Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 357 The Green Robe Old Man

Gao Xingchen held Nan Li's hand tightly, his eyes determined: "Li'er, we can't give up! Since Senior Xuanming has pointed out the direction, we will definitely find the Four Symbols Divine Beasts!"

Nan Li held his hand in hers, feeling the warmth and strength of his palm, and felt more at ease: "I believe in you, Xingchen. No matter what lies ahead, I will walk with you."

According to the clues left by Xuanming, they set out on a journey to find the four sacred beasts. The first target was the Azure Dragon sacred beast in the extremely cold land of the east.

Along the way, they passed through dense primeval forests, climbed steep mountains, crossed turbulent rivers, and experienced countless hardships and dangers. Nanli's white tiger pet Xiaobai also evolved to a higher level, with a larger body and stronger strength, becoming an indispensable partner in their journey.

Finally, a month later, they arrived at the extremely cold land in the east marked on the map. It was covered with ice and snow all year round, with extremely low temperatures and biting cold winds, like a frozen world.

"Is this the habitat of the Azure Dragon beast?" Nan Li looked at the vast expanse of white in front of him and couldn't help but shudder.

"It should be correct. Let's be careful." Gao Xingchen took off his coat and put it on Nan Li. "There are dangers everywhere here. We must stay alert at all times."

They marched forward with difficulty in the biting cold wind. Suddenly, Xiaobai let out a low growl, indicating that there was danger ahead.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li immediately became alert and slowed down their pace. They saw a huge ice cave in front of them, and there was a strong pressure at the entrance, which made people feel terrified.

"Could it be that the Azure Dragon is in there?" Gao Xingchen's mind moved, and he turned to look at Nan Li, "Li'er, let's go in and take a look."

Nanli nodded, and the two people and one beast walked into the ice cave carefully.

The cave was even colder than outside, and the cold was so strong that it almost froze people to death. After walking for a long time, they finally came to a wide ice cave.

In the center of the ice cave, there was a huge green dragon. Its body was covered with green scales, emitting a dazzling green light, and its huge dragon eyes looked down at them majestically, full of the aura of a king.

"You...you are the Azure Dragon divine beast?" Gao Xingchen took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in his heart, and asked respectfully.

The Azure Dragon beast slowly opened its eyes and let out a deafening roar: "Who are you? Why are you disturbing my meditation?"

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at each other, their hearts sinking. It seemed that getting the help of the Azure Dragon beast was not easy.

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound calm and sincere: "Dear Azure Dragon, we are cultivators from Xingyao Continent, our names are Gao Xingchen and Nanli. We came here to seek your help."

A stream of cold air blew out of the huge nostrils of the Azure Dragon beast, and ice crystals instantly condensed and dissipated in the air. "Help? Just you?" His voice was like the collapse of a glacier, shaking the entire ice cave.

"We know that we are weak, but we are responsible for saving the star field!" Gao Xingchen said firmly, meeting the gaze of the Azure Dragon without flinching, "The Nine Stars are about to align, and a catastrophe is about to come. We need to gather the power of the Four Elephants to resolve this crisis!"

"Save the star field? How ridiculous." The Azure Dragon beast snorted disdainfully, "You humans claim to be the spirits of all things, but you wantonly destroy and are greedy. In the end, you will only destroy yourself. Why should I help you?"

Nan Li took a step forward, and her cold voice echoed in the empty ice cave: "Master Divine Beast, not all of us humans are like you said. We are here to protect the peace of the star field and the future of all living beings. Please believe us!"

The Azure Dragon was silent for a moment, and a complex light flashed in its huge dragon eyes. He slowly raised a dragon claw, and a powerful spiritual power wave instantly swept across the entire ice cave.

"If you want my help, prove it with your strength!"

Before he finished speaking, the Azure Dragon beast suddenly swung its dragon claws, and a sharp ice cone wrapped in biting cold air whizzed towards Gao Xingchen and Nanli.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were well prepared. They dodged the attack quickly. Gao Xingchen drew his sword from its sheath, and the sharp sword energy cut through the air, heading straight for the Azure Dragon. Nan Li cooperated tacitly, and the power of ice and snow condensed into a sharp ice blade in her hand, attacking from the side.

The Azure Dragon did not dodge or evade, allowing the attack to fall on him, but only a few pieces of ice were splashed. His huge body was like a copper wall, indestructible.

"With just this little strength, you dare to talk about saving the star field?" The voice of the Azure Dragon Divine Beast was full of sarcasm.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were not discouraged. They knew that the Azure Dragon Divine Beast was deliberately testing their strength.

The battle was about to break out, and the entire ice cave became their battlefield. Ice cones, sword energy, and ice blades intertwined, the cold air was raging, and ice chips were flying. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li cooperated tacitly. They dodged the attacks of the Azure Dragon Beast while looking for his weaknesses.

As the battle progressed, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li gradually discovered that although the Azure Dragon's attack was fierce, it did not really mean to hurt them. His attack seemed fierce, but he always left room for maneuver at the critical moment.

Could it be that the Azure Dragon Divine Beast was not really rejecting them, but was testing them?

This thought arose in Gao Xingchen and Nan Li's minds, further strengthening their determination. They no longer reserved their strength, exerted their own strength to the extreme, and challenged the Azure Dragon again and again.

In the ice cave, the battle continued. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li became more and more determined. There was an unyielding light in their eyes, as if they were declaring war on the Azure Dragon and also on fate...

Ice chips were flying all over the sky, and the cold air was overwhelming. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were flying in the ice cave. They could no longer remember how many times they had dodged attacks and how many times they had swung their swords. The power of the Azure Dragon beast was like an overwhelming force, and every collision put tremendous pressure on their bodies.

Finally, after a fierce attack, Gao Xingchen seized the gap in the attack of the Azure Dragon Divine Beast and thrust his sharp sword energy straight at the reverse scale of the Azure Dragon Divine Beast. The Azure Dragon Divine Beast's huge body shook slightly, and a hint of admiration flashed in its eyes, but it did not stop attacking.

"boom--"

With a loud bang, Gao Xingchen was knocked away by a powerful force and fell heavily on the ice, spurting blood from his mouth. Nan Li was shocked when he saw this. He ignored his own injuries and flew to catch Gao Xingchen, asking anxiously, "Xingchen, how are you?"

Gao Xingchen's face was pale, with blood on the corners of his mouth, but he showed a hint of a smile: "I'm fine, we succeeded."

The huge figure of the Azure Dragon beast slowly descended, his eyes fell on Gao Xingchen and Nan Li, and his tone was filled with a hint of relief: "You are very good, you passed my test."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were delighted, but before they could be happy, they felt weak. Their injuries had accumulated to a certain extent in the previous battle, and now they could no longer hold on. Their eyes went dark and they passed out.

……

When Gao Xingchen and Nan Li woke up again, they found themselves in a warm light, and their injuries had healed. They looked around and found themselves in a paradise with birds singing and flowers blooming, and the scenery was pleasant.

"Where is this..." Gao Xingchen asked puzzledly.

"This is the territory of the Azure Dragon Divine Beast," an old voice sounded, "You have passed his test, and he has recognized your strength."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man in a green robe standing not far away. He had kind eyes and a sage-like demeanor.

The old man slowly walked up to them and continued, "Next, you have to find the three sacred beasts, the White Tiger, the Vermillion Bird, and the Black Tortoise. Only by gathering the power of the four sacred beasts can we truly resolve this crisis."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were startled and nodded solemnly. They knew that the next challenge would be even more severe.

However, the journey ahead was much more difficult than they had imagined. They first arrived at the White Tiger Ridge in the west where the White Tiger beast was located and then at the Vermillion Bird Valley in the south where the Vermillion Bird beast was located, but were rejected and attacked both times. The White Tiger beast was extremely violent and the Vermillion Bird beast was arrogant, and they could not communicate with them at all, let alone gain their recognition.

Every battle was fraught with danger. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were both seriously injured and even nearly lost their lives several times.

"Why? Why don't they want to believe us?" Nan Li looked at the raging fire in front of him. The figure of the divine beast Suzaku was looming in the firelight. His tone was full of powerlessness and despair.

Gao Xingchen was silent. He didn't know the answer. Could it be that they really couldn't complete this mission? Was the star field really doomed to be destroyed?

Just when they were in despair, the mysterious old man appeared before them again...

The raging fire burned the earth, and the sharp cry of the Suzaku beast resounded through the world. Nan Li supported Gao Xingchen weakly, and both of them were covered with scars and looked miserable. After being rejected by the White Tiger and the Suzaku, they were like rocks hit by huge waves, and their hearts were filled with powerlessness and confusion.

"Are we not strong enough?" Gao Xingchen murmured to himself, his voice trembling. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, the power of the stars surged in his body, but it could not calm the bitterness in his heart.

Nan Li looked at him silently, her eyes full of heartache. She reached out her hand, gently stroked the scars on his face, and said softly: "Xingchen, don't be like this, we have tried our best."

“But, Star Region…” Gao Xingchen raised his head, with a painful light flashing in his eyes, “We can’t just give up like this!”

At this moment, a gentle light descended from the sky and enveloped them. A familiar old voice sounded in their ears: "Children, your hearts are confused."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked up suddenly, and saw that the mysterious old man had appeared in front of them at some point. He was holding a whisk, and there was a hint of worry on his kind face.

"Senior..." Gao Xingchen opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

The old man looked at them lovingly and said slowly: "The Heart of the Stars is the purest and most benevolent power in the world. It contains protection and hope, not killing and conquest. If you want to gain the recognition of the divine beasts, you must first truly understand the true meaning of the Heart of the Stars."

"Protection and hope..." Gao Xingchen muttered to himself, and scenes from the past emerged in his mind. He remembered how he risked his life to protect the weak, how he became stronger to protect the star field, and how he and Nan Li fought side by side and faced all challenges together...

Could this be the true power of the Heart of the Stars?

Gao Xingchen fell into deep thought, and Nan Li also lowered his head thoughtfully. They had always regarded the power of stars as a powerful means of attack, but ignored its deeper meaning.

The old man looked at the two people who were lost in thought, smiled slightly, and disappeared in the light.

"Xingchen, should we..." Nanli raised his head and looked at Gao Xingchen, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Gao Xingchen took a deep breath, and a firm belief rekindled in his eyes. He held Nan Li's hand tightly and said in a deep voice: "Let's try again!"

This time, they no longer focused on the confrontation of power, but tried to feel the hearts of the mythical beasts and understand their determination to protect the star field.

Can Gao Xingchen and Nanli truly understand the power of the Heart of the Stars? How will they gain the recognition of the divine beast?