Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 374 Broken Hope

The cold voice of the man in black robe echoed in the air. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li could feel the chill. They knew that this was not a bluff. The man in black robe really dared to kill. Gao Xingchen clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white. He wanted to rush forward regardless of everything, even if he died in battle, to protect Nan Li. However, he knew that he couldn't do this. Once he acted rashly, Nan Li and his family would face a catastrophe.

Nan Li took a deep breath, trying to suppress the fear and anger in her heart. She looked at Gao Xingchen, her eyes full of determination and guilt, and said in a voice that only he could hear: "Xingchen, I'm sorry, I can't let you die." Gao Xingchen's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand. He understood what Nan Li meant, "No, Li'er, I can't..."

"This is our only choice." Nan Li's eyes were firm and resolute. "Believe me, I will definitely find a chance to rescue you and everyone else!"

Finally, Gao Xingchen bowed his head helplessly. He knew that Nan Li was right. In the face of absolute strength, any resistance was futile. He closed his eyes and uttered a word with difficulty: "Okay."

The man in black robe looked at them with a cruel smile on his face: "He who knows the times is a hero. You will be glad for the choice you made today." As he said that, he put away his sword, turned around and left.

Gao Xingchen and Nanli were taken back to the Gao family by the men in black robes. The news quickly spread throughout the entire family, and for a while, the entire Gao family was in an uproar.

"What? Xingchen and Nanli actually surrendered?"

"How could they do this? Have they forgotten their identities and the honor of their family?"

"Coward! Traitor!"

……

Various insults and accusations were heard everywhere. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li became the sinners of the family and the target of public criticism. Although the head of the Gao family and Elder Zhao did not say anything, their faces were extremely ugly. They never thought that things would develop to this point.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li endured all this silently. They knew that their choice hurt the family and hurt all the people who believed in them. However, they had no choice but to bear it, to bear all the infamy and accusations silently, and wait for the dawn of hope.

Head of the Gao family and Elder Zhao called them to the meeting room. Seeing the hope of the two families in front of them being disgraced because of their decision, they felt mixed emotions.

"Do you realize your mistake?" asked the head of the Gao family in a deep voice.

"We..." Gao Xingchen opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"We know that we have brought shame to the family." Nanli lowered his head, his tone full of bitterness.

The head of the Gao family sighed. He knew that it was meaningless to blame them now. The most urgent thing was how to resolve the crisis. However, what could he do in the face of the powerful black-robed man? The atmosphere in the meeting room was solemn. Gao Xingchen and Nan Li lowered their heads and remained silent. They could feel the complicated gazes from the elders of the family. There was disappointment, anger, but more of understanding and helplessness.

The head of the Gao family took a deep breath and said slowly: "Xingchen, Nanli, do you know where your decision will put the family?"

Gao Xingchen clenched his fists, his nails almost digging into his flesh. He spoke with difficulty: "Chief, I'm sorry, we..."

"We have no choice." Nan Li raised his head, his eyes flashing with determination, "If we don't agree, the black-robed man will attack the family. We can't just watch this happen."

Elder Zhao sighed and said, "We all understand your feelings, and we believe that your choice is for the good of the family. However, have you ever thought that once you compromise, you will hand over the initiative to others, and the consequences will be disastrous!"

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were silent. They knew this truth. But what could they do in the face of such absolute strength? Were they really going to watch their family being destroyed?

At this moment, an ethereal light flashed, and a woman in plain clothes and with an extraordinary temperament appeared in the conference room.

"Fairy Zhou!" everyone exclaimed, their eyes filled with surprise and awe.

Fairy Zhou is the key figure in guiding Gao Xingchen and Nanli to awaken the Heart of the Stars, and enjoys a very high reputation in the Nine Star Realm.

"Fairy Zhou, why are you here?" The head of the Gao family hurried forward to salute.

Fairy Zhou nodded slightly, her eyes fell on Gao Xingchen and Nan Li, and said, "I felt the fluctuations of the Heart of Stars, so I came here specially."

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were shocked. Could it be that Fairy Zhou knew something?

Fairy Zhou walked up to them and said in a serious tone: "You don't have to blame yourself, nor do you have to despair. Although the leader of the evil organization is powerful, he is not invincible. The Heart of the Stars has a powerful force that you can't imagine. As long as you can fully master it, you may be able to defeat him!"

When Gao Xingchen and Nan Li heard this, a glimmer of hope appeared in their eyes.

Fairy Zhou continued, "The Heart of the Stars originates from the stars and contains the mysteries of the universe. What you have mastered now is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to defeat the leader of the evil organization, you must go deep into the Heart of the Stars and comprehend a deeper level of power!"

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li looked at each other, their hearts filled with excitement and anticipation.

"Fairy Zhou, please give us some guidance!" the two said in unison.

Fairy Zhou smiled slightly and said, "I have shown you the way. Whether you can succeed or not depends on your luck..."

Her figure gradually faded and finally disappeared into the air, leaving behind only a meaningful smile and a room full of doubts and expectations...

Zhou Xianzi's words were like a flash of lightning, splitting the fog in Gao Xingchen and Nan Li's hearts and igniting new hope in them. They understood that instead of waiting to die, it would be better to give it a try, perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope.

"Nanli, we can't give up!" Gao Xingchen held Nanli's hand tightly, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.

Nan Li held his hand in return, with a confident smile on her face: "Xingchen, I believe we can overcome all difficulties!"

They decided to follow Fairy Zhou's advice and began to cultivate the deeper power of the Heart of Stars. They practiced in seclusion, devoted themselves to research, and constantly tried to break through their own limits. Gao Xingchen focused on feeling the flow of the star power in his body, trying to comprehend the mystery contained in it. Nan Li practiced the skills of using the star power over and over again, hoping to exert a stronger power.

However, the road to cultivation was not smooth. As time went on, the pressure from the outside world became greater and greater. Some elders in the family began to question their choice, thinking that they were wasting their time, and some even began to spread rumors that they were sinners of the family and had brought the family into an abyss of no return.

Faced with these doubts and accusations, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li began to waver in their hearts. They were not saints, and they would feel tired and confused.

"Xingchen, can we really succeed?" Late at night, Nan Li snuggled in Gao Xingchen's arms, with a hint of uneasiness in her tone.

Gao Xingchen gently stroked her long hair and whispered, "Nanli, I know this road is difficult to walk, but we can't give up. For the sake of our family and ourselves, we must persevere!"

Although Gao Xingchen's words were full of determination, he also had a hint of uneasiness hidden deep in his heart. He didn't know whether the path he had chosen was correct, nor did he know whether they could eventually defeat the leader of the evil organization.

At this moment, a powerful evil force suddenly descended upon the family, breaking the tranquility of the night. The figure of the man in black robes appeared above the family again, and his voice was like a demon from hell, full of ridicule and disdain.

"Gao Xingchen, Nan Li, do you think you can escape reality by hiding? Your struggle is in vain!"

As soon as the black-robed man finished speaking, the family's defensive formation was broken by the powerful force. The family disciples fought hard, but they were like moths to a flame and could not stop the black-robed man at all.

"Oh no! The black-robed man is attacking!"

"Hurry up and inform the clan leader and elders!"

There was chaos within the family and panic was spreading among the crowd.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li realized that the situation was critical. They didn't care about practicing and immediately rushed out of the room to join the battle. However, the strength of the man in black robes was far beyond their imagination. He was like a killing god. Wherever he went, blood flowed like a river and wailing was everywhere.

"Nanli, be careful!" Gao Xingchen saw the man in black robe attacking Nanli, and rushed forward to stand in front of her.

With a loud "bang", Gao Xingchen was blown away by the power of the man in black robe and fell heavily to the ground, with blood gushing out of his mouth.

"Xingchen!" Nan Li exclaimed and hurriedly ran to Gao Xingchen, his eyes full of worry and anxiety.

The man in black robes approached step by step, with a cruel smile on his face: "Gao Xingchen, Nanli, your doomsday has come!"

Despair spread in Gao Xingchen and Nan Li's hearts. They knew that this time, they might not be able to escape...

The words of the man in black robe were like a death warrant, which made Gao Xingchen and Nan Li breathless. Gao Xingchen struggled to get up, but the man in black robe stepped on his chest. The severe pain made his eyes go black and he almost fainted.

“Stars!” Nan Li’s eyes were bloodshot, and he desperately attacked the man in black with the power of the stars, but was easily resolved by the other party.

“You don’t know your own limitations.” The man in black robe sneered and was about to kill him when the head of the Gao family arrived with the family elders.

"Stop!" The head of the Gao family roared, and together with other elders, they set up a defensive formation and barely blocked the attack of the man in black.

"You bunch of old guys, you still dare to stop me?" There was a flash of impatience in the black-robed man's eyes, but he knew the strength of the Gao family head very well, so he didn't dare to fight rashly.

"Black robe, you are going too far!" Elder Zhao shouted angrily, "Xingchen and Nanli worked hard for the family, but you repay kindness with hatred. Today, even if we risk our lives, we will keep you here!"

"Hahaha, how ridiculous!" The man in black robe laughed wildly, "What do you think you, a bunch of rubbish, can do to me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, there were several screams from the crowd. Several family disciples were hit by hidden weapons shot from the dark and fell to the ground.

"Traitor! A traitor to the family!" Elder Zhao was shocked and angry. He looked around but couldn't see clearly who was attacking in secret.

"Hahaha, Gao Xingchen, did you see that? This is what you call a family!" The man in black robe took the opportunity to attack, and smashed the defense formation of the head of the Gao family with one palm. The other elders were also entangled by the masters brought by the man in black robe, and the situation was dangerous for a while.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were stunned by the scene before them. They never thought that there would be a traitor within the family, and that he would turn against them at such a critical moment.

The man in black robe seized the opportunity and acted quickly, capturing Gao Xingchen and Nan Li.

"Xingchen! Nanli!" The head of the Gao family was furious and wanted to rescue but was powerless.

"Hahaha, I'll let you go today. After I destroy the Heart of Stars, I'll slowly deal with you!" The man in black laughed wildly and disappeared into the night with Gao Xingchen and Nan Li.

Gao Xingchen and Nan Li were imprisoned in a dark and damp dungeon. Their hands and feet were locked with thick iron chains, making them unable to move.

"Xingchen, what should we do?" Nanli's voice trembled a little, and a feeling of despair spread in the hearts of the two.

Gao Xingchen was silent for a moment. He looked up at the ceiling of the dungeon with a determined light in his eyes: "Nanli, don't worry, we will definitely escape!"