"So, elder..."
"Speak."
"When you obtain the Star Map, can you make a copy for me?"
"Make a copy for you?"
Li Er’s expression turned strange upon hearing this, and his glance at Chen Zhixing became odd.
"Um, is there a problem?" Chen Zhixing faintly sensed something was off but couldn’t pinpoint it immediately.
"What do you think the Star Map is? A map?"
"Isn’t it?"
"..." Li Er wanted to laugh, thought about it, and decided there was no need to hold back, so he laughed outright.
Leaving Chen Zhixing utterly confused.
Once Li Er finally finished laughing, he took a breath and explained with a chuckle, "The Star Map is not a map; it’s a super artifact spirit capable of calculating cosmic routes. Even in the Three Great Sacred Lands, there are only a few of them. I, Li Er, no matter how generous, cannot simply give this to someone else."
Chen Zhixing: "..."
Covering his face with one hand, Chen Zhixing felt that he had embarrassed himself greatly this time.
Yeah, he had already guessed that the planets in the Star Sea were not fixed, so why would he think the Star Map could be something drawn?
The real Star Map, capable of navigating the Star Sea, must be superintelligence or another secret of the Cultivation Realm. It could never be a so-called map.
"I definitely can’t give you the Star Map, but if you insist on leaving without it, you might as well travel with me."
Li Er said calmly, intending to offer Chen Zhixing some guidance.
His goal was pure: to reach the celestial realm recorded by the predecessors in the Star Realm History Book, where immortals dwell. As a representative of a world, Li Er believed there was a good chance of achieving immortality, so naturally, his goal was to pursue immortality. For Chen Zhixing, Li Er thought his goal should also be that celestial realm, so he didn’t mind having a companion along the way.
However, what Li Er didn’t anticipate was that Chen Zhixing actually declined.
"Um... Traveling together is not necessary. Frankly, elder, I don’t plan to leave the Celestial Profound Realm too far in the coming years. When Ziwei Mountain appears eighty years later, I will return to Celestial Profound."
"Hmm." Li Er nodded upon hearing this, then frowned: "That’s right, your parents are still around, and you have a wife and children at home. Truly, you can’t just leave... So what will you do in the future? When I leave, there will be one less Star Map in the Celestial Profound Realm. Obtaining one will be as difficult as reaching the heavens. Those old antiques won’t give you the Star Map. Without the Star Map to guide you, leaving this Star Domain will be challenging."
"I don’t know either, but when the time comes, there will be a way." Chen Zhixing shook his head with a bitter smile.
Actually, he had some calculations regarding the Star Map.
Though Li Er said that Star Maps in the Celestial Profound Realm are few and all in his possession, Chen Zhixing knew there were two places where Star Maps definitely existed.
The willow tree in Stone Village, and the Northern Domain Stone Race!
The former was once a major player, traversing the universe alone to reach the Celestial Profound Realm, while the latter, even in decline, still positioned the Celestial Profound from the Cosmic Realm and moved their entire clan there.
Unsurprisingly, the aforementioned two should both have Star Maps.
Chen Zhixing couldn’t figure out Divine Liu’s situation, which might be tricky, but the Stone Race... His own disciple was a direct member of the Stone Race. Eighty years later, given Shi Hao’s talent, even if it’s mediocre, he should have cultivated to the Longevity Realm. Then, having him fetch the Star Map from the clan shouldn’t require much effort.
As for Shi Hao being harmed as a child, going back for the Star Map might be stopped... This possibility essentially doesn’t exist.
The family foundation lies in aligning with the strongest member of the clan, supporting the strongest branch, letting it absorb the most nutrients, and once it grows, nurturing others in return.
Under such unspoken rules, as long as Shi Hao is in the Longevity Realm, regardless of what the clan did to Shi Hao before or what Shi Hao did to the clan, if he expresses willingness to accept the clan, the Northern Domain Stone Race will decisively align.
This is the survival tactic of a clan!
As for face... Only those at the bottom care about such things. People born into clans know they need to stick together for warmth, and only those occupying higher positions receive respect from others, never because of concerns about face.
"I see." Li Er nodded, then looked at Chen Zhixing and smiled, "Seems you already have a plan, so it looks like I won’t have to intervene."
"Elder jokes, I only hope that after elder acquires the Star Map, I can borrow a glance to learn a bit, lest I’m fooled in the future." Chen Zhixing cupped his hands to Li Er.
Li Er nodded: "Sure."
...
The importance of the Star Map speaks for itself.
Equally important is a warship capable of long voyages in the Star Sea.
After parting with Huayu Immortal Venerable, Chen Zhixing began pondering on such an Immortal Ship capable of long travel in the Star Sea.
Then, he gave up.
"The Jade Wave Shuttle Immortal Ship, supported by the Immortal Ascension Sect, took Li Er three hundred years to construct, and then it had to be nurtured in Bai Yu’s possession for nearly five hundred years to reach its current barely travel-worthy state. If you asked me to forge one from scratch, it wouldn’t be built in mere decades or centuries."