After the Skyfall

The dimly lit living room.

Li Yi sat motionless on the floor, eyes closed, breathing steady, fully immersed in his cultivation.

The broken knife coin granted him an unimaginable advantage. Pure energy continuously flowed into his body, guided by his will, and was absorbed with astonishing efficiency.

His body’s cells, nourished by this energy, began evolving on their own.

Evolved cells divided faster, lived longer, and became stronger. Over time, these subtle changes would accumulate, manifesting in an overall transformation—enhanced physical strength, tougher bones, and even increased lifespan.

This was a complete metamorphosis.

Cultivation, at its core, was the process of self-evolution.

—

However, after two to three hours in a meditative state, an intense hunger struck Li Yi, forcing him to open his eyes and halt his cultivation.

“So hungry…” He licked his lips.

His stomach growled loudly, and a powerful thirst consumed him. The food he had eaten earlier that night had long been digested, leaving him with a deep, gnawing emptiness.

Li Yi wasn’t alarmed—he knew this was normal. As his body evolved, its energy consumption naturally increased. The most immediate effect? An insatiable appetite.

Standing up, he went straight to the kitchen to cook. First, he needed to eat.

—

Milk, instant noodles, dry noodles—he devoured everything in the fridge. But even after that, the hunger remained. Desperate, he dissolved granulated sugar in warm water and gulped it down.

Only after consuming every edible thing in the house did the hunger finally subside.

—

“No wonder people say medical pods weren’t designed for the Silent Ones but for cultivators instead.”

Li Yi glanced at the two medical pods in the room, a realization dawning upon him.

“It makes perfect sense. A cultivator inside a medical pod has access to a stable and comfortable environment. The pod automatically adjusts air temperature and humidity, blocks out noise, and even massages the body to promote circulation, preventing health issues caused by prolonged meditation. But more importantly—it continuously supplies the body with the necessary nutrients.”

He pondered for a moment.

“A second-hand medical pod costs at least a million. A brand-new, state-of-the-art model? Starting price—thirty million. And the cheapest nutrient solution costs 1,000 per vial, providing enough sustenance for a Silent One for ten days. But the top-tier nutrient solutions? Those go for 100,000 per vial. Liquid gold. That kind of nutrient solution is obviously meant for cultivators.”

“Otherwise, cultivators would constantly be woken up by hunger every few hours, which would drastically lower their training efficiency.”

“So, for an ordinary person to embark on the path of cultivation, at the very least, they need a medical pod and a steady supply of nutrient solutions. If they have extra money, they’d even hire a guide to help channel cosmic energy into their bodies, greatly accelerating their progress.”

“When you break it down like this, it’s clear—cultivation isn’t something people avoid because they fear the toxicity of cosmic energy. No, the real reason is simple…”

“They just can’t afford it.”

Li Yi finished his sugar water, smacked his lips, and silently calculated his next steps.

“So, my top priority now is to find a job that pays big and fast. Otherwise, even with this broken relic, my cultivation path will be full of obstacles. On top of that, I not only need resources for myself but also for my parents—making sure they can stay in the medical pods in good health. I can’t keep feeding them those cheap 1,000-per-vial nutrient solutions forever.”

“Once I have money, I’ll get the latest and most advanced medical pods and buy the 100,000-per-vial nutrient solution.”

His ambitions had completely shifted. The small wages from his previous jobs were no longer enough. His hunger for power—and the wealth to sustain it—was growing stronger.

“I’ll keep training. Tomorrow, I’ll ask Lin Yue how cultivators make money.”

—

Li Yi re-entered his meditative state and continued cultivating.

—

The night passed quickly.

At sunrise, Li Yi left home early. His hunger was unbearable, and since he had already cleaned out his food supplies, he headed straight for the breakfast stall downstairs.

“Boss, twenty buns.”

His voice was strong and full of energy. Despite the hunger, he felt surprisingly good—light, powerful, and refreshed. He no longer had the exhaustion he used to feel after long hours of work.

And this was only the first day of his training.

As he ate, he mulled over his options for making money. He had just over a thousand left, and his home was essentially out of food. If he couldn’t secure at least two vials of nutrient solution by evening, his parents would have to starve with him.

Deep in thought, his phone suddenly rang.

Li Yi glanced at the caller ID. It was from a shady job broker he knew—Curly-Haired Bro.

—

But when he answered, the voice on the other end wasn’t Curly-Haired Bro’s.

It was deep, familiar.

He had heard it before.

Then it clicked.

It was Crow.

—

Li Yi’s expression turned serious. He hadn’t expected them to handle the Investigation Bureau so quickly. This group clearly wasn’t just ordinary cultivators—they had connections.

—

“It’s me, Crow,” Li Yi responded directly, not trying to avoid the conversation.

“You sure ran fast yesterday. Disappeared in a blink. Where are you now?” Crow’s tone was casual, but there was a hint of something more beneath it.

Li Yi didn’t bother playing games.

“Cut to the chase. You don’t care about a broke guy like me. What you’re really after is the thing I took from the Wasteland District, isn’t it?”

Crow’s voice carried an unmistakable threat.

“You’re smart to recognize the situation. Hand it over. That thing isn’t something you should be holding onto. Don’t go looking for trouble.”

But Li Yi scoffed.

“Who’s looking for trouble, me or you? We had a deal—I find the item, you pay. But I haven’t seen a single cent. You think I wanted to run yesterday? You wouldn’t pay, and you wanted to silence me. You guys were the ones who broke the deal. Tch, what a joke.”

“I’ll give you ten minutes. Transfer the money to me right now, or I’ll take this stuff straight to the Investigation Bureau and tell them it’s stolen goods.”

Li Yi stood his ground, raising his voice with righteous indignation. He knew that the more confident he sounded, the more it would seem like he had nothing to hide. There was no way Crow could physically harm him through a phone call, and as long as he played it smart, he had the upper hand.

On the other end of the call, Crow’s face twitched with anger—he nearly crushed his phone. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to explain.

“Liu Yan’s death was an accident. Yeah, we killed her, but she was already possessed by a ghost. There was no saving her—we had no choice.”

Li Yi snorted.

“Oh sure, and I suppose if you found me, I’d be ‘possessed’ too? You lot have already lost all credibility. If you want your stuff back, pay up first. Otherwise, I’ll report both the relic and the stolen goods, and no one walks away clean.”

Silence.

Crow didn’t speak for several seconds.

Then, at last, he responded.

“Fine. I’ll send the money first—but you need to send me a photo of what you have. I need to confirm you actually still have it.”

But Li Yi wasn’t about to budge.

“Money first, then the photo.”

Crow’s voice grew cold.

“You little bastard, you think money is more important than your life? You really think I can’t do anything to you? If I can call you today, I can find your home tomorrow. Do you think a family with two medical pods in Tianchang City’s old district wouldn’t stand out? You’re already exposed. Be smart about this.”

Li Yi’s heart sank.

He could run, but his parents couldn’t. They were confined to the medical pods—that was his weakness.

Crow continued, sensing the shift.

“Send the photo first. I’ll pay you based on the item’s value.”

His words were still threatening, but he was careful not to push Li Yi too hard. If the kid actually went to the authorities, the ones who’d suffer most would be them.

If this were the Abandoned District, Crow wouldn’t have hesitated to kill him to tie up loose ends. But in the Safe Zone, things were different.

Trapped, Li Yi had no choice but to swallow his anger and compromise.

“Fine. I’ll send you a picture of what I found.”

He pulled out his backpack, dug through the pile of ragged burial clothes he had taken, and snapped a photo before sending it over.

—

Crow immediately turned to Ning Wu and showed her the image.

“This is what Li Yi took from the second underground level. Do you see anything valuable?”

Ning Wu studied the image carefully.

“These clothes definitely aren’t from our world, and the material is unusual. But the chances of them being a relic are low. True relics are nearly indestructible, and these are already rotting and tattered. They’re practically worthless. Looks like we should keep our focus on Wang Hu and Wei Li.”

Crow’s voice deepened. “Is there a chance he’s lying and hiding something?”

Ning Wu closed her eyes, recalling the events of the previous night.

“Not likely. The number of garments in the image matches exactly what Li Yi was holding yesterday. But to avoid unnecessary trouble, just pay him something and retrieve the items.”

Crow nodded. “Got it.”

He resumed the call with Li Yi.

“What you have is just a pile of junk, worthless. But considering the circumstances, I’ll still offer 10,000 to take it off your hands.”

Li Yi almost swore out loud.

“10,000? You promised 2 million!”

Crow sneered.

“For a few rotten rags? You think you’re holding a relic? 10,000—take it or leave it. Otherwise, you get nothing.”

Li Yi clenched his teeth and spat out one word.

“Fine.”

Even scraps were still meat.

If he hadn’t taken that 50,000 deposit earlier, he would’ve been completely screwed.

Crow continued.

“I assume you’re too scared to meet in person. Leave the items in a storage locker at the mall. I’ll send someone to pick them up.”

“Got it.”

Li Yi hung up, exhaling sharply.

That was close.

He had managed to bluff his way through for now, but he didn’t know how long it would last.

The only reason Crow and his group weren’t after him anymore was that they were distracted by Wang Hu and Wei Li, who had a much higher chance of possessing a true relic.

But Li Yi knew the truth—if he kept advancing in his cultivation, it was only a matter of time before they figured out, he had a relic of his own.

The difference between someone with a relic and someone without was immense. It wasn’t something that could be brushed off as simple talent.

Before that happened, he needed to develop some real means of self-defense. At the very least, he needed to unlock his Spirit Medium ability, just like that woman.

Taking a deep breath, he felt an overwhelming sense of urgency.

With the matter of Crow settled, he immediately set off for Uncle Biao’s Meditation Room.

He still had a long way to go in understanding cultivation. He needed Lin Yue’s guidance.