Linguang City, Lower District.

  In a dark alleyway, a flash of white light passed, and a figure suddenly appeared.

  It was Xia Li. He had returned to Earth.

  The mysterious ring had vibrated a few times last night. Xia Li guessed it meant he could cross dimensions again.

  After all, he had stayed on the other side for two months before returning last time. During that time, he had wanted to go home countless times, but none had triggered the ring's crossing mechanism.

  And this time was also two months.

  It seemed the ring's cooldown was two months.

  【Entering signal zone】

  【Reconnected to Heavenly Dao Network】

  【You have five unread messages】

  Upon returning to Earth, the Heaven Chip immediately notified him of the network reconnection.

  Xia Li quickly checked his unread messages.

  Fifth-generation Heaven Chips could project virtual screens in one's mind, like a holographic display appearing before your eyes—except others couldn't see it.

  "Xia Li, it's me. Did you make it to the Monster Hunting Association?"

  "Hello? Why aren't you responding?"

  "Still alive?"

  "Dude, you're gone just like that?"

  "Rest in peace. I'll remember you."

  Seeing these five messages, Xia Li couldn't help but find them amusing. They were from Ke Xiao. Apparently, she was quite concerned about this new organization member.

  "Not dead. Just was in a no-signal zone."

  Xia Li quickly composed a reply.

  Before long, Ke Xiao responded.

  "Bullshit no-signal zone. Don't you know the Heavenly Dao Network's signal reaches all the way to Pluto?"

  "What?"

  Now it was Xia Li's turn to be shocked. The Heavenly Dao Network's signal strength was that terrifying? Covering Pluto meant it probably covered the entire solar system.

  "What did you think? There are human settlements on other planets in the solar system, though most are spiritual energy collection stations. As long as you're still in the solar system, you won't lose signal!"

  "You must have deliberately blocked your signal! Either that or you entered some phase space, or were in an area covered by a signal jammer."

  "Tell me, where did you go and what were you doing!"

  As the person who'd brought Xia Li into the organization, Ke Xiao had been designated as his partner by default. She received a portion of any contributions Xia Li made to the organization.

  That's why she'd been so generous, helping him with various upgrades during his modification.

  "Must have been in a jammed zone. I went back to the mine—I'd actually hidden some spirit stones there that I didn't take."

  Xia Li made up a reasonable excuse. He figured if there was some ruin at the mine, they'd probably jam signals for secrecy.

  "Damn, you're young but your scheming isn't. Not bad."

  Ke Xiao accepted his explanation. The mining area where Xia Li had been was indeed currently a signal-jammed zone.

  "Thanks for your concern, Sis Ke. When I get back, I'll send you ten spirit stones!"

  "You're that rich? Then no need to come back—just find a Spirit Bank and transfer it to me."

  "Alright... By the way, Sis Ke, I haven't had any conflicts with anyone yet, and I don't dare to. But if I ever have to fight, what should I watch out for?"

  Xia Li recalled his confrontation with Liu Fu. He'd realized that crises could come very suddenly.

  He didn't like violent confrontations. He preferred peaceful solutions. Unfortunately, some people were naturally violent and would attack at the slightest disagreement. He had to be prepared.

  Fighting cultivators from the other world didn't scare him much—he had cheats.

  But Earth cultivators were all cheaters too. It was basically a battle of gods. He was genuinely nervous about that.

  "I don't really know how to explain it, but the Heaven Chip will give you a rough assessment of danger. Kneel when you need to kneel. Either don't offend anyone, or if you do, go for the kill. Don't give them a chance."

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  "And... either don't strike, or strike to kill. You never know what bizarre techniques the other person has loaded in their Heaven Chip."

  This was the daily reality of combat between Earth cultivators. Everyone had wallhacks, aimbots, and auto-lock. It came down to who locked onto whom first.

  It felt just like the hacker battles in games back in 2030.

  "In short, we don't encourage conflicts. Hidden Wing is a technical organization, not combat-oriented. But we do have our specialties. Hold on..."

  After a short while.

  【Your friend Ke Xiao has sent you a technique】

  【Please proceed with caution to avoid data virus infection】

  "If you're afraid of dying, learn this. It's called Divine Sense Hacking. It can interrupt, paralyze, or even melt the opponent's Heaven Chip."

  "Against poor bastards still using third-gen or lower Heaven Chips, it's practically a guaranteed hit."

  "Even against opponents with fifth-gen chips like yours, hitting them with this at a critical moment can catch them off guard."

  Ke Xiao shared Hidden Wing's signature technique with Xia Li.

  "This... is this still cultivation combat?"

  This had gone beyond Dao and magic. It was electronic warfare.

  "I told you we're a technical organization. Of course we use technical attacks. As long as you don't encounter those retro cultivators who don't use Heaven Chips, this move is always effective."

  "Alright, thanks Sis Ke!"

  "Don't forget the ten spirit stones."

  "Got it!"

  Xia Li ended the communication. He now felt some sense of belonging to his organization. Hidden Wing really did have skills, and their methods specifically countered new-era cultivators.

  In the other world, it was cultivation combat. On Earth, it should be electronic warfare.

  Afterward.

  Xia Li opened his map and headed to the Linguang City Municipal Bank in the Lower District.

  Half an hour later.

  Xia Li walked into the bank and discovered that new-era banks had no human employees—only mechanical attendants.

  Guided by a mechanical robot, Xia Li first used a spirit stone recaster to convert his rough stones into Earth's standard spirit stone units, then deposited all his spirit stones.

  A total of just over eight hundred low-grade spirit stones.

  He'd brought over a thousand back, but the conversion evaporated two hundred. It hurt, but Earth had its standards. Xia Li had no choice.

  After depositing the stones...

  The mechanical robot actually approached him to pitch spiritual energy investment products.

  "Hello, sir. Are you interested in financial products?"

  "You might consider our industrial bonds. Buy now for an estimated annual return of three percent, plus a complimentary three jin of organic beef."

  "No, no thanks. I don't do investments."

  Xia Li quickly fled. Earth had too many ways to drain your spirit stones. One careless move and you'd lose everything. His eight hundred stones weren't actually that much.

  By new-era income standards, eight hundred spirit stones was roughly equivalent to about 1.5 million yuan in the old era.

  In the old era, that was about the price of an ordinary apartment in a second-tier city.

  In this new era, it could buy a decent place in the Lower District, but couldn't even afford half a bathroom in the Upper District.

  Shortly after...

  Xia Li transferred ten spirit stones to Ke Xiao, then prepared to go shopping in the Upper District.

  Earth also had relatively accessible "spirit treasures."

  They were enhancement serums with unique effects—but you could only take one injection per realm.

  Of course, unlike the natural spirit treasures of the other world, Earth's enhancement serums were full of technology and mystery ingredients. You never knew what they were synthesized from.

  But nobody investigated. If it worked, that was all that mattered. One shot and nobody complained.