Swallowing the Stars: Starting from Late Bloomers

Chapter 73 Alfred's Invitation

"This concludes this open class!"

Alfred's calm voice rang in the ears of every cultivator in the square, carrying an unquestionable authority that instantly snapped them out of their reverie.

The people who were originally immersed in their own insights all looked up, their eyes filled with reluctance, satisfaction, or a lingering regret.

Regardless of their feelings, they all stood up in unison and bowed respectfully to Alfred, who was standing on the high platform in the center of the square, saying, "Thank you, teacher!"

"Um!"

Alfred nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the faces in the square—faces filled with excitement, gratitude, or reluctance—with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Over the years, he has traveled through star fields and met cultivators. Every public lecture has benefited people, and every explanation has helped people break through their limitations.

Although this was just a means for him to complete tasks and earn contribution points, he still felt an indescribable sense of accomplishment when he saw these cultivators improve because of his explanations.

He then quickly continued, "Lu Qingshan, Chen Jin, and Copperfield, the three of you come with me!"

Upon hearing this, all the other cultivators in the room focused their attention on Lu Qingshan and his two companions.

Those gazes were filled with curiosity and doubt, as everyone wondered why this immortal deity had singled out these three people.

Is it because we admire their talent? Or to give them special guidance? Or is there some other reason?

Various speculations circulated among the crowd, but no one could give a definitive answer.

Only a few people who knew Lu Qingshan and Chen Jin's identities vaguely guessed some clues. These two were both well-known geniuses in the Golden Lion Starfield, so it was not too surprising that they were noticed by the immortal gods.

Upon hearing Alfred's instructions, Lu Qingshan felt a mixture of anticipation and trepidation: "Why did this immortal deity suddenly speak up and ask me to stay? I wonder what his reason is? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?"

Of the other two names called out by Alfred, he only recognized Chen Jin.

This person was the most talented cosmic-level cultivator in the Golden Lion Holy Land. He crossed the threshold of the Earth Origin Law after cultivating for more than seven thousand years. This speed was astonishing even in the history of the entire Golden Lion Starfield.

He has now cultivated for over ten thousand years, so his understanding of the fundamental laws of earth must be much deeper.

As for that Copperfield, he had never heard of the name before, and he was very likely a powerful figure from outside the Golden Lion Starfield.

But to be noticed by an immortal deity, this person must have something extraordinary about them.

However, now is not the time for Lu Qingshan to think about these things. What he needs to do most now is to follow that immortal god away and see what the other party is up to.

Thinking of this, Lu Qingshan first sent a telepathic message to his teacher Wells, and then walked out from among the many cultivators with Chen Jin and Copperfield, through the passage cleared by the crowd, and followed Alfred out of the square.

Led by Alfred, Lu Qingshan and his two companions soon arrived at a relatively spacious hall inside the Tianxing Dojo.

Although the hall was not as grand as the square, it was still very spacious, and the floor was paved with smooth black stone slabs.

"grown ups!"

After Alfred took his seat in the main seat, Lu Qingshan and the other two bowed slightly in greeting.

"You three little ones, don't be too nervous!"

Alfred quickly waved his hand, signaling the three to relax and not be so reserved: "The reason I let the three of you stay is simply because I think you three have great talent, so I wanted to give you a chance!"

"Chance?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingshan and the other two were all startled, as if they had thought of something.

"Oh right, I haven't introduced myself yet!"

Alfred quickly smiled and said, "I am an instructor within the Celestial Star Holy Land. My main responsibility is to guide the elites within the Celestial Star Holy Land in comprehending the Earth Domain and the fundamental laws of Earth. I came to your Golden Lion Star Region to hold this open class because I accepted a mission from the Celestial Star Holy Land!"

"Over the years, I have traveled between various star systems and met quite a few geniuses, but it is rare to see three of you who have impressed me so much."

"My name is Alfred. You may call me Mr. Alfred or Lord Alfred, as you wish!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingshan and the other two quickly greeted him respectfully again, "Lord Alfred!"

"I've checked the information on the three of you!"

Alfred's gaze first fell on Chen Jin and Copperfield, then he smiled and said, "You two were able to cross the threshold of the Earth Origin Law at the cosmic level, and you've even made some progress in your understanding of the Earth Origin Law. Your talent is indeed quite remarkable!"

As for you—

Alfred's gaze returned to Lu Qingshan, tinged with admiration, before he continued, "A cultivator at the Eternal Star level who has cultivated for a thousand years has actually managed to reach the eighth level of the Domain Realm. Such cultivation speed would place him among the top five hundred of all Eternal Star level cultivators in our Heavenly Star Holy Land!"

It should be noted that the Heavenly Star Holy Land gathers the most outstanding geniuses in the entire Heavenly Star Universe Kingdom. Being able to rank in the top 500 among them is already a remarkable achievement.

This young man achieved this level through his own cultivation in a remote star region like the Golden Lion Star Region. If he were given better resources and guidance, his achievements would likely be far greater.

"I can now give the three of you a chance. I wonder if you would be willing to join my Heavenly Star Holy Land?"

Alfred's gaze swept across the faces of Lu Qingshan and the other two, awaiting their answer.

He believed that the Heavenly Star Holy Land was an irresistible temptation for anyone aspiring to go further on the path of cultivation.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingshan and the other two were all moved.

Chen Jin, standing to the side, spoke first, asking, "Lord Alfred, I've heard that geniuses who join the Heavenly Star Holy Land must abide by its rules, undergo training, and take life-or-death trials, etc."

"Moreover, the life-or-death trials within the Heavenly Star Sacred Ground are extremely dangerous. Even for cosmic-level powerhouses like us, there's a high probability of perishing. I wonder if that's true?"

"good!"

Upon hearing Chen Jin's words, Alfred quickly replied, "The Celestial Star Holy Land is a sacred place for cultivating geniuses. Its goal is to nurture immortal gods and increase the overall strength of our human race!"

"To become a true powerhouse, one must naturally undergo numerous trials of life and death! For between life and death lies immense terror; between life and death lies boundless motivation!"

Alfred's tone turned serious as he continued, "While you all possess considerable talent, you still have a long way to go before becoming immortal gods. Therefore, you must undergo sufficient life-and-death trials during your training period to successfully become powerful!"

"I have seen too many geniuses, with extraordinary talent and amazing comprehension, but because they lack the tempering of life and death, they eventually become just ordinary people."

I've also seen people of average talent who, through countless life-or-death adventures, broke through their limits and ultimately became true powerhouses in the universe.

"Many powerful individuals like you in remote star systems are stuck at a bottleneck because you're too comfortable and never encounter any real life-or-death crises!"

"Every day I practice, comprehend, and accumulate knowledge step by step, but I have never truly risked my life to fight, to hone my skills, or to experience the feeling of being reborn from the brink of death. Under such circumstances, it is normal to get stuck at a bottleneck."

"If these people are willing to undergo life-or-death trials, sometimes surviving a near-death experience might allow them to break through their limitations!"

"Of course, the cultivation missions within my Heavenly Star Holy Land are entirely voluntary! As long as you don't choose missions beyond your own capabilities, you generally won't encounter any life-threatening dangers!"

Although the Heavenly Star Holy Land allows many geniuses within it to undergo life-or-death trials, it will not force anyone to die.

All cultivation tasks in the Heavenly Star Holy Land are divided into levels, and geniuses can choose them at their own discretion. As long as they act within their capabilities, there will be no great danger.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jin couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

He understands these principles, but knowing and doing are two different things, and understanding risk and being willing to take risk are also two different things.

In fact, he had the opportunity to join the Heavenly Star Holy Land more than a thousand years ago, but after considering it for a long time and weighing the pros and cons, he finally chose to stay in the Golden Lion Holy Land.

He had heard the story of Edgar, the peerless genius from 30,000 years ago, who was far more talented than him, but ultimately perished at the cosmic level during a cultivation mission at the Heavenly Star Holy Land.

Edgar's talent was so high and his strength so great, yet he couldn't escape the fate of falling even in the Heavenly Star Holy Land. How much better could he possibly fare if he went there?

That is why he was unwilling to join the Heavenly Star Holy Land and follow in Edgar's footsteps!

He preferred to cultivate peacefully in the Golden Lion Holy Land, even though his progress was slower and resources were fewer, at least his life was safe.

Thinking of this, Chen Jin quickly said, "Lord Alfred, I do not wish to join the Heavenly Star Holy Land!"

Upon hearing Chen Jin's words, Alfred showed no regret or dissatisfaction.

After all, for him, recruiting Lu Qingshan and the other two for the Tianxing Holy Land was just a casual matter, and being rejected was no big deal.

He then quickly turned to Lu Qingshan and Copperfield and asked, "What about you two? Would you be willing to join my Heavenly Star Holy Land?"

"Lord Alfred, I am willing to join the Celestial Star Holy Land!" Copperfield said without hesitation.

His eyes gleamed with excitement, and he exuded an aura of eager anticipation.

Following that, Lu Qingshan quickly nodded and said, "Lord Alfred, I am also willing to join the Heavenly Star Holy Land!"

It's worth noting that the original work mentioned that the attrition rate of geniuses in the core layer of the Virtual Universe Company was far higher than that in the Qianwu Holy Land.

As a holy land of the same level as the Qianwu Holy Land, the Tianxing Holy Land is naturally the same.

If given the chance, Lu Qingshan would even like to join the core layer of the Virtual Universe Company, so why wouldn't he dare to join the Heavenly Star Holy Land?

Especially since joining the Heavenly Star Holy Land would greatly help his cultivation, he would have even less hesitation.

Alfred's open class had already shown him the level of guidance provided by the Heavenly Star Holy Land, and he believed that if he could enter the Heavenly Star Holy Land to receive systematic training, his progress would be much faster than it was now.

"very good!"

After listening to Lu Qingshan and Copperfield's words, Alfred quickly smiled and said, "Joining my Heavenly Star Holy Land is absolutely the wisest choice you two have ever made!"

After saying this, Alfred waved his hand, and two silver streaks of light flew towards Lu Qingshan and Copperfield respectively.

When the light fell in front of them, it quickly transformed into a silver token.

The token was about the size of a palm and was made entirely of an unknown silver metal. The front was engraved with the ancient characters "Tianxing" (Heavenly Star), while the back featured a star map with faint light flowing within it.

Alfred, seated in the main seat, spoke again, "I will be traveling to other star systems to continue holding public lectures, so you two will have to report to my Celestial Star Holy Land on your own!"

"This is a token of my Heavenly Star Holy Land, containing the exact coordinates of my Heavenly Star Holy Land. I will later transmit your message back to the Heavenly Star Holy Land via the virtual universe. You only need to take the token to the Heavenly Star Holy Land to successfully join!"

"yes!"

After hearing Alfred's words, Lu Qingshan and his companion quickly grasped the silver tokens in front of them and respectfully thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Lord Alfred!"

Both of them spoke with genuine gratitude. Being able to receive Alfred's help and gain the opportunity to join the Heavenly Star Holy Land was definitely a stroke of luck for them.

"alright!"

Alfred quickly waved his hand and said, "You three can go now! I have other things to do, so I won't keep you any longer."

After receiving Alfred's instructions, Lu Qingshan and the other two bowed respectfully and quickly left the hall.

After arriving outside the hall, Chen Jin, who had rejected Alfred, glanced at Lu Qingshan and Copperfield with a complex expression in his eyes, seemingly filled with regret, pity, and some other indescribable meaning. Then he left without looking back.

In his eyes, Lu Qingshan and Copperfield would definitely perish in the cultivation mission of the Heavenly Star Holy Land, just like Edgar did back then, so there would be nothing for them to talk about.

Lu Qingshan and Copperfield exchanged a smile, seemingly sharing a mutual appreciation.

They introduced themselves to each other, even exchanging virtual universe IDs, and agreed to go to the Heavenly Star Holy Land together to report after finishing their trivial matters.

After they had finished doing all this, the two of them left separately.