Section 130: Planet Feline

“This is the level of familiarity with the corps’ base that you claim the senior members possess?” Tang Tian’s face darkened, his gaze sharp and hostile as he stared at Bing.

He was drenched from head to toe, utterly disheveled, lying on his back and floating on the water like a wooden plank.

Tang Tian had not expected that upon passing through the stargate just moments ago, he would be met by a violently rushing river. He hadn’t even had time to react before the current swept him far downstream, and in a daze, he found himself suspended in midair.

A waterfall!

Falling from the top of a waterfall more than thirty zhang high into the river below, even Tang Tian’s formidable body was battered to the point of nearly vomiting blood. His bones felt as if they were about to shatter, his mind utterly blank.

And this was only the beginning.

Like a roller coaster, before he could regain his senses, the river swept him away again—another waterfall, another free fall over thirty zhang. The poor Tang Tian nearly lost consciousness the moment he hit the water.

The nightmare showed no sign of ending.

He fell six times in total, crashing against countless rocks along the way. His entire body was covered in wounds, and even his internal organs were injured from the violent shocks.

He didn’t even have the strength to stand.

Everything happened so fast, he had no time to react.

If a gaze could kill, Bing’s body would have been riddled with wounds, dead a hundred times over.

A rare look of embarrassment flickered across Bing’s face. Even he felt awkward about this blunder, but he quickly found an excuse to defend himself: “You know, stargates can sometimes change. But this kind of half-changed stargate, this is the first time I’ve ever encountered it.”

Bing truly felt innocent.

Outside Sanhun City, the stargate was exactly as it had been in the past—same location, same size—which made him overjoyed, thinking they could return to familiar ground. But the other side of the gate was completely unrecognizable.

Tang Tian looked up helplessly at the sky. “What kind of planet is this?”

Bing retorted, “Do you think I would know?”

“Fine, looks like I can only rely on myself,” Tang Tian said, closing his eyes. He circulated his true energy and unconsciously entered a meditative state.

He floated on the water like he was asleep, drifting downstream with the current.

Bing was somewhat surprised. To be able to enter meditation so quickly under such circumstances, Tang Tian’s progress was unexpected. He scanned the surroundings and the riverbed, finding no threats.

Bing glanced back.

The majestic waterfall roared thunderously. Even at a distance, its tremendous power was palpable.

But inside, Bing’s heart was heavy with mixed emotions. His old companions had perished, the dominators had been wiped out, the world had changed beyond recognition—even the stargate was completely altered.

A profound loneliness welled up inside him. Everything connected to him had been erased, scattered to the winds. Even memories would gradually lose their color, fading to black and white, settling deep within his heart.

Only he remained.

Such a feeling was truly dreadful.

Bing’s eyes caught sight of Tang Tian, still with closed eyes. He suddenly thought, if this guy hadn’t entered meditation, he’d surely be clamoring by now. A smirk crept to his lips—fortunately, this guy was a bit of a rogue, so Bing wouldn’t be too lonely.

The next day.

Tang Tian opened his eyes, dark and shining with a captivating light. His body had fully recovered. This meditation had taken much longer than usual.

He sat up with a roll, standing on the water’s surface, looking around. Staying afloat was now effortless.

“What kind of place is this?” As Bing predicted, Tang Tian immediately began to complain upon waking. “Wow, this waterfall is huge! How are we supposed to get up there? Hey, hey, hey, uncle, speak up! You caused this whole mess, don’t you feel even a little bit guilty?”

“Do you think I feel guilty?” Bing responded with a mocking smile, but the dark cloud in his heart dissipated somewhat. He raised an eyebrow. “You should count yourself lucky it’s not a dead star. Otherwise, you’d just be waiting to turn to dust. And I’ve got some bad news for you.”

“The Martial Soul Hall is inaccessible,” Bing said, shrugging with an innocent look. “It’s likely that the stargate we passed through yesterday affected the Martial Soul Hall. Its entrance is now completely disordered. I haven’t figured out why yet. Looks like the connection between this stargate and the corps is deeper than I thought.”

If the Martial Soul Hall was unreachable, it meant the passage into Sanhun City was closed.

They were trapped on this planet.

Though it wasn’t Bing’s fault, his attitude...

Tang Tian’s face darkened like the bottom of a pot. He ground his teeth and said through clenched teeth, “A certain corps elder, a responsible young man shouldn’t have an attitude like this!”

Bing chuckled, showing no hint of regret. “You know what elders are like—that’s just how they are. Young man, you’re still a youth. Humility, patience, respect for the elders and care for the young—your path is still long!”

Furious, Tang Tian crouched and lunged at Bing. “You old bastard!”

Bing sneered, unfazed, retorting, “Young man, don’t think you’re so great just because you passed the Eighteen Bronze Men Room. In front of the Chief Instructor, that place isn’t even fun.”

“Bastard! I’ll make you understand how miserable it is to anger a god-like youth!”

“Idiotic youth who hasn’t even passed the rookie camp—I’ve seen plenty like you. I’ll use one hand to knock your teeth out!”

The two squared off tensely on the water’s surface.

Suddenly, faint shouts reached their ears.

“Someone’s here!”

“Someone’s here!”

They exclaimed in unison, exchanging a glance filled with surprise and delight. Someone meant they could find out their location.

Tang Tian and Bing dashed toward the source of the calls.

“What kind of people could it be?” Tang Tian asked while running.

“Women!” Bing’s hearing was sharper. “Sounds like a fight. Young man, be careful not to get beaten up.”

“Uncle, you better take care of yourself. An old guy like you, almost losing your teeth, shouldn’t just envy a god-like youth,” Tang Tian shot back, glaring fiercely.

“Envy? Ha, what can I do? A rookie who hasn’t even passed the rookie camp is hard to trust,” Bing said rapidly.

Their bickering didn’t slow their pace. Tang Tian was like a wild horse unleashed, while Bing followed calmly behind.

They skimmed across the water, reached the shore, then soared into the treetops.

Before them lay a dense forest, the thick canopy forming a sea of green. Tang Tian stretched out his arms and flew like a great bird, skimming over the treetops.

After about ten minutes, Tang Tian spotted their target.

A clearing in the forest bore the scars of a fierce battle—bodies lay scattered in disarray.

Five or six people guarded a young woman. She was elegantly dressed, noble in bearing, clearly no ordinary person. The guards were seasoned veterans, their expressions calm and fierce.

The most prominent was a middle-aged man with a scarred face, exuding murderous intent. A few drops of fresh blood dripped from his palm onto the soil.

“Abili, clean up the battlefield,” he ordered one of the guards.

Abili nodded and began tidying the scene.

Suddenly, the middle-aged man seemed to sense something. He snapped his head around and bellowed, “Who’s there? Show yourself!”

The guards immediately went on high alert, shielding the young woman tightly in the center.

Tang Tian’s heart tightened. He tread lightly and held his breath, but was nonetheless detected.

Bing suddenly merged into Tang Tian’s body, whispering, “Be careful.”

Tang Tian raised his arms and stepped from the woods, calling out loudly, “Don’t attack—I mean no harm!”

Seeing a young man emerge, the guards’ expressions eased slightly, but the middle-aged man remained cautious, not turning his head but commanding sharply, “Shan Chen!”

One slender guard’s eyes glinted red. “Fifth rank! No bloodline awakened!”

No bloodline awakened?

Surprise flickered across their faces, some guards chuckled softly. Even the middle-aged man showed some astonishment. “Didn’t expect to find a rookie here without any bloodline awakened.”

No one paid Tang Tian much attention, but the young woman among the guards looked at him with curiosity.

Tang Tian’s heart stirred. He heard them mention “bloodline”—the only thing associated with bloodlines in his memory was the Black Soul.

Could it be...

Seeing their lowered guard, Tang Tian adopted a harmless expression. “Sorry to bother you. I got lost here. May I ask, where is this place?”

“Night Forest,” a guard answered casually.

“Uh, which planet is that?” Tang Tian had to ask directly.

Everyone stopped moving, their gazes converging on Tang Tian.

The middle-aged man said gravely, “Which stargate did you come through?”

Tang Tian shrugged. “I don’t know. I stepped through the gate, got swept into a river, then fell off a waterfall. I have no idea where I am.”

“Night Forest has a stargate?” the man muttered to himself. Tang Tian’s words showed no sign of deceit. He glanced at Tang Tian. “This is Filin Star.”

“Filin Star...” Tang Tian was sure he had never heard of this planet. He bit the bullet and asked, “Which constellation does it belong to?”

“It doesn’t belong to any constellation,” the man said casually. “It belongs to Black Soul.”

As he suspected, it was related to Black Soul. Yet Tang Tian felt no triumph; without knowing which constellation Filin belonged to, he couldn’t determine his location.

“Do any of you have star maps? Could you sell me one?” Tang Tian looked at them hopefully.

They burst into laughter.

Abili mocked, “Kid, do you really think you can leave Filin Star? Dream on. When has a rookie with no bloodline awakened ever left Filin Star?”

Tang Tian found this baffling. What did leaving a planet have to do with bloodline awakening? (To be continued)