Chapter 263 – Accompanying Lord Tongtongtong for Barbecue, Extraterrestrial Martial Arts

Time quietly passed under the sunshine.

Ten minutes had gone by, but Lu Yuan still hadn’t received a notification that the payment had been successfully processed.

“Perhaps Yuwen Tong is busy right now and hasn’t seen it yet…”

“I push the data a few times every day, persistence will eventually pay off. Lord Tongtongtong will feel my ‘sincerity’ sooner or later.”

Lu Yuan could only comfort himself with this thought.

As he was contemplating, a new message notification suddenly appeared.

Lu Yuan glanced at it. The sender was [Lord Tongtongtong].

His spirits lifted instantly.

Could it be that Yuwen Tong was going to transfer him money?

He quickly opened the message.

What he found was that Yuwen Tong had only sent a coordinate and a brief message – [Come over and have a meal with me.]

Lu Yuan: [On my way!]

…

Fifteen minutes later, Lu Yuan arrived at the coordinates Yuwen Tong had sent.

This was an “old street” in a certain district of Xiabang.

The dirty road, greasy signs, food carts selling “stinky tofu,” “hand-grabbed pancake,” and “toothpick meat,” barbecue stands and small tables all lined up on the sidewalk…

It looked no different from the old town gourmet streets found in various cities within the old town circle.

The only difference was.

This “old street” was deliberately styled in this way.

Lu Yuan saw street maintenance workers throwing packaging papers, foam meal boxes, and empty drink bottles collected from the old town circle onto the ground. Realistic robots dressed as diners walked from one end of the street to the other, and then back again, trying hard to create a chaotic and noisy lively scene.

Fashionably dressed locals from Xiabang got off shuttles, took off their shiny new clothes, put on worn-out black T-shirts, baggy shorts, and flip-flops, eagerly blending into this “lively” atmosphere full of old times’ vibes.

Looking at this scene, then at the neon-lit sign of “old city circle gourmet street” proudly standing not far away, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s simply magical.”

He shook his head and stepped in.

Lu Yuan spread out his mental power and easily found Yuwen Tong.

She was right at the entrance of a place called “Yezi Veteran Barbecue,” enthusiastically enjoying her skewers while watching people at the next table boast and play drinking games.

“Lord Tong.”

Lu Yuan quickly walked over to Yuwen Tong and called out softly.

“You’re here.”

Yuwen Tong’s eyes brightened slightly upon seeing Lu Yuan. She held a skewer in one hand and beckoned him to sit down with the other.

“I’ll take you to this noodle stand in front of my school someday. Their stir-fried noodles are amazing.”

Lu Yuan discreetly glanced at the various “street youth” around them, with gold chains hanging around their necks and dragon tattoos on their arms, and whispered to Yuwen Tong.

If he could trade a bowl of stir-fried noodles for the Phoenix Feather from Lord Tong, it would be a great deal.

“Sure, sure.”

Yuwen Tong nodded cheerfully, biting into her skewer.

Today, she wore her hair in a hair bun, large black glasses that covered half her face, a pink T-shirt, denim shorts, and yellow duck slippers.

She looked just like a typical shut-in girl who plays games until late and goes out to grab a bite in the middle of the night.

Seeing the orange soda on the table, Lu Yuan poured himself a cup and joined Yuwen Tong in enjoying the skewers.

Neither of them spoke, each absorbed in their meal. Occasionally, Yuwen Tong would raise a disposable plastic cup and give him a small toast.

After a while, Yuwen Tong spoke, her words muffled, “Your performance in the secret realm exploration was good this time. Made me proud. The report was well-written too, almost like it was real…”

It actually was real…

Lu Yuan thought to himself but said, “If Lord Tong enjoys reading it, I’ll keep writing them like that.”

“Tell me what happened later on. I heard from that brat Han Xun that a third-stage Crow Deity Representative showed up. Even he couldn’t handle it, but you somehow managed to take it down…”

Yuwen Tong took a sip of soda and inquired.

Third-stage… Representative?

Lu Yuan caught the unfamiliar terms in Yuwen Tong’s words and was curious but didn’t ask.

“I couldn’t beat it initially, but when I thought of your constant guidance and tips in games, I was filled with strength…”

Just as Lu Yuan was flattering her, Yuwen Tong glanced up at him and said matter-of-factly, “Speak plainly.”

“Well,” Lu Yuan said honestly, “it set me a test. After I passed it, it just died…”

Apart from the secret of his professional panel, Lu Yuan didn’t hide anything from Yuwen Tong.

Including the Hundred-eyed Nether Crow Feather.

He even pointed to his chest, “That feather is inside my body now.”

He then casually added, “Before it died, it said this feather holds a big secret of the Crow Deity Sect. If I can collect five more items of the same level as this feather, I could unlock the secret…”

Can you understand?

Lord Tong should pick up on his hint.

Lord Tong should also be curious about the secret.

As Lu Yuan nibbled on his beef skewer, he discreetly observed Yuwen Tong.

When he finished his skewer, he cautiously looked up to see Yuwen Tong watching him with a half-smile.

Crap, she saw through my plan…

Lu Yuan felt a bit nervous but kept a straight face. He lifted his cup of orange soda and said earnestly, “Lord, I toast to you.”

“Okay,” Yuwen Tong sipped her soda slowly, then said in a leisurely tone, “So, are you short of merit?”

“Not exactly short,” Lu Yuan thought for a moment, then replied seriously, “just often feels like it’s never enough.”

Yuwen Tong chuckled at his response and said, slightly exasperated, “Then work hard and stop expecting me to cover for you. Ordinary things are fine, but top-tier secret realm materials like the Phoenix Feather and Moon-eating Fang are rare in the world. Even if I’m willing to give them to you, those above won’t approve…”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that…” Lu Yuan hurriedly defended himself, though inside he felt a sense of regret.

Failed to get anything from Lord Tong on the first try… Looks like I really did ask for too much this time.

If I had only asked for one instead of five, I might have had a chance.

Lu Yuan thought for a while and, feeling unwilling to give up, decided to aim a bit lower.

“Lord, what is the [Origin Heart Sutra] in the marketplace?”

Yuwen Tong picked up a mushroom skewer and took a small bite, then said calmly, “[Origin Heart Sutra] is the path I intend for you to follow in the future.”

The path I am to follow?!

Lu Yuan blinked, instinctively recalling the dazzling light like a galaxy that he sensed when his consciousness entered Yuwen Tong’s body.

“Is it pure martial arts? But hasn’t the path beyond the Grandmaster of pure martial arts been cut off?”

Lu Yuan’s expression grew serious, and for the moment, he forgot about trying to get more resources.

“On our planet, the path of pure martial arts has indeed reached its end, but that doesn’t mean being a Grandmaster is the limit…”

Yuwen Tong said as she chewed her food.

Lu Yuan was shocked and blurted out, “[Origin Heart Sutra] is an Extraterrestrial Civilization’s martial arts legacy?!”

He stared at Yuwen Tong, the level of shock he felt now was no less than when he first learned about the existence of the extraordinary power and the power of the evil deity.

‘Isn’t the end of pure martial arts supposed to be Grandmaster? Beyond that, to counter the power of the evil deity, there are only new martial arts and modifications, right?’

‘And now there’s an Extraterrestrial Civilization’s martial arts legacy? Is this what Yuwen Tong has been cultivating all along?’

This information was so astonishing that Lu Yuan was left speechless.

Noticing his emotional turbulence, Yuwen Tong nodded and said, “You could understand it that way.”

Lu Yuan tried to calm himself and said earnestly, “Lord, I want to learn.”

These words were spoken with genuine sincerity.

Lu Yuan had always rejected the new martial arts and modification systems, and thus was committed to creating a path for his own extraordinary martial arts that wouldn’t be inferior to the new martial arts, modifications, or the power of the evil deity.

Now, to suddenly learn that this path had already existed…

Naturally, he was eager to learn and explore.

Unfortunately, Yuwen Tong shook her head.

“You can’t learn it for now. To start on this path requires condensing first-stage mental light. Since you haven’t reached Grandmaster level, even if I place the [Origin Heart Sutra] before you, you wouldn’t be able to learn it. Moreover…”

Yuwen Tong paused, then said, “I don’t want you to be exposed to this path so early.”

“Why?!”

Lu Yuan was puzzled.

Yuwen Tong seemed full and idly began to doodle on the table with a disposable chopstick. “The stronger your foundation as a pure martial artist, the more benefits you’ll gain once you officially step onto this path. Your aptitude is good, but you haven’t yet reached your potential limit. I plan to have you build a solid foundation for a few more years. Otherwise, even if you step into this path, you’ll just be a novice, only to be overpowered by others.”

“Alright.”

Lu Yuan pursed his lips, slightly unwilling, but asked, “Lord, you mentioned earlier that first-stage mental light is a prerequisite for this path… So, is mental power the key to cultivating this path?”

“Not entirely.”

Yuwen Tong shook her head. “Knowing too much now won’t benefit you.

If you’re really keen to understand… hmm-

In a while, the nine legendary secret realms of the world will open, and a batch of people from the Extraterrestrial Base will return. They have been following this path.

You can take the opportunity to get a feel for it then. Oh, and…”

Yuwen Tong seemed to remember something and emphasized, “The Phoenix Feather and Moon-eating Fang come from those legendary secret realms.

If you’re lucky, you might get a chance to obtain some top-tier materials yourself during this period…”

Lu Yuan’s eyes sparkled, and he nodded silently.

He continued picking at the unfinished skewers on the table, still mulling over Yuwen Tong’s words, finding his food bland.

When he had finished all the skewers, Lu Yuan looked up.

He saw Yuwen Tong resting her chin in her hand, grinning as she watched the people at the next table, who seemed to be watching her as well.

Lu Yuan glanced over and noticed that the group at the next table were all Androids, disguised to look like “hooligans.” He wondered why Yuwen Tong was so interested in robots dressed like that.

Retracting his gaze, Lu Yuan thought for a moment and said to Yuwen Tong, “Lord, I plan to make a trip to Penglai to see if I can use the opportunity to advance to Grandmaster.”

Lu Yuan was reporting to Yuwen Tong, so that even if something happened, she could back him up.

“Fine.”

Yuwen Tong continued to stare at the people at the next table and responded casually, “Before you go, I’ll introduce you to a Grandmaster. Have a chat with him first. You may even break through before you leave.”

Lu Yuan’s eyes lit up, and he quickly responded, “Alright.”

Although he didn’t get what he initially wanted from Yuwen Tong, he unexpectedly gained a wealth of information.

He needed to go back and carefully digest everything.

Hundred-eyed Nether Crow, holy light goddess, secret realm, Extraterrestrial Martial Arts…

Lu Yuan had received so much information lately that it felt like his perception of the world had expanded enormously.

The world should be far more vast and mysterious than he currently understood.

Lu Yuan had never felt such a strong desire as he did now—to go beyond the planet and see for himself.

“The rapid advancement of cutting-edge technology across countries over the past few decades, combined with what Yuwen Tong just revealed about the legacy of Extraterrestrial Martial Arts… confirms that higher-level Extraterrestrial Civilizations should indeed exist.

The appearance of evil deity secret realms and the global exploration of these realms—could these be related to the Extraterrestrial Civilization?

Yuwen Tong mentioned that a batch of people from the Extraterrestrial Base would be returning soon. Are these individuals the ones within Yellow Bear who have the most direct contact with the so-called Extraterrestrial Civilization? How powerful can they be, cultivating Extraterrestrial Martial Arts?”

Lu Yuan’s mind was awash with thoughts when he suddenly heard Yuwen Tong let out a soft exclamation.

He quickly looked up and saw an expression of eager anticipation and excitement on Yuwen Tong’s fair and delicate face, her bright eyes fixed on the side.

At the next table, the group of Androids who had been eating and chatting were now all standing up, looking rather “menacing” as they approached them.

“They’re coming, they’re coming!”

Yuwen Tong excitedly patted his arm and quickly said, “I’ve heard that the specialty of this restaurant is an immersive storyline experience where simulated hooligans get drunk and look for trouble. I’ve been waiting all this time, and we’ve finally triggered it… Quick! Lu Yuan, it’s your turn to shine!”

Saying this, the dignified Lord Tong quickly stood up and dashed behind Lu Yuan, her face full of anticipation and amusement, yet pretending to show some signs of “nervousness and fear.”

Lu Yuan was left speechless at the scene.

Finally…

He reluctantly stood up, took a deep breath, and shouted at the approaching hooligans,

“What are you… looking at?!”