Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 380: Song of the Dark Night

The night was deep, like ink splashing across the sky, shrouding everything in silence. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li followed the mysterious man through the dense jungle, with fallen leaves rustling under their feet, as if telling an ancient secret.

"What exactly is the secret you are talking about?" Gao Xingchen broke the silence, with a hint of anxiety in his tone.

The mysterious man stopped and turned to look at them, his eyes deep and mysterious, "The road to the fountain of eternal life is full of thorns and tests. If you are not careful, you will be doomed."

"We are ready," Nan Li stepped forward and said firmly, "As long as we can stop him, we will do it no matter what the cost."

The mysterious man looked at them for a long time before he slowly spoke, "Okay, since you have made up your mind, I will take you there. However, I want to remind you that once you embark on this road, there will be no turning back."

The three of them continued to move forward. After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally arrived at a valley. The valley was filled with clouds and mist, like a fairyland, but with an eerie silence. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li both felt uneasy.

"This is the entrance to the Fountain of Eternal Life," the mysterious man pointed to the bottom of the valley, "If you want to enter, you must break the seal first."

"What seal?" Gao Xingchen asked.

"Guardian," the mysterious man said solemnly, "Only by defeating the guardian can the seal be opened."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at each other and saw the determination in each other's eyes. They had no way out. For the safety of the Nine Star Realm, they had to do their best!

However, in the following days, they were attacked by the guardians one after another, and each time they failed. They had more and more wounds on their bodies, and their physical strength was gradually overdrawn.

On a moonlit night, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li dragged their exhausted bodies to a stream. They sat on a rock, letting the cold water wash their wounds, their hearts filled with bitterness and confusion.

"Can we really succeed?" Nan Li looked at the valley in the distance, with a hint of fatigue and doubt in his tone.

Gao Xingchen didn't say anything, he clenched his fists, his eyes full of unwillingness. He knew Nan Li was right, their strength was not enough to fight against the guardian, let alone the final enemy.

"Xingchen," Nan Li turned to look at him with a hint of worry in her eyes, "Perhaps, we should try another approach. Our current strength is not enough to fight against them. It is better to be patient and find other ways to improve our strength. We can make plans when the time is right."

Gao Xingchen looked at Nan Li, her face was full of fatigue, but her eyes still shone with determination. He knew that Nan Li said this not because of fear, but for him, for their common goal.

Gao Xingchen was silent, thinking about Nan Li's suggestion. He knew that if he continued like this, his sacrifice would be in vain, but he was unwilling to give up.

As the night deepened, the valley was filled with roars of beasts, like a merciless mockery of them. Gao Xingchen looked at everything in front of him, his heart filled with confusion and helplessness. He didn't know how far they could go on this road...

Gao Xingchen was struggling internally, as if there were two forces pulling him. On the one hand, he was unwilling to give up, he wanted to become stronger, wanted to protect the Nine Star Realm, wanted to fulfill his promise to Nan Li; on the other hand, he had to admit that their current strength was too weak, and continuing to fight head-on would only be futile, or even send them to their deaths.

Nan Li sat quietly beside him without saying anything, but she could feel the torment in Gao Xingchen's heart. She gently held his hand, passing her warmth to him, silently telling him that no matter what decision he made, she would be by his side.

Finally, Gao Xingchen sighed deeply, and the sharpness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a deep helplessness. "Maybe, you are right..." He whispered, his voice full of bitterness.

Nan Li held his hand with her backhand, interlocked her fingers, and squeezed it hard to give him strength. "We still have time," she said softly, "We can take it slow. One day, we will become strong enough, strong enough to defeat all enemies!"

Just when they decided to take a temporary break and look for another way out, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly came from a distance, breaking the tranquility of the valley.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li immediately became alert. They quickly stood up, back to back, and looked vigilantly in the direction where the sound came from.

"Who?!" Gao Xingchen shouted harshly.

"Xingchen, is that you? I am Gao Yuntian!" An old but powerful voice came from the dense forest, and then two figures pushed aside the branches and appeared in front of Gao Xingchen and Nanli.

The people who came were Gao family head Gao Yuntian and Elder Zhao. They looked exhausted, with a hint of anxiety and worry on their faces.

"Clan leader? Elder Zhao? Why are you here?" Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were both very surprised.

"We have been looking for you for a long time," Gao Yuntian said, his eyes fell on Gao Xingchen, with a trace of heartache and relief, "Child, you have suffered."

"Chief, how do you know we are here?" Gao Xingchen asked, his heart full of doubts.

"That mysterious man told us," Elder Zhao explained, "He said you were in trouble and needed our help."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at each other, both of them were confused. Why did that mysterious man help them? What was his identity?

"Child," Gao Yuntian looked at Gao Xingchen and said in a heavy tone, "I know what you are doing and the difficulties you are facing. The family will always be your strongest backing. No matter what happens, don't forget that you are not fighting alone!"

Elder Zhao also stepped forward, patted Gao Xingchen on the shoulder, and said earnestly: "Xingchen, you are the guardian of the Heart of Stars and the hope of the Nine Stars Realm. Don't give up easily. The family needs you, and the entire realm needs you!"

Gao Xingchen looked at the two elders in front of him, listening to their words of hope and encouragement, with mixed feelings in his heart. He wanted to tell them that he had tried his best, but he didn't want to disappoint their expectations.

Gao Xingchen and Nanli looked at each other. The words of the two elders were like a warm current that melted some of the ice in their hearts. Nanli felt Gao Xingchen holding her hand slightly harder, and she knew in her heart that the passion in his heart had not been completely extinguished.

"Clan leader, Elder Zhao, thank you," Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and tried to suppress the surging emotions in his heart, "We just... need a little time."

Gao Yuntian patted his shoulder in understanding, "Kid, we understand. You should take a good rest first and adjust your condition. We can talk about other things after you have rested well."

Elder Zhao also echoed, "Yes, more haste makes waste. In the path of cultivation, the most taboo is to be eager for quick success."

Therefore, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li moved into a secluded cave under the arrangement of the head of the Gao family. The cave was full of spiritual energy and had a quiet environment, making it an excellent place for cultivation.

In the next few days, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li temporarily put down the burden in their hearts and devoted themselves to cultivation. They tried to learn some ancient cultivation methods, hoping to find an opportunity to break through the bottleneck.

Gao Xingchen practiced the "Star Art" passed down from generation to generation in the Gao family. This technique is profound and extensive. When practiced to the extreme, one can control the power of the stars and possess the power to destroy the world. However, Gao Xingchen has been practicing for many years, but he still can't find the right method. He always lingers before the bottleneck and can't break through.

Nanli is practicing the "Illusion Divine Art" from a mysterious sect. This technique is known for its strangeness and unpredictability. When practiced to the extreme, it can transform into thousands of figures and kill people invisibly. Nanli has a very high talent and an amazing speed of practice, but since she was seriously injured in the last fight with the evil organization, her practice has also encountered a bottleneck and progress has been slow.

The two of them practiced hard day and night, but they still couldn't get the point, which made them feel heavy. Could it be that they really had to stop here? Could it be that they really couldn't defeat fate and protect the Nine Star Realm?

Just when they were about to give up, an unexpected discovery gave them new hope. One day, while Gao Xingchen was reading the Gao family's classics, he accidentally found a torn parchment scroll. The parchment scroll recorded an ancient secret technique - "Xingchen Body Refining Technique".

"Star Body Refining Art" is an extremely domineering body refining technique. When practiced to perfection, one can cultivate the body into an indestructible star body with infinite power. However, the conditions for practicing this secret technique are extremely harsh, and it requires the absorption of a large amount of star power. If one is not careful, one will go crazy and explode and die.

Gao Xingchen looked at the parchment scroll in his hand, his eyes flashing with complex light. This secret technique might be the key to their breakthrough, but it could also be the abyss that leads them to destruction...

Outside the cave, the night wind howled, like the low roar of a wild beast, forming a sharp contrast with the quiet atmosphere inside the cave. Gao Xingchen sat cross-legged, holding the torn parchment scroll tightly in his hand, his brows furrowed.

"Star Body Refining Technique..." He murmured in a low voice, with a gleam of struggle in his eyes. The temptation of this secret technique was unquestionable, but the risks also made him hesitate.

Nan Li, who was standing by, also sensed his hesitation and uneasiness. She put down the "Illusion Divine Art" she was practicing, walked over to him, and whispered, "What's wrong?"

Gao Xingchen raised his head, handed her the parchment scroll, and said with a wry smile: "I wonder if we have chosen the wrong path?"

Nan Li took the parchment scroll and read the contents carefully, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. She naturally understood what this secret technique meant, and also understood Gao Xingchen's worries.

"This secret technique is indeed very dangerous. If we are not careful, we may go astray." Nan Li pondered for a moment and said slowly, "But if we can overcome these difficulties, we may be able to break through the current bottleneck, or even..."

She didn't continue, but Gao Xingchen understood what she meant. If they could practice successfully, they would have a stronger power to fight against the evil organization and protect the peace of the Nine Star Realm.

"But..." Gao Xingchen hesitated to speak. He was afraid of failure, and even more afraid of implicating Nan Li because of his choice.

"No buts." Nan Li interrupted him, her tone firm, "We have no way out. Instead of sitting here and waiting to die, we might as well give it a try!"

Her eyes were full of determination, like two flames in the darkness, illuminating the confusion in Gao Xingchen's heart.

"You're right!" Gao Xingchen took a deep breath, his eyes gradually becoming firmer, "We can't give up just like that!"

He stood up, walked out of the cave, looked up at the twinkling stars in the night sky, his heart filled with lofty ambitions.

"Power of the stars, here I come!"

However, the process of practicing the "Star Body Refining Technique" is much more difficult than they imagined. This secret technique requires the absorption of a large amount of star power, and the star power is extremely violent, and the slightest carelessness will cause damage to the meridians.

Although Gao Xingchen had made sufficient preparations, he was still hit by the violent energy and vomited blood and flew backwards when he tried to absorb the power of the stars for the first time.

"Xingchen!" Nan Li exclaimed and hurried forward to support him.

Gao Xingchen's face was pale, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, but there was no fear in his eyes. Instead, he was burning with an even stronger fighting spirit.

"I'm fine." He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and struggled to stand up, "Come again!"

Failure after failure, injury after injury, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li's cultivation path was full of thorns and ups and downs. Their bodies and minds were under tremendous pressure, and their hearts were gradually shrouded in despair.

Just when they were about to give up, a mysterious man suddenly appeared in front of them and brought a shocking news...