Chapter 369 What Is the Dao

Before Chen Fei lay a field of white mist. As soon as he entered the Dream Cage, the mist quickly dispersed, and the world around him expanded at an alarming rate.

“What the hell—?!”

He flailed midair, struggling in vain. But to his shock, his spiritual energy had vanished. Even the Void Heaven Cauldron was nowhere to be sensed!

With no spiritual power and no support from the cauldron, he crashed straight into the ground—headfirst.

A perfectly flat patch of earth was suddenly punctured by a man stuck upside down in the dirt. The nearby children who had been playing looked on in stunned silence.

One brave child crept closer, clutching a crooked tree branch. He poked at Chen Fei’s arm cautiously.

Seeing Chen Fei remain still, the child’s courage grew, and he inched even closer.

Smack!

Chen Fei slapped the branch away, startling the surrounding children into fleeing.

He grunted and pushed himself out of the ground.

“Ptooey!”

He spat out a mouthful of dirt, but the taste of soil still clung to his tongue.

“Strange… so this is the Dream Cage? I can’t feel any qi… even the Void Heaven Cauldron is gone. But my body—my body is still ridiculously strong!”

Chen Fei inspected himself carefully and came to a clear conclusion.

He’d fallen from that height headfirst and hadn’t even scratched himself. If that wasn’t a strong body, what was?

Just as he was getting his bearings, the children returned—this time with a group of rough men in coarse clothing, armed with farming tools and wearing expressions of vigilance.

Chen Fei knew this was a dream realm, yet the realism of these people stirred doubt in his heart.

“Is this really fake… or is it real?”

“Who are you?!”

The leading man glared warily at him.

The boy who had poked Chen Fei tugged on the man’s sleeve.

“Dad, this guy fell from the sky!”

“From the sky…?”

The man looked puzzled, but when he spotted the crater in the ground, he believed it.

His grip on the hoe trembled. His eyes widened in awe.

“Immortal! Please forgive our ignorance! We’re just humble villagers!”

Without another word, the entire group knelt before Chen Fei.

Chen Fei panicked and waved his hands—but forgot he had no qi, so he had to rush forward to stop them manually.

“I’m not an immortal! I just fell from a tree! I’m naturally strong and resilient, that’s all!”

He explained as best he could—but deep inside, he understood one thing:

This world… has immortals.

The villagers remained skeptical, but his honest face eventually convinced them.

And so, Chen Fei quickly became a part of this small village of barely a hundred families — Da Chen Village.

Rather than rushing to explore, Chen Fei adapted to life here. With his enhanced physique, he embraced a simple farmer’s routine, finding peace in the mundane.

Because of his hard work, he became popular — especially among the unmarried women.

Chen Pipi—the same boy who had poked him with a stick — often clung to him.

“Big Brother Chen Fei! I’ve checked out Widow Wang’s daughter from the west end! She’s got wide hips — perfect for birthing babies!”

Smack!

Chen Fei knocked the back of Pipi’s head.

“What does a brat like you know about that?”

“Psh! My dad says it all the time. Plus, you’re strong, good-looking, and those girls—man, their eyes shine when they see you!”

He giggled mischievously.

Chen Fei narrowed his eyes.

“You’ve been taking bribes again, haven’t you?”

Chen Pipi plopped down on the ground, counting on his fingers.

“Wang Cuihua gave me a pouch of candy, Chen Huahua gave me two eggs, and Chen Wei gave me three big dates…”

Seeing the kid list gifts like an accountant, Chen Fei couldn’t help but flick the back of his head again.

This rascal really had a good memory. He was indeed quite popular in the village.

But then, Chen Fei looked up at the night sky.

The stars above shimmered like scattered diamonds — a view he loved the most. It always reminded him of something hidden deep in his heart.

“Big Brother Chen Fei, it’s almost time to harvest the wheat.”

Chen Pipi pouted and flopped onto Chen Fei’s stomach, gazing at the stars with him.

“Harvest’s a good thing, right?”

Chen Fei smiled faintly.

Time flew fast. The wheat was already golden and ripe.

“Dad says… every wheat harvest brings disaster…”

The boy’s voice was small, but solemn beyond his years.

Chen Fei’s eyes narrowed.

Sensing his silence, Pipi spoke again.

“Big Brother Chen Fei… Mom says the stars are actually immortals. Is that true?”

“No,” Chen Fei replied, shaking his head.

“I knew it! I told her she was lying! Immortals are so strong — how could they become stars?”

The boy mumbled, then dozed off on Chen Fei’s stomach.

Under the starlit sky, amidst the ripe wheat, with Pipi’s calm breathing — it all felt so real.

Yet Chen Fei knew… it wasn’t.

This was a dream realm, vividly real — so real it tore at his sense of identity.

“So… what exactly is Dao intent?”

Confusion clouded his eyes.

Suddenly, two stars in the sky flickered unnaturally.

His gaze sharpened.

“So… it’s coming after all.”

Late summer. The wheat swayed in hot, dry winds.

Those two flashing stars grew closer on the horizon.

Pipi’s father, Chen Shiliang, burst from his house, face tense as he stared at the sky.

At the same time, Chen Fei stepped through the courtyard gate with Pipi in his arms.

“That rascal Pipi…”

Chen Shiliang sighed, then looked at Chen Fei.

“You’d better stay on the mountain for a couple days. Come back after the harvest.”

Chen Fei simply nodded.

“Alright.”

Shiliang had expected resistance. Chen Fei’s immediate agreement left him speechless. After a pause, he just waved him off.

“Go, then.”

Chen Fei left the village where he had lived for over three months and returned to the crater where he first fell.

Standing there, he murmured:

“So… what is Dao intent?

What path… am I meant to walk?”

His eyes were empty. He stood frozen in place.

Back in Da Chen Village, a flicker of starlight descended.

Two cold-looking men appeared.

They scanned the surroundings, frowning.

“Who’s the village head here? Show yourself!”

“There’s an outsider among you.

Where is he?”