"Three bowls, extra portions of high-purity synthetic beef!"

At a clean little noodle shop near the police station, Old Qing and the other two Daoists walked in to eat. The owner did not find it strange at all. He greeted them politely as usual.

Wang Sheng had slipped on a Daoist robe for himself and found a pair of slippers to wear. The outfit looked a bit mismatched, but he still exuded the bearing of a Golden Immortal.

Since he had not eaten food from Earth in a long time, the thought tempted him. He had invited the two over for a meal for two reasons. Firstly, the old Daoist was extremely excited. Secondly...

"Lend me some money first.” Wang Sheng amicably reached out to the old Daoist. "I did not bring my phone. I have been traveling outside all this time, so I do not have any cash on me."

Zhao Dezhu, who had just come back with a few bottles of drinks, blinked at the scene.

Why does this legendary man, who has made Master so emotional, feel suspiciously like those scam artists who have been making a comeback these past few years? The kind that claimed, ‘I am the First Emperor, send me money’?

The old Daoist's Daoist name was Wen Ling. Right now, he did not even dare sit. Instead, he stood to the side.

He quickly offered up his phone with both hands. "Please use this, Senior. I will get another one myself. The payment password is..."

Zhao Dezhu tilted his head, stunned. He had been trying to peek into his master's finances for years, yet now...

Wang Sheng smiled wryly. "There is no need to go through all that trouble. Just help me contact the Special Investigation Unit and tell them I am here. Ask them to send someone over with a phone as well."

"Ah, understood. I will call them right away."

The old Daoist cupped his hands. He then stepped out of the noodle shop with his phone and immediately contacted the Special Investigation Unit member in charge of him.

Wang Sheng smiled and gestured toward the seat across from him. Zhao Dezhu glanced at his master, but he was not one for excessive formalities. He sat down opposite Wang Sheng.

They were long past the old era. Respecting the strong was natural, but everyone was a free and equal cultivator.

"Senior, are you really Earth’s legendary number one cultivator?"

"Mm, I suppose so." For once, Wang Sheng did not act modestly. He took the glass bottle that Zhao Dezhu handed him and smiled faintly. "Do I not look like it?"

"Of course you do! It just feels unreal," Zhao Dezhu said with a grin. He then lowered his voice. "Do you have any powerful immortal arts? We're practically friends now, aren't we?"

Smiling, Wang Sheng narrowed his eyes. He searched through his Qiankun Ring for a moment, then took out a jade talisman.

This was a lightning technique that he had picked up from the Golden Immortals back when Wang Shan had made things difficult for him. "Do not use it for evil. If you do, I will not spare you."

Zhao Dezhu froze for a moment. He did not dare take it.

Wang Sheng raised his hand slightly. "If you do not want it, I will put it away."

"Aye!" Zhao Dezhu hurriedly snatched the jade pendant and slipped a thread of spiritual perception into it. He then let out a startled cry. "Holy crap! It is real! It is actually an immortal art! Thank you, Senior! Thank you! Go ahead and eat. I will finish reading this!"

As soon as he spoke, he raised the glass bottle and gulped it down in one go, filling himself with carbonated fizz.

By then, the old Daoist had finished his call. When he came back in and saw the scene, he lifted his fly whisk. He was about to rush over to discipline his unruly disciple when Wang Sheng stopped him with a smile and invited him to sit.

Not long after, their three large bowls of noodles had been cooked. A serving robot carried the dishes over, smoothly setting everything down without spilling a single drop of broth.

Wang Sheng watched the robot for a while, finding it rather novel.

"Technology has come a long way these past years."

Wen Ling smiled. "Senior, you may not know this, but about ten years ago, the higher-ups loosened restrictions on many technologies for civilian use. These days, the strongest weapons are no longer nuclear. The most powerful ones are the main cannons on the latest qi-powered warships. By the infinite gods above, one shot from those things is said to punch straight through Earth!"

Wang Sheng smiled. He had seen related news before, but he had not paid much attention.

Zhao Dezhu muttered, "Senior, do not listen to my master’s exaggerations. It is not that powerful. Besides, it takes a long time to charge and consumes a huge amount of primal qi. They say ever since development on that thing began, the level of primal qi on Earth has been dropping faster."

Wang Sheng chuckled. "It would be more suitable for outside use. Earth has limited primal qi, but out there, space is boundless."

The old Daoist muttered, "Senior, is it really like the rumors say, that you chased enemy immortals alone with your sword, left Earth, and entered the true world of immortals?"

Wang Sheng smiled and nodded. "Rumors are always somewhat exaggerated."

Zhao Dezhu asked softly, "Senior, what is it like out there?"

Wang Sheng just kept smiling. He picked up his chopsticks and lowered his head to take a bite of the beef noodles.

It was quite delicious.

The old Daoist immediately reached over and hit his disciple on the head. "Do not ask about such things!"

Zhao Dezhu laughed sheepishly.

Wang Sheng did not reveal much else. Some things were better left unsaid, especially since the world beyond was not as beautiful as they imagined.

The three ate and chatted, getting along quite well.

When Wang Sheng asked about the current situation of cultivators in the Hua Republic, the old Daoist gave him a cautious answer. One could get a rough idea about how reliable his answers were just by counting how many times Zhao Dezhu rolled his eyes beside them.

When it came to the difficulties cultivators faced now, everything still revolved around two main issues. One was how strict official management was, and the other was the imbalance in cultivation resources.

The Daoist sects had many experts and occupied a large share of resources.

Unaffiliated cultivators were still just that: unaffiliated. Even if there were many of them, they could only rely on official support to barely get by.

Wang Sheng thought about it for a moment. This was not something he could resolve with a few words.

The issues of Earth’s unaffiliated cultivators were not as severe since the authorities acted as a balancing force. But in the endless space, unaffiliated cultivators were little more than cannon fodder for the celestial gates. In their eyes, they could even be considered a kind of resource.

The eleven qi planets near the ancient battlefield were a clear reflection of their lives. For the sake of survival and cultivation resources, they struggled desperately, and death was always close at hand.

Zhao Dezhu lowered his head to look at his phone, then quickly muttered, "Senior, why can't we find any records about you online now?"

Wang Sheng smiled. "They've been put under protection."

"Mm?" Zhao Dezhu looked puzzled. "What's there to protect? I've seen bits and pieces still floating around on some pages. Can anyone even threaten you?"

Wang Sheng thought for a moment. He then answered, "I came back injured."

The old Daoist and Zhao Dezhu were startled.

He added, "For now, please don't tell anyone you met me. My whereabouts are still confidential. The outside world is not a good place. Without official oversight, everything out there runs wild, and strength alone decides everything."

Zhao Dezhu chuckled. "Doesn't that make it exciting? A wide road splits in two, and life or death depends on fate."

"Watch your mouth!" The old Daoist glared and raised his hand to strike. Zhao Dezhu quickly shrank back and gave his master a sheepish grin.

Wang Sheng’s lips curved upward. "It is exciting, that much is true. However, it is also very hard to survive out there."

As soon as he finished speaking, they heard roaring engines outside, followed by sharp braking. A group of men and women dressed in black rushed over, with even more commotion coming from farther away.

They did not storm in right away. Instead, they stopped at the entrance. A mature woman in a business suit pushed the door open, looked at Wang Sheng, and asked softly, "Are you... Fei Yu?"

Wang Sheng replied, "Mm, wait for me a moment. I'll finish my noodles first, then go with you."

"Yes, we will wait outside."

"Please help settle the bill."

"Okay..."

The old Daoist quickly stood up and called out, "No need, no need. We'll take care of it!"

Wang Sheng did not argue. The meal carried on with a certain presence that made the shop owner too nervous to move around freely.

The group that the Special Investigation Unit had sent also made the old Daoist and Zhao Dezhu hold back their words. The old Daoist even received two messages from them on his phone, reminding him not to offend the "important figure." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Wang Sheng could only smile.

After finishing the bowl of noodles, he took out a manual for stabilizing one's Dao foundation and left it with the old Daoist as a parting gift.

He then boarded a business vehicle and said, "Please find me a place to rest."

Right after, his thoughts turned once more to the universe and the starry skies. This time, at least, he did not make a fool of himself.

There were many things Wang Sheng had to consider. The path he would take, the immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court he could win over, and even how many of the Heavenly Court’s enemies in the Immortal Saint Realm he could convert to his side.

To others, the chaos across the endless space came from the entanglement of the Heavenly Court's remnants, its opponents, and the neutral forces.

But Wang Sheng saw things differently. In his eyes, the turmoil of heaven and earth came from a single devil, set against all living beings.

The problem is that the Immortal Emperor has already seized every advantage. The only ones I can rely on and trust are Forefather and a handful of other experts. I can rely on Earth as well, but how much can it actually do? I'm afraid that this place has likely already been targeted...

There was no way Wang Sheng would believe that the Immortal Emperor hadn't left a contingency plan in this place. Well, if he could not be beaten to death, then perhaps he would believe it.

The Immortal Emperor, the external devil, the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Court’s enemies, the mighty figures... These threads of information circled endlessly in Wang Sheng's mind, like a humming incantation. Gradually, he slipped into a state close to comprehension.

During this time, he was settled into a hotel suite. Refusing to let his focus waver, he sat cross-legged on the bed and continued pondering.

If he could not figure this out, he would never feel at ease.

There was no rush to visit his parents in the next few days. In his current state, it would be hard to truly enjoy a family reunion. His senior sister and his younger sister were both out in the endless space, too. With two important members missing, it could hardly be called a reunion.

Slowly, two names surfaced in Wang Sheng's mind: Xu Zhongliang and Erlang.

These were the people he most needed to win over.

***

Back in the noodle shop, the master and disciple sat quietly in a corner, waiting for the Special Investigation Unit to handle matters.

The old Daoist sighed repeatedly, while Zhao Dezhu kept scratching his head.

"Master, is Senior Fei Yu really the legendary figure who ascended while we were still at the Foundation Establishment Stage?"

"Yes."

"He seems so easygoing, though. He didn’t even have a sword."

The old Daoist shot his disciple a glare, then rummaged through his phone and quickly pulled up an image.

"This is something I have treasured for years. It’s from back when news about him had not yet been sealed. Look, that’s Fairy Bu Yu, Senior Fei Yu's Daoist partner. This was when he had just escaped from the Nether Realm, and the two met in the back mountain of the Hidden Earth Sect. Take a good look. What a moving scene."

Zhao Dezhu clicked his tongue in admiration, then muttered, "I always thought the encrypted folder on your phone contained something impressive. Turns out it is just this."

"Bah! What else would it be!"

"Hehe!"

"What nonsense are you thinking! Do you take me for someone who hides pictures on his phone? Such poor character!"

The old Daoist lifted his fly whisk and moved to strike him, but at that moment, two members of the Special Investigation Unit walked over, holding a stack of confidential documents in their hands.