"Big bro, this... The energy of heaven and earth here is several times denser than back at Star Lake!"
Da Ming nodded solemnly. He could feel that the energy here was not only dense, but also extraordinarily pure, without a trace of impurities.
One day of cultivation here was probably worth ten days outside.
Even more incredible to them was that the shackles imposed by the laws of heaven and earth, buried deep in the bloodlines of Soul Beasts like them, had vanished here.
No heavenly punishment!
They knew better than anyone what that meant to Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.
This place was practically the paradise Soul Beasts dreamed of!
"Ye Qiong, this... what kind of place is this?" Xiao Wu finally recovered from her excitement and curiously looked around.
Golden waves of wheat stretched as far as the eye could see, swaying in the breeze. A boundless sea lay in the distance, and the air was filled with the refreshing fragrance of wheat.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also looked at him curiously.
Even Da Ming and Er Ming had momentarily let down their guard, their eyes full of curiosity.
Seeing their curiosity, Ye Qiong smiled faintly and began to speak without haste.
"This is my private secret realm, called 'Aedes Elysiae.'"
"It came here with me from another world."
"I'm Ye Qiong, a Galactic Trailblazer from beyond this world."
Beyond this world?
A Trailblazer of the galaxy?
These unfamiliar words exploded in the minds of the three girls and the two great Soul Beasts like heavy bombs.
In their worldview, the Douluo Continent was everything—the only world.
They had never imagined that there could be other worlds beyond this continent.
Xiao Wu and the other two exchanged glances, seeing shock in each other's eyes.
Da Ming and Er Ming felt as if everything they knew had been shaken like never before. Even their breathing grew heavy.
They thought of Ye Qiong's many bizarre actions in the group, and the mysterious abilities he had displayed that they had never even heard of. Now, hearing these words, their curiosity was completely set ablaze.
"What's it like... beyond this world?" Ning Rongrong couldn't help asking.
"And what is a Trailblazer?" Zhu Zhuqing also took the initiative to speak for once.
Seeing the hungry curiosity in their eyes, Ye Qiong knew it was time to educate these "natives" about the true universe.
He cleared his throat and began to explain in terms they could understand.
"You can imagine the universe we live in as an endless sea of stars. The Douluo Continent we inhabit is just an inconspicuous grain of sand in that sea."
"Floating in this sea of stars are countless worlds like ours. We call them the 'Galactic Universe.' Each world has a civilization in all its variety, speaks a different language, and follows its own path."
"Trailblazing means exploring unknown worlds, learning about their ecosystems, establishing contact with them, and ultimately connecting these isolated worlds so that the routes between them are never cut off again."
"Our Astral Express is a pioneer on this path."
Astral Express, Galactic Universe, Trailblaze...
These novel concepts seemed to have a magic all their own, captivating everyone present.
The three girls listened, entranced. Da Ming and Er Ming pricked up their ears, afraid to miss a single detail.
They felt the door to a new world slowly opening before them.
"Then... are there any rules Trailblazers have to follow?" Xiao Wu quickly grasped the key point.
Ye Qiong nodded approvingly. "Of course. The will of Trailblaze is centered on exploring, understanding, establishing, and connecting. We lend a hand to weaker civilizations and help them unite, but we never interfere with the natural development of a civilization. And we certainly don't plunder or destroy from a position of strength."
At that, the way Da Ming and Er Ming looked at Ye Qiong changed ever so slightly.
This human seemed different from the greedy, cunning humans they knew.
"Then, big brother Group Owner, how... how did you get here? Could you tell us about your Trailblazing adventures?" Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also looked at him expectantly.
"Of course."
Ye Qiong smiled, his thoughts seeming to return to that cold, chaotic space station.
"My story begins with the Herta Space Station, and my younger sister waking up..."
"It was a place full of high-tech creations. When I suddenly woke up, I found a girl lying beside me who looked very much like me. The feeling of kinship between us made me realize at once that she was my younger sister, Ye Xing."
"She was still unconscious, and the space station was already in utter chaos. Monsters known as the 'Antimatter Legion' were rampaging everywhere..."
Ye Qiong briefly summed up their first meeting. He only said that he and his missing younger sister, Ye Xing, had both passed out amid the chaos and been found by two strangers who happened to be passing by. They had planned to help, but luckily, he and his sister woke up in time, so nothing went wrong.
Ye Qiong's memories returned to the Herta Space Station.
The cold metal floor bit into his skin. Blinding red warning lights flashed urgently overhead, casting the entire space in an atmosphere of desperate, murderous tension.
He could clearly sense two strangers approaching quickly, one steady as a mountain, the other lively and spirited.
"Dan Heng, look, there are two more people passed out here!" said a crisp female voice. It belonged to the pink-haired girl, March 7th.
"We have to wake them up. It's an emergency. If we have to, we'll need to use CPR," replied another voice, cool and steady. It belonged to the blue-clad young man, Dan Heng.
CPR?!
Ye Qiong's heart lurched.
No! Absolutely not! How could I let Dan Heng steal my first kiss? I'm not gay!
Ye Qiong was just about to seize the opportunity to "conveniently" wake up when he heard an eager voice beside him again. "Leave this one to me. You go help the girl!"
What? March 7th's target... was him?
What was going on?
Before he could react, he felt warm breath brush against his face. Then a soft touch gently pressed against his lips.
Boom!
Ye Qiong's mind went completely blank. For the first time in five years, his heart, calm as a dry well, was thrown into chaos.
His first kiss! It was gone just like that?!
He abruptly opened his eyes and found himself staring into a pair of sparkling eyes.
The sudden eye contact made them widen in shock.
"You, you-you-you're awake?!"
The pink-haired girl named March 7th sprang back like a startled rabbit. Her pretty face turned so red it looked ready to drip blood. She pointed at Ye Qiong, unable even to get the words out.
On the other side, just as Dan Heng bent over Ye Xing, she happened to wake up too, blinking in confusion.
Where am I? What happened?
Before you continue