With Jiang Chenghuan now taking the lead, the three regions of the Azure Cloud region currently present an image of thriving prosperity.
As the next Grand Ceremony drew near, Li Wei departed the 'game world' early. Returning once again to the real world, Li Wei had the distinct feeling that a lifetime had passed. After collecting himself, Li Wei took out his mobile phone.
Although years had passed for him within the game world, merely two or three days had elapsed in the outside world. His phone was now flooded with an overwhelming deluge of messages.
[Great Victory! Great Victory! The Mystic Civilization invasion was defeated in just one day! Forces are currently retreating to the vicinity of Mars!]
[Unofficial News: Unidentified experts reportedly infiltrated a vital stronghold of the Mystic Civilization and wreaked havoc. Several reclusive cultivators have now joined the national army and are heading towards the Mystic Civilization's domain for retaliation!]
[Good news from the National Spirit Archaeology Team: Excavated ruins in the oceanic region very likely hold surviving truths about Earth's lost epochs!]
[...]
"Huh? They were defeated that quickly?"
Seeing the latest updates, Li Wei was momentarily stunned. He knew, of course, that the Mystic Civilization was merely jumping clowns who would inevitably flee in disgrace the moment Earth's off-world cultivators returned. Still, he truly hadn't imagined they'd be finished off quite so quickly... To think he'd actually worried before about them managing a sneak attack on the villa district!
However, Li Wei quickly relaxed with a sigh of relief. "Good riddance," he thought. "Once I achieve mastery within the game world, what fear will I have of some Mystic Civilization?"
Putting those thoughts aside, Li Wei scanned the news updates on his phone while walking outside. Yue Xian was already waiting outside for him. Seeing Li Wei emerge, her expression turned peculiar. "Master," she remarked, "this is the longest you've ever stayed inside."
"..."
Li Wei thought to himself, there was no way he could tell Yue Xian he'd spent all that time grinding in a game world, and practically started a new family there.
Li Wei brushed off her comment with a vague answer, had Yue Xian prepare a meal, and continued scrolling through his phone while he ate.
"The 200-year Grand Ceremony starts very soon," Li Wei mused. "Currently, I myself have no shortage of Spirit Stones or spirit medicines. The family is in a similar position. You can't just buy Rank 6 or 7 spirit medicines here on Earth. What they truly need now are things like cultivation techniques from ancient inheritances, or perhaps advanced thermal weapons – those would actually be useful."
Even after emerging, Li Wei's thoughts remained preoccupied with the clan's affairs back in the game world. "The family is currently warring with the Wu Clan," he mused, "and who knows when this conflict will finally conclude. Eternal Sun Prefecture remains a threat as well. We were involved in killing Lin Yuanshan last time; Qilin Mountain has been quiet since then, but even an idiot realizes our Li Clan had a hand in it."
"Our family simply hasn't had enough time to develop; producing our own Divinity Transformation stage cultivator naturally in such a short span isn't feasible. Therefore, the absolute priority right now is to acquire some 'hidden cards' – methods or items capable of countering experts at the Divinity Transformation stage."
As he was mulling over these issues, Yue Xian announced that the meal was ready. Seeing Li Wei's preoccupied air, Yue Xian appeared quite accustomed to it.
Quickly, Li Wei searched through his phone contacts. He recalled his last call with Xiao Qingling being interrupted by the news of the Mystic Civilization invasion. Just as he was about to dial her back now, he received an automated message: "The number you have dialed is currently switched off."
"Right," Li Wei mused. "Xiao Qingling's team found those new ruins; she's probably completely swamped right now."
Li Wei raised an eyebrow. "Hm, I was hoping to see if they'd unearthed any cultivation techniques or antique spirit treasures," he thought. "Could've asked her to sneak a few out for me; I'd even pay her handsomely in Spirit Stones."
Having spent so many years within the game world, Li Wei himself hadn't realized how much his thinking now mirrored the Li family's methods... He spoke so casually of matters, like having nationally excavated artifacts smuggled out, that could carry severe penalties.
Promptly, Li Wei dialed his teacher, Xiao Qingluo. The call connected after only a moment.
His teacher's irascible voice immediately came through the phone: "Little Li! Why has your phone been unreachable all this time?! Same for your family's contacts! I was half-convinced you'd been snatched by those Mystic Civilization to serve as some boy toy!"
"..."
Li Wei's face darkened. "Acting as a role model for students," he retorted dryly, "shouldn't you perhaps listen to yourself talk sometimes?! Anyway, I won't trade nonsense with you. When the Mystic Civilization came, and all those meteorites fell – was everything alright on your end, Teacher?"
"Alright?! Damn right we were alright!" Xiao Qingluo boasted. "Before those rocks even started falling, I, your esteemed Teacher, had already mustered every single veteran in the faculty district! And when the meteorites did start falling, I rallied all the cultivators in the vicinity – thirty thousand strong in total!"
Her voice then took on a slightly frustrated tone. "Thirty thousand troops, all under my command, ah! We were just waiting for the Mystic Civilization to properly commit to the invasion. If they had, I could've snowballed our forces into a real war machine... You know the old saying—'Are kings and nobles born, or made?' ...Ahem. Got a little carried away there."
"...Teacher," Li Wei said quickly, "my ears were just ringing for a moment there; I'm afraid I didn't catch any of that."
If he didn't have something specific he needed to ask, Li Wei would have simply hung up. Clearing his throat, he finally inquired, "Teacher, about that Cosmic Variant matter..."
"You're in luck," Xiao Qingluo chuckled. "These are eventful times, after all. The Mystic Civilization could stage a comeback tomorrow for all we know. Classes at the school are suspended, everyone's seeking refuge... Under the circumstances, it's perfectly normal for a few things to 'go missing' from the premises. That Cosmic Variant you're after – I'll have someone deliver it right away. Just go meet them at the entrance gate. That security guard at your villa complex is a real piece of work, so I won't bother coming myself."
"Thank you, Teacher!"
Overjoyed, Li Wei grabbed a snack to eat on the way, picked up the meal Yue Xian had packed, and headed straight for the villa district entrance.
During the Mystic Civilization attack the other day, many of the local 'big shots' had flown off to join the fray. As a result, the villa district now felt exceptionally deserted. If not for basic neighborly decorum, Li Wei mused, he'd be sorely tempted to pry open some of these old timers' houses just to see what secrets they were hiding.
"I reckon," Li Wei thought, "those reclusive experts mentioned in the news – the ones joining the army, and those who infiltrated the Mystic Civilization's base – they were probably the 'big shots' right here from the villa district."
Li Wei became pensive. Yet, as his thoughts ventured deeper, he instinctively shied away from dwelling on them. This villa district, he knew, was truly an enclave of recluses; though he lived among them, he dared not probe too deeply into their affairs. He understood a fundamental principle all too well: delving into matters beyond one's current capability or comprehension was tantamount to courting disaster.
"Uncle Chen! Haven't seen you in a few days! I brought you a little something. Scrambled eggs, pan-fried sausages, and roast chicken with mashed potatoes – all Yue Xian's cooking!"
Speaking of Uncle Chen, he was also quite remarkable. When the Mystic Civilization was practically at the gates, he remained completely unperturbed, simply going about his usual business.
Now, however, seeing Li Wei approach, the sleepiness instantly vanished from Uncle Chen's eyes. He scrambled to his feet and accepted the food containers respectfully with both hands. "Ah, Young Master Li," he said, "Only you still remember this worn-out old man."
After chatting idly with Uncle Chen for a short while, it wasn't long before the person dispatched by Teacher Xiao arrived. The moment Li Wei saw the young man approach, carefully holding a small box, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
He had no idea where Teacher Xiao had recruited this fellow; upon meeting Li Wei, the man immediately goose-stepped forward, presented the box, stood Head high, chest out, and executed a crisp military salute, and announced in a ringing, forceful tone, "Savior Army, Serial Number 0325! Mission complete! Requesting Mr. Li Wei confirm receipt!"
---
Donate on Ko-fi ➡️ [https://ko-fi.com/darktea] ⬅️
Get Early Access to 40 Chapters: Search for "Dark Tea" on Ko-fi (Explore tab) and join my membership to read ahead!