A vibrant world unfolded before Li Xiaofei’s eyes. It was the core of the planet, but there was sunlight. Mountains and rivers stretched across the landscape. Lush vegetation and towering green trees covered the land.
At first glance, everything within a few thousand meters looked so alive that, for a fleeting moment, Li Xiaofei felt as if he had returned to the peaceful and serene Earth of the past.
"This is..." said Li Xiaofei, stuttering from shock.
"Taoyuan," Ah Qing answered.
Taoyuan, the legendary Taoyuan. A land of purity, untouched by the outside world. In Western mythology, such a place was called the Garden of Eden. But in the lands of Huaxia, it was known as Taoyuan.
Li Xiaofei had never imagined that such a paradise could exist on this planet that was dismissed as nothing more than a cosmic landfill. And it was not empty. More than a thousand people lived here. They had settled and thrived within this hidden world. Thatched huts dotted the landscape, surrounded by wooden fences.
Irrigation channels had been dug. Fields were cultivated. A naturally formed settlement had taken shape, resembling the tribal villages of ancient times.
"Are all the people here from Earth?" Li Xiaofei asked curiously.
Ah Qing nodded and said, "To be precise, they are all from Great Xia. Some are illegal immigrants, while others are their descendants. They have been hiding here, living and multiplying for generations."
Li Xiaofei didn’t know what to say. Even the little black dog beside him looked utterly dumbfounded, as if struggling to comprehend the situation.
The other mysterious figures removed their metallic headgear, revealing their faces. Each one of them bore the distinct features of Great Xia. There were elderly individuals with silver hair. There were also teenagers, around sixteen or seventeen years old. All of them wore pure, genuine smiles. Their eyes were filled with warmth as they gazed at Li Xiaofei.
The group landed on the ground. Li Xiaofei was treated as an honored guest and invited into the village, where he was warmly welcomed by the residents.
A group of children hopped and skipped over.
"Sister Ah Qing, who is he?" asked the leader of the children curiously. He was a young boy, dressed only in shorts. He had a handmade jade necklace around his neck and a semi-circular patch of hair in front of his head.
"He’s Uncle Nangong’s friend," Ah Qing smiled, gently patting the boy’s head.
Her voice was crisp and pleasant, carrying a youthful charm. At this moment, she was like a child herself, completely shedding the stern and authoritative demeanor of a leader.
"Hello!" The boy greeted Li Xiaofei.
"Hello," replied Li Xiaofei.
"Hehe, hello!" The other children greeted him enthusiastically.
Just hearing that he was Uncle Nangong’s friend instantly bridged the gap between them. The children accepted Li Xiaofei as one of their own without any doubt or hesitation. They settled inside the camp's main hall. Villagers brought out fruits and food. There was even wine.
As Li Xiaofei observed carefully, he noticed something. Every resident here, including the children, was a cosmic lifeform. However, their power levels weren’t particularly high.
Most of the children were at the Meteor level. The adults were primarily at the Asteroid or Planet level. Only Ah Qing’s field team of a dozen people had life levels in the Planet level or above.
Li Xiaofei couldn't quite gauge Ah Qing’s strength. He suspected she was at the Planet level, but since she was their leader, her true power should logically be higher than her subordinates'. The overall strength of Taoyuan's people was rather average.
Li Xiaofei ate a few pieces of fruit and drank a few cups of wine as the villagers displayed their warm hospitality. That was when he noticed something odd. The fruits were just ordinary fruits—completely devoid of cosmic energy. They tasted good and were rich in vitamins, but they had no cultivation benefits whatsoever.
The wine, likely brewed from the same fruits, was also nothing more than regular alcohol. Compared to the spirit wines of Chongque City, which brimmed with cosmic energy and could enhance one's life level with just a single sip, this was an entirely different thing.
Li Xiaofei quickly realized. The flora and fauna in Taoyuan were identical to those from Earth over five hundred years ago. They were still at a primitive stage. Or more precisely, they were trapped in a law-based disconnection, preventing any of the plants and animals from possessing cultivation-enhancing properties. They could sustain life but offered no growth in power.
Now, Li Xiaofei fully understood why Ah Qing had said that they relied on Nangong Longjian for survival and cultivation resources. If they wanted to grow stronger, Taoyuan’s natural resources alone simply weren’t enough.
"Sir, are you from Chongque City?" A curious voice chimed in.
Li Xiaofei turned to find a stunning young girl. She looked about sixteen or seventeen, with short black hair that framed her delicate face. Her large, round, peach-blossom eyes shimmered like black gemstones, and her features were as exquisitely refined as a painting.
Her slender waist curved gracefully, her skin was as fair as milk, and though her gaze carried an innocent purity, there was an innate charm about her that seemed effortless.
"Yes," Li Xiaofei nodded.
"Then... are you an important figure in Chongque City?" asked the girl. Her delicate face lit up with curiosity and admiration.
Li Xiaofei chuckled and replied, "Just a small figure, nothing special."
"Oh," said the girl, looking slightly disappointed.
Still, she hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then... Can you take me to Chongque City? I’m sixteen now, and I want to see the outside world! Uncle Nangong promised he would take me one day."
Li Xiaofei froze for a second.
"Little Man, don’t be rude," said Ah Qing, gently reprimanding her. "Go fetch Grandma Village Chief. Tell her we have an honored guest."
The girl, called Little Man, let out a soft oh before turning to leave. But after taking a few steps, she spun around again, flashing a playful grin at Li Xiaofei.
"You’re not as handsome as Uncle Nangong," she teased, "but you’re kind. I can tell. Think about it, okay? You don’t have to take me forever, just for a trip to the city!"
Then, she sprinted away, giggling mischievously.
Ah Qing smiled helplessly and explained, "Little Man is the daughter of the former village chief. After Uncle Man and Aunt Man sacrificed themselves, she became an orphan. She’s been wanting to leave Taoyuan ever since."
She then proceeded to introduce the situation within Taoyuan Camp. The population here exceeded a thousand, with a variety of surnames. The three most common were Ji, Jiang, and Ying, followed by Li and Wang.
The former village chief had the surname Ji. Which meant that Little Man’s full name was Ji Man.
"What about you?" Li Xiaofei asked curiously.
Ah Qing shook her head and said, "I don’t have a surname. I was a wild child growing up, since my parents died very early. Uncle Man and Aunt Man took care of me. Everyone just called me Ah Qing, and that became my name."
Li Xiaofei was stunned.
No surname. Orphaned at a young age. That kind of backstory was classic protagonist material in Qidan and Zongkeng novels. Moreover, the three dominant surnames in Taoyuan happened to be the same as three of the Eight Ancient Surnames of Great Xia’s history. Was that merely a coincidence, or was there a deeper connection?
Li Xiaofei had a strong feeling that Taoyuan held ancient secrets waiting to be uncovered. As they spoke, an elderly woman with silver-white hair, leaning on a cane, was helped into the hall by Ji Man.