Fan Shan was deeply intrigued by the Milky Way and ended up chatting with Ye Guan late into the night. She had a myriad of questions.

"Why do people in the Milky Way live such stressful lives?"

"Why do they spend their whole lives paying off debts?"

"

Ah,

wait... am I not supposed to bring that up?"

And so, the two of them talked for a long time. It wasn't until late at night that Fan Shan reluctantly returned to her room to rest. She couldn't stay up any longer, after all.

After returning to his room, Ye Guan shook his head with a wry smile, feeling a bit worn out. He hadn't expected Fan Shan to have such a keen interest in the Milky Way. But then again, it made sense, as compared to the world of cultivators, the quirky aspects of the Milky Way were naturally fascinating.

Likewise, people in the Milky Way were curious about the world of cultivators.

It was a case of "You envy me, and I envy you."

Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Ye Guan sat cross-legged on his bed. He took out a Creation Spiritual Crystal and circulated the Universe Beholdment Skill.

The Creation Spiritual Crystal in Ye Guan's hand trembled slightly before releasing streams of spiritual energy that melted into his body.

Ye Guan took a deep breath and began guiding the spiritual energy throughout his limbs and bones.

At first, he was a bit apprehensive. After all, his cultivation base was sealed, but to his relief, the seal didn't obstruct the spiritual energy within him. The discovery allowed him to relax.

It seems that Fan Zhaodi's seal was only suppressing his previous cultivation base. However, Ye Guan had no idea why she hadn't crippled him.

Could it be that my savior has decided to leave a way out for me?

Not dwelling on it any further, Ye Guan focused on cultivating.

With access to spiritual energy and the support of his Universe Beholdment Skill, Ye Guan's cultivation speed was incredible. Given his current strength, as long as he had spiritual energy, he would be a terrifying combatant.

Although he was defeated in that battle, the experience had brought him significant growth both mentally and in his combat prowess. Still, he remained cautious. After all, he was in a Tier Nine Civilization.

Having received a second chance at life, he knew better than to act recklessly.

Clearing his mind, Ye Guan concentrated on absorbing the spiritual energy.

***

Meanwhile, Tian Chen and Ah Weng were still examining the broken sword and pagoda.

After parting ways with Ye Guan, they returned to their official residence, where Tian Chen instructed Ah Weng to bring out all the Creation Spiritual Crystals they had on hand.

Tian Chen then fed the crystals to the pagoda and the broken sword. However, the two artifacts remained completely unresponsive despite consuming so many Creation Spiritual Crystals.

The two were rendered speechless.

Sitting at the table, Tian Chen stared at the sword and the pagoda with a frown. "I refuse to believe this."

Ah Weng commented, "Your Highness, these two things are a bit strange."

Tian Chen turned to Ah Weng.

"Even with the spiritual energy in our bodies and nearly ten thousand Creation Spiritual Crystals, we still haven't been able to awaken the spirits of these divine artifacts.

"That's completely normal, all right…" Ah Weng remarked.

Tian Chen narrowed his eyes. "Are you suggesting that these two divine artifacts might have already regained their consciousness and are simply demanding more spiritual energy?"

Ah Weng nodded slightly.

Tian Chen glanced at the sword and the pagoda before shaking his head. "That's unlikely. These divine artifacts won't stoop to such low-class behavior. You're overthinking it."

Ah Weng smiled wryly and said nothing more.

Truthfully, he also found the idea hard to believe. These two items were likely legendary Creation Divine Grade artifacts. For divine treasures of this caliber, such low-class behavior was inconceivable.

Completely impossible, in fact!

After scrutinizing the two artifacts for a moment, Tian Chen remarked, "We'll need to get more Creation Spiritual Crystals."

Ah Weng sighed. "Your Highness, we've already used up all the crystals we brought with us."

Tian Chen looked at him, and Ah Weng hesitated before replying, "We still have a little over a hundred left, but we'll need them as a precaution for tomorrow's patrol of the Desolate Border Wall. We can't afford to be broke for tomorrow."

Tian Chen nodded. "Alright. We'll leave these two artifacts for now. Once our mission is complete, we'll figure something out."

Ah Weng agreed. "Understood."

***

The next morning, Ye Guan woke up early and headed downstairs.

Not far away, he spotted a tree branch.

He flicked his wrist and…

Swoosh!

The branch shot through the air like a lightning bolt and pierced an ancient-looking tree ten meters away.

Seeing this, a faint smile appeared on Ye Guan's face.

At long last, he had regained some combat power.

Just then, he turned his head to see Fan Shan's grandfather stepping out of his room. The old man was dressed in a thick robe, with a sickle strapped to his waist.

Fan Shan emerged from her room as well. She wore a simple purple cotton robe on top and fitted black pants on the bottom, which didn't make her look bulky at all. Her long hair was tied into a single braid, giving her an adorable appearance. A sickle was also hanging from her waist.

Waving at Ye Guan, Fan Shan smiled. "Ye Guan!"

Ye Guan smiled back. "Morning."

The old man said, "Let's go!"

The three of them set off toward the Desolate Border Wall.

During their journey, Ye Guan learned from the old man that the Desolate Border Wall had existed since ancient times, with a history spanning billions of years.

Billions of years!

Ye Guan chuckled to himself. In the Milky Way, such a timeframe was unfathomable. After all, human civilization only spanned four or five thousand years.

In other universe regions, however, billions of years weren't that long. Cultivators lived far longer lives, with some top-tier experts capable of living for billions of years.

However, the old man didn't know much about the purpose of the Desolate Border Wall, saying that it likely served as a defense against something on the other side.

Before long, the three of them entered the Death Desert. To reach the Desolate Border Wall, they first had to cross this treacherous desert.

Once inside the desert, the old man's expression turned wary. His left hand rested on the hilt of the sickle at his waist as the group quickened their pace.

Fan Shan glanced around and said, "Let me tell you, this place has giant sandworms that can swallow a human whole. Stay close to me and Grandfather, got it?"

Ye Guan gave her a curious look. "Aren't you afraid?"

Fan Shan earnestly replied, "My Grandfather's super powerful! Even if a hundred sandworms showed up, he could slice them all in half with a single stroke. He's called the Blade God—one slash from him can split the heavens."

Ye Guan burst out into a peal of laughter.

The old man glanced at Fan Shan and shook his head with a smile.

The journey went smoothly, with no sign of the fabled sandworms.

Once they crossed the desert, they found themselves in a vast grassland.

The sight before them left them awestruck.

At the edge of their vision stood a towering wall, thousands of meters high, stretching as far as the eye could see and seemingly merging with the mountains.

It looked like a heavenly barrier blocking their path, imposing and magnificent.

Ye Guan was astonished. "Is that the Desolate Border Wall?"

The old man nodded. "Yes."

Ye Guan murmured, "How incredible…"

Fan Shan suddenly asked, "Grandfather, I heard there are ferocious Heavenly Beasts on the other side of the wall. Is that true?"

The old man glanced at her and smiled. "Who knows? I've never been up there."

"Can we go up and take a look?" Fan Shan grinned.

The old man shook his head. "Let's not."

With that, he started walking toward the side.

Ye Guan and Fan Shan followed closely behind him.

Their mission today was to gather a special fruit called Spirit Fruit. Renowned for its exquisite taste, it was highly sought after in the nearby town and was the main source of income for Fan Shan and her grandfather.

One trip could sustain them for over a month.

However, due to the dangers within the Death Desert, most townspeople avoided making the trip.

Fan Shan suddenly asked, "Grandfather, we just came here a few days ago. Why are we back so soon? The money we made last time can last us a while."

The old man replied, "We've got an extra mouth to feed."

Ye Guan immediately felt a bit awkward.

Fan Shan giggled. "Ye Guan eats a lot. Most families can't afford to feed him."

Soon, they entered a dense forest. Looking up, Ye Guan spotted several towering trees with dozens of Spirit Fruits hanging from their branches.

The old man took out a rope and walked to one of the trees. He looped the rope around the tree, then used his legs to push against the trunk before slowly climbing upward with the rope's support.

Fan Shan cupped his hands around her mouth and shouted, "Grandfather, be careful!"

The old man was very skilled. In no time, he climbed thirty meters high, reaching the middle of the tree.

Ye Guan turned his head to look at the Desolate Border Wall nearby. He couldn't help but marvel at its grandeur. He was a little curious.

What could be on the other side of that wall?

Just then, the old man in the tree suddenly called out, "Catch this!"

Before his voice had even faded, a Spirit Fruit fell from the tree.

Fan Shan quickly took out a net and ran over, skilfully catching the fruit without any trouble.

Before long, all the Spirit Fruits on the tree were plucked. The old man then moved on to the next tree.

***

Meanwhile, on the other side, Tian Chen and Ah Weng had reached the Desolate Border Wall. The two looked up at the other side of the wall. Beyond it lay a barren wasteland that stretched endlessly into the horizon.

Ah Weng said, "The earlier intelligence reported some movement in this desolate land, but I don't see any movement at all."

Tian Chen suddenly said, "Should we go over and take a look?"

Ah Weng's face changed instantly. "Absolutely not, Your Highness! Beyond the wall is an extremely perilous land. Your Highness carries a body worth its weight in gold, so you must not take such risks…"

"I was just joking. Haha," Tian Chen said with a chuckle. Then, he looked toward the horizon, and his smile faded away.

"What is that?" he muttered.

Ah Weng turned and saw a spear streaking through the air.

In the blink of an eye, the spear reached the wall.

Boom!

A deafening explosion echoed throughout the borderland. The ground quaked, and the earth cracked open. Countless mountains collapsed at once.