Alien Science Cultivation

Under the gazes of their parents and fellow villagers, Zhang Qiang and Xiaohua gradually drifted away. Those gazes, filled with concern, anticipation, and reluctance, tugged at Zhang Qiang's heart like invisible threads. He could still vaguely hear his parents' words of advice, their voices drifting on the wind, filled with endless worry. Tears welled up in his eyes for some unknown reason. Like a flood bursting through a dam, they flowed uncontrollably. This was Zhang Qiang's first time away from home, yet it felt like more than his first. Complex emotions mingled within him: fear of the unknown, yet longing for the future.

Walking in the morning and resting at night, Xiaohua walked along the Tianshan Road for several days. He looked at the setting sun. The blood-red setting sun dyed the sky red, like a magnificent painting. Zhang Qiang knew that he had to return to the post station before dark! Zhang Qiang took the package from his shoulder and said, "I have sent you thousands of miles, but we must say goodbye. Go back. I can reach Qingniu Avenue before dark and find a place to stay. Please go back quickly. I'm counting on you to take care of the village." There was a firmness in his voice, but he couldn't hide a trace of homesickness.

"Brother Qiang, what does 'sending you a thousand miles away' mean? Where did you get this sentence? Why didn't I know you were educated?" Xiao Hua was puzzled, and his simple face was full of confusion. Zhang Qiang was speechless for a moment, and a hint of embarrassment flushed on his face. Zhang Qiang was embarrassed and didn't know how to answer, "Go back quickly, don't let your parents and the village worry about you!"

"Okay, Brother Qiang, I'm going back now. Be careful!" Xiaohua pulled a slightly worn dagger from his arms. It looked like copper, with a few spots of rust. The dagger gleamed dimly in the setting sun, as if telling of its age. "I found it in the river last night. It looks okay. It's short and perfect for self-defense." He stuffed it into Zhang Qiang's bag, turned around, and waved goodbye as he ran. The figure shrank smaller and smaller in the sunset, finally disappearing around the corner of the mountain road.

Zhang Qiang knew he was in a hurry to get back. The mountains were extremely dangerous, with wild animals often roaming. Few of the village's ancestors had ever walked such a long mountain road, and even fewer had seen the Qingshan Avenue. Although it was marked on the map, the Immortal Avenue was something ordinary people wouldn't dare to visit! Daytime was always much safer than night. Zhang Qiang quickly quickened his pace, his steps hurried, as if racing against time.

After passing several hilltops, Zhang Qiang was stunned to see the vast, towering avenue below him. In both of his consciousnesses, he had never seen such a grand avenue before! Its breadth was awe-inspiring, stretching dozens of feet, like a giant dragon lying across the earth. The city's skyscrapers and vibrant lights pale in comparison; the avenue's sheer width was truly astonishing. Countless luminous spheres shone brightly in the sky, illuminating every corner of the road. The light was dazzling, like stars falling from the sky to earth. Rhino-like monsters would occasionally speed by, pulling boxcars, stirring up gusts of wind. In the village, the largest beast was the Green Ox King of the mountains, barely two feet tall! My goodness, this rhino-like monster must have been at least ten feet! How could it be controlled? Could there truly be some immortal cultivator? Zhang Qiang was filled with questions and wonder.

The sun slowly sank, its last orange-red ray casting a golden veil over the avenue. Without time to dwell, Zhang Qiang hurried onto the avenue, each step tinged with nervousness and curiosity.

"What are you doing?" Zhang Qiang heard this as soon as he stepped onto the road. The voice was like a loud bell, and it scared him so much that he took back his foot. "Damn it! Is it the road administration?..." Zhang Qiang thought to himself, and his eyes unconsciously looked for the source of the voice. It turned out to be the young man in the green robe on the lighthouse! The young man had an upright posture, and his green robe fluttered in the wind. He wore a white belt around his waist, and a delicate jade pendant hung on it. He had sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, and his eyes were sharp and deep, as if he could see through everything. Under the high bridge of his nose, his lips were tightly pursed, revealing a hint of majesty. His long black hair was tied up high, and the whole person exuded an extraordinary temperament.

"I'm going to Qingshan Sect to seek immortal fate. I hope big brother can give me some convenience..." Zhang Qiang bowed, his tone full of respect.

“So you’re the brother who went to Qingshan Sect to seek immortal fate!” As soon as the words fell, the young man in green robes instantly jumped down (floated down) the lighthouse and arrived at Zhang Qiang’s side in the blink of an eye! The speed was so fast that Zhang Qiang was dumbfounded. If it weren’t for the bright light, Zhang Qiang would have felt that he was seeing too much! He seemed to see Zhang Qiang’s fear, or perhaps he was deliberately trying to scare Zhang Qiang. Looking at his face that couldn’t help but smirk, Zhang Qiang really wanted to slap him twice! But he couldn’t beat him, he couldn’t beat him at all! If Zhang Qiang jumped from the lighthouse that was dozens of feet high, he would probably be turned into a pulp! Endure!

"Yes, Immortal. This is my first time on the Great Dao today, and I don't know the rules! Please tell me, Immortal." Zhang Qiang pretended to be calm, his voice trembling slightly. After seeing the young man's ghostly movements, he roughly guessed that this young man was the legendary Immortal.

"There are no rules! Just don't destroy the road facilities! It's so late, and there are fewer and fewer animal carts. I am a disciple of Qingshan Sect! Meeting is fate. When an animal cart passes by, I will ask them to give you a ride! Come up and have a drink with me. You haven't spoken for months! Have a few drinks with me." Ah! ..." Without giving Zhang Qiang a chance to say anything, the young man lifted him up by the shoulders and carried him to the lighthouse.

Inside the circular lighthouse was a circular room where the young man in a green robe lived. He rotated shifts annually, responsible for the facilities along this stretch of road. The light was powered by a spirit stone and replaced every century. The young man had probably been bored for a long time, and finding Zhang Qiang, a mortal who could highlight his status, was probably the first time he felt so proud. He talked non-stop, describing everything from food and drink to daily necessities, the roads, and the sky. His speech was so rapid, like a rapid-fire cannon. Seeing Zhang Qiang's astonishment, he secretly chuckled, his smile tinged with pride.

"Holy crap... there really is a cultivator!" Before Zhang Qiang could recover from his shock, he was pulled to sit cross-legged and forced to try the Immortal Wine his friend had given him. Each of them had a cup, and they sat facing each other. Zhang Qiang saw that there were no snacks to go with the wine, so he quickly took out the prawns Xiao Hua had given him from his bag and said, "It's time to eat. I'm almost done if I don't. Eat the prawns raw with some sauce, they're just delicious!"

The young man's eyes lit up as he looked at the prawns. Presumably craving them, he said aloud, "I've eaten all the wild game around here, but these prawns are truly rare! I can't stray far on duty, and there's no river nearby. These are truly rare finds!" He grabbed the largest one, dotted it with the sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth. "Mmm! Delicious!" he mumbled, his previous air of sage gone.

Seeing him like this, Zhang Qiang relaxed a lot and picked up the half glass of wine he poured for himself, "This guy is so stingy! He poured a glass for himself and gave me half a glass. But the aroma of this wine is really nice. I feel like all my fatigue is reduced by half after smelling it!" He took a light peck and felt refreshed.

"Drink slowly, don't get drunk, and chat with me more. It's too boring to be alone!" said the young man, with a hint of pleading in his voice.

"Okay, let's eat some shrimp to fill our stomachs first." Zhang Qiang responded.

"Yeah! With this shrimp, I can drink ten cups today without getting drunk."

“Ten cups without getting drunk? A thousand cups without getting drunk?…” Zhang Qiang thought to himself, “This must be a huge amount! Is this wine so strong? It must have a strong aftereffect!” Although it’s okay to drink a few kilograms of wine in the village, it’s nothing compared to this wine. Thinking of this, he took another sip, feeling relaxed all over, and unconsciously took another sip! “Damn, it’s gone.” Zhang Qiang picked up the wine pot without hesitation, filled it for himself, and drank it all in one gulp, feeling refreshed! Compared to the prawns, this wine was too tempting for Zhang Qiang. He didn’t feel hungry anymore, so he drank two more glasses in a row! He felt that the young man opposite who had just eaten the prawns stopped his action, staring at him with an incredible expression on his face.

"Are you okay?" the young man asked, his eyes full of confusion...

"It's okay! Just a few glasses of wine! I can drink several pounds." Zhang Qiang said nonchalantly.

"How many kilograms? That's your ordinary wine, this is Immortal Wine. Are you really okay? Not sleepy? Don't you want to go to bed?" The young man asked in disbelief.

"I'm okay, I feel refreshed. This wine must be expensive!" Zhang Qiang asked curiously.

"Not expensive! Could it be a fake Immortal Drunk?" the young man muttered, his brow furrowed in confusion. Filled with doubt, he drank a few more glasses himself. Then, with a thud, he lay down.

"Oh my god! What's going on? He collapsed so suddenly?" Fearing an accident, Zhang Qiang quickly felt his pulse and breathing to confirm that he was just drunk. "Is that all he can drink? Now he's drunk first!" Zhang Qiang picked up the glass and drank a few more glasses, feeling that the wine didn't seem to have that strong a lasting effect.