Chapter 233 - 231: Cultural Exploration in the Exotic Realm

Upon arriving in the territory of the Hei Race, Yang Shen finally felt a touch of the modern world.

Although Yanhua had only established this "stronghold" a little over a month ago, it was already quite well-developed.

There were diesel generators, electrical appliances, and drinking water, along with all sorts of familiar Yanhua supplies—even snacks, instant noodles, and candy.

Yanhua even had its own mess hall, and the kitchen staff’s chef was quite skilled. Yang Shen finally got to eat a hot meal.

In the desolate and silent Exotic Realm, getting to eat a bowl of pork and cabbage dumplings was an experience worth its weight in gold. The sensation was simply marvelous.

That afternoon, Yang Shen sat in on the meeting between the Yanhua Recon Team and the emissary from the Xi Race. Although the Xi Race had chosen to submit of their own accord, Yang Shen had coincidentally become the middleman. He didn’t need to say much; his mere presence helped foster a positive atmosphere.

The general gist was that the Xi Race was willing to cooperate closely with Yanhua.

After the meeting ended, Yang Shen was free to do as he pleased and began wandering around the Hei Race’s camp.

Unlike the Xi Race, the people here had long grown accustomed to the presence of "outsiders." They didn’t make a big fuss, but they remained deferential and apprehensive.

This wasn’t just because of the Yanhua people’s "wealth," but also because of their "strength."

On average, their strength surpassed even that of the Hei Race’s strongest individual—and that included the kitchen staff’s chef.

Still, the Yanhua people found this difficult life quite boring. They were often seen teasing the Hei Race children with candy and chocolate, just for a bit of amusement.

Yang Shen casually observed his surroundings as he walked. Apart from the terrain, this tribal land was very similar to that of the Xi Race, filled entirely with ugly houses built from loess and stone. The only real difference was some slight variations in their distinctive tribal patterns.

The Hei Race people also favored loose-fitting black clothing, just like the group he’d seen in the Big Pharmacy. Apparently, this was because a certain mineral dye was produced at the base of the cliffs, providing the Hei Race with a source of income.

’When you look closely, you realize that every tribe and culture has its own underlying logic, ingrained in all aspects of daily life.’

As he continued walking, Yang Shen noticed a group of adolescents gathered in a corner. They included the "Nameless People" who had arrived with him. The Hei Race Clan Leader from the earlier meeting was standing before them, giving a speech.

His curiosity piqued, Yang Shen drew closer and took out his translation device.

The Hei Race Clan Leader, who had been scowling as if preparing to unleash a tirade, was thrown off by the sudden appearance of an outsider. After a long pause, he managed to stammer out in broken Yanhua, "Sir, are you..."

Yang Shen waved a hand, gesturing for him to continue. "Just wandering. Curious."

Anything more would have been lost on him.

The Hei Race Clan Leader could only compose himself and address the group of children.

"You are the ones left after being screened by the various clans. You should be well aware that your talents are lacking, yet the Hei Race is still willing to bestow surnames upon you."

"If you work hard, you may still have a chance to inherit a Curse Engraving in the future. Work hard! And whatever you do, do not offend the outsider sirs."

Yang Shen clicked his tongue in amazement. ’So the Twelve Clans intermarry, screen their own offspring for the most talented ones, and send the rest back where they came from. The ones who stay naturally form the "upper class," while those sent back become the "lower class." Of course, due to extreme material scarcity, this class distinction isn’t very pronounced. Both live equally difficult lives. As for those with congenital diseases or disabilities, they would never even live to this age. They were "dealt with" at birth. This peculiar custom and moral code will inevitably be challenged after contact with the Cyan Blue Star People, as it’s incompatible with new methods of production and living. But for the current generation, at least... they will continue to follow this path.’

Yang Shen noticed the shepherd girl was also in the group. There was no resentment in her eyes—only yearning and determination for a new life.

’A strong child...’

After the Hei Clan Leader finished his speech, he began assigning jobs. The rest was tedious, so Yang Shen turned and left.

He believed that the Hei Race, much like the Xi Race, had initially tried to acquire the bloodline of the Yanhua people and surely attempted all sorts of absurd things. Now, however, they seemed to realize it was impossible.

’The situation is probably the same with the Europe and Magna factions, but it’s a basic consensus among Cyan Blue Star People not to interbreed with those from the Exotic Realm. Though, knowing their military discipline... it was probably a case of them eating the sugar-coating and sending the bullet back. The Noon Realm People have peculiar views anyway, so they probably wouldn’t even mind.’

Every observation was a new discovery.

Yang Shen was very satisfied with his trip to the Exotic Realm. He had broadened his horizons, gained experience, and was getting closer to the truth behind his Uncle’s death.

He’d even managed to earn some merit on the side.

Participating in the exploration of the Exotic Realm was considered a top-tier accomplishment on Cyan Blue. Just being here added a golden mark to one’s record, to say nothing of the fact that he had facilitated the submission of the Xi Race.

’When I get back to Jiangti, my advisor will probably be falling all over himself to please me. Maybe he’ll even offer some top-tier Martial Arts and Cultivation Techniques as a reward?’

This was a considerable amount of merit, and Yang Shen wasn’t sure how it would be recorded or redeemed. But he knew Huo Jun wouldn’t screw him over.

’At least, not in a conventional way...’

’I just hope the Madman doesn’t come to me in a few days and say: "I cashed in your merit for a chance to kill someone. Go have a blast storming the Magna camp."’

’Hmm... he probably wouldn’t do that.’

As for his mission for the next few days, it was to assist Xu Mo with his research on Curse Engravings. That was, after all, his official duty here.

Due to their more primitive language and knowledge, the Noon Realm People couldn’t clearly convey many of the techniques and insights related to Curse Engraving: Shadow. Yang Shen’s role was to be the lubricant in that process.

Yang Shen finished his walk and returned to his "dormitory"—an earthen hut. His roommate was supposed to be Zheng Tao, but he had gone to another Yanhua Recon Team outpost in the Yin Race’s territory.

Yang Shen sat on the earthen bed and began his Cultivation. The Spiritual Qi in the Noon Realm was scarce, so he needed to spend much more time on it...

He was very close to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. He hadn’t wasted his time on the ship crossing the Vast Sea; his Qi and Blood Value had already reached 2,140, not far from the 2,600-point threshold for the Late-stage Innate realm.

But the efficiency of Cultivation in the Noon Realm was far inferior to that on Cyan Blue. His Source Supplement was definitely lagging.

In fact, on the Cultivation Side, there was a constant trade-off between "seclusion" and "wandering." A Cultivator could rely on their Sect or family, or be lucky enough to find a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, allowing them to advance with greater efficiency.

But if they just holed themselves up and never went out, they wouldn’t get far in the long run, even with abundant resources. Their temperament and insights would be lacking, and sooner or later, their progress would stall completely.

That was why most Cultivators needed to constantly "descend the mountain for worldly experience" and then "ascend the mountain for secluded Cultivation," repeating the cycle.

This was the reason for Yang Shen’s journey to the Exotic Realm, and the younger generation of the Yang Family would likely follow the same path in the future.

A short-term slowdown in Cultivation would lead to long-term transformative growth.

————

The next few days were calm and uneventful for Yang Shen.

He spent his days cultivating as much as possible and assisting Xu Mo with his research on Curse Engravings.

One day, Yang Shen was practicing Body Forging on the cliffs in the Hei Race’s territory.

The sky was so thick with wind and sand that the sun was nearly invisible, so of course, there was no bonus from practicing Body Forging "under the Rising Sun."

The good news was he didn’t have to be picky about the time of day.

The bad news was that the good news was complete bullshit.

’My Fist Intent is still too materialistic,’ Yang Shen thought. He wished it could be more conceptual. ’Can’t I just have a sun in my heart?’

That was why he had recently been focusing his energy on fusing Cultivation Techniques.

Yang Shen’s movements were slow. He would pause after each move, his motions almost clumsy, and he would often start over from the beginning. In truth, he was meticulously sensing the trajectory and effects of the Source energy moving within his body, trying to fuse *Vomiting Valley Qi*, *Refining Grease and Grain*, and the *Sixth Set*.

As someone who had pushed this foundational Body Refining Technique all the way to the Great Success stage, Yang Shen’s understanding of the *Sixth Set* alone was not much inferior to its creators. He hadn’t rushed to switch his Body Forging technique after entering university precisely because he was waiting for this kind of transformation.

Whenever Huo Jun, Deng Ming, or Xu Mo came across him, they never hesitated to offer a bit of guidance. Their cultivation realms were far higher than Yang Shen’s, and their advice was genuinely beneficial.

The only difference was that the latter two offered their guidance verbally, whereas Huo Jun used his fists...

The Madman’s educational philosophy: Just do it!

Yang Shen cherished days like these. He also spent a lot of time observing the lives of the Hei Race people and how they used their Curse Engravings. Not everyone in the Hei Race who had a Curse Engraving was a Warrior; many of their applications were for everyday life.

This gave Yang Shen a great deal of inspiration.

However, on the fourth day, Huo Jun called an emergency meeting, and many members of the recon team gathered.

Huo Jun sat at the head of the room, his one-armed figure as imposing and resolute as ever. But his words made everyone’s brows furrow in concern.

"We have an important situation. Our equipment has detected a large-scale Source Climate anomaly. The data hasn’t peaked yet, but the trend is... strange."

"The immediate effect is that our communications are being increasingly disrupted. We can’t build high-power base stations here yet, so contact with Harmony Island will become even more difficult, and device positioning will get scrambled."

One of the people below hesitated. "What do the Noon Realm People say? They should be experienced with this sort of thing."

Xu Mo stepped forward and shook his head. "Nothing. They do possess valuable experience, but their scientific literacy is... lacking. They can’t comprehend the anomaly we’re detecting unless it manifests as a physical phenomenon they can see and touch."

Yanhua possessed advanced technology, while the Noon Realm People had millennia of survival experience. The awkward problem was... they weren’t on the same wavelength.

It was like trying to get from the first floor to the third without a second floor in between.

The Yanhua Recon Team had detected the issue in advance, but they couldn’t determine the cause or explain the underlying principles to the Noon Realm People.

Huo Jun’s expression turned grave. "Worst-case scenario, we can’t rule out that this is a precursor to a Calamity Plague."

According to the records of the Noon Realm, a Calamity Plague was typically only detected through celestial phenomena when it was already close, often providing only a few hours of warning.

Detecting an anomaly days or even longer in advance wasn’t enough to be certain. It was just a possibility.

After all, in the several months since the recon team had entered the Noon Realm, they had never actually encountered one.

Huo Jun steered the conversation back on track.

"Therefore, the recon team will implement the following plan: we will dispatch couriers twice a day to maintain contact with Harmony Island by physical means and report on the situation. We have plenty of experts stationed on Harmony Island who can be called over to assist in our defense if necessary."

"Furthermore, all members of the recon team are to remain on high alert. It’s possible these anomalies are just meaningless data fluctuations, but we cannot rule out a special situation."

"We have never encountered a Calamity Plague, and many of the accounts from the Noon Realm may not be accurate. Do not take this lightly."