The mountaintop was a tapestry of light and shadow, with fiery red maple trees nearby casting large shadows from the distant woods. Occasionally, night birds startled into flight, calling out into the night.

That evening, many people were drunk, pouring out their heartfelt words. Some spoke passionately about seizing the opportunities of this great era to become extraordinary beings, even expressing ambitions toward divinity.

"Light the divine fire and step onto the high platform…" Even a usually reserved girl had shed her modesty.

Another boy shouted, "What are the immortals? I believe they are extraordinary beings. The myths of the past might not be entirely false; bodhisattvas, the Three Pure Ones, immortals, and monsters could appear again. Of course, I mean beings of that caliber, not that the bodhisattvas and immortals of the old era are still alive. After all, time is relentless, and what should be erased has been. The Three Pure Ones and immortals were just flesh-and-blood people when they lived; they were strong, but the relics and literature unearthed show they were not as powerful as we imagine. Numerous life research institutes have analyzed their remains, finding that even the strongest among those extraordinary beings couldn't withstand modern technological weapons—one nuclear bomb, and they'd be obliterated."

The speaker was a boy from New Star, clearly intoxicated, sharing information that the Old Soil students had never heard before.

"New Star's financial group has excavated some remarkable artifacts in Old Soil, and they've even found Buddhist relics?!"

He continued, "It's not surprising; for instance, in certain religions, there are underground chambers beneath pagodas that contain stone, iron, jade, and gold coffins holding Buddhist bones and relics—discoveries have been made across Old Soil. There have also been unexpected finds in Taoist ancestral sites, leading to multiple explorations. Those artifacts and the stone carvings below recount many past events, and combined with the analyses from several renowned life research institutes, we've drawn scientific and accurate conclusions. Bodhisattvas, immortals, the Three Pure Ones, etc., were flesh-and-blood people…"

Wang Xuan asked Zhou Kun if this information was credible.

"Not very credible. The remains, hair, and various artifacts found in those underground chambers don't definitively prove anything," Zhou Kun whispered.

Surprisingly, he hadn't gotten drunk yet. He continued, "Those discoveries diverge from the legends of the immortals, as they're considered to be powerful individuals close to the practitioners."

Wang Xuan asked, "So, does that mean there's solid evidence from New Star's research indicating that even the strongest practitioners of the pre-Qin era could easily be killed by technological weapons?"

"Indeed. Some research institutes have had the fortune to obtain a few remains of practitioners, and tests confirmed they were indeed flesh-and-blood individuals; many modern weapons could kill them."

Wang Xuan sighed, a rare sight for him.

For those pursuing old techniques, even the most resolute hearts felt a pang of despair upon hearing such conclusions. The strongest practitioners of the pre-Qin era were already the pinnacle of old techniques, and with the rise of technological civilization, they could easily be obliterated.

In this era, technology was resplendent, overshadowing the past brilliance of old techniques. A neutron bomb could wipe out anyone, whether a legend or a powerful practitioner at the top of the pyramid.

"What about the immortals?" Wang Xuan asked.

Zhou Kun replied, "After in-depth research, some believe the immortals were the top practitioners, perhaps even individuals slightly stronger than pre-Qin practitioners, mythologized through word of mouth. Ultimately, they were human and could not escape death in the face of technological weapons."

Wang Xuan sighed again.

Living in this era, for those immersed in old techniques, it seemed there was no way out; the future looked bleak, and the end was clearly in sight.

"You don't really want to walk down this path to become a pre-Qin practitioner, do you?" Zhou Kun looked at him in surprise and then shook his head. "Walking this road now means you can see the finish line; the outcome is already determined. Some corporations and organizations invested in old techniques not for their combat potential but for longevity. When it comes to lethality, they fall far short of modern technology."

He added, "Now there's the option of new techniques, involving supernatural powers. Old techniques can't even hold the status of prolonging life anymore."

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Zhou Kun lowered his voice: "New techniques have great potential; the future might hold unexpected possibilities. Some research institutes are already preparing for this."

"When I master the new techniques in the future, if there's a chance, I'll ask someone to send you some information to see if you can walk this path," he added.

He emphasized that he was drunk and didn't know what he had said.

Yet he didn't stop talking.

"Finding the path of new techniques is just a secondary gain; the real treasure lies in discoveries at the ends of the Deep Space. If I told you there are people who want to venture into this with a strong foundation of technological civilization, would you believe it? I don't quite believe it myself, but there are whispers of this happening."

After saying this, he claimed to feel dizzy and needed to sit in his room for a while.

Long after Zhou Kun left, Wang Xuan remained silent, pondering the road of old techniques.

"Can I really see the end? The future looks dim. But I still want to continue down this path and see where it leads; I want to explore further there," Wang Xuan murmured to himself.

Qin Cheng leaned in closer, saying, "Old Zhou is pretty nice; he subtly shared quite a bit of information."

Wang Xuan nodded.

Not long after, he and Qin Cheng bid farewell to everyone and left.

"We're about to leave. I need to handle my feelings first. Old Wang, I'll disappear for two days to sort things out at home," Qin Cheng mumbled on the way.

In his drunken state, he couldn't drive, so someone was assigned to take them back.

In fact, the next afternoon, Qin Cheng appeared before Wang Xuan again, his eyes red and a look of deep disappointment on his face, revealing a more emotional side.

"I happily told her I was going to New Moon, and there was a chance to immigrate to New Star. But she coldly told me, ‘We're breaking up.' Just two words."

"I said I would definitely come back and take her with me, but she said she wouldn't wait for me!"

"So heartless! She didn't even elaborate; it was just six words total, so decisive and straightforward!" Qin Cheng nearly cried.

But Wang Xuan found it amusing, thinking the girl was quite interesting, especially since he had met her and knew she was reliable as a junior.

"Didn't you have the patience to ask her why?"

"I did. She said she didn't want to waste time waiting for us to become strangers. Instead of that, it's better to break up early and end things cleanly."

Wang Xuan, hearing this, sighed, "That girl is really something—decisive, with character, and sincere. She's speaking the truth. The future is full of uncertainties, and with your personality, you might forget her sooner than you think."

"Old Wang, you underestimate me!" Qin Cheng exclaimed in frustration. "I genuinely like her!"

Wang Xuan smiled but didn't engage further.

Qin Cheng panicked, saying, "You can't really think I like Zhao Qinghan, right? No way! When I say she's a goddess, it's just pure admiration. Who would choose her as a wife? She's only suitable for distant admiration; no one wants to keep a goddess at home. Besides, even if I had ideas, she'd definitely avoid me. I know my place. I bet if she had to choose, she'd pick you, Old Wang, not me."

"Do you even know how to speak? It sounds like you're saying there's no choice and I'd be a fallback option. Don't drag me into this."

"Old Wang, didn't see it before, but you're quite full of yourself. If I told Zhao the goddess that she picked you, you might not even agree to it."

Wang Xuan ignored him.

Seeing Wang Xuan so calm, Qin Cheng grew anxious, saying, "Old Wang, you need to give me some advice! If things aren't peaceful at home, I won't be able to leave happily. Help me think of something."

Wang Xuan nodded. "I've met that girl. We've had dinner together, and she's really great. You should work hard to pursue her; don't miss this chance."

"How do I pursue her?"

"The main issue is the geographical distance between you. But your family's business is related to deep-space trade, and you're one of the suppliers. You can definitely find a way to have someone regularly deliver letters, photos, and audio messages back and forth, telling her that since you can keep in touch, there's no need to break up right now, especially if you could reconnect later."

"Got it! I'm off!" Qin Cheng turned and ran away.

A moment later, Wang Xuan left the campus, walking alone on the sidewalk lined with ancient ginkgo trees, their golden leaves carpeting the ground.

He reached the end of the road and approached a tall building, entering directly.

Although the building was high, not many people were coming or going, making it feel a bit desolate. Just as he got near the elevator, someone stopped him.

Wang Xuan said nothing and handed over a business card made of pure gold.

The pupils of the few people by the elevator constricted, and one of them silently gestured for him to go ahead, helping him press the elevator button.

Wang Xuan nodded and stepped inside, with someone following him.

The two descended in the elevator.

Eventually, the elevator stopped at the thirteenth basement level, a rare underground floor.

Wang Xuan stepped out, adjusting to the dim space. The lighting was sparse, and the area felt less like a modern building and more like a cave hewn from the mountainside.

Someone led the way, winding through the underground rock chambers until they entered a stone room where the light brightened significantly.

The layout here was quite modern, resembling an oversized luxury office, with a man sitting behind a mahogany desk.

"You finally came," he said, his thick black hair short and neat, wearing a green mask that concealed his face. Judging by his voice, he was likely in his forties.

"I graduated and have left the old techniques experimental class. I'm now a free agent," Wang Xuan replied calmly.

"Ding!"

The middle-aged man with the green mask made a crisp sound as he played with something in his hand, like the sound of gold and jade clashing.

Wang Xuan's pupils contracted; he recognized what the man was holding—two golden bamboo slips! Professor Lin had mentioned such extraordinary items!

"Oh, you know about these? Since you've made a choice, I'll give you one," the masked man said, lightly tossing one of the golden bamboo slips to Wang Xuan.

It landed in Wang Xuan's hand, heavy and dense.

Looking down, Wang Xuan noticed that the golden bamboo slip was engraved with images!