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Chapter 250: Refinement, Departure

Ji Qing wiped her mouth with a napkin, nodded, and replied, "Me too."

Then, they both got up and went back to their respective rooms. Different bedrooms, the same view outside the window, but similar expressions on their faces.

Neither could sleep well. They lay on their backs, staring at the ceiling, their faces grim.

Ye An even felt a bit suffocated for a moment.

Have I been lazy?

No.

I've had all sorts of great opportunities, extraordinary luck—everything handed to me on a platter. Yet here I am, the one needing others to worry about me.

Only the weak need others to worry about them.

Am I weak?!

Why?!

Ye An gritted his teeth, having an internal dialogue with himself.

No reason.

Weak is weak, that's a fact. No arguments there.

I'll just have to get stronger.

At any cost, I'll do more training than ever before, squeezing out every ounce of potential to become the kind of strong person others worry about, not someone who's worried about.

In the adjacent room, Ji Qing was feeling much the same emotionally.

She knew she wasn't weak.

But today she faced a task that required her full effort and barely managed to complete it.

If she were stronger, she could issue two commands simultaneously, endure for two days and nights, and help Ye An deal with the side effects of the Extinction Power.

But she couldn't.

Not strong enough. This feeling was unfamiliar to Ji Qing, the first time she had experienced it in her life.

Uncomfortable, unhappy.

So, I must become stronger.

Strong enough that nothing in this world can harm me or him!

Finally, both covered themselves and went to sleep.

Early the next morning, at six o'clock.

Approaching winter, the sky was barely light when they both woke up simultaneously.

Ye An set off for Zhuque Star. The fragrance of morning dew accompanied him on the way.

Upon reaching Zhuque Star, he quickly consulted Zhuque Grandmaster about the Refinement Technique and shared his gains from last night.

"The Refinement Technique is straightforward, but raising the limit of physical strength by two levels is difficult."

"I'll help you with the first task now. We'll discuss the second after the refinement is complete."

"Okay," Ye An nodded hastily.

The Refinement Technique involved refining the body with Zhuque's flames, an extremely painful process. But for Ye An now, such pain was nothing compared to what he had endured in recent times in the dreams where each death brought immense suffering.

He was long past knowing what pain was.

Ye An was not afraid of pain, fatigue, or difficulty—only of being weak.

Everyone has their fears.

Ye An's greatest fear was his own weakness, which drove him to relentlessly pursue strength.

The normal Refinement Technique would take about six hours a day.

But Ye An was pressed for time. With only 30 days left until the Swordlight Tournament, precisely 28 days, since participants had to arrive in the Divine Realm at least two days early!

Zhuque Grandmaster said the Refinement Technique would take at least half a month.

Ye An thought it was too long. He hoped to finish it in five days, so he trained directly in a slow-time barrier, spending eight hours a day.

Three times slower meant a single Refinement lasted 24 hours.

This disrupted his biological clock, exhausted him, and significantly reduced efficiency.

Zhuque Grandmaster sighed helplessly, thinking, Haste makes waste.

Yet unexpectedly, Ye An's desire for improvement awakened his long-dormant talent for dreams.

This talent directly helped him recover energy and reset his biological clock, with minimal cost in mental strength, easily replenished.

Thus, Ye An actually completed the Refinement in five days. His physical strength reached the current limit. Stripping off his clothes, his bronze skin gleamed like a copper wall.

But even so, it was still not enough!

Zhuque Grandmaster pointed him in a clear direction: "Anything related to raising the upper limit is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"So, the only help you can get will be from those close to achieving it or those already at the celestial level."

"Give Elder Tan Que a call."

Ye An instantly understood.

Sure enough, the Village Chief mentioned by Elder Tan Que was a celestial-level powerhouse!

But at this moment, Ye An's old problem resurfaced.

His pride was too strong, his face too thin—he felt embarrassed to ask Elder Tan Que to help him.

After all, they didn't know each other.

It was outrageous to ask a stranger, even a celestial-level powerhouse, for help.

Seeing Ye An hesitating at the foot of the mountain, Zhuque Grandmaster shook her head helplessly, then sent a few messages herself using the Star Platform, saying, "Go to this address. Someone will meet you there."

"I'm using my influence."

"Huh?" Ye An was somewhat delighted but also nervous.

Zhuque calmly said, "You already owe me your life, a little more debt doesn't matter."

"With more debts, there's no worry, right?"

Upon hearing this, Ye An fell silent for a few seconds, then knelt down and said, "Thank you, Grandmaster Zhuque, for your help."

"Go," Zhuque said.

She watched Ye An walk away, feeling somewhat puzzled.

What a kid.

Normally, young people don't even need to kneel in front of me. I wouldn't say a word, let alone help them.

Yet here's Ye An.

I've already pointed him in the right direction, and he's still hesitant. He needs me to personally send him to his destination and speak well of him to those who will help him.

That person is a figure in the Hall of Heroes, a hero of the epic saga.

In terms of strength, seniority, or accomplishments, I have no face to speak of before such a person.

If it weren't for the fact that the other party was approachable, I wouldn't dare to speak lightly.

So now, Zhuque couldn't help but feel nervous, thinking that Ye An better perform well. Don't let me down.

Before leaving, Ye An told Ji Qing that he was going on a long journey to find Elder Tan Que's Village Chief.

Ji Qing stood in place, watching Ye An off, feeling a bit unhappy.

Though she understood everything, she wasn't quite willing to be separated from Ye An.

On Tianqi Star, although they were separated by distance and hadn't seen each other, she knew exactly where Ye An was and what he was doing.

Now, not knowing these details made her feel empty.

Moreover, if he took too long on that side, he might go directly to the Swordlight Tournament, and she would go to another side to participate in the battle.

If that happened, their next meeting might be months away.

If something happened to Ye An or herself in the meantime, could this separation be permanent?

Sitting in the dimly lit and empty living room, Ji Qing felt uneasy at the thought of spending the night alone.

Suddenly, she remembered Ye An's determined face.

If there were any difficulties, it was because she wasn't strong enough.

Separation was for becoming stronger.

Becoming stronger was to never part again!

Ji Qing nodded silently, forgetting about time, devoting all her attention to cultivation, thinking that when her cultivation was over, she could meet Ye An again.

Late at night.

Ji Qing was preparing to go to bed when the Star Platform suddenly rang. She looked down and saw a message from Ye An.

"What are you doing?"

A smile involuntarily appeared on her face, and she quickly replied, "I'm getting ready to sleep."

"Almost there, I guess I'll be at my destination after I sleep."

On the spaceship, Ye An lay in the luxurious room of the Presidential Suite, his eyes not on the splendid decorations around him, but on the Star Platform in front of him.

He chatted with Ji Qing for a while.

Seeing the words Ji Qing replied with, he couldn't help but imagine her expression and posture as she spoke.

In the end, they seemed to chat late into the night before he unconsciously fell asleep.

He slept soundly that night, but upon waking up, he felt empty inside. He quickly sent a message to Ji Qing, letting her know he was almost at his destination, just reporting in to feel a bit more at ease.

Ye An sat silently on the edge of the bed, looking at the boundless starry sky, thinking about how many hearts across the cosmos were separated by this starry expanse?

If longing had a shape, this endless starry sea would surely be filled with waves of energy called longing.