Chapter 698 692: Returning to the West Desert

After Shen Jin left, the small courtyard fell quiet again. Xu Wuyi remained sitting under the old locust tree, watching the mottled wooden door slowly close behind Shen Jin. He listened to the footsteps trailing down the alley, fading into the distance until they completely disappeared into the city's hustle and bustle. He held that posture, motionless, sitting for a long time.

Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The light swayed gently with the breeze, looking like a fluid painting. Xu Wuyi's gaze fell on that picture, but his mind was completely focused on something else.

The Star Realm Battlefield, the conscription, the strongholds, the thousands of civilizations, the Azure Star Realm, the True Dragon Star Realm, and the possible unknown entity that far exceeded the Grandmaster Realm... There was too much information, and it was too heavy—so heavy that even he needed time to digest it.

Originally, after advancing to a Grandmaster, he did feel a brief sense of relief. That feeling wasn't pride or complacency, but rather a sense of having a heavy burden lifted from his shoulders. Having walked such a long path, experienced so many battles and hardships, he had finally reached this stage where he could take a breather. But now, that sense of relief had completely vanished, replaced by a much deeper sense of urgency.

Shen Jin was right. Becoming a Grandmaster wasn't the end, nor even a halfway rest stop, but a new starting point. At this starting point, what he needed to face was no longer the struggles between Innate Martial Artists, nor the complicated cases of the Inspection Department, nor the overt and covert struggles within the Federation. What he had to face was the entire Second Star Realm Battlefield, thousands of civilizations, opponents far stronger than the Star Yuan Federation, and the conscription that would descend every few years.

A twenty-three-year-old Grandmaster was indeed unprecedented in the history of the Federation. But what about in the entire Second Star Realm Battlefield? In those stronger civilizations, could there also be geniuses like him? Perhaps even younger and more outstanding than himself? Xu Wuyi didn't know the answer, but he knew this possibility existed.

So he couldn't stop, and he didn't dare to stop. But he also understood that cultivation wasn't an overnight endeavor. The first two stages of the Grandmaster Realm, the Dharma Form and the Domain, essentially improved the strength of the Heart Image while increasing one's control over Heaven and Earth Energy. This process required time, accumulation, and steady progress; it couldn't be rushed.

The next Star Realm conscription was at least three to five years away. This period was enough for him to do many things. Shen Jin had purposely come to give him pressure, hoping he wouldn't become complacent and slack off due to his current achievements, but he also wouldn't want him to rush for quick results.

He took a deep breath, stood up from the stone stool, and stretched his somewhat stiff body. "Time to go back."

After advancing to Grandmaster, he originally planned to leave Xingjing. He only stayed a few extra days to wait for Shen Jin's return.

Early morning at Xingjing Spaceport.

When Xu Wuyi walked into the departure hall, he found the situation was slightly different from what he expected. People were coming and going in the hall, no different from usual. But when his gaze swept over the faces of those people, he could feel that the moment some of them saw him, their expressions changed slightly. That change was very subtle. If it weren't for his Grandmaster Level perception, it would be impossible to notice. Xu Wuyi didn't mind and continued walking toward the boarding gate.

After taking just a few steps, a middle-aged man in a spaceport uniform quickly came up to greet him. He stopped in front of him and bowed slightly with an extremely respectful attitude. "Grandmaster Xu, will you be taking a flight?"

Xu Wuyi nodded.

The middle-aged man said, "Grandmaster Xu, according to Federation regulations, as a Grandmaster, you are entitled to exclusive channel services. Please follow me; I'll make the arrangements for you."

Xu Wuyi thought about it and didn't refuse.

The middle-aged man led him through the crowd and into a corridor closed to the public. At the end of the corridor was an elegantly decorated lounge, already prepared with tea, snacks, and various reading materials.

"Grandmaster Xu, please wait here for a moment. We will notify you before your flight departs," the middle-aged man said. "In addition, we'll handle your luggage for you, so you don't need to worry about a thing."

Xu Wuyi nodded and sat down on the sofa.

The middle-aged man bowed respectfully again, then retreated and gently closed the door. The lounge was very quiet, with only the faint hum of the air conditioner running. Xu Wuyi leaned back against the sofa, picked up the teacup, and took a sip. It was premium Longjing tea, at exactly the right temperature.

This was the treatment of a Grandmaster. There was no need to ask, no need to apply, and not even a need to show any proof. As long as your identity was confirmed, everything would automatically be brought right to you.

He sat for a while before his personal terminal vibrated slightly. It was Anna's voice.

"Grandmaster Xu Wuyi, the flight you are taking will depart in forty minutes. The spaceport has already arranged an exclusive channel for you. You can wait in the lounge, and someone will come to notify you before departure."

"Alright, thank you."

Forty minutes later, the flight departed on schedule.

Xu Wuyi sat in a window seat in first class, looking out through the porthole at Xingjing below, which was growing smaller and smaller until it disappeared beneath the clouds. The flight time wasn't long; it would take just over an hour to reach Yuntai City. He planned to head back to Star Martial University first.

He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest, but his mind was occupied with his upcoming plans. Returning to Star Martial this time was mainly to see Teacher Han Mo—both to ask for advice and to share his joy. After that, he intended to take another trip to the West Desert. He had previously contacted Senior Flame Venerable, but had put the matter on hold due to his advancement to Grandmaster.