First Arrival on Lan Star

A sudden sneeze nearly made Yi Feng yank off the antenna in his hand.

Bubbles slowly foamed at Man Man's mouth as the creature came to an abrupt halt.

The two antennas swayed back and forth, its large head turning toward Yi Feng—partly questioning, partly exasperated.

Yi Feng, equally clueless, casually reassured it.

"It's fine, it's fine. Let's keep going."

"Maybe staying too long on that Waterfrost Star gave me a bit of a cold..."

Only then did Man Man calm down, resuming its sluggish crawl through the cosmos with dead-fish eyes.

The vast sea of stars stretched endlessly before them.

A man and a snail journeying side by side, leisurely to the point of boredom.

Sitting on Man Man's back, chin propped on his hand, Yi Feng couldn't help but grumble aloud.

"That Waterfrost Star… what a letdown."

"After staying there so long, I didn’t encounter any formidable demons—just weaklings, practically free experience points. And now I might’ve even caught a cold. Aside from leveling up a bit, it was pretty much a waste of time."

The more he thought about it, the more disappointed he grew with the demons.

He’d expected terrifying, awe-inspiring beings, but they turned out to be laughably weak!

At first, the demonic creatures had seemed to grow stronger each day, like leveling up in a video game. He’d assumed he’d eventually face some real challenges.

But in the end, not only did he fail to find any powerful demons, he didn’t even see a single demonic hair.

People always panicked at the mere mention of demons, but seriously? This was it?

It was just like those keyboard warriors from his past life—the more they hyped something up, the more underwhelming it turned out to be. Worse than a bad case of diarrhea!

Tch. All that talk about demons being fearsome? Total nonsense.

At best, they were just walking experience bags.

Sighing, Yi Feng gave up on expecting anything from the demons.

After reflecting on recent events, he reaffirmed his original goal.

"Guess I’ll have to head to Misty Star after all. If Misty Star could send people to Cloud Star to exterminate demons, they’re clearly way more impressive. That girl was even the Holy Maiden of the Moon God Pavilion—there must be plenty of experts there!"

"Those kinds of experts are definitely way stronger than demons!"

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. Slapping his thigh, he declared:

"Alright! Destination: Misty Star!"

Before long,

man and snail transformed into streaks of light, shooting toward Misty Star.

After traversing several stretches of the cosmos, they descended through layers of mist and clouds.

The light dissipated upon landing, revealing a lush green forest all around.

Yi Feng stored Man Man away and curiously surveyed his surroundings.

Towering trees, a clear blue sky, a gentle breeze, singing birds—standing on a peaceful forest path under perfect weather, he couldn’t help but appreciate the pleasant starting point.

Taking in the scenery, Yi Feng’s mood lifted.

Misty Star really was different. The air felt fresher, not dry at all—more like a tropical rainforest. Too bad there weren’t any bananas on the roadside trees, or he could’ve snacked along the way.

No idea where he was now, though. How to get to the Moon God Pavilion?

Just as he was getting his bearings, the distant sound of hoofbeats reached his ears.

"Clip-clop, clip-clop!"

Turning toward the noise, he spotted a caravan approaching.

The horses were exceptionally robust, their hooves shimmering with an extraordinary violet aura—clearly no ordinary steeds. The procession was orderly, with numerous guards in tow.

Judging by the setup, these were likely cultivators of some standing.

Asking them might just lead him to the Moon God Pavilion.

Delighted, Yi Feng hurried forward.

Mindful of his manners, he began with a polite greeting.

"Greetings, everyone."

His sudden appearance startled the group.

The lead horseman gripped the hilt of his blade, cold eyes scrutinizing Yi Feng from above.

"Who are you?!"

The wariness in his voice was palpable—more than just caution against bandits. It was as if they were on high alert for something far worse.

Yi Feng brushed off the hostility and pressed on.

"I am Yi Feng."

"My apologies for stopping you abruptly. I merely wished to ask if you know the way to the Moon God Pavilion?"

At the mention of the Moon God Pavilion, the group’s tension eased slightly.

It seemed they recognized the name, and their guard lowered a fraction.

Yet, no one spoke up.

Then, from one of the carriages—a simple but elegant one—a beaded curtain was lifted. A young woman peeked out, studying Yi Feng. His refined demeanor and courteous manner seemed to reassure her, and she spoke up warmly.

"Young master, the Moon God Pavilion lies a few thousand miles away in Falling Moon City. We happen to be heading in that direction. If you don’t mind, you may travel with us."

Her voice was gentle and generous, putting Yi Feng at ease.

Good people still existed in this world, it seemed.

Before he could thank her, however, the lead horseman dismounted and strode to the carriage, bowing respectfully.

After a wary glance at Yi Feng, he whispered urgently to the woman inside.

"Miss, this man’s origins are unknown. He could very well be a threat. We cannot let him travel with us!"

The young woman merely smiled.

"It’s fine."

"This young master carries himself with grace and seems scholarly. I doubt he means any harm."

The guard hesitated but finally bowed.

"As you wish."

Yi Feng watched as the burly man muttered by the carriage before stomping back, scowling.

"You may travel with us!"

The reluctance in his tone was unmistakable, as if he’d been forced into some great injustice.

Yi Feng couldn’t be bothered to care. If not for the free ride, he wouldn’t have wanted to share the road with such a rough fellow anyway.

The woman in the carriage extended another polite invitation.

"Young Master Yi, please ride alongside us. I regret there is no room in the carriage at the moment—I hope you understand."

Now that was proper manners.

The difference between the master and her subordinates was night and day.

Yi Feng didn’t decline, mounting one of the tall horses.

Amidst a group of burly guards, his scholarly appearance stood out. Perhaps it was his slightly-too-handsome face, but the men kept shooting him resentful looks along the way.

Ah, well. Excellence always invited envy.

Content to ride along, Yi Feng focused on reaching the Moon God Pavilion.

But they hadn’t gone far when—

Suddenly!

A band of fierce, scar-faced men burst from the forest’s edge—seven or eight of them, each more menacing than the last!

"Face the Cangshan Seven Eagles, and hand over your valuables!"

A thunderous roar, accompanied by the surge of cultivation aura!

The sheer pressure sent the horses rearing and the caravan into chaos!