"Hahahaha… straight to the point, huh?" Mu Feng said, stroking his beard with a proud grin. "Alright then, listen carefully."
"In this universe, there are two kinds of beings—cultivators and non-cultivators. Non-cultivators are like you were before—you can't absorb or control spiritual energy. Cultivators, on the other hand, can harness a mysterious force known as spiritual power."
He pointed at the horizon as the wind rustled his sleeves. "When a cultivator draws spiritual power into their body, it condenses into an energy core. This core continues to evolve until it reaches the peak of what their body can handle. That limit is called a bottleneck—or, as some call it, the universe's peak. Level 100."
Mu Feng paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Cultivation progress is measured from Level 1 to 100. From Level 1 to 9, one is known as a Spirit Refiner—this is when the core is first formed from spiritual energy. But during this stage, cultivators can't yet use advanced skills or techniques."
"Once they reach Level 10 to 19, they become Spirit Warriors. Their core develops a thin protective barrier, and their minds awaken a realm within—a mental space called the Sea of Consciousness. That's where a cultivator learns, stores, and refines techniques."
"Oooh…" Zixiao let out an excited sound, his eyes glowing with curiosity.
"Then comes Level 20 to 29," Mu Feng continued, gazing toward the clouds. "This stage is called the Earth Lord. At this level, a cultivator's core transforms into an earthly inner world—a solid foundation of soil and stone. It's said that within this world, the sun never sets, for it's constantly illuminated by the spiritual power circulating through it."
He lifted his hand as if tracing invisible layers in the air. "Next, Level 30 to 39—the Sea Lord. During this stage, small seas begin to form within the inner world, giving it the breath of water and life. Then comes Level 40 to 49, known as the Ocean Lord, where the entire inner world becomes covered in vast oceans."
Mu Feng's expression softened, a faint smile curling under his beard. "From Level 50 to 59, one becomes a Sky Lord. At this point, the cultivator gains the ability to fly. Their inner world expands further—clouds form, winds stir, and a boundless sky appears within them."
"Able to fly? That's so awesome!" Zixiao's eyes lit up like stars as he clenched his fists in excitement.
Mu Feng chuckled softly, his eyes glimmering with pride. "Then comes Level 60 to 69—they're called World Masters. At this stage, the cultivator's inner world begins to flourish. It gains day and night, mountains and rivers, even plant life, just like the real world outside."
He gestured with his hand, tracing a slow circle in the air. "From Level 70 to 79, one becomes a World Lord. Their inner world evolves further—forming a true atmosphere, complete with climate and weather. World Lords can even survive and cultivate in the vacuum of space."
"Then comes Level 80 to 89, known as the Star Lord stage. The cultivator's night sky fills with countless stars, and they can draw upon the power of those stars to strengthen their core and body."
Mu Feng paused, his tone deepening. "Finally, Level 90 to 99—the Star Emperors. Their inner world gains its own moon, and their strength becomes terrifying. A single Star Emperor holds enough power to destroy an entire world. There are very few of them in our universe."
Zixiao's eyes widened in disbelief. "Destroying a whole world… at just the level of a Star Emperor?"
Mu Feng grinned, stroking his long white beard with pride. "Oh, that's nothing, hero. At Level 100, one becomes a Demi-God. Even a hundred peak Star Emperors together couldn't withstand a single percent of a Demi-God's might."
"Not even a hundred Star Emperors can face a single Demi-God…" Zixiao muttered, his voice trembling slightly. A mix of awe and fear shone in his eyes.
Mu Feng nodded solemnly. "As far as I know, hero, there are fewer than ten Demi-Gods in our entire universe. You see, reaching that realm isn't about talent alone—it's about whether the heavens themselves deem you worthy to ascend." He stroked his beard slowly, his tone deep and reverent. "Every known Demi-God is a leader or founder of a great sect or empire."
Zixiao's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Oh… then, what level are you, Master? Are you a World Master, a Star Emperor, or maybe… a Demi-God?"
Mu Feng froze for a moment, his confident smile fading. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and laughed dryly. "Ahaha… well, you see, hero… I'm actually a professional support-type Sky Lord."
Zixiao looked down, feeling a little embarrassed. "Eh… Master, what is a 'professional type'?" he asked, curiosity mingling with his attempt to change the subject.
Mu Feng stroked his long beard thoughtfully. "There are three main types of cultivators: Attack type, Defense type, and Support type. It's about how a cultivator uses techniques to channel their power. Each cultivator focuses primarily on one type of technique—though of course, they can use the others too. When they dedicate themselves mostly to one type, they become a professional cultivator of that type."
Zixiao rubbed his chin, lost in thought. "Ah… so if a cultivator focuses mostly on defense techniques, he's known as a Defense-type cultivator," he said slowly. Then, his eyes brightened with curiosity. "But… can a person become more than one type of cultivator?"
"Of course, anyone can have more than one type," Mu Feng replied, stroking his long beard as he gazed at the scene of sun going down on the evening before him. "But it's extremely difficult, hero, because you have to focus on completely different techniques at once." He paused for a moment, letting the sunlight glint off the horizon. "Do you have any more questions?"
Zixiao's eyes suddenly lit up as he remembered the question he had forgotten amidst all the new information. "Eh… Master, how do you take all that stuff out of your sleeves?" he asked, curiosity shining in his face.
Mu Feng blinked in confusion for a moment, staring at his sleeves. Then he chuckled softly. "Ah… you mean my Space Talisman," he said with a faint smile. "I've worked on it for years—it's one of my greatest creations. It uses short-range space manipulation to shrink items and store them inside. I keep multiple talismans hidden in my sleeves."
He pulled out a small, long, brownish-white strip of paper covered in Chinese characters that read 'Space Storage', and handed it to Zixiao. "You can put small objects inside it. All you need to do is think about taking them in or out. Even non-cultivators can use it," Mu Feng said proudly.
Zixiao stared at the talisman in his hand, his eyes sparkling with awe. "That is so cool," he said, his voice filled with amazement.
Mu Feng chuckled, pleased by his reaction. "When we get home, I'll teach you how to make one yourself," he said, tapping his beard proudly. "Not only that — I'll teach you everything I know. But you'll have to work hard from now on, hero." He leaned closer, his tone half serious, half playful.
"I will, sir!" Zixiao replied, standing straight with his chest puffed out like a soldier ready for orders.
"Hahahaha! Now that's more like it!" Mu Feng laughed heartily, stroking his beard with satisfaction. But as his eyes shifted toward the horizon, his expression changed. The orange glow of the sun had already begun to fade into twilight.
"Oh my… we'd better get going, hero," he said, his voice dropping slightly. "A lot of dangerous beasts come out at night in this forest."
Zixiao walked toward the edge of the mountain peak, wanting one last look at the vast forest below before heading home. The wind brushed gently against his face as he leaned forward with curiosity, marveling at the endless green stretching to the horizon.
But then—he felt a sudden push from behind.
Before he could even react, the world spun. His robes fluttered wildly, his hair whipped against his face, and the sky flipped upside down. The next thing he knew, he was falling—fast.
The air roared past his ears, the mountain walls flashing by in a blur of green and gray.
"AAAAHHHHH—!"
His scream echoed through the valley as he plummeted toward the forest canopy below.
Zixiao shot straight through the forest canopy, tearing past branches and leaves.
On a thick branch nearby, two squirrels were bickering fiercely over a single acorn. The moment Zixiao's scream cut through the air, both turned their heads just in time to see a boy plummeting past them. Startled, they bolted in opposite directions—leaving the poor acorn spinning wildly in place before toppling off the branch.
Zixiao was now face-down, hurtling toward the ground at terrifying speed. The forest floor rushed closer and closer until he could see every leaf, every pebble beneath him. His heart pounded in his chest like a war drum.
"Ahhhh! M-Master! Help meeee—!" he screamed.
But just as his nose was about to hit the dirt—he stopped.
Everything went still.
For a moment, he couldn't even breathe. The world swayed upside down before his eyes. He slowly opened them, blinking through the blur, only to realize he was hovering a mere inch above the ground. His heart thumped so hard that he could hear it pounding in his ears.
He tilted his head upward.
Mu Feng was standing above him, holding him effortlessly by the back of his robe. The old man's face carried a sheepish smile.
"I'm sorry, hero," Mu Feng said, his tone half-guilty, half-amused. "You're not mad at me, are you?"
The acorn from before came spinning down from above and bonk!—landed right on Zixiao's head.
But he didn't even flinch.
He just stared blankly at Mu Feng, frozen like a statue, eyes wide and hair fluttering in the wind.
Then suddenly—
"Let's do it again!!!" Zixiao shouted, his entire body springing to life. He waved his arms and kicked his legs wildly in midair, grinning from ear to ear. His excited voice echoed through the forest, startling a herd of deer that had been peacefully drinking from a lotus-filled pond nearby. The deer lifted their heads, ears twitching toward the source of the noise.
Mu Feng blinked in surprise. That was definitely not the reaction he expected. But then he burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.
"Hahaha! You really are something, hero," he said between laughs. "But we'd better head home for now. We'll do it again another time."
Zixiao nodded obediently.
In the next instant—boom!—a burst of wind exploded beneath their feet as both of them shot up into the air. They pierced through the forest canopy like arrows of light, leaving a trail of swirling leaves behind.
Whoosh!
Zixiao felt the fierce wind whip past his ears, his robes fluttering wildly, his hair streaming behind him. The world below became a blur of green as they soared through the open sky. It took him a moment to realize what was happening—but then it struck him.
His master was a Sky Lord… meaning he could fly!
The forest below was already fading into darkness. From high above, Zixiao could see the silver shimmer of rivers, the faint glow of fireflies, and the endless stretch of trees under the fading sunset. Soon, the towering gates of the Starry Sky River Forest came into view beneath them.
The soldiers stationed there noticed two figures streaking across the twilight sky. Recognizing the old man, they quickly turned their heads upward and waved.
"Thank you again for your help, Elder Mu Feng! Safe travels!" they shouted in unison, their voices echoing faintly through the valley.
Zixiao's eyes caught a figure near the waving soldiers—a man in metal armor with red robes, face pressed to the ground. Squinting, he realized who it was. Qin Mu, lying sprawled in the mud, utterly exhausted from before.
Zixiao couldn't contain himself. He burst into laughter, clutching his belly as tears of amusement welled in his eyes.
Mu Feng caught sight of Zixiao's reaction from the corner of his eyes. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Eh… Master," Zixiao called out between giggles, "if you can fly, then why did we walk all that way?"
Mu Feng threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the dim sky. "because Where's the fun in that?!"
With that, a gust of wind surged beneath his feet. Whoosh! In an instant, Mu Feng and Zixiao were streaking across the twilight sky, the air whipping past them as they soared home.