Foundation Establishment Realm
Gu Chuan smiled and began to stabilize his cultivation.
Since he followed the Ancient Cultivation Path, it wasn't hard for him, but the Planetary Path was still the best for this. Every path had its own strengths and weaknesses. That was why Gu Chuan wanted to complete Extended Harmony as soon as possible.
But at his current level, it would take more than ten years, and even then, the range would only be around a hundred light-years. To extend it further, he needed two things — higher cultivation and deeper understanding of the planet.
Both required time, which he didn't have. The limit was a hundred years, and that man had said even if he traveled for a hundred years on the Shooting Star, he still wouldn't reach his home planet.
That meant Gu Chuan not only needed a faster travel device but also had to increase his cultivation speed.
He already knew that before him, others had also been chosen for the race. They might have gained big advantages.
Gu Chuan had chosen to protect his home instead of asking for a treasure that could help him. He didn't regret it, but it still left him at a disadvantage. Others might have stronger companions and more time to grow.
To fix that, Gu Chuan had to increase his cultivation quickly — which meant moving to a better planet with stronger Qi than Planet 246.
He made up his mind. Before leaving, he planned to hunt more spirit beasts and refine his techniques.
He currently had 500 nodes and wanted to create two new techniques — an ungraded version of Datas v1 and a defensive skill.
Three days passed. Gu Chuan finished all preparations. The only thing left was to leave the planet.
They sat on the same flat Shooting Star. Gu Xue was ready to go, but Gu Chuan stayed still, looking at the scenery.
He was a nostalgic person. Whether it was his school days or his first job, he remembered every good moment.
Even though less than a week had passed since they arrived, he still felt a little sad to leave. It was the first planet he had stepped on since starting his journey.
Gu Xue looked at him but said nothing. She also felt a faint connection to the planet through her cultivation.
They both watched the scenery for about ten minutes until Gu Chuan sighed.
"It's no use. We have to move," he said.
Gu Xue nodded. She had mostly calmed her emotions as well.
They sat again and activated the Shooting Star. Just before leaving the atmosphere, Gu Chuan took out a node and quietly dropped it onto the planet.
Once they exited the star system, Gu Xue began scanning the area.
Since Gu Chuan's cultivation had improved, his range had also expanded—from a hundred to five thousand light-years.
Their goal was to find a planet with strong Qi and signs of civilization. After scanning the area, they found a star system filled with dense Qi and multiple civilizations. It was also a new feature that had just unlocked.
The system was five thousand light-years away. Normally, the trip would take forty days, but thanks to an upgrade on the Shooting Star, it was reduced to twenty.
The upgrade allowed them to use beast cores as boosters. By placing a two-star core in the spare slots, they doubled their speed.
Gu Xue sat silently. There was nothing to do during the journey. She quickly realized how boring space travel was.
After a few days, she started staring at Gu Chuan. He sat cross-legged, eyes closed, seemingly focused on something. She didn't disturb him.
Five days passed. Gu Xue was exhausted from boredom. She had slept, but her body didn't need rest anymore.
She looked at Gu Chuan again. He hadn't moved for days. If he weren't a cultivator, she might have thought he was dead.
The thought made her shake her head quickly. When she stopped, Gu Chuan opened his eyes. His face was calm but showed disappointment.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Nothing. I was testing something," Gu Chuan replied.
Since he didn't want to explain, she didn't press further.
Time passed. Another five days went by.
Both of them looked lifeless, completely bored.
At last, Gu Xue spoke.
"Can you tell me more about your life and planet?"
Gu Chuan was surprised. He hadn't expected her to ask that. But since there was nothing else to do, he started talking about his life and Earth.
Five more days passed as they shared stories.
Gu Chuan's stories were detailed, while Gu Xue's were short and incomplete.
Their bond grew stronger—they now knew almost everything about each other.
Four more days went by. They were close to their destination.
"So, what will we do first?" Gu Xue asked.
"Since the system has multiple civilizations, there must be a common currency. Our goal is to earn enough to get a place to stay," Gu Chuan said.
They discussed their plan for the rest of the day.
Finally, after twenty days of travel, they reached the star system.
They had arrived at their destination.