"My name is Dylan Lethe, and I'm from Earth..." Dylan Lethe made no attempt to hide his origins. He truly was from Earth; as for the Dao Domain, it was merely a waypoint in his pursuit of the Grand Way.
"You're from Earth?" Leon Starfield stared at Dylan Lethe in astonishment, his tone tinged with excitement.
For a moment, Dylan Lethe forgot all about Serena Cheng, and looked at Leon Starfield in confusion. "Yes, why? Have you heard of Earth?"
He found it odd. Earth was just an ordinary mortal planet, and this place was countless billions of miles away from it. If anyone he happened to meet knew of Earth, that would be far too unbelievable.
"You've never been to Earth? Then how do you know there's such a tiny planet out there in the universe?" Dylan Lethe was even more puzzled. If it were the Dao Domain or Immortal Domain, it would make sense to know about them without visiting. But Earth, in the vast cosmos, was less than a grain of sand. With so many planes and countless billions of miles separating them, how could Leon Starfield possibly know about it?
Seeing Dylan Lethe's astonished expression, Leon Starfield laughed again and explained, "I may not have been to Earth myself, but my father and mother both came from there."
"That can't be right. Earth is so poor in cultivation resources—how could that be?" Dylan Lethe was even more baffled. The only reason he managed to leave Earth was because his mother and Aunt Zoe discovered an ancient teleportation array.
"There's nothing impossible about it. My father's name is Emperor Ye—you've heard of him, right?" Leon Starfield figured that anyone with enough cultivation in this universe would know the name Emperor Ye, so there was no need to explain further.
Dylan Lethe's response left Leon Starfield a bit deflated. Dylan simply shook his head, "I've truly never heard of Emperor Ye."
Leon Starfield rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed. "Alright, you're just too young—it's normal you haven't heard of him. Not just you, I haven't seen my father in ages. Word is, he went to the Gate of Destiny, but I don't know the details. Back when I first became an Immortal King, I left the Sacred Dao Domain, and all these years, I haven't gone back."
"You say your father is so famous, so why did you leave?" Dylan Lethe asked offhandedly, his tone a bit distracted.
Leon Starfield chuckled. "My father also wandered the cosmos alone back in the day. Sure, the Sacred Dao Domain has endless cultivation resources, but I don't think that's good for my Grand Way. After I left, my cultivation slowed down a lot, and there were many times I almost perished in the void. But I'm certain—if I'd stayed in the Sacred Dao Domain, my achievements wouldn't even be half of what they are now. It's not about cultivation level, but something else entirely."
"I agree." Dylan Lethe nodded. He too had wandered the void alone, and knew well the difference between forging ahead on your own and staying home to cultivate.
"Brother Dylan, you just said you were waiting here for your woman. Normally, I wouldn't meddle, but since we're both from Earth—fellow countrymen—I'll say a word more. If a woman, without a good reason, makes her man wait around like this... well, I think such a woman..." Leon Starfield didn't finish his sentence, but Dylan Lethe understood what he meant.
Dylan Lethe replied calmly, "She and I have braved life and death together, relying on each other. She's saved me many times, and I've saved her just as often. I just don't understand why, after she stepped into the Second Step, she's changed so much. She wasn't like this before."
Leon Starfield chuckled, "Brother, a man has to be capable—if he's not, a woman will look down on him."
Dylan Lethe didn't answer. He understood exactly what Leon Starfield meant. In truth, his cultivation speed was already considered fast, but who could have expected Serena Cheng to advance even faster?
Seeing Dylan Lethe's silence, Leon Starfield lowered his voice. "Brother, you and I are both in the Transformation Realm. I know of an incredible place—it's the best spot to break through to the Second Step. You may not have heard of my father, but let me tell you, his strength absolutely crushes his peers. Do you know why he's so powerful? Aside from his mastery of the Grand Way, the place he chose to break into the Second Step was also crucial. The place I've found, I think it's even better than where my father advanced. So, what do you say? Want to go with me?"
Dylan Lethe looked at Leon Starfield and chuckled. "Leon Starfield, so this last sentence is your real purpose, isn't it?"
Leon Starfield looked a bit embarrassed, then admitted, "Brother Dylan, that last sentence really was my aim. I can't go to that place alone. You know, after I left the Sacred Dao Domain, my cultivation slowed down, but even so, it's not like I haven't broken through to the Second Step after all these years.
I haven't advanced to the Second Step yet because I've been searching for an extraordinary place to make my breakthrough. Now I've finally found it, but I can't find a like-minded friend to go with me. For most people, I wouldn't bother inviting them. But since you're a fellow countryman, I extended the invitation. Of course, if you really don't want to go, that's fine too."
"I told you, I'm waiting for someone." Dylan Lethe was tempted, to be honest. Serena Cheng's change baffled him, and because he couldn't figure it out, he was even more desperate to break into the Second Step. He wanted to show Serena Cheng that he, Dylan Lethe, was no failure.
Leon Starfield clicked his tongue. "Brother Dylan, let me be frank. Husbands and wives are like clothes; brothers are like limbs. You and that woman are probably just Dao partners, right? Actually, maybe not even Dao partners, let alone husband and wife. She just left you here to handle her own affairs—clearly, she doesn't care about you. If you keep waiting, you're only embarrassing yourself, your parents, and me, your fellow countryman."
Do you know how I got my name? My father had a very good friend named Ye Xing. After he disappeared, my father named me after him. So, you see, friends are what matter most. Now that we're friends, you should listen to me and go pursue the Second Step together."
Dylan Lethe fell silent. He seemed to see Serena Cheng, after her breakthrough to the Second Step, looking at him with that pitying gaze, that deep-rooted pride. The words 'Brother Lethe'—he hadn't heard them since she advanced. Leon Starfield didn't need to say it; Dylan was already planning to find a place to break into the Second Step himself.
"Your father came from Earth—what ethnicity is he?" Dylan Lethe suddenly asked.
Leon Starfield laughed, "Of course he's Han. Isn't that obvious?"
"Alright, I believe you. Let's go seek the chance to break through to the Second Step together. So, where is this place you're talking about?" Dylan Lethe no longer hesitated. As long as Leon Starfield answered with one of Earth's fifty-six ethnic groups, Dylan knew he was truly from Earth. If Leon had answered 'Human Clan,' he would have known it was a lie and refused to go with him.
Beyond that, Dylan Lethe also felt there was no need to keep waiting. His relationship with Serena Cheng was one of mutual support—a love forged through life and death.
Now, Serena Cheng had clearly changed. In the past, she would never have casually told him to wait while she went after someone else. Since that love was gone, why beg for it? Many things in this world can be sought, but love is not one of them.
Leon Starfield clapped his hands. "That's more like it, brother. Let's go—get on my ship. Once you've seen that place, you'll know I wasn't lying. I really do have your best interests at heart."
"So, what is this place exactly?" Dylan Lethe asked as he stepped onto Leon Starfield's ship.
"Grand Frontier." With those words, Leon Starfield's ship powered up, becoming a shadow that vanished into the vast void.
Half a day later, Cynthia Xing arrived at the spot where Dylan Lethe had been waiting. When she realized he was gone, her expression instantly turned cold. She was used to giving Dylan instructions, but she could not tolerate him disregarding her words.