The star-like energy entering his body, as Old Yang described, was precisely what Chu Tian had observed within himself.
Dots of white light appeared on his fascia and muscles. When he moved, Chu Tian realized each light point acted as an independent control point, organizing all the muscles and fascia in his body. It was as if all his strength was being linked together. With a single move, he could activate his entire body. When one light point exerted force, all others would flash simultaneously, transmitting power. The sequence of flashing varied.
This novel sensation felt rather fun to Chu Tian. He abruptly increased his pace, accelerating. The three people in the tent were jolted by his sudden burst of speed and nearly fell. Chu Tian, like a maddened bull, pulled the rope and ran faster and faster. The tent on the metal plate swayed as if they were on a roller coaster.
"Damn it... this little brat!" Old Yang, swaying precariously, managed to unzip the tent. He scrambled out and, with a few leaps, reached Chu Tian's side. He saw Chu Tian running with his eyes closed. Old Yang thought to himself, "Is he asleep?"
Little did he know, Chu Tian was fully immersed in his internal world, thoroughly enjoying himself. He watched the silver light dots flashing within his body, dancing like starlight. Suddenly, his neck ached, the starlight vanished, and he plunged into darkness. His last thought was: "Damn it... who hit me?"
After an unknown amount of time, Chu Tian slowly opened his eyes. Countless stars twinkled above, and a hint of confusion flashed in his gaze. The pain in his neck quickly brought him back to his senses.
"Old Yang... you bastard!" Chu Tian sprang up. Not far away, the tent stood. Old Yang, Nie Yun, and Dian Dian were sitting together, chatting. Dian Dian's bell-like laughter drifted over. Hearing Chu Tian's exclamation, they all looked his way.
"Uncle Chu Tian, come quickly..." Dian Dian waved at him.
Seeing this, Chu Tian couldn't stay angry. However, he felt quite gloomy. The first time Dian Dian saw him, she called him "big brother." Now, his seniority had suddenly jumped, and he was an "uncle." Chu Tian shot a fierce glare at Old Yang, then turned his attention to Nie Yun. The moment their eyes met, she quickly looked away.
"What are you looking at? Get us something to eat!" Old Yang said commanding.
"Isn't there some behind us?" Chu Tian pointed to the scorpion.
"It's been in the sun all day, it's practically rotten. Let's have something different," Old Yang replied.
Chu Tian gave him a look, wanting to retort. But seeing Dian Dian's eager eyes, his heart softened. At the same time, his own stomach rumbled. He scanned his spiritual space and his eyes lit up. However, he first checked the power level of the solar charger. It was still more than half full.
So, he brought out an induction cooker and placed a divided hot pot on it. He poured in purified water and hot pot base, creating a yin-yang pattern of red and white before their eyes. Pre-washed vegetables, frozen lamb slices, beef rolls, pork rolls, and various dipping sauces... all food items that Old Yang and the others had never seen.
"Chu Tian, is there so much delicious food outside the Sea of Death?"
"And... are these things all from outside the Sea of Death?" Old Yang gazed at the items Chu Tian was preparing. Nie Yun and Dian Dian were also very interested in this topic.
Chu Tian thought for a moment and then asked, "How much do you know about this world?"
They all wondered why Chu Tian asked this. Chu Tian, on the other hand, was thinking that he couldn't just make things up. These were high-tech products from Blue Star. If he told them everything outside the Sea of Death was like this, and they eventually ventured out to find nothing of the sort, wouldn't he be thoroughly embarrassed? Although he might be gone by then, the thought of someone, billions of light-years away, constantly calling him a "liar" sent shivers down his spine.
"Outside..." Old Yang looked up at the sky with longing. He spoke slowly, "That's all... legend!"
"My father told me that our Yang family, from my distant ancestor in the Tai Zu era... he was exiled here..." As he spoke, Chu Tian counted on his fingers. Did this mean Old Yang was the ninth generation born in the Sea of Death? He could indeed be considered a native. In his words, the land beneath their feet was called Xuan Tian Continent, and this planet was named Xuan Tian Star.
Xuan Tian Continent was inhabited by a multitude of species. Humans were the weakest among them, yet they once had a glorious past. Legend had it that countless ages ago, humans were the masters of this star. However, for some unknown reason, they gradually declined, becoming an existence hated by all races.
No one knew when this place called the Sea of Death appeared. Every human exiled here, or those who wandered in, could never leave. The edge of the Sea of Death had a powerful barrier. Humans could not get out, and alien races could not get in.
"Are you saying that the barrier prevents humans from leaving but allows alien races to enter and exit?" Chu Tian suddenly interrupted Old Yang.
"Yes!" Old Yang replied. Seeing Chu Tian frown in thought, he asked, "Why?"
Chu Tian picked up a piece of meat, took a sip of iced beer, and tilting his head, said slowly, "If what you say is true... is this place you call exile truly just a place of exile?"
"Have you ever considered that this Sea of Death, this barrier, might be a form of protection for humankind?"
As soon as Chu Tian finished speaking, the meat Old Yang had brought to his mouth suddenly stopped. Then... *plop*... it fell to the ground. He stared at Chu Tian, carefully pondering his words. Even Nie Yun did the same. Only Dian Dian continued eating the vegetables from the clear broth. This was the first time in her life she had seen green food. Not just her, but even Old Yang.
Nie Yun, as the eldest daughter of the Nie family in her childhood, had occasionally eaten what was called "vegetables." Those were luxuries. Even the city lord of Qingshui City, a local potentate, did not have the privilege of eating vegetables every day. Furthermore, when vegetables were served, there were only a few pale green leaves on the plate. When Chu Tian produced a whole basket earlier, it had truly astonished them.
Now, Chu Tian's earth-shattering conjecture further subverted their understanding. If this were the case, the outside world they yearned for would, in fact, be a place of certain death.
"Are you saying that a powerful being created this barrier in the Sea of Death, drawing a boundary, to protect the continuation of the human bloodline?" Old Yang asked incredulously after his shock, a wry smile on his face.
Chu Tian nodded noncommittally. Seeing this, Old Yang laughed and said, "You really have a wild imagination. If that powerful being wanted to protect humanity, why wouldn't they choose a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters? Why pick such a desolate wasteland?"
Nie Yun agreed with his words. Chu Tian, however, shrugged, indicating he didn't know. In his heart, he thought: perhaps this desert held some secret treasure. This great being, while protecting humanity, had also left them an opportunity for a desperate counterattack. It was just that after countless years, no one had discovered it.
Thinking of this, he wondered if his arrival here was also guided by fate. Perhaps that secret treasure, or secret, or divine artifact, was meant for him? The thought excited him.
"Heh heh..." He even let out a laugh.
Nie Yun and Old Yang, who had been silently contemplating, were startled by his sudden laugh and stared at him strangely.
"Uh... eat, eat, eat..."
"Right... Dian Dian, have this!" Chu Tian waved his hand, and a bottle of freshly squeezed peach juice appeared on the table.
"Uncle Chu Tian, what is this?" Dian Dian leaned over the glass cup, peering inside. Her big eyes blinked as she looked up at Chu Tian.
"This is called juice. It's peach-flavored... Sister Yun, you should have some too." He poured a cup for her.
"Mmm..." Nie Yun lowered her head, looking at the cup Chu Tian was holding out. She looked up at him, hesitated, then took it. Quickly lowering her head, she responded softly. Holding it in her hands, she took a small sip, and her face turned bright red.
Chu Tian thought: What's wrong with this? Confused, he sat back down, preparing to pour himself a glass of iced beer to calm down, only to realize his cup was gone. Then he remembered. The cup in Nie Yun's hand was the one he had used earlier! He had casually picked it up and poured juice for her. No wonder she was acting that way. Chu Tian almost slapped himself. He lamented inwardly: Heaven be my witness, I really didn't do it on purpose!