It was well known to anyone with a little basic knowledge about life that no living thing could live or be in outer space without protection. For example; human beings could only move through outer space with expensive special suits with the capacity to resist the terrifying cosmic rays, also known as cosmic radiation.
Apart from cosmic radiation of unknown origin, there were also many other things to protect against, including the sun itself.
However, without a proper spaceship, even a special suit could not withstand being exposed to so much danger in outer space for too long. That was why something like a human being traveling into outer space by his or her own means and with only his or her fleshly body was nothing more than a science fiction tale seen in movies or light novels.
However, even if a human being could resist all those known dangers as well as who knows how many yet unknown dangers, the main reason for everyone's death would undoubtedly be the same:
Lack of air!
In outer space there was no oxygen to provide sustenance for the lungs, the brain, the blood, etc. Some in greater cases than others, but it was well known that every living being needed oxygen to survive. Even fish living at the bottom of the sea was no exception to this absolute rule.
However, what Xie Feng was trying to do right now was just that! To defy all those dangers and even defy logic itself!
Although it wasn't 100%, Xie Feng had a hunch that maybe and just maybe, he really can make it!
* * *
The Thermosphere was the last protective layer of Planet Earth, beyond the Thermosphere was the Exosphere; that is, after overcoming just one more layer, Xie Feng would finally leave Planet Earth completely!
However, passing through the Thermosphere was not as simple as passing through all the previous layers. Even after flying for twenty minutes at over 1000 km/h, Xie Feng still had not left the surrounding area that constituted the Thermosphere.
The Thermosphere was 600 kilometers high in total! So even Xie Feng would still take approximately thirty minutes to enter into the Exosphere.
After flying for another ten minutes or so, Xie Feng finally achieved his goal.
Xie Feng stood in the void as he stared at the blue-colored planet below him in a daze. The shining planet on which he was born and grew up could now see much of it in its full extent from outer space!
Xie Feng looked at the planet, looked at the sun, at the moon, at the stars... Everything was shining much brighter. Although he had seen many images captured by the International Space Station and by the various space agencies of Russia, the United States, China, etc... Xie Feng could say with absolute certainty that the view in front of him was simply beautiful.
However, after taking a moment to appreciate the view and being dazed by the surprise, Xie Feng's face changed slightly as he realized that things might be more difficult than he initially thought.
Normally, Xie Feng could hold his breath for ten minutes. But it had only been two minutes since he left Planet Earth's gravitational field and his lungs were beginning to empty rapidly.
Knowing that time was running out, Xie Feng quickly began to put his idea into motion.
Xie Feng's black eyes brightened slightly and his color turned blue. This was the characteristic of every Esper or ability user when using their powers.
However, Xie Feng, who could destroy entire cities at will, had never felt as helpless as he felt right now.
Nothing! Even though he was trying his best to use his powers, nothing was happening! It was as if he was a normal person, helpless and powerless!
Without Xie Feng noticing, his body began to slowly drift away from Planet Earth and began to drift into outer space. Having lost all props, he was indeed no different from a normal person and the only reason he could still endure was because of his physical body. Otherwise, it was likely that his life would have been over by now.
But Xie Feng did not give up. In a certain way, this was something he had already expected.
How could he give up so easily? Xie Yao and Gu Qianxue were waiting for him on the blue planet behind his back!
However, willpower was often not enough for people to reach their goals. Sometimes, living beings needed luck and if luck was not on their side, then it was difficult to be successful.
Swimming against the tide was never a very smart thing to do. Many times, the power of a single person was simply too small.
Even more so in the vastness of outer space.
As Xie Feng's body moved farther and farther away from Planet Earth, the more he realized how small and insignificant his existence was. It was only after seeing the vast outer space with his own eyes, seeing only a small part of this vast universe that Xie Feng realized how stupid his arrogant thoughts were.
On Planet Earth, normal people could not go against the law.
In Outer Space, Xie Feng could not go against the laws of nature and creation itself.
Xie Feng's power lies in controlling the wind and using its properties at will. In other words, as long as there was wind present, Xie Feng was confident in controlling everything. However, in outer space there was no wind. Therefore, it was not that Xie Feng's powers did not work, it was that there was simply no element he could control!
Naturally, Xie Feng knew that there was no wind in outer space. But he believed that since his appearance and physical strength had improved immensely after he started playing Samsara Online, his elemental strength should also have improved sufficiently. Furthermore, Xie Feng could feel that his power had grown dramatically.
Ever since Xie Feng obtained the title God of Wind in the Calamity Palace after sitting on the Calamity Throne, there was always one thought running through his mind:
'As God of Wind, shouldn't I be able to create such element?'
After all, it was known to mankind that God was the absolute being. So, Xie Feng assumed that there was something missing for him to go a step further. But since Xie Feng had no need to risk his life foolishly, he preferred to continue his life normally, together with the people he loved.
Unfortunately, when Xie Feng arrived in Beijing he realized that peace and calm might not last much longer. The peace and quiet that he and Xie Yao experienced during these two years was built by Xie Feng with his two fists and a lot of effort, how could he be willing to let something like that happen? How could Xie Feng be willing to let Xie Yao suffer because of his own weakness? He was not willing!
When Xie Feng arrived at Gu Qianxue's house, there was one place he could not access. It was then that Xie Feng realized that he was still weak, too weak... Because since he could not access that place, it meant that there was no wind there! A completely isolated place, a place he could not access by his own means!
However, Xie Feng was completely certain that there was a person behind that strange door, the person who held the Gu Family in power and the reason why no one challenged them. That person was undoubtedly stronger than him!
But what if the other four main families also had such a powerful existence protecting them? What if those people decided to end his life? Could Xie Feng protect Xie Yao? Sadly, the answer he came to after thinking for hours was a big and absolute NO!
So, Xie Feng had no choice but to risk today in order to have a tomorrow.
This was one of Xie Feng's problems... Since he was always alone, he always tried to solve everything by himself.
* * *
At the same time that Xie Feng kept his eyes closed and gripped his fists tightly, a little girl wearing a small white dress appeared on a star far away from his place.
As she looked at Xie Feng moving farther and farther away from Planet Earth, the little girl stomped her feet on the star she was standing on and complained to herself:
"You should just stay down there! You're making things harder for everyone!"
Even as she complained, the little girl extended her tiny hand forward to help him. No matter what, she didn't want anything bad to happen to him otherwise this would all be meaningless.
However, just as the little girl was about to make her move, her hand stopped in the void as she looked at Xie Feng in the distance.
"Eh? That's..." she mumbled.
Then, as if realizing something, the little girl hit the void in front of her creating an opening as she cried out:
"Ah! I'm out of here!"
* * *
The lack of oxygen soon began to affect Xie Feng's mind and his thoughts began to flicker. The strength slowly began to disappear from his body and his consciousness seemed to fade more and more.
He knew that the inability to breathe as well as the strong cosmic and solar radiation were draining his life rapidly, so he probably did not have much time left.
He failed. He failed to himself, he failed to Xie Yao who waited for him and believed that he would come back, he failed to Gu Qianxue who still believed that he was sleeping in his bed and he even failed to Shen Xinya who was happy to see him again after so many years.
It was at that moment that, in a semi-conscious condition, Xie Feng tried something different.