Embracing the Galaxy in a Dream

Chapter 8: Grasping the Starry River into a Dream

The night was clear and bright, the starry river spanning the heavens. Chen Ye quietly climbed the hillside, tilting his head to gaze at the brilliant, vast expanse of stars.

"Master, I want to go to Cui County."

Chen Ye's sudden declaration was like a thunderclap, shaking Mo Ci's soul to its core. He couldn't help but curse, "You wicked disciple, have you lost your mind?"

Cui County was currently swarming with madmen masquerading as cultivators from the Qinghe Sword Sect, scouring the area for young boys and girls. Any discerning eye could see this was a sinister tactic of the devilish path. Any devil capable of using children for cultivation must possess a cultivation base far superior to Chen Ye's—someone unfathomable.

Furthermore, the Qinghe sword light that had streaked across the sky like a startled swan a few days ago was clearly headed straight for Cui County. The current Cui County was a gathering storm of righteous and devilish forces; while a full-scale war hadn't erupted yet, it was like a pot of soup about to boil over, fraught with extreme danger.

If a fledgling shrimp like Chen Ye were to barge in, he would likely only serve as "seasoning" for that pot.

Chen Ye explained calmly, "Master, although the problem of the Beast Blood Pill causing madness has been solved, the efficacy of the pill has been severely compromised, dropping by more than half. The quantity of Beast Blood Pills required has increased several times over. Even if I were to slaughter every beast on these nearby mountains, I fear I wouldn't be able to gather enough."

The Beast Blood Pill already had poor efficacy to begin with, falling far short of pills refined with human blood. Now, as the remnant souls dissipated, they would carry away most of the spiritual energy within the blood pill, rendering its effects less than one-tenth of what they should be—a useless, tasteless burden.

Chen Ye finally understood why this problem, which didn't seem unsolvable, had never been studied by anyone in the devilish sects. Thinking back, even if some senior had discovered the same method, they would have deemed the efficiency too low and the process too time-consuming compared to killing people for their blood, so it naturally wasn't recorded in the devilish scriptures.

Regardless of the reason, relying solely on hunting in these mountains would never satisfy his needs.

Mo Ci snorted coldly and pressed, "And what does this have to do with you going to Cui County?"

Chen Ye tilted his head slightly, looking toward the horizon, and said slowly, "Though Cui County is only a county seat, it is the most prosperous city in the vicinity and a vital hub where three great rivers converge. Trade is flourishing there, the population is dense, and naturally, there is an endless supply of livestock. I've inquired with Zhao Hezhou; many of the great landlords in Cui County are wealthy merchants in the fur trade, with herds of cattle and sheep at home. Master, I am in urgent need of a large amount of beast blood to refine pills, and looking around, only Cui County can provide it."

Upon hearing this, Mo Ci was momentarily speechless. The path of cultivation was inherently thorny, filled with countless hardships and obstacles; a lack of resources was always the most common hurdle.

Yet, Mo Ci still warned him with worry, "Once you encounter a cultivator from the Qinghe Sword Sect, if your identity is even slightly exposed, you will surely die."

A confident arc formed on the corner of Chen Ye's mouth as he smiled, "Don't worry, Master. I am only in the Qiling Realm. As long as I don't expose the devilish techniques I've learned and have never committed any heinous acts, even if a Qinghe Sword Sect cultivator sees me, they won't immediately draw their flying sword to chop off my head."

Most righteous practitioners advocated for seclusion, suppressing desires, and focusing on pure cultivation. While the various sects had different styles, they all adhered to a bottom line of justice, the most fundamental of which was not to slaughter the innocent indiscriminately.

If someone were to kill at will after labeling others as devils, they would be treated as a devil themselves once caught and exposed.

One must know, while mortals might be easy to deceive, the Heart-Questioning Technique of righteous experts was not so easily fooled.

Not to mention the minor sects, even the renowned righteous sects required their disciples to hold regular Heart-Questioning ceremonies to ensure they hadn't strayed onto the devilish path.

Any misstep in their daily lives would be impossible to hide. Therefore, those righteous cultivators from major sects rarely committed crimes out of momentary impulse.

Mo Ci snorted again and said to Chen Ye, "If you take me with you, this Ten Thousand Soul Banner is ironclad proof of your identity as a devilish cultivator. With your amateurish disguise skills, you might not be able to fool the sword-heart perception of the Qinghe Sword Sect. When the time comes, don't tell me you really plan to throw me out as a peace offering?"

"Master, what are you saying? I was just joking before; please don't hold a grudge," Chen Ye replied with a grin.

"Hmph, then what exactly is your plan?"

Mo Ci knew in his heart that his disciple was clever and wouldn't go to his death for no reason, but he racked his brains and couldn't figure out how Chen Ye could possibly deceive the sword cultivators of the Qinghe Sword Sect.

The Qinghe Sword Sect was the number one sword sect in the world today. Back then, Mo Ci had tried every possible way to hide his presence, concealing himself so thoroughly, yet he was still sensed by the opponent's sword intent from afar, followed by a sharp flash of sword light that nearly sent his soul to the afterlife.

This extraordinary ability to break all laws with a single sword was truly overbearing and terrifying.

But Mo Ci never expected that Chen Ye's next answer would surprise him even more.

"Master, I know I don't have the ability to hide the Ten Thousand Soul Banner perfectly, so I'm afraid we must part ways for a while."

Mo Ci was shocked, hurriedly shouting, "You wicked disciple, what did you say? Are you trying to abandon your master?!"

Mo Ci was currently hiding in the Ten Thousand Soul Banner; while he was nominally free to come and go, his soul was far too fragile—it was no exaggeration to say that a gust of wind could scatter it. Once he left the protection of the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, his soul would instantly vanish into nothingness.

If Chen Ye didn't take him to Cui County, was he going to just dump him in some desolate temple in the wilderness? How was that any different from taking his life? Had this wicked disciple finally revealed the cold, heartless nature of a devilish sect member?

Chen Ye looked at the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and said sincerely, "Master, I would never be so cruel as to abandon you in this wilderness. You know the Zhao Hezhou family; they are honest, simple, and kind people. I intend to entrust you to them. The Zhao family can't stay on the mountain as wild people forever; I will persuade them to settle in a county town in the south and have them serve you well.

"Even though you are extremely weak now, protecting this family so they can live a stable life again shouldn't be too difficult. Once I have achieved success in my cultivation, I will certainly come to find you."

After hearing this, Mo Ci wanted to refuse outright, but the words died on his lips, turning into something else: "Are you truly going to take such a risk? In this world, Cui County is not the only place to find large numbers of livestock; we could go further away. Disciple, you are still young; a delay of three or five years is nothing."

Chen Ye did not answer immediately, instead gazing quietly at the starry sky. After a long while, he slowly shook his head, his tone firm: "Master, if I delay for three or five years this time, who is to say I won't be delayed for seven or eight years the next? I may look young, but how much lifespan do I have to squander?

"I want to knock open the Immortal Gate, to grasp the starry river into my dreams, and to roam freely between heaven and earth. I will not stop my cultivation for anyone, even if that person is my master.

"Master, I will definitely use the shortest time to condense my Dantian Qi Sea, and then step by step, walk to the highest peak of the cultivation path. I must go to this Cui County."

Mo Ci remained silent for a long time, as if accepting this parting.

Just as Chen Ye was about to offer some comfort, he heard Mo Ci say, "You are still a fledgling little devil; it is not yet time for you to graduate."

As soon as he finished speaking, countless black mists surged out from the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, instantly swept away by the mountain wind.

Chen Ye exclaimed in shock, "Master! Why have you dissipated your cultivation!"

"I have now scattered my devilish arts. With a little concealment, the artifact will naturally exude a spiritual aura rather than the aura of a devilish reincarnation. Unless someone performs a soul-search, even the Sect Leader of the Qinghe Sword Sect wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

Mo Ci's tone was quite proud, but his voice was extremely weak.

"But in this way, Master, you..."

"Yes, this way, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner will only keep me alive for at most three more years."

Chen Ye couldn't help but rage, "Master, are you tired of living? What was the point of me working so hard to refine the Ten Thousand Soul Banner for you?!"

Mo Ci replied dismissively, "I was going to die anyway; sooner or later makes no difference. Didn't you say you wanted to become an immortal? If you can reach the Dao Integration Realm in three years, then I can still be saved."

Chen Ye shook his head helplessly: "You might as well ask me to become an immortal in three years."

Dao Integration was the final hurdle before becoming an immortal; once passed, ascension was within reach. Three years to reach Dao Integration was no different from becoming an immortal in three years.

Mo Ci mocked, "What's wrong? Where did that grand ambition from a moment ago go? If you're going to lose heart this easily, why even bother cultivating immortality?"

Chen Ye knew this was a provocation, but he couldn't help but agree, "I may not be able to become an immortal in three years, but within three years, I will definitely find a way to save you."

"Ignorant child, condense your sea of qi before you start bragging. Your master is going to take a nap; unless I'm on the verge of death, don't bother me."

Mo Ci's voice faded into silence, and the Ten Thousand Soul Banner looked like nothing more than a tattered rag, stripped of any sign of its former divinity.

Chen Ye looked up at the brilliant galaxy, falling silent as well.