Nanjiang City, as the provincial capital, remains a third-tier city, largely because other major cities' counties have either long been merged into districts or have direct access via intercity subway lines or maglev trains.
However, to get to some of Nanjiang City's subordinate counties, besides the airport bus, one still needs to take an ancient minibus along provincial highways.
Chu Ge vehemently complained about this, while Qiu Wuji was quite enthusiastic.
Having never ridden one before, it looked quite different from a public bus, and the bumpy ride actually gave her a taste of riding in a sedan chair.
The provincial highway was lined with farmland, a golden expanse in autumn that put Qiu Wuji in a good mood. Leaning against the window, she lazily watched, a smile constantly playing on her lips.
If that time she went to the suburbs to pick foxtail grass didn't count, this should be considered her first time leaving Nanjiang City, right?
Qiu Wuji didn't usually yearn for poetry or distant horizons. Her cultivation journey had been filled with countless days of seclusion in the mountains, sometimes lasting a hundred years; she was too accustomed to it, her heart as still as water. And the days of wandering the Nine Provinces, witnessing all the wonders of the world, were long since tiresome.
Observing the world from within her room, browsing the world through a small, box-like laptop, was far more novel and interesting to her, making her even more reluctant to move.
But when she was actually out in the open, Qiu Wuji's mood would brighten. Even the diesel smell of the bus became a uniquely interesting experience.
The only thing she wanted to complain about was the advertisement printed on the seat covers… Infertility, impotence, premature ejaculation… XX Hospital solves your troubles.
Chu Ge looked at it with great interest, even taking pictures to send to the group chat, only to be stopped by Qiu Wuji as if she were an idiot: "You're faking illness to take leave, so what disease are you trying to tell everyone by posting this?"
Chu Ge, sweating profusely, canceled the send.
Qiu Wuji said coolly, "Actually, it suits you quite well. Short and sweet, right? A man who can finish a chapter in five seconds, a flashy guy."
"Hey, hey, hey!" Chu Ge looked around, then said urgently, "You've picked up bad habits from them! How can you say something like that? Promise me, Fairy won't... uh, you can't say anything vulgar, okay?"
"You guys talk about it every day in the group, and I'm an administrator there, so I can't say anything?" Qiu Wuji said disdainfully, "Besides, some people don't just talk, who knows what they're thinking."
"Speaking of which, I should really talk to you about this. Do you think a muscular man who leaves marks on the floor is related to this?"
"You're so proud of yourself, aren't you?"
Qiu Wuji felt that things were getting increasingly inappropriate, but it seemed like she was the one who started this topic... so she simply turned her head to look out the window and ignored him.
Chu Ge, however, started to provoke her: "Hey, you want to see the sea? Is it because you've never been across the sea before?"
Qiu Wuji retorted irritably, "It's all your doing. You know best, okay?"
Indeed, Qiu Wuji had traversed the Nine Provinces, but never crossed the sea.
The Nine Provinces are vast, larger than the entire land area of the Earth—this is a common setting for fantasy and martial arts writers; a large map facilitates plot expansion. While the Nine Provinces are vast, they never venture out to sea.
The Nine Provinces are surrounded by oceans. Once they venture too far, cultivators lose their magic and cannot fly, while mortals' ocean-going abilities are far from sufficient to reach such distant seas. Therefore, people believed that the horizon was the end of the world, impassable.
Qiu Wuji used to think it was the end of the world too, because Chu Ge's world was a flat, celestial realm, not a planet. A flat, celestial world having an end is perfectly normal.
But now, having read the outline, she clearly knew that it wasn't the end; there was a whole new world beyond the sea. However, in the original setting, she wasn't involved; she wouldn't even venture out to sea throughout the entire book… That area was originally intended as a map for the protagonist, Chu Tiange, to level up, cultivate his skills, pick up girls, and then return to show off.
Since she knew there was more to the other side of the sea, how could Qiu Wuji not want to take a look?
Unfortunately, Qiu Wuji currently has the powerful Yan Qianlie to deal with. Their conflict is now a long-term main storyline in a separate volume, and she can't leave until then. Moreover, unlocking the storyline on the other side of the sea only happens after Chu Tiange's cultivation reaches the Golden Core stage; it's not possible in the short term, so she can only sigh in vain.
Chu Ge knew exactly what she was thinking, so he said, "My outline isn't very reliable right now, because after changing the ensemble writing style, many subsequent outlines haven't been adjusted carefully... With the current writing style, the later parts will inevitably increase the conflicts and interactions between cultivators from the other side of the sea and cultivators from the Nine Provinces. You still have room to shine, so there's no need to rush."
Qiu Wuji said, "But that's for the future, isn't it?"
Chu Ge nodded: "But the other side of the sea in this world isn't that mysterious. Earth is just a village now."
Qiu Wuji said absentmindedly, "People actually live..." "On a sphere, the ground beneath our feet is also a star... How amazing." Chu Ge asked curiously, "When did you discover this? I never told you... Your search... um..." The search history didn't show this, but I can't say... Qiu Wuji didn't catch his implication and chuckled, "I watched a science video about the universe on the video site you recommended... The universe is vast, truly awe-inspiring."
"Goodness, you're usually so reserved, I've never heard you say anything."
"Were you planning to use this to shock me at the right time, or threaten me with ten thousand?" "Shouldn't an old lady in her 70s leave home casually?" Chu Ge: "..." Oh no, how come you know so much now...
Qiu Wuji snorted coldly: "Chu Ge, compared to others, your world's scope is really small. You clearly know that the endless, vast starry sky might contain countless civilizations, yet you write your own world, and still have such a narrow perspective."
"So you're already starting to look down on your own world?"
"I'm just looking down on you!"
"Heh..." Chu Ge retorted: "You really think your world's scope is small? The real world is infinitely vast, your world could be an infinite nested doll, ascension..." "The same realm...and higher realms can also be universes. Who says every one is necessarily flat and round?"
"You're cheating."
"This isn't cheating, it's a hidden concept." Chu Ge said leisurely, "When you came out, it was just a newly released book. Even now, the protagonist hasn't even reached the Golden Core stage yet. It's a long way off. How many worlds could you possibly see?" Qiu Wuji couldn't help but say, "Is this why I see some of your books with 20-30 million words and still not finished?"
Chu Ge: "This disciple is becoming more and more insightful."
"Pah." Qiu Wuji looked out the window again, ignoring him.
He was also a little curious. Chu Ge probably had a different vision for that world, but it wasn't clear, so it wasn't written in the outline. Even the celestial realm originally set for ascension wasn't written. Maybe it really is a universe.
Or maybe...
The end of the ascension nested doll is actually here.
He just arrived at the final point early.
Qiu Wuji looked up at the distant view outside the window, where the edge of the sea was already faintly visible.
A dampness seemed to linger in the air, and seabirds soared high above. Listening intently, the distant crashing waves wove a majestic melody, mingled with the joyful laughter of people—so different from the seaside fishing village she had imagined.
The sea of that world was breathtaking; what was the sea like in this world?
Was it also a place where countless people struggled against the power of nature, yearning for the scenery on the other side?
"Let's go." Chu Ge pulled Qiu Wuji out of the car, excitedly heading straight for the seaside amusement park: "Two tickets."
"Why do we need tickets to play at the beach?" Qiu Wuji muttered under her breath. "Does this sea belong to him?"
"It's mainly for maintenance and service." Chu Ge smiled and led her further in: "For example, look ahead…we didn't bring swimsuits." Qiu Wuji followed his gaze and saw a group of girls in bikinis running around on the beach, some even in full pajamas. The men were even wearing only shorts, their upper bodies bare.
Many people were enjoying the sea breeze under parasols on the beach.
Others were lying face down, men and women applying sunscreen to each other, touching each other affectionately.
Qiu Wuji slowly opened his mouth wide.
No, this isn't the kind of sea view I wanted!