Chapter 376: Weapon Warrior Tianqing, Eastern Ancient Tribe

After breaking through to the Origin Realm, Zhao Xing's combat power was rapidly increasing. Even during the three months he spent on the Realm Boat, he made significant progress.

The target star set up by the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom for testing here was extremely accurate. Zhao Xing had no intention of holding back, so he immediately took out his Boundless Dharma Orb.

"Wow, a four-realm Boundless Dharma Orb! Junior Brother Zhao certainly has flair," Cen Qionghua exclaimed in admiration. The four-realm version of the Boundless Dharma Orb cost eighty million, which was far more expensive than the Sky-Wandering Staff Cen Qionghua used.

"He broke through to the Origin Realm just a year ago, and he can already use a four-realm Boundless Dharma Orb?" Le Yao blinked, also somewhat curious. Both she and Cen Qionghua possessed mid-grade Realm Star Dao weapons, but even among mid-grade items, there were different tiers. The Boundless Dharma Orb was a classic Dao weapon, expensive on one hand, but also with a high usage threshold. Only true experts could wield it, much like not just anyone could use a Fangtian Ji.

"The Boundless Dharma Orb excels in both offense and defense. A four-realm version means proficiency in the four elemental laws: wind, rain, thunder, and cloud; otherwise, there would be no need to buy it," Cen Qionghua observed intently. Zhao Xing had only broken through to the Origin Realm a little over a year ago, so he didn't have a concrete understanding of Zhao Xing's combat strength. He invited Zhao Xing to join the team partly due to their acquaintance and partly to save face. Outsiders were unaware of the intricacies of the inheritance; on the surface, Zhao Xing was the direct disciple of Azure Elm.

"You may begin at any time," said the artifact spirit, Cang Yu.

Zhao Xing nodded slightly and instantly moved. His Origin Dao Physique immediately erupted, with a purple moon appearing on his left shoulder and a purple sun on his right. In an instant, the entire world lit up.

"Oh my, a Dual Origin Dao Physique!" Cen Qionghua's eyes widened.

"What? Sun and Moon shining together?" Le Yao's beautiful eyes were also filled with shock. In the year since Zhao Xing's breakthrough, they hadn't sparred much. In the few instances they did, he always displayed his Purple Sun Dao Physique and used spells based on the sun's origin. Only now did they realize that Zhao Xing actually possessed a Dual Origin Dao Physique.

"Well, Junior Brother Zhao, you truly keep a low profile! I'm so embarrassed," Cen Qionghua lamented inwardly. "I was acting like I was leading a mission before, and I had no idea he had a Dual Origin Dao Physique!"

Cultivating both Purple Yang and Purple Yin simultaneously was extremely difficult. Cultivating a single origin was manageable; most geniuses could master it smoothly, allowing the power of that origin to open the body's acupoints. However, dual cultivation dramatically increased the difficulty, with the hardest part being the inability to maintain balance during a breakthrough. If either the Lunar or Solar origin gained dominance, the origin power would rapidly transform in that instant, closing any open acupoints and resulting in a single-origin Dao Physique. A single origin was already difficult to cultivate; dual cultivation of two origins would undoubtedly consume more time, and there was a high probability of all efforts being wasted during the final breakthrough. Thus, Dual Origin Dao Physiques were exceedingly rare. However, once successfully cultivated, the power was immense.

Ordinary cultivation methods could tap into 210 million star acupoints. The Purple God Mansion's cultivation methods, for a single-origin Dao Physique, could tap into 420 million star acupoints. A Dual Origin Dao Physique, however, could mobilize origin power through 840 million star acupoints, offering enormous advantages in enlightenment and spellcasting.

Just like what Cen Qionghua was witnessing now. Zhao Xing's shoulders bore the moon and sun, and forty-eight Seasonal Orders appeared around his waist! The Yin-Yang dual version of the Twenty-Four Seasonal Orders! Seasonal Orders were the core of the Dao that all agricultural officials of the Chronomancy faction throughout the universe would manifest. The cultivation of Seasonal Orders was included in both Purple Yang and and Purple Yin cultivation methods. His Yin-Yang dual origin allowed Zhao Xing to cultivate forty-eight orders. This brought the stability coefficient of Zhao Xing's Dao field to an extremely high level.

Although the target star remained stationary, its light fluctuated, creating interference. Cen Qionghua watched intently. When Zhao Xing shouldered the sun and moon, and the Seasonal Orders encircled him, the target star's interference almost entirely vanished. Increasing the stability coefficient indirectly enhanced the power of his spells, which was also a form of amplification.

"Cultivating a good cultivation method is like having an extra Realm Star Dao weapon that stabilizes the void, compared to others," Cen Qionghua remarked with emotion. Afterward, Zhao Xing unleashed his Origin Laws with astonishing speed, a testament to the casting speed amplification provided by his cultivation method. The concept of instantly casting one spell versus instantly casting multiple spells was entirely different.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!" Zhao Xing unleashed a barrage of spells, fiercely bombarding the target star. Of the eight Chronomancy Origin Laws he knew, seven were offensive: *Purple Wind*, *Embryonic Breathing*, *Yin Thunder Star*, *Primordial Magnetic Thunderstorm*, *Golden Body Erosion*, *Heavenly Tide*, and *Blood Cloud Realm*. He utilized all of them. The Boundless Dharma Orb, shaped like four arches, acted as a spell amplifier. Spells were transmitted layer by layer, amplified by the four origins within the Realm Star Dao weapon, increasing the power of each of Zhao Xing's Origin Laws fivefold.

Brilliance erupted from the target star, its own light seemingly overshadowed by Zhao Xing's display. A moment later, Zhao Xing stopped and flew back. Cen Qionghua and Le Yao looked eagerly at Cang Yu. The artifact spirit Cang Yu looked at Zhao Xing and nodded slightly.

"You are very good. Your comprehensive combat power has reached 41. To have such combat power at the early stage of the First Realm is truly rare."

"Heavens! 41?!" Cen Qionghua's eyes went wide. "Doesn't that mean he could easily defeat me?"

"I have thirty-six clones, which is like controlling an entire orchestra, and I'm at the late stage of the First Realm, yet I can't even compare to Zhao Xing?" Le Yao also widened her eyes.

The artifact spirit Cang Yu said, "Your Boundless Dharma Orb is more defensively oriented, with an amplification factor of only 5. If you chose a custom model, without reducing the stability coefficient, the four-realm style could achieve an amplification factor of up to 40. With your Dual Origin Dao Physique, your Dao field has extremely strong resistance to interference. You might consider switching to a custom model in the future," Cang Yu advised.

The test included a timer, calculating the average spell intensity and casting speed within a set duration. Zhao Xing's highest and lowest values had a very small difference, proving that each of his attacks was extremely stable. Cang Yu could naturally see that Zhao Xing's ability to resist interference while casting spells was very strong, and that this current Boundless Dharma Orb was not his limit of control, which is why the advice was given.

"Thank you, honored artifact spirit," Zhao Xing said, bowing slightly. The advice was good, but not very useful to him. In short: he had no money. A custom model with an amplification factor of 40—what kind of astronomical price would that be? He couldn't afford it at all right now.

"Zhao Xing, you really kept things under wraps!" Cen Qionghua rushed over and playfully punched Zhao Xing. "A comprehensive combat power rating of 41, and you have this kind of strength, yet you let Le Yao and me lead you?"

Zhao Xing chuckled, "I only broke through recently, and I haven't tested myself."

"You haven't tested it, but you also never mentioned having a Dual Origin Dao Physique," Cen Qionghua said enviously.

"You never asked either," Zhao Xing laughed. Who would use their full strength when sparring? In fact, he didn't even use his full strength during this test; he hadn't used his Terrain Faction spells, nor had he revealed his Vajra Bangle. Furthermore, within his Origin Space, he still had three rare plant soldiers and the Moyun Vine. His True Self Faction and Terrain Faction abilities hadn't been factored in, but there was no need to show them off. Although Cang Yu had explained the principles of the matching mechanism, he still decided to keep some abilities hidden—it was purely a matter of habit. Anyway, it would be easy to disband this team later if they wanted to, and they could always get re-rated if they decided to form a new one.

"Brother Cen, it seems you won't be captain," Le Yao said with a slight smile. "Let Zhao Xing be the captain."

"Of course he should be," Cen Qionghua chuckled. "Le Yao, Brother Zhao, I'm planning to cling to both of your coattails, so please don't abandon me! I know a bit of Talisman Dao, so leave all the odd jobs and grunt work to me!"

"Le Yao, how about I give you a shoulder rub and a leg massage first?"

"Get lost," Fairy Le Yao playfully scolded.

Hua Zi was quick-witted and immediately relinquished his dominant position. In truth, this test only measured conventional combat power; Hua Zi and Le Yao surely had trump cards up their sleeves. Zhao Xing inviting them to join wasn't a hindrance; after exiting the test space, he immediately created a team and added both of them.

"The team has been created. I set it up as a five-person squad, so there are two more slots for teammates. Do you have any suggestions?"

"The three of us follow the spellcasting path, so we definitely need someone who follows the martial artist path. Additionally, an artificer would be a good choice," Le Yao said. "During exploration, if we encounter certain spell formations, an artificer teammate would be indispensable." Whether it was to escape from a spell formation or to decipher one, having an artificer practitioner in the team would be very useful.

However, Hua Zi offered a different suggestion: "It doesn't necessarily have to be a martial artist. I think we could remove the martial artist slot and recruit someone else, like a Diviner."

"A Diviner?" Le Yao chuckled, "Weak Diviners are basically useless, and strong ones are hard to find. We'd have to wait forever to find a suitable Diviner."

Zhao Xing nodded. Niche professions that dared to venture out indeed had extraordinary effects. Leaving aside other aspects, just a Diviner's ability to foresee danger was enough to make them highly sought after by major teams and armies. But the problem was their rarity. How rare was a First Realm Diviner who could actually be useful?

Zhao Xing said, "We could look for a Mechanist-Warrior. That way, we'd have both a martial artist and an artificer covered."

"Mechanist-Warriors aren't uncommon. With our team's average combat power, we should be able to find one with a little wait," Zhao Xing continued. "As for the remaining slot, I think we can wait and see. If we don't find anyone suitable, we can just depart with four people."

Since they were already here, there was no rush. First Realm cultivators venturing into the Moonfall Mausoleum still needed to stick together for safety. First Realm cultivators acting alone were very rare because it was too dangerous. If someone acted alone and fell into a dangerous area, with spell formations blocking calls for help, they might not even be able to summon support without teammates. Zhao Xing and his two teammates were in no hurry to depart. If they could find suitable teammates, it would be very beneficial for their mission to explore the Moonfall Mausoleum.

Just as Zhao Xing arrived at Tigerhead Starland, preparing for his exploration, in a secret space within the planetary capital of Luozhi Realm Star, Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, a man of imposing physique, like a towering mountain, appeared. He was Marquis Heyin, outwardly a Dao Domain Realm expert of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom. In reality, he was a member of the Dongyan Ancient Clan.

After entering the private space, Marquis Heyin shed his disguise. He removed all restraints, stripped naked, and jumped into a hot spring. Marquis Heyin's body seemed to be forged from Shadowstone, his skin a deep purplish-black, covered with strange silver patterns. A wild mane of silver hair billowed freely, like silver flames burning in the wind, each strand exuding a sharp aura. His eyes possessed the distinctive three pupils of the Dongyan Clan. As he relaxed in the spiritual spring, he couldn't help but let out a grunt of pleasure, revealing a set of sharp teeth like those of a shark.

Marquis Heyin seemed to be dead, soaking in the spiritual spring for a month. A month later, he awoke. Still naked, he walked to an altar shaped like a pyramid within the secret space. The patterns on the pyramid lit up, and a voice seemed to enter Marquis Heyin's mind.

"Yes, yes. I know. But the Purple Moon Mansion Lord has been investigating, so aside from my initial probe into Azure Elm Realm Star, I've kept a very low profile for the past few centuries, doing nothing."

Marquis Heyin seemed to be reprimanded, his demeanor extremely respectful: "Yes, that was my oversight. My people let Azure Elm and the other two escape back then. I originally thought he died in the desolate realm, but I never expected that after an epoch, natives would actually bring his body back. Yes, rest assured," Marquis Heyin whispered. "That item has a powerful forgetting spell. Azure Elm and the other two were only at the Second Realm back then. Even if they got it, they wouldn't know what it was, nor would they remember it. The probability is very low. If the Purple Moon Mansion Lord had obtained it, things would likely not be as calm as they are now. That item is very likely still on those two native disciples, or it has fallen into their hometowns. Yes, please give me a little more time. I will certainly investigate thoroughly."

Marquis Heyin quickly rose from before the pyramid, and its glow rapidly dimmed. Marquis Heyin waved his hand, causing the pyramid to sink into the ground, then put on his clothes.

"Zigu, Zhao Xing." Marquis Heyin muttered these two names, then recalled the intelligence he had gathered over the past few centuries. "The native called Zigu doesn't seem very intelligent. But this Zhao Xing is very cautious," Marquis Heyin mused. "When he cultivated on Azure Elm Realm Star, he rarely appeared in public areas and couldn't be monitored. He also doesn't use the Boundless Flow's mechanical Dao weapons at all. After leaving Azure Elm Realm Star, his star mirrors are not linked, and it seems he frequently changes them."

Marquis Heyin's people last confirmed Zhao Xing using a star mirror on Azure Elm Realm Star, over two hundred years ago. However, another piece of intelligence stated that Zhao Xing had already traveled to the Illusory God Galaxy aboard Azure Elm Forty-Nine, clearly using and discarding star mirrors, indicating a very high anti-surveillance awareness.

"He has a cautious personality. It seems I'll need to send more people to the Illusory God Galaxy to find him," Marquis Heyin thought. "He reached the Origin Realm in over three hundred years, which makes him a rare genius. For a First Realm cultivator like him, sending Second Realm agents could still lead to failure. Then I'll send some Third Realm cultivators to capture him." Among Marquis Heyin's Third Realm subordinates, there weren't many Great Divine Power Realm cultivators, but there were quite a few Minor Divine Power Realm ones. "The Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom has twenty exploration bases in total. I'll send twenty Minor Divine Power Realm cultivators, along with some Second Realm cultivators to track their traces. The Second Realm will only track and confirm traces; the Third Realm will then act to capture the target." Marquis Heyin's plan was meticulous. Sending people to every exploration base significantly increased the probability of finding the target.

Illusory God Galaxy, Tigerhead Starland, Twentieth Sky Fortress, residential area.

"Damn it, there are so many oddballs," Hua Zi grumbled the moment he entered.

Zhao Xing opened his eyes from meditation and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Did you run into another swindler?"

"Yeah," Hua Zi said helplessly. "What kind of people are these? Just by wearing an earring, they dare to call themselves Mechanist-Warriors! If I pick up a guzheng, can I register as a musician too? I asked him to leave, and he called me a fool, blaming me for making him come for nothing. I felt like punching him."

They had been waiting for matches for nearly three months. Many Mechanist-Warriors came to inquire, but few met their requirements. Actually, according to the matching mechanism, those who inquired generally had decent combat power; it was just that they weren't true Mechanist-Warriors. Either they were artificers who had learned a martial skill, or martial artists who had integrated a piece of equipment and then showed up, but they lacked the core abilities of both.

Why would someone impersonate a Mechanist-Warrior? Naturally, because there were benefits. Registering as a Mechanist-Warrior allowed them to receive an extra "rare profession subsidy" from the ancient kingdom and also deduct taxes. So, many martial artists or artificers would try every means to obtain a rare profession certificate. The thresholds for many factions differed, but the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's official recognition led to the current proliferation of "rare" professions. Mechanist-Warriors could be said to be the most "rarely rampant" profession.

"If the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom doesn't fix these chaotic, fake professions, it's going to collapse sooner or later!" Hua Zi grumbled indignantly.

"Yes, it's going to collapse sooner or later," Zhao Xing echoed. "Let's wait a bit longer. If we really can't find someone suitable, we'll just pick two with similar combat power." Everyone wanted to "kill two birds with one stone," making true Mechanist-Warriors hard to find. A truly capable Mechanist-Warrior wouldn't join an unfamiliar team. Finding a capable solo practitioner was entirely a matter of luck.

Just then, Le Yao returned to their residence. The moment she entered, she excitedly announced, "Zhao Xing, Qionghua, I found a qualified Mechanist-Warrior!"

"Oh? Really?" Cen Qionghua was puzzled. Only the captain had matching privileges, and Le Yao wasn't the captain, so where did she find one?

"Hmph, if you just wait around like that, how could you possibly find a good hand?" Le Yao said. "Even with the Purple God Mansion's name, who knows how long it would take? Of course, you have to be proactive."

"Fairy, how did you take the initiative?" Zhao Xing asked curiously.

"For the past three months, I've been browsing the talent market," Le Yao said. "And then I found a—"

"Wait a minute," Hua Zi interrupted. "Tigerhead Starland only has a goods trading market. Where would there be a talent market?"

"In prison," Le Yao replied concisely.

Hua Zi: ...Zhao Xing: ...

They paused before realizing that the "talent market" Le Yao spoke of was the temporary prison set up on Tigerhead Starland. Upon realizing, both were speechless.

Le Yao, however, said, "I enjoy reading biographies, and the powerful figures described in them often share a common trait: they have experienced imprisonment."

Zhao Xing and Hua Zi burst into laughter. Le Yao's reading insights were truly unique, her perspective oddly fascinating. While other fairies might browse commercial guilds in their free time, Le Yao preferred visiting prisons. It seemed people developed strange habits when they lived long enough.

"Now that you mention it, there does seem to be some truth to that," Zhao Xing nodded. The founder of the *Treasure Mountain Technique* was currently in prison, so it wasn't an exaggeration to call a prison a "talent market."

Hua Zi's interest was piqued. "So you found a good Mechanist-Warrior? Tell us quickly."

Le Yao said, "This person is a lone wanderer from a great dynasty. I looked him up; he was once at the Second Realm. But after an adventure, thirteen mechanical Dao weapons within him were dismantled, leaving only two. Even the mechanical bones containing origin power were mostly extracted. He fell from the Void Realm to the Nascent Realm, suffered severe injuries, and incurred debts for his treatment that he couldn't repay, so he was imprisoned. He's been imprisoned for 158 years now. With no one to look after him and no money, his cell isn't even supplied with spiritual energy. I almost thought he was dead, but then he suddenly sat up, and it didn't even startle me."

*You didn't look scared at all,* Zhao Xing thought to himself. Le Yao's excited expression showed no hint of fear. He finally understood why Le Yao went: she clearly treated visiting prison as a haunted house adventure. Or perhaps musicians enjoyed going to strange places for creative inspiration?

"How much does he owe?" Hua Zi asked the crucial question. "It probably won't be easy to bail him out."

"Treatment costs for the Void Realm are expensive. When he was injured, it was the Tianmen Army's medical corps that saved his life, and it cost around three billion Yuanhai coins at the time," Le Yao explained. "However, it was later discovered that he had no relatives or connections, no one came to claim him, and he wasn't a citizen of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom. So, a portion of his mechanical bones was extracted to pay off the debt. Even so, it wasn't enough to cover the debt. But the Tianmen Military Garrison had no other choice and could only resign themselves to their misfortune, having saved a pauper. Since this is a public account, he's currently awaiting judgment and can only remain imprisoned for now."

"How much debt is left now?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Around five hundred million," Le Yao said. "It's not actually that much. But if we want this person, it won't actually cost five hundred million." Her fingers subtly waved, and a host of numerical calculations immediately appeared in the air. "I've calculated it. To bail him out, we'd only need to spend a minimum of fifty million. It's just that he doesn't have a guarantor, so the procedures are complicated. But since we are members of the Purple God Mansion, it will be easy. I believe the Tianmen Garrison personnel would be very happy, because we'd be helping them get rid of a financial drain and account for this public expenditure."

Zhao Xing nodded. That Mechanist-Warrior was essentially "bad debt" to the Tianmen Garrison, with no possibility of repayment. It was the army, not an individual, who saved him, and the Tianmen Garrison couldn't completely heal him and then force him into labor; the military didn't have that kind of business. Therefore, the Tianmen Military Garrison's ultimate solution was to find someone to take over the Mechanist-Warrior's debt and then sell the person like merchandise to the creditor. The Tianmen Military Garrison would likely agree to dispose of the bad debt at 10% of its value. However, fifty million was not a small sum, and restoring his combat power would likely require additional expenditure.

Just as Zhao Xing was thinking, Hua Zi asked, "What's his name? Did he say which great dynasty he's from?"

"He calls himself 'Tianqingzi' and says he's from the 'Pangze Dynasty.' I haven't heard of that name, have you?" Le Yao asked.

"What was that name again?" Zhao Xing suddenly froze.

"Tianqingzi, from the Pangze Dynasty. Have you heard of him, Brother Zhao?" Le Yao asked.

Zhao Xing looked somewhat dazed. This was truly outlandish; he actually heard the name of the restorer of the Pangze Ancient Kingdom here!

"If I'm not mistaken, this Tianqingzi later reached the Life-Death Dao Domain Realm!" Zhao Xing thought to himself. "As an artificer, Tianqingzi researched many powerful mechanical formations and war puppets. Although he was in the Dao Domain Realm, his combat power was widely recognized as comparable to the Samsara Realm, differing only in the ability to resurrect. The Pangze Dynasty is currently nameless and unheard of, but it later became an ancient kingdom under Tianqingzi's leadership. He actually spent time in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom? And in such dire straits? Imprisoned for a mere five hundred million?" Zhao Xing found it somewhat incredible. Could it truly be, as Le Yao said, that all great powerhouses had experienced imprisonment?

"To stumble upon a powerful Dao Domain Realm cultivator, a future ancient kingdom ruler, Le Yao's luck is simply unparalleled," Zhao Xing thought to himself. However, he wasn't entirely certain yet. After all, with just two names, he couldn't definitively confirm this was the person he knew.

"I haven't heard of him, but since you think it's feasible, Le Yao, let's go take a look," Zhao Xing said.

"Alright." The three acted immediately, flying to the Tianmen Military Garrison on the other side of the starland. In a prison cell, they found the half-dead Tianqingzi. When Zhao Xing saw Tianqingzi lying in the cold cell, seemingly on the verge of decay, it was difficult to connect him with the future ruler of the Pangze Kingdom. Maintaining only minimal vital signs, Tianqingzi at that moment resembled a piece of rusted scrap metal, with even his life fluctuations being extremely faint.

Zhao Xing carefully observed for a moment and realized that the person was indeed the one he knew!

"Le Yao, you shouldn't have to pay all this money yourself. I'll contribute twenty million," Zhao Xing immediately said. "You and Hua Zi can cover the rest." He only had a little over twenty million himself, and spending it to bail out Tianqingzi was well worth it! To say nothing of the long term, Tianqingzi's combat power was assured. After all, as a Mechanist-Warrior who had fallen from the Second Realm, even a slight recovery of his strength would make him more reliable than others.

"I have no objection," Hua Zi nodded. "I'll contribute twenty million as well."

"Okay, I'll go negotiate," Le Yao said.

The three immediately agreed, spent about a month on the procedures, paid fifty million, and thus bought out Tianqingzi's debt from the Tianmen Military Garrison. They brought Tianqingzi out of that dark and dismal prison cell. After leaving the prison, and after about another month, Le Yao contributed an additional twenty million to help Tianqingzi purchase some mechanical Dao weapons and mechanical bones, allowing him to recover to the mid-stage of the First Realm within a short period. He himself became much more spirited, no longer appearing muddled. When he reappeared, he looked completely different from his dilapidated state in the prison cell.

"Thank you," Tianqingzi's voice was hoarse and low. He seemed to be a man of few words; after leaving prison, he rarely spoke with Zhao Xing and Cen Qionghua. He spoke a bit more with Le Yao, but still chose his words carefully.

"Alright, Tianqingzi, I've arranged a temporary identity for you. Accept Zhao Xing's invitation, and you'll be one of us," Le Yao said with a slight smile.

"Okay," Tianqingzi nodded.

Zhao Xing immediately invited Tianqingzi to join the team. Le Yao had been handling all of Tianqingzi's miscellaneous affairs these past few days, including his temporary ancient kingdom identity and combat power rating. Upon extending the invitation, he discovered that Tianqingzi's comprehensive combat power rating was astonishingly high: 61!

"The minimum combat power for the Second Realm is 100. This Tianqingzi, after a slight recovery, is already at 61?" Zhao Xing was overjoyed. "It really is him!" He used his detection ability to examine Tianqingzi and found that the man was only a little over five thousand years old. Tianqingzi was even only two thousand years older than Cen Qionghua.

"How did you get injured? They even dismantled your bones," Cen Qionghua asked curiously.

"I encountered a prince from the 'Eagle Yao Dynasty' on 'Flying Fish Starland' in the Moonfall Mausoleum. He was at the Minor Divine Power Realm," Tianqingzi said simply. Zhao Xing and the others immediately understood; in the public star sea's exploration zones, killing for treasure was all too common. Tianqingzi surviving an encounter with a Minor Divine Power Realm cultivator was a testament to his sheer luck.

"I originally had several friends who came here from the Pangze Dynasty," Tianqingzi's voice was low. "But now I'm the only one left."

Zhao Xing couldn't help but recall Daxia's experiences. Minor dynasties certainly struggled in their early stages, needing to rely on their own strong cultivators to make a name for themselves outside. But one misstep could lead to complete annihilation. *Living in this cosmic era is like walking on thin ice. I hope my journey goes smoothly,* Zhao Xing thought to himself. He had to become strong as quickly as possible; otherwise, when it came time to migrate, his family, friends, and the future of Great Zhou would likely face dire circumstances.

After recruiting Tianqingzi, Zhao Xing and his two teammates waited another month. Finding no suitable teammates, they decided to wait no longer. The four departed from the Twentieth Sky Fortress on Tigerhead Starland, boarded a small Realm Boat, and projected themselves through the ring-land and special void river channels. Countless small Realm Boats, just like theirs, streaked through the void turbulence like meteors, descending towards different areas of the Moonfall Mausoleum. This spectacular scene was an exploration method unique to ancient kingdoms. The exclusive "void river channels" allowed them to bypass the outermost starfield spell formations of the Moonfall Mausoleum, saving a great deal of time. However, how many of these "meteors" would return was unknown. They might come back laden with treasures, or they might become eternal companions within the Moonfall Mausoleum.

On the forty-fifth day after Zhao Xing's group of four was projected from Tiger Gate Starland, "Boom!" A pyramid-shaped medium-sized Realm Boat landed on the Realm Star Plaza of Tiger Gate Starland. A handsome purple-haired youth in dark black battle armor, leading over a hundred Second Realm cultivators, emerged from the pyramid.

"Lord Moer." One of the Second Realm cultivators, the only Minor Divine Power Realm individual in the team, approached the handsome purple-haired youth. "According to our investigation, the target arrived at Tigerhead Starland, one of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's twenty exploration bases."

"Is the target still on Tigerhead Starland?" Moer asked indifferently.

"No, he's not. Three months ago, he completed his power rating and obtained captain privileges. If he were still here, he could be seen through the matching mechanism. His status now shows 'currently on a mission'. However, we cannot obtain specific exploration points; we cannot bypass the dual privacy protection of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom and the Purple God Mansion," his subordinate reported.

Moer said coldly, "There aren't many places a First Realm cultivator can go. The target has no accumulated merits, so there are some areas he can't access. Issue the order: everyone is to immediately complete basic exploration tasks, quickly gain exploration access to all areas, and commence a search. Within fifty years, I want good news!"