Chapter 0449 – Guidance

Yi Tianxing no longer dwelled on matters far beyond his comprehension. He could clearly feel that the Divine Source Mine harbored extraordinary secrets—ones he was not yet capable of uncovering. The best course of action when faced with something one couldn't provoke… was to leave. Leave and avoid the area altogether.

Dark City, its mysterious Lord, the Dark Altar, the Divine Source Mine, and the Shadow Tortoise beneath the lotus—in just a few short days, everything he had encountered had thoroughly exceeded all prior expectations.

"Nannan, let's go. We're leaving. Dark City is no place of goodness. The people here have long been consumed by their desires. In time, this place will become a true city of sin—a place where the darkest parts of all living beings gather."

Yi Tianxing looked at Nannan, then turned back for one last glance at the city. In that gaze, it felt as if endless darkness was enshrouding the entire ancient city. Just looking at it left behind an oppressive, intangible haze.

What a shame—it was not a place that could be wiped out.

He was certain that if he acted against Dark City, the Dark City Lord hidden in the shadows would undoubtedly reveal themselves. It wasn't that he hadn't considered such action—but each time he did, an overwhelming sense of imminent death surged within him.

That feeling—that life could be lost at any moment.

If he were alone, perhaps he'd take the risk.

But with Nannan by his side, if something happened to him, she would be in danger.

"Wherever big brother goes, that's where Nannan goes."

Nannan spoke without hesitation. She didn't show the slightest attachment to Dark City.

"Good. Nannan, the Divine Sources we obtained—keep them safe. Use them to cultivate in the future."

Yi Tianxing smiled and nodded, placing piece after piece of Divine Source Crystals into Nannan's storage ring. He acted as if they were ordinary trinkets, casually handing them over.

"Big brother is so good to Nannan."

Nannan understood well the value of Divine Source Crystals after cultivating. Each piece was priceless, and yet he gave them to her so freely. Though she didn't say thank you, her eyes grew even gentler.

"Truly a bountiful harvest. The internal space of the Heavenly Emperor's Primordial Tower has reached over 2,800 li in diameter—just a little over a hundred li away from the 3,000 li maximum, the peak for a cave-heaven level space. Once that limit is reached, the tower will officially become a Yellow-Grade Ninth-Rank spiritual artifact, the pinnacle of its tier. From there, it can ascend to a true magic treasure."

Yi Tianxing withdrew the Primordial Tower into his divine sea. While letting it suppress and stabilize the divine sea, he was also thrilled by the transformation occurring within the tower. This wasn't a fortune easily obtained—were it not for the rampant absorption in the Divine Source Cave, this level of growth might have taken countless resources and time.

The deeper the tower's internal space grew, the exponentially more resources it required for each additional li of expansion.

No wonder he felt delighted.

And even after giving Nannan a portion, he still retained some Divine Source Crystals—an invaluable gain.

"Let's go, Nannan. It's time to leave this place. For you, the wilderness is the best place to train. Right now, not even humanity has secured its footing. Though the beasts and alien races are innately more powerful, their internal strife is just as intense. Growing stronger amid that chaos… It's dangerous, but with strength, one can survive."

Through repeated battle, one could forge a powerful will and an unyielding fighting spirit.

"I'll listen to big brother."

Nannan agreed immediately, without objection.

"By the way, Nannan… back in the Divine Source Cave, you entered a state of enlightenment, didn't you? Whatever insight you gained—never reveal it to anyone, now or in the future. Some people are consumed by envy. They can't bear to see others with talent. It might lead them to sinister thoughts. In all things, be cautious. With people—observe more, speak less. In events—reveal three parts, hide seven."

Yi Tianxing nodded and spoke seriously.

It was a matter of life experience.

In a chaotic world like this, it never hurt to be more cautious.

Those with straightforward hearts—especially without sufficient strength—might be taken advantage of, and wouldn't even know how they died. Human hearts were like ghosts—unpredictable.

For a little girl like Nannan to survive was no easy feat.

"Mhm, Nannan understands."

Nannan nodded firmly. "Ever since I started cultivating, I can sense people's intentions. If someone means me harm, I can feel it."

"You can distinguish good and evil?" Yi Tianxing looked at her in astonishment. If this wasn't just intuition, but a true ability, it would be a massive boon for survival in these troubled times.

"Mhm! But only if I look at someone—I'll feel whether they mean harm or goodwill. Like with big brother—you feel very close to me."

Nannan explained quickly, smiling brightly at Yi Tianxing with clear affection.

"Good. If you have this ability, never tell anyone. No matter who asks—say nothing."

Yi Tianxing's tone turned serious.

The fewer people knew of this, the better. At a critical moment, this kind of awareness could be life-saving. The ability to detect friendliness or hostility instantly meant always staying one step ahead.

"Got it! Nannan won't tell anyone."

She grinned and nodded.

Without delay, the two of them—one big, one small—continued walking as they chatted, heading farther away.

One Month Later – A Mountain Valley

In a remote valley, a girl dressed entirely in white—Nannan—was locked in battle with a savage demonic wolf. Her hand shimmered with a strange white light, as if imbued with sharpness, like white jade, cutting toward the wolf. Her palm became a blade, slicing for the wolf's throat.

The beast was ferocious, its growls echoing. Claws, fangs, tail—it used everything, each move filled with deadly precision. Cold light gleamed from its claws, its aura murderous and overbearing.

But Nannan was calm and skillful. Her snowy little hand shot out strangely and grabbed the wolf's claw, as though it had willingly surrendered to her grasp. Then, she traced a mysterious arc with one finger and jabbed it into the wolf's throat.

Puff!

With a crisp sound, blood sprayed from the puncture wound. The wolf's body collapsed like tofu. With a whimper, it slumped over, moments from death.

Her movements were clean and fluid—using Dragon Seizing Hand (擒龙手) to grab the claw, then finishing with a Jade-Piercing Finger (破玉指) to strike its vital point. All in a single exchange.

"Big brother, how did I do this time?"

Nannan turned toward Yi Tianxing, full of anticipation.

"Not bad. Using Dragon Seizing Hand to trap its claw and control its movement, then Jade-Piercing Finger to strike the throat—no hesitation, decisive and deadly. A third-rank first-tier demonic wolf, killed in an instant. This month of hard work hasn't been in vain. Given your cultivation, that's impressive."

Yi Tianxing nodded in approval.

He'd been watching Nannan closely these past weeks. Her cultivation had surged under the influence of the Divine Source, and something mysterious had awakened within her during that moment of enlightenment—her divine sea had clearly begun undergoing unusual changes.

Her true energy capacity had vastly increased, making cultivation smoother. Her meridians were opening like river channels.

And more than anything, she showed a resilient spirit.

Despite the pain of tempering her body—breaking down and rebuilding flesh and blood, akin to scraping bone and peeling flesh—she endured it all. Her body cultivation progressed rapidly, her impurities burned away.

In just a month, she broke through the twelve principal meridians, stepped into Sea of Divinity Realm Level 3, and had begun unlocking her eight extraordinary meridians, with two already opened. Her progress was staggering.

And all of it… Yi Tianxing had seen for himself.

He hadn't stopped her—just watched from the side.

With her cultivation rising, Nannan's body also underwent transformation. She ate vast amounts of beast meat, putting on healthy weight. Her frame shot up—now about 1.23 meters tall, her complexion glowing, her features like a porcelain doll, her hair glossy black. No longer skin and bones, she looked like a young miss from a noble family.

And most crucially—she had fought nearly every single day this past month.

Against all kinds of beasts.