of maintaining the disguise during the day. On the other, he continued consolidating his cultivation and familiarizing himself with the various uses of Level 33 Soul Power.

He could feel that after a day of settling, his Soul Power seemed somewhat more docile, and its connection with his Physical Body had become even closer.

Early the next morning, the group continued onward.

Sure enough, just as Old John had said, continuous orchards appeared on both sides of the road, and a faint fruity fragrance drifted through the air.

Xiao Wu excitedly had Old John stop the carriage, then personally went into an orchard and bought a large bag of fresh pears. She eagerly bit into one, and the sweet juice made her narrow her eyes in satisfaction. She even forcefully stuffed the largest one into Tang San's hands.

In her view, anything delicious had to be shared with her best friend.