Chapter 48: Journey to Earth

After obtaining the travel permit, Bai Dongfang went straight to a central planet that served as a joint marketplace for cultivators from both factions—a moon of Saturn, in fact. This satellite was equipped with teleportation arrays connecting to both sides.

With the coffin strapped to his back, Bai Dongfang’s appearance drew every eye; his rate of turning heads was nothing short of one hundred percent. Ignoring the curious and bewildered glances, he strode toward the teleportation array leading to the Earth side.

“Halt. Present your travel permit or leave at once,” the guard stationed at the array called out as Bai Dongfang approached.

“Here.” Bai Dongfang produced the permit and handed it over for inspection. The guard scrutinized it carefully, confirmed its authenticity, and returned it to him, but then asked, “You may pass. Where exactly do you wish to be teleported? The cost in spirit stones varies by destination. Please specify your exact location.”

“Could you explain the details to me? I need to get to Earth,” Bai Dongfang replied, slipping a few trinkets into the guard’s hand as he spoke. The guard glanced at them, then tucked them away into his storage ring—these were rare treasures, the kind only found in the Andromeda Galaxy, truly its specialties.

“Earth, you say? Then I’d recommend teleporting first to Io, then using the ancient array to reach Mars, and from there to the Moon. Once you’re on the Moon, you’ll be considered to have arrived on Earth,” the guard advised, evidently pleased with Bai Dongfang’s generosity.

“Let’s go to Io, then. How many spirit stones will that be?... Here you go. Thank you for your guidance,” Bai Dongfang said, paying the fee and stepping onto the array.

“It’s nothing. After all, I got a gift from you. Safe travels!” the guard replied, activating the teleportation array.

…

At Feiyun Peak, in Tang Yi’s office.

“Tang, are you still upset?” Hua Ruoxue sat beside Tang Yi, feeding him fruit piece by piece.

“I’m only angry at myself,” Tang Yi replied between bites.

“It’s just five more years, isn’t it? Didn’t you say you were immortal? Why would five years matter?” Hua Ruoxue asked, puzzled.

“Ah, Ruoxue, you don’t understand. Do you know why the speed cultivation chamber allows for such rapid progress compared to anywhere else?” Tang Yi countered with a question of his own.

“Isn’t it because you set up the accelerated spirit-gathering array?” Hua Ruoxue asked, offering him another piece of fruit.

“That’s only a small part of it. The main reason is that I laid down top-grade spirit stones in large quantities within the chamber. With those stones, the chamber is rich in spiritual energy; without them, no matter how good the array, it would never have the same effect. The spirit stones I collected were just enough to last the cultivation chamber for ten years. Now, with five extra years added, I’ve taken a huge loss! I regret it—I shouldn’t have gone for convenience and put so many spirit stones in at once. From now on, I’ll only add enough for ten years at a time,” Tang Yi said, biting fiercely into the fruit.

“All right, don’t be mad. It’s not good for your health,” Hua Ruoxue comforted him.

“Okay, I won’t be angry. But tomorrow I’ll announce a change: from now on, the speed cultivation institute will only open new sessions every six months, and a fee will be charged for cultivating there. After all, the entire institute is covered by my accelerated spirit-gathering array, so cultivation here is faster than anywhere else. I have to find a way to recoup my losses,” Tang Yi said, though his tone showed he was still upset.

For the next few days, Tang Yi locked himself in his office, tinkering with something unknown. Ten days later, he appeared in Hua Ruoxue’s room.

“Ruoxue, pack your things today. Tomorrow, come traveling with me,” he said.

“Traveling? I thought your main priority now was dealing with the Blood Demon situation?”

“Traveling is part of dealing with the Blood Demon. We’re missing some materials for the super teleportation array—I have to go out and find them,” Tang Yi explained.

“Oh, then I’ll start packing now. Is it just the two of us?” Hua Ruoxue asked.

“Of course not, we’ll need three more people. Some things can’t be handled by just the two of us.” He paused, thinking, and added, “Right, I need to notify them. They can pick which three will join us. You start packing, I’ll call a meeting.”

As he walked toward the meeting room, Tang Yi took out his phone and sent a group message. At the same time, the alert rings of people like Hua Shaojie chimed.

In the meeting room, Tang Yi sat at the head of the table as Hua Shaojie and the others took their seats.

“This is an ad hoc meeting. Tomorrow, I plan to leave for a period of three to nine months. The purpose of this meeting is for you to select three among yourselves to accompany Ruoxue and me. You have half an hour to discuss and decide. Begin!” With that, Tang Yi ended, not giving anyone a chance to respond.

…

In Moon City, in the Moonwatch Tower restaurant—

“Manager, I’ve heard that if you can’t find something anywhere else, you’ll find it in Moon City. Is that true?” Bai Dongfang asked the manager.

“That’s right. Moon City is the most bustling place in the solar system. The daily flow of people is staggering. It’s a haven for cultivators trading, especially with the current popularity of the Bulailei Auction House. It’s said that you can find any rare treasure here,” the manager replied, his face beaming after Bai Dongfang slipped him a small gift. He could barely wait to share everything he knew.

“Thank you for your help. I’ll take my leave,” Bai Dongfang replied, deciding at once to head for the Bulailei Auction House.

These days, Bu Bailei was in high spirits. A year after Tang Yi sent him the two rings from the last auction, his auction house’s reputation had soared. Leaning comfortably in his chair, humming a tune, he was the very picture of smug satisfaction.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Bu?” Bu Bailei saw a young man with refined features and a hint of resoluteness, a coffin strapped to his back, speaking to him.

“I am. How can I help you? If you’re here to buy, the auction will be held the day after tomorrow. If you’re here to sell, you can register your items tomorrow or the next day for the auction,” Bu Bailei replied, still speaking in his usual odd way.

“Pardon me, I’m here to inquire if your auction house has ever sold any elixir capable of bringing the dead back to life,” Bai Dongfang said, once again offering his foolproof little gift.

“A Tianying Seed? Are you from the Pegasus Galaxy?” Bu Bailei recognized the item at once…