Mortal: Traveling Between Two Realms with Mei Ning to Pick Up Trash

Zhou Yu glanced at Mei Feng, took a breath, and said, "It's just that you've never asked."

He glanced at Mei Ning's side again. When he set up the trapping formation earlier, he also set up a small soundproof formation outside the house. No sound could get in, so Mei Ning probably couldn't hear the fighting outside and didn't know what was happening. That was good, so she could focus on her seclusion without being distracted by these things.

Zhou Yu withdrew his gaze, and with a casual wave of his hand, the black-robed man's storage bag flew from the ground into his hand. He probed into it with his divine sense and searched through it.

His brow furrowed slightly.

A piece of fabric of unknown material? It was soft, slightly cool to the touch, and had jagged edges, as if it had been torn from something larger.

Could it be a fragment of the Void Heaven Map?

Without making a sound, he calmly pressed the piece of cloth to the bottom of the storage bag and took out a few other items.

A painting, a spear broken in two, and a small jade bottle.

Zhou Yu first unfurled the scroll. The woman in the painting had exquisite features, wore a white dress, and possessed a cool and sharp temperament, quite different from Mei Ning's gentle demeanor.

He stared at that face for a few moments, feeling that it looked somewhat familiar. Yuan Yao? Although he couldn't quite remember, the eyebrows, the aura, did indeed resemble the Yuan Yao in his memory.

He glanced down at the corpse on the ground, which had turned to ashes. This person was most likely from the Qingyang Sect. But how could a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator dare to chase after Yuan Yao?

Zhou Yu pondered for a moment, thinking that the other party probably didn't know that Yuan Yao had already broken through to the Golden Core stage. After all, Han Li was quite surprised when he saw that Yuan Yao had reached the Golden Core stage.

The elixir is the Dust-Clearing Pill, presumably prepared for breaking through to the Golden Core stage and heading to the Void Heaven Palace.

"What's wrong, Zhou Yu? Do you perhaps know the woman in the painting?" Mei Feng walked over, clutching his chest, and seemed to be feeling a little better.

Zhou Yu shook his head. "I don't know him."

He flipped the spear in his hand, revealing cracks crisscrossing the shaft and a dimmed spiritual light, but the material was of good quality, and a trace of sharp edge still remained on the spear tip.

Zhou Yu examined it for a moment and nodded slightly. "This spear is quite a treasure. Although it's broken in two, it can be restored by taking it back to a weapon refiner and having it remelted. Brother Mei Feng, you keep it."

Mei Feng didn't stand on ceremony, snatching the broken spear with a grin. "Perfect! My old spear was already damaged, otherwise I wouldn't have needed to use a sword today. It was awkward to use, and its power was greatly reduced. If I still had that spear, I would definitely show this thief my skills!"

Seeing his appearance, Zhou Yu smiled slightly, took out some healing pills, and handed them to Mei Feng. "Heal your injuries first, and there will be plenty of opportunities for you to show off your power later."

Mei Feng took the pill, swallowed it in one gulp, patted his chest, and grimaced in pain. "Alright, alright, I'll go back and heal my injuries first. You can clean up here."

He waved his hand and limped towards his rocky island.

Zhou Yu stood on the beach, watching the crooked streak of light disappear into the sea, before finally letting out a long breath.

The sea breeze carried a faint smell of blood. He frowned, raised his hand, and wiped away all the remaining traces.

Suihan Island returned to its former state, as if nothing had ever happened.

Zhou Yu turned around and went back into the house.

Back in the house, he set up two simple formations and began studying the fragmented Void Heaven Diagram.

Zhou Yu looked at the tattered cloth in his hand, his expression narrowing slightly.

As the number one secret realm in the Chaotic Star Sea, the Void Heaven Palace, with its legendary Void Heaven Cauldron, offers unparalleled opportunities, but it is also one of the most dangerous places within.

Leaving aside the restrictions inside, those Nascent Soul stage monsters are no ordinary people. When Han Li went in, he was only at the Core Formation stage, and he only survived by relying on his extraordinary intelligence and some luck. Now, he is only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and going in rashly would be tantamount to suicide.

However, if one does not take what Heaven has given, one will suffer the consequences. The incomplete map is already in hand, and I am not short of the Dust-Reducing Pill.

Zhou Yu opened his eyes and looked at the flickering lanterns in front of him. He still had to make a trip to the Void Heaven Palace.

But we can't be reckless. We have to be fully prepared. Not to mention the ice and fire paths behind us, even the Ghostly Land ahead is not easy.

There are still a few years before the Void Heaven Palace opens, and I must do my best during these years to at least reach the Golden Core stage.

He needs to improve his cultivation, solidify his foundation, practice his martial arts, and explore the Rift Battlefield again. Once Mei Ning breaks through to the Foundation Establishment stage, he will take her in to see it. Although that battlefield is dangerous, the things scattered around the perimeter have already given him too many surprises.

The Immortal Binding Net, the Taiyi Dividing Light Blade, and the Dust-Subduing Pill were all picked up from that desolate land. Perhaps there's something else hidden inside, but his cultivation level was too low before, so he couldn't go too far.

He stood up, took off his outer robe, and stood in the center of the room, ready to begin practicing his swordsmanship.

The night breeze seeped in through the cracks in the window. Zhou Yu closed his eyes, his breathing long and steady. He could feel his heart beating, one beat at a time.

An hour passed, then two hours, then three hours, and Zhou Yu did not stop. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and trickled down his cheeks.

The sound of roosters crowing came from afar, and white light appeared on the horizon.

Zhou Yu slowly stopped his movements, his legs went weak, and he stood for a while, holding onto the table, until the tingling and numbness subsided before slowly sitting down.

Days passed by like this.

Every morning, Zhou Yu would practice standing meditation and boxing in the open space outside his house. In the morning, he would study the martial arts manuals, in the afternoon he would meditate and cultivate, circulating the "Canglang Technique," and in the evening he would study formations. Occasionally, he would flip through the books on elixirs that he had brought from the Green Bamboo Pavilion, day after day.

Mei Feng would come every few days. His injury took half a month to heal, and after he recovered, he returned to his carefree self. Every time he came, he would bring a few fish or a basket of crabs, put them in the kitchen, and shout at the top of his lungs, "Zhou Yu! Come out and eat fish!"

Zhou Yu came out, and the two sat in the kitchen, eating and chatting about this and that.

Mei Ning's door remained closed. Every morning, Zhou Yu would go to check on it, stand at the door for a while, listen to the sounds inside, and then turn around to cultivate.

One evening a few months later, Zhou Yu was practicing the "Treading Snow Without a Trace" technique behind the house. Without any spiritual energy, Zhou Yu could fly from one place to another in an instant, and even walk on the sea. Zhou Yu smiled and thought that he would be considered a martial arts master in the mortal world.

A streak of light flew across the sea and landed on the beach. Mei Feng's voice carried from afar: "Zhou Yu! Look what good stuff I brought you!"

Zhou Yu finished his practice, put on his outer robe, and walked to the beach. Mei Feng stood by the sea, holding an oil paper package in his hand. "Qingyufang has just received a new batch of spirit wine. I snatched two jars; one is for you!"

He shoved the oil paper package into Zhou Yu's hand, then looked him up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement, "Have you gotten stronger lately?"

Zhou Yu smiled and said, "I'm practicing."

"What are you practicing?"

"Martial arts of mortals".

Mei Feng was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, "You, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, practicing mortal martial arts? Are you out of your mind?"

Zhou Yu didn't explain, but simply put the jar of spirit wine into his storage bag, patted Mei Feng on the shoulder, and said, "Want to come in and sit down?"

Mei Feng waved his hand, "No, I have to go back to cultivate. You're almost at the late Foundation Establishment stage, while I'm still stuck in the early Foundation Establishment stage. If I don't work harder, I won't even be worthy of carrying your shoes in the future."

"By the way, someone invited me to a cultivator's cave dwelling. Do you want to come along?" Mei Feng changed the subject.

Zhou Yu was about to return to his room to continue practicing his swordsmanship when he heard this and stopped in his tracks. "What cave dwelling?"

"It was left behind by a Golden Core cultivator before he passed away," Mei Feng scratched his head, took out a jade slip from his pocket, and tossed it in his hand. "A few days ago, I was drinking at Qingyu Fang and ran into some old acquaintances. They said they had discovered a hidden cave on a deserted island in the southeast. The outer restrictions had been loosened by most of them. They guessed it was the remains of a Golden Core cultivator, and there might be some pills or magic artifacts inside. They invited me to go and explore it together."

Zhou Yu took the jade slip and scanned it with his divine sense. The jade slip recorded the approximate location of the cave and the distribution of the surrounding restrictions, marked in fairly detailed terms. "Is it reliable?"

Mei Feng chuckled, "Those old acquaintances may not be highly skilled, but they've made a living at sea year-round and have done this kind of thing many times. They should be reliable. Besides, with a master like you, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator about to reach the late stage, what kind of trouble are we afraid of them causing?"

As he spoke, he winked at Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu did not immediately agree. He glanced back at the direction of Mei Ning's room. She had been in seclusion for several months, and the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the crack in the door were sometimes strong and sometimes weak, but there was no sign that she was about to emerge from seclusion.

There are still a few years before the Void Heaven Palace opens, and he does need more resources and opportunities to improve his cultivation during this time.

"When are we leaving?" Zhou Yu asked.

Mei Feng's eyes lit up. "Meet me at Qingyufang Wharf in three days. You've agreed?"

Zhou Yu nodded. "It's good to go and take a look. Maybe we can find something useful."

Mei Feng laughed heartily, patted Zhou Yu on the shoulder, and said, "I knew you'd go! Alright, I'll go back and get ready. See you in three days!"

After he finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of light.

Zhou Yu stood on the beach, watching the streak of light disappear into the sea. After a while, he turned and went back into the house. He took out the jade slip again and looked at it once more, memorizing the location of the cave and the distribution of its restrictions. Then he put the jade slip away, took off his outer robe, and stood still.

I was sweating profusely from practicing "Treading Snow Without Leaving a Trace," and my clothes were soaked through, sticking to my body and feeling sticky.

Instead of using his spiritual power to evaporate the water, he filled a basin with water and slowly washed his face and hands, then changed into dry clothes. He then continued practicing his movement technique.

"Treading on Snow Without Leaving a Trace" is the thinnest of the four martial arts manuals, with only a dozen pages. When mastered to a high level, one can walk on water without sinking, use the tips of bamboo for leverage without breaking, and move several feet away the instant an enemy attacks.

He practiced for several months and was able to walk on the water for more than a hundred steps without sinking, but he was still far from the level of "walking on snow without leaving a trace".