Just as Chen Tian was beginning to feel satisfied with himself, he saw a soft glow from one of the wagons ahead. One of the Earth Guards sat in the center of a wagon, sliding into his own spirit as he began to cultivate. Soon only a distorted shadow of himself remained, glowing warm orange.
And that was all Chen Tian could see. Most cultivators would only practice their arts in private to avoid anyone else examining them too closely. If Chen Tian had been able to perceive it, he would have looked past the blurry remnant and into the private world that was the man's soul. There he would have been able to see the core of the man's power in concrete form, built from spiritual materials over many years.
Instead, he saw only the spiritual haze. That was to be expected, but Chen Tian found himself unexpectedly bitter. There was so much he needed to recover, but mere recovery would not be nearly enough...
As soon as the vast sun began to set, the Earth Guards lit fires and began the evening meal. Though Chen Tian had remembered that journeys tended to proceed slowly in the Peaceful Earth Realm, he had forgotten how much was due to the relaxed pace of life. Of course, for them, they were hurrying to their destination, but that didn't mean traveling in darkness or skipping a meal.
Since staying with the group remained his best chance of advancing, Chen Tian simply retreated from the fires as they grew warm and boisterous. Away from the others, he could enjoy a slightly cool breeze. It rustled through the crops, sending their dark forms into a quiet dance.
He realized it was only the end of his first day back in the Nine Sacred Realms. Not a shocking start, but his first journey had been the explosive one. This time, he needed to survive long-term, which would require far more strategy.
When he spotted a figure standing beside one of the fields, he knew it must be Li Yuyue. He hadn't intended it, but it was unsurprising that she would have sought the darkness away from the fires. More notably, she had finally unwrapped her head and instead wore the blindfold he had made for her. Her slender face turned toward him and she smiled.
"Hello, Zhang Kai. It is less blinding now, but I hope it will become dark soon."
"It won't get much darker than this." He stepped beside her and stared skyward. "As the sun fades, the stars and moons emerge, and they are very bright here."
"Oh. That is disappointing." Her dismay could not have been clearer on her face, even without being able to see her eyes, and Chen Tian wondered if she had ever needed to hide her emotions. "Can you truly help me cultivate a technique to reduce this light?"
"You will need to help me, and we will need the proper materials, but yes."
"I hope we can do so." Li Yuyue's head shifted away from him, one ear cocked toward the bonfire and the celebration around it. "They seem very happy."
"Yes, that is how the Peaceful Earth Realm is."
"Are they a cult?"
Chen Tian coughed in surprise, quickly swallowing his reaction. After clearing his throat, he shook his head out of habit before answering. "No, you will find that these things are normal here. The realms differ in more than just a few colors."
"So it seems." Li Yuyue's head drooped and she began playing with a strand of midnight black hair. "I hope my master comes for me soon, but I fear this strange realm is too distant."
"Why not prepare for his arrival meanwhile? He is training you as a cultivator, correct?"
"That is correct."
"Then impress him with how much you have grown in another realm." Chen Tian reached into his sack and pulled out one of the Flame Spirit Fruits, offering it to her. "Examine this. It is a local spiritual material given to young cultivators, but I think for you it will be more challenging. Please, take it."
"A gift?" Li Yuyue reached out, delicately retrieving the Flame Spirit Fruit while staying as far from skin contact as possible. She frowned as she ran her fingers over the surface. "How strange. I am not certain if I will be able to use it in my cultivation base."
Li Yuyue didn't hesitate, however, raising the Flame Spirit Fruit to her lips and tearing a piece from the side. It was sensible not to leave spiritual materials unused where they could be stolen, so he approved. She rapidly consumed the fruit including the core and stem, every bit of its power passing into her soul. Chen Tian realized he remembered many details about the strengths and weaknesses of Flame Spirit Fruits, but nothing about their taste.
"You are a kind traveler, Zhang Kai." Li Yuyue turned to regard him with a slight smile. "I hope we can speak in the future. But for now, I am very weary from all the people."
"Yes, I understand." Chen Tian saw that she didn't comprehend, but didn't care. He just waved farewell and turned away. "Enjoy your cultivation."
Though he moved away, he did glance back. There was no glow or anything else to announce the transition, Li Yuyue's body simply faded into wisps of shadow. Her technique for entering her cultivation space was flawless, so her master had trained her well. She might be on par with some of the Earth Guards in terms of power, but there was no question she was destined for more.
If there was such a thing as destiny at all. Chen Tian doubted it, all the more so after forty years in the mortal world. As he found a place to sleep among the wagons, he hoped those miserable years had finally come to an end.