"Grandpa, should I cook more?"
Chu Lingwei noticed the old man's eating pace slow down and asked.
"No need, I'm pretty much full." The old man finished the last bite, put down the bowl, let out a satisfied burp, and said, "Finally, a full meal. It's really not easy."
Chu Lingwei thought about how much her spatial storage had decreased and sighed softly. Indeed, he had eaten so much of her food.
Thinking of her own three top-grade spirit stones, she decided it was worth the price.
The old man waved his hand, and a luxurious lounge chair appeared in the courtyard. He lay on it, squinting his eyes, looking content.
Chu Lingwei: "..." So he wasn't planning on leaving.
"Grandpa, you'll catch a chill sleeping here. Why don't you rest inside?" Chu Lingwei looked up at the sky. It was completely dark now, and the sky was full of stars.
If this powerful being didn't leave, she couldn't rest assured.
She had to suggest it tactfully.
The old man also looked at the sky, thought for a moment, and then stood up. "That's a good idea. As one gets old, one becomes useless and shouldn't catch a chill."
Chu Lingwei: "..."
Feng Ming and Huan Mao, who were by Chu Lingwei's side, were a bit confused seeing this person about to move into their small house. Did Weiwei not plan to drive him away?
"Grandpa, please come in." Chu Lingwei stepped forward and led the old man into the cottage, helping him choose the best room.
"It is indeed much better than outside. I like it very much." The old man sat on the soft bed, looking around and touching things, his expression very pleased.
"Grandpa, you rest here. I'll be going out now."
Chu Lingwei finished speaking, directly exited the room, and thoughtfully closed the door behind him.
"Weiwei, are we really going to let him stay in our cottage?" Feng Ming jumped onto Chu Lingwei's lap, his eyes fixed on the room the old man was staying in. Even he couldn't discern the old man's cultivation level.
This person truly seemed like an ordinary mortal.
Yet, he could enter their barrier and consume such high-level spiritual cuisine in one sitting.
This old man was truly too strange.
"What else can we do? I can't defeat him." Chu Lingwei leaned back on the bed. She wouldn't be cultivating tonight either. Who knew what that person might do later.
"I don't think I can defeat him either," Huan Mao said with a hint of disappointment. He wanted to protect Weiwei, but he couldn't even defeat an old man.
"He probably doesn't intend to harm us. We just need to ignore him." Chu Lingwei lay half on the bed. As long as he didn't harm them, everything would be fine.
"But what if he wants to eat our spiritual cuisine again tomorrow morning?"
Huan Mao frowned, his cat face wrinkled. That person had eaten so much of their spiritual cuisine today. If he asked for more tomorrow, they would have nothing left.
Chu Lingwei's expression darkened. If that were the case, she couldn't guarantee she could support him.
The next day, Chu Lingwei stepped out of the cottage. The old man was already sitting on his luxurious lounge chair, watching the sunrise in the distance.
Chu Lingwei's body trembled. She had been paying close attention to the old man's movements. Despite her extreme vigilance, she hadn't noticed when he had left the house and sat there.
"Little girl, come and watch the sunrise here." The old man didn't turn his head. With a wave of his hand, a lounge chair identical to his own appeared next to him. "You've chosen a good spot to witness such a beautiful sunrise."
"Grandpa, what is this place?"
Chu Lingwei sat down on the lounge chair. She realized she still didn't know where they were and, with the person right next to her, decided to ask.
"I don't know either." The old man shook his head, his eyes seeming to drift into a distant memory. "But this place is very beautiful."
Chu Lingwei didn't believe the old man's words but didn't press further. If he didn't want to talk, she wasn't one to pry.
The sunrise emerged from the sea of clouds of the Heavenly Continent, growing brighter and brighter, finally ascending into the sky. Sunlight now bathed their courtyard.
"Grandpa, we should go." Chu Lingwei stood up. She hadn't forgotten her aspiration to travel and sightsee.
"Where are you going?" The old man turned around, curiosity in his eyes. "Aren't you here to train?"
"No, I want to go to the nearest town to have a look." Chu Lingwei shook her head. She had no desire to hunt spirit beasts at the moment, not at all.
Seeing that Chu Lingwei's eyes didn't seem to lie, the old man frowned. "You came to Thin Sea Forest, not for training? What for then?"
"Didn't you say you didn't know what this place was?"
She had asked him earlier if he recognized the place. He said no, and now he was mentioning its name. He was really inconsistent.
"I don't know what kind of place this is, but I know its name." The old man showed no sign of embarrassment.
"I was thrown here by my master. But now I need to leave and gain experience elsewhere." Chu Lingwei answered truthfully. She didn't know if her master had seen anything when he'd thrown her down here.
Upon hearing Chu Lingwei's explanation, the old man chuckled. This reason was quite interesting.
"Your master threw you here, surely hoping you would train. Thin Sea Forest has many opportunities. Perhaps you can find your fortune here."
"My fortune should be in the town."
The Grand Competition was only a year away. While cultivation was important, Chu Lingwei wanted to understand the secrets hidden behind the Grand Competition.
Only by understanding the true reason behind it could she know what role she would play in the Grand Competition.
Chu Lingwei disliked being led around by others.
Being passive was too vexing.
A hint of interest flickered in the old man's eyes. It was the first time he had heard someone say their fortune lay in a town.
"Then do you know what your fortune is?"
"I don't know yet. I'll know when I go," Chu Lingwei replied with a smile. She saw amusement in the old man's eyes.
The old man nodded. That was not an incorrect statement.
"Let me tell you, in a while, divine beasts will appear in Thin Sea Forest. Why don't you stay here? Perhaps you can even contract a divine beast," the old man suggested after some thought.
As soon as the old man spoke, Feng Ming and Huan Mao jumped in front of him, waving their little paws at him. Weiwei had them, and she didn't need any more spirit beasts.
"Divine beasts even more powerful than them." The old man gently brushed Feng Ming and the others aside and continued to pierce their hearts.
Feng Ming and Huan Mao felt like they were about to cry. They looked at Chu Lingwei pitifully.
"I'm just a spiritual wheel realm human cultivator. Divine beasts are just wishful thinking. I definitely don't have the ability." Chu Lingwei refused with a smile. She didn't have the ability to subdue a divine beast.