Chapter Twenty-Two: Grave Injuries!

Blue Sky stared at his own hands, struggling for a long time to regain his composure. It felt as though he were dreaming!

“What’s so surprising? The effect of your first cultivation is always the most remarkable. Besides, your talent is actually rather poor. In the Yuanlan Empire, some gifted youths reach a strength of five thousand kilograms with a single hand after their first cultivation. Compared to them, you’re nothing but a weakling!” Bai’s voice echoed quietly, always managing to deliver a blow at precisely the right moment, leaving Blue Sky dizzy and forcing him to face reality.

Indeed, on Earth, he was already considered terrifying, but not to mention the vast universe—he was barely a speck in the Yuanlan Empire, which itself wasn’t particularly noteworthy in the cosmos. He was nothing but a useless existence...

“Bai... What exactly do you mean by talent? Can it be improved?” Blue Sky asked, a little unwilling to accept his fate.

“Talent is innate. And don’t talk about fairness. In this world, fairness simply doesn’t exist.” Bai replied calmly. “Unless you obtain some extremely rare, heaven-defying items, it’s almost impossible to change your talent.”

“And you shouldn’t expect to get those heaven-defying items. They are exceedingly rare even across the universe, and when they do appear, their value is astronomical. Even my master, the God of Battle, could barely acquire them.”

Blue Sky was struck once more, but after a moment’s thought, he accepted reality. He wasn’t some protagonist in a novel; how could he, by chance, possess heaven-defying talent? The fact that he could cultivate and wield power unattainable in his previous life was already more than enough.

One must learn to be content, mustn’t they?

“You have a good attitude,” Bai observed, noting the changes in Blue Sky’s expression before he finally settled into calmness, and nodded approvingly. “Besides, those with exceptional talent are few. Talent alone doesn’t guarantee reaching the peak. The dangers along the path of cultivation are countless; one misstep and you could fall. On the contrary, many with average or even poor talent advance step by step, steadfastly, and ultimately reach heights beyond those of many geniuses.”

“...You should have said that earlier! Now I feel much better,” Blue Sky replied with a smile.

“But don’t celebrate too soon. The Human Gathering Energy Level 81 can be cultivated steadily, but the next stage, the Star Radiance Level, is truly the key. It determines whether you’re qualified to compete with other cultivators in the universe,” Bai continued, dampening his spirits.

“...I’ll just focus on mastering the Human Gathering Energy Level 81 for now. As for the road ahead, I’ll take it one step at a time.” Blue Sky spoke carelessly, content with his lot—truth be told, he lacked ambition.

“Hey, I’m quite pleased with your attitude,” Bai said, somewhat surprised. “In that case, head into the virtual game and continue your training.”

“Huh? Didn’t you say I couldn’t cultivate today?” Blue Sky asked, puzzled.

“Cultivation and training aren’t the same. You can hone your combat skills in the virtual game, learn basic combat techniques. Otherwise, what use is power if you don’t know how to wield it?” Perhaps Blue Sky’s openness pleased Bai, who, for once, patiently explained.

---

“That’s great! I was just worried about how to adapt,” Blue Sky’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. Moments earlier, his emotional excitement had caused him to press too hard, and he had accidentally crushed the slippers beneath his feet.

“Alright, go back to your room. Don’t just stand in the basement. In the virtual game, there’s no need to worry about anyone watching—it’s like being asleep,” Bai said considerately.

Blue Sky returned to his bedroom, took a shower to wash off the black residue from his body, and admired his nearly perfect physique in the mirror for a long while. Only at Bai’s repeated urging did he reluctantly leave the mirror, lay down on the bed, and, with Bai’s help, once again entered the virtual game.

It was the same scene as before, which made it clear that Bai was being lazy—he hadn’t even cleaned up the previous pool of blood and flesh. Perhaps it was also to help him adapt ahead of time, as the next scenes might be rather bloody.

“Today I won’t teach you basic combat techniques. You haven’t learned to walk yet, so don’t try to run. First, I’ll bring out some ordinary beasts from Earth so you can get used to your newfound strength,” Bai stood far from Blue Sky, yet his voice sounde