Twenty days later, Planet Lanjiang.
A private spaceship, bearing the shape of a golden droplet, entered the atmosphere.
Inside, Nangong Jing took a sip of wine and rambled, "We're here."
Lu Ze grinned. "Let's go out." Lu Li and Alice nodded. They hadn't seen their parents for a year. Although they didn't say anything, they still quite missed them. The group alighted, and Nangong Jing put the ship back into her storage ring and followed suit.
The Golden Whirl stopped directly above Lu Ze's house.
If they passed through the space station, it would create quite a ruckus. That would be too troublesome.
Soon, the group set foot in Lu Ze's yard.
Lu Ze looked at the familiar place and smiled.
"Haven't been back here for so long."
Lu Ze looked at the martial arts gym not far away.
A year ago, he and Lu Li were just sparring here. He was beaten up by her quite badly then.
Thinking about this, Lu Ze glanced at Lu Li. She happened to be looking at Lu Ze too. The two shared a smile.
Qiuyue Hesha teased, "Stop looking, we're still here."
Lu Li looked away, and her face blushed while Lu Ze smiled awkwardly.
He quickly said, "Alright, let's go inside. I wonder if mom and dad are home."
The group walked towards the door and entered, only to discover that Fu Shuya and Zhu Hong Lian were both there. They were watching TV dramas.
At the same time, there were all sorts of snacks on the table. They each had a bag of chips.
Fu Shuya ended up dazed but then immediately rejoiced. "Good boy, you guys are back?"
Zhu Hong Lian smiled at them.
With her power, she naturally noticed Lu Ze and the girls as soon as they arrived, but she didn't reveal it.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched upon seeing the snacks.
'How old were they really?'
'How come they were fully armed just to watch shows?'
'How terrifying!'
Lu Ze smiled before responding.
"Yes, I'm back."
Thereafter, he went to sit next to Fu Shuya.
Lu Li did the same.
Alice snuggled into Zhu Hong Lian's arms. "Mom, did you miss me?"
Nangong Jing, Qiuyue Hesha, and Lin Ling greeted the other two, Fu Shuya and Zhu Hong Lian. Likewise, they proceeded to sit on the couch.
Fu Shuya looked at Lu Ze and then the girls. Her mouth twitched.
She already had made some guesses before. Furthermore, a major portion of the media speculated about Lu Ze's relationships.
Seeing the interactions among them at this time, she finally became certain of her conjecture.
'All these excellent girls had a relationship with my boy!'
Her son was pretty amazing. Fu Shuya felt great and began talking to the rest.
As for Zhu Hong Lian, she felt rather helpless regarding the situation. She had hoped Alice would be happy. However, the other girls were exceptionally talented as well, and things had already developed like this already...
There wasn't much she could say.
At first, Fu Shuya only paid attention to Lu Ze until she shifted her focus to Lu Li and the rest of the girls.
Lu Ze soon found he couldn't intervene in their conversation at all. Hence, he could only remain sitting while listening.
Right then, the scene on the TV showed a handsome-looking guy holding a beautiful girl. Behind them was a war setting that was overtaken by the fire.
Focusing on the armor of the girl, several cracks could be seen on it. Even worse, she was covered in blood.
The girl went to caress the face of the handsome-looking guy. "I... can't make it... you must... live on..."
When the words fell, teardrops went streaming down his eyes. The guy shook his head. "No, stop! I won't let you die!"
Despite his protest, the girl still closed her eyes, and her hand fell lifelessly.
The guy let out an anguished cry.
Lu Ze: "..."
He felt his acting skills were definitely better than that guy. Of course, he was much better-looking than the other party as well.
If he went up and replaced him, it would be an easy Oscar.
'I am the man who could act in front of all those cosmic system states!'
Nangong Jing and the rest felt quite touched by the drama.
Alice looked at Lu Ze, and her eyes quickly reddened. "This is so touching."
Lin Ling also shared the same sentiment.
The rest of the girls also glanced at Lu Ze. Lu Ze: "?"
'Was it that touching?'
He scratched his head.
Lu Ze spent a few arduous hours listening to their conversation until finally, Merlin and Lu Wen entered the room.
They were stunned for a moment after seeing the group. Soon, Lu Wen smiled strangely. "Oh, the Monarch of the New Dawn is back?"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. "What is this tone, Dad?"
Lu Wen sneered and didn't respond. His daughter was stolen by this kid. He was displeased and annoyed.
'Wasn't he already satisfied with the other girls beside him?!'
Merlin also looked at Alice. Similarly, he scoffed. He and Lu Wen shared the same stance regarding this matter.
Lu Ze felt aggrieved.
'I am very innocent!'
In the following second, Alice and the girls went to cook while Lu Wen and Merlin sat down, asking Lu Ze about the recent events.
Lu Ze could finally breathe easily. At least now, he didn't need to listen to the girls talk about shopping.
When dinner was finished, Lu Ze gave Lu Wen and Fu Shuya a new batch of red orbs.
Their cultivation level only reached the core martial state. Lu Ze even went to the second and third maps to finish off monsters just for them.
It was all too easy for him in those fields.
Unexpectedly, Merlin didn't even mention anything about sparring with Lu Ze, rendering the latter surprised.
A while back, Lu Ze even planned to give him a surprise.
After becoming a level-6 planetary state, his combat power shouldn't be weak.
However, upon pondering about it, Lu Ze guessed that Elder Nangong probably told Merlin about what he did in the secret realm already.
In the next few days, Lu Ze bonded with family during the day and went out. At night, he resumed his cultivation.
After the New Year celebration, the group boarded the Golden Whirl once more and left the Telun System.
In his room on the Golden Whirl, Lu Ze opened his eyes. He writhed in pain, but he was excited.
Today, he finally found the location of the crevice where the underground world could be entered.
Simultaneously, he killed two more level-5 planetary state super beasts in there and acquired two divine art shards. Hence, he could now form a complete divine art rune.
Lu Ze was quite excited. "This was a planetary state divine art!' It shouldn't be weak.
Lu Ze couldn't wait to enter his mental force dimension.
Within it, the five black shards were floating together.
Lu Ze brought the four shards together. Subsequently, the demonic chi enveloped the shards, forming a black orb.
A few seconds later, a complete divine art rune floated around.
'Done!
Lu Ze calmed himself down. He didn't begin learning it immediately.
His plan was to return to the Dawn System first and take advantage of the dao enlightenment room to cultivate it. Lu Ze proceeded with learning the demonic chi god art.
A few days later, the group reached Nangong Jing's home.
Lu Ze found the underground world again during this time and formed another complete divine art rune, which he then handed out to Nangong Jing.
Her preferred fighting style was to rush forward. Unfortunately, her speed couldn't keep up. By learning the divine art rune, she would have chances of improving her combat power greatly.
Since Lu Ze already knew where the underground tunnel was, he would be able to get a few more complete divine art runes soon. Then, he would give them to the other girls.
Back at the Dawn System, everyone went to the dao enlightenment room.
They all agreed to come out in ten days.
Lu Ze would have new divine art runes by then. Accordingly, the others could learn it too.
There was still a month left before the East Realm Gathering commenced. Prior to that, Lu Ze decided to have the girls learn the speed-type divine art rune.
Inside the dao enlightenment room, Lu Ze used his mental force to touch the black mist divine art rune.
The rune turned into a beam of light that entered his body. Upon contact, a fountain of knowledge emerged in his mind.
Lu Ze didn't hesitate and used a super purple orb and super blue crystal. Immediately, his mind cleared up, and his learning capabilities were greatly enhanced.
In a short four hours, Lu Ze was surging with black demonic chi. The ethereal runes appeared upon the chi.
He successfully completed beginner mastery! Lu Ze kept his eyes close. The learning period ensued. Half a day later, the runes become more prominent to the point of physically manifesting their form.
He reached the familiar mastery!
Later on, the super purple orb's and blue crystal's effects were long gone. He slowly opened his eyes accordingly.
"Hah..."
Lu Ze extended his arm and clench his fist.
This was too effective. He learned this divine art faster than he comprehended the divine arts on the third map. With this speed, he would be able to achieve perfect mastery in less than half a month.
Lu Ze hadn't named this divine art yet. He thought about it for a while.
Since it was a burst of demonic chi that increased speed, he should call it "Demonic Burst". It was simple and easy to understand.
He rested for a moment and entered the Pocket Hunting Dimension thereafter.
After coming out from the Pocket Hunting Dimension, he kept learning the divine art.
Ten days later, the dao enlightenment room was filled with demonic chi. Runes spun around Lu Ze. They had materialized completely now.
Moments later, the demonic chi vanished, and Lu Ze opened his eyes.
Perfect mastery of Demonic Burst divine art!
Lu Ze grinned. This learning speed was beyond his imagination. He got up and stretched out as he walked out of the dao enlightenment room.
The large star was emitting a piercing light that shone on his face. Lu Ze narrowed his eyes and looked around.
There were a few people lining up. They widened their eyes when they realized it was Lu Ze. They didn't expect to meet him here. Lu Ze was immune to these kinds of glances now. He paid no attention to them and kept walking to wait for the others.
Soon, Nangong Jing stepped out of the room too. She frowned after noticing the stares, but when she saw Lu Ze outside, her eyes lit up, and she rushed to walk towards him.
Lu Ze smiled. "How did it go?" Nangong Jing answered pridefully, "Don't you know who I am? It reached experienced mastery!"
Lu Ze grinned. "I attained perfection mastery."
Nangong Jing's smile stiffened. "Are you deliberately trying to make me feel inferior?".
Lu Ze refuted, "No! I just want to share the joy with you."
"Bullshit!"
Right at this point, Lu Li walked out and came over.
Seeing Nangong Jing's annoyed expression, she chuckled. "Sister Jing, did brother bully you?"
Nangong Jing grabbed Lu Li's arm and nodded. "Yes, this bastard is crossing the line. He's attacking me mentally."
Lu Li nodded. "That's over the line!"
Lu Ze looked at Lu Li speechlessly. "Li, you didn't even see me do that, right?"
Lu Li responded, "It's not like I don't know you at all."
Lu Ze laughed it off.
Nangong Jing grinned and hugged Lu Li. "Li is better. Ze is too annoying."
Lu Ze rolled his eyes. "Watch your image, you're outside."
The people waiting looked at them awkwardly.
Nangong Jing put down one hand but still held Lu Li's shoulder.
Soon, Qiuyue Hesha, Lin Ling, and Alice finished their cultivation.
Lu Ze urged, "Let's go."
The group left the dao enlightenment room. Thereafter, the people who were watching started whispering among themselves.
"Didn't expect to see Monarch of the New Dawn and the girls here today! Too lucky!"
"Yes, little brother Lu Ze is my idol! He's so handsome and excellent. If young duke Nangong and the other girls weren't there, I would have the courage to talk to him!"
"They seem so hostile to others. Were the journalists correct in assuming their relationship?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"I'm envious!"
"Don't be, if you're as excellent as him, I would do the same for you."
Soon, Lu Ze and the girls left Jinyao City. They went to Elder Nangong's place to pick up Ying Ying and quickly fled to avoid being urged to produce children.
After boarding the Golden Whirl, Nangong Jing blushed as she drank her wine. "The old man is really... H-he talks about this every time!"
Qiuyue Hesha took a sip of the golden fruit wine as well and said, "Little brother Lu Ze seems very elated though."
Lu Ze suddenly coughed. "One should be happy in life. Isn't it tiring to be bitter?"
Everyone rolled their eyes.
Later, they were back home and jumped onto the couch.
"Finally back." Alice stretched out.
Lin Ling laughed. "Are you that tired Alice? It's just cultivating in the dao enlightenment room for ten days."
Alice retorted, "Sitting there for ten days without moving is not tiring?"
Lu Li flipped her hair and fed Ying Ying a red orb. She smiled. "You have no patience."
Alice rebuked, "Cultivation is boring anyways. I like cooking better."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "If the old man heard this, he would begin educating you. Your talent is second only to Ze."
Alice buried her face in the pillow. "So what? We have him here. Sister Jing and Hesha are capable as well. I'll just be your chef."
Nangong Jing slapped her butt and teased, "You're just going to hide behind us?"
Alice giggled. Lu Ze demanded, "The little chef should be cooking. I'm so hungry."
Ying Ying also raised her hands. "I'm hungry too."
Alice stood up. "Little chef will go cook nowa"
"Sister Ling, Li, let's go!"
Nangong Jing rolled her eyes at Lu Ze. "You're spoiling Alice."
Lu Ze said, "We'll have the stamina to cultivate after eating. Do you not want to eat the dishes she cooked?"
Immediately, the two didn't continue their conversation.
Both of them were used to Alice's food...
During this time, Qiuyue Hesha leaned against Lu Ze. "You're the strongest, little brother Lu Ze, you decide."
Lu Ze's eyes lit up. "Do I get to decide everything?"
Qiuyue Hesha narrowed her eyes. "You can ask them this question."
Nangong Jing raised her fists and glared at Lu Ze.
Lu Ze instantly stopped talking.
When dinner time was finished, Lu Ze distributed the four Demonic Burst runes to the other girls.
During this time, he had been focused on hunting in the underground world.
He collected plenty of drops. Hence, he shared some of the blood and blue crystals with the girls.
They rested for a day at home and then returned to the dao enlightenment room again.
As of now, they were going to cultivate until it would be time for them to leave.
Twenty days later, Lu Ze and the girls stepped out of the dao enlightenment room.
They returned to planet Venus to rest for a day and gathered thereafter at Elder Nangong's shack.
Elder Nangong would be the one leading the pack to the East Realm Gathering as well.
Other than Lu Ze's group and Ying Ying, those prodigies who reached the planetary state were also going. Zuoqiu Xunshuang and some star states accompanied them too.
Everyone boarded the black ship they previously used to reach the Round Race's territory. They took off and left the Milky Way galaxy.
Lu Ze and the girls began their usual cultivation routine in their rooms.
A month later, the ship arrived at the Winged Race's border.
The other three races of the alliance were already waiting there. Following this, they proceeded to depart together.
Another month later, Lu Ze was surging with milky white spirit force in his room. This spirit force was slowly fusing with his cells.
Simultaneously, the eight-spirit rune was being slowly formed. With this, an invisible wave pulsated in his body, enhancing every aspect of his power.
A few hours later, the spirit force had completely merged with his cells. The eight-spirit rune was done forming.
Lu Ze slowly opened his eyes.
There was starlight emerging from the depth of his eyes.
Lu Ze got up and stretched out.
After more than two months of cultivation, he finally reached the level – 8 planetary state.
He exited his room and went to Ying Ying's.
Ying Ying was kicking with her little legs while watching cartoons. She would eat the snacks Alice prepared for her from time to time.
On the couch, Lin Ling and Alice were talking and laughing every now and then.
When they saw Lu Ze, both of their eyes lit up.
Alice jumped to his side and grabbed his arm. "Senior, you are finally finished with cultivation. You haven't come out for a few days."
Lu Ze no longer felt tired upon seeing the energetic Alice. He patted Alice's blue hair and smiled. "I was working on breaking through."
Lin Ling looked at Lu Ze. "You broke through?"
Lu Ze nodded. "Yes, I'm a level-8 planetary state now."
Alice giggled. "Senior progresses so fast. At this rate, senior will reach the star state when we arrive at the East Realm Gathering."
"It's not that easy." Lu Ze knocked on Alice's head.
His cultivation speed had slowed quite a bit during this period.
Lu Ze could, at most, kill level-9 planetary state beasts. Nevertheless, he couldn't beat star state beasts at all.
He hadn't fought with anyone for a long time, but in estimation, his power should be equivalent to ordinary level-2 star states.
The star states in the Pocket Hunting Dimension had exceptional god arts. Their combat power wasn't something ordinary star states could handle.
He would have to reach at least the peak stage of the planetary state to beat them.
He wasn't even a match for peak planetary state super beasts when he was a level-7 planetary state.
Even though he was a level-8 planetary state now, he still wasn't really confident. Hence, he could only use ordinary peak planetary state red orbs to cultivate.
It might take him two months or longer to reach the level-9 planetary state.
Right now, his goal was to reach the level-9 planetary state upon arriving at the gathering
'If only the girls could help me kill beasts in the Pocket Hunting Dimension...'
Unfortunately, other people couldn't enter the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
Alice rubbed her head. "Senior knocked on my head again! It has become your habit now! I will become stupid!" Lu Ze asked, "Do I do it often?"
Lin Ling rolled her eyes. "Do you not know yourself?"
She had been subject to his fist several times.
Lu Ze: "..."
He looked at his hand. 'Was this addictive?'
No wonder the alcoholic was obsessed with flicking his forehead before.
At this moment, Nangong Jing walked in. Lu Ze looked at her strangely.
Immediately, Nangong Jing's face became vigilant. "What are you doing?"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched as he moved his fingers. "Nothing."
Nangong Jing sat down on the couch. She immediately took out her golden fruit wine to take a sip.
"Hahaha, drinking wine after cultivation is a pleasure of life."
Lin Ling inquired, "Sister Jing, the golden fruit wine isn't helpful to your cultivation anymore, right? Why do you still drink it every day?"
Nangong Jing retorted, "Drinking is satisfying. You don't have to only drink things helpful to your cultivation. This wine is tasty!"
Alice poked out her tongue. "It's tasty but too easy to get drunk on..." "Stop! Alice!" Nangong Jing exclaimed. Lu Ze's mouth twitched. He recalled her drunken antics a few days ago. He gasped regretfully. Seeing this, Nangong Jing blushed even more. The girls knew what happened. All of them complained to her about her behavior, especially the fox demon.
Right then, she hesitantly looked at the wine before closing her eyes and taking a huge gulp.
Moments later, Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha joined them.
When Ying Ying complained that she was hungry, the three girls went to cook.
After lunch, the group was resting. Suddenly, they heard a piercing alarm.
Lu Ze and the girls frowned and got up.
"What happened?" Qiuyue Hesha asked. Lu Ze responded, "I don't know."
Ying Ying blinked. "The ship is surrounded. We left the warp tunnel. Currently, we are being attacked."
A broadcast blared out during this time.
"Everyone, attention! We have encountered space pirates. Get ready for battle!"
'Space pirates?'
Lu Ze raised a brow. "I haven't encountered them in quite a while."
Nangong Jing grinned. "Haven't had a good fight in a long time. I really want to know how strong I am now." The other girls were brimming with battle intent too. All of them had made progress.
Lu Ze rubbed Ying Ying's head. "Ying Ying, stay here. Secretly help if you can. Don't let the other three races notice it."
Ying Ying nodded.
Lu Ze said, "Let's go out and see."
The group went to the foyer.
Elder Nangong and the others were all present. They looked outside.
There were more than ten ships surrounding the ships of the four races.
There were vibrant spirit force cannons on the enemy ships as figures flew out. Their powerful chi rattled the space.
The old man remarked, "The space pirates aren't weak. There are quite a few cosmic system states. It's probably just like usual. They're targeting races that will attend the East Realm Gathering. Be careful."
The Human Race had encountered a situation similar to this before. The leader at the time, Saint Kuang Sha, and all the people who went died.
However, this time, it was different.
Elder Nangong looked at Lu Ze inquisitively.
Lu Ze gave an affirmative smile.
This assured Elder Nangong.
His eyes flashed with resoluteness as he thought of Saint Kuang Sha. "Go out and fight!"
The shuttle door opened and Elder Nangong led everyone out.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang reminded, "Be careful."
Lu Ze nodded. "Don't worry, Aunty Xunshuang." Nangong Jing protested, "Mom, we're not kids anymore."
The other three races also charged forward.
Soon, thousands of space pirates composed of different races surrounded the four cosmic system states.
There were six cosmic system states, as well as numerous star states and planetary states.
The two sides stood opposite each other. Both were exuding powerful chi that collided in the middle of the space, creating space storms. The leader was a strange humanoid with cracked purple skin. He glanced across the four cosmic system states and smirked. "Leave your cargo and piss off!"
The expressions of the four cosmic system states instantly turned dark.
Man Dali asked, "You want the cargo? Come and take it!"
When the leader heard the taunt, his face became twisted, revealing a hideous smile. By his side, the other five cosmic system states' faces also fell.
In an instant, all the cosmic system states disappeared simultaneously.
'Rumble!'
At the same time, in a distant region, spirit force swept over like thunderstorms. Planets rattled and crumbled under such a terrifying spirit force wave. It was as if doomsday had begun unleashing its wrath upon them.
As the fight began, the leading star state of the space pirates roared, "Kill them all!"
The star states of the four races also charged up and exchanged blows with the enemies in a distant region. It couldn't compare with the cosmic system state battlefield, but it was still very terrifying Spirit force penetrated hundreds of thousands of kilometers of space.
The space storm intensified.
There weren't many planetary states in the four races. There were about a total of two hundred, but the opposition had a few thousand.
The planetary states of the four races were merely prodigies brought out to experience the world. Their cultivation level wasn't that high.
The few thousand planetary states snarled, "Hehe, without the protection of their elders, these little brats should be shivering."
"It feels great slaughtering these kids!"
"Kill!"
Their roars made the space vibrate through condensed spirit force. They rushed towards Lu Ze and the rest.
On the other hand, the prodigies of the four races tensed up.
Man Kun asked, "Ze, what do we do?" They have a few hundred level-9 planetary states. Are we going to fight or use the ship to block them?"
Eddie and Qiu Lin also looked at Lu Ze.
Naturally, his power was the strongest, and his combat power reached the star state in the secret realm.
If Lu Ze said they could fight the pirates, then they won't feel scared anymore.
Lu Ze grinned. "Of course, we will fight. I haven't gotten worked up in a while."
Right after leaving those words, Lu Ze disappeared from the spot.
Nangong Jing groaned. "Ze, you bastard! Don't run so fast! Leave a few to us!"
In a rush, Nangong Jing, Qiuyue Hesha, Lin Ling, Lu Li, and Alice followed him. Man Kun, Eddie, and Qiu Lun heard this and smiled in relief.
Their races also suffered losses from the space pirates.
Man Kun commanded, "Follow Ze, kill!"
All the powerful prodigies revealed their powerful chi. Everyone earned quite a lot from the secret realm. After half a year of digesting them, they had all made major improvements.
The space pirates saw that the prodigies dared to charge at them, making them feel stunned.
In the next moment, they snarled, "That's why I hate prodigies. They're so cocky. How dare they look down on us?!"
"I'm going to crush every bit of their bones!"
"They haven't gone through despair. Let them get a good taste of it."
They outnumbered the prodigies and had higher cultivation levels. Yet, the prodigies still dared to charge at them. It was an insult!
Lu Ze smiled. "Since you're so unhappy, I'll show you a treasure."
He raised his palm and a black-and-white energy ball formed. It instantly expanded to two meters long.
Lu Ze threw this energy ball towards the space pirates.
The space pirates paused and stopped in their tracks. Their eyes became dazed, and their faces showed terror.
The energy ball flew towards them. Every place it passed, the space ended up distorted.
This little energy ball contained terrifying energy which they couldn't fathom.
"Star state?!"
"He hasn't reached it recently too?!" "How is this possible?!"
The energy ball was too fast. When it came into contact with the pirates, they finally reacted. "Everyone, defend together!"
A few thousand planetary states used their strongest offensive means.
Devastating attacks countered the energy ball.
'Rumble!'
Nevertheless, the energy ball firmly crushed the attacks of the few thousand space pirates. Although it was getting weaker, it still flew towards the pirates.
After eliminating all the other attacks, it was only 10 centimeters long. This remaining bit shot into the pirates. Lu Ze grinned. "Explode."
'Rumble!
The ball flashed with black-and-white spirit light.
A fierce explosion erupted amongst the space pirates.
When the shockwave ended, one-third of the pirates were missing while the rest were covered in wounds and weakened.
The atmosphere fell silent.
All the pirates couldn't grasp what just happened.
Their eyes became filled with terror.
They couldn't stand against such an opponent at all.
Man Kun and the others were dumbfounded.
Although they were aware of how strong Lu Ze was, they still thought that it was going to be a tough battle.
However...
Before the enemies could even approach, they were already crippled!
Were they there just to cheer for Lu Ze?
They didn't even want to charge forward anymore and just stood there.
Man Kun's mouth twitched. "This monster..."
Eddie felt life was drained out of him. "His combat power is so much stronger than when he was in the secret realm."
He should cancel his small goal...
Qiu Lin remarked, "He didn't even wear his combat armor."
Everyone: "..."
Qiu An looked at Luo Bingqing and the rest. "Brother Luo, why didn't you tell us Lu Ze was this strong now? At least, allow us to prepare mentally."
Luo Bingqing and the rest: "?"
Who knew Lu Ze would be this powerful already?
Lin Kuang devoured the blood-thirsty fruit and improved greatly. He wanted to test his combat power, but now, how would he be able to?
Nangong Jing and the girls chased after Lu Ze. "Don't kill them all, leave some for me!"
Lu Ze responded, "Your divine art doesn't have area-of-effect."
The Golden Fist Art was a divine art that could only hit single targets.
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "I do."
Thereafter, countless needles formed around her and shot at the space pirates. Lin Ling chimed in, "Me too." Similarly, she used the golden needle divine art.
Alice giggled and formed ten fire clones and charged towards the space pirates.
Nangong Jing: "..." Lu Li: "..."
They didn't have divine arts with area-of-effect!
Dense clusters of golden needles, as well as fire clones, shot towards the planetary state space pirates.
Those space pirates, who were already injured, sensed this powerful threat. Hence, their faces became pale.
Some fled, and some fought with their lives. 'Rumble!' 'Rumble!' 'Rumble!' 'Rumble!'
After a series of sounds reverberated, the heavily injured space pirates died on the spot. Those who remained alive became much weaker than before.
Only a few rather strong peak planetary state space pirates received minor injuries. They had god arts, so their combat power was much stronger than those who did not.
But now, those cocky pirates were just floating bodies.
They watched those few figures with horror.
In the distant star state battlefield, the battles were also exceedingly intense.
The Four-Race Alliance had much fewer star states, but most of their star states had god arts and even divine arts.
As for the space pirates, very few of their star states had god arts or divine arts.
Most of the star states from the Four-Race Alliance could fight two or three individuals at a time. Only a rare few could fight more bodies than that.
As a result, the two sides were at a stalemate.
During this time, they sensed the change at the planetary state battlefield.
The space pirates received a great shock.
"Level-2 star state combat power?! Which prodigy is that?!"
The star states of the Four-Race Alliance were also dumbfounded for a while.
One star state from the Barbarian Race said in disbelief, "That is... Lu Ze?"
"Lu Ze is this powerful already?!"
Several beings felt speechless.
In terms of power, Lu Ze was almost catching up to them.
They weren't prepared for it at all!
Zuoqiu Xunshuang held a long silver spear and fought four star states. Simultaneously, she was keeping watch of the planetary state battlefield.
Now, she felt relieved.
She was also very surprised by the leap in Lu Ze's combat power.
Her spear then created afterimages and pointed towards her opponent, forcing the latter to retreat.
"It seems all your little minions are going to die."
The space pirate star states heard this. Their faces didn't look too good.
At this moment, a gray ten-meter-tall space pirate, who fought three star states with god art and divine art from the Four-Race Alliance, retorted, "So what? They're just planetary states. We can hire more! As long as we kill all of you, those brats will have to die here!"
"Kill!"
The attacks of the space pirates became fiercer.
The beings from the Four-Race Alliance quickly countered the assaults and pursued defensive mode.
Back at the planetary state battlefield, Lu Ze and the girls came upon the space pirates like tigers entering a flock of sheep. Even those peak planetary state pirates were extremely weak for Lu Ze and the girls.
Nangong Jing, who wasn't really able to grab an opponent, was extremely fierce. Together with Lu Li, the two almost instantly killed those few peak planetary states. Lu Ze looked around. Those space pirates were looking at him in terror while fleeing.
He grinned as golden needle divine art also formed around him and instantly pierced through all the remaining space pirates.
A few thousand corpses floated in space.
It was a hellish scene!
All the planetary state space pirates were annihilated.
Nangong Jing complained, "You guys are too fast! I didn't even enjoy my fight."
Lu Ze smiled and pointed to one region. "That's just the appetizer. We'll continue there."
He didn't get to enjoy the fight either. These space pirates were too weak. He wasn't even forced to go all out.
Hearing the exchange between them, the rest of the beings became dazed. Nangong Jing said with excitement, "Okay! Let's go beat up some star states!"
Lu Li chuckled. "I haven't tried fighting a star state yet." Lin Ling added, "I'll provide you their weaknesses."
Qiuyue Hesha chimed in, "The five of us combined can barely fend against little brother Lu Ze for a short while. We should be able to take on some low-level star states."
Alice poked out her tongue. She put on her god martial armor. "Let's put on our combat armor."
Lu Ze urged, "Let's go."
"Mhm."
The group proceeded to the star state battlefield.
Man Kun and his cohorts didn't know what to say. They did nothing and just watched the entire thing
When they were about to fly over, they saw Lu Ze and his group donning their armors and moving towards the star state battlefield.
Everyone: "?"
Qiu Lin stated, "They're going to the star state battlefield." Man Kun's mouth twitched. "We can see it
too."
Eddie lamented, "My heart aches."
Lin Kuang and his squad received weird glances.
It was too hard having such monsters in their generation...
The star state battlefield was rather far.
Lu Ze and the girls wouldn't go mess with those high-level star states. They only went to one particular region. One star state from the Barbarian Race was burning with fire as he fought two star states with no god art.
All of them were level-1 star states.
It seemed the star state from the Barbarian Race didn't master the fire god art that well. The situation wasn't that good.
Upon realizing Lu Ze and the girls were approaching, the faces of the two pirates changed. "It's that bastard?!"
The two had seen Lu Ze's attack. Judging from that, they didn't think they would be able to handle it.
"Why does he have the courage to come?!"
They felt they lost touch with reality.
It would be such a loss for a prodigy like him to die here.
Did he really need to come here?
They couldn't figure it out.
Similarly, the star state from the Barbarian Race was shocked. He didn't expect Lu Ze and the girls to come over.
Lu Ze suddenly burst with demonic chi.
His speed, coupled with his perfect mastery of Demonic Burst, was so much faster than before.
By the time they sensed Lu Ze's chi, he was already next to them.
He moved next to a rotund being that was 1.5 meters tall and released a punch with dark golden runes. "Die!"
Lu Ze swung his fist towards the head of the pirate.
The creature shrieked as an invisible ripple appeared, forming a clear barrier. "Block!"
'Bup!" It sounded as though a bubble popped. Lu Ze's punch made the barrier burst. His fist then landed on the opponent's head. The dark golden fist force instantly wiped its life force away.
Sensing the graveness of the situation, the other star states looked over.
That gray giant roared in fury, "Bastard, you're asking to die!"
He flashed with gray light as he extended a palm towards Lu Ze.
A huge energy ball appeared and shot at the latter.
During this time, a man blocked before the ball. There was a dark red shield around him, and the energy ball struck this shield.
The man was pushed back.
At the same time, another star state from the Barbarian Race proceeded to slash the giant's neck with an enormous ax. Then, a being from the Round Race followed suit, turning his hands into sharp spears so as to pierce through the cracks in the armor of the enemy.
The giant quickly turned around to defend.
The man grinned. "Your opponents are us. Don't think about other matters."
Lu Ze looked at the headless body. "He's a bit weak."
The mouth of the man from the Barbarian Race twitched.
"This is a normal star state, alright?'
The other star state pirate shivered.
This time, he wanted to go home. This place is terrifying!'
Lu Ze glanced at the hiding space pirates and smiled at Nangong Jing and the girls. "I'm going to find someone stronger to play with. You guys, be careful."
Thereafter, he disappeared from the spot.
That star state pirate felt dumbfounded.
'Gone? That monster left just like that?'
He felt like he was granted a second chance at life.
'I need to run!'
The moment he had that thought, his mind ended up dazed, and his head suddenly ached. Right then, the headless body of the space pirate drifted off.
Barbarian man: "?"
He looked at Nangong Jing who was next to the body.
'Why was this woman so strong too?!'
Nangong Jing withdrew her fist and sneered, "Hmph, that bastard is looking down on us for sure! He didn't even bring us next to a stronger opponent. We must work hard. We must kill more pirates than him!"
Lin Ling's eyes flashed. "Yes, we can't let him underestimate us!"
Qiuyue Hesha, Lu Li, and Alice all agreed with a nod.
They didn't want Lu Ze to brush them aside. Hence, they also took off in search of other opponents.
The man from the Barbarian Race was left. He began to doubt life.
Moments later, he turned around and went to help a nearby ally. Soon, Lu Ze found a suitable opponent far away. In the midst of a fight, a middle-aged man was holding a huge sword. His cultivation level reached the level-3 star state. Currently, he was fighting three level-3 star state pirates.
Lu Ze had an impression of this man. He should be on the same generation as Jack's grandfather.
From what he recalled, his name was Claurence. Lu Ze had seen Jack greet the man. Claurence noticed Lu Ze when he killed that level-1 star state. Hence, when the latter came over, he asked, "Lu Ze, I'll give you one for practice. Are you confident?"
Lu Ze smiled and glanced at the three star state space pirates. "Thank you, Mr. Claurence. I'll take one."
Claurence grinned and swung his sword. The sword covered two pirates and missed the one closest to Lu Ze.
Lu Ze looked at the golden sword light.
'Heaven Jun Golden Sword!'
It seemed to be Jack's family heritage divine art.
The divine arts owned by the Human Race weren't high-level. Even though Claurence was a star state, he still used this divine art. Lu Ze didn't think much of it.
Right away, a Light-and-Darkness Beam materialized and shot towards the other star state pirate.
The snake-tailed pirate roared, "Bastard, how dare you underestimate me?!"
Neither the old man nor the young guy took him seriously. This made him furious.
He slapped away the Light-and-Darkness Beam as he charged at Lu Ze.
"Who do you think you are?! You're just a level-8 planetary state insect. How dare you look down on our Master Guris!"
There was blood mist surrounding his claws as he scratched at Lu Ze's head.
Guris brimmed with killing intent.
Lu Ze didn't care about what he said. After all, power didn't depend on one's words. In turn, he was actually very excited.
A level-3 star state...
'Let me see how strong I am!'
'Fire buff!
'Darkness buff!'
'Demonic Burst!'
'Rumble!
Lu Ze instantly disappeared from the spot. Accordingly, the claw missed Lu Ze's head.
During this time, Lu Ze appeared behind Guris. He swung his arm and punched towards the back of his opponent.
Guris shifted to the right and dodged the punch. Right after, his tail attempted to whip Lu Ze.
The powerful force stirred up a space storm.
Lu Ze gasped.
His body seemed to possess a layer of dark golden light. The tail was easily blocked by this light.
This was the dark metal bug's defensive divine art.
Lu Ze finally pieced together this divine art and learned it to perfection mastery. Although Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls had this divine art as well, they didn't reach perfection mastery.
Lu Ze named this divine art "Dark Metal Body".
Guris couldn't quite grasp what he had just witnessed. The boy blocked his attack with ease.
Lu Ze grinned and reached out his dark golden hands to grab Guris' tail. He then started to swing it around.
Guris' body was turned into a spinning wheel. He couldn't resist such an overwhelming force at all.
There were desperate howls coming from the wheel. As it spun faster, Lu Ze suddenly released his grip, and Guris flew out at a rapid rate.
Lu Ze disappeared from the spot and appeared before Guris once again. He swung his leg.
Guris spat blood and was flung away.
Lu Ze would never slow down his attack during a battle. He instantly went after Guris and released a punch.
Suddenly, Guris roared. His eyes turned red as he suddenly stopped. The blood mist condensed around his claws, and his chi suddenly soared.
He exchanged blows with Lu Ze's.
'Rumble!'
Lu Ze could feel the intensity of the massive force.
Right now, his defenses won't be enough to completely stop it. Consequently, the force tore open Lu Ze's muscles and bones. Cracks even appeared on his arm as he flew backward.
With that strike, Guris' body dried up a little, but his chi didn't weaken at all. He persistently went after Lu Ze, slashing his claws to tear the other party apart.
However, Lu Ze had already managed to stabilize his condition, so he was able to avoid the claw.
The force swiped past his face, leaving a mark on both his body and face. His blood then dripped out.
'Demonic Burst!'
Lu Ze shifted to the back and dodged another strike.
Noticing the condition of Guris, who was visibly drying up, he raised a brow.
He probably used some secret technique to raise his power temporarily. However, it had a huge impact on one's body and wouldn't last
long.
Just after a few attacks, Guris' breathing became unstable.
"Don't dodge!" Guris roared.
Lu Ze argued back, "Don't chase after me!"
Guris disregarded the words and kept pursuing Lu Ze.
Lu Ze sneered, "In that case, don't blame me."
He never stopped dodging Guris either.
Naturally, Lu Ze wasn't an idiot.
'Why should I stand and let Guris attack?'
In a short ten seconds, Guris' chi rapidly became feeble. His body was as thin as a pole now.
Lu Ze grinned. This time, he appeared behind Guris, punching him heavily on the back. The force tore apart the organs of the space pirate. Guris was thrown backward as his body gushed out a fountain of blood. His life force slowly vanished.
Lu Ze panted. As it turned out, his full-powered state could handle a level-3 star state.
However, he couldn't wear the armor in the Pocket Hunting Dimension. Otherwise, he would have been able to conquer star state bosses.
Several star states saw the death of Guris. They immediately felt immense pressure.
Those who were above level-3 star state wanted to come and kill Lu Ze. A powerful gray giant roared, "What are you all doing? Can't you split off so one can kill this brat?"
He held up three powerful beings all by himself. Yet, his teammates were all useless.
The other star states didn't know why, but it was as if their power would falter every now and then. They should have been able to suppress their opponents, but some problems would randomly crop up. Hence, they were barred from going after Lu Ze.
'Rumble!'
"Arghhh!"
At this moment, the distant space rattled and a howl echoed.
Blood painted the cosmos.
The expressions of all the star states changed.
A cosmic system state had died!
Theoretically, the battle between cosmic system states shouldn't be decided this quickly. But in just ten minutes, someone died!
This made both sides nervous.
Nevertheless, the space pirates were more confident since they had more cosmic system states. The odds were in their favor.
The gray giant laughed derisively. "Hahaha! Didn't expect your cosmic system states to be this weak! You're all finished..."
'Rumble!'
"I-impossible... arghhh!" Before he could complete his words, an inexplicable howl could be heard from the distant space.
Immediately, the gray giant stopped laughing. All the space pirates became cautious. 'Is that our boss then?!'
'How is that possible?!'
'We had two additional cosmic system states!'
The Four-Race Alliance relaxed a little.
Lu Ze and the human star states weren't worried at all. They were aware they had Ying Ying on their side and that she always helped the Human Race secretly.
With the death of two cosmic system states, a chain reaction was set off. There were non-stop aggrieved wails.
In just ten seconds, the distant battle was subjected to a terrifying space storm.
Blood dyed the space red.
When the cries finally subsided, four lights passed through the storm and went to the star state battlefield.
It was the cosmic system states of the Four-Race Alliance.
Man Dali, Doris, and Qiu Lun looked strangely at Elder Nangong as though they saw something eerie.
Elder Nangong had a calm face, but he actually felt great inside.
Ying Ying was a really good kid.
Now, he really got to act cool.
With their arrival, all the star state space pirates were extremely terrified.
The cosmic system states of the other side returned, but theirs did not. Even an idiot would know what happened by
now.
At this moment, Doris glanced past all the space pirates and sneered. As it appeared, they were cut by some invisible blade and died on the spot.
Lu Ze's eyes narrowed. 'Was this the real power of a cosmic system state?'
His brain couldn't keep up with the series of events. At one point, all the star states just died without him noticing what truly happened.
With this, everyone felt relieved.
There were injured star states, but at least, no one died. It was mainly because the battle ended too quickly. Numerous star states looked at their cosmic system states with pride.
They were so strong!
The battle might have been four-against-six, but they finished it rather quickly.
Relatively, their capabilities were far from accomplishing that. The star states felt they needed to work harder.
The mouths of Man Dali and his cohorts twitched after sensing the glances of admiration. They looked oddly at Elder Nangong. 'How did this old man become suddenly strong? What did he eat?'
Just then, he was able to kill a cosmic system state with a few moves...
Still, they knew that now wasn't the time to think about this.
Man Dali looked across the injured. "Heal the injured first. The rest of you, come with me to the pirate ships and investigate."
A space pirate crew with six cosmic system states wasn't considered small, even in the entire eastern region.
They were completely unlucky this time.
Clearly, they would have a lot of treasure.
Elder Nangong looked at Lu Ze and the girls. His mouth twitched.
These little kids were bold enough to join star state battles. They don't even recognize fear. However, he still felt great about what they did.
He could already foresee the rising of the Human Race.
Elder Nangong smiled. "You guys, go back first. Don't run around."
Lu Ze scratched his head. "Oh."
He wasn't the type to run around.
Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls nodded and flew towards the prodigies of the Four-Race Alliance.
Man Dali and his companions looked at Lu Ze's group with envy. "Nangong, what is the situation with that kid? What is with his combat power? What about that progress speed?"
Doris was in disbelief. "Half a year ago, he was only a level-3 planetary state. Now, he's a level-8 planetary state?!"
Qiu Lun commented, "Your offspring and the other little girls aren't ordinary too... And you, what happened to you earlier?!"
The three looked at Elder Nangong with confusion.
It was too strange. The four of them had been friends for over a thousand years. How could they not know how strong Nangong was?
Elder Nangong smiled. With a hushed voice, he said, "Ze's talent isn't bad, right?"
The other three nodded. Man Dali said, "It's a pity that guy is born in the Human Race. If he belonged to the Cosmic Cloud State Race, his future would be boundless."
Elder Nangong rolled his eyes. "What's wrong with the Human Race? Is it that bad?"
The three looked at Elder Nangong speechlessly. 'Is he not self-aware?'
On the other hand, Elder Nangong felt quite embarrassed too. After all, he couldn't even give Lu Ze and the girls any rewards for the secret realm. He knew Lu Ze's talent better than the three. Not even the Elf Race might have such a prodigy. With a mysterious voice, he said, "Actually... that kid has been favored by a super-powerful being and taken in as a disciple..."
ve
Thereafter, he said nothing else and looked at the three with a 'you-should-know' face. This was his decision in the meantime. He had to, because Ying Ying's existence couldn't be hidden anymore after this space pirate incident. He could only create the image of a "mysterious master" behind Lu Ze. This could also explain why Lu Ze progressed that much. He had to relay this information to Ze later.
Man Dali and the rest widened their eyes.
Doris looked around and asked, "So, that super-powerful being intervened? Otherwise, your power, we know..."
Elder Nangong's mouth twitched. 'What's wrong with my power? Am I too weak?'
He thought about it. Well, he was indeed weak compared to Ying Ying.
Elder Nangong nodded, confirming Doris' guess.
The other three had a look of realization.
This explained why Elder Nangong could kill space pirates and why Lu Ze progressed so fast.
The power of some beings in the universe was unfathomable.
The three were so envious that they were going to explode on the spot.
'Why did the Human Race take all the good luck?'
Qiu Lun hesitated. He wanted to ask what level that being was.
"To help Elder Nangong kill cosmic system states without them noticing, at the very least, that being should be a cosmic cloud state or above?' But eventually, he didn't raise the question anymore. After all, that being might be following them.
'I shouldn't annoy that master out of curiosity.'
The other two had exactly the same thoughts.
Their expressions finally returned to normal.
Doris smiled. "With such a figure here, we can now travel safely."
Man Dali and Qiu Lun nodded. They benefitted from the Human Race this time.
They had arrived at the space pirate ships and began searching for valuables.
Lu Ze and the girls went back to where the prodigies were and saw their strange expressions.
Lu Ze asked, "What's wrong?"
Man Kun looked at Lu Ze like the latter was a monster. "Brother Ze, your power is progressing too fast. I'm really jealous."
Lu Ze smiled. "Maybe, I'm a bit talented."
Everyone: "..."
A few hours later, Elder Nangong and the others had searched through the pirate ships and even disassembled them.
The pirate's treasures were split between the four races. The Human Race contributed the most, so they received a major portion of the valuables.
Following the distribution, everyone took off once again. The ship flew into the warp dimension.
Lu Ze and the girls went straight to Ying Ying's room. She was lying on the bed, watching cartoons.
The girls moved next to her and carried her in their arms, not forgetting to rub against her.
"Ying Ying is really amazing! Without you, we would be in great danger this time."
"I'll cook tasty food for you. What do you want to eat?"
"Ying Ying, do you want orbs? I'll feed you."
"Ying Ying, do you want wine... cough... I'm joking..."
Ying Ying was squeezed between those crazy women. Only her helpless little hands flailed around.
She looked quite pitiful.
Lu Ze prayed for her and sighed.
At this moment, someone knocked on the door. Lu Ze went to open it.
Elder Nangong was standing outside while smiling. Zuoqiu Xunshuang was also behind him.
Lu Ze quickly moved aside. "Elder, Aunty Xunshuang, why are you guys here?" They should be very busy counting the loot from the space pirates. Why did they come then?
Lu Ze thought they would need to rest as well.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang saw Ying Ying. She immediately rushed forward and stole Ying Ying from the girls.
She rubbed against Ying Ying too and laughed. "Ying Ying, you're amazing! All thanks to you this time. Otherwise, we would be in danger."
Ying Ying's round face was flattened.
Nangong Jing smiled. "Ying Ying, thank you. Grandpa will make fried fish for you when we return."
Ying Ying's lifeless eyes lit up. She raised her little hands. "Thank you, grandpa!" Elder Nangong smiled and then looked at Lu Ze. "Ze, there is something I need to talk to you about."
Lu Ze asked, "What is it?"
Elder Nangong informed Lu Ze about the excuse.
The room fell silent. Lu Ze pointed at Ying Ying. "Are you saying she's the 'mysterious master' behind me?"
Elder Nangong confirmed it. "Ying Ying doesn't need to show herself. No one would dare to ask."
le
If Ying Ying revealed herself now, it would be more complicated. She looked just like a kid.
Lu Ze: "..."
Indeed, Ying Ying's power was comparable to a real master. However, look at what she normally did every day.
She watched cartoons all the time and just waited for food.
'Since when did this little kid become my master?'
Nevertheless, this was truly the best way to resolve things. Lu Li grinned. "Elder, this is a great way." Nangong Jing cackled. "Ying Ying's disciple. Hahaha!"
Qiuyue Hesha said, "Little brother Lu Ze, Ying Ying calls us big sister. What should you call us then?"
Lin Ling could barely stand up from laughing too hard.
Lu Ze glared at the five girls and then nodded. "Okay, Elder, I understand."
Elder Nangong nodded and chatted with them about cultivation for a while before leaving.
Ying Ying blinked her innocent eyes. "Lu Ze, what is a master?"
Lu Ze's body stiffened.
Qiuyue Hesha smirked. "A master is..."
Before she could proceed with explaining, Lu Ze grabbed her waist and smacked her butt.
Qiuyue Hesha's face blushed. She acted pitifully in front of Lu Ze. Her eyes were even red.
The other four girls looked around, not daring to say anything
It sounded painful and was embarrassing.
They rejoiced that they didn't start trouble like the fox demon. Otherwise, they would be the ones hurting now.
Lu Ze felt great upon seeing them behave.
'How dare they challenge my authority?!'
In the next moment, he smiled and carried the confused Ying Ying.
"Ying Ying, look. Do you think I'm nice to you?"
Ying Ying bit her fingers and nodded. "Yes!" She continued, "Lu Ze, is my number one feeder! You give me tasty orbs... Slurp-"
Lu Ze's eyes lit up. His smile became more amicable. "That's right, I'm Ying Ying's number one fee..."
Before Lu Ze could finish speaking, he sensed the cold glances behind him. The five girls were sending death stares to him.
Lu Ze rephrased his words. "F-food provider and your handsome brother Lu Ze." "Shameless!"
"Yes!"
Lu Ze didn't care. He was really shameless anyway.
Ying Ying nodded. "Oh."
"So, our relationship will still be similar as before."
Ying Ying asked, "Lu Ze, will you still give me tasty things in the future?"
Lu Ze smiled and patted her head. "Of course."
Ying Ying nodded. "Yes!"
Master or not, it didn't matter, as long as there was good food.
Qiuyue Hesha pouted her lips. She thought it would be very interesting for Lu Ze to be Ying Ying's disciple. In the end, she still wasn't able to see that kind of scene and got spanked for no reason.
She looked at the other four girls. "You traitors!"
They laughed so hard, but only she went up.
Nangong Jing glanced at Qiuyue Hesha's butt. "Hehe, serves you right, fox demon!"
Good thing she didn't go up herself. Otherwise, she would be like that now.
Lu Ze really didn't want to call Ying Ying his master.
Lu Li acted as though she was an idiot. "What are you talking about, sister Hesha? I don't get it."
Lin Ling looked away.
Only Alice, the little angel, felt guilty. "Sister Hesha, is it painful?"
Qiuyue Hesha: "?"
Her face blushed.
'Was Alice trying to compliment me or make me feel worse?!
Nangong Jing couldn't resist mocking the other party.
Lu Li's and Lin Ling's shoulders shook.
Alice looked down in embarrassment. "I... I'll
go cook!"
She quickly left this troubled scene.
She felt sister Hesha might get angry at her. 'Run!'
Lu Li and Lin Ling said, "We'll go too."
Now, only Qiuyue Hesha and Nangong Jing remained.
Qiuyue Hesha glared at Nangong Jing. "What are you laughing at, T-Rex?!"
Nangong Jing retorted, "Laughing at you, so what?!"
"You got drunk a few days ago..."
"Okay, let's both stop..."
When they were finished eating, everyone returned to their rooms to cultivate.
The space pirates came at a great time. At least, they had some understanding of their combat powers now.
Lu Ze's combat power was now similar to the level-9 planetary state super beasts, but his stamina couldn't keep up. He still needed some more cultivation before killing them.
Two months later, Lu Ze and the girls were having breakfast in Ying Ying's room.
At this moment, the scene outside flashed with white light and changed.
A huge red star appeared on the other side. There was a planet that was much larger than ordinary planets revolving around the star.
All sorts of spaceships flew towards the massive planet.
Ships emerged from the warp dimension from time to time.
Lu Ze said, "We're here. Is this the trade planet Elder Nangong talked about?"
The trade planet was in the center of the eastern region.
There were just one star and one planet. Such a solar system was rather rare.
The trade planet was very close to the star.
The temperature was very high and not suitable for ordinary life. However, after the terraforming done by cosmic cloud state civilization, those above mortal evolution states could stay here for long periods of time.
This planet was the most prosperous planet in the eastern region. You could pretty much find everything you want to buy here.
Technology, divine arts, spirit items, equipment, rare spirit fruits, and even slaves of the annihilated races.
Every five years, the East Realm Gathering was held here. There would be thousands of races and all sorts of beings coming here to trade. For the Four-Race Alliance, this place was too far away and risky to visit. Hence, they would only come during the East Realm Gathering to buy the things their race needed.
Sometimes, they might not even attend the East Realm Gathering. The risk involved was one of the reasons, but the most important factor was the lack of money.
Lin Ling remarked, "This place is really prosperous."
Even Ying Ying looked at that massive planet in curiosity.
During this time, the broadcast in the ship ordered everyone to assemble.
Lu Ze got up. "Let's go."
The group left.
Luo Bingqing and his team were already at the foyer. This was their first time coming to the trade planet.
They greeted Lu Ze and the girls.
Elder Nangong and the star states came over too.
Elder Nangong said, "There are many powerful beings on the trade planet. Don't walk around everywhere and don't start trouble. We'll stay low-key and trade some things. Then, we'll leave."
Fighting was forbidden on the planet. The offender would be penalized by the civilization that established this place.
Elder Nangong would usually treat situations like this seriously. There were too many powerful beings here.
Who knew if he'd unintentionally annoy someone?
The rules could be changed by power.
This year, however, Ying Ying had their backs, so he wasn't overly anxious.
Still, they needed to lie low. The Human Race needed more time to develop.
Everyone agreed.
They recognized their own weakness. Hence, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble here.
Soon, the ships of the Four-Race Alliance docked at the sizable space station.
The four races gathered, and Elder Nangong led everyone to stay at a distant hotel.
They were going to stay there for a few days. Despite being situated at a rather distant location, the hotel still had over a thousand levels and a vast area. There were several races coming in and out.
The prodigies who came here for the first time looked at the other beings curiously.
There were also large groups with star states and cosmic system states leading the team.
Of course, there were individuals or small squads. These people were mostly star states or occasionally cosmic system states.
These wanderers might have had their races
survive.
Some of them dreamed of reviving their civilization while some had given up and just wanted to remain alive.
There were too many races like the Four-Race Alliance that came to trade here.
There were dozens of reception stands at the foyer. Behind them were cold-faced workers.
The four cosmic system states went to book rooms. The workers weren't surprised upon seeing cosmic system states at all.
Soon, the bookings were done.
Even though the hotel was located far away, they still needed to pay a planetary state spirit herb. This was horrifyingly expensive.
The prodigies who came for the first time were shocked by this price. One room cost one planetary state spirit herb a day.
e room
"Just how lucrative was this place?'
Because there were plenty of attendees, the cosmic system states booked an entire floor.
The participants shared rooms.
In fact, Lu Ze and the girls would stay in a single room.
Lu Ze felt great about this arrangement.
'Is Elder Nangong helping me out again?'
Meanwhile, Nangong Jing and the girls were embarrassed.
Soon, they reached their room. When they opened the door, the group ended up dumbfounded. The area was only tens of square meters.
Most importantly, there was no furniture-not even a bathroom or a kitchen. It really was just a room!
Well, there were just a few cushions on the ground for sitting... Lu Ze was speechless. "We can't cook here."
Nangong Jing frowned. "This sort of room costs one planetary state spirit herb a night. Living in the spaceship is better than staying here."
Qiuyue Hesha said, "We're just staying for a few days. Bear with it."
Thereafter, the cosmic system states allowed the young prodigies to go out and wander around. They went with the star states to buy some necessities and sell some stuff.
In the coming days, they would be quite busy. The prodigies went off in groups. They were very curious.
Lu Ze and the girls decided to go out as well. Ying Ying concealed herself, but she tagged along with them.
There were all sorts of skyscrapers on this planet.
Vibrant lights attracted countless customers.
Powerful beings flew between buildings.
The shops in the outer region were mostly privately-owned shops. They weren't big, and the quality of the things sold wasn't very high.
A few hours later, as they explored deeper and deeper, larger shops started appearing. The quality of the items also improved to a higher grade.
Lu Li touched a dark crystal necklace in an ornament shop and smiled. "Is this pretty?"
Lu Ze nodded. "Yes, the color matches you. Makes your neck seem whiter."
Lu Li smiled. "Alright, then I'm buying it. Pay for me, brother." "Senior, how about this bracelet?"
Alice reached out her arm. There was a crystal bracelet with purple flames surging inside. The bracelet felt warm.
Lu Ze smiled. "Yes, it seems it can buff fire god art quite a lot. It suits you well, Alice."
Alice giggled. "Then, I want this senior." "Okay." Nangong Jing, Qiuyue Hesha, and Lin Ling were all choosing their jewelry eagerly.
Nangong Jing passed over a golden ring. "Ze, I want this ring. It buffs my body god art a lot."
Qiuyue Hesha chose a rainbow necklace. "Little brother Lu Ze, I want this."
As for Lin Ling, she waved around a silvery-white pendant. "This one, Ze." Lu Ze nodded. "Okay, get all of them."
He looked at their prices. It was a total of 25 star state spirit herbs. They were the cheapest star-state-buffing items.
At the trade planet, everything was bought with the most ordinary spirit herb of that level.
Planetary state items used planet forging fruit.
Star state items used spirit mist herb.
Before they went out, the old man gave them 35 spirit mist herbs to use.
The others felt envious.
They were rather wealthy now. Lu Ze smiled at a humanoid salesperson. "Take us to the check-out counter."
The salesperson answered politely, "Sure, please come this way, sir."
The other customers looked at Lu Ze's group in surprise.
'Rich!
Such a young planetary state bought star state equipment without blinking. "What race are those few beings?" "Not sure, they don't seem simple. I can't sense their cultivation level."
"You're already a level-2 star state and you still can't?"
"Mhm... they give me a rather dangerous feeling, especially that male." "They look so young. They must be a group of prodigies."
"At the very least, they have cosmic system states backing them up. Don't think about it. There might even be..."
Lu Ze came out of the shop and said, "I have something to announce."
The girls looked at Lu Ze. Lu Ze relayed, "We seem to be almost out of money." The girls were in disbelief.
Qiuyue Hesha exclaimed, "That quickly?!"
"I feel we haven't even shopped a lot!"
"Same."
Lu Ze rolled his eyes. "Other than buying equipment, we bought quite some rare planetary state spirit herbs. We've used up the 32 spirit mist herbs already."
"That means we only have three left."
The girls' expression fell.
Lu Ze then smiled. "Let's find some things to sell."
"Sell?"
Nangong Jing frowned. "You're not thinking about selling the orbs, are you? We can't do that!"
Lu Ze asked, "Am I that dumb?" Lu Ze thought of something good. They got an insectoid queen egg!
Lu Ze smiled at Lu Li and the girls. "Let's go back first."
They were originally going to find a random shop to sell the egg, but now that they knew there was an auction ground, it was better to trade it there.
Lu Li and the rest of the group nodded.
Back at the hotel, Lu Ze closed the door.
Nangong Jing asked, "What are you planning to sell?"
Lu Ze grinned. "Remember the insectoid queen egg we got at the void border?".
Everyone was taken aback. Then, Lin Ling smiled. "That egg can be sold indeed. There's still a life force within the egg. It shouldn't be cheap."
The egg was definitely a precious item.
The egg that the Black Smoke Race was experimenting with in the Human Race, as well as the egg they got from the void border, all originated from the ruins left by the prodigy who belonged to the Crystal Race.
Yi Lei was a level-9 star state at the time. He could even escape from a level-5 cosmic system state from the Insectoid Race.
Even he wanted the queen egg. Clearly, it wasn't something ordinary. If he sold it, he would definitely get a good price for it.
Suddenly, Lu Ze wondered whether that guy had been revived. The Crystal Race was a powerful race in the East region.
Lu Ze was rather curious.
"Wait, let me use transformation god art to hide my identity and then go to the auction grounds. Don't come with me."
The other girls nodded.
It was best not to sell the queen egg as a human. It wouldn't be too good if other races plotted to steal it.
Lu Li looked at Lu Ze. "Be careful."
"It's fine, we have Ying Ying." Lu Ze rubbed Ying Ying's face. "Ying Ying, after I transform, can you block other beings from detecting
me?"
His transformation god art wasn't too advanced. It could trick an ordinary star state but not a cosmic system state.
There were high chances that there might be cosmic system states at the auction grounds.
Ying Ying nodded. "Sure."
Lu Ze wasn't surprised. She might be a foodie, but she was a real powerhouse.
Alice asked, "What being are you planning to change to?"
Lu Ze was dumbfounded. He hadn't actually thought about it.
'Should I change to someone from the Blade Demon Race, particularly Kakarot?'
No, this was the Elf Cosmic Realm. The Blade Demon Race belonged to the Demon Realm. He would be killed on sight if he went with that choice.
Lu Ze grinned. "I have a bold idea."
He flashed with white light and turned into a person covered in purple scales.
The girls laughed. Qiuyue Hesha remarked, "Little brother Lu Ze, you're so cheeky."
If word got out that the Purple Scale Race sold the egg, they would become quite famous.
Lin Ling rolled her eyes. "Lu Ze, you're too
evil."
Lu Ze rebutted, "I'm not? The Purple Scale Race wants to become famous, don't they? They wanted that guy who was killed by the black leopard to shine brightly at the prodigy ranking battle."
At this moment, Lu Ze smiled at Ying Ying. "Ying Ying, help me block detection."
Ying Ying looked at Lu Ze and moved back. "Lu Ze is so ugly."
Lu Ze: "?"
The girls laughed. The beings of the Purple Scale Race were indeed hideous in terms of appearance.
It was quite funny after seeing Lu Ze like this.
He argued back, "I don't want to be this ugly. I'm sacrificing myself for the greater good, so I can give the Purple Scale Race a surprise."
"Ying Ying, hurry up and do it. We'll head there immediately."
Ying Ying's eyes flashed with starlight, and Lu Ze was soon surrounded by that light.
A moment later, it disappeared.
Ying Ying nodded. "Done."
Lu Ze wanted to pat Ying Ying's head, but she quickly moved away.
Lu Ze: "..."
He turned around and disappeared from the
spot.
Lu Ze emerged on a busy street.
The others saw his figure and got dazed for a moment.
'Space god art?!'
They didn't expect to encounter such a prodigy. Lu Ze glanced across the entire crowd expressionlessly.
Lu Ze, who had read the actor's manual many times, had developed some acting skills. He was now a domineering, unparalleled prodigy of the Purple Scale Race!
When all the beings present saw Lu Ze's cold and menacing golden eyes, they frowned.
There were quite some star states and a few cosmic system states in the audience.
This prodigy was only a planetary state, and yet, he dared to look at them like that.
They felt quite annoyed.
However, they didn't do anything in the end. This was the planet for trading after all.
'Who knew if this guy wasn't the prodigy of a powerful race?'
Those few cosmic system states took a deep look at Lu Ze's back. They were going to check what race Lu Ze belonged to.
'If he didn't belong to some power race... hmph!'
Lu Ze flew towards the auction grounds.
It wasn't in the central region of the planet but in the star state region.
Almost instantly, Lu Ze went to the front. It was massive, about tens of kilometers wide, and also over a thousand meters tall.
He walked inside.
The receptionists were two beautiful-looking, snow-haired women. They looked at Lu Ze with a trace of surprise.
The auction establishment here was of the highest caliber in the East region. She was a professional receptionist and knew most of the races.
The Purple Scale Race wasn't famous, but they did have cosmic system states, so they knew about it.
Nevertheless, the Purple Scale Race was just a cosmic system state civilization.
'Since when did their race dare to be this cocky?'
They were shocked. Still, they said nothing about it and greeted him instead, "Welcome."
Lu Ze didn't even look at the two girls and remained walking.
He saw there were more than ten people inside. They were mostly cosmic system states. Star states were rare. Right now, Lu Ze was the only planetary state.
Lu Ze breathed easy.
He was a bit worried to see someone from the Purple Scale Race here.
The people felt strange upon seeing how calm he was.
At this moment, a beautiful receptionist smiled. "Sir, please wait in line for your item to be verified. If you have special and precious items, they can be verified ahead of others."
No wonder these guys were waiting here.
Lu Ze responded plainly, "My item is very precious. It needs to be verified right away."
The girl was stunned and so was everyone else.
Lu Ze frowned. "I have a precious item for the auction. What? You don't believe it?"
The girl took a deep look at Lu Ze's eyes and smiled. "Sir, of course, we won't doubt our customers."
She bowed. "Please wait a moment, I'll report
this."
This auction building has a cosmic cloud state at its back. If this punk from the Purple Scale Race dared to mess with them, he would very much regret coming to this world.
Lu Ze didn't answer and just sat down haughtily.
He only had one mission, and that was to act arrogant.
Moments later, a golden-skinned handsome humanoid male came out. The girl followed behind him.
Golden Spear Race!
The auction was quite lucrative, so it was held in turn by the few cosmic cloud state civilizations on the planet. Golden Spear Race was one of them.
Lu Ze couldn't sense this man's chi at all. He was probably a cosmic system state. The foyer fell silent when the man entered the scene.
The man approached and studied Lu Ze before smiling. "I'm the appraiser of the auction, Ambrose, please follow me."
Lu Ze was surprised that his attitude was so polite.
Lu Ze nodded. "Okay." He followed the man into a room on the side.
Inside the room, Ambrose looked at Lu Ze. "Sir, what is the item you would like to auction then?"
Lu Ze took out the egg.
It looked the same as when Lu Ze first got it. It was completely black while it contained some complex runes.
Ambrose was taken aback. A second later, he asked in utter shock, "T-this... this is an insectoid queen egg?!".
He looked at Lu Ze in surprise. This man from the Purple Scale Race was only a planetary state. How could he possess such a thing?
Lu Ze confirmed it "Yes, that's right."
Ambrose inquired, "Can I appraise it first?" Lu Ze agreed and handed the egg over.
Ambrose took the egg and scanned it with his mental force while observing carefully. He even took out a golden device to check it.
Moments later, he let out a breath and took a deep look at Lu Ze. He smiled. "How should I address you, sir?"
Lu Ze raised his head a bit. "I'm Long Batian."
Ambrose nodded. "Your egg is genuine. It can be auctioned. Are you going to commission us to sell it for you?"
Lu Ze nodded plainly. "Yes."
Ambrose smiled. "Thank you, Sir Long Batian for trusting our auction house. Let's proceed with the commission procedures now."
Lu Ze nodded and signed the contract.
Soon, everything was all done, and Lu Ze said, "If there's nothing else, I'm going first."
Ambrose smiled. "Do as you please, sir."
Lu Ze walked out of the room.
Ambrose narrowed his eyes.
He investigated this youth carefully just then. He was very young and talented. Purple Scale Race...
He recalled it was a cosmic system state civilization. 'When did they have a prodigy like him?' 'Where did he get the queen egg?'
This thing isn't so easily acquired by anybody.
Lu Ze walked out, and the girl at the door became dazed.
'He actually came out?'
Meaning, he really did have a precious auction item!
She bowed. "Sir, do you need any other services?"
Lu Ze shook his head. "No."
He then simply walked out of the auction house.
The star states and cosmic system states looked at his back with flashing eyes.
'Does this planetary state minor really have precious items?'
'What is it?'
At this moment, Ambrose walked out and glanced across the place with his sharp eyes. Everyone looked away, but they made up their mind to investigate that youth later...
Lu Ze continued walking in an intimidating manner as he left.
He felt quite great. He walked out of the region and wanted to find a place to go back to.
During this time, he heard a familiar voice.
"Who are you? I haven't seen you back at our race."
Lu Ze turned around and saw the Purple Scale Race Elder Amos staring at him in confusion. There were a few star states and planetary states behind Amos as well.
Lu Ze: "?"
'Was he this unlucky?'
Amos was quite annoyed. Although he explained what happened to his allies and they didn't protest about it, he could still feel there was some distance between them now.
Their race organized this secret realm excavation and pretty much lost all their younger prodigies.
On top of that, every race lost a cosmic system state and some star states.
The death of a cosmic system state was a serious injury to the entire race. If they all lost one, it would be fine, but only the organizer, Amos, survived.
'Who could handle that?'
Meanwhile, the Purple Scale Race couldn't let Amos die either. They paid large sums of compensation.
Amos felt he was the sinner of his race and was rather depressed. Luckily, his race remained understanding and supported him instead.
Yet, how come he encountered a prodigy from the Purple Scale Race right now who didn't come with them?
His character setting was a cold domineering prodigy, so he put on a neutral expression. However, deep inside, he was extremely worried.
Out of nowhere, a bold idea came to Lu Ze.
With this, his expression changed. His tone contained some heaviness in it. "Purple Scale Race..."
Amos and the others: "?"
He looked at Lu Ze in confusion.
'Aren't you someone from the Purple Scale Race too?'
'Why are you looking at them like that?'
Amos frowned and glared with authority. "Who are you? Where did you come from? Did you follow our ship?"
Lu Ze's face went cold earlier. He wanted to turn around but stopped himself. He responded coldly, "I have nothing to do with the Purple Scale Race."
Then, he proceeded to leave. Amos and the others were confused. They were of the same race.
'How could they have nothing to do with each other?
Amos commanded, "Stop!"
His chi surged and a powerful pressure bore down on Lu Ze.
Lu Ze felt his body sink. The pressure, which could stop a peak planetary state from moving, fell on him.
Nevertheless, this pressure was actually too weak for Lu Ze. He sneered and shook off the pressure.
Amos and the rest couldn't believe what they just saw. 'Did this guy shrug off the pressure with his body alone?'
'Whose prodigy was this?' Amos' tone softened a little, but the pressure became capable of suppressing a level-1 star state.
"Kid, you're from the Purple Scale Race too. Why are you running away from me? I'm the elder of the Purple Scale Race. Is that not enough to stop you..."
His eyes ended up dazed even before he could finish speaking because he saw some dark golden light flash from Lu Ze's body, and the pressure was brushed aside again.
'Prodigy!'
'Super prodigy!' Amos felt his brain was shaking.
This random kid was a super prodigy, more talented than Hao Yushang! God bless the Purple Scale Race!
He had to keep this kid! That way, he could make up for his mistakes.
Right now, Lu Ze was very worried. He just wanted to act as a lonely wanderer, and yet, this elder wanted to keep him.
Lu Ze glared coldly at Amos and sneered, "Elder of the Purple Scale Race? So threatening! I'll say it for the last time. I have nothing to do with the Purple Scale Race. Stop harassing me. Otherwise, I won't be polite anymore!"
Amos smiled warmly. "Kid, I don't know what you've gone through, but since we're from the same race, I won't harm you. How about you come back with me today and we'll have a good chat first?"
Lu Ze analyzed Amos' smile.
With Ying Ying's barrier, there was no way this guy would be able to detect that he was actually from the Human Race.
'Did Amos consider me as a prodigy due to the power I displayed?'
'Is this the reason why he wanted to bring me back?'
Lu Ze: "..."
'Should I try and pretend to be a traitor and infiltrate the enemy race?'
Thinking about this, Lu Ze smiled inside. His cold expression changed a little bit as though he was hesitant.
Amos felt there was a chance to convince the other party, so he sounded even more gentle. "I've never heard of you in the race. With your talent, you shouldn't be unheard of to this extent. If you were unfairly treated, then I can get justice for you!"
Lu Ze casually responded, "No need, I didn't grow up in the Purple Scale Race."
The group was taken aback. They thought Lu Ze hated the Purple Scale Race for some special reason.
'As it turned out, he grew up outside?'
Amos observed Lu Ze with some vigilance.
If Lu Ze was someone whom he can conduct a background search on, he might not hesitate on taking him.
But now, it was a different story altogether.
Without the cultivation of his race, Lu Ze could shrug off the pressure he released even though the latter was merely a level-9 planetary state. Clearly, he didn't achieve this by his own efforts.
There must be some powerful being behind him. He might even be controlled by this mysterious expert to harm the Purple Scale Race.
Although the chances were low, Amos had to be careful nonetheless. Hence, he decided he couldn't trust Lu Ze's words until he figured out who he was.
Amos then probed, "Which powerful being can produce a prodigy like you? Our Purple Scale Race will thank him." Lu Ze raised his head. "My master's name is Long Aotian, he's a peak cosmic cloud state being!" The group's eyes narrowed. 'Peak cosmic cloud state?!'
'It is a peak cosmic cloud state teaching this prodigy?!'
The group processed the situation rapidly. If they let this prodigy return to the race, they would be connected to the race of that peak cosmic cloud state.
They wouldn't need to worry about their future at all.
Amos looked at Lu Ze with twinkling eyes. The latter's greatest use now was to become the point of cooperation between the Purple Scale Race and that cosmic cloud state.
Amos calmed himself down. He wasn't going to believe everything right up. He would need some evidence.
Thinking about all the possibilities, he smiled. "Is that master on this planet? You're not only the disciple of that master but also a child from our Purple Scale Race. We must thank him for making you into such a great prodigy."
Lu Ze felt funny. There was no peak cosmic cloud state but only a cosmic realm state. However, if they went to thank her, were they gonna feed themselves to Ying Ying?
Lu Ze's voice had remained cold. "My master is on the planet of course."
Amos' heart beat rapidly.
He looked at Lu Ze's cold and domineering face and believed him even more.
He smiled brightly. "I wonder when the master is free. I can go thank him then!"
By the time the Purple Scale Race established a relationship with the peak cosmic cloud state, they would be able to do whatever they want.
Lu Ze responded condescendingly, "Ordinary people can't see my master." Amos felt shocked. He was annoyed by Lu Ze's attitude, but he already knew that was the case.
Just when Amos was about to use the emotional card, Lu Ze continued speaking again, "Never mind, considering we're from the same race, I'll ask my master." "Huh?" Amos was stunned. On the other hand, Lu Ze showed an annoyed expression. "What? You don't want to?"
Amos quickly nodded. "I'm willing, I'm willing!"
Indeed, this kid was a child of the Purple Scale Race. He might be arrogant, but he was a prodigy, and his master was a peak cosmic cloud state.
Amos felt quite touched.
Lu Ze nodded and called for Ying Ying. "Ying Ying, Ying Ying, can you hear me?".
At the hotel, back in Lu Ze's room, Ying Ying was sitting on the ground. There was a starlight screen before her, revealing Lu Ze and Amos' group. Nangong Jing and the girls were on the side laughing
Lu Li was holding her stomach. "He's too evil! If Amos found out, would he go crazy?"
Lin Ling was on the ground rolling with laughter.
Qiuyue Hesha saw this and started tickling Lin Ling Lin Ling laughed while begging, "Haha... please let me go... stop!"
Nangong Jing smiled. "Let me help you deal with this fox demon, Lin Ling."
Thereafter, Lu Li and Alice also joined.
At this moment, Ying Ying heard Lu Ze's voice.
Ying Ying replied, "I can hear you." Lu Ze looked at Amos and said, "Can you let them sense a peak cosmic cloud state chi?"
Ying Ying nodded. "Sure."
Lu Ze smiled on the inside. "Let's begin now."
Ying Ying's eyes flashed with starlight while crossing the space. That strand of chi appeared around Lu Ze and the Purple Scale Race. Meanwhile, the other beings on the side didn't sense anything at all.
Amos and his cohorts suddenly felt a god-like power descend. Their mind buffered as they stiffened on the spot.
The others shivered in terror.
This chi arrived and left quickly.
Amos had both terror and joy in his eyes.
'This chi was definitely from a cosmic cloud state!'
It was real!
Lu Ze said, "My master is busy these few days, but he said he can see you after the auction is over."
Amos smiled. "It's fine, it's fine. His business is more important of course. We can wait."
He breathed easy.
He could use this time to begin thinking of what gift he could possibly give to make a good impression.
Suddenly, he smiled wider. "Since the master is busy, why don't you stay with us these few days, little guy? You can meet your own race. You probably rarely get to see them, right?"
Lu Ze frowned. "Don't call me little guy, my name is Long Batian!"
Subsequently, Lu Ze contemplated before nodding. "In that case, I'll go have a look."
Amos nodded and laughed. "Okay Batian, let's go back first."
During this time, Amos' communication device rang. He looked at Long Batian, who didn't show any reaction, so he answered it. When he heard the contents, his smile dropped. "Human Race? Okay, we're coming!"
Amos sneered. 'With Batian, that Lu Ze was just a clown.'
Lu Ze was dumbfounded. 'Encountered the human race?'
'Is it Luo Bingqing and his team?'
'What happened?'
Amos turned to Lu Ze. "Batian, the prodigies of our race encountered the prodigies of an enemy race. Do you want to have a look?"
Lu Ze nodded and answered coldly, "Let's go and have a look."
He wasn't going to beat the Human Race. If anything, he might be able to cause some trouble in the middle.
Amos nodded. "Let's go."
Then, he took off, leading the way.
Lu Ze followed behind Amos and thought about his plan.
The star states and planetary states didn't know what to say when they saw Lu Ze's detached expression.
They wanted to connect with him...
Anyway, they had plenty of time in the next few days, so there was no rush.
Soon, Amos took Lu Ze and the rest to the planetary state region. They found a standoff between two groups of beings.
One side belonged to the Four-Race Alliance while the other side came from the Purple Scale Alliance.
The Four-Race Alliance consisted of Elder Nangong, Man Dali, Doris, and Qiu Lun. There were also quite some star states and some planetary state prodigies.
Luo Bingqing, Man Kun, Eddie, and Qiu Lin were all present.
Opposite them were four cosmic system states of the Purple Scale Alliance. There were also star states and planetary states behind them.
Numerous races were enjoying the show.
It wasn't uncommon for opposing races to meet each other here.
However, fighting wasn't allowed in public, so they had to go to the underground platforms to resolve their conflicts.
Lu Ze didn't know what happened. He looked at the members of the Purple Scale Alliance. There was another cosmic system state from the Purple Scale Race.
Thereafter, when Amos arrived, the other three cosmic system states didn't even greet him.
Only the Purple Scale Race smiled at Amos.
Lu Ze wanted to laugh. This was probably the effect of letting Amos live last time.
This was great!
Lu Ze suddenly had a bold idea.
Elder Nangong and the rest didn't seem too pleased right now. They came here to buy and sell. It would be a waste of time to have a confrontation here.
However, they couldn't admit defeat in such a situation.
The opposition had five cosmic system states, but they weren't worried at all. They knew Lu Ze had a mysterious master behind him.
Amos was furious after thinking about the attitudes of the other three cosmic system states, but then, he remembered he had Long Batian now, so his mood recovered a little.
He sneered.
'When we build a relationship with that peak cosmic cloud state...'
At this moment, Lu Ze's cold voice reverberated.
"Useless idiot, what are you looking at?!"
Before anyone could react, Lu Ze disappeared from the spot and slapped a planetary state from the White Ghost Race.
The slap was loud and crisp. The being from the White Ghost Race was a level-9 planetary state and might be a prodigy.
How would he be able to stop Lu Ze's attack then?
The immense power made him spin in the air as he was flung away while spitting blood.
Everyone: "?"
Even the audience was confused. It was so obvious the Purple Scale Race was allied with the White Ghost Race.
'Why did they suddenly attack?!'
'Was this some sort of new greeting method?' They turned to look at the cold and dominant-looking Lu Ze.
One star state from the White Ghost Race caught the battered prodigy.
His face was bloodied, and his neck was broken. The life force was close to fading. All faces of the beings from the White Ghost Race instantly fell.
Even the members of the Kaka Race and Blood Battle Race didn't look too good.
At this moment, the cosmic system state from the White Ghost Race glared at Lu Ze. "Purple Scale Race kid... you're asking to die!" His pressure surged and attempted to crush Lu
Ze.
During this point, Amos didn't have time to think and quickly stood in front of Lu Ze. While feeling nervous, he said, "Aibinez, don't get excited. Batian must have a reason. We're willing to compensate!"
Regardless, Amos had to protect Lu Ze. "Reason?" Aibinez was so furious that he laughed. He glared at Amos and then remembered it wasn't suitable to fight here.
He took a deep breath and barely calmed himself. "I want to see what reason he has to heavily injure a prodigy from my White Ghost Race!"
Amos nodded quickly and looked at Lu Ze, signaling him to explain.
Yet, Lu Ze sneered, "Prodigy? Since when did useless idiots like him are considered prodigy? As for a reason, that idiot looked at me so aggressively. Clearly, he has ill intentions towards me. Why should I let him live?"
Everyone: "..."
They looked at Lu Ze as if he was the main attraction.
Amos almost cried.
'Who knew this guy would nearly kill someone for just staring at him coldly?'
He regretted bringing Lu Ze over.
Even the expression of the other beings from the Purple Scale Race didn't look good.
One cosmic system state glared at Lu Ze and looked at Amos. "Amos, who is he? Make him apologize! Accept punishment!" Why did their race have such an idiot?
Amos quickly communicated, "Jilgud, he's different. This is what happened..."
Amos explained who Lu Ze was as quickly as possible. After hearing that his master was a peak cosmic cloud state, Jilgud's heartbeat quickened. He was in disbelief.
Then, he looked at the indifferent Lu Ze.
No wonder this guy dared to beat someone to the point of ending up half-dead for a trivial reason.
His master was a peak cosmic cloud state! He did what others didn't dare to.
He was from the Purple Scale Race indeed!
Jilgud's face calmed down. He looked at Aibinez and spoke with difficulty, "Brother Aibinez, this is our fault. We're willing to compensate!"
The other three races were taken aback.
"They didn't even dare to punish this kid?'
Aibinez took a deep breath and looked at Jilgud and Amos. "Is this what the Purple Scale Race wants?"
The two looked at each other and then at Lu Ze before nodding firmly.
They only had two choices.
One was to punish Long Batian and let the White Ghost Race appease their anger. The other was to protect Long Batian and let him know how much the Purple Scale Race valued him.
Amos clearly felt that terrifying peak cosmic cloud state chi. If they really punished Long Batian, they would be suffering in turn
Perhaps his master was watching the situation right now...
Jilgud finalized his decision and took a deep breath while apologizing. "That's right! We're willing to provide compensation. As for Batian, we'll take him back to the race and teach him."
The other three races became dazed, and then, the atmosphere turned strange.
'How dare they do this?!'
Elder Nangong and the others were bewildered too.
They glanced at the kid from the other side. This guy was from the Purple Scale Race, but how come that dark golden light seemed similar to Lu Ze's body god art?
'Did we see it properly?'
'Or is it...'
One possibility entered their minds, and they quietly looked away from the scene.
They felt pity for the Purple Scale Race. All of them couldn't yet figure out why the Purple Scale Race would suddenly protect the kid whose origins were unknown. If that cold-faced prodigy was really Lu Ze, then the other party might end up crying to death.
Luo Bingqing and his team looked at each other and suddenly felt bad for the Purple Scale Race.
As for the rest of the crowd, it appeared to them that this alliance would be terminated
soon. Lu Ze felt he was too evil to set up beings like this. 'How about... setting them up one more time before letting them go?'
With this thought, Lu Ze looked coldly at the star state who caught the prodigy and threatened, "If you look at me like this any longer, I'll turn you into that trash too."
A level-2 star state!
Lu Ze estimated that he should be able to beat him without difficulty.
The Four-Race Race Alliance members: "..."
Right then, they became even more certain that this guy was Lu Ze.
The audience didn't expect his remark.
Lu Ze was only a level-9 planetary state, and yet, he was challenging a level-2 star state. 'What sort of prodigy was this guy?'
Amos and Jilgud weren't too happy with the escalation of the situation.
'Please stop showing off, ancestor!' The relationship between them and t Ghost Race was still salvageable before, but if this wasn't abated, the alliance would break apart on the spot.
The star state felt stunned due to the challenge and then glared at Lu Ze with killing intent. "You want to try?"
Lu Ze was elated to hear the other party riled up.
'Kill another star state and things would be
set!
However, Jilgud and Amos quickly blocked in front of Lu Ze and smiled apologetically at the White Ghost Race. "Sorry, this child just came back to our race. He doesn't really understand things. We'll teach him. We'll go now and compensate you for this!" They didn't dare to let Lu Ze remain here anymore.
Although they had hoped to establish a connection with a peak cloud state, they still desired to preserve the alliance in the short while.
After taking advantage of the cosmic cloud state to raise their foundation, then that will be the time to abandon the other three races.
By then, they would only accept allies that had reached the cosmic system state.
Originally, Lu Ze wanted Ying Ying to scare them away, and he would kill a star state thereafter. However, he decided not to in the end.
A scenario like that would be over the top. That wouldn't be merely arrogance anymore.
Lu Ze sneered at the star state from the White Ghost Race and left.
The faces of the White Ghost Race fell.
Aibinez took a deep look at the Purple Scale Race and ordered, "Treat him. Let's leave. I'll report this incident to the king."
Eventually, the other three races left too.
Elder Nangong and the others just watched this strange show unfold. This was beyond their expectations. Elder Nangong said, "Let's go too."
Lu Ze went with Amos and his kin to the hotel reserved for the Purple Scale Race.
It wasn't very luxurious. The Purple Scale Alliance lived together. However, after what happened today, they couldn't let Lu Ze remain with them.
Moreover, in order to display their appreciation for Lu Ze, Amos and Jilgud clenched their teeth and paid for a luxurious room that cost five spirit mist herbs a day.
Lu Ze maintained a calm face.
His goal was pretty much accomplished.
Amos and Jilgud let the other beings from the Purple Scale Race go and rest first. They specifically told them not to start any conflict with the other three races.
Inside the room, Amos and Jilgud smiled. "Batian, the White Ghost Race, Blood Battle Race, and Kaka Race are our allies. We've been together for a few thousand years. This time, you were a bit too excited... Of course, I'm not condemning you. You weren't in the care of the Purple Scale Race after all... But in the short term, we still need..." Lu Ze frowned and waved his hand. "That's enough, it has nothing to do with me."
The two cosmic system state's smiles stiffened, but they were helpless.
If this kid's master wasn't a peak cosmic cloud state, they would have beaten him up already.
Lu Ze said, "I'm going to rest. We can talk about things tomorrow."
It was time for him to go return and eat Lin Ling's dishes.
Amos' and Jilgud's smile slowly disappeared.
After a moment of silence, Amos laughed it off. "Hahaha... true. It's your first time staying with the race. You must not be used to it. Have a good rest. We can talk about things tomorrow."
When he finished speaking, Amos and Jilgud left the room.
Outside, Jilgud said seriously, "Amos, are you certain Long Batian has a peak cosmic cloud state master? If he's lying to us, we'll be in trouble. We offended the White Ghost Race for no reason. You know, about last time..."
Jilgud looked at Amos and continued, "The other three races are already alienating us. If we are tricked this time, our race won't be in a good predicament." Amos nodded seriously and affirmed, "I'm certain. Not just me, the others who came with me also felt an extremely powerful chi. Even if it isn't a peak cosmic cloud state, it wouldn't be far from it."
He looked at the room and said, "We'll guard here these few days and won't allow him to escape. Even if he goes out, don't leave his side until he takes us to see his master..."
Following the pause, he said, "If he really is tricking us, then we'll hand him to the White Ghost Race and treat him as compensation..."
He then sighed.
"If they're still not satisfied, then let them punish me. Last time was an accident, but since I was the only survivor, I need to take responsibility."
Jilgud frowned. "Amos, we've been together for a few thousand years, how can we not trust you? There's no way the other three races will let you suffer for that accident!" Amos waved his hand. "Don't worry, I know you guys trust me, but this is for our race."
Jilgud opened his mouth but said nothing. After all, Amos was right.
Jilgud took a deep look at the room. "Hope he's not lying to us. Otherwise, I will make him
pay!"
Lu Ze strolled around the room he was placed in. It was really quite nice. 'If only we could live in a suite like this, Lin Ling would be able to cook.'
Still, Lu Ze didn't want to waste money like that.
It was just a few days anyway.
Lu Ze looked at the closed door. If he wasn't wrong, there would be people guarding outside.
Nevertheless, Lu Ze didn't care. The two old guys didn't understand him at all. He smiled accordingly.
Suddenly, a distortion occurred in the space where Lu Ze was staying. He disappeared from the spot.
Back in his room, Lu Ze emerged once again.
The girls went from looking at the screen to perusing Lu Ze's figure. They laughed.
Lu Ze also recovered his original appearance as he grinned. "I'm back."
In the hotel where the Purple Scale Race was staying, outside Lu Ze's room, Amos and Jilgud sensed the weak space ripple from inside the room.
They glanced at each other, and their faces rapidly fell.
Amos quickly knocked on the door, speaking with a slightly cold tone, "Batian, I suddenly remembered that I have something to discuss with you. Open the door."
One second, two seconds...
After a few more seconds later, the door had remained shut.
Both their expressions worsened.
Amos punched the door without hesitation. 'Rumble!
Accompanied by a huge explosion, the metallic door flew out of the door frame and collided against the wall inside the room.
Amos and Jilgud quickly went inside and looked around.
After checking the entire place thoroughly, they returned to the foyer with green faces. 'Long Batian is gone!
Amo's eyes flashed with bloodthirst, "Space god art! That bastard has space god art!"
Their chi was boiling, especially Amos. He didn't get it.
That cosmic cloud state chi was definitely real!
'In that case, why did that bastard trick me like this?'
'Is he playing with me?!'
His heart was burning with fury as he roared, "That bastard!"
A violent shockwave spread across all directions, destroying everything in the room. It spread throughout the hotel and even reached the outside.
The beings from the Purple Scale Alliance in the floors below were dumbfounded.
'Why is Amos so furious?'
Aibinez sneered, "Amos is going crazy."
The cosmic system states of the Blood Battle Race and Kaka Race also felt puzzled.
"He seems very angry?"
"What happened to the Purple Scale Race?"
"They're not scared of attracting the law enforcers?"
Aibinez smiled contemptuously. "Who knows what the Purple Scale Race has been doing lately? They've made us suffer huge losses since the secret realm. This time, they..."
That heavily injured prodigy was saved, but his brain sustained severe damage. He was pretty much useless.
Moments later, the cosmic system state from the Blood Battle Race shook his head. "Let's go back and discuss it together."
The cosmic system state from the Kaka Race nodded.
Suddenly, their expressions changed.
Aibinez blurted out, "It's here!"
Four powerful chis came over rapidly. They were all cosmic system states!
All of them were squads of cosmic system states from cosmic cloud state civilizations. They were very powerful.
Jilgud, who still had some reason, sensed these four chis approach. Hence, he shivered. He woke up from his fury and pressed down Amos, roaring, "Amos! Calm down! This is the trade planet!"
There was a cosmic cloud state here.
'Letting out your rage here is suicide!'
Amos regained his senses. His face was red. He took a few deep breaths before calming down. At this moment, four cosmic system states with faint golden skin appeared in the room.
They were from the Golden Spear Race.
They glanced at Amos and Jilgud. Their glances were penetratingly sharp and heavy.
The leader inquired, "What's going on?"
Jilgud took a deep breath and smiled. "Sorry, law enforcers. We were scammed and got too emotional. We'll pay for all the losses!"
He took out four flashing crystal rocks and handed them to the law enforcers.
Their eyes lit up a little upon seeing these items.
The leader took them and responded with a calmer tone, "Seeing that you didn't cause much of a ruckus! I'll let it go for now. Don't do it again."
"Yes, yes! We'll remember it for sure!" Jilgud nodded.
The leader nodded, and the group of enforcers disappeared from the spot. "Don't forget your compensation."
Jilgud bowed and quickly nodded.
Only when their chi was completely gone did he dare to stand up straight.
Amos also stood straight. His body was trembling with fury. He looked at Jilgud.
"Jilgud, you gave your cosmic system crystal cores to them?"
Jilgud smiled helplessly. "We had no choice. Otherwise, we would be in a worse situation."
Amos took a deep breath and took out two crystal stones. "I collected them. Use them first. It's all my fault this time."
Jilgud shook his hand. "We made the decision together, how can I blame you?"
Amos put the cores into Jilgud's hands and insisted, "Those are what you have been saving to break through. You've been collecting them for seven hundred years. Who knows how long you have to wait now? I'm far from it. You can use it first."
Jilgud nodded and took them.
Amos breathed easy. Then, he asked, "Are we going to search for that Long Batian?"
Jilgud nodded. "Yes! But we shouldn't get too hopeful... Let's first do what we came here to do this time."
Law enforcers here only enforced the security of the planet. They didn't care whether you were scammed or not.
They could only search by themselves. However, they knew it would be too difficult to find Long Batian.
Perhaps he left the planet already...
Jilgud thought of something. "And, there's the problem with the White Ghost Race..."
Amos' mouth twitched. He took a deep breath. "... I'll deal with it."
Nangong Jing and the girls ran over to Lu Ze.
Lu Ze ended up surrounded in the middle. Different scents wafted over his nose.
During this time, Lin Ling punched Lu Ze's shoulder. "Ze, you're too evil."
Lu Ze: "?"
'I didn't do anything yet, right?'
'Why is she like this?'
Lu Li snickered.
Lu Ze turned around, and she quickly stopped smiling.
She pointed at Ying Ying and the screen before them. "We were watching before."
Qiuyue Hesha poked her finger at Lin Ling's waist. Thereafter, Lin Ling collapsed into Lu Ze's arms.
She furrowed her brows as though life was drained out of her. "Sister Hesha, please let me go."
Qiuyue Hesha withdrew her hand and smiled. "Lin Ling almost couldn't breathe from laughing." Lu Ze: "?"
"You guys were spying on me? That's some crazy girl act?!"
With this, the atmosphere fell silent.
The smile on their faces disappeared as they looked menacingly at Lu Ze. Lu Ze's mouth twitched.
He wanted to retreat, but he was already surrounded
Lu Ze shivered. "What are you all doing?" "Haha..." x5
The group charged up and started beating Lu Ze up.
While Lu Ze and the girls were playing around, someone knocked on the door. The girls were taken aback, which then led them to withdraw from Lu Ze. They attempted to keep their emotions in check.
Lu Ze scratched his head and proceeded to open the door. He saw Elder Nangong standing outside.
Elder Nangong looked at Lu Ze and roamed his eyes across the entire room.
'All the girls were present.' Lu Ze asked, "What's wrong, Elder Nangong?"
Elder Nangong didn't enter and simply had a knowing smile pasted on his face. "That prodigy from the Purple Scale Race was you?"
The smile on Lu Ze's face stiffened. He nodded in embarrassment.
Elder Nangong patted Lu Ze's shoulder and grinned. "Great job!"
The Four-Race Alliance had been delighted to witness the Purple Scale Alliance experience some trouble in their internal affairs.
Lu Ze nodded.
Elder Nangong said, "In that case, I won't disturb you guys anymore." Anyway, he merely came to confirm whether the prodigy from the Purple Scale Race earlier was truly Lu Ze.
Lu Ze coughed.
'Won't disturb those girls from beating him up?'
Did Elder Nangong misunderstand something? Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls blushed again.
This time, Lu Ze closed the door and looked at them in vigilance.
The girls rolled their eyes. Lin Ling smiled brightly. "Let's have dinner. However, we don't have a kitchen here. Good thing we cooked some dishes on the ship. Otherwise, we wouldn't have anything to eat right now. Right after her words fell, she took out all sorts of scrumptious cuisines, causing the intense aroma to overwhelm the room.
Ying Ying immediately set aside her cartoons and trained her eyes on the food while drooling
Lu Ze was also very excited.
Lu Li chuckled. "Eat up."
When they had finished their dinner, the team lay on the soft white bed.
Originally, the room was not equipped with any furniture. Fortunately, however, they had stashed some in their storage rings for situations like this.
They had received the bed from the Round Race. It was quite spacious and cozy to sleep on.
Right now, there was not a single noise in the room. No one spoke. After all, this was the first time that all of them would be sleeping in a single room.
Nangong Jing and the girls felt a bit shy.
But Lu Ze was really pumped up.
All the breathing of the people present quickened.
At this moment, Nangong Jing sat up and declared, "I'm going to cultivate. Don't disturb me!"
Likewise, the other girls followed her lead and used the same excuse.
"?י :Lu Ze
'Aren't their reactions exaggerated?'
This wasn't how he imagined the script would play out.
Lu Ze felt very troubled.
He stared at the girls. In the end, he decided not to disturb them.
He rubbed his temple and sat down before entering the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
Today was his first comeback after reaching the level-9 planetary state.
Lu Ze wanted to evaluate his current combat power.
He was a level-9 planetary state. Meaning, he could confidently kill peak planetary state super beasts.
This was his target.
Lu Ze appeared in the forest and took off in a direction.
More than ten hours later, Lu Ze killed several planetary state super beasts.
Except for peak planetary state super beasts, other planetary state beasts were too weak compared to Lu Ze. They had lost their lives with a hit.
Simple and easy!
Lu Ze looked across a few patches of the black metal mountain and found the valleys of a few more rock beasts.
Eventually, he finally encountered a peak planetary state super beast in the depths of a stone valley.
It resembled a T-Rex and was ten meters tall. Its body was completely made up of black rocks.
The beast was lying on the ground. Sharp rocks were floating around it.
Its breath alone could make the surrounding land shake.
Lu Ze looked at this stone-like T-Rex and exhaled.
His eyes sharpened, and his chi was unleashed.
'Rumble!
Violent chi burst around Lu Ze as runes flowed around.
He disappeared from the spot.
Instantly, Lu Ze emerged above the head of the crouching dinosaur.
Dark golden light surged on his right fist and he directed a heavy blow toward the head of the T-Rex.
'Rumble!'
The violent chi spread across all directions. The half-standing body of the beast was crushed against the ground. A deeper crater was soon formed and cracks began to expand throughout the land.
The entire valley felt the earthquake. Facing such a powerful force, the large rocks were pulverized to dust.
The stone beasts which were close to the valley became rubbles, leaving behind a pile of orbs.
Further away, the rock beasts looked at the valley in terror as they fled the scene.
The rocks on the T-Rex's head only received a minor crack after getting hit by Lu Ze's punch.
Meanwhile, Lu Ze could feel the onset of pain from his arm.
During this time, the rocks floating around the T-Rex suddenly disappeared.
Lu Ze sensed a perilous danger. His eyes narrowed as his body disappeared from the spot.
Far away, Lu Ze emerged. A gash was formed on his face. Blood trickled out, but then, the wound instantly healed.
Lu Ze wiped the remaining blood away as he stared at the opponent.
It slowly rose from the ground, glaring at Lu Ze with its red eyes.
Lu Ze grinned as a demonic chi enveloped him. He disappeared from the spot once again.
The creature roared as the black light around it shot at Lu Ze. The space ended up being distorted once it passed by, creating some ear-piercing noise.
It was so fast that there seemed to be fire on the dark beam.
Lu Ze let the rocks fly past him. The sharp chi collided with his powerful body.
He dodged the stones while closing in on his enemy.
An instant later, Lu Ze was close enough. Right then, the T-Rex stomped on the ground, making sharp rocks shoot out of the ground towards Lu Ze.
Oh shit! What a camper! Dark golden light covered him entirely. 'Rumble...'
'Clank...
Lu Ze retreated under the barrage of the rocks.
Currently, Lu Ze's chi soared again.
The dark golden chi wave erupted as the rocks thrown at him halted.
In the following second, Lu Ze appeared at the chest of his opponent. There was blood seeping out of his mouth.
His spirit force rose as he used his dark golden fist with his right hand and Light-and-Darkness Beam with his left.
His right fist struck the chest heavily.
'Rumble!
The monster was flung away. Rubbles ended up coming out of its chest.
Lu Ze didn't stop at all. His beam from the left hand shot towards the wound.
'Rumble!
The beast wailed out.
During this time, there was a sharp piercing sound coming from behind Lu Ze.
He didn't have the time to dodge anymore and could only form the Black Metal Body.
'Rumble!'
Lu Ze's stomach ached as a hole appeared. The sharp rocks penetrated his stomach.
Lu Ze coughed out and appeared before the monster again.
This time around, Lu Ze clenched both of his fists, which flashed with dark golden rays.
He struck the chest consecutively without rest.
'Rumble!'
Rocks and blood poured out. The earth trembled and the space became twisted.
A few seconds later, the rumbling stopped.
Finally, the chest of the enemy was fully crushed. Its life force was fading away.
That ten-meter-tall body crashed heavily into the ground.
Lu Ze stood before the body with a pale face.
He staggered, almost falling over.
He forced himself to stay awake and used his remaining power on super regeneration, light god art, and wood god art.
The massive wound in his stomach stopped bleeding as new flesh replaced the gaping hole.
A few seconds later, the body turned to dust, leaving behind a pile of orbs. Lu Ze went to the ditch.
He rejoiced.
Peak stage planetary state super orbs!
Divine art rune shards too!
Super red and blue crystals!
Lu Ze picked them all up and moved to the hive. He found another yellow one-time-use divine art rune inside.
After collecting the resources, Lu Ze quickly left the valley.
He entered the forest outside the valley.
After running for only tens of kilometers, he sensed a few powerful chi set foot within the area.
He rejoiced that he ran fast.
Bosses went to check the commotion indeed. The battle earlier was too intense.
Lu Ze soon found a corner to recover.
Half an hour later, he finally managed to.
Lu Ze breathed out.
He survived again this time. He almost thought he was dead.
Lu Ze shook his head.
Soon, his power also returned to its prime condition.
He took off in another direction to begin jungling.
A few hours later, Lu Ze killed another peak stage planetary state super black metal bug and also left the place heavily injured.
Later, a large black turtle appeared above the water. Before Lu Ze could react, it squirted out a water arrow.
Lu Ze died instantly.
Lu Ze opened his eyes. He was drenched in sweat and wallowed in pain.
He didn't expect a star state boss would emerge out of nowhere from the lake.
But the massive turtle seemed to be familiar. Didn't he encounter it the first time he entered the fourth map?
Lu Ze's thoughts wandered to the endless mountain range in the area.
'Weren't there huge lakes scattered all around?'
'Did that mean every lake is hosting a black turtle?'
However...
'Didn't the turtle earlier possess water god art?!'
It was a god art he didn't have yet. Out of the five known elements, he was only lacking in water.
With his current state, he could now perfect it.
Lu Ze felt quite hopeful.
Moments later, Lu Ze looked at Nangong Jing and the girls who were sitting on the side. They were still immersed in cultivation.
Ying Ying looked at him strangely, as though bewildered why Lu Ze would sweat profusely.
Lu Ze smiled at Ying Ying and let her watch cartoons. Thereafter, he closed his eyes for another round of cultivation.
In the next few days, Lu Ze and the girls could only purchase some cheap things due to poverty. At the same time, they assisted the elders in finding merchants who were willing to buy the special resources gathered by the Human Race.
Simultaneously, they went to procure essential supplies as well. This included all sorts of high-level spirit materials, serums, and devices. For example, there was a communication device capable of covering the entire eastern region and extreme long-distance teleportation formation.
Indeed, these were necessities that every universal alliance needed.
Every race of an alliance would prepare a few sets in case of an emergency.
The shops selling these materials were established by the owners of the trade planet.
Other than this, there were a variety of one-time attack runes having different levels. The strongest could reach the cosmic cloud state.
These runes were rather expensive, but those races who had some money to spare would buy one as a trump card.
Elder Nangong and the rest all bought one. A cosmic cloud state rune was too expensive, but those who were at the peak of the cosmic system state would need one.
Despite the wide range of products available, no one was selling divine arts or technological heritage.
These things were the foundations of a force. No one was dumb enough to sell them.
There would only be occasional low-grade ones coming out of auctions.
Because they were attacked by space pirates, the four races were much wealthier than usual.
The Human Race received most of the loot. Hence, at this time, it was probably the wealthiest period they experienced.
Consequently, after buying their basic needs, Elder Nangong gritted his teeth and bought a cosmic system state space ship.
It had a level-4 to level-5 cosmic system state firepower and cosmic system state high-level defense. As a drawback, however, a large amount of energy was required to activate the ship.
Even after buying it, they could only use it at the most crucial time.
Meanwhile, the other three races felt very envious.
This was a cosmic system state ship!
After they had settled everything they needed to, everyone returned to the hotel. On the way, Elder Nangong didn't stop smiling.
He didn't expect he would be able to buy the cosmic system state ship this quickly.
The condition of the Human Race was getting better and better.
He looked at Lu Ze. He really felt this kid was good.
'When the next generation matures, will the Human Race be even better?'
Lu Ze and the girls went back to their room and relaxed on the bed.
Qiuyue Hesha said languidly, "It's finally
over."
Nangong Jing grinned. "The elder looked very satisfied today. I haven't seen him this happy for a long time."
Alice lay on Lu Ze's arm and rubbed her head against his chest like a kitten. "We bought a cosmic system state ship today after all. Elder Man and the rest appeared quite envious."
Lu Li smiled. "With a cosmic system state ship, it would be much safer to attend this East Realm Gathering from now on."
Naturally, they wouldn't ask Ying Ying to attend the gathering all the time. If they left the Milky Way galaxy, Ying Ying would be following them.
The others nodded.
Lu Ze remarked, "The auction begins tomorrow. I wonder how much that egg would sell?"
The others nodded.
They rested for a while, had dinner, and began cultivating
At the Elf Cosmic Realm's border, a white-haired, extremely handsome elf floated in space. Behind him were the powerful beings of the Elf Race.
Their faces were tense as they directed their gazes before the dense cluster of insectoids flying.
The space seemed to have been painted dark red.
A male elf looked coldly at the insectoids. "Insectoids, this is the land of the Elf Race! Leave immediately!"
He emphasized the words with disgust. To him, organisms this ugly, which could only wreak havoc, shouldn't exist.
However, the insectoids were much stronger than the Elf Race.
It was best to avoid a confrontation with them.
The leading black-shelled insectoid transmitted his will, "Kill!" A powerful cosmic realm state chi was unleashed from this insectoid as it charged at the white-haired elf.
All the insectoids charged forward too.
Seeing this, the white-haired elf's face fell. These insectoids acted like madmen.
He had no choice now.
The elf ordered, "Notify the queen, insectoid invasion! Fellow kind, guard our territory!"
Behind the elves were vibrantly inscribed green ships. Their spirit cannons started charging.
"Attack!"
The two sides clashed together. The deep-space lit up. It was like a star bursting and a galaxy collapsing. Although it appeared to be dazzling, the situation was dangerous.
While the main forces of both sides were battling, waves of insectoids crossed the border.
The following morning, Lu Ze and the girls woke up early and gathered with the elders.
They were going to the auction.
Not everyone would go. Except for the four cosmic system states, they only took a few star states and planetary state prodigies. On the human side, only Elder Nangong, Zuoqiu Xunshuang, and Lu Ze's group tagged along. Even Luo Bingqing didn't go.
They soon reached the auction facility. There were many beings before it. All of them lined up neatly, so they could enter.
While Lu Ze and the girls were lining up, a few golden beams sliced across the air and landed.
They were the Golden Spear Race.
They didn't stop and went in using an entrance for privileged beings.
After they were gone, the crowd discussed quietly. "Those were the top prodigies of the Golden Spear Race, right?"
"The leader is Bazzer. He could place within the top 100 of the prodigy ranking." "I feel it's a bit difficult. The top 100 of the prodigy ranking are all beings with a cultivation level reaching the cosmic system state. Their combat power is unimaginable. I feel it would be tough even if Bazzer reaches the cosmic system state..."
"Heh, that's true... The ones on the side are very powerful prodigies too."
"By the way, the Golden Spear Race got a new prodigy from the younger generation during this time. Do you guys know about it?"
"Is it Michael Mark? He was born as a planetary state and is said to possess a very powerful natural god art?" "Rumor has it that he's only 22 years old, but his cultivation level reached the peak of the star state already."
Everyone sighed.
How could they compare with monsters like them?
"If that guy matures, he can probably secure a place within the top 20 of the prodigy ranking?"
"Probably."
Lu Ze and his team exchanged glances with each other.
That level of chi was strong indeed. Lu Ze was no match for the cosmic system states now.
Elder Nangong's face had a complicated expression. "That Bazzer's combat power is probably on par with me."
Man Dali and the others nodded.
Man Dali smiled bitterly. "These beings are really monsters."
Doris and Qiu Lun also nodded.
Then, Doris shook her head. "They're the top prodigies of cosmic cloud state civilization after all. It's normal."
Qiu Lun looked at Lu Ze and smiled. "Ze's future is not necessarily worse than Bazzer's, right?"
The others agreed.
Hearing the conversation of Elder Nangong, the crowd looked over with a strange expression.
The civilizations of those who lined up were all cosmic system state, or at least, star state. Those who had a cosmic cloud state civilization wouldn't bother to wait here.
'How laughable that these insignificant beings would consider their prodigy on par with a cosmic cloud state top prodigy?!'
'Were they fools or simply cocky?'
Some young prodigy sneered, "Frogs at the bottom of a well."
Some beings recognized the Human Race. "That's the Human Race, right? I heard they have only entered the cosmic era for a few thousand years? It's normal that they're ignorant. The race has no prodigy."
Their voices were hushed, but everyone present could clearly hear them.
"So they're a new race that just entered the cosmic era. No wonder..."
"Haha... the prodigy of a minor civilization. They didn't need to care..."
"It's the Winged and Barbarian Race on the side. Since when did they become deluded too?"
"You can't say that. A few days ago, there was a very strong prodigy from an unknown cosmic system state civilization? They're called the Purple Scale Race?"
"That one... I've heard of them a few days ago. Aren't they having conflicts within their alliance? They even annoyed the law enforcers. They left a few days ago. They didn't even come for the auction."
"Pity, I thought that prodigy would show off his power on the stage. Quite a few prodigies on the planetary state prodigy ranking would appear." "Don't worry, there'll be a chance."
"But... there's only one such special prodigy..."
Everyone glanced at the Four-Race Alliance.
'Did they think their prodigy was the same as the one from the Purple Scale Race?'
If the auction wasn't about to begin, they didn't mind helping the Four-Race Alliance comprehend reality. Their discussion infuriated Elder Nangong and the rest.
Nangong Jing and the girls frowned and had killing intent in their eyes. Only they were allowed to fight with Lu Ze and to be let off easy. 'Hmmph, other beings were not allowed!' At this moment, Qiuyue Hesha glanced across those planetary state prodigies who smirked. Pink light flowed across her eyes as she forced out a command coldly. In return, all those planetary state prodigies felt like kneeling. However, the surrounding cosmic system states noticed the situation.
Some frowned and used their mental force to disperse Qiuyue Hesha's seduction god art.
Despite so, the residual powers lingered, and all the prodigies within the planetary state kneeled in unison.
"?"
With how swift the entire thing was, everyone was shocked.
The atmosphere went silent.
After a while, the kneeling bunch sprung up from the ground. They could not help but pant. After all, they were coerced into kneeling without any physical resistance on their part.
Thinking about it, they sweated cold and looked at Qiuyue Hesha with terror.
There were tens of planetary state prodigies and more than ten peak stage planetary states. Yet, she used only one word, and all of them fell under her spell.
This even happened in front of all the cosmic system states too.
'Just what was wrong with this human?!'
Nangong Jing and the girls grinned. If Qiuyue Hesha didn't attack first, they would confront the other party and beat up their heads.
The prodigies felt extremely ashamed.
This insult made the cosmic system states annoyed. Their killing intent spread across the place.
These powerful beings looked at Qiuyue Hesha coldly. "Human, you're asking to die!"
If they didn't kill this human, their race would be humiliated.
Just when Elder Nangong and the others were about to speak, Lu Ze grabbed Qiuyue Hesha's hand and pulled her behind him.
He smiled at the powerful beings. "You guys said that the Human Race doesn't have prodigies. I disagree." "How about this?" Lu Ze glanced across at all the prodigies and offered, "All those races who don't believe the Human Race has prodigies can fight me together." His smile became even wider before saying, "to the death." The crowd was taken aback.
'Were these humans crazy?' There were more than a hundred planetary state prodigies who felt the Human Race didn't have a prodigy 'Was this guy planning to challenge more than a hundred prodigies?' 'Much worse, to the death as well?!'
Even Elder Nangong and the rest of the elders were hesitant.
Qiuyue Hesha acted rashly, but the outcome felt great. However, what Lu Ze was attempting to do didn't give them a lot of confidence.
Right then, the atmosphere turned eerily silent.
Even the part of the crowd who were far away from them looked over.
The enforcers from the Golden Spear Race began to take note of the current situation.
A fight hadn't erupted yet, but the surging chi alerted them.
Today was the beginning of the auction. They wouldn't tolerate any trouble. Amidst the silence, Lu Ze smiled and looked at the other prodigies. He felt he had to clear out the misperception regarding the Human Race. No one spoke after Lu Ze laid out the challenge. The cosmic system states looked at Lu Ze and then at Qiuyue Hesha. Their eyes flashed as their hearts burned with fury. They really want to agree to this bastard's request and tear him to pieces.
However, their reason made them hesitate.
The female human performed way beyond their expectation, and yet, she stood obediently behind the man. Based on this, that man was definitely stronger.
Even they lost the confidence to win.
'What if their prodigies died?'
'However, if they rejected it, would they lose face?'
'All of these prodigies were scared off by one prodigy?'
The audience observed Lu Ze and then shifted their gaze at the reluctant cosmic system states. They were baffled.
'One sentence from this new-generation prodigy made these several powerful beings hesitate?!
Most prodigies who could place on the prodigy ranking can't achieve this feat. They weren't capable enough.
Yet, this male human didn't even reveal his power and he was able to do accomplish this outcome.
If they didn't witness it with their own eyes, they wouldn't believe it at all. At the same time, they were more curious about this male human.
During this time, a few beams flashed past and stopped. With their arrival, the spirit force in the air intensified.
Lightning sparks were crackling all over the place. Everyone looked at the few humanoids with purple lightning runes on their forehead, as well as the crystal humanoids.
It was the Crystal Race and the Lightning Rune Race!
Both of them had a cosmic cloud state civilization. They were also prodigies.
They looked strangely in Lu Ze's direction.
Usually, when they appeared, they would become the center of attention.
One prodigy from the Purple Rune Race raised a brow and said, "Lets' go inside. They're waiting for us. I wonder whether the other few races have arrived." The leading prodigy from the Crystal Race smiled. "What's the rush? The auction hasn't started yet. My instincts tell me that there's something interesting happening there. Let's go have a look."
The law enforcers of the Golden Spear Race couldn't let the situation grow worse anymore. If they don't abate it now, the commotion would be difficult to manage later on.
The leader was already reporting to Bazzer and the other prodigies of their race. At the same time, he signaled to the law enforcer on the side.
Thereafter, he smiled amicably and greeted the prodigies from the Crystal Race and the Lightning Rune Race.
"Young master Yi Lei and Master Yuan Shui, welcome. Our young leader is coming out soon."
Yi Lei and his companions turned around. Yi Lei smiled and nodded. He then pointed in Lu Ze's direction to ask, "What's the situation over there?"
The captain of the law enforcers answered awkwardly, "Perhaps it's a conflict among the races. You know this is pretty normal." Everyone nodded.
Even cosmic cloud state civilizations experienced interracial conflicts.
The Elf Race wasn't able to avoid it as well. They had trouble getting along with a few other cosmic realm state civilizations.
This wasn't out of the norm.
Nevertheless, the atmosphere was too strange.
At this moment, a few law enforcers went to Lu Ze's area and glanced around.
"What are you doing? If you obstruct the law and order of the auction, you know the consequence!"
Lu Ze grinned. "These beings insulted my race in public. I just want to challenge some of their prodigies."
Everyone's mouth twitched.
Of course, it was true they felt contempt towards the Human Race earlier. However, it was the girl from the other race who forced them to kneel. That was much more insulting!
And currently, Lu Ze wanted to fight them to death.
The law enforcers were stunned.
The trade planet couldn't intervene between interracial conflicts. This was the rule of the Elf Race.
Those who reached the cosmic cloud state couldn't exert too much influence on the cosmic states. In the end, they were subject to the sovereignty of the Elf Race.
Moreover, these races weren't really physically fighting each other. This was the primary reason why they didn't immediately break up the ruckus previously. Seeing how the others refused to talk about it, the law enforcers looked strangely at Lu Ze and Elder Nangong before asking, "He can represent you guys?"
Lu Ze was still a young human. Would he even be able to represent the will of his race?
At this moment, Elder Nangong smiled. "Yes, he can represent the Human Race!"
To Elder Nangong, Lu Ze was going to lead the human race sooner or later. Lu Ze was only defending the dignity of the Human Race. Therefore, he had no reason to stop the latter.
Everyone's eyes narrowed. They looked at Lu Ze with more curiosity.
Usually, the representative of a race wouldn't be lacking in power and talent.
That girl was already rather terrifying, and yet, she stood obediently behind the guy. Now, the cosmic system state of the Human Race was publicly declaring that this youth could represent their entire race.
This only meant that the youth was most likely extraordinary. At the very least, he should be much stronger than the girl.
Right then, the other prodigies felt concerned after taking another look at Lu Ze.
The law enforcer looked at Lu Ze and nodded.
"Since you're fighting for the honor of your race, we won't stop you. But... the auction is about to start. Instead of doing it now, wait for the end of the auction, then you can proceed to the underground stage to resolve the issue!"
When the words fell, the other prodigies and powerful beings felt relieved. They decided to leave immediately after the event.
Of course, they weren't foolish enough to challenge this crazy person! Lu Ze looked at them and smirked.
"In that case, law enforcer, can you please be a witness for us? After the auction ends, I will be challenging all the planetary state prodigies who have insulted us. They're not allowed to flee!"
'Hmmph, did they plan to run away?'
There was no way he was going to allow that!
He was going to crush their heads!
How dare they look down on the Human Race?!
His words made the prodigies and their respective races more worried.
They felt severely frustrated.
'This human was an absolute maniac!'
'He was a mad dog!'
'Can't he see how many prodigies they had?'
'How come the rest of the humans were not scared of the probability that he might not even win?'
'Were they actually idiots?!' Nevertheless, after realizing how their elders didn't even bother to object, they didn't feel too good.
The law enforcer stared at Lu Ze.
'He was challenging too many planetary state prodigies at once by himself?!'
This human was too bold.
'No wonder the atmosphere was so odd. All of it was due to his challenge?'
If that's the case, his combat power should have reached the peak of level-1 star state. A combat power like that... This youth would be considered a rather decent prodigy even in the Golden Spear Race.
Perhaps he had a bit of a chance to reach the cosmic cloud state.
The law enforcer nodded. "That's fine, I can be a witness."
The opposition had hoped the law enforcer would refuse the offer, but reality struck them.
They felt they were being targeted. Lu Ze smiled. "Thank you, law enforcer." "Wait!"
An opposing cosmic system state interrupted.
Everyone looked over.
He took a deep breath and said, "The Wenka Race is willing to apologize for looking down on the Human Race. We won't participate in this challenge."
Their top prodigy was just a level-9 planetary state and could barely reach the star state combat power. This was the pride of their race Despite this, he still wasn't certain they would win this challenge.
He possessed a danger-predicting god art. He knew that if they agreed to this challenge, their top prodigy would definitely die!
This wasn't what he wanted.
Hence, despite the shame they would be facing, he chose to apologize.
"What?! He apologized?"
Everyone was taken aback by this development.
'This youth didn't even reveal his power yet, but the Wenka Race apologized first?!'
This was too...
Even Lu Ze didn't expect it. He raised a brow.
While pondering whether he should accept the apology, Elder Nangong communicated with Lu Ze telepathically. "Ze, accept it. Don't force them too much. The Human Race shouldn't make enemies. We should keep a low-profile as we grow."
Lu Ze agreed and then smiled. "The Human Race accepts your apology."
Hearing this, the cosmic system state breathed easy. He took a deep look at Lu Ze. "Prodigy of the Human Race, we were rash this time."
Then, he led his race away from the auction. They weren't going anymore.
Seeing the withdrawal of the Wenka Race, the atmosphere turned dead silent.
Retreating in that manner would badly affect the reputation of the race.
'How could they choose to leave just like that?'
During this time, two other cosmic system states followed suit. "The Guke Race is willing to apologize for the insult. This is our mistake."
"Us too, the Maina Race is willing to apologize."
The two cosmic system states bowed their heads a little to the Human Race.
The Guke, Maina, and Wenka were allies. They were aware that the cosmic system state who had left earlier had a danger-predicting god art.
Since he chose to offer an apology and leave, this could only mean the young human probably possessed an exceptional power, which was capable of scaring the former and making him sense a threat.
In that case, it would be pointless to subject their top prodigies to the same situation that would most likely end their life.
Hence, they chose to apologize as well.
With the apology of the other two races, the rest of the crowd felt as though their hearts were stabbed.
'Why couldn't they retreat together?'
'Why did they cower so easily?!'
This made them anxious.
A powerful cosmic system state with red flames above his head looked coldly at the three races and exclaimed in contempt, "Coward! Are you not scared that your race will be humiliated?!"
The two cosmic system states didn't even reply to him and just looked at Lu Ze.
Lu Ze smiled and nodded. "We accept the apology."
The two cosmic system states breathed easy and nodded. "Thank you."
Then, they left the place with their race. They went after the Wenka Race.
The rest of the races looked amongst themselves. They didn't know why those three races chose to be apologetic and leave, but they weren't stupid. A reason must exist for their actions.
The atmosphere became very cumbersome.
The three races who departed took along 20 prodigies with them. This made the rest of the prodigies more worried.
The fire cosmic system state's mouth twitched in embarrassment. He lowered his head. "The Red Flame Race is willing to apologize. We hope the Human Race can forgive our rudeness."
Lu Ze: "..."
Even the other beings looked at the cosmic system state who just excused himself. They were bewildered.
'How shameless!'
Lu Ze still nodded and chose to forgive them.
The recent apology allowed the rest of the parties present to make up their minds.
Immediately, cosmic system states started expressing their apologies. "The Dugen Race is willing to apologize..."
"We..."
There were seven more races, other than the four that had already apologized. They all chose to admit their mistake.
The onlookers were dumbfounded.
Eleven races with cosmic cloud state civilizations were forced against their pride by a mere single youth, whose race only achieved cosmic system state civilization, to apologize on the spot.
If they didn't see it with their own eyes, they would never believe it was true.
More shocking than the rest, the youth had never revealed his power up to now. This part was unfathomable.
Of course, they knew that the trade planet forbade battles. Otherwise, all these cosmic system states would have charged up a while ago and tore the Human Race to pieces.
Everyone looked at the youth who remained smiling from beginning to end.
'What a pity! He didn't even show his power...'
Lu Ze was a little disheartened too. He thought a few races would bite the challenge. If so, he could have displayed his power.
But now, they all ran away.
Lu Ze was bemused deep inside. Still, he faced the rest with a smile. "Since you're all apologizing, then we'll let this one slide."
He actually wanted to oblige them to provide compensation for his race. However, that might spark more animosity.
Although Lu Ze and the girls can take the backlash, the Human Race didn't only include their group. Several planetary states and those who were above would often leave the Milky Way galaxy to gather resources in the Elf Cosmic Realm.
If they made too many enemies, it would be tough for humans who ventured into the Milky Way. Given that scenario, the Human Race would end up developing at a snail's pace.
Lu Ze couldn't supply his orbs to the entire Human Race either. He would only give them to those he trusted.
Due to the arrival of the law enforcers, more and more people decided to watch the situation.
All the beings around stared at Lu Ze with curiosity and shock.
In the distance, the prodigies of the Crystal Race and Lightning Rune Race were also watching
Yi Lei smiled. "That is the Human Race? That kid seems quite strong."
Another being from the Crystal Race remarked, "His cultivation level is at level-9 planetary state, the same as Moer and Lei Ming. Who do you think is stronger?"
Lei Yuan's lightning rune flashed. "Moer and Ming might not be a match for him."
Hearing the response, Lei Ming rebuked, "Brother Yuan, this kid only came from a recently developed cosmic system state civilization. Is he really that strong?"
Another prodigy from the Lightning Rune Race nodded. "Brother Ming and Moer's combat powers have reached the level-2 star state, right? Can that human really compare with them?"
Yi Lei smiled. "Brother Yuan is right. My instinct tells me his talent should be considered exceptional even among cosmic cloud state civilizations. Don't get careless. You might encounter him in the prodigy battle."
Moer and Lei Ming glanced at Lu Ze. Power wasn't determined by words. They would see who was truly stronger in the end.
They didn't believe they would lose to a prodigy whose race only had a cosmic system state civilization.
Meanwhile, Bazzer and a few Golden Spear prodigies flew out and landed next to Yi Lei and the others.
Bazzer looked at the captain of the law enforcers. "What's wrong?" Yi Lei smiled and explained, "It's nothing, we enjoyed a show."
Lei Yuan urged, "Let's go in first. The auction is about to start."
Yi Lei said, "By the way, Bazzer, I heard there's an insectoid queen egg in this auction. Is that real?"
He acquired a one-time scroll that could enslave a being in the secret realm. The insectoid queen would be the best choice. Last time, he attempted to get one, but he was spotted by powerful insectoid beings. In the end, he didn't even know where he died.
Now that there was an insectoid egg at the auction, he felt excited.
I, Yi Lei, am indeed favored by the heavens!
Now, he didn't need to steal an insectoid egg.
Previously, he was naïve and couldn't even recognize how foolish he was.
He must buy this egg!
The others looked over. They didn't need the egg now, but who knew whether it would be useful in the future?
Bazzer smiled and confirmed, "It's real."
Everyone's eyes lit up.
Yi Lei grinned. "Let's go inside. We won't wait for the other races. They're too slow."
The thing had been resolved. Everyone looked at Lu Ze with admiration in their eyes.
He managed to protect the honor of the Human Race without letting the conflict escalate. It would be impossible for an ordinary young prodigy to accomplish this.
At this moment, the law enforcer from the Golden Spear Race informed Lu Ze, "The auction is about to start. Don't cause any trouble from now on."
His attitude towards Lu Ze was quite pleasant, which could probably be attributed to the latter's talent.
Lu Ze smiled and nodded. "Okay, thank you, sir, for being willing to bear witness."
The corners of the law enforcer's mouth lifted, and he casually waved his hand. "It's no big deal."
This young human was talented, and he even knew how to handle things properly. The boy was polite to boot as well and seemed like a good seed.
He swept his gaze across the representatives of the Human Race.
No wonder they were bold enough to allow Lu Ze to represent his own race. This time around, they might finally experience a prosperous period of rapid development.
With the departure of the law enforcer, Elder Nangong and his companions felt relieved. This was the trade planet after all. Despite the outcome of the events, they still felt a bit pressured.
Doris looked at Lu Ze and remarked, "The younger generation is pretty amazing!"
Man Dali shared the same view. He looked at Elder Nangong with envious eyes. "I really admire the Human Race. Your race will progress at a fast rate very soon."
He looked at Man Kun and the others. "Why doesn't the Barbarian Race have such prospects?"
Man Kun: "?" Feelings of betrayal struck him. 'Was he to blame?'
Lu Ze was a complete maniac.
Both Doris and Qiu Lun also looked at Elder Nangong with envy. Then, they turned their heads to their prodigies as they felt distraught.
Eddie and Qiu Lin also felt the ache of being cruelly stabbed in the heart. Feeling irked, they glared at Lu Ze.
Elder Nangong smiled even brighter. He humbly waved his hand in dismissal. "Man Kun, Eddie, and Qiu Lin are also outstanding. Ze is still young. Who knows what would happen in the future?"
Everyone: "..."
Lu Ze felt great though.
After the exchanges, they finally lined up and soon entered the auction.
Unlike last time where Lu Ze brought out a resource he could potentially sell, they directly entered the guest rooms.
They went up the stairs. Every after ten steps, there would be a floor level. Furthermore, the entire auction was encircled by a walkway.
The four races went to the sixth level and entered their designated room.
It wasn't cramped at all. In fact, it had an area of about 200 square meters. There were rows of seats, making the inside resemble a lecture room.
The seats were facing a surface composed of a special material where one could watch the activity outside from the inside, without allowing the others who were not in the room to see through the layer. They had a good view of the large platform at the center.
Currently, no one was present there since it wasn't time for the official commencement of the auction.
The four races sat down and waited for the auction to begin.
Cosmic system states had the privilege to sit in the front row. They were the primary bidders after all. The others didn't have enough money to participate.
Naturally, the precious items in the auction were quite expensive.
Time passed by, until out of nowhere, someone from the Golden Spear Race emerged on the stage.
After releasing a bit of his power, the crowd felt immense pressure.
Cosmic cloud state!
He smiled and swept his gaze at the rooms. "Welcome to the auction that is only held once every five years in the trade planet. I'm the person responsible for this auction, Felix."
Felix didn't waste time and immediately took out the first item.
It was a purple fruit with white lightning marks.
"Lightning Rune fruit. After consumption, it can be used to learn lightning god art. Those who possess lightning god art can use it to improve their god art. I believe everyone knows how precious it is. The bidding starts now."
This cosmic cloud state didn't prolong the sales pitch. He directly let people bid right away.
Even with the brief introduction, a robotic voice sounded immediately.
"Room 1231 bids a low-grade life planet."
"Room 1182 bids ten Yang Lotus pills."
The beings present declared their bids one by one. Accordingly, the prices skyrocketed.
Fruits that could help in learning god art were valuable, even across the entire Elf Cosmic Realm.
Alice poked out her tongue and transmitted her voice telepathically. "I didn't expect this fruit to be that expensive..."
Lu Li responded in the same manner. "Brother's lightning god art orb is probably more precious than this."
Nangong Jing laughed. "Ze is really wealthy!"
Lu Ze didn't anticipate that such a resource would be equivalent to life planets. These planets don't possess any forms of advanced intelligence. Still, they were considered precious.
Given that, Lu Ze felt he could even buy the entire Milky Way galaxy.
Was he 'that' wealthy?
Lu Ze was taken aback by the realization.
Qiuyue Hesha smirked. "We are the sugar babies of little brother Lu Ze, our big sugar daddy."
All the girls blushed, especially Lin Ling and Nangong Jing
Initially, they felt embarrassed to accept Lu Ze's orbs. Now, they were accepting everything.
Lu Ze coughed. 'They had pretty much done everything, except the last step...!
Well, the fox demon didn't say anything false, right?
Lu Ze felt delighted.
Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls blushed even harder.
Lin Ling punched Lu Ze's shoulder.
'Who knew what this scum was thinking about?'
As they were bantering, the fruit was sold off to someone else.
A cosmic system state bought it with three rather precious cosmic system state materials, Red Cloud Stone.
Not all cosmic system states had god arts. If they didn't, their combat power would be dreadful.
Of course, they could also be buying it for their descendants.
Elder Nangong also bought a planetary state divine art crystal.
That was useless to Lu Ze and the girls but rather beneficial for other planetary state prodigies.
After selling a cosmic system state spirit herb, Felix said, "The next item is a rather rare treasure."
He took out a black ball. There were complex runes on it as a dark red light kept flashing.
It was the insectoid queen egg!
Lu Ze and his group watched intently.
Elder Nangong raised a brow. "What is that?"
Man Dali shook his head. "Something that is considered rare by a cosmic cloud state wouldn't be ordinary."
Yi Lei looked at the egg. His crystal head flashed with white light.
"That's the queen egg for sure. It's almost the same as the one I saw last time! I must get it!"
The other prodigies also manifested their strong interest in the item. During this time, Felix explained, "This is an insectoid queen egg. This egg still retained its life force."
Everyone was shocked.
A robotic voice sounded, "Mr. Felix, is this really a live insectoid queen egg?"
Felix smiled. "The Golden Spear Race can assure you of our credibility that this is indeed a live insectoid queen egg."
When no one else doubted it anymore, Felix grinned. "Let the bidding begin."
"Room 0012 bids five cosmic system crystal cores."
Everyone looked at the top floor of the facility. The first twenty rooms were all located at the summit of the building. They were either occupied by a race with cosmic cloud state civilization or cosmic cloud state.
Before the cosmic system state could even bid, the beings from the upper floor made their offer. Hence, the rest of the crowd who desired to make a bid chose to keep their mouths shut. The opening bid was five cosmic system crystal cores.
'How many cosmic systems did this being have to bid like this?'
The others merely wanted to buy the item and attempt whether they could actually control the insectoid queen.
Only those with power reaching cosmic cloud state will be competing for it now.
"Room 0006 bids eight cosmic system crystal cores."
"Ten."
Each of the rooms from the upper level announced their respective bids. The prices had inflated sky-high, causing the others to sweat upon hearing them.
Several beings felt jealous.
'Who is selling this egg? Could they perhaps steal from him?'
'Mhm... of course... only if the other party didn't possess a cloud state power.'
Elder Nangong and his fellow seniors were quite envious.
"This price is really absurd. Who is the actual owner?"
Man Dali gasped.
Even Lu Ze was surprised by the willingness of the bidders to spend highly valuable resources.
Usually, only the core region of a cosmic system could form a cosmic system crystal core. Each time, there would only be a very meager amount.
After taking it out, it would take thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, to form another one.
This was a resource that cosmic system states were willing to use only when they were breaking through Yet, someone could afford to exhaust ten crystal cores at once.
Lu Ze could only shake his head.
Nangong Jing and the girls narrowed their eyes, and gradually, bright smiles became evident on their faces.
Lu Li said, "I didn't expect this to sell at a price like that."
Qiuyue Hesha grinned. "We can buy a lot of good resources." Nangong Jing blinked. "Quickly, think. What can we buy?"
Moments later, Lin Ling was a bit distressed. She recounted, "We already bought all the treasures capable of buffing our abilities before. Then, we probably don't need to purchase anything?"
Alice nodded. "As for combat armors, we can still use the Martial God Set for quite a while. When it comes to spirit food... We still have enough now. I can only barely prepare star state spirit ingredients. I can't handle making those advanced ones." "Mhm... Ze has all the cultivation resources. We don't need anything."
The group looked at each other. Although they became well-off, they didn't know what they should purchase with the money.
This was troubling.
After a period of silence, Nangong Jing offered, "We might be venturing into the Milky Way galaxy after this. By then, we'll need money."
"Mhm, let's save it for now."
"By the way..." Lin Ling looked at Lu Ze and continued, "We might not need it, but perhaps, the elders do. Should we tell them about it?"
Lu Ze thought about it and nodded in the end. "The other three races are still accompanying us. Let's just inform Elder Nangong on the way back."
Cosmic system crystal cores were not that valuable to the entire group. However, others might consider it precious and essential.
Lu Ze remarked, "Perhaps Uncle Merlin and Aunty Xunshuang would need them."
The others nodded and smiled.
As they were talking, the bidding offer rose to 35 cosmic system crystal cores.
Even the eyes of Elder Nangong and the others were green with envy.
Doris brought up, "I wonder who put up this item for auction. All these cosmic system crystal cores are enough to raise my cultivation level a few levels."
Qiu Lun blinked. "Don't think about it. It's probably being sold by a race with cosmic cloud state civilization."
Lu Ze: "..."
The rate at which the bidding offers were raised soon slowed down.
"Room 0004 bids 45 cosmic system crystal cores. Would anyone like to offer a higher price?" Felix inquired.
Forty-five cosmic system crystal cores were beyond his expectations.
After all, even they didn't have much confidence in controlling the queen egg. After a few seconds of quietness, Felix started the countdown and closed the bidding.
Yi Lei could now breathe easy. This price was indeed exorbitant. However, since he was the top prodigy of the Crystal Race, he could handle it.
At this moment, he only hoped the attendants would send the egg over quickly. By then, he could immediately test whether the enslavement scroll would be effective.
Lu Ze smiled.
Anyway, the egg was pretty much useless to him. The profits he gained today were unexpected. Right now, he just needed to wait for the end of the auction, so he could collect his earnings.
The auction for the rest of the items ensued.
The prices grew higher and higher once more.
Some of the items presented were rare cosmic system state treasures while some were even cosmic cloud states.
All of those were much more expensive than the queen egg. 'Mhm... they were simply looking. They didn't have the money to buy those products.'
Lu Ze felt bad upon seeing how Elder Nangong and his companions watched the stage with poverty-stricken eyes.
The auction went on for a few more hours before it was concluded.
During this time, Elder Nangong and the rest received what they successfully bidding for. A mixture of happiness and sadness pierced their hearts after giving the corresponding payment. They exhibited a twisted expression.
Naturally, getting what they wanted brought them happiness. However, their empty pockets triggered sadness.
When the auction was finished, the group returned to the hotel.
Elder Nangong and the others were planning to rest for a while. Following a break, they will leave the planet tomorrow.
Lu Ze and the girls proceeded to their own room.
Lu Ze then changed into Long Batian of the Purple Scale Race. He was going to collect everything he had earned for the egg.
After Ying Ying amplified his power, Lu Ze left the room through space god art.
He flew rapidly towards the auction grounds.
Soon, Lu Ze reached his destination. As soon as he arrived, two white-haired girls bowed to him. "Welcome."
They looked at Lu Ze with respect and admiration. Both of them had a deep impression of the man. This planetary state from the Purple Scale Race took out something that forced them to call out the manager, so the latter can appraise the item personally.
At the very least, the resource was equivalent to 20 cosmic system crystal cores. Hence, the man before them could be considered an extremely wealthy being.
Lu Ze maintained a cold and domineering expression as he walked in. The receptionist rushed over immediately. "Mr. Long Batian. Please come this way. The manager is waiting for you."
Lu Ze acknowledged it. "Lead the way."
The girl nodded and walked in front.
After their departure, the crowd started talking. "Wait, I seem to have seen that planetary state kid somewhere before..."
"Where?!"
"His origins seem to be from the Purple Scale Race? But he doesn't have a good temper. His combat power should be level-1 star state or even level-2..."
The one who made the comment relayed the story of Long Batian pounding a prodigy from the White Ghost Race.
Everyone's eyes flashed.
Lu Ze already noticed he was being observed by the audiences here.
Still, the one they were currently watching was Long Batian, not him.
Lu Ze went to an office. A handsome being from the Golden Spear Race was already waiting for him.
It was Ambrose. He smiled. "Mr. Long Batian. Your queen egg was sold for 45 cosmic system crystal cores. We will take 20% commission, so that will be 9 cosmic system crystal cores. Here are your 36 cosmic system crystal cores."
Ambrose handed over a storage ring.
Lu Ze scanned the contents.
As the other party had stated, 36 shining crystals could be found inside.
He nodded and tried to act indifferent. "That's fine."
Managing this platform was really profitable. 'The commission was 20%!'
His heart was aching.
Lu Ze even wanted to create his own platform now and ask Ying Ying to guard it.
Ambrose smiled and handed over a golden card. "Mr. Long Batian is a young prodigy. If you have any more treasures, we hope you can come and make a deal with us. We can lower the commission to 10%."
Lu Ze's deal wasn't that significant to the Golden Spear Race, but Lu Ze was only a planetary state. Despite this, he could already take out such a treasure.
'What about when he reached the star state?'
'Even better, what about the cosmic system state?'
This was worth waiting for.
Lu Ze took the card and nodded. "Okay, if there's nothing else, I'm heading off first."
Ambrose didn't mind Lu Ze's cold attitude. He nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Long Batian." Lu Ze left, and the receptionist assisted him on their way down.
Lu Ze sensed numerous glances directed at him. However, he just took off from the auction grounds.
'Time to run-' Hope these guys would go visit the Purple Scale Race.
He went to a corner and used space god art to return to the hotel.
After that, a few beings flew over. Their faces were shocked.
"This prodigy from the Purple Scale Race has space god art."
"He's indeed a terrifying prodigy."
"What do we do now?"
"Investigate the situation at the Purple Scale Race first."
"Okay."
Back at the hotel, Lu Ze successfully fled the auction grounds. "I got the money."
The girls rejoiced. Alice giggled. "We need to hold a good celebration today."
At the border of the Milky Way galaxy.
Dense clusters of fleets were gathering. Asteroid-sized battle fortresses formed a defense line.
Far away into the space, there seemed to be distortions in the bottomless pit of the universe.
Small wormholes appeared as black spheres flew out. Then, a dense group of hideous insectoids flew out from the vortex. Their tyrannical chi painted the space dark red.
Outside the defense line, planetary state and above beings had assembled. The one standing at the front was the cold-faced Lin Yan.
The faces of the planetary state soldiers were drained of color. One of them asked, "Marshal! We don't know where these insectoids originated. Those beasts outnumber us by a large margin. What should we do?"
Lin Yan responded, "What about the other borders?"
The planetary state relayed, "The void border isn't faring any better. There were sightings of powerful cosmic system state Insectoids. Lord Shenwu took charge of the area. As for Lord Lin Dong, he is already on his way."
The soldier added, "Insectoids have also appeared at the northern border together with the blade demons. It seems the creatures aren't singling us out. It attacked the blade demons as well. The current situation on that border isn't too bad... However, Lord Jinyao isn't here. Not just him. A lot of star state lords aren't too. Our combat power won't be enough to resist the incoming tide." Lin Yan inquired, "Have we made any request for assistance from the other three races?
This planetary state forced out a smile. "Master Lin Dong had done that before he left the ancestral planet, but they also have insectoids to deal with."
Hearing this, Lin Yan's face looked bad.
'Clearly, major things are occurring!' He closed his eyes and imagined Lin Ling's smile. He soon opened them again and took a deep breath before ordering, "If our defense line falls, these bastards will gain access into the Federation. We must not lose control of this place!"
As the insectoids closed in, Lin Yan declared, "Humans, fight to the death!"
At the void border, the herculean Saint Shenwu was wearing black combat armor. He looked at the four cosmic system state insectoids that surrounded him.
"Insectoids, the Human Race has no enmity with you. Why did you come?"
The four cosmic system state insectoids didn't bother to reply. Their destructive power proceeded to rattle the space. "Kill! Destroy!" Once again, the four creatures charged towards Saint Shenwu.
Spirit lights ended up flashing everywhere. It appeared as though stars were being destroyed.
Shenwu's face overflowed with hatred. "Die!"
Violent power surged out of his body as he greeted the four cosmic system states.
On planet Zhihuo, both the Shenwu Army and powerful adventurers jointly flew out of the planet to fight the insectoids.
Boss Zhu was ablaze with purple flames. His chi was near the star state.
A beautiful woman bearing a pale pace was next to him. Her body was lit up with red flames.
The two of them were facing a star state insectoid.
Each minute, their faces lose more color. Their bodies were ridden with injuries. Even so, they still managed to hold off their star state opponent. Since they were practically the strongest within the region, if they couldn't stand their ground, everyone else would die.
'Rumble!'
After another clash, Boss Zhu and the woman fell back.
Boss Zhu blocked before the woman and grinned. "Wife, we don't even have kids yet."
The woman wiped the blood from her mouth and pushed Boss Zhu away. She exclaimed, "If we can survive this ordeal, we can have kids!"
Boss Zhu's eyes flashed with despair. Still, he still grinned outwardly. "Don't regret that later on. We won't die!"
Small wormholes began to make their way inside the Federation. With their emergence, insectoid ships were scattered across the galaxy, searching for life planets. On every planet they desired to conquer, there was a corresponding defense force. As they clashed, blood and fire blossomed in space.
The Federal University, Emperor Capital Academy, other schools of Dawn System, and the military's prodigy barracks had mobilized groups to act as reinforcement to defend the planets.
Back in the Federal University, Ye Mu and the other students gathered together. Ye Mu yelled, "Let's head off too."
"Mhm!"
Telun System.
Merlin stood outside the system. His powerful star state chi burst out, and all the insectoids nearby were crushed.
Thereafter, Merlin had white flames all over his body, which was soon put out. The defense force looked at his figure in shock.
'Our solar system actually had a star state being?!' "This... is a star state being? Why is he here?"
"Is... he here to protect the family of Monarch of the New Dawn?"
"Most likely! Only the Monarch of the New Dawn can ask someone to do that."
"Luckily, he was here. Otherwise, we would be in grave danger too."
"Why did a lot of insectoids invade us?"
Merlin shook his head. "These are all ordinary insectoids. They're not too strong, but why would a great number of them appear here? There's probably a lot of them in the other regions as well. I wonder how the border is managing..."
Lu Wen and Fu Shuya were worried too. Fu Shuya expressed, "I wonder how Ze and the girls are doing?"
Merlin could only shake his head once more. "Where Ze is would be the safest place right now. They have Ying Ying with them."
With such a thought, they breathed easy. Zhu Hong Lian said, "We can't reach them now. We don't even know when they can return..."
"Hopefully soon..."
Early the next morning, Lu Ze and the girls opened their eyes as they finished their cultivation.
Lu Ze got up and stretched out. "Okay, let's have breakfast and prepare to return home."
Nangong Jing remarked, "Being at home is better."
Everyone agreed. During this time, there was a major announcement that echoed throughout the entire planet. "Attention everyone, the Elf Cosmic Realm is being attacked by the Insectoid Race. Please be wary of insectoids during space travel." Everyone's smile stiffened.
'Insectoid attack?!' 'Why did they come here?'
Lu Ze and his team quickly rushed out.
They saw Elder Nangong and the rest of their companions.
Their faces looked rather bad.
Elder Nangong announced with a heavy tone, "Let's head off immediately."
Everyone nodded and left.
Many beings outside headed towards the space station. By the time they reached it, numerous ships were leaving constantly. Clearly, they were worried about their home base too.
Elder Nangong took out their newly-bought cosmic system state ship and said, "Ride on our ship first. Ours flies faster."
The other three nodded.
Cosmic system state ships were much faster than star state ships.
At the Milky Way galaxy, they would be able to use teleportation scrolls to get back to their own race.
Everyone got on, and the ship immediately took off.
They instantly entered the warp dimension and sped towards the Milky Way.
Elder Nangong slowly said, "We still need to take 20 days to return."
This was fewer days than their previous trip which required four months. Nevertheless, twenty days was still too long, given the situation.
Right then, Lu Ze's eyes lit up. He had an idea.
Everyone returned to their rooms in silence.
There was no use in worrying. Back in the room, Ying Ying physically manifested herself.
Full of hope, Lu Ze eagerly looked at her. "Ying Ying, can you travel faster than the ship?"
Ying Ying blinked as she thought about it. "To return home?"
Lu Ze nodded.
Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls also looked over hopefully.
Ying Ying pondered for a little while and soon responded, "Mhm... I can reach home in a few minutes."
Lu Ze and the girls: "?"
Lu Ze opened his mouth to ask with uncertainty, "H-how long did you say it would take to reach the Milky Way?"
Ying Ying repeated, "A few minutes."
'Sorry, it was my mistake to severely underestimate a cosmic realm state!'
The distance between their current location and the Milky Way covered about 20 million light-years.
Nangong Jing and the girls also looked at Ying Ying in disbelief.
Lu Ze quickly said, "Ying Ying, can you bring the ship back too?"
Ying Ying nodded. "Yes, I can."
Her eyes then glowed with starlight. Immediately, the ship was enveloped by the very same light. The distorted warp dimension seemed to have been clutched by an invisible hand.
The space exhibited even more distortions in the end.
The group gawked at Ying Ying. They didn't feel anything at all.
However, upon seeing the seriousness on Ying Ying's face, they chose to leave her be.
After three minutes, the starlight faded away. As her eyes fluttered, a hint of pride can be seen. "We're home!"
Lu Ze and the team immediately rejoiced.
Nangong Jing and the rest hugged Ying Ying, rubbing against her at the same time.
"Ying Ying, you greatly helped us again!" "Thank you, Ying Ying." Although they couldn't actually confirm what the situation was outside, they had full faith in Ying Ying
Ying Ying's little arms flailed helplessly.
...
In the cockpit, the planetary state human pilots ended up dazed as they suddenly heard a notification.
They looked at the space marker. According to it, they were already near the Milky Way.
The person in charge attempted to rub his eyes and take another look so as to check whether he saw it correctly.
Indeed, they were within the vicinity of the Milky Way.
"?!"
He exclaimed, "Come over quickly! Did some error happen to the ship? It's only been a few minutes, but why does the marker show we're near the Milky Way?!"
The others heard it and went over right away.
They checked the marker, and sure enough, they weren't far off from the Milky Way. One person frowned. "Check the situation and notify Lord Jinyao!"
The other pilot nodded and left accordingly.
Elder Nangong frowned. His chi became unstable.
He felt very worried. It was the insectoids after all. They were one of the most terrifying catastrophes to encounter in the universe.
If something happened to the Federation without him present, he would feel guilty for the rest of his life.
He sighed.
At this moment, someone knocked on his door.
When Elder Nangong opened it, he saw a seemingly nervous pilot opposite him. The pilot immediately relayed, "Not good, Lord Jinyao! The ships seemed to be faulty!"
Elder Nangong was taken aback and then looked at the pilot anxiously. "What's going on?!"
The pilot trembled while facing the cosmic system state pressure. "The location marker shows we're near the Milky Way, but we've only been on the air for a few minutes."
Elder Nangong was stunned. Within seconds, a possibility suddenly dawned on him. He quickly said, "I see. Go back to the pilot room. I'll come over immediately."
Thereafter, Elder Nangong disappeared from the spot.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door of Lu Ze's room.
The group had finally recovered from their shock.
Lu Ze went to open the door. He saw Elder Nangong standing outside with a serious expression. Elder Nangong asked straight up, "Ze, did Ying Ying bring the ship back to the Milky Way?"
Lu Ze quickly nodded. "Yes, Elder, I was just about to inform you about it."
Elder Nangong was greatly relieved. His anxiety settled down.
Following such, his voice echoed throughout the ship, "The ship has arrived near the Milky Way. Everyone, come out!" Man Dali, Doris, and Qiu Lun had their own troubles in their respective rooms.
When they heard the transmission, they felt dumbfounded.
They even wondered whether it was merely a hallucination brought about by worrying excessively.
'It had only been a few minutes, so how could they be near the Milky Way galaxy?'
Despite the doubts, they still left their rooms.
The human pilots looked at each other.
'Were they really in the Milky Way?!'
'There wasn't anything wrong with the device?'
'How could it be?'
They began to doubt life.
In the foyer, Elder Nangong, the star states, as well as Lu Ze's group were all present.
Soon, everyone gathered.
Man Dali asked desperately, "Nangong, what did you just say?"
Elder Nangong was quite relaxed now and gave a reassuring smile. "We're in the Milky Way."
Man Dali, Doris, and Qiu Lun looked at each other. Their faces were spooked.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang and the rest who knew about Ying Ying still felt quite shocked.
They had no good grasp of how strong cosmic realm states really were.
This made them turn their heads to Lu Ze's group.
Elder Nangong continued explaining, "Lu Ze's master brought us over."
They still needed to provide an explanation for the sudden leap in distance.
Luckily, they already had established a backstory for Ying Ying. Man Dali, Doris and Qiu Lun: "!"
The three stared at Lu Ze in shock.
They thought Lu Ze's Master was just a cosmic cloud state.
Looking at this...
'No way it was merely a cosmic cloud state!'
'Which cosmic cloud state could fly tens of millions of light-years in just a few minutes?' This power was probably rather terrifying even among cosmic realm states.
Their skins crawled.
They had no idea Lu Ze's master was this fearsome!
The other three races looked at Lu Ze in shock. The eyes of Man Kun and his companions were green with envy.
That was a cosmic realm state master! This guy was already talented, and yet, he was also blessed with a tyrannical master.
Sooner or later, he was going to become invincible.
They felt only the princess of the Elf Race would have the same privilege.
At this time, the warp dimension flashed, and they entered space again. Immediately, everyone's faces tensed.
The border of the Milky Way was flashing with successive explosions.
Terrifying battles swept the space.
They even felt a familiar chi that seemed feeble right at this very moment.
Lin Ling's face went pale.
Lu Ze frowned and used space god art to leave.
Lin Yan was being attacked by three star states. His armor was broken, and his sword was broken.
He was even covered in wounds.
Despite his poor state, he still sent a death state to the opposing star states.
He knew that if he failed, the defensive line would be broken. All the border planets would surely be destroyed.
He could only hope that other star states would make it in time.
Lin Yan knew he couldn't hold on much longer.
Suddenly, a memory of a certain beautiful woman flashed in his mind.
'Perhaps dying here was not a bad choice?'
'Hiss!'
The star states rushed towards him again.
Lin Yan's eyes sharpened as his chi surged.
He charged at them once more.
Right then, there was a distortion in the space. A black figure appeared next to a star state insectoid.
Golden light flashed as a cold voice exclaimed, "Die!"
'Rumble!'
A dark red and another dark golden light became entwined. Following such integration, a hideous shriek reverberated.
Lu Ze's vicious fist force tore through the defenses of the unprepared star state insectoid. As a result, a large hole was left on its body, wherein dark green blood poured out.
The insectoid staggered, and its life force instantly became frail.
Right away, the other two star state insectoids stopped assaulting their current target. They looked vigilantly at Lu Ze as they retreated.
Lin Yan was taken aback.
He stared intently at Lu Ze who wore black combat armor. As though looking for confirmation, he asked, "Ze?"
He never expected Lu Ze's power would reach this level already!
The combat power of the opponent earlier was level-3 star state. Yet, it ended up heavily injured after receiving a single punch from Lu Ze.
Of course, this success could be mainly attributed to the suddenness of the attack. Nevertheless, Lu Ze's combat power was a factor as well.
After all, even Lin Yan was merely a level-3 star state!
'Did this mean... Lu Ze's power could match his already?'
'More importantly, could it even be stronger than his?'
These conjectures only made Lin Yan disheartened.
Previously, Lu Ze was already considered strong. However, the current him was exceedingly powerful than before.
'That had only been a few days ago!'
'Did he really improve this much?!'
'So if Lu Ze bullied his daughter, there's nothing else he could do?'
If that scenario indeed happened, he wouldn't be able to beat up this kid.
Lu Ze smiled. "Uncle Lin, I'm back."
He looked worriedly at him. "Are you alright? I'll heal you."
Lu Ze could tell that Lin Yan tried his absolute best to stop the three insectoids.
Lu Ze rejoiced that he came back in time. Otherwise, Lin Yan's life would be in peril. In that case, Lin Ling would be dispirited.
Lu Ze glowed with white and green lights. These beams shot into Lin Yan's body and rapidly healed his wounds.
The other two star states saw what they were doing and shrieked, "Humans! Die!"
The monsters were about to charge over, however, a distant chi suddenly surged.
A heavy pressure bore down on the enemy, causing them paralysis. Before they could react, they were crushed by the power.
The companions of the dead insectoid suffered the same fate.
Lu Ze and Lin Yan looked around.
Elder Nangong and the rest had alighted the ship.
Lin Ling and Lin Kuang were flying over at a rapid rate.
Some of the star states, as well as Luo Bingqing and his group, went over to the location of the surviving insectoids to clear the battlefield.
Lin Ling now felt relieved after making it just in time.
Lin Kuang flew over a little later. He was slower than Lin Ling.
He felt rather depressed. His little sister was growing stronger and stronger.
He looked worriedly at Lin Yan. "Father, are you okay?"
Lin Yan shook his head and frowned at Lin Kuang. "Hurry up and go help!"
Lin Kuang's mouth twitched... 'B-but Lin Ling was here too?' 'Was he only mean to him?' He quickly nodded and then took off.
With this, the atmosphere became very silent.
Lu Ze looked around and felt things were awkward. Their relationship didn't seem to improve yet?
It wasn't good for him to stay around.
'Should he flee the scene then?'
Just when he was about to say something, he felt powerful fluctuations in the space far away. He turned around and saw the other three races being wrapped in runes as they disappeared. They probably went back to help their own races too. Then, Elder Nangong and the other star states flew over.
Elder Nangong saw that Lin Yan had recovered quite a bit and breathed easy.
The star state was a significant high-level combat power. Elder Nangong asked, "Xiao Yan, how is the situation?"
Lin Yan stood up and answered seriously, "The most critical region is the void border. There are a few cosmic system state insectoids. Saint Lin Dong had gone over already. As for the northern border, it's faring better than here. The border of the Blade Demon Race is located there too. The pressure is shared by both sides. As for the inner regions of the Federation, we haven't encountered powerful insectoids yet."
Hearing this, Elder Nangong nodded. "I'll go to the void border."
The Human Race had four cosmic system states. The fourth one was Saint Red Flame. He was Alice's grandfather. However, he hadn't been back for a long time as he was searching for source resources for Alice.
Naturally, Elder Lin was one of them too. However, he hadn't recovered most of his combat power yet.
Right now, he wasn't going to ask Ying Ying for help. Similar to what Lu Ze expressed before, he believed the Human Race needed to learn how to survive without external help.
Lu Ze went to confirm, "Old man, I'll guard this area with Jing Jing and the rest?"
'Who could tell whether there would be more incoming insectoids in this place?'
Elder Nangong nodded. "Be careful."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang patted Lu Ze's hair and then grinned. "Ze, take care of Jing Jing and the girls, okay?"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. "Alright, Aunty Xunshuang."
Nangong Jing's mouth twitched. "Mom, I can take care of myself. Be careful."
She wasn't just a pretty face. Her combat power might not reach Lu Ze's, but her cultivation level was higher.
She and the fox demon should be the quickest to reach the star state.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang smiled and left with Elder Nangong
It would only take the cosmic system state ship a few minutes to reach the void border.
However, Lu Ze still requested, "Ying Ying, help the elder's ship reach the void border faster."
Ying Ying expressed her agreement with a clear voice. With her around, it only took an instant to reach the destination.
Lin Yan had recovered now. He looked at everyone and stiffly said, "My injuries have healed. I'll go recover some power first. You guys should go and help."
Then, he flew towards the space fortress.
Despite having his injuries mended, his power remained drained. Most importantly, he felt very awkward standing there.
Lin Ling looked at Lin Yan's back for a while.
After some silence, she hugged Lu Ze and kissed him. "Thank you, Ze."
She was truly worried when she sensed Lin Yan's weak chi. Lu Ze touched her chin and grinned. "He's our dad after all."
Lin Ling rolled her eyes and blushed.
The other girls couldn't help but cough. Lin Ling then quickly left Lu Ze's arms.
At this moment, Lu Li said worriedly, "What do you think is the situation back at home?"
Alice assured, "With my mother's and father's presence, it should be fine."
Ying Ying's voice communicated, "Uncle Lu and Aunty Shuya are fine. Uncle Merlin killed the insectoids there."
Lu Ze and the girls felt at ease.
During this time, Qiuyue Hesha recalled something...
With a nervous voice, she said, "Ying Ying, can you help me look at how Weite System is doing?" Ying Ying asked, "Where is that?"
Qiuyue Hesha opened a star map and pointed it out.
It was a system near the northern border.
Ying Ying sensed the situation and said, "There are quite some insectoids there. Should I eat them?"
Then, her little face frowned.
She didn't like the taste of insectoids...
Qiuyue Hesha felt relieved and pinched Ying Ying's little face. "It's fine. I'll go over myself. I don't know how long the insectoids will last. I can't let you watch the place without rest." Nangong Jing asked curiously, "That's your home?"
Qiuyue Hesha nodded.
Alice smiled. "Let's go over together then."
Lu Ze flicked Alice's forehead,
Alice held her forehead and acted pitiful in front of Lu Ze. "Senior, you're bullying me again."
Lu Ze rolled his eyes. "Are we just going to leave the border here?"
Perhaps there would be more insectoids soon.
Alice poked out her tongue. "I want to help Sister Hesha."
Lu Ze offered, "I'll go over alone with Teacher Qiuyue. You guys should stay here and help."
Since he was the strongest, it would be safer if he went with Qiuyue Hesha.
Ying Ying would stay here anyway. The rest of the girls should be even safer.
Nangong Jing and the rest of the group agreed. "Be careful."
Lu Ze nodded. He then grabbed Qiuyue Hesha. With a smile on his face, he requested, "Ying Ying, send us over."
Ying Ying didn't refuse. A wormhole opened up. Thereafter, Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha stepped in. The other end was a not-too-small solar system. Dense clusters of insectoids ships were battling human fleets. Some of the ships of the opponent had found their way into the inner region.
Lu Ze frowned. "Teacher, you should go and check your home planet. I'll deal with the insectoids here."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. "Be careful, Little brother Lu Ze."
If it were just the two of them, she would have flirted with Lu Ze already, but now, she was still worried about those kids and the old principal.
She used her Demonic Burst divine art to head at a particular planet.
Meanwhile, Lu Ze went to the most intense battlefield.
Planet Weite.
Numerous insectoid ships had landed.
Low-level insectoids poured out from the ships like a black tide.
They needed to devour all life forms to strengthen themselves.
All cities on the planet had been surrounded by a sea of insectoids.
Meanwhile, all the martial artists in the city had organized themselves to defend against the tide.
Sounds of battle echoed through every corner of the city.
Almost all of the beings within the system either had broken limbs or broken bodies. Some of them were humans while some were insectoids.
Xiyue City, Yang Guang Adoption Center.
This was a place for the orphans of war. Naturally, war always entailed sacrifices.
The children of those who will defend the city would be taken care of by the Federal government and brought to the adoption center. Their education would be paid for, and those with martial talent would even receive subsidies for cultivation.
This was paying respect to the dead warriors.
Outside the center, tens of soldiers were guarding. They seemed weak. The leader was merely a core martial state, but the rest were only high-level abstruse martial states.
On the other hand, the insectoids were mostly abstruse martial states. Hence, everyone's faces became pale upon facing that number of enemies.
The man in charge looked back. He could see pairs of terrified eyes looking ahead.
He took a deep breath and roared, "The principal and kids are all watching! Don't forget who you are!"
All the soldiers moved their heads to look behind.
When they faced the insectoids again, the fear had been suppressed within their eyes. They responded back, "Yes, Captain!"
They were also orphans of war. After joining the defense force, they had applied to become guards here.
There were far more orphans than just them in the defense force. Many of them envied the group to be able to come here.
This was their unique honor.
The captain exclaimed, "We're the guardians of these children! Don't let the insectoids enter the center even one step! Guard it with your life!"
All the soldiers wielded their swords and roared.
The two sides clashed, and blood painted the skies.
On the top floor, a 15-year-old kid watched the battle in terror.
After witnessing a young soldier getting pierced by one of the insectoids and getting torn apart in the next second, the children cried and looked away.
At this moment, an old but stern voice pierced the somber mood. "Don't turn around! Watch them!"
It was an old man with a bit of a wrinkle on his face.
He looked at those soldiers with pride and felt his heart throbbed. He declared, "Watch them and remember that they are fighting to protect you. They are dying for you!"
The children directed their gaze outside once again.
Tears obscured their vision, but they didn't dare look away.
Another young soldier was mutilated, but before succumbing to death, he buried his sword into the head of the insectoid.
During this moment, a 15-year-old boy said firmly, "Principal, I want to become a soldier in the future too! Like my parents and these uncles!"
Tears covered his young face, but the resolve in his eyes was apparent.
"Me too! My parents were heroes! They defended against the attacks of blade demons! I'm going to do the same!" "Me too! I'm going to guard the principal and my siblings!"
These young voices spoke one after another. The old principal smiled. "Okay. That would mean you need to study and cultivate hard. Protect the Human Race in the future."
At this time, a little girl asked, "Like Sister Hesha?"
Her eyes were red. Not long ago, these uncles were smiling and feeding her candy. Now, they were dead.
The old principal smiled. "Yes, like Hesha."
Right then, half of the soldiers lost their life. Many insectoids had already invaded the center through the cracks.
The captain and the other soldiers roared, "Bastards!" "Damned insectoids! Come at me! Come!"
However, these insectoids continued charging towards the building.
A brown-haired youth shivered but still proceeded to stand up. "Principal, I'll go and stop these insectoids!"
"Me too!"
"Me too!"
These young children were trembling, but they forced themselves to be on their feet.
The principal and a few others beamed with a smile. "We, old people, aren't dead yet. We would be the ones defending you first."
They were all core martial states, but due to their age, they couldn't unleash their full power. Nevertheless, they could still serve as shields for these children for a while.
Just when they were about to proceed with their decision, an extremely strong chi covered the entire planet. All the insectoids froze. Soon after, they lost their life force.
The martial artists who were currently fighting got dazed. After some time, they could not help but grin.
"A powerful being has arrived! We're saved!"
A flare of dark beam passed by, and Qiuyue Hesha soon appeared at the front gate of the adoption center. The defense soldiers were stunned. The captain held his mutilated arm and breathed easy. "Hesha is back."
With her presence, they should be safe now.
All of them knew about Qiuyue Hesha's power after all. She was already a planetary state when she attended the Four-Race Social Gathering
Qiuyue Hesha looked at the survivors and the miserable state of their injuries. A sense of dread grew in her heart.
Good thing she returned in time. Otherwise, the situation would be worse than now.
She looked at the dead bodies and bit her lips.
Although she agreed not to ask for Ying Ying's help unless it was really necessary, she still wanted the latter to wipe out all the insectoids upon witnessing the current situation.
The consequence of this war would surely bring about a lot of deaths.
She smiled at the captain. "Uncle Liu, I just came back. Let me treat you guys first."
She glowed with green light as she helped the injured soldiers recover with wood god art.
In just a few seconds, they were all healed.
Even Uncle Liu's hacked-up arm was regrown.
He looked at the arm in shock and then smiled from ear to ear. "Hesha is growing stronger and stronger."
He watched the little girl grow up.
The others hung their heads low, not daring to look at Qiuyue Hesha.
She was too beautiful, especially with her seductive aura.
The soldiers, who were all young men, found it a bit difficult to resist her charms.
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. "Where are the children and the principal?"
"They are inside."
At this moment, a clear voice rang out. "Sister Hesha!
Qiuyue Hesha turned around and saw a little girl rushing over to be carried. She hugged the girl and patted her head. "Xiao Xi, it's alright now. I'm back."
The principal approached and asked worriedly, "Why did you come, Hesha? There should be more powerful insectoids in other regions, right?"
Qiuyue Hesha shook her head. "Don't worry, we made sure to leave the safety of those areas with capable people."
She smiled. "This time, Lu Ze... came back with me."
The others were shocked.
"Monarch of the New Dawn? He is here too?"
"Wow, I want to see Monarch of the New Dawn!"
"Sister Hesha, can we see him?"
The children looked hopefully at Qiuyue Hesha.
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. "He went to help the other places. I'll go find him and come back
later."
The other planets were swarmed with insectoids as well. Qiuyue Hesha planned to help those places first.
The principal understood. "Go, we are safe here."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled and rubbed the little girl's head. "Xiao Xi, I'm going to help the others first."
The girl nodded and understandingly let Qiuyue Hesha leave.
The defense force was still battling the insectoids outside the system.
Back in space, there were mortal evolution state soldiers traversing the battlefield and reaping the lives of the enemies.
Lu Ze appeared on that battlefield and sighed. He had complicated emotions dwelling in his heart.
There was a quicker way to annihilate all the insectoids without increasing the casualties further. Unfortunately, Elder Nangong chose the harder route. Lu Ze didn't mention it any longer.
If someone were to ask why the Human Race could become the overlord of the Milky Way in a short span of two thousand years, the answer could be boiled down to one thing-unity.
Rather than talent, it was mainly because they could produce cosmic realm states. Reaching this stage could only be attributed to the solidarity of humans.
Hence, if they relied on Ying Ying to solve all the crises, would the Human Race achieve the same unity?
'What if she falls asleep, or worse, disappears unexpectedly?'
Every member of a race should remain strong for the entire unit to perform at its prime condition.
Lu Ze sighed. In the next second, he was already at the center of the battlefield.
Countless golden needles appeared around him as they pierced the insectoids. The noise in the battlefield settled down.
The soldiers looked as Lu Ze suddenly appeared.
Then, they exclaimed, "Monarch of the New Dawn?!"
"It really is him!"
"Hooray!" Every single one of them rejoiced, but Lu Ze couldn't feel excited at all.
The fate of his fellow humans fell upon his hands.
Lu Ze smiled at everyone and said, "Thank you, everyone. I'll leave now and help the rest of the region first."
Lu Ze disappeared from the spot. He then transmitted, "Ying Ying, are you watching?" Ying Ying responded, "Mhm."
Lu Ze ordered, "Wipe out all the insectoids in the regions where there are no fights in progress."
"Oh!"
Thereafter, a terrifying power swept by. Lu Ze's keen senses managed to detect it. If an individual didn't have the same level of power, one wouldn't be even able to discern the wave just now.
Lu Ze felt relieved.
Since he could take some of the insectoids off his mind, he could finally focus on killing the insectoids where battles had broken out.
This was enough to alert the Human Race.
Following such, Lu Ze went to a planet assaulted by insectoids. He released his chi and killed all the hostile creatures instantly. People were taken aback by the sudden deaths, but when they realized it was Lu Ze, they rejoiced.
Lu Ze quickly moved to another location.
Of course, he was not impervious to the admiration he received. There was no way he didn't feel happy about it. However, it might inflate his ego unnecessarily.
Space god art had no use when engaged in combat, but at the very least, it was advantageous when it came to moving from one place to another. He just needed a few seconds to reach the other planets.
Soon, Lu Ze arrived at the last planet.
He encountered Qiuyue Hesha there. Her seduction god art fell upon the entire planet and annihilated all the insectoids.
Upon noticing his arrival, Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "How is it?"
Lu Ze nodded. "It has been taken care of." Qiuyue Hesha felt relieved. She trained her seductive eyes on him.
Lu Ze inquired, "What's wrong?"
Qiuyue Hesha grinned. "Little brother Lu Ze still ordered Ying Ying to help in the end."
Lu Ze rolled his eyes.
Qiuyue Hesha cracked a smile and grabbed his arm. "I'll take you to my home."
Lu Ze's eyes lit up.
'Is it time to finally meet her parents?'
He nodded seriously. "Let's go." Qiuyue Hesha's face bloomed with a smile, and she took Lu Ze towards planet Weite.
Moments later, Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha landed in the adoption center.
The soldiers and children were taking care of the bodies.
Lu Ze felt stunned as he set foot on the place.
He asked about Qiuyue Hesha's family before, but she never discussed them.
Lu Ze just now realized Qiuyue Hesha was an orphan.
Qiuyue Hesha smiled stiffly. "I'm an orphan. This is my home."
Lu Ze noticed how tense she was at the moment.
He grabbed her hand with the thought of hugging her, but a loud and excited voice ruined the moment.
"Woah! It's Monarch of the New Dawn!"
Immediately, all the children looked over with admiration and excitement.
It was like they saw their idol.
All the kids set aside the insectoid carcasses and ran over to surround Lu Ze.
In return, Lu Ze looked at the kids and actually felt a little awkward.
At this moment, a pretty-looking little girl asked, "Big brother Lu Ze, what's the relationship between you and sister Hesha?"
Lu Ze was stunned and looked at Qiuyue Hesha who seemed a little nervous on the side. This was the first time he saw her act like that.
'Is she embarrassed in front of these kids?'
Lu Ze found it adorable and had a bold idea. He grabbed Qiuyue Hesha and kissed her.
Qiuyue Hesha's eyes widened. Her body went a bit stiff, but she grabbed Lu Ze's clothes tightly. This wasn't like the usual playful her at all.
Lu Ze felt this was quite interesting.
The children clearly didn't expect Lu Ze to boldly act intimate in front of them. They made weird noises. Especially the girls, they screamed in excitement.
Only a few very young girls covered their eyes in embarrassment. However, they were still peeking through the gaps in their fingers.
The elderly people didn't mind it.
Moments later, Lu Ze released Qiuyue Hesha. Her face was completely red. She quickly went to check the response of her elders, only to meet their teasing glance. Hence, she could only lower her head.
Lu Ze felt great upon getting to witness Qiuyue Hesha embarrassed like this. She would always be the one taking the initiative to flirt with him every single time. Now, he finally exacted revenge. 'Great!
Lu Ze smirked. "Now, tell me, what kind of relationship do you think we have?"
The girls screamed and covered their faces again.
Qiuyue Hesha pinched Lu Ze's waist. At this moment, a little kid declared, "I'm the one who should marry Sister Hesha in the future. I'm going to fight you!" Lu Ze found it funny and pinched the face of the other party. "You want to fight me? You have to cultivate well."
Then, he flicked the forehead of the child.
Qiuyue Hesha couldn't help but chuckle. She punched his shoulder. "Hah, the strongest prodigy in the Human Race is bullying a little kid."
Lu Ze argued, "It's his fault for desiring you."
Qiuyue Hesha looked lovingly at Lu Ze. But then, she also smiled at the kid while rubbing his head. "Little Luoluo, Sister Hesha is already Brother Lu Ze's girlfriend. You will definitely meet a better girl when you grow up."
The young boy was shocked. "Really?"
Lu Ze felt proud. "If you cultivate well and become strong, you can marry a beautiful and wealthy girl, as well as reach the pinnacle of life."
Qiuyue Hesha rolled her eyes. 'What is Lu Ze teaching?'
During this time, the principal walked over and bowed to Lu Ze. "Greetings, Monarch of the New Dawn."
Lu Ze quickly stopped the elder from bowing. "Principal, you guided Teacher Qiuyue as she grew up. If you do this, she is going to beat me up."
The principal said, "Do you want to enter inside and have a seat? We'll just clean these things up and then express our gratitude afterward."
Lu Ze looked at the corpses and said, "I'll handle it."
With a wave of his hand, all the remains flew up in the air. Once he lit up an orange flame, everything had vaporized in an instant.
The fire he used originated from the third map. After reaching the level-9 planetary state, he had pretty much completely infused it into his fire god art. The same thing had happened to the special earth blob.
This enhanced Lu Ze's fire and earth god art quite a bit.
Witnessing the bodies disappear, the little children rejoiced and looked at Lu Ze with admiration. "Monarch of the New Dawn is so amazing!"
"Big brother Lu Ze is too powerful!"
Lu Ze felt great to hear these compliments. Right then, the principal said, "It's getting late. How about resting here first, Monarch of the New Dawn? We can cook for you then, as a way of thanking you."
Lu Ze turned his head to Qiuyue Hesha and saw her hopeful look. The children also anticipated his response.
In the end, he agreed. "Thank you, principal."
The children jumped for joy.
Qiuyue Hesha held Lu Ze's arm and pulled him inside. She was overflowing with happiness. "I'll take you around."
Lu Ze let her be after seeing how delighted she was.
They went to the backyard. It was evidently a playground area as slides and swings were placed around.
Qiuyue Hesha ran and sat down on the swing. She said, "There should be a lot of kids playing on this set at this time, but no one's here right now because of the insectoids."
She let her body move with the swing.
"This is where everyone plays. Us orphans of war treat each other as family. Sometimes we would argue, but we would always make up at the end of the day."
Qiuyue Hesha looked at the sky as though reminiscing something.
Lu Ze leaned on the swing frame and watched her in silence.
She said she loved swinging when she was young, just like Ying Ying.
Oftentimes, she would use her seduction god art to play pranks on people, only to get punished by the principal.
She was the big sister of the center at the time. If someone dared to bully children from the center, she would be the first to take charge.
Because she was a prodigy since young, many people were scared of her while some sucked up to her. There were also people who looked down on her due to her lack of family background.
She thought she had a good friend back in school. However, she caught the very same friend calling her a slut.
Qiuyue Hesha shared a lot of things while Lu Ze listened without interrupting her.
Moments later, Qiuyue Hesha stopped swinging. The atmosphere became very silent. Qiuyue Hesha looked at Lu Ze and smiled. She seemed a little anxious and scared. "Are you very disappointed?"
Lu Ze didn't expect her to ask that. "Disappointed about what?"
Qiuyue Hesha couldn't look him in the eyes.
"T-Rex's grandfather is a saint. Alice's family isn't bad either. Lin Ling's grandfather is a saint as well, even if he is recovering right now. Li grew up with you... All of them had a proper background. Meanwhile, I am a mere orphan with no parents..."
Qiuyue Hesha lowered her head.
Lu Ze approached from behind and embraced her. He pressed his chin on Qiuyue Hesha's head.
Her body was a bit tense. Lu Ze could sense her nervousness. This was the first time he saw her vulnerable side.
He smiled. "To me, your parents are on the same level with the elders."
Qiuyue Hesha was dumbfounded. Before she could even speak, Lu Ze said, "They sacrificed themselves in the war. They are heroes. How can they be lower than anyone?"
"As for the elder's power..."
"They're only cosmic system states. You're about to reach the star state. It won't take long for you to reach the cosmic system state either, right? Soon, we would be stronger than them. Do you think your origins still matter now?"
Qiuyue Hesha didn't reply, but she finally allowed the tension to leave her body.
She already knew that Lu Ze wouldn't care about this, but she still couldn't help but think about it. She was scared he would be disappointed.
However, after drawing out a response from him, she finally felt secure. Qiuyue Hesha just snuggled further into Lu Ze's arm. She enjoyed the feeling.
After a while, Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Little brother Lu Ze has a really sweet mouth."
Lu Ze raised his brow. "Do you want to taste it?"
Qiuyue Hesha closed her eyes. "Yes."
Lu Ze was inches away from her lips. Unfortunately for the two of them, a clear voice interrupted the moment.
"Sister Hesha! Brother Lu Ze... time to eat."
The two turned around and saw the little girl.
Both of them got up and walked towards the girl.
Right then, something dawned upon Lu Ze. "I seem to recall hearing this little girl's voice somewhere?"
Lu Ze remembered something that happened a long time ago. He looked at the little girl. "Teacher Qiuyue, New Year two years ago, you called me, saying you were coming to the Telun System for a concert... Isn't she the one telling you it was time to eat?"
Qiuyue Hesha confirmed it.
If Lu Ze didn't mention this, she would have forgotten.
She looked lovingly at this little girl and patted her head. "She's called Lue Xi. She came to the center three years ago. She's a very good child."
Lue Xi snuggled her head in Qiuyue Hesha's arms in embarrassment.
Lu Ze looked at her and patted her little head.
She was about the same size as Ying Ying and seemed to be a kind child.
Lu Ze always liked good children.
If there was a chance, he would ask Ying Ying to come over and play so as to meet a new friend.
Lu Ze predicted Ying Ying would like this little girl. He thought back to that girl named Tingting in the latter's memory.
Lue Xi felt the warmth from Lu Ze's hand and looked up timidly at him.
She also remembered that time when she called sister Hesha to eat. Sister Hesha said there was a very good big brother. Was she referring to brother Lu Ze?
Lue Xi returned the smile.
Qiuyue Hesha said, "Xiao Xi seems to like you."
Lu Ze felt proud. "Of course, I'm so handsome and powerful. It's very normal that Xiao Xi will like me."
Qiuyue Hesha rolled her eyes. "Pfft, go eat."
She carried Lue Xi away. Lu Ze smiled and chased after her.
"Xiao Xi, let me tell you, your sister Hesha is super fierce."
"Lu Ze!"
"Umm... I said nothing..."
The dinner was cooked by the cook at the center. It was the most basic spirit food. Even ordinary people could eat it to build a foundation for cultivation. The dishes couldn't compare with Alice's food, but the children came over to thank Lu Ze personally one by one.
After dinner, Qiuyue Hesha took Lu Ze to where she lived.
Lu Ze looked around curiously. It was different from her ship. Her room was very simple. It was just an ordinary bed and furniture, including some toys. The room was pink.
Qiuyue Hesha stretched out lazily and said, "This is the room I've stayed in since young. I don't get much opportunity to come back since entering the university, but the principal kept this room pristine for me."
She started telling Lu Ze about the things in the room. "This is my favorite doll when I was young."
Qiuyue Hesha pointed at a pink rabbit.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. She had such a young girl side to her. 'Did she like rabbits?'
"These are the trophies I've gotten."
Lu Ze looked at a huge box. There were all sorts of trophies lying around. He curiously took one out to see. It was an award to the winner of Planet Weite High School's Dance and Singing Competition.
Lu Ze smiled. "Have you liked dancing and singing since young?"
Qiuyue Hesha leaned on Lu Ze's back and watched him go through the trophies. "Yes, it was my hobby."
Qiuyue Hesha suddenly thought of something. "Little brother Lu Ze, do you still have the dance video I sent to you a long time ago?"
Lu Ze recalled the video she gave him two years ago. He smiled. "Of course, I still have it."
'What a joke! How could he throw that away?' Qiuyue Hesha's tone turned seductive. "There's only the two of us today."
Lu Ze was stunned. Soon, his eyes lit up. There really was just the two of them tonight.
In that case...
Lu Ze smiled and nodded.
Qiuyue Hesha's face blushed. "I-I-I'll go and take a shower." "Hehehe~"
Early the next morning, sunlight fell upon the room and onto Lu Ze's handsome face.
He frowned a little and opened his eyes. Then, he thought back to what happened last night. He looked at Qiuyue Hesha who was still sleeping in his arms and grinned.
He was finally a proper man after reaching the age of twenty!
How great!
"Mhm..." Qiuyue Hesha slowly opened her eyes and saw Lu Ze's gentle smile.
Lu Ze smiled. "Morning, Teacher Qiuyue."
Qiuyue Hesha bit Lu Ze's arm. Blood even came out.
Lu Ze was confused.
'Did he do something wrong?'
Qiuyue Hesha looked at Lu Ze and tightly hugged him. She buried her head on his chest before murmuring, "Call me Hesha."
Lu Ze smiled and hugged her tightly. "Hesha."
"Mhm..."
The two remained on the bed for a long while until Lue Xi's voice sounded outside. "Sister Hesha, Brother Lu Ze, are you guys awake yet?"
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha just remembered it was already morning.
The two looked at each other and smiled awkwardly before getting dressed.
Qiuyue Hesha fixed the bed and grinned. "I'm the first!"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. When he thought about the reaction of the other girls, especially Li's, coming to know what happened, he shuddered.
He felt a cold sensation on his neck and rolled his eyes in the next second. "I'll be in a pitiful state. They would kill me."
Qiuyue Hesha glared at Lu Ze. "Your fault anyways! There are five of us!"
At this moment, someone knocked on the door again. Lue Xi asked another time, "Sister Hesha, Brother Lu Ze, are you guys awake?"
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha immediately stopped playing around. They tidied up the room and came out.
The two saw the little girl standing outside.
When Lue Xi saw Qiuyue Hesha, she felt dazed. Moments later, her eyes widened. "Sister Hesha, you have become prettier!"
Lu Ze looked at Qiuyue Hesha.
Ever since she transformed from a girl into a woman, she did seem more attractive. Looking at her exquisite face, Lu Ze thought back to how she acted last night...
'Cough!'
'Cough!
He quickly stopped thinking about it.
Qiuyue Hesha smiled and carried Lue Xi in her arms. She pointed at Lue Xi's nose and asked, "Am I not pretty before?"
Lue Xi quickly shook her head. "No, no, that's not it. You were very pretty already. Now, you're prettier!" Qiuyue Hesha rubbed her head. "Let's go and eat breakfast."
"Okay~"
Lu Ze looked at Qiuyue Hesha. "No wonder your eyes were so gentle when you saw Ying Ying for the first time. It seems you really like little kids?"
Qiuyue Hesha rolled her eyes at Lu Ze. "You speak as if you don't like little kids. You really spoil Ying Ying too."
Lu Ze laughed it off and said nothing.
Lu Ze liked kids who weren't troublesome.
He then said, "Elder Nangong has been pushing us to have kids. Let's work harder and have one too. It'll be just as good as Ying Ying."
Qiuyue Hesha blushed and didn't respond, but her eyes looked hopeful.
After breakfast, Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha glanced at each other. They tacitly walked towards their room.
'Cough...'
It was the first time for both of them, and they quite liked it. Hence, they decided to exercise some more after dinner.
Just as they entered the room, a wormhole suddenly appeared. Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls brought Ying Ying over.
When he saw the group, Lu Ze's skin crawled.
Meanwhile, Qiuyue Hesha smiled proudly. 'She was his first!
Nevertheless, she still felt a little embarrassed too.
Nangong Jing looked around curiously and then glanced at Qiuyue Hesha with contempt. "Fox Demon likes to play with dolls. Hmm, interesting."
However, Nangong Jing exploded when Qiuyue Hesha looked at her smugly. "Fox Demon! Why are you looking at me like that? Do you want to fight?!"
Lin Ling, Lu Li, and Alice felt something was suspicious. There was definitely something amiss.
At this moment, Lu Ze quickly asked, "Why did you guys come over?".
Nangong Jing lay down on the bed and answered, "Quite some star states have gone to the border. The defenses are taken care of, so we don't need to stay there."
During this time, Nangong Jing touched the bed. "Huh? Why are there no bed sheets on this bed?"
Lu Ze immediately began sweating.
Something immediately dawned on Lin Ling, Alice, and Lu Li. They looked up in unison and saw the languidly seductive Qiuyue Hesha and the shivering Lu Ze. 'How could they not know what happened now?' 'Hesha, this fox demon!' 'How could she do it without them around?!'
The three didn't feel too good.
It was like they just bought a toy they had wanted for a long time, and before they even got to touch it, someone else played with it. 'Who could handle this?'
Although they had been together for this long and were prepared mentally, each one of them thought they would be his first.
Lin Ling glared at Lu Ze. She bit her lips and looked away. There was no way she didn't feel angry and disheartened.
Lu Li's dark eyes lost their light. Even so, she still carried a smile on her face. Alice pouted her lips and acted pitiful in front of Lu Ze. She appeared like an abandoned kitten.
Lu Ze's skin crawled. 'Would Lu Li pull out a knife from somewhere?'
Qiuyue Hesha knew that they realized it too. She felt even better and looked away in embarrassment.
Right then, Nangong Jing finally realized the atmosphere wasn't right. She looked at the three girls. "What's wrong with you guys?"
Sister Jing is too thick-headed. They almost laughed out of anger.
'How could she not realize?'
Currently, Lu Ze felt as though Jing Jing was the cutest.
'If the other three were so easy to trick... If they were naïve, that would be great!
Qiuyue Hesha wasn't surprised at all. She didn't have any hope for T-Rex's brain.
She felt bored. She had hoped to see the other girl lash out in anger.
As for Lu Li and the rest, she cared about their feelings. They had been through a lot together. If it was just Nangong Jing, she would have started trouble already.
At this moment, Lu Li asked, "Lu Ze, do you not want to explain something?"
Lu Ze stiffened. 'Is she trying to scare him to death?'
At this moment, Lu Ze's eyes lit up. He had a great idea.
'Isn't it just jealousy?'
'Simple!
They probably felt it was unfair, so he was going to share it with them as well!
Lu Ze smiled and said, "Don't worry! We can be together tonight!" If everyone did it together, they wouldn't be jealous, right?
Lu Ze felt this was the best resolution. Fortunately, he asked for a bed from Qiu Lin.
Lu Li, Lin Ling, and Alice were dumbfounded.
'Together?' 'Tonight?'
"Together what?'
Nangong Jing was confused.
'Why did everyone except her understood what was going on?'
She asked aloud, "Ze, together what?"
Lu Ze smirked. "Sleep together."
Nangong Jing: "?"
'Wait!'
She looked at the angry three girls and then at Qiuyue Hesha.
After some serious thought and analysis, her eyes widened. She looked furiously at Qiuyue Hesha. "Fox Demon, how dare you?!"
Everyone: "..."
They looked speechlessly at Nangong Jing.
Qiuyue Hesha glowed with pride since she wanted to anger Nangong Jing earlier.
Thereafter, Nangong Jing's face went red. She finally understood what Lu Ze meant by sleeping together.
The black mist around Lu Li grew denser.
Lin Ling also glared at Lu Ze.
Alice pouted her lips again.
Even Qiuyue Hesha narrowed her eyes.
'Did Lu Ze feel life was too good?!' Seeing the tense atmosphere, Lu Ze felt a little terrified.
He thought they would stay silent in embarrassment. However, they didn't seem shy at all.
At this moment, Nangong Jing already charged at him. Following such, the rest of the girls did the same.
Lu Ze's howls echoed throughout the room. This was the worst assault of his life, much terrible than before.
As for Ying Ying, she looked speechlessly at the ground and shook her head.
Lu Ze was beaten up longer this time.
Ying Ying felt it was boring to watch it. She had seen it many times already. Right then, she looked around the room. She flashed with starlight and disappeared.
Outside, Lue Xi heard the commotion inside and wanted to ask what was going on. At this moment, starlight flashed, and a silver-haired, blue-eyed little girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere, scaring away Lue Xi.
Lue Xi took a few steps back and looked at Ying Ying with vigilance. "You... What sort of bad person are you?"
This girl looked very cute and didn't seem like a bad person, but she just suddenly appeared without a warning.
Ying Ying looked curiously at Lue Xi. The two girls stared at each other. After a while, Ying Ying said, "I'm not a bad person."
Lue Xi felt relieved. "Okay, I thought you were some bad person."
"Arghhh!"
'Why did she believe it so easily?!'
She became vigilant once again and asked Ying Ying, "Why are there strange noises in the room?"
Ying Ying explained, "They're playing adult games with Lu Ze."
Lue Xi's face blushed when she thought about the strange things she saw online, and the things those big sisters told her.
The two girls kept staring at each other.
Moments later, Lue Xi took out a lollipop. "Do you want one?"
Ying Ying looked at the lollipop Lue Xi handed over and observed Lue Xi. The two had a staring contest again.
Lue Xi's mouth twitched upon seeing Ying Ying's expressionless face. Just when she was about to take the lollipop back, Ying Ying suddenly went closer and bit the lollipop. When she raised her head again, only the stick remained from the candy. Lue Xi: "?"
Thereafter, Ying Ying said expressionlessly, "... Not tasty.'
Lue Xi complained, "That's because you ate it without tearing off the wrapper! Wait... why did you eat the stick too?!"
Lue Xi's skin crawled. She felt this cute-looking little girl didn't seem to be an ordinary person...
Although she had sensed this girl was somewhat powerful when she appeared, she didn't expect the latter to gobble up the lollipop.
Seeing the confused Ying Ying, Lue Xi took out another lollipop. She tore off the wrapper and handed it to Ying Ying. "Don't eat the stick inside! Lick it!"
Lue Xi felt the ache in her heart. This lollipop was limited edition!'
If it wasn't that Ying Ying seemed to know sister Hesha and the rest, she wouldn't give her one. Ying Ying took the lollipop and licked it. Right away, her eyes lit up. "It's very sweet."
It wasn't as tasty as Alice's treats, but the taste was very unique. She felt it was great.
Lue Xi smiled. "Yes, it's very tasty!"
Ying Ying nodded and gave Lue Xi a thumbs-up. "Friend! I will protect you from now on!"
This girl gave her food. She was definitely a good person! Lue Xi felt dazed, but she still nodded in the end. "Oh..."
A smile appeared on her face. "Let's go and play in the backyard! There's many fun stuff there!"
Ying Ying licked the lollipop as she nodded and let Lue Xi drag her away.
Two hours later, Lu Ze lay on the bed lifelessly.
'Just what did he do wrong?' He was almost beaten to death.
On the side, Nangong Jing and the girls were tired. Despite the exhaustion, they still sat on the bed as they seethed with anger.
However, they felt much better after releasing out their emotions.
Nangong Jing still glared at Qiuyue Hesha from time to time. "Fox Demon!"
Qiuyue Hesha grinned.
At this moment, Lin Ling asked, "Where is Ying Ying?"
Everyone was bewildered. They looked around and realized Ying Ying was gone!
The girls grew anxious. They were so set on punishing Lu Ze that they didn't notice Ying Ying left the room.
Lu Ze struggled to get up and said, "Let's go out and see."
Ying Ying usually didn't like to explore outside. She just stayed on the bed watching cartoons.
The group nodded and quickly left the room. They scanned the entire place with their mental force and soon looked strangely at each other.
In the backyard, Ying Ying and Lue Xi were sitting on the swing. Lue Xi was smiling and talking while Ying Ying listened expressionlessly. She nodded from time to time and sometimes participated in the conversation.
Everyone was taken aback. They remembered seeing Ying Ying sitting on the swing with that girl named Ting Ting when she was just born.
Lu Ze smiled at the sight. "Let them play first."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. "Xiao Xi is a good girl. It's fine for the two of them to play together."
Just when they wanted to leave, Ying Ying suddenly turned around and looked at Lu Ze and the girls. "Ying Ying, let me tell you, the so-called adult game is—"
"—What are you looking at, Ying Ying?"
She looked in Ying Ying's direction and saw Qiuyue Hesha and the rest. Her body stiffened. Immediately, she started sweating. Her eyes looked around nervously.
'Would Sister Hesha notice?'
'Could she still maintain her innocent appearance?'
'Would Sister Hesha not like her anymore?'
'I can't look at those things anymore...'
'I must remain a good innocent child!'
She helped Ying Ying to get down the swing.
"Sister Hesha, you guys are here?"
Qiuyue Hesha saw the two little girls, and her maternal instinct kicked in. They were both very cute.
Nangong Jing smiled. "So she's Lue Xi? She's really cute."
Lue Xi smiled shyly. "Hello, Sister Jing."
Nangong Jing nodded. "Mhm, you're really nice."
Lue Xi greeted the other girls too.
Qiuyue Hesha asked curiously, "Xiao Xi, Ying Ying, what are you guys talking about?"
Lue Xi's body stiffened, but she smiled when she replied, "I was telling Ying Ying about the center."
Luckily, she hadn't discussed the "adult game" yet. Otherwise, she would be over.
Ying Ying nodded. "Xiao Xi gave me a lollipop. She's a nice person."
Lu Ze and the girls breathed easy.
Ying Ying was a child after all. It wasn't good for her to play by herself always. It would be good for Ying Ying to have a friend like Xiao Xi.
Lu Ze carried Ying Ying and rubbed her head. "Then, you can visit here and play with Xiao Xi when you're free."
Ying Ying's eyes lit up subtly, and she nodded. She was always expressionless, but they could tell she was quite happy right now.
They needed to cultivate now and had less time to play with her. The group felt responsible.
Everyone played until dark.
After dinner, they returned to Qiuyue Hesha's
room.
Lu Ze looked at Ying Ying and asked, "How many insectoids are there left in the Federation?"
Ying Ying's eyes glowed a blue light. She then said, "There are none left inside, but there are still some at the border."
The group felt relieved. They took out their devices and looked at the news.
The Federation showed a competent response in such a crisis. Other than being caught off guard on the first day, they mobilized all sorts of measures immediately.
The situation was stabilized within a short time.
This all happened in less than three days.
The Human Race's power was greater than they had expected.
Of course, Ying Ying helped too.
The insectoids appeared too suddenly. There were still deaths and economic loss to deal with.
Lu Ze asked Ying Ying, "How is Elder Nangong?"
Ying Ying sensed the situation. "Grandpa is still fighting." Lu Ze frowned. "Is it serious?"
Ying Ying shook her head. "They're pretty much even."
Lu Ze inquired, "Which side is at a disadvantage?"
"Granpa's location has the most numerous insectoids."
Lu Ze smiled. "Then, send us to the void border."
"You can keep playing with Xiao Xi here for a few days, right?"
Ying Ying nodded. "Okay."
It was rare to meet a young friend. She did want to stay here and play as well.
Alice went to where Ying Ying was and rubbed her face. "If you don't have enough spirit food, tell me."
Alice prepared quite a lot of dishes for Ying Ying. The latter already stored those away. That was her private collection. Lu Ze couldn't eat it at all.
Lu Ze had tried all sorts of ways to get Ying Ying to share those with him. Unfortunately, he wasn't successful.
Lu Ze was rather disappointed.
Ying Ying quickly nodded.
Nangong Jing carried Ying Ying and hugged her into her chest. "If Ying Ying misses us, then come find us."
Qiuyue Hesha pulled Ying Ying out of Nangong Jing's arms. "Are you trying to choke her to death?!"
Nangong Jing argued, "Ha? Do you want to fight again?!"
Lu Ze and the other three girls felt speechless.
Lu Ze then cracked a smile. "Alright, we still have things to do."
Thereafter, Ying Ying made a motion, and a wormhole appeared.
Lu Ze and his team entered it and exited to outer space. Far away, there was a red planet. Countless insectoids were surrounding it with the desire to enter it.
The human side was fighting the insectoids.
Lu Ze raised a brow. "Didn't think we would come to planet Zhihuo?"
This was the planet they had stayed the longest back at the void border.
They could still remember the Zhihuo Shooting Star here.
Nangong Jing frowned upon sensing the power fluctuations. "The insectoids here aren't weak."
The insectoids usually searched for prey based on their energy. In accordance with this principle, the stronger insectoids would be attracted by stronger prey. Most of the strongest humans were at the void border. Hence, the bulk of the insectoids swarmed here.
Lu Ze nodded. "Hold on to me. Let's go over."
Nangong Jing and the girls grabbed onto Lu Ze, and he teleported using space transmission.
There were countless adventurers outside the planet who were engaged in combat.
Destructive power surged, and space storms surrounded the entire planet.
A mixture of green and red blood poured out in space.
At the outer region of the planet, Yan Gu, Shadora, Xia Zhi, and Ji Cheng were surrounded by a group of planetary state insectoids.
The powerful attacks came in waves. The four of them could only barely hold on.
Yan Gu's armor was broken, and his body was ridden with deep wounds. Behind him, Shadora was unconscious. There was a gaping hole in her stomach.
Xia Zhi's left arm was broken, and his chi was extremely weak, but he still defended the place.
Ji Cheng had also suffered severe injuries all over his body.
Yan Gu exclaimed, "I'll lead the way to break through! We'll go back inside the planetary defense line first!"
Ji Cheng and Xia Zhi nodded. Shadora's wounds were quite serious. If she didn't go back, she would be in grave danger.
Xia Zhi lamented, "It's all my fault. I went too far."
If it weren't for him, they wouldn't be surrounded by the sea of insectoids.
Ji Cheng admonished, "What's the point of saying this now?! Hold on! If something happens to Shadora, I'll kill you!"
Yan Gu didn't speak, but he still suppressed his potential. He planned to use his strongest attack soon.
He only had one chance. Moreover, they had no choice.
Suddenly, a golden light flashed. The sharp chi from the light made them narrow their eyes. They couldn't even stare at the golden light directly. However, they could hear the shrieks of the insectoids.
The group rejoiced. Backup had arrived.
Right away, when the light had faded, they realized that the insectoids surrounding them had become corpses.
Their bodies were filled with holes.
The group could finally relax. Based on the outcome, the person who arrived should at least reached the peak of the planetary state Maybe, their savior was already a star state too.
Only a being with such power could kill this number of planetary state insectoids at once.
They were safe!
At this moment, the figure finally revealed himself. Yan Gu and his companions couldn't quite believe it.
Lu Ze scratched his head. "Senior Yan Gu, I didn't expect you guys were here too."
Lu Ze sensed Yan Gu's chi as soon as he went to the battlefield. He allowed the girls to let off some steam and kill insectoids while he checked the situation here. He had quite a good impression of these guys. They were good people. Lu Ze even planned to give them orbs in the future too.
The group looked at him like he was a ghost. Ji Cheng exclaimed, "Oh shit?! Ze? How did you become so strong?!"
They thought it was some star state boss who arrived. Yet, it was only him, their junior?!
Although Lu Ze was already stronger than them, this level of power was a bit absurd!
Lu Ze looked at them and smiled awkwardly.
The last time they were together was at the void border. The extent of Yan Gu's knowledge about his power was limited to the competition at the Four-Race Social.
Almost a year had passed since. He looked at Shadora and asked, "What happened to her? She received a serious injury. Let me treat her."
Yan Gu nodded and looked at Lu Ze gratefully. "Thank you, Ze. Her situation isn't too good."
Lu Ze smiled. "No problem."
With a wave of his hand, a green and white light entered Shadora's body. Immediately, the gaping hole began to mend itself.
Shadora was only a level-6 planetary state. It was too easy for Lu Ze to heal her.
In a few seconds, she had recovered completely. Nevertheless, her combat power had not returned yet.
She smiled at Lu Ze. "Thank you, Ze. Otherwise, I might not make it back to the base."
Lu Ze was just about to say something when Yan Gu suddenly went up and hugged her tightly.
Shadora was stunned by the action, but then, she smiled gently. She hugged the man back.
Lu Ze: "?"
Xia Zhi and Ji Cheng looked at each other like they were old fathers who were proud of their children.
They had long known these two liked each other. However, Shadora was aloof while Yan Gu was shy. It worried them quite a lot.
Finally, the two got together now.
Ji Cheng chuckled. "Ze, come, we're almost dying too. Come and heal us on the other side."
Lu Ze's mouth twitched, but he nodded.
The three left to give the other two some privacy.
These two were level-5 planetary states too. Soon, their injuries were healed. Xia Zhi could finally use his hand. Xia Zhi looked gratefully at Lu Ze. "Thank you, Ze."
Lu Ze shook his head. "You're too polite."
During this time, Yan Gu and Shadora flew over.
Yan Gu felt a little awkward and faked a cough. "Ze, we're going back to the planet. We used up a lot of power. What about you?"
Lu Ze smiled. "I'll go help elsewhere."
He sensed a few star state chi around the planet.
The group understood and bid Lu Ze farewell.
Outside planet Zhihuo, a bald-headed man was currently fighting an insectoid. It had tens of sharp spikes on its tail, which seemed to have a life on its own as it circled around the man to attack.
The bald-headed man had powerful winds circling around him. He wielded a huge long sword that released sharp green wind blades with every strike.
With every clash, dark red and green spirit lights flashed in space.
There was another confrontation. The man's face was serious as he clutched his sword with both hands. Green light flowed like jade as it condensed.
He was just about to hack down when a black figure appeared.
Lu Ze emerged behind the insectoid's back.
Dark golden runes circulated around his feet as he stomped. This tore apart the insectoid's spirit barrier, crushing its armor in the end.
'Rumble!'
'Crack...'
The weight of this stomp almost instantly shattered the star state insectoid's shell. The unsightly creature was forced back by this power as blood gushed out. Soon, it lost its life.
The bald-headed man: "?"
He didn't even unleash his attack yet. This star state insectoid had already died...
He looked at Lu Ze and blinked his eyes in disbelief. "Lu Ze?"
Lu Ze looked at the man and soon recognized him.
He waved his hand. "General Cheng Feng. You're here too. What a coincidence!"
This man was the head commander of the Shangyang System. He came when they discovered Yi Lei's ship.
Cheng Feng's mouth twitched. Moments later, he said, "How long has it been? Your power reached this level already." His own cultivation level stepped on level two of the star state. In addition, he had a good mastery of wind god art. He was also quite decent among level-2 star states. Nevertheless, he was only evenly matched with that insectoid. 'But then, Lu Ze killed the monster with one kick!
He felt very shocked. Lu Ze's power was far above his.
Lu Ze laughed it off. "I just cultivated, and it became like this."
It was just a normal cultivation rate for Lu Ze. Cheng Feng: "..." Lu Ze asked, "How is the situation?" Cheng Feng frowned. "There are large parcels of land growing Zhihuo Lotus on the planet. They emit powerful auras and strongly attract these bastards. The void border is one of the most damaged regions. Perhaps insectoids are building a lair in the depth of this region. The insectoids would come again and again. There is a lot of them. People have gone out to investigate the situation." Lu Ze frowned.
This meant that there would be a queen insectoid. If they had an endless supply of energy, there would be infinite insectoids.
Luckily, the insectoid queen shouldn't have reached a higher level yet. Otherwise, it would be amusing if a few cosmic cloud state insectoids were created.
Lu Ze relaxed.
When the hive was located, he would go over and check it too.
Cheng Feng smiled. "All the races in this region of space have joined up to search for the lair. We should be able to destroy it when we find it. We need to clear out the threats to our own territory first." Lu Ze nodded with a smile. "Then, I'm going to search for more prey. Goodbye, General Cheng Feng."
Following such, Lu Ze disappeared from the spot.
Cheng Feng's mouth twitched. This kid was indeed the strongest prodigy of the Federation. He shook his head and took off too.
At this moment, Nangong Jing and the girls were fighting a sea urchin-like insectoid.
Lu Li had dark mist swirling around her and the insectoid to distract its senses and vision. It could only wave around its spikes and tentacles.
Lin Ling's eyes glowed as golden needles shot at the insectoid's weakness.
Qiuyue Hesha's eyes glowed with pink light, causing the insectoid to pause for an instant. Its tentacles stopped moving around, and the golden needles landed on its tough shell.
There was a piercing sound as needle holes appeared.
Nangong Jing used Demonic Burst and proceed before the insectoid. Her destructive fist force pounded the needle holes.
'Crack...'
Green goo poured out from the cracks.
Despite their efforts, the insectoid's tentacles kept on moving. They almost tore the space open. But when it counter-attacked, Nangong Jing and the girls dodged. The attacks of this monster were almost approaching Lu Ze's level.
Nangong Jing didn't want to get hit by the tentacle.
In the distance, there were five human star states! They were watching Nangong Jing's battle in shock.
"Too strong! This insectoid's combat power is nearing level-4 star state. We can only barely defend ourselves. However, they can suppress this insectoid!"
"... Not just that, the insectoid is heavily injured. It would die in the next wave of attacks."
"With them around, the future of the Human Race should be great."
"Indeed, other than Lu Ze, they are quite strong too."
"By the way, they seem to be... with Lu Ze..."
"Did Lu Ze help them? Doesn't that kid have a powerful cultivation god art?"
"Why am I not a pretty young girl?"
As the group discussed, the insectoid grew more ferocious, but there was always this dark mist around it.
During this time, Lu Li frowned. "I can't hold on for long."
Releasing the Eternal Darkness Mist was too consuming. Nangong Jing remarked, "Lin Ling, do it again. Alice, come and help me kill it!" The two nodded.
More golden needles formed around Lin Ling as Alice formed a total of fifteen fire clones.
Qiuyue Hesha used her god art as well.
The tentacle stopped moving once again. The fire clones exploded, and the cracks on the insectoid grew wider.
The golden needles shot straight into the cracks.
"Eeeeek!"
The insectoid became extremely weak. At this moment, a golden fist force penetrated its wounds and wiped its life force away.
Nangong Jing and the group breathed easy. Lu Li's face was a little pale. "I'm so tired." Nangong Jing grinned. "This insectoid is a bit strong."
After wearing the special armor, Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha possessed a level-3 star state power. With the aid of Lin Ling, Alice, and Lu Li, their combat power may not be strong as Lu Ze's, but it was still quite good.
They were unmatched among level-3 star states.
There were no insectoids stronger than a level-3 star state. Perhaps there weren't enough Zhihuo Lotuses. However, this insectoid's combat power approached level four, so it was tough to deal with it
Right then, the other star states flew over.
"Young duke Nangong. Your combat power makes us feel ashamed."
"Yes, we're old. We can hardly hold off this level of insectoid, but you can kill them."
Nangong Jing and the team smiled.
During this time, another wormhole appeared. Two similar insectoids flew out.
Terrifying power swept across all directions.
The smiles disappeared from the face of the girls.
At this moment, a dark figure stopped before Nangong Jing and the rest. "Wow, these insectoids look really special."
Nangong Jing and the girls felt relieved when they saw it was Lu Ze.
With him around, they didn't need to worry.
Lin Ling asked, "All the other star state insectoids are taken care of?"
Lu Ze nodded. "Yes, these two are the last ones."
Alice smiled. "Senior is the best."
Nangong Jing poked at Alice's waist. "All you have is Ze in your heart now. You have forgotten about me."
Alice dodged the attack and grabbed Nangong Jing's arm. "No way! Sister Jing is the best!"
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "What about me?"
Lin Ling also attempted to poke Alice's waist. "And me?"
Lu Li asked, "Alice, are we still even best friends?"
Alice complained, "You are all bullying me!"
Lu Ze grinned. He liked seeing them happy like this.
The other star states looked at this scene in shock.
There were still two powerful star state insectoids near them.
'Did they think they were at home?' The two insectoids charged at the group.
Its powerful chi left some distortions in space.
"Careful!"
Lu Ze looked at the whiskers and frowned. Two black-and-white energy balls with a diameter of one meter were formed on his hand.
Immediately, the nervous star states watched them in disbelief.
They could feel a destructive power coming from it.
'It was exceptional!'
Lu Ze wasn't too happy. He was watching his harem play around, but these monsters ruined it.
The energy balls turned into a beam and shot at the insectoids.
'Rumble!
'Rumble!'
A black-and-white spirit light blocked everyone's vision. "Hiss!"
A pitiful howl sounded.
When the spirit light vanished, most of the tentacles were cut off. Their shells also received some slight cracks.
They were heavily injured straight up!
The star states were shocked witnessing this.
They thought Nangong Jing and the girls were already considered powerful.
They thought Lu Ze's power would be on par with their combined powers. However, he was actually this terrifying. He fought alone against two beasts and could still easily injure the two insectoids heavily.
Lu Ze formed two more energy balls. Then, two black-and-white energy balls shot at them. The insectoids couldn't dodge it, so they covered their bodies with their remaining tentacles.
'Rumble!'
When the explosion settled, all their tentacles were completely mutilated. Their bodies were ridden with cracks. Dark green goo gushed out.
At this moment, another two energy balls shot at them.
'Rumble'
'Rumble!
The two insectoids disappeared. Only remnants of their bodies floated in space.
Lu Ze patted his hand. "Done!"
The star states: "..."
This guy was exceedingly strong.
Most importantly, Lu Ze was much younger than they were. Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Since we're done, let's go back to the planet."
Lu Ze nodded.
Then, he looked at the human star states and smiled. "Hello, generals. All the star state insectoids have been annihilated. We'll be going back to the planet to rest first. If there are more powerful insectoids, you can notify us."
A gray-haired, middle-aged man nodded. "You're indeed the Monarch of the New Dawn. Thank you! Leave the rest of the insectoids to us. Have a good rest."
The others nodded too. Their attitude was great.
Lu Ze and the group smiled back and flew towards planet Zhihuo. The closer they got, the weaker the insectoids were. Most of them were mortal evolution states, and some were even aperture opening states.
After all, planetary state insectoids were blocked by the defense line before they could enter the planet.
Lu Ze and the girls flew past and saw a lot of soldiers and adventurers battling. It looked pretty intense.
They killed all the insectoids they saw on the way.
The others all paid them grateful and respectful looks.
They will receive rewards for killing insectoids, but Lu Ze and the rest of the group didn't need them.
At this moment, Lin Ling saw a team fighting insectoids far away and said, "Ze, look, it's Senior Margaret."
Lu Ze looked over and saw a team of more than ten mortal evolution states. He saw Margaret among them.
She appeared and disappeared, attacking extremely fast. Her long sword struck straight for the insectoids' weaknesses. She could easily kill them. Other than this, Li Qingyun and Eldon were present too. Clearly, they joined this team together.
Alice exclaimed, "Senior's god art is so special."
Lu Ze smiled. "Yes, Senior Margaret's god art could conceal one's existence. If she uses it with a suitable body god art, she would be a terrifying assassin."
Lu Li narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Lu Ze, are you very close with her?"
Lu Ze quickly explained, "Lin Ling and I have collaborated with her before. We're just friends."
Everyone smiled.
Nangong Jing remarked, "Let's go and say hello. Margaret and Li Qingyun are my students."
Lu Ze rolled his eyes. Nangong Jing still remembered she was a teacher?!
At this moment, Qiuyue Hesha smiled. Pink light flashed in her eyes, and all the insectoids killed themselves.
Margaret's group was taken aback when they saw all the insectoids die by their own hands.
'Did they do this because they were too ugly?'
During this time, Lu Ze and the girls revealed themselves. Lin Ling giggled. "Hello, Senior Margaret. Long time no see."
Lu Ze also nodded to her. "Senior Margaret, Li Qingyun, and Eldon. Long time no see."
Everyone was stunned when they saw the group.
A tall and skinny man exclaimed, "Monarch of the New Dawn?!"
'Oh my! They were so close to each other!' This was his idol!'
He was not only extremely talented but invincible at capturing girls' hearts as well! 'Should he ask Lu Ze to teach him how to get girls?'
Margaret was dumbfounded for a moment, and then, she smiled. "Long time no see."
Li Qingyun and Eldon seemed more nervous. They weren't as close as Margaret.
Lu Ze and the girls didn't mind. After some conversation, Lu Ze learned that they just recently arrived at the void border. Due to the need for defense here, they came to stop the insectoids.
No wonder.
Margaret was only a level-2 mortal evolution state. She shouldn't be on planet Zhihuo.
Lu Ze smiled. "We should be here in the following period of time. If you need anything, you can come and find us."
They would be staying here until the insectoid lair was located.
Margaret smiled and nodded. "Okay."
Thereafter, Lu Ze and the girls left.
Soon, Lu Ze and the girls entered the base of Zhihuo.
Unlike last time, there were fewer people on the roads. People came and went hastily.
The atmosphere was tense. After all, there were numerous insectoids outside. Most adventurers and soldiers went out to kill the menacing beasts.
Lu Ze and his team proceeded to the hotel they stayed at last time and booked a suite.
Once inside the room, Qiuyue Hesha stretched out and smiled. "It's very late. Everyone should rest early."
Lu Ze nodded. "Indeed."
'Mhm... he should sneak into the fox demon's room tonight to socialize.'
Lu Ze felt quite hopeful.
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha glanced at each other with sparks in their eyes.
Hearing the words, Nangong Jing and the girls glanced at the other two, and the atmosphere became uncomfortable.
Lu Li cracked a smile and held Qiuyue Hesha's arm. "Sister Hesha, let's sleep together tonight?" Alice held Qiuyue Hesha's other arm and giggled. "I want to as well."
Nangong Jing remarked, "In that case, we can all sleep together. Let's hold a pajama party."
Lin Ling responded, "Agreed." Lu Ze: "?"
Lu Ze's smile froze on his face.
'Oh shit!'
'Weren't they over the top?'
'How could they ruin his plan with something like this?!'
He faked a laugh. "Don't you guys cultivate at night? Wouldn't that be inconvenient?"
Nangong Jing narrowed her eyes. "Last time, we shared a bed too? It's no trouble at all."
Lu Ze: "..."
'Still, he shouldn't just give up like that!'
Lu Ze offered, "Then, let's all sleep together. I want to join too."
'Mhm... by the time the others began cultivation, the two of them will have their chance! Lin Ling rolled her eyes. "We girls have private matters to talk about. Why are you forcing your way in?"
Qiuyue Hesha's smile stiffened, but her arms were being held captive by Lu Li and Alice. All of the four girls glared at her, so she couldn't say anything.
'She wanted to sleep with Lu Ze too!'
Before the two could react, Lu Li and Alice dragged Qiuyue Hesha into another room.
Nangong Jing and Lin Ling glanced at Lu Ze and smiled smugly before walking inside too.
Earlier before, they couldn't join the two people because of the war. That was the only reason why Qiuyue Hesha got a head start. With all of them around, how will they be able to sneak out now?
Lu Ze felt life was being drained from him.
He shook his head and returned to his room.
In the girls' room, Qiuyue Hesha looked at the other girls with annoyance. She then crossed her arms.
"You guys are way overboard. Little brother Lu Ze and I have already done the deed. Even if we sleep together again, there should be nothing wrong, right?!"
Nangong Jing immediately sneered, "You're at fault for being sly. We haven't even done t-th-that!"
Alice chimed in, "Yes! Sister Hesha, you are the one who crossed the line first!"
Qiuyue Hesha smirked. "Well, you can try it for yourselves if you really wanted it too."
Nangong Jing coughed.
Lu Li and Lin Ling lowered their heads. Their faces ended up blushing.
Alice jumped on the bed and played dead.
Seeing them like this, Qiuyue Hesha felt proud of herself. She scared them off.
After a while, Lin Ling looked up curiously at Qiuyue Hesha. "Sister Hesha, um... how does 'that' feel?"
Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls looked over as they grew curious in the end.
Qiuyue Hesha's smile stiffened. "What... feeling? I don't know!"
Lu Li and Lin Ling pushed Qiuyue Hesha onto the bed.
Lin Ling gripped Qiuyue Hesha's arm. "Tell us! Otherwise, we're going to let you have it!"
Nangong Jing also jumped on the bed and grabbed Qiuyue Hesha's leg. "Sisters, this fox acted on her own behind our backs. How about we..."
"Hehe"
"Hehe~"
"Hehehehe~"
After playing around for a while, Qiuyue Hesha desperately begged, "I'll say it. Stop this!" The girls paused. Nangong Jing ordered, "Hurry up!" Qiuyue Hesha's mouth twitched.
These guys may have been terrified before, but they were curious as well.
Qiuyue Hesha reddened and said with a hushed tone, "I just felt our hearts became closer... and..."
Alice shook Qiuyue Hesha. "Sister Hesha, and what?"
The latter buried her head into the soft bed and responded, "It... just feels pleasurable and addicting."
Nangong Jing and the other girls gulped some saliva.
Right then, they started fantasizing things with Lu Ze as the main character.
The redness on their cheeks deepened.
All of them buried their faces into the bed.
When a moment had passed, Lin Ling slowly crawled up and coughed. "I'm going to shower first..."
Immediately, everyone looked at Lin Ling with extremely sharp eyes as though she was going to betray them later.
Lin Ling's mouth twitched, and she laughed it off. "Haha... Ummm... I just remembered I have already showered before..."
Then, she lay on the bed once again.
After a long period of silence, Nangong Jing faked a cough. "... We should be cultivating!" Later on, the group regained their senses. They were the most talented bunch in the Federation.
They had to cultivate for the rise of humanity
"Cultivate! Cultivate!"
"I'm going to surpass Ze and beat him up!"
The girls patted their cheeks and cleared out their minds before sitting down to cultivate.
In Lu Ze's room, the man remained lifeless on the bed.
Lu Ze had to think of a way to make everyone on board with his desires. If not, his life would be difficult.
After thinking on the bed for a long time, Lu Ze sat up to cultivate.
Just then, he finally recalled he didn't attempt to even enter the Pocket Hunting Dimension last night because he was preoccupied with the fox demon.
Lu Ze entered the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
The familiar dim space greeted his vision. There were four mirror-like portals.
Just when he was about to enter the fourth map, he sensed another chi belonging to him.
That chi was distant, but he could sense it clearly.
Lu Ze raised his brows and followed the direction of the chi. Thereafter, he encountered ethereal rainbow dots. Through them, he saw the figure of Qiuyue Hesha inside.
She was wearing her pajamas as she sat on the bed while cultivating.
Next to her, Lu Ze could vaguely see Nangong Jing and the other girls.
Lu Ze was in disbelief.
'Why could he sense the fox demon in the Pocket Hunting Dimension?'
'Why?'
'Wait!'
'Why does the fox demon have his chi too?'
Lu Ze's expression changed.
'It wasn't because of last night, was it?'
Lu Ze suddenly had a bold idea upon looking at Qiuyue Hesha.
Lu Ze wanted to see whether he could pull Qiuyue Hesha into the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
'Cough...'
Of course, it wasn't due to some strange reason or anything. He was only eager to do so because he might gain a companion to kill stronger beasts.
For instance, Lu Ze's combat power had reached level-3 star state without the Martial God Armor. He could barely fight evenly with level-1 star state beasts.
If Qiuyue Hesha was with him, he could finally kill them.
As for those peak stage planetary state beasts, the two of them would be able to kill them easier. In such a scenario, the battle wouldn't cause a commotion that can draw in a big boss.
Thinking about this possibility, Lu Ze tried to connect the dots with his mental force.
As soon as his mental force touched the dots, the rainbow spots materialized, increasingly becoming vibrant with every minute
Amidst the light, a pretty figure suddenly emerged in the space.
Lu Ze grinned and smiled excitedly.
'It worked the first time!'
As for Qiuyue Hesha, she was just minding her own business as she cultivated. Out of nowhere, her consciousness suddenly dimmed. When she woke up, she found herself in a strange dimension.
Immediately, Qiuyue Hesha looked around vigilantly. Soon, she saw Lu Ze standing on the side.
She knew it was the real Lu Ze, not just an illusion. She didn't know why, but her gut felt very certain.
It seemed like both their chis had fused together.
In consequence, she relaxed a little. Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Little brother Lu Ze, you're here too?"
She rushed towards Lu Ze.
Lu Ze opened his arms and smiled. "I brought you in here."
Qiuyue Hesha quickly ran into his arms and embraced him tightly.
She frowned and looked up. "You brought me in here?"
She thought Lu Ze was also suddenly pulled into this place like she was.
Lu Ze rubbed her head. "Mhm, you already know I have a very special cultivation god art."
Qiuyue Hesha immediately realized it and looked around. "So this is your god art?"
Soon, her eyes stopped at those four portals.
Lu Ze explained, "This is a boundless dimension. I call it the Pocket Hunting Dimension. It's my world. I don't know how to explain things too clearly, but after I kill the beasts inside I can gather those orbs..."
Qiuyue Hesha carefully listened to him while he explained. She smiled sweetly as he spoke.
Lu Ze asked, "What's wrong?"
Qiuyue Hesha shook her head. "Now, Little brother Lu Ze has no secrets from me. The others don't know about this. I am the only one who knows!"
Qiuyue Hesha and the girls were actually very curious about Lu Ze's cultivation god art, but he didn't explain it to them, so they didn't ask as well.
Lu Ze laughed.
'Is her attention solely focused on that?'
Qiuyue Hesha continued, "I didn't know you owned a world. Then, I'm profiting hugely."
Lu Ze grinned and lifted up Qiuyue Hesha's chin. "Of course, you're profiting from me. Having me is like possessing an entire world."
Qiuyue Hesha rolled her eyes and swatted Lu Ze's hand away.
Lu Ze said, "After you enter this dimension, the time outside will not run. We can kill beasts here, until..."
Qiuyue Hesha's eyes lit up as she said, "You said the time will freeze?"
Lu Ze nodded. "Yes, why?"
"Hehehe"
After a while, the two tidied up their clothes. Qiuyue Hesha stretched her back in satisfaction.
Lu Ze scratched his head speechlessly. "By the way, I brought you inside, so we can kill beasts together..."
Qiuyue Hesha spoke languidly, "You were clearly more excited than me."
Lu Ze: "..."
He coughed. "Um... let's go in."
"Mhm."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled and grabbed Lu Ze's arm with both hands. The two entered the fourth map.
They ended up at a familiar place. Qiuyue Hesha looked at the tall trees and vast forest in shock.
Lu Ze nodded and said, "Hesha, use chi stealth god art. We need to be careful. There's..."
Before Lu Ze could finish, two extremely powerful chi erupted.
Roars shocked the whole dimension.
In the distant mountain peaks, vibrant spirit light flashed.
The trees swayed violently.
Both of them felt immense pressure.
Qiuyue Hesha's face turned pale.
Lu Ze pulled Qiuyue Hesha over and ran in the opposite direction. "Let's run. Their battle might reach us here!"
Powerful beasts would fight each other in the Pocket Hunting Dimension from time to time.
Lu Ze had once naively thought he could watch on the side and wait for the two bosses to kill each other.
Reality proved that he was simply too hopeful.
These powerful star state beasts would occupy an extremely wide battlefield.
Even when Lu Ze watched them from very far away, they still fought right above his head the next moment.
Lu Ze would die on the spot.
This happened quite a few times. Ever since then, Lu Ze didn't believe in luck anymore.
He quickly fled the battlefield with Qiuyue Hesha.
Qiuyue Hesha was still stunned. She looked at that doomsday-like battlefield and asked, "Little brother Lu Ze, what is over there?"
Lu Ze replied, "That's a powerful boss in the Pocket Hunting Dimension. Those two should be around the level-8 star state? Their combat power is nearing the cosmic system state."
Qiuyue Hesha: "?"
'Didn't little brother Lu Ze say this was his world?'
'Why was there such a situation the moment they entered?!'
'Who could handle a beast approaching the cosmic system state?'
'Could they even survive?'
When she thought about how Lu Ze had been exploring here all the time, she turned around, only to meet his calm and accustomed face.
Her heart ached.
They didn't even know Little brother Lu Ze went through this extreme danger.
With a quiet voice, she asked, "Little brother Lu Ze, have you always been exploring such a dangerous place?".
Lu Ze looked around.
Qiuyue Hesha looked as though she was about to cry.
He was puzzled.
'What was wrong with her?'
He quickly grabbed her hand. "Yes, what's wrong, Hesha? Are you alright?". Qiuyue Hesha shook her head. "Little brother Lu Ze, we don't need to take such risks. We can plan things out slowly outside."
Lu Ze was taken aback. "Exit this place? The only way we can exit is to die."
Qiuyue Hesha: "?"
Qiuyue Hesha went to confirm, "Leave this place... by dying?!" 'Is something wrong with him?' Qiuyue Hesha felt anxious.
Lu Ze reassured her with a smile. "Don't worry, if we die in the Pocket Hunting Dimension, we can go back to reality. Our actual bodies won't really die, but we would still feel the remnants of pain for losing our lives."
Lu Ze wondered whether she would cry. He was actually quite eager to witness her reaction upon going out. Qiuyue Hesha grinned. "So that's it. I was scared for nothing."
'Huh, you didn't really die here.'
No wonder Lu Ze could kill beasts and collect orbs every day.
As for the certain pain that would follow, Qiuyue Hesha was quite confident in handling it. Well, she had received a lot of injuries in several battles. She couldn't care less about some basic discomfort.
Lu Ze smiled. "Let's go. I'll take you out for hunting.
Qiuyue Hesha nodded and let Lu Ze lead her.
Soon, they arrived at the black metal mountain range that seemed to stretch out into the horizon.
Qiuyue Hesha asked, "This mountain... Is it completely made of metal?"
This environment was far too different from the forest before. The stark contrast between the two surroundings merged into one.
It was a rare sight.
Lu Ze nodded. "The Insectoid Race that resides in this area is completely made of metal. We got our black metal body god art from those creatures."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled eagerly, "Then, let's go in and see."
Thinking about how she could help him kill some monsters, she felt delighted.
Perhaps now, she wouldn't be his sugar baby anymore.
The two entered the mountain range.
Not long after going in, a level-4 planetary state insectoid charged at them.
Qiuyue Hesha was a peak planetary state now, so she wasn't worried at all.
Her eyes flashed with pink light, and this insectoid firmly mutilated itself.
The insectoid died on the spot. Qiuyue Hesha walked over to the corpse and kicked them around in curiosity.
"This is truly amazing. There are actually organisms whose body is entirely made of metal. This is sort of similar to the Kaka Race, which is completely composed of rocks..."
As she spoke, the pieces left behind by the dead creature turned into dust, leaving behind orbs.
Qiuyue Hesha turned around and looked at Lu Ze excitedly. "Little brother Lu Ze, that's how the orbs are made?"
Qiuyue Hesha was like a little girl who just received new toys. Lu Ze smiled and nodded.
Then, he said. "Try picking them up."
Lu Ze wondered what would happen if another person picked them up.
Qiuyue Hesha went to touch them, but the orbs disappeared.
Lu Ze soon felt the entry of the orbs she touched into his own mental dimension. As it turned out, no matter who collected the orbs, they would still end up in his mind.
He wasn't even surprised. After all, the mental dimension and the Pocket Hunting Dimension belonged to him.
Qiuyue Hesha's eyes widened. "Where did those resources go?"
Lu Ze patted Qiuyue Hesha's cheek "In me."
"Oh."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded and asked, "So you can take them out after you leave?".
Lu Ze confirmed it. "That has always been the case."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Then, let's continue!"
With their current power, only peak planetary state super black metal bugs were a threat to the two of them.
As for the rest, they were capable of sweeping those beasts.
In a few short hours, Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha cleared out the entire mountain range.
Lu Ze didn't do anything along the process. It was all Qiuyue Hesha. She never stopped grinning. She excitedly killed the insectoid they encountered and picked up orbs. Lu Ze allowed her to enjoy herself.
Soon, they reached the tallest peak on the mountain range.
A sharp shriek sounded, and a black figure charged towards the two people.
Qiuyue Hesha's eyes widened upon sensing the chi. "Little brother Lu Ze, this one is so strong!"
Based on her calculations, this beast was a peak planetary state.
The same as she was!
She was shocked that the beast's chi was not much weaker than hers.
Her combat power was considered the best among the rest, even in the entire Elf Cosmic Realm, and yet, one random beast in this dimension had such a power.
She was taken aback. Lu Ze grinned. "This beast is different from the ones before. It has divine art. The Black Metal Body divine art originated from the shards of this beast." Lu Ze continued, "It's best to finish the battle quickly inside this dimension. Otherwise, powerful beasts might be attracted by the noise."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. "Mhm, you decide."
She used seduction god art. Thereafter, that super insectoid immediately became much weaker. During this time, Lu Ze appeared before the super black metal bug.
Darkness buff, fire buff, Golden Fist Art!
Lu Ze's fist landed on its head.
'Rumble!'
The super black metal bug was crushed to pieces. It couldn't even defend itself!
'Work is easy when man and woman teamed up.'
It was too easy to kill the super black metal insect with the fox demon on his side.
This beast had possessed strong defenses. Lu Ze would need quite a few rounds to kill it in the past.
All sorts of drops came out thereafter.
Lu Ze picked them up.
Qiuyue Hesha went to him. "This is pretty easy."
If she were alone, it would take some effort to kill this enemy.
Lu Ze kissed her "Because you're helping me."
Qiuyue Hesha grinned happily.
"Let's go find other beasts."
Lu Ze responded, "We can go and find a level-1 star state beast and try."
Qiuyue Hesha understood.
Seven hours later, Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha were hiding in the crest of a massive tree. The two were covered in blood.
Good thing they had healing god art. They were staring at a beast that was resting on the rocks not far ahead.
It was a 20-meter long tiger with jade green fur.
'A level-1 star state!'
They finally found a suitable prey after seven hours.
'A lone level-1 star state beast.' Lu Ze said, "Hesha, prepare your seduction god art. Interfere with it as soon as I go up." Qiuyue Hesha agreed to do it.
If she faced this opponent alone, it would be hard to even escape.
Lu Ze took a deep breath and used fire buff and darkness buff immediately.
Demonic chi burst around him.
'Rumble!'
The tiger jumped up immediately. Lu Ze appeared on the tigers' back as dark golden runes surrounded his fist. "Roar!"
cou
The wind around the tiger transformed into violent storms.
At this moment, its body was trapped, and the winds around it weakened.
Lu Ze smiled.
'Hesha was great!'
He hit its back with an overwhelming force.
When his fist came near, the green light around the tiger burst out, and the winds appeared again. "Roar!"
Lu Ze exclaimed, "Die!"
The dark golden fist tore through the winds and landed heavily on its back.
'Rumble!
Lu Ze's fist landed heavily on the tiger's back. The destructive power made it crash onto the ground. The rocks under it cracked due to immense pressure. Fragments of rocks flew out across all directions.
"Roar!"
The green tiger spat out some blood bearing the same shade as its fur.
The pain made it crazy. The winds around it became extremely sharp. Wind blades formed and tore through the air.
All the wind blades shot towards Lu Ze.
Before they came into contact, Lu Ze felt a tearing pain. He bit his lips as dark golden light circled around his body. He used his black metal body. Immediately, the sharp chi clashed with the black metal body.
Lu Ze used demonic chi as he dodged the wind blades. This gave the tiger the chance to stand up again.
At this moment, Qiuyue Hesha's spirit chi surged. Pink mist emerged around her as she used seduction god art at full power.
That tiger ended up dazed again, and the wind blades went out of control.
Lu Ze relied on Demonic Burst and went behind the tiger once more.
He clenched his right hand into a fist as he punched the area he did before.
'Rumble!'
A heavy rumble reverberated as the tiger was struck down again. Thereafter, a hole appeared on its back. Blood that seemed to contain wind god art came pouring out, turning into winds in the air.
Lu Ze's power surged into the tiger's body and tore apart its organs.
'Crack...'
The sounds of bones cracking followed.
The tiger howled pitifully as its chi dropped drastically.
Simultaneously, the wind around it vanished. The wind blades shot in random directions.
The tiger didn't have the power to counterattack like before. A Light-and-Darkness Beam formed in Lu Ze's hand as he pressed it into the hole.
'Rumble!
The energy exploded inside the tiger, wiping its life force away.
Lu Ze breathed out. This battle finished in an instant, but he already used his full power with every strike.
This time, the fox demon provided him two great opportunities. Otherwise, he might not be able to injure this tiger at all. Right then, a familiar aroma drifted into his nose. Qiuyue Hesha landed next to him. "Little brother Lu Ze, are you okay?" He noticed her face was quite pale too. She was only a peak planetary state. It was quite difficult to interrupt a star state beast with god art.
He touched Qiuyue Hesha's face and smiled gently. "I'm fine. You've helped me a lot."
Qiuyue Hesha blushed and looked at Lu Ze cheekily. "How do you plan on repaying me?"
Lu Ze grinned. "How about I'll marry myself to you?"
Qiuyue Hesha rolled her eyes. The tiger soon turned to ashes.
Five red orbs, five purple orbs, one green god art orb, and a larger blue crystal.
Lu Ze said, "It seems the star state beast blue crystals are stronger than the planetary state ones. There's a higher chance of drop too."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. They just annihilated an entire mountain range of beasts previously.
She picked them up and sighed. "I didn't expect one random star state beast here is this terrifying. Other than our group, the rest of the young dukes in the Federation are no match for the monster here. And... if you didn't give us orbs, we'd be no match for it too."
Lu Ze scratched his head.
The fourth map was indeed much harder than the third map.
In fact, she hadn't seen the overlord of the fourth map yet. They were the true bosses. Qiuyue Hesha looked at him. "Little brother Lu Ze, can we release these beasts outside?"
If they could, the world would be shocked by the devastating power.
"No, I've tried it. I can't take out anything from here other than things like the golden fruit wine."
Lu Ze had attempted it. If he could let those super bosses out... they might not be weaker than Ying Ying? Perhaps some would be stronger than her.
However, the Pocket Hunting Dimension didn't give him permission.
'What else could he do?'
Qiuyue Hesha smiled helplessly. "Okay then."
Lu Ze rubbed her head and grabbed her hand. "Let's go. This battle ended quickly, but it's better to leave here earlier. We don't want a boss coming over."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded and left with Lu Ze.
Four hours later, they came out of a valley. Qiuyue Hesha asked, "Why is it so hard to look for a single level-1 star state beast?"
They have encountered level-1 star state beasts, but they moved in groups.
Lu Ze responded, "We can try fighting two level-1 star state beasts."
Qiuyue Hesha agreed.
Right then, the sky suddenly dimmed.
Lu Ze's heart went cold.
'It was a super boss!'
Before he could say something, he already died.
Lu Ze regained his consciousness in agony as pain seared through his entire body.
As the maps expanded, Lu Ze discovered the chances of encountering super bosses were growing
He wondered how the fox demon was faring.
He really wanted to go and see her reaction, but he couldn't even move right now.
Back in the girls' room, Qiuyue Hesha suddenly opened her eyes and cried out in pain.
She was drenched in sweat.
'Little brother Lu Ze, you bastard!'
'You call this a tolerable pain?!'
That soul-searing pain came over so intensely. This suffering was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
Qiuyue Hesha shivered.
'So painful...'
'No, she had to hold it in!'
Nangong Jing and the girls sensed Qiuyue Hesha's situation. She appeared as though she was about to cry.
'What happened to her?'
Alice suddenly thought Qiuyue Hesha was very cute like this.
She poked Qiuyue Hesha's face and asked carefully, "What happened to you, Sister Hesha?"
With this, the tears came pouring down
Nangong Jing and the girls: "?"
In the room, Nangong Jing felt stunned as she watched Qiuyue Hesha.
'Did she just cry out in pain?'
All of them were using the red orbs. If the energy level was too high, it would be rather painful. But it shouldn't reach a point that one would end up crying?
However, she appeared to be tormented. Her entire body was shivering.
Lu Li looked at Qiuyue Hesha who was covered in sweat and asked worriedly, "Sister Hesha, are you okay? Did something go wrong in her cultivation? She's sweating a lot."
Qiuyue Hesha took a few deep breaths and forced out the words. "It's fine... it'll be over
soon."
Nangong Jing looked contemptuously at Qiuyue Hesha. "What's wrong with you? How can you cry while cultivating? I feel embarrassed for you!" Qiuyue Hesha: "..."
She felt irked. 'Did this idiot really think she would be the type to cry from cultivating alone? How naïve!'
'By the time Little brother Lu Ze pulls T-Rex inside his dimension, she is going to watch a good show!'
'Hopefully, she can laugh!' 'However, she couldn't say this now!'
Little brother Lu Ze only shared the secret with her. With those thoughts, Qiuyue Hesha instantly felt better. She was in pain, but she was satisfied. "Keep cultivating, I'm fine." Seeing that Qiuyue Hesha was truly fine, the others relaxed.
Thereafter, Qiuyue Hesha started cultivating again. The others watched her for a moment, but they soon resumed their own cultivation.
Little brother Lu Ze's dimension was too magical. It just dragged someone's consciousness inside. Her body remained in this room. Otherwise, it would be very hard to explain what happened to others.
Thinking about this, she thought back to what that thing was at the end. She died before she could even react... She planned to ask Lu Ze next time.
However...
His god art was probably the pinnacle god art of the universe. She had never seen anything like it!
'Sure enough, it belonged to Lu Ze!'
Qiuyue Hesha smiled proudly. He was her man.
Early the next morning, Lu Ze finished his cultivation. He had no divine arts to cultivate now. He just needed to finish learning the god arts from the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
Lu Ze had pretty much brought them all to the peak planetary state.
Last night, he digested the wind god art orb from the tiger. His wind god art improved a level. The wind around his hand changed form according to his will. After playing with it for a while, Lu Ze got off the bed and left the house.
This time, he wanted to check how the fox demon was.
As soon as he came out, he saw Qiuyue Hesha sitting on the couch and staring at Nangong Jing in front of her. She slammed the table. "Do you want to fight?!"
Nangong Jing leaned back lazily and gulped some golden fruit wine while looking smugly at Qiuyue Hesha. "Hahaha, am I wrong then? Didn't you cry while cultivating last night?"
Hearing the taunt, Lu Ze's expression turned strange.
'Did she really end up crying last night?' 'Why couldn't he be in their room too?'
It was a pity he could not watch the scene personally. Before, it was only him dying from pain. This time, there was someone else, but he didn't get to see it.
Nangong Jing immediately gloated upon seeing him. "Ze, the fox demon cried from cultivation last night. Hahahahaha!"
Qiuyue Hesha charged at Nangong Jing. "I'm going to kill you!"
"Come! I'm not scared of you!"
The two immediately began fighting on the couch.
Lu Ze scratched his head. These two went from arguing like juvenile youths to fighting like immature kids.
Just when he planned to stop them, the other three girls came out of the kitchen. "Time to eat breakfast."
Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha immediately stopped quarreling. They sneered and didn't look at each other.
Lu Ze walked up to the table and got ready to
eat.
Qiuyue Hesha threw him a look filled with grievance. "Little brother Lu Ze, you bad egg!"
Lu Ze asked, "What's wrong?"
"Didn't you say it would only be a bit painful to die?! Why was it so gut-wrenching?!"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. He forced himself not to smile. "Is it very painful? Did you burst into tears last night?"
Qiuyue Hesha blushed. "If you mention this again, I'm not going to talk to you!"
"Alright, alright, alright, I'll stop. Then, how about not entering the dimension in the meantime?"
Qiuyue Hesha immediately responded, "No! I'm going!" After a pause, she added, "But... you have to make up for it when we go inside tonight"
Lu Ze: "..."
"No problem!"
After breakfast, they went outside the planet's defense line.
The battle in space was still ongoing.
Heated exchanges between humans and beasts occurred everywhere. The group immediately sensed the unique ferocious and angry chi of a few insectoids. They were star state chis!
Lu Ze raised a brow. "More star state insectoids have appeared."
Lin Ling said, "It seems there really is a queen insectoid who built a lair. Otherwise, there wouldn't be this many star state."
There were so many in planet Zhihuo alone. Who knew how many there were elsewhere?
Everyone felt great pressure upon thinking about this.
At this rate, there would be some cosmic system state insectoids too, right?
Nangong Jing said, "Let's go deal with these star state insectoids first."
Lu Ze rolled his eyes. She really loved fighting. "You guys go together. Be careful."
Nangong Jing and the girls nodded and flew off towards one chi.
Lu Ze locked onto another one and disappeared from the spot. He came before one possessing red scales. It had a thick spike at the back and three pairs of blood-red eyes.
Its cultivation level reached level-3 star state. Three human star states besieged and kept on attacking it.
Lu Ze burst out with Demonic Burst.
The insectoid swung its tail and forced the three star states back. Just when it planned to attack again, Lu Ze appeared behind it.
"Die!"
Lu Ze punched its dark red scales. The fist force penetrated the scale and left a gaping hole. Green blood flew everywhere, and the sea of insectoids died on the spot.
The three saw it was Lu Ze and smiled. They flew over.
Despite witnessing Lu Ze's power yesterday, they were still shocked. This youth far, younger than them, had surpassed them greatly in terms of power.
The leader smiled. "Monarch of the New Dawn, you're here. Thank you."
Lu Ze said, "You're too polite, General Liu."
General Liu was one of the reinforcement commanders of the Shenwu Army.
Lu Ze asked, "Why are there much fewer star states? Where did they go?".
The star states were reduced in half.
Liu Lang remarked, "The number of insectoids at the Jiya System suddenly increased by a wide margin. Because you guys went to our site, we have some extra power. Hence, the others moved to help the rest. According to several commanders, the lair might be in that direction of void space. Lord Jinyao has notified the other races to go over and investigate together."
Lu Ze's eyes lit up. The insectoid lair, he wanted to see it!
The last time he saw one was on planet Nanfeng. The insectoid queen appeared to be the most ordinary one. The one at the void space should at least be a cosmic system state lair.
Lu Ze was very curious about what it would look like.
Liu Lang said, "Monarch of the New Dawn, when Lord Jinyao heard about your arrival, he specifically relayed that you guys should remain at planet Zhihuo and don't follow." Lu Ze: "?!"
He looked at Liu Lang in disbelief. "Why is he preventing us to go?"
Liu Lang's mouth twitched. Only these guys would doubt Saint Jinyao's arrangements. 'What was wrong with them?'
The other people abided by the saint's arrangements unconditionally.
Liu Lang laughed it off. "He said that all the races existing in this region of void space would participate. Blade Demons, Dark Metal Demons, and Black Smoke Race would go too. It might be chaotic. It would surely be dangerous if you guys went... After all, you're the major target of the enemy races."
Although the Blade Demon Race might be unaware of his current power, they would still know he placed first during the Four-Race Social Gathering.
Lu Ze could already imagine that if things went haywire at the insectoid lair, those three races would try to ambush them. Although they had Ying Ying and didn't need to worry about safety, they didn't have to go.
Lu Ze's eyes flashed.
When he reached the star state, he would take out more orbs and distribute them to Lin Kuang and the rest. By then, the Human Race would have more prodigies. Given enough time, humans will be able to fight against three opponents at once soon.
Lu Ze understood it. "Okay, in that case, we won't go."
Currently, he was wondering whether he should ask the old man to stream the events for them. But then, the battle would be pretty intense. It was a question of whether the Human Race even had streaming equipment that could handle cosmic system state confrontations.
Never mind...
Lu Ze smiled at the group. "Then, I'll go help in other regions."
Liu Lang felt relieved. He was worried Lu Ze would be difficult to persuade. Fortunately, the latter's attitude was great. This made him feel even better about the young prodigy. Lu Ze was pretty much one of the most important figures in the Human Race, but he didn't act cocky at all.
He smiled. "Okay, Monarch of the New Dawn go and help. We'll give support too!" Lu Ze left.
There weren't a lot of star state insectoids this time. They were soon all killed with the help of Lu Ze's group.
All the star states were freed. They helped clear out planetary state insectoids.
The sea of insectoids was endless. Several soldiers and adventurers didn't get enough time to rest properly. Hence, Lu Ze and the girls had to remain.
In a region near space, Boss Zhu and an extremely beautiful woman from the Shenwu Army were fighting against a large pack of planetary state insectoids. Purple flames ignited and left some fluctuations in space.
Planetary state insectoids shrieked.
The two sides were engaged in an intense battle.
At this moment, six black lights arrived at the battlefield. Then, an endless golden light flashed. Countless golden needles appeared in the air and pierced the insectoids.
Boss Zhu and the woman were shocked. They looked at the floating corpses in disbelief.
Right then, the six figures revealed themselves.
Lu Ze smiled. "Boss Zhu, long time no see. I didn't know you were fighting here."
He knew Boss Zhu was considerably strong before, but he didn't expect the latter to be a peak planetary state. He would be able to reach the star state soon. His combat power was approaching the star state too.
His talent was on par with Luo Bingqing and his respective team.
Lin Ling and the girls waved at Boss Zhu and then looked at the woman on his side with curiosity.
Boss Zhu was stunned. "Lu Ze? And you... girls? Your power..."
They killed a lot of planetary state insectoids and a few peak planetary state ones as soon as they arrived.
Lu Ze grinned. "We came yesterday, but I didn't get to see you guys." Boss Zhu looked at the woman and then grinned. "I was recovering with my wife yesterday. We only got healed today."
They encountered that star state beast last time. He thought they were going to die, but luckily, Saint Lin Dong came just at the right time and killed all the insectoids. Otherwise, they would literally die together.
He pointed at the woman and smiled. "Let me introduce her. She's my wife and also the Commander of planet Zhihuo's Shenwu Army, Ana."
Ana had a similar personality to Boss Zhu. She smiled and nodded at Lu Ze and the girls. "I watched the Four-Race competition. You guys are really great. You brought honor to the Human Race, especially Lu Ze!"
Lu Ze and his tram smiled.
Lu Ze asked, "Healed? You were injured before?"
Ana smiled helplessly. "When the insectoids had just arrived, a star state insectoid went here. We were the strongest, so we had no choice but to fight it. Otherwise, planet Zhihuo would be destroyed. If Saint Lin Dong didn't come over at the last minute, we would have died. Old Zhu said we haven't even had kids
yet..."
"Cough! Cough!" Boss Zhu blushed and quickly interrupted her. He said, "Um, we'll be going to help elsewhere. Do your thing, Lu Ze."
Lu Ze smiled. "All the other insectoids have been killed."
Boss Zhu: "..."
His smile froze on his face. "I have used up quite some energy. I'm going to rest first."
Thereafter, he dragged Ana away.
"Come to my restaurant these few days! My treat, it's free!"
Lu Ze and the girls found the scene endearing.
Lu Ze smiled. "Let's go back too."
Everyone returned to the hotel and had lunch. They went to their own rooms to cultivate thereafter.
Lu Ze sat on the bed and used the red orbs from the tiger.
Star state red orbs were stronger than peak planetary state super beast red orbs, but the energy was also more volatile. Luckily, his body was rather sturdy, and he didn't need to worry.
As the red orb converted into energy, it slowly began to strengthen Lu Ze's body.
During this time, Lu Ze's cells were flashing with bright starlight. His cells had nine planetary runes. Milky white spirit force was constantly being formed inside. Currently, his spirit force was rather dense. It almost turned into spirit mist.
Five hours later, Lu Ze slowly opened his eyes. The red orb energy had been digested. He got off the bed and stretched.
Upon looking outside the window, there was a large red star slowly sinking below the horizon. The Zhihuo Fire Lotus formed an ocean. Under the winds, the lotus swayed, forming waves of fire. Spirit light flashed non-stop.
Lu Ze raised a brow. "It's starting again."
They just finished annihilating the sea of insectoids in the afternoon. It had only been a few hours, but more insectoids were already invading the place.
Inside the room, Lu Li and Nangong Jing were sitting on the couch, leaning against each other. "How is this?"
"Haha, they would be dumbfounded. But this really suits him." "Hehe, yes, right?" "Li, aren't we good sisters?" "No, go away!"
"Wow... that hurts."
Lu Ze: "?"
'What were these two doing? Didn't seem to be talking about him?"
Lu Ze wanted to go over sneakily and find out what was going on. But then, the two girls turned around, so he could only stop in his tracks.
Lu Ze asked, "What were you two saying about
me?"
Lu Li's body stiffened. She flipped her long black hair. "Nothing. Just a topic between girls. Not gonna tell you." Nangong Jing guzzled some wine. "You finished cultivation? You came over without even telling us. Are you trying to scare us off?" She waved her fists at Lu Ze.
'A topic between girls that was related to him?'
Lu Ze was more curious now. However, those two shifted the topic with a stern face. He knew he wouldn't be able to get it out of them, so he sat between the two.
Lu Li smiled and leaned against Lu Ze's shoulder. Her head moved a little to find a comfortable position. She closed her eyes to rest.
Meanwhile, Nangong Jing passed the golden fruit wine to Lu Ze, who then took a sip. She smiled and continued drinking herself.
The three huddled together to chat. Soon, Lin Ling, Qiuyue Hesha, and Alice came out too.
Lu Ze thought about what Liu Lang said yesterday and said, "By the way. Elder Nangong and the other seniors seemed to have uncovered the insectoid lair. They have gone over to check now."
Nangong Jing was eager to go. "Then, let's go as well?"
Lin Ling was curious. "I wonder how a cosmic system state insectoid lair would be like?'"
She had encountered the insectoids at planet Nanfeng too.
Lu Ze rolled his eyes. "The elder didn't permit us to come over."
Everyone felt stunned.
Nangong Jing questioned, "Why?" Lu Ze told them about Elder Nangong's reason. After hearing it, the girls felt a bit disappointed. Afterward, Lu Li grinned. "Let Ying Ying watch Elder Nangong's situation. If anything happens, she can intervene in time." "Mhm." Lu Ze had the same idea.
Alice said, "If you are able to get higher-level red orbs, senior, you can give it to Elder Nangong and the other elders. They can still become stronger too."
The others nodded in excitement.
Qiuyue Hesha's eyes lit up. She could enter the Pocket Hunting Dimension and help him. She would put in the effort for Elder Nangong and the others too.
With those thoughts, she looked across at everyone and felt proud. She was different from them!
After discussing some things for a while, Alice, Lu Li, and Lin Ling went to cook dinner. When they finished eating, everyone returned to their rooms to cultivate.
'Mhm... it was already night.'
Nangong Jing and the girls were still keeping watch of Qiuyue Hesha. They must prevent her from stealing Lu Ze! Hence, the girls would stay in a single room to leave the downcast Lu Ze.
Back in his room, Lu Ze entered the Pocket Hunting Dimension again. In the empty space, other than the four space doors, there was another rainbow dot, the one from which Qiuyue Hesha appeared. Lu Ze felt relieved. It didn't disappear. Fortunately, it wasn't a one-time use.
Right away, he pulled Qiuyue Hesha in. She was actually waiting outside. Her mind went blank, and then, she was transported to the Pocket Hunting Dimension again.
She beamed with a smile upon seeing Lu Ze. He satisfied her with the compensation she asked for. Thereafter, the two entered the portal.
Qiuyue Hesha was much timider than yesterday. She looked around carefully. "Little brother Lu Ze, what was that last creature from last night? Why are we suddenly forced out of the dimension?"
She died without even knowing why. Lu Ze's mouth twitched. "That... is a very powerful beast in the Pocket Hunting Dimension."
Qiuyue Hesha inquired further, "Were in this mountain range again?" Immediately, she became nervous. 'Weren't they at risk of dying here at any time?'
"Not really," Lu Ze comforted.
Qiuyue Hesha breathed easy. However, Lu Ze added, "However, there would be bosses passing by from time to time. It's... quite frequent."
Qiuyue Hesha: "?"
She didn't feel too good anymore. 'Did this mean they would every now and then as well?'
Qiuyue Hesha suddenly didn't want to proceed anymore.
Lu Ze attempted to reassure her. "Don't worry. There won't be bosses coming all the time. If we're lucky, we can survive longer."
Qiuyue Hesha: "..."
Lu Ze felt quite happy now. Previously, he was all alone in jungling. It made him miserable. But now, he had the fox demon to accompany him. Not only his efficiency improved, but he also had someone to converse with.
As they chatted, they moved rapidly, killing all the planetary state beasts while looking for star state beasts. Soon, they were approaching a vast lake.
Lu Ze's eyes lit up. He pulled Qiuyue Hesha. "Hesha, wait."
He pointed at the lake. "There might be something suitable here."
He recalled the humongous turtle before. When he was killed by the water arrow, he sensed its power. It was a level-1 star state, possessing water god art which was an element Lu Ze didn't have.
Lu Ze decided to check whether the turtle was still there.
The two carefully moved towards the lake. When they were near, the sky suddenly dimmed again.
Seeing this, Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha froze.
Qiuyue Hesha frowned. "Again?"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. He was helpless too. However, after the two waited for a long time, they didn't feel an extremely powerful chi.
Just as they were perplexed regarding the situation, a silver pillar shot into the sky and penetrated the dimension.
A silver pillar pierced the dimension.
Qiuyue Hesha's eyes widened as she exclaimed, "Little brother Lu Ze, what is that?"
She just recently came to know the existence of the Pocket Hunting Dimension yesterday. Right on the second time she entered, Qiuyue Hesha immediately encountered a major scene.
Lu Ze's eyes flashed with excitement. "There's something great inside that pillar!"
This pillar that connected heaven and earth had also made its appearance on the second and third map. Even though he had spent a couple of months on the fourth map, he didn't chance upon it at all. If it weren't for today, Lu Ze might have forgotten about it. Beyond his expectations, the pillar manifested itself on the second day the fox demon came in. What's more, it materialized so close to them too!
Sure enough, the fox demon was his lucky charm.
"Roar!"
"Aroof!"
"Reee!"
"Sharrr!"
Several roars belonging to different creatures filled the realm. The entire mountain range had been shaken by the force of their bellows.
Destructive chi shot into the sky. Planetary states, star states, and even those approaching the cosmic system state gathered.
The devastating combination of various chis was immediately felt by Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha.
Qiuyue Hesha's eyes widened. "Little brother Lu Ze, what happened? Why are all these beasts going crazy...'
Before she could complete her question, the water in the nearby lake rippled turbulently as a dark figure gradually emerged and rose into the sky, revealing a hundred-meter-long black turtle. The scaled shell on its back looked hideous.
The black turtle roared as it rushed towards the pilar. Violent waves danced around its body as it made its way to its destination. Accordingly, it brought upon rain in every place it passed by.
'A level-4 star state black turtle!'
Without warning, Lu Ze hugged Qiuyue Hesha and said, "No time to explain, we need to go and grab it! Hesha, get ready to use seduction god art to buy me some time!"
2 SO
Qiuyue Hesha frowned, but she nodded.
At this moment, all the beasts were attracted by the silver pillar. Not a single one of them had the time to care about Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha.
This gave Lu Ze the chance to use space god art.
He disappeared from the spot together with Qiuyue Hesha.
Outside the silver pillar, a three-hundred-meter-tall giant elephant with pale bone armor went near the pillar.
Just as it was about to enter the place, countless attacks fell upon it, bombarding it completely.
In just an instant, this level-5 star state beast turned into a puddle of blood that showered the surrounding area.
It couldn't even make a sound. All the beasts were behaving like madmen.
Regardless of the strength, if any beast dared to approach the pillar, such a creature will inevitably be assaulted by the rest of the crowd.
On top of that, the others would also attack all the beasts near them.
Fights broke out near the surrounding area of the pillar, knocking down the mountain range. In a blink of an eye, the forest was obliterated into ashes, leaving behind empty land filled with ditches.
The waves of battle swept across all directions.
Spirit light of all colors shone through the landscape.
Countless beasts wailed.
Blood and flesh were scattered everywhere.
"Mu!"
A domineering roar echoed throughout the dimension, and a chi bearing a cosmic system state power burst out. Once it swept past the frenzied beasts, the latter could not help but stop in their tracks.
However, they only paused briefly and became more insane in the following second. They desperately wanted to charge toward the silver pillar.
'Whoever went inside and snatched the treasure would reach the pinnacle of beast life!
'Whoever stopped them had to die!'
These were the thoughts carried by the beasts.
During this time, Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha appeared outside the silver pillar.
Right away, the rest of the monsters focused their attention on the two small figures.
The air turned dense from the overwhelming gazes of countless beasts. Lu Ze's body tensed up under such pressure. Even Qiuyue Hesha couldn't prevent the stiffness of her body. Lu Ze's mouth twitched.
'He couldn't use space transmission inside the silver pillar!'
'Much worse, he could only stop outside the pillar!
Right then, several spirit chis surged.
Lu Ze felt as though he became the target of countless attacks.
His face turned serious. He used Demonic Burst and brought Qiuyue Hesha along to barge their way towards the pillar without a pause.
"Hesha!"
Hearing Lu Ze's cue, Qiuyue Hesha who had been gathering her power launched her seduction god art in every direction.
In that instant, her face became pale, and blood poured out of her mouth.
There were too many beasts around. In order to buy more time for Lu Ze, she had to forcefully exhaust her power in one go.
In that moment, a major portion of the beasts, which were attacking, was interrupted. Her influence managed to affect those which were above level-4 star state, albeit briefly.
With the opportunity given to him, Lu Ze took Qiuyue Hesha into the pillar. They came to face two items.
"Grab one!"
Lu Ze held Qiuyue Hesha with one arm and used his other hand to take the silver light. He couldn't really see the crystal inside well.
Accordingly, Qiuyue Hesha grabbed the complex rune flashing with silver lightning.
Right then, the two things, which were originally inside the pillar, disappeared. Simultaneously, Lu Ze could feel their presence in his mental dimension.
Lu Ze rejoiced. "Hesha, it worked!"
Qiuyue Hesha's pale face let out a triumphant smile. "Let's run."
Lu Ze: "..."
She was so naïve that he almost didn't want to break it to her.
'Does she still want to run in this situation?'
He couldn't use space transmission within the pillar.
By the time they exit the place, both of them will be pulverized to nothingness...
Moreover, before they even managed to enter, Lu Ze had already sensed the arrival of much stronger bosses.
There was almost no chance of escaping. However, they were still going to attempt it.
Upon the moment Lu Ze decided to exit, a wave of gray light swept past the entire area. Those beasts which failed to step out of the beam quickly turned into a gray-stoned statue.
The expansion of the gray light was halted by the silver pillar. Hence, Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha weren't affected.
Qiuyue Hesha gasped. "What is that?"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched.
'A boss had arrived indeed!'
That was a legitimate overlord-class powerful beast.
During this time, a gray figure suddenly appeared right outside the pillar. Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha didn't even know how it appeared. It was a 20-meter tall bull that was made of gray rocks. Its gray eyes were shrouded in mist.
It looked mysterious yet terrifying.
Right now, the creature was looking at Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha.
The two felt anxious after being stared upon like this.
Qiuyue Hesha hugged Lu Ze tightly.
Lu Ze tried to at least crack a reassuring smile and attempt to escape. After all, this boss didn't appear vicious. It was more like a gentle cow.
At this moment, the bull suddenly disappeared, and Lu Ze felt something kicked him. Right after, he lost his consciousness.
Lu Ze woke up back in his room.
He rejoiced despite being in pain. Anyway, he still snatched away the treasure inside the pillar.
There are two of them to boot!'
The previous two pillars were white in color and only had one treasure. This one was silver and had two items inside.
'Perhaps it was a higher level?'
When he went out, he was going to kiss the fox demon. She had been a great help to him.
On the other hand, Qiuyue Hesha woke up back in the other room. Her body was trembling, and she was about to cry. After a long while, she exhaled. She finally learned how to hold it in.
'She didn't cry this time!'
Today's death didn't feel as bad as yesterday's.
Half an hour later, Lu Ze sprang out of the bed.
He entered his mental dimension to check what those two treasures were.
Inside, there was one silver glowing crystal and a complex rune with silver arcs. All the orbs were revolving around them.
Lu Ze pondered for a while and soon sent his mental force towards the rune.
In the next second, Lu Ze's eyes shot open.
An expression showing intense surprise was pasted on his face.
At this moment, Lu Ze was a bit excited.
Lu Ze obtained some information from the silver rune. It was far more precious than he had imagined.
This wasn't a divine art rune for cultivation. Rather, it was a one-time-use attack divine art rune.
Most crucially, it had reached the cosmic system state!
Cosmic system state divine arts weren't something Lu Ze could cultivate even if he had them.
Moreover, if he somehow managed to cultivate one, he wouldn't be able to use it. This one-time-use divine art rune didn't need his spirit force!
It was a hard-to-control cosmic system state divine art, but he could manage it.
This rune would be quite a nice trump card.
After a while, he would be exploring outside the Milky Way. Although they had Ying Ying, there would still be times she fell asleep.
If something happened at those instances, Lu Ze felt confident he could face anyone with this rune.
Thereafter, his mental force connected with the glowing silver crystal.
"Roar!"
As soon as Lu Ze touched the crystal, a terrifying roar deafened his ear.
Following such, a silver figure appeared in Lu Ze's head. It was a beast that had silver fur and looked like a wolf. It had a pair of horns on its head.
This beast was 20-meters tall and had an athletic build. The destructive chi it released made Lu Ze shiver.
'Cosmic cloud state!'
This silver wolf was a cosmic cloud state beast!
At this moment, information about the crystal appeared in Lu Ze's head. Looking at it, he grinned and opened his eyes.
This crystal contained the power of a Pocket Hunting Dimension beast. After using it, he would be able to summon this beast to fight for him. It would continue to battle until the energy of the crystal was depleted.
The energy inside the crystal was enough for the beast to fight for half an hour.
At the same time, Lu Ze learned of the wolf's power.
It was a beast that had space god art and space divine art. Its cultivation level was at level one of the cosmic cloud state, but its combat power reached level-7 cosmic cloud state!
Ordinary cosmic cloud states were no match for it at all.
Due to the nature of space god art, ordinary peak stage cosmic cloud states might not even be able to capture it.
This was an overlord beast!'
The crystal had a mini silver wolf inside.
Lu Ze's skin crawled.
'This was a real boss!'
This beast probably lived somewhere on the fifth map.
Lu Ze's head ached.
"There really was such a monster on the fifth map?'
He felt that even if he reached level-1 cosmic cloud state, he might not possess a level-7 cosmic cloud state combat power. 'Would he really be able to monsters like it?' Hopefully, this beast was just a special summon beast and not a beast that really existed!
Lu Ze prayed.
With these two things, as long as he didn't mess with cosmic realm states, he could do what he wanted, even if Ying Ying wasn't around.
Lu Ze relaxed on his bed and looked at the ceiling. He grinned.
'This was a huge harvest!'
These were things he didn't even dare to imagine existed.
No wonder it came from the silver pillar.
Lu Ze sighed.
After a while, he sat up and closed his eyes.
'Cultivate!'
These things were foreign objects after all. Only a power he cultivated on his own was an actual and genuine power.
He was going to stand at the top of the universe.
Lu Ze used a wind god art orb and began cultivating.
The next morning, at the edge of the Zhihuo Fire Lotus sea, a huge star rose up.
Lu Ze opened his eyes.
He stabilized his chi, and the green winds around him disappeared.
He got off the bed and grinned.
'It was another beautiful day!' During this time, a violent spirit light flashed in the blue sky.
Lu Ze's smile stiffened.
These insectoids were too persistent. It was indeed the insectoid queen that was super good at giving birth.
Lu Ze's mental force reached outside the planet as he sensed the situation.
Although there were a few star state beasts, there were also star state humans fighting out there. The situation was still controllable.
He withdrew his mental force. He didn't plan to go out there. General Cheng Feng and the others didn't ask for reinforcements. This meant everything was under control.
Lu Ze went to the living room. There was no one on the couch. They probably hadn't finished cultivation yet.
He then sat to rest alone. Simultaneously, he took out the communication device for the void border and checked the situation. Soon, Lu Ze felt assured
There were quite some insectoids, but the most powerful human beings were also there. They could stand their ground and defend against the insectoid invasion.
The Human Race had spent 2000 years in the cosmic era and had gone through quite some hardships. This level of insectoid tide clearly wasn't enough to destroy the race.
Lu Ze lay on the couch.
He didn't have anything else to do other than guarding the place here.
As for leaving the Milky Way for an adventure, that would have to wait until they repaired Elder Nangong's and the others' foundation.
Thinking about those, Lu Ze realized all he could do now was cultivate...
'This wasn't exciting at all!'
Lu Ze sighed lifelessly.
While Lu Ze was thinking about all sorts of possibilities, the door opened.
Lin Ling and the girls walked out.
Lin Ling saw Lu Ze's face and asked, "What's wrong, Ze?"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. "Nothing."
Alice questioned, "Are you hungry, senior? We'll go and cook first."
She pulled Lu Li and Lin Ling into the kitchen.
Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha sat on both his side.
Nangong Jing drank some wine while feeding Lu Ze from time to time.
Qiuyue Hesha asked through telepathy, "Little brother Lu Ze, what treasure did you get last night?"
Lu Ze relayed to Qiuyue Hesha what it was.
Qiuyue Hesha almost cried out of excitement.
Nangong Jing looked at Qiuyue Hesha in confusion. "Fox demon, are you crazy?"
Qiuyue Hesha calmed herself down and responded, "I'm fine."
She spoke excitedly through telepathy. "Little brother Lu Ze, is that for real?"
Lu Ze replied, "Of course."
"Wow, this is great!" Lu Ze said, "Hesha, it was all thanks to you this time. Otherwise, I'm not too confident in getting those two things." Qiuyue Hesha replied, "Little brother Lu Ze, in that case, I want a reward."
Lu Ze asked, "Sure, what do you want?"
Qiuyue Hesha smiled and conveyed what she wanted.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched, and then, his smile turned evil. "No problem!"
He had no reason at all to reject Qiuyue Hesha's reward.
After breakfast, the group went outside the defense line and killed all the star states. Thereafter, they returned to cultivate.
At night, Lu Ze sat on his bed to cultivate. The spirit chi in his cells was growing denser. According to his estimates, in at most a week, he would have all the preparations he needed to break through the star state. This speed was rather fast. Lu Ze was very happy.
He finished digesting the remaining red energy in his body and opened his eyes.
Just when he was planning to get off the bed, an invisible special wave spread from the room next door. Lu Ze's eyes widened. 'Nangong Jing's chi?' At the same time, beams of vibrant light appeared in the air and rapidly expanded.
'Nangong Jing was breaking through the star state?'
Lu Ze thought he would make a breakthrough before them.
But then again, although his combat power was stronger than theirs, he also needed more energy to complete a breakthrough. 'Since Nangong Jing was ready, Qiuyue Hesha should be near too, right?'
With such thoughts, another wave spread across all directions.
Powerful chi surged.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. Only a few seconds separated these two.
With that, the extremely vibrant light became more enigmatic and profound. Lu Ze wasn't even in a cultivation state, but he could feel all sorts of learnings appear in his mind.
'Was this a phenomenon brought by star state anomaly?'
Lu Ze grinned. These two were quite amazing. He then closed his eyes and used a blue crystal and purple orb. Right now, he had no divine art to cultivate, but his current god arts hadn't reached the peak yet. He would learn as much as he could this time.
Simultaneously, Lu Li, Lin Ling, and Alice also opened their eyes. When they saw the lights, they were shocked, but they also began to cultivate without hesitation. They hadn't improved their god arts, which Lu Ze prepared for them, to the maximum level.
V
Outside the hotel, the invisible wave and vibrant light spread constantly. It covered the entire base, the whole planet, and moved onto the battlefield.
Eventually, the light reached the stars and covered the solar system completely.
Inside the base of Zhihuo, the people who were resting looked at the bright light and felt dazed.
On the streets, a number of persons expressed their surprise. "W-what is this?!"
"Why do I suddenly have so much knowledge appearing in my brain just by looking at this?"
"Wait... I seem to have seen this scene before?"
"I seem to have seen it too..."
"I remember it!"
"Last time, at planet Shenwu, there was such a phenomenon when Monarch of the New Dawn finished a breakthrough. I was there!"
Several people remembered what happened when Lu Ze broke through. Their eyes widened as they gasped at each other.
'Did Monarch of the New Dawn make a breakthrough again?!' It had only been a year since he reached the planetary state though...
'Did he rise to a completely different state in just a year?'
'Who could handle this?'
'Was he even human?'
'Which human would be like this?'
Everyone felt like they were living in a dream. Soon, they closed their eyes and began cultivating. "They had to grasp this opportunity!' In a hotel, the gray-haired, gray-eyed Margaret looked outside the window and then closed her eyes to cultivate. Inch by inch, her body stopped being visible and soon disappeared. In the kitchen of Zhihuo Little Restaurant, Boss Zhu also cast aside the half-done spirit food and sat down to cultivate...
When the people on the planet sat down for cultivation, those soldiers and adventurers at the defense line were taken aback. They looked at the insectoids who also stopped attacking. Their eyes turned green.
'Why were things like this?'
It was a rare opportunity to experience a phenomenon.
'Why did they have to be fighting insectoids here?'
This good luck was right next to them, but they couldn't grab it. It made them feel miserable. Right then, they felt as though life was meaningless.
At this moment, the insectoids went insane. They shrieked as they tried to breach the defense line and reach planet Zhihuo.
Everyone was stunned upon witnessing their frenzied behavior.
Following such, Liu Lang charged in front of a star state insectoid and roared, "Stop them! Someone is breaking through! We must not let these insectoids enter planet Zhihuo!"
These monsters were terrifying before, but they weren't as crazy as now. As soon as this phenomenon manifested itself, they went mad. Naturally, the battles grew more intense.
However, a few minutes later, more wormholes formed, stringing along a battalion of insectoids. Five more star state insectoids flew out from the wormhole.
Liu Lang's expression went bad. "Damn it! Did the phenomenon attract the insectoids from the other places?" This was worse than he had expected.
Cheng Feng gasped. "Luckily, Lu Ze and the girls killed all the star state insectoids in the morning. Otherwise, we would be in danger now... Oh shit?!"
Four more star state insectoids came out.
Liu Lang's face changed drastically. "Defend the place! Request backup from the base!"
These star state insectoids were like sharks that just smelled blood after being starved for so long
The soldiers didn't have the ability to defend against this number of star state insectoids. Accordingly, the face of everyone tensed up.
Planet Weite, Yang Guang Adoption Center.
Ying Ying and Lue Xi were squatting in the backyard sandbox while building a sand sculpture. The former was building a large drumstick while the latter was building an exquisite castle.
A few boys were surrounding them.
One boy looked at Lue Xi. "Wow, Xiao Xi is so amazing! The castle looks so real! Xiao Xi must have been a princess in her past life!"
Lue Xi smiled, but deep inside, she was vexed. 'Why did you guys come over?!'
She looked at Ying Ying's drumstick and thought that Ying Ying must be obsessed with food.
At this moment, a boy looked at Ying Ying's drumstick and clapped. "Wow, Ying Ying is so amazing! This drumstick is so big! If it's real, it must be very tasty..."
His voice grew quieter as he watched the other party stare at the drumstick expressionlessly.
During this time, Ying Ying suddenly took a bite of the sand drumstick.
Lue Xi: "?"
The boys: "?"
Lue Xi charged over, ruining her castle in the process. "Ying Ying, are you okay? You can't eat sand! Spit it out!"
She rubbed Ying Ying's face, wanting the latter to open her mouth. In return, Ying Ying looked at Lue Xi and opened her mouth. Lue Xi was dumbfounded. There was not a trace of sand anymore. "?"
'Where did the sand go?' Suddenly, Ying Ying's eyes flashed with starlight. She looked in the void border's direction.
Lue Xi asked, "What's wrong, Ying Ying?"
Ying Ying patted her clothes to shake off the sand. "Xiao Xi, I'm going to sister's place first. I'll come to find you a few days later."
Lue Xi understood. "Oh, you promise, you will come a few days later to play with me." Ying Ying looked at Lue Xi. She seemed to recall that young girl in the park. She nodded vigorously.
Then, she disappeared from the spot.
More and more wormholes appeared outside planet Zhihuo. Insectoids came out like crazy and rushed over.
Liu Lang and the star states had despair pasted all over their faces.
"Ahwuu~"
An eerie sound echoed at this moment.
All the insectoids were annihilated as though they had never been there.
Everyone: "?"
The atmosphere was a little strange.
The humans looked at the empty space. Everything appeared tranquil, rendering everyone stunned. 'Where did the insectoids go?'
Starlight suddenly emerged in Lu Ze's suite. Ying Ying plopped onto the couch thereafter and observed the intense light.
Her eyes kept blinking as she yawned. She rubbed her eyes and forced herself to stay awake as she took out a device to watch cartoons.
Ten hours later, the ripples produced by Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha calmed down. The dazzling light disappeared gradually.
Back in his room, Lu Ze opened his eyes slowly. All sorts of colors were flowing inside. He could not help but grin. He had brought the god arts he earned on the fourth map to the peak now.
Luckily, the phenomena produced by the two girls fused together. The effects turned out to be great. It was much better than his planetary-state phenomena.
Lu Ze walked out of his room. The door next to him also opened. Lin Ling, Lu Li, and Alice came out of their rooms.
Everyone smiled.
Alice jumped next to Lu Ze and grabbed his hand. "Senior~ Sister Jing and Hesha reached the star state!" Her eyes were filled with hope. She had to work hard too. Lu Ze grinned. "Yes. Hence, Alice needs to cook some good dishes for celebration."
After saying the words, he gulped some saliva. 'Hehe, Ying Ying isn't here. He could enjoy this feast alone.'
'Great!'
Lu Li and Lin Ling rolled their eyes upon seeing the joy in his face. However, they suddenly realized Ying Ying was on the couch, watching cartoons. Lu Ze: "?!"
He was taken aback.
'Oh shit, why is Ying Ying here?!'
'Why didn't Xiao Xi keep her occupied for a few extra days?!'
Now, she would steal a lot of good food from him...
In that instant, Lu Ze was filled with sadness.
On the other hand, Alice, Lu Li, and Lin Ling smiled brightly after seeing the little girl.
Lin Ling hugged Ying Ying. "Ying Ying, why are you back so quickly?"
Ying Ying leaned in Lin Ling's arms and rubbed her eyes. "Sister Jing's and Hesha's breakthrough attracted a lot of insectoids."
Lu Ze and the girls were dumbfounded. They didn't expect the phenomenon would be useful for insectoids too. But then, why didn't the people outside ask for their help?
Lu Ze extended his mental force outside, only to discover that a small portion of soldiers was guarding the defense line. Only a few insectoids had remained. With such a scene, his face scrunched up. 'Did Ying Ying eat all the enemies?'
Lu Li looked worriedly at Ying Ying and asked, "Ying Ying, are you feeling well? You seem very tired?" Ying Ying nodded. "Mhm, I'm going to sleep." In the next moment, she closed her eyes, and the starlight began to swim around her.
Alice smiled regretfully. "I was going to cook a lot for the celebration, but Ying Ying has to accept heritage now..."
Lu Ze couldn't resist but smile. Ying Ying chose this crucial moment to accept her heritage. Now, he could have all the scrumptious food to himself. 'Heaven was helping him!'
At this time, the starlight around Ying Ying paused midair and shrunk back. The girl suddenly opened her eyes. "I can!"
She reached out her hands and rubbed her eyes. "I can sleep after eating!"
Lu Ze: "?"
Lu Ze looked at Ying Ying in disbelief.
'She's willing to push back her heritage just to eat?!
'How could she do this?'
Lu Li and the girls also looked at Ying Ying in disbelief.
Ying Ying resisted the urge to sleep and pushed Lin Ling towards the kitchen. "Sister Ling, hurry up and make it."
Lin Ling nodded slowly. "Oh... oh..."
Alice smiled brightly. "Wait a moment, Ying Ying! We'll go and cook immediately." The three entered the kitchen, leaving Lu Ze and Ying Ying behind in the living room. Lu Ze looked at the latter and showed a warm smile. He hugged Ying Ying into his arms and said gently, "Ying Ying, if little kids don't sleep, it will stunt their growth. How about I sing a lullaby for you so you can rest now?" "No."
Lu Ze: "..."
"It's just food. When you wake up, you can ask your sisters to cook more."
"No."
Lu Ze: "?"
'She was beyond help...' Lu Ze felt tired.
'No! he couldn't give up like this!'
"There was no such thing as giving up in his dictionary!'
Lu Ze and Ying Ying looked over and saw Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha coming over.
Nangong Jing looked satisfied, but Qiuyue Hesha had a frown on her face. This was due to the seconds' gap between their breakthroughs. Nevertheless, when they reached the living room and saw Ying Ying, they were both excited.
They took Ying Ying from Lu Ze's arms. Nangong Jing asked, "Ying Ying, you're back?" Ying Ying nodded.
Qiuyue Hesha questioned, "Ying Ying, why do you seem very tired?"
Lu Ze's eyes lit up. Yes, these two could persuade Ying Ying. Accepting the heritage was more important after all.
Ying Ying rubbed her eyes. "Mhm, after the food prepared by Sister Alice is ready, I'll sleep."
The two brought Ying Ying to the couch. "Then, let's wait together." Lu Ze: "..."
In the bottomless void, a group of beings with powerful chi was moving amidst the sea of insectoids, which kept charging at the mass. Soon, the monsters were torn apart by a destructive power.
'These people were cosmic system states and star states!
Among them, Elder Nangong was flashing with golden light. Next to him was Saint Lin Dong. He looked at the endless sea of insectoids. "There are so many insectoids here. The lair must be in this region."
The other cosmic system states agreed.
The cosmic system states of the Blade Demon Race, Dark Metal Demon Race, and Black Smoke Race looked deeply in Elder Nangong's direction.
'Too bad, Lu Ze didn't come. Otherwise, they would look for an opportunity to kill him!'
His potential was boundless. If they allowed him to develop, he might really become a cosmic cloud state in the future.
Luckily... Luoluoxisi was approved by that lord afterward. He should have the chance to reach cosmic cloud state!
At this moment, a golden-robed cosmic system state flying at the front frowned. He declared, "Something's not right! I feel some powerful chi rapidly moving. They're very anxious. The insectoids!"
"That direction seems to be the Milky Way?"
With those words, everyone looked strangely at Elder Nangong and Saint Lin Dong.
In one of the suites on planet Zhihuo, Ying Ying forced herself to remain awake and finish all of the meals prepared by Alice. Afterward, she happily fell asleep with a satisfied smile
Lu Ze's eyes went red. 'Even when she was sleepy, he still couldn't beat her when it comes to eating.'
Eventually, only a small portion was given to him. Ying Ying snatched almost everything away. Hence, he promised to himself to make the little girl taste the same pain of being robbed when his cultivation level reached the cosmic realm state!
Meanwhile, Nangong Jing held Ying Ying as she grinned. "Let her sleep."
Lu Li and the girls nodded and sent the girl to her room. They fed her some orbs before finally leaving her alone.
Nangong Jing put her hand around Lu Ze's neck on the couch and grinned. "Ze, I made a breakthrough and reached the star state! My combat power is stronger than yours now!"
The difference between a planetary state and a star state was rather substantial. Back in the planetary state, her combat power was far off from Lu Ze's, but after reaching the star state, she felt she might be stronger than he was.
Qiuyue Hesha also grinned. "You're not as strong as I am now."
Now, it was her turn to take Lu Ze around in the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
Lu Ze: 111
He rolled his eyes. "Enjoy your cockiness while you still can. When I reach the star state in a few days, hehe~"
Nangong Jing waved her fists in annoyance. "Too bad there are no virtual reality pods here. Otherwise, I will let you know my power!"
Alice, Lu Li, and Lin Ling looked with envy in their eyes. They wanted to be stronger than Lu Ze too. But it seemed as though they would never have a chance in this lifetime.
Thinking about this, they sighed in unison.
Currently, it was already night. The stars descended below the horizon.
Because Ying Ying ate most of the insectoids, there wasn't a lot of them in the sky now, even though there were still incoming ones. The planet appeared peaceful today. The group sat on the couch and chatted for a while.
Qiuyue Hesha later said, "Alright, time to cultivate."
Lu Li got up.
Nangong Jing remarked, "We'll still cultivate together at night."
Lin Ling and the others nodded in agreement.
Qiuyue Hesha looked unwillingly at Lu Ze before being dragged by the girls into their room.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched upon seeing how Qiuyue Hesha acted.
'She must be laughing on the inside!'
During this time, Lu Ze frowned.
'What would happen then once they knew about the Pocket Hunting Dimension?'
Lu Ze shuddered. He quickly stopped thinking about it and simply returned to his room. After sitting down, he entered the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
Once again, he pulled Qiuyue Hesha inside, and she immediately ran into his arms. "Little brother Lu Ze, I reached the star state. Let's celebrate"
Lu Ze: "?"
After the celebration was over, the two proceeded to the usual map. They ended up in the same forest as before.
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha concealed their chi. After making sure there were no powerful beasts around, they breathed easy.
Right then, Lu Ze asked, "Hesha, what is your combat power now?"
Qiuyue Hesha thought about it and beamed with a smile. "I don't really know, but it should be near level-6 star state?"
Lu Ze nodded. He didn't feel shocked at all. 'In that case, should he rely on her?' 'Great!
Lu Ze was also quite eager to see what his combat power would be when he reached the star state. It should definitely surpass theirs by a huge margin. Lu Ze looked at Qiuyue Hesha. "Then, we can hunt much more targets today."
Qiuyue Hesha grinned. Suddenly, she cornered Lu Ze onto a tree and lifted up his chin with her finger. "Little brother Lu Ze, I'll protect you today." Lu Ze: "..."
'Is she cosplaying some dominant heroine now?'
Lu Ze pondered for a moment.
'Should he cooperate and keep up the act?'
After a brief period of silence, Lu Ze pretended to be feeble and pitiful. "Then, I'll rely on Hesha today."
Qiuyue Hesha chuckled and let her body fall on Lu Ze. She patted his shoulder. "You're so wicked, playing with me like that."
Lu Ze looked at her innocently. "You started it first. It's not my fault."
Qiuyue Hesha raised her head. "It's your fault regardless."
Lu Ze: "..."
He nodded seriously. "Yes, it's my fault!"
Qiuyue Hesha smirked and hugged Lu Ze's arm. "Let's go, I'll take you around!"
...
Ten hours later, a level-2 star state black turtle crashed to the ground and died next to a lake.
Qiuyue Hesha wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "Little brother Lu Ze, let's take a break. I have used up most of my power."
Her stamina couldn't compare with Lu Ze's. Even though she was a level-1 star state, her recovery speed was not as good as peak stage planetary state Lu Ze.
Lu Ze nodded. "I'll pick up the orbs."
The turtle left around red and purple orbs, as well as a watery god art orb and blood crystal.
This was the fifth black turtle they had killed. He could now begin learning the water god art.
With Qiuyue Hesha's current combat power, ordinary level-2 star state beasts couldn't break free from her seduction. This made their jungling experience very easy. 'A green tiger, a lightning bird, a bone elephant with body god art, and a black turtle with water god art...'
All of these level-1 and level-2 star state beasts committed suicide due to Qiuyue Hesha's seduction god art.
All Lu Ze had to do was to become her cheerleader.
This was the first time that jungling became too easy for him inside the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
This made him feel rather satisfied.
Because there were no clashes involved, no super-powerful beasts would notice their actions.
All these orbs and crystals were being harvested by him. He reveled in the feeling of becoming a sugar baby. He recounted the encounters.
During this time, the fox demon killed 53 level-1 star states and 24 level-2 star states.
The number of orbs was enough for Lu Ze, Nangong Jing, and Qiuyue Hesha. With those, they can cultivate for several more days.
As for Lin Ling, Lu Li, and Alice, they could only use level-1 star state red orbs now.
He was going to consume the level-2 star state red orbs after coming out.
In that case, he wouldn't need a week to successfully make a breakthrough.
'Two to three days was enough!'
By then, he would be able to kill stronger beasts and check whether that could repair the elders' foundations.
Just as he was indulging himself, a fluctuation occurred at the mountain range without a warning. Following such, the distant mountains crumbled, and his vision turned dark.
Lu Ze once again felt that soul-wrenching pain.
It was another never-seen-before type of boss.
Nevertheless, he felt a little delighted deep inside.
After all, this time, he got to experience the joy of being a 'free rider'.
Half an hour later, he checked the loot from the recent hunt.
There were all sorts of star state orbs. All of them were great. Because Lu Ze greatly increased his mastery of god art during the phenomenon before, he planned to focus on his cultivation level now.
He wanted to reach the star state quicker, and his combat power would explode by then.
Lu Ze closed his eyes and used the first level-2 star state red orb, which then turned into a terrifying tide of energy that surged into his body.
He frowned.
Luckily, his body had greatly improved after using the blood crystals. In addition, he had a special spirit body. Otherwise, he really wouldn't be able to survive such destructive energy.
He began to rapidly digest the energy. Half of it strengthened his body, and another half of it powered up his cultivation level.
Spirit force gathered in his cells at a rate greater than twice as fast as using level-1 star state red orbs.
Lu Ze was highly satisfied with the progress. At this rate, he could prepare for reaching the star state the day after tomorrow!
This was great!
The fox demon and the alcoholic were really cocky today. He would show them what's truly good after he broke through!
Ten hours later, it was already morning.
He had digested two level-2 star state red orbs in just ten hours.
He measures the spirit force inside his body. He was just one sliver away from attaining perfection.
This cultivation speed was really fast!
He shook his head and got out of his room.
Alice, Lu Li, and Lin Ling were already bringing breakfast to the table. The intense aroma made him drool.
Alice smiled angelically. "Senior, you woke up a little late today. Time to eat."
Lu Ze laughed and sat before the table.
Nangong Jing remarked, "Wow, this breakfast is so abundant!".
Alice looked at Lu Ze and smiled. "Senior didn't get to eat much of the spirit food last night. I made it just for him today."
Lu Ze heard her and felt touched. He was about to cry right now.
'Alice was truly his little angel!'
Lu Ze felt life was really going well for him. Nangong Jing seemed a little jealous though. "Pfft- I thought Alice made it just for me. So it was for this pervert."
Alice blushed. "No way~ There's so much good food. Of course, I made it for you too."
Nangong Jing laughed smugly. "I'm still angry, unless, of course, if Alice feeds me..."
Following such, Nangong Jing closed her eyes and opened her mouth.
Lu Ze: "?"
Even he hadn't been fed by her hand before.
'How could she do this?!'
Immediately, Lu Ze grabbed a piece of cake and stuffed it into Nangong Jing's mouth.
"I'll feed you."
Nangong Jing opened her eyes and found it was him feeding her. She blushed and lowered her head.
Meanwhile, Lu Ze nodded happily.
The little angel got to feed him instead.
At this moment, Lu Ze sensed a threatening glare from the other girls on the side.
He saw Lu Li, Lin Ling, Alice, and Qiuyue Hesha looking at him without saying a word. Lu Ze: "?"
Suddenly, Lu Ze had a realization. "Um, who else wants to be fed?"
They opened their mouths at the same time. Lu Ze: "..."
After breakfast, Lu Ze sat on the couch lifelessly.
It was too hard.
They suddenly became babies and couldn't even eat by themselves. They quarreled just to get him to feed them.
In the end, they finished all the dishes for breakfast and only left Lu Ze a bowl of congee.
Lu Ze almost cried.
If Alice didn't promise him to cook another big feast for lunch, he truly would have cried.
Nangong Jing and the girls realized their mistake and had another fight to decide who would do the dishes among them.
After that, they went to check on Ying Ying and feed her.
Thereafter, Lu Ze took out his harvest from last night and shared them with the girls.
Fox demon and Nangong Jing used level-2 star state red orbs naturally. The rest could only handle level-1 star state ones.
Afterward, Lu Ze's phone suddenly rang. He took it out, so he could check the caller. It was Zuoqiu Xunshuang.
Nangong Jing was surprised. "Mom? Why is she calling you?"
Then, she complained. "Is she your mother or my mother? She didn't even call me."
Lu Ze grinned. 'Did he pass the mother-in-law's test?'
Lu Ze said, "Let's go to the living room."
Everyone went there as Lu Ze answered the call.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang figure was projected. She appeared with a stern expression.
Lu Ze asked, "What's wrong, Aunty Xunshuang?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang replied, "The old man just informed us that the lair is heading towards the Milky Way. He's telling us to be prepared."
Lu Ze and the girls: "?"
Lu Ze actually felt happy because of the news.
Elder Nangong didn't want them to go before, but now, it was the lair that found its way towards them.
He could finally see what a cosmic system state lair was like.
Fortunately, he got those two trump cards. Otherwise, it would be troublesome with Ying Ying sleeping
Nangong Jing and the girls were all worried, except Qiuyue Hesha.
After a moment of silence, Lu Ze looked at Zuoqiu Xunshuang. "Which direction would the lair come from?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang responded, "At Zhihuo System. Perhaps Jing Jing's and Hesha's breakthrough phenomenon attracted them." Obviously, she also received the news regarding the phenomenon that covered the entire system.
She discovered that her daughter might be stronger than she was. 'How could she handle this?' 'No!'
'She had to make Lu Ze pay some tributes to the mother-in-law!'
She looked at Lu Ze. "Due to that, some insectoids are moving towards the Zhihuo System. I will be coming back immediately. Is everything going well on your side?"
Nangong Jing was about to relay Ying Ying's condition, but Lu Ze grinned. "It's fine."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang felt assured. "That's good then. We're about to head off. Bye."
Then, she quickly ended the call.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang already disappeared, but the living room remained silent.
Nangong Jing, Lu Li, Lin Ling, and Alice, seemingly angry, all glared at Lu Ze
'It was a cosmic system state lair after all!'
There would be more than one or two cosmic system state insectoids. But now, Ying Ying just fell asleep. Without any preparations, the Human Race would suffer heavy losses.
"This was no joking matter!'
However, knowing him, they knew that he wouldn't consider the situation as something trivial.
Hence, they were waiting for Lu Ze's explanation.
Lu Ze reached out his hand and rubbed Lin Ling's face. "Hehe, I'll show you guys a big treasure!"
Nangong Jing and the girls finally felt relieved. They knew Lu Ze wouldn't play around regarding this.
Lin Ling slapped away his hand and glared at him.
Lu Ze urged, "Let's go to Ying Ying's room."
These two items were too precious.
Ying Ying's room was filled with starlight. They didn't need to worry about being spied on.
Nangong Jing and the girls agreed.
Lu Li asked, "Lu Ze, what treasure is it?"
Lu Ze responded, "I gave you guys some one-time-runes before, right?"
Nangong Jing and the girls nodded. Lin Ling inquired, "Did you get a higher level one-time-use divine art rune?"
Lu Ze kissed Lin Ling and smiled. "Lin Ling is really smart!"
Lin Ling blushed, and he sensed murderous glances from nearby. His smile stiffened.
He forgot all of them were in the room.
'Not good!
He quickly took out a silver arc rune and changed the topic. "I'm telling you, this is a cosmic system state one-time attack rune! Its power reached the peak cosmic system state, approaching the cosmic cloud state!"
Thereafter, he took out another silver crystal. "This insectoid lair had a level reaching the cosmic system state. Maybe the cosmic system state divine art rune wouldn't be useful, but there's a cosmic cloud state beast in the crystal here. If we summon it, the lair won't be able to stop it."
"Cosmic cloud state?!"
Nangong Jing and the girls were taken aback as they looked at the crystal in shock.
They guessed Lu Ze would have some trump card but didn't expect it to be a cosmic cloud state.
Lu Li questioned, "Don't tell me you got this from that god art of yours?"
Lu Ze confirmed, "Yes."
The girls: "..." 'What sort of god art was that?'
'Why did it have everything?'
It could even create a cosmic cloud state summoning crystals.
They were very curious, but since Lu Ze said nothing, they wouldn't ask either.
At this moment, Lin Ling looked suspiciously at Qiuyue Hesha. "Sister Hesha, why aren't you surprised at all? This is a cosmic cloud state treasure though."
Qiuyue Hesha felt stunned by the sudden question, but she still smiled. "I'm very shocked."
Qiuyue Hesha was elated deep inside her heart. The other girls weren't aware of what the secret was, but only she knew.
Nangong Jing's eyes narrowed. She probed, "You wouldn't know something, would you, Fox demon?"
The two had been fighting for more than a decade. They could deeply understand each other well.
Then, Nangong Jing looked at Lu Ze. His face appeared innocent.
He hoped to take them to the Pocket Hunting Dimension too. Of course...
But!
He wouldn't say the requirement. After all, it was better for him to let 'it' happen naturally.
Qiuyue Hesha looked at Nangong Jing in confusion. "What would I know?"
Nangong Jing and the girls looked at each other. They thought Qiuyue Hesha was right.
'What could she possibly know?'
Hence, Lin Ling smiled. "Since Ze has these two trump cards, we don't need to worry anymore."
Nangong Jing grinned. "I wonder what that lair is like?"
Everyone was curious. Lu Ze smiled. "We'll be able to see it in a few days."
Nangong Jing and the group nodded.
Following such, everyone returned to their rooms to cultivate.
The insectoid lair would need some time to reach its destination.
Lu Ze thought about it. He would be able to complete a breakthrough in two days, but he decided to delay it.
That phenomenon would attract the insectoids. They would surely rush over and arrive in just two days as well.
Lu Ze was only going to cultivate today and take a break tomorrow.
After a day of cultivation, Lu Ze came out and saw that Alice did prepare a table of food for him.
When lunch was finished, they returned to their rooms for another period of cultivation.
Soon, it was already night.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. This wasn't good...
His progress was faster than he had calculated.
He couldn't cultivate anymore right now. If not, he would trigger a breakthrough.
Lu Ze looked outside, only to discover a lot of ships were landing. In space, the spirit force fluctuations became more frequent.
The battle appeared very intense.
Lu Ze frowned. He had to check the situation with his mental force.
There were much more insectoids than before, currently.
There were quite some star state insectoids too.
Simultaneously, the human side also got some reinforcements. Advantage seemed to favor their side.
Lu Ze walked out of the room and heard Nangong Jing admonishing, "No! Not letting you drink! Don't be like a kid, okay?!" Zuoqiu Xunshuang's bitter voice could also be heard. "Jing Jing, I'm your mother. You didn't even tell me you had such a good wine. Jing Jing doesn't love mommy anymore."
Lu Ze: "?"
He walked into the living room and saw Nangong Jing holding a wine bottle and looking exasperated on the couch while Zuoqiu Xunshuang was trying to take it away from her.
Qiuyue Hesha watched the two as though they were idiots.
Lu Ze: "..."
'Is Aunty Xunshuang really an adult?'
He coughed.
The two immediately stopped in their tracks. Zuoqiu Xunshuang waved at him. "Ze, you finished cultivation?"
She looked at Lu Ze like nothing had happened.
Lu Ze laughed it off. "Yes, Aunty Xunshuang, when did you arrive?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang grinned. "Recently."
Then, she looked at her daughter. "Jing Jing isn't even willing to share some of her wine with me!"
Nangong Jing exclaimed, "I have very few golden fruit wine left in my collection!"
Lu Ze rubbed his temples. "Aunty Xunshuang, I'll give you some later." Zuoqiu Xunshuang's eyes lit up. "Really?" She ran to Lu Ze and patted his shoulder. "My son-in-law is better. Daughters are completely useless."
Nangong Jing: "?"
Nangong Jing glared at Lu Ze and said nothing.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang studied Lu Ze and nodded happily. "It seems you're about to make a breakthrough to the star state?"
Lu Ze nodded in confirmation. "I can do a breakthrough tomorrow, but because of the insectoid lair, I'm planning to delay it a few days."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang cleared her throat. "This kid is complaining he is breaking through too fast?!'
This hurts...
She quickly shifted the subject. "By the way, where is Ying Ying?"
About 300 million kilometers away from planet Zhihuo, a barren yellow planet existed. At this moment, the space around this planet suddenly vibrated vehemently. A piercing white light flashed, which was even brighter than the star of the Zhihuo System.
When the light disappeared, a black planet had emerged in the empty space. The planet then released a dark-red light. Terrorizing destructive chi left some distortions in space.
The yellow planet started quaking violently. In the following second, it cracked like a weak egg. The land crumbled and lava shot out. The entire planet was painted red.
'Rumble!'
A vibrant red light swept across the void. The planet burst into pieces, immediately turning into space dust.
During this time, a dark-red veil materialized all over the black planet, easily blocking the explosion. "Roar!"
Countless insectoids on the planet shrieked.
The creatures at the front were fifteen insectoids covered with black shells. They had a different appearance from ordinary ones but were all hideous nonetheless.
Their bodies bore the color dark-red. Space ended up distorting upon coming into contact with their power. Their eyes were fixated on a red planet a few hundred million kilometers away.
On the battlefield outside planet Zhihuo, the Shenwu Army and adventurers were fighting another batch of insectoids.
The surrounding tens of millions of kilometers of space turned into an intense battlefield.
Right then, a chi swept across space. As light brightened up the surroundings, a shocking rumble followed.
The humans who were engaged in battle felt a cold sensation. Feeling shocked, they looked up in the direction of the chi, only to discover the disappearance of the barren planet that used to be near. It had been replaced by a black planet. Right now, it was glowing with a dark-red light.
That destructive chi originated from the black planet.
"That's... the insectoid lair?!"
"Damn it! How could it reach us this quick?! Saint Shenwu isn't even here yet! The reinforcements haven't arrived!"
Unlike humans, the insectoids were fired up.
They shrieked to the skies as they charged towards their opponents once again.
Back in the hotel, Lu Ze was about to explain the situation when the destructive chi made itself known.
The entire space was painted with a thin layer of dark red.
Everyone felt immense pressure. It was difficult to breathe.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang was in disbelief. "How can it happen so fast?! It had only been a day since the old man contacted me!"
She even felt a few chis of cosmic system states. These auras were formidable.
The Human Race wouldn't be able to stop it at all now.
Nangong Jing attempted to comfort the other party. "Don't worry, mom, we have Ze."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang then recalled that they still had Ying Ying. She was a cosmic realm state. She could handle this easily.
She relaxed with such a thought and smiled at Lu Ze. "Ze, let Ying Ying intervene."
Lu Ze scratched his head. "Ying Ying is still sleeping."
11?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang's smile stiffened.
Lu Ze quickly explained, "Don't worry, Aunty Xunshuang. Even without Ying Ying, it should be fine. I can stop it."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang: "?" 'Without Ying Ying, how is this kid going to stop this?!
Lu Ze said, "I don't have the time to explain everything. Let's just go out and check the situation first."
They had to deal with this right away.
Nangong Jing and the girls followed Lu Ze.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang was around, so they didn't feel comfortable hugging him right now. They could only grab his hand.
On the other hand, Nangong Jing grabbed Zuoqiu Xunshuang. The group disappeared from the spot.
They reappeared outside the border of the battlefield.
Not far away was a high-level star state battlefield.
A white-haired soldier was taken aback and admonished, "Xunshuang, it's so dangerous here. Why did you bring the kids over?!"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang: "?"
She was the one brought here, but she didn't have time to explain either.
She directed her gaze towards the planet of destruction.
She didn't feel confident at all. She could only hope Lu Ze could really stop it.
Lu Ze's skin was crawling too.
He felt an extremely powerful chi coming from
there.
At this moment, those cosmic system state insectoids shrieked.
The insectoid army swarmed towards the planet.
Lu Ze frowned. "You guys stay here."
He moved over tens of millions of kilometers towards the lair.
As he approached near, he felt greater pressure. Even his bones were shaking.
The sea of insectoids charged toward him.
Lu Ze used the silver rune. 'Zzz...'
Silver light erupted around him, swirling across his body. His black pupils turned silver.
Simultaneously, silver light filled the space and spread over a million kilometers.
Those star state humans were completely dumbfounded.
They looked at the ocean of silver lightning in disbelief.
One old soldier blinked. "That's L-Lu Ze?!"
Everyone else was in shock. Nangong Jing and the girls looked at Lu Ze with pride.
He looked quite handsome right now.
Even those insectoids paused for an instant.
Still, they revealed no fear. They charged towards their opponent at once.
Right then, the silver lightning encircled the whole sea of insectoids. Almost instantly, the insectoids were burnt to crisp.
The humans stood where they were, not daring to move.
Although this lightning didn't seem to bear the intention of hurting them, they weren't absolutely sure what would happen if they accidentally touched it. Lu Ze was immersed in this power. This power was exceedingly strong.
His own power was just a tiny speck in the ocean compared to this.
If he really wanted it right now, he could destroy the entire Zhihuo System in an instant and deal more damage to it.
If an ordinary person suddenly received such power, he might lose himself instantly.
Lu Ze sighed.
At this juncture, a violent chi rose up from a distance.
Lu Ze grinned.
Let him see how strong this power was.
Lu Ze lifted his right hand, and the silver sea of lightning cascaded.
The particles quickly united together, forming a massive palm that was tens of kilometers wide.
Lu Ze extended its reach to seize the black planet.
Since the planet was tens of thousands of kilometers wide, it was merely a small pea in comparison to the palm. 'Roar!'
As the silver palm slowly closed, violent shrieks could be heard from the planet.
Dark-red spirit force exploded. Lu Ze could feel more than ten surges of powerful waves shooting out from the black planet, forming dark red pillars.
They directed the attack on the silver palm. Nevertheless, the palm only ended up shuddering a little.
Lu Ze made a grasping motion with his hand, and the silver hand followed suit. 'Thud!'
The lightning on the silver palm crackled, covering the entirety of the Zhihuo System.
The whole system was quaking under such power.
A silver veil formed before Lu Ze, blocking all the waves.
Numerous mortal evolution states, including several Zhihuo Lotuses on the planet, needed protection.
Half a minute later, when everything had relatively calmed down, the vibrant silver light gradually faded.
One-hundred million kilometers away in space, black particles drifted by.
The originally petrifying black planet had completely disappeared. Even the destructive chi had been eliminated.
Everyone: "..."
They watched the floating particles and turned their heads at Lu Ze. They were confused. 'Is the entire lair of insectoids annihilated just like that?'
Lu Ze breathed out.
At this moment, the silver lightning around him slowly disappeared as well.
His mouth could not help but twitch. That one-time divine art rune was used up.
This rune could only release a terrifying attack once. It was that giant palm. Lu Ze decided to call it 'Giant Silver Palm'.
It was rather powerful, which pretty much bore a cosmic cloud state power. When the palm grabbed the lair, he knew the insectoids couldn't stop it.
Even though the queen insectoid had experienced a good development in the void space, it was only here for a few days. At most, the strongest insectoid back then was a level-7 cosmic system state.
Lu Ze shook his head. Too bad, this thing could only be used once. But then, since Ying Ying was asleep, it was necessary to do so in the end. At least, he still had another cosmic cloud state summoning crystal. Lu Ze thought about this and calmed down.
A cosmic system state rune could be that powerful. Then, the cosmic cloud state crystal should be a league of its own, surpassing what was ordinarily powerful.
Lu Ze used space transmission and disappeared from the spot. When he emerged once again, he was already back with Nangong Jing and the girls.
He was surrounded as soon as his figure materialized.
The five of them charged up and hugged him, forming layers around him.
Alice exclaimed, "Senior is so amazing! That insectoid lair is so strong, but it was gone in an instant!"
She looked at Lu Ze with admiration.
They already knew about his trump card, but seeing it in action was another thing.
Yet, such a powerful divine art rune was born out of Lu Ze's god art.
There was an even stronger summoning crystal. How could they not be excited?
Just when Lu Ze was getting immersed in the wrong sort of stuff, Zuoqiu Xunshuang regained her senses.
This all happened so quickly that she couldn't handle reality anymore.
Then, she realized these young kids were huddling together.
One of them was her even daughter. This made her feel a bit awkward.
'Didn't they care if it is public?'
She looked around.
Everyone was looking at Lu Ze in shock.
Clearly, they were scared off by the event earlier too.
She coughed, and Nangong Jing and the girls finally woke up from their stupor.
They quickly retreated.
Lu Ze smiled at Zuoqiu Xunshuang. "What's wrong, Aunty Xunshuang?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang rolled her eyes. "You guys should watch your image in public." Lu Ze only now discovered quite some people had flown over. They were staring at him in a strange way.
The girls blushed.
During this time, a wormhole formed. Saint Shenwu Xu Bingbai charged out. His face was pale. When he sensed the insectoid lair appear, he knew something happened to Ying Ying. Hence, he tore through space and got here as fast as he could.
However, he looked around and couldn't find the insectoid lair anymore.
He didn't even see a single live insectoid. There were just particles of what seemed to be bodies floating around.
He looked at Lu Ze and the girls, asking Zuoqiu Xunshuang thereafter, "Xunshuang, where are the insectoids? Where's the insectoid lair?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang replied, "They've been annihilated."
She pointed at a few floating black dusts.
Saint Shenwu felt greatly relieved.
He laughed and touched his white hair. "I thought some accident happened to her. This scared me."
He was planning to save Lu Ze and the girls even if it risked his life. He couldn't care about the others.
Luckily, nothing happened to the group.
The star states' mouth twitched. They looked strangely at Lu Ze and Saint Shenwu.
They really couldn't say that Lu Ze destroyed the lair right now.
Sensing the strangeness, Saint Shenwu raised a brow. "What's wrong? Did something else happen?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang laughed it off. "Old Man Xu, let's just talk when we return."
Saint Shenwu nodded.
The moment Lu Ze annihilated the insectoid lair, the cosmic system states making haste suddenly stopped and gawked.
That silver light flashed, and everything returned to its tranquil state.
Everyone looked at each other.
Elder Nangong and the seniors weren't too worried due to Ying Ying, so they were not in a rush.
However, that extremely powerful chi from the direction of planet Zhihuo shouldn't have appeared!
This made them uneasy.
'Did something happen to Ying Ying?'
At this moment, the leading golden-robed man said, "The lair is too fast, it's already at the void border of the Milky Way. There seems to be a battle ongoing there?"
The Blade Demon Race, Dark Metal Demon Race, and Black Smoke Race smirked.
This was great! The humans are probably suffering a huge loss.
If the humans bore such devastating damage, they could pretty much consider waging a war.
At this moment, Elder Nangong said seriously, "Everyone, the insectoid lair has entered the border of my Human Race. Our race is shouldering the burden, but if the insectoid queen gets more resources, the insectoid crisis would be even worse. I believe this is something you don't want to see, right?" 1
He looked across at everyone and continued, "I have a teleportation stone here. It can teleport us to our border. I hope everyone can come with me."
With Ying Ying around, he wasn't too worried previously, but now that there were waves of battle, he had to consider other circumstances.
Man Dali nodded immediately. "Okay, we need to stop the growth of the insectoid queen indeed."
Doris nodded too. "Let's hurry over. The more time we waste, the higher the chances of a major change."
The border of the Barbarian Race and Winged Race was connected to this region of voice space.
The territory of the Round Race was quite far, so they weren't able to join the forces.
At this moment, a cosmic system state from the Blade Demon Race sneered, "Nangong Yao, the insectoid queen is very dangerous when it matures. With our current speed, we can still make it there in time."
He then followed up with a grin. "As for the losses of your Human Race, what does it have to do with our Blade Demon Race?"
The others pondered on this too. Elder Nangong was still right nevertheless. After all, if the insectoid queen had sufficient resources, it would become a reproductive machine. If it created an army of cosmic system states, all of them would suffer.
They could still make it there on time at this rate.
But then again, they weren't allies with the Human Race. If the humans bore most of the burden, it might even benefit them.
The resources in this region of space were limited. The different races competed against each other for survival and development. The weaker the opponent, the better.
The faces of the human faction grew bad.
These bastards!
Elder Nangong and Saint Lin Dong looked coldly at the cosmic system state from the Blade Demon Race. They were trembling with power waves but couldn't do anything in the end.
The situation far ahead was unclear right now.
If they just lost a part of the border, they could still reluctantly accept it, but Lu Ze and the girls were in the vicinity of the lair.
With their talent, they were set to become a cosmic cloud state. If they died at the border, it would be too much of a loss.
With those thoughts, Elder Nangong gritted his teeth and said, "If everyone is willing to come with me to annihilate the insectoid lair, the Human Race will repay you bountifully."
Hearing this, those neutral powers smiled.
The insectoid lair had to be destroyed. Receiving compensation from the Human Race, on top of eliminating a great threat, was the best possible outcome.
The leading golden-robed man smiled. "Nangong, you're too polite. Even without compensation, I won't be a mere onlooker watching the events simply unfold." "Hahaha, yes, Nangong, of course, I'm willing to help the Human Race." The cosmic system state of the Blade Demon Race grinned. "Nangong, you're too polite. You went out of your way to give us treasures. I'll take it, seeing how kind you are."
The Dark Metal Demon Race and Black Smoke Race didn't reject the offer as well. They sneered deep inside.
Elder Nangong looked coldly at the other beings.
'When this ends...!
'Hmph!'
He forced down his anger and said, "Then, let's head off now."
Saint Jinyao took out a runic stone, which he bought from the trade planet.
He didn't expect to use it as soon as he returned.
He activated the teleportation stone, and a huge formation encompassed everyone.
In the space outside planet Zhihuo, Xu Bingbai planned to get to the bottom of things after returning.
The star states and planetary states on the battlefield all smiled.
The Zhihuo System was saved, and they also prevented the invasion of the insectoid tide. The inner regions were finally free from danger.
As for Lu Ze, he suffered a loss from losing the attack divine art rune just like that. Nevertheless, it was extremely useful.
When the whole matter had settled, everyone decided to return and rest. Out of nowhere, another fluctuation occurred in space.
Everyone looked over in vigilance.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched.
'Did another insectoid lair emerge?' 'Would he be powerless to shield away his only remaining treasure?' Lu Ze could feel the ache in his heart.
If another insectoid lair emerged, he would use the summoning crystal and get rid of all the insectoids in this region!
A cosmic-cloud-state beast with space god art should be able to clear a hundred thousand light-years span of the region.
'Mhm... best to eradicate all the insectoid queens and send those cosmic system state insectoids to the Blade Demon Race.'
Lu Ze laughed at this thought.
Right then, a large wave of beings appeared.
Everyone was stunned.
'It wasn't insectoids?'
Lu Ze could count various races from the crowd.
'How come the Blade Demon Alliance is here too?' At the same time, the cosmic system states were also taken aback.
Elder Nangong looked around. There was not any trace of intense battle at all.
The Zhihuo System was faring well, and the humans remained alive.
'As for insectoids... why were their particles scattered around?!'
Elder Nangong inquired, "Where are the insectoids? Where is the insectoid's lair?"
The cosmic system states who arrived: "..."
'How would they know?!'
They wanted to know this too!
The Blade Demon Alliance looked around in disbelief and attempted to find whether the remaining insectoids were simply hiding
However, nothing happened, except for the black particles seemingly drifting around.
Elder Nangong and the higher authorities wondered whether Ying Ying was the one who was responsible for it.
But that wasn't right either. Ying Ying was a cosmic realm state. She wouldn't be able to create such a huge commotion enough to wipe out an entire cosmic system state insectoid lair.
'What happened then?'
Everyone flew towards Xu Bingbai.
Elder Nangong probed, "Old Xu, where is the insectoid lair?"
Xu Bingbai was about to respond. However, Lu Ze beat him to it. "Elder, a cosmic cloud state passerby did it."
"That cosmic cloud state is exceedingly powerful. He should be someone from the Elf Cosmic Realm. His appearance closely resembles humans. He is breathtakingly handsome. He had this silver lightning god art. With a wave of a hand, he crushed that planet-sized insectoid lair."
The humans: "..."
They just watched Lu Ze as he blatantly lied about the incident.
'Is he that shameless?'
However, the other cosmic system states didn't doubt his statement at all.
It was implausible for the Human Race to destroy the insectoid lair.
Moreover, they did see a silver light from the distance earlier.
The eyes of Blade Demon Alliance reddened.
'What kind of bad luck is this?'
Elder Nangong looked at Lu Ze and felt something was amiss.
At this moment, the cosmic system state of the Blade Demon Race smiled. "Nangong, congratulations! You didn't suffer any losses. However, we did come with you, you should fulfill your promise."
Everyone was dumbfounded, but then the golden-robed man smiled.
"We're all races under the Elf Cosmic Realm. I didn't do anything. You don't need to mention the reward."
"Yes, since the insectoid lair is gone, we don't need it either."
Other than a few opposing races, most of the other factions didn't mention the reward.
They didn't contribute anything after all. If they took the gift, they would just gain another enemy.
Only the Blade Demon Race and the other few races looked at Elder Nangong with expectations.
"What? Is the Human Race going to renege on their words?"
Elder Nangong's face turned cold. "Don't worry, you will get it."
Lu Ze raised a brow.
'Elder Nangong was being scammed?'
'Should he summon the cosmic cloud state beast and annihilate these few races?'
If he made the beast pretend it was lost, no one would know he did it, right?
But...
Even if he obliterated these races, the Human Race wouldn't be able to get the biggest share of resources.
'Should he still try it?'
At this juncture, a voice boomed.
"Lu Ze, I want to challenge you to a life-or-death battle!"
Lu Ze: "?"
Lu Ze looked up and saw a purple-eyed blade demon staring coldly at him.
Luoluoxisi was excited.
Ever since witnessing Lu Ze easily kill Guguyate and Momoerde, this human had become his personal nightmare. Luckily, he was quite talented, leading him to be recognized by a lord of the Advanced Demon Race. He learned a few god arts, and his race primarily poured their resources on his growth.
His cultivation level skyrocketed.
Now, he was finally a peak stage planetary state. His combat power reached the star state!
Even the lord from the Advanced Demon Race complimented him, deeming him a decent prodigy.
'For sure, Lu Ze wouldn't be able to accomplish the same within a year!'
All the seniors of the races residing within this region of void space were present right now. Hence, he would make sure to showcase his talent and power.
'I, Luoluoxisi, am the strongest prodigy in this void space!'
He had been waiting for this day for a year!
The cosmic system state from the Blade Demon Race grinned and sneered at the Human Race. He knew Luoluoxisi's power all too well. At the same time. he already noted Lu Ze's victory at the Four-Race Social Gathering. The young human was surely powerful too. Nevertheless, he didn't believe Luoluoxisi would lose.
Today, the Human Race would not only compensate them, but they would also soon hold a funeral for their strongest prodigy!
Those other races, who were about to leave, suddenly halted when the life-and-death battle was mentioned.
The duel involved planetary states, but the participants were young.
Everyone looked at Luoluoxisi with interest.
'Young and powerful.'
This was what everyone thought.
With his young age, he was already a level-9 planetary state.
'Did the Blade Demon Race nurture such a prodigy?'
On the other hand, Lu Ze looked intently at the prodigy who challenged him.
In the end, he could not help but ask, "... Who are you?"
Scouring his memories, Lu Ze couldn't recall any encounter with the prodigy of the Blade Demon Race.
'Why is this guy challenging him?'
Luoluoxisi: "?"
Everyone: "..."
The atmosphere instantly became awkward.
Luoluoxisi felt the surrounding piercing glances, and his purple eyes flared up with anger. He glared at Lu Ze and roared, "Bastard! How dare you look down on me like this?! I'm going to kill you!"
This bastard had been his hellish nightmare for a year, and yet, he didn't even bother to remember who he was?!
'This was insulting!'
Lu Ze scratched his head.
"So, who are you?"
Luoluoxisi gritted his teeth and emphasized each word, "I'm one of the Blades of Dawn, Luoluoxisi!"
"Luoluoxisi?" Lu Ze repeated the word and knocked on his head, as though the name had finally registered. "So that's you? Last time, I only saw the other two members of the Blades of Dawn. You weren't there. I thought I wouldn't be able to see you."
Lu Ze looked at him curiously. "Where did you go last time though? You weren't there."
Luoluoxisi: "..."
His face had stiffened once again as though he was at a loss for words.
After a moment of silence, he exclaimed, "Bastard! I came to challenge you to the death, not chit-chat with you! Are you scared? Is the Human Race full of cowards?!"
Luoluoxisi glanced at the humans contemptuously.
Lu Ze frowned, but then, he inched closer. "Okay, I accept your challenge."
Luoluoxisi and his race rejoiced. In all honesty, they felt anxious that Lu Ze might turn down the challenge.
Luoluoxisi snarled, "Lu Ze, I'm going to show you my real power!"
His body went dark as flames appeared around him. Thereafter, his chi spread across all directions, revealing his star state power. The audience was shocked.
"Nearing level-2 star state combat power?"
"The Blade Demon Race has a prodigy like him? This challenger seems very young."
Only the Human Race, Barbarian Race, and Winged Race looked at the Blade Demon Race in awkwardness.
'Is it really good to be this confident?'
Luoluoxisi smirked. "Lu Ze, you didn't expect my power would be this strong, did you..."
Before Luoluoxisi could finish bragging, a dark golden light flashed. Luoluoxisi exploded into a shower of blood in the following second.
Lu Ze withdrew his foot and remarked while feeling speechless, "I was planning to talk with you for a longer period, so you can at least live a few extra seconds. Why don't you value your life?"
Everyone was taken aback by Lu Ze's actions, including the blood mist around him. They were unable to react properly.
It was even worse for the Blade Demon Race, which couldn't immediately digest what had occurred.
'Dead?'
'Luoluoxisi died just like that?'
They didn't dare to believe this reality.
They had high hopes for him. He was definitely capable of reaching the cosmic cloud state. By then, he would lead the Blade Demon Race to prosperity! Accordingly, they had spent a heart-aching amount of resources on him. But then, he simply died like that...
The leading cosmic system state of the Blade Demon Race burst in fury. "Lu Ze! You're asking to die!"
Blood sword rays formed in the sky and shot at Lu Ze.
He felt highly responsible for Luoluoxisi's death. With his power, even if Luoluoxisi lost, he could have saved him.
But he was too careless. Luoluoxisi had a star state power. As such, he failed to consider a scenario where Luoluoxisi would lose.
Even if he were to lose, it should have occurred after an intense battle.
He didn't expect the difference between the two was this great.
Now, he had to kill this human scum to make up for his mistake! During this time, a golden light flashed, and Elder Nangong blocked before Lu Ze. He punched and crushed the blood sword ray.
At the same time, Saint Lin Dong, Xu Bingbai, Man Dali, Doris, and the two other cosmic system states of the Barbarian and Winged Race rushed in front of Lu Ze. They looked coldly at the cosmic system states of the Blade Demon Alliance.
Elder Nangong's lips curled up. "Beibei Lazi, look, our child isn't too mature. He didn't know he should leave a body for your prodigy. He blew him to dust. Now, you can't even bring his body back home. Don't worry though, I'll educate him after this. Next time, you can bring another prodigy over, I'll try and convince him to leave a body."
Thereafter, he knocked on his head. "Oh, right! The compensation we'll give you this time is a grand funeral for your prodigy."
Following such, he threw out a few storage rings towards the Blade Demon Alliance.
They took the storage rings as they were trembling with anger.
The two sides appeared to be tense, as though they were on the brink of fighting at any moment.
Right then, a bloody long-horned, green-skinned cosmic system state of the Bat Race took a deep look at Lu Ze and said, "Since the insectoid lair is annihilated, we'll be going back."
He quickly left with his race.
"Us too," a red-skinned, bared-fanged cosmic system state relayed. "Us too..."
"Us too..."
All of the races departed one by one.
By observing, Lu Ze discovered that most of the races who chose to leave belonged to the Demon Realm.
Seeing this, the cosmic system state of the Dark Metal Demon Race urged Beibei Lazi.
"Let's go! If we stay here, it would be dangerous!"
Beibei Lazi's face distorted. He took a deep breath and glared at Lu Ze. He waved his hand, and the remaining blood mist of Luoluoxisi was sucked into his palm, transforming into a blood crystal.
The rest of the blade demons looked at the blood crystal in excitement.
At this juncture, the cosmic system state of the Black Smoke Race commanded, "Let's go!" He was scared the blade demons would still retaliate impulsively.
Hearing this, Beibei Lazi took one more deep look at Lu Ze before roaring, "Go!"
'War!'
They must wage a war and kill Lu Ze at all costs!
After the races from the Demon Realm left, Elder Nangong looked at Lu Ze and the girls and said, "You guys had a long day. Go get some rest."
He still needed to deal with the other races from the Elf Cosmic Realm.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang nodded.
He looked at Lu Ze and the girls before signaling, "Let's go get some rest."
Lu Ze and the girls agreed.
When all the humans had departed the place, only the trio, who was headed by Elder Nangong, along with the other races were left behind.
The golden-robed man looked in Lu Ze's direction and smiled. "Nangong, I didn't expect your race to have a prodigy like him. This talent is really making us envious."
"Yeah, he probably has an extremely higher chance of becoming a cosmic cloud state. By then, your race can finally ascend above others."
"Yes, our Magnetic Race is going to excavate a few cosmic regions. If you're interested, how about a collaboration between us?"
"By the way, our Poly Race also has a few projects to undertake. We are considering cooperation. Can we have a talk?".
Several races had expressed their desire to establish a collaboration with the Human Race.
They didn't have strong ties with the Human Race. Some might have a minor conflict of interest. Regardless, with the possible rise of the Human Race at hand, they decided to build a good foundation now.
The relations between races were always decided by interest.
Of course, the number of beings who truly wanted to cooperate with the Human Race and hidden enemies who wanted to assassinate Lu Ze was unknown.
The trio, with Elder Nangong on the lead, was surrounded by the cosmic system states. Their faces were full of smiles.
Most of the races present weren't inferior to the Human Race. There were a few beings who were much superior to the human race as well.
Usually, they didn't receive much attention.
But now, several factions had manifested their desperation to provide benefits to the Human Race.
All of these changes in treatment were brought about by the promising future of Lu Ze.
"Sure thing... let's discuss that slowly."
"How about we have a seat and chat?" the trio offered.
Most of the humans returned to planet Zhihuo to rest. Likewise, Lu Ze and the girls proceeded to their suite. Zuoqiu
Xunshuang followed suit. Alice giggled. "Everyone is hungry, right? I'll cook." She didn't forget to drag Lu Li and Lin Ling into the kitchen.
On the couch, Zuoqiu Xunshuang hit Lu Ze's head and said unhappily, "Ze, you little shit, you didn't even tell me clearly at the start. I was so scared!"
This was a beating from his mother-in-law. Lu Ze didn't dare to avoid it.
He wanted to explain back then, but he didn't expect the insectoid lair to approach at a rapid rate.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang rolled her eyes.
She was quite curious about Lu Ze's silver lightning
It enabled him to unleash such terrifying power.
However, she didn't probe further because Lu Ze didn't mention it. She knew he had some secrets he needed to keep.
Besides, Lu Ze was a good kid. He was nice to the Human Race and Jing Jing.
Nangong Jing put Zuoqiu Xunshuang's hand away with annoyance. "Mom, why are you hitting him? He saved so many humans in planet Zhihuo."
Even her own mother wasn't allowed to bully Lu Ze like that!
Zuoqiu Xunshuang: "?"
After dinner, Elder Nangong and the seniors didn't visit the group. Lu Ze and the girls went to cultivate in their own rooms.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang had post-battle matters to attend to, so she left.
Lu Ze took the fox demon into the Pocket Hunting Dimension for another bout of hunting. After they both died, he began with his own cultivation.
He was about to break through, but he didn't choose to do it now.
A lot of races were still within the vicinity. The phenomenon he would produce this time would be eye-catching. It was best to keep a low-profile
Lu Ze started learning god art instead.
The next morning, right after breakfast, someone knocked on their door.
Alice went to open it accordingly.
It was Elder Nangong and Zuoqiu Xunshuang.
Alice greeted, "Hello Elder, Aunty Xunshuang." Elder Nangong entered with a grin pasted on his face. He seemed to be in a good mood.
Lu Ze asked, "Elder, are those guys gone?"
Elder Nangong confirmed. "The insectoid lair has been destroyed, but there are still some insectoids in their region to be dealt with. But... they all intend to collaborate with us. We've even made a few plans."
He looked at Lu Ze. "This is all because of you."
Lu Ze: "?"
'But he hasn't done anything yet?'
Elder Nangong explained, "It's only natural for them to do so. You revealed your potential yesterday. Hence, they are investing in us by establishing a relationship. We should thank that prodigy from the Blade Demon Race. He helped us a lot."
Lu Ze and the girls: "..."
They wondered how angry that prodigy would be if he knew.
Nangong Jing and the girls looked at Lu Ze with joy and pride.
Then, Elder Nangong asked in confusion, "What happened yesterday? Where is Ying Ying?"
He could finally ask about the matter he was bothered with.
Lu Ze answered, "Ying Ying is sleeping."
Elder Nangong's face stiffened. "Is it really a cosmic cloud state passerby who annihilated the insectoid lair?"
Lu Ze scratched his head. "Um, I did that."
"... what?" Elder Nangong gawked at Lu Ze.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang nodded. "Um... he's right. It was him."
Nangong Jing grinned. "Didn't expect it to be him, did you, grandpa?". Lu Ze smiled. "Mhm... yes, it's something from that god art of mine..."
Elder Nangong's and Zuoqiu Xunshuang's mouths twitched.
'That god art again?'
'What is that god art?'
'Why did it have everything?'
During this time, Lu Ze's eyes lit up. He relayed, "Elder, I'm planning to break through to the star state tomorrow."
Elder Nangong was still pondering the difference between Alice's god art and Lu Ze's, so he subconsciously answered, "Oh, that's great."
Suddenly, he ended up dumbfounded.
'Wait!'
'Star state?!
He looked at Lu Ze with wide eyes. "You're going to make another breakthrough again?!" Lu Ze: "..."
Why did he say 'again'?
This was his first time breaking through to the star state.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang heard it yesterday. This kid was truly good at hurting people's hearts.
Lu Ze laughed it off at Elder Nangong's reaction. "Yes, Jing Jing and Hesha broke through already. I can't drag on for too long, right?"
Elder Nangong and Zuoqiu Xunshuang: "..."
Lu Ze smiled. "After I break through, the red orbs should possess higher quality. You can have a try then."
Elder Nangong frowned. "I'm in no rush. Since there are higher-quality orbs, make sure you can cultivate first. I'm old, I can afford to wait."
Lu Ze laughed. This was very Elder Nangong.
He smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, Elder Nangong."
He looked at Zuoqiu Xunshuang. "There should be a surplus of orbs, so Aunty Xunshuang can use them too."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang's eyes widened with joy. "Really? It won't affect your cultivation?"
Lu Ze smiled. "Don't worry, it won't."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang's cultivation level wasn't that high. Level-1 star state orbs should be enough for her.
He had a lot stocked in his inventory.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang almost jumped up and looked blissfully at Lu Ze. "You're my good son-in-law indeed!"
Elder Nangong grinned too.
In the beginning, he was accompanied by eleven other old fellows. They had led the Human Race for 2000 years. Some were dead, and some were injured.
Only four of them remain now.
Sometimes, he felt exhausted already, but they couldn't fall.
This time around though, he felt life was worth it.
He could see with his own eyes the Human Race growing stronger!
This was a pleasure to witness.
Elder Nangong smiled. "In that case, you decide."
Lu Ze smiled and nodded.
At this moment, Elder Nangong had another idea.
Elder Nangong smiled at Lu Ze. "In that case, notify all the nearby cultivators to come over."
"The phenomenon from your breakthrough is definitely stronger than Jing Jing's and Hesha's. We need to utilize it well."
This phenomenon might not be much to Lu Ze and the girls, but for ordinary people, it was an opportunity of a lifetime.
Nangong Jing sighed. "If we knew this earlier, we would have delayed ours for a few days and informed more people to come and benefit from it."
Qiuyue Hesha agreed. "Yes, it's quite a pity."
Perhaps the combination of their phenomena might help some humans to improve further.
Elder Nangong smiled. "This is their luck. In addition, there are already a lot of people in the Zhihuo System.'
Lu Ze didn't have any issue with the arrangements.
He grinned. "You're the elder indeed. Very smart!"
Elder Nangong's mouth twitched.
'How come whenever this kid speaks, the meaning seems to be different?'
He reminded, "Tomorrow, Old Xu, Ao, and I will protect you. Prepare for it now."
Lu Ze nodded.
He didn't even know what to prepare. He just needed to cultivate and then finish the breakthrough process.
But he would listen to the elder anyways.
After Elder Nangong left, Zuoqiu Xunshuang remained.
She had finished her tasks, and Lu Ze was completing his breakthrough tomorrow. If she was closer, it would benefit her even more. Hence, she stayed.
After the departure of the elders, everyone relaxed.
As for Zuoqiu Xunshuang, she was sometimes more of a child than the team.
Lin Ling leaned on Lu Ze's shoulder and exclaimed, "Wow, even Ze is breaking through to the star state! We still need half a month to accomplish the same."
Lu Li said helplessly, "Sister Lin Ling, you need to consider Alice's and my feelings when you say those words. We still need more than a month."
Alice was in a daze when she blinked.
She didn't care for the difference though, as long as she didn't fall too far behind.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang commented expressionlessly, "... I think you should consider how ordinary people feel."
'How could they easily say those words?!' Jumping to another level often required years or even decades. But in their case, only half a month was needed.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang could feel the increasing ache in her heart.
Lin Ling and the girls laughed awkwardly.
They were used to this cultivation speed. Hence, they didn't know how ordinary people cultivated.
After chatting for a while, they went to cultivate on their own.
While Lu Ze and the girls were cultivating, the network system of the void border had been bustling with activity.
"Monarch of the New Dawn will be breaking through to the star state tomorrow at planet Zhihuo. All powerful cultivators, please head over quickly!"
Countless people monitored this news as soon as it was published.
"Monarch of the New Dawn... didn't he just break through to the planetary state within the year? How is he breaking through again?"
"How does Monarch of the New Dawn cultivate? It's so hard for me to improve a bit in just a year!"
"Who knows? Otherwise, how could he be Monarch of the New Dawn?"
"The difference between the common folks and him is greatly substantial." "... But, do we need to go and protect him?"
"Are you stupid? Does he need our protection? The three saints are probably there already."
"It should be because of the phenomenon, right? There was already one two days ago, isn't it? I think young dukes Jing and Hesha broke through as well?"
"I know this. The friend of my friend was defending against the insectoid tide at planet Zhihuo at the time. His cultivation level rose up due to the phenomenon! Our cultivation level was the same before. It makes me feel salty."
"Oh shit?! I remember it now. A year ago when Monarch of the New Dawn was breaking through to the planetary state at planet Shenwu, there was also a phenomenon. A lot of people benefited from it!"
"What are we waiting for then?! Hurry up and go. He's breaking through tomorrow!"
"Hahaha! I'm at planet Zhihuo already. I'm just simply waiting for Monarch of the New Dawn to begin. No one will be able to make me move!"
"I'm on the ship. I should be able to make it in time!"
"Oh shit! I'm so far away from planet Zhihuo! It takes two days to travel. Can he wait for two days before breaking through?"
"... Keep dreaming!"
"I'm going there even if I die! Monarch of the New Dawn, wait for me!" Everyone was thrilled regarding the upcoming event. It was a feast of opportunity for them.
Yan Gu and his group had read the news.
Shadora couldn't keep her composure. "Junior Lu Ze is too fast."
Xia Zhi nodded. "Yes. It has only been a year, but he's breaking through to the star state already." Everyone looked at each other. 'Who could compare to such a talented person?'
Yan Gu grinned. "But we will benefit from it too. When the phenomenon occurs, we need to take advantage of it!"
Everyone nodded seriously.
In another hotel room, Margaret was cultivating on the bed.
At this moment, someone knocked on her door. She went to open it.
Li Qingyun and Eldon were standing outside excitedly.
Eldon quickly said, "Margaret! Look at the news! Junior Lu Ze is about to break through to the star state!"
Margaret's eyes widened. "... Break through again? Junior Lu Ze is really amazing."
Li Qingyun smiled bitterly. "Yes, who would've thought he just entered the Federal University two years ago? When we went to do some missions, that guy's power was similar to ours."
In two short years, they just reached the mortal evolution state, but Lu Ze was about to become a star state.
The difference was incomparable.
After a period of silence, Margaret calmly said, "Go back and cultivate. This phenomenon should be useful to us. We need to grasp the opportunity." "Mhm."
All those who were acquainted with Lu Ze were shocked about the developments.
Meanwhile, Lu Ze didn't know what was going on. He was merely learning his god art.
His cultivation level was at its limit.
He could break through easily if he just cultivated tomorrow.
The following morning.
Lu Ze opened his eyes. He looked outside.
A lot of spaceships were docking within the area.
At the same time, several powerful beings went to the base. The Shenwu Army did its duty to enforce the order.
Lu Ze raised a brow. 'News got out?'
Lu Ze walked out of his room.
Alice had prepared breakfast. After breakfast, someone knocked on their door.
Lu Li went to open it and saw Elder Nangong, Saint Lin Dong, and Saint Shenwu.
The three were invited inside.
Elder Nangong smiled. "Ze, are you ready?" Lu Ze nodded. "Yes!"
Elder Nangong nodded. "Then, go, we'll protect you from here."
Lu Ze nodded seriously. "Thank you, elders."
Shenwu grinned. "No need to thank us. Cultivate hard and become strong quickly."
Lu Ze said, "Then, I'll go back to my room."
Elder Nangong looked at Nangong Jing and the rest. "You guys go and make some preparations too."
Everyone nodded.
Right then, Lu Ze sat on his bed and closed his eyes.
His cells were filled with spirit force. They almost turned into some kind of milky-white liquid.
Nine planetary runes glowed on them.
All the people who made their way over were waiting, whether they were in the base, hotel rooms, or even the streets.
They were waiting for Lu Ze's phenomenon to manifest itself.
"Is it about to begin?"
"Should be soon, right?" "I'm so excited! This is my first time. I wonder how it feels."
"It's my second time. The first time felt really great! I learned fire god art on the spot!"
At this moment, a young man smiled. "Haha, it's my third time."
Everyone: "?"
They all gawked at the young man.
The young man's mouth twitched as he retreated. "What do you guys want? The Shenwu Army is still here you know..."
But then, he discovered even the Shenwu Army was staring right at him. He began to sweat out.
'Things started off on the wrong foot, aren't they?'
At this moment, endless light emerged from space and covered the entire base.
The profound knowledge in the light dazzled everyone. They were immersed in the endless secrets of the universe. Following such, they instinctively sat down and entered a meditative state.
As the phenomenon expanded, it soon covered planet Zhihuo and kept extending outwards.
Ships were filling up the space outside planet Zhihuo.
These were all the humans who specifically went here for the phenomenon. When the glorious phenomenon began, all the people couldn't be extracted from the endless lights. They proceeded to cultivate.
Soon, the light poured out across the entire Zhihuo System. However, it didn't stop there. It covered over three times the range of the Zhihuo System eventually. Within this scope, everyone fell silent
Humans were cultivating while cosmic beasts closed their eyes and fell asleep.
All living things learned something from the light.
A major region of space had achieved a tranquil state.
The three saints looked at the light in shock.
Saint Lin Dong sighed. "Ze is amazing. Looking at it alone, I feel like I've learned something new about my ice god art."
Elder Nangong glared. "Old Ao, don't fail us at this crucial moment. Ze's breakthrough is the most crucial thing right now."
Saint Lin Dong rolled his eyes. "Am I that sort of person? I just feel this phenomenon is too formidable. I wonder how many prodigies in the Elf Cosmic Realm can do this..."
Saint Shenwu touched his short hair and grinned. "The phenomenon spans about three Zhihuo Systems. This is near a light-year, isn't it? Not a lot of beings can do this in the entire Elf Cosmic Realm."
Elder Nangong smiled. "Otherwise, why would he be considered the hope of humanity?"
Saint Shenwu rolled his eyes. "Nangong, you're quite lucky to have a descendant like Jing Jing. My kid hasn't conceived a child yet. Otherwise..."
Saint Lin Dong smiled bitterly. "That's enough. Do you really have to pour salt on my wound too?"
Elder Nangong and Shenwu glanced at each other and patted Saint Lin Dong's shoulder. "Brother, you've been single for two thousand years. If you live another 8000 years, you'll really be a single dog for ten thousand years. Are you going to have us witness that?"
Saint Lin Dong's mouth twitched. "Go away! Don't touch me!"
In Lu Ze's room, as the starlight merged with the spirit mist, the mist began to simmer. It turned into a liquid glimmering with starlight.
The cell cores seemed to have broken free after the planetary rune cracked.
They shone brighter.
'Crack!
When the starlight and spirit mist had united completely, there was another booming sound.
The second planetary rune broke and fused with the spirit mist. At the same time, the cell cores became even brighter.
'Crack!'
'Crack!
"Crack!
As time went on, more cracks could be observed in Lu Ze's body. An invisible wave had spread from him.
Lu Ze's chi grew stronger and stronger. The power he emanated alone caused some distortions to the space around him.
Ten hours later.
'Rumble!'
With this, Lu Ze's body was aching all over. The color on his face was completely drained out. However, his consciousness remained resilient in watching over his physical form.
The dense spirit mist had turned into milky-white stardust.
The stardust glowed, seemingly containing endless secrets.
The cell cores appeared to be burning vibrantly.
Energy flowed from those cores like a shooting star.
Given such, all the stardust moved and slowly gathered together, forming a vibrant ring around the star.
This was the star ring of a true star state.
When the star ring had just formed, an invisible wave, which was tens of times stronger than when the planetary runes cracked, had spread across.
"Crack...'
Lu Ze felt his body, spirit force cultivation, and even mental force skyrocket.
A power far stronger than a peak planetary state rose from him. Around his body, there were orange flames, blood lightning, green vines, light, darkness, and all sorts of anomalies.
'Bang!
Space around Lu Ze began to crack. His power was likely the culprit.
This power only appeared for an instant. Soon, space had smoothened out the fissures.
It was as though nothing happened, but the three saints looked at Lu Ze right away.
They were dumbfounded.
Saint Shenwu gasped. "He has a chi like that when he just broke through. This kid... really... is a monster."
Saint Lin Dong agreed. "I even want to test what his combat power currently is."
Saint Shenwu's eyes lit up. "Good idea! When the kid stabilizes his state we can try."
Lu Ze used a red orb, and the spirit force was dragged into his body from the void. That ethereal star ring began to solidify.
A few hours later, the chi around Lu Ze finally stabilized.
Right then, the light that spanned a light-year finally disappeared.
Lu Ze opened his eyes as a red glow appeared within.
He breathed out.
Feeling the power in his body, he quickly grinned.
'Invincible!
'Why is he so strong?!'
He felt embarrassed.
He should show off to the alcoholic and fox demon after coming out. They wouldn't dare to act proud anymore.
The people who came for the phenomenon slowly opened their eyes.
They felt excited.
"Hahaha! I'm going to break through to the star state! Hahahaha!"
"God art! I actually learned a god art!"
"I learned a god art too! Hahaha, I'm a prodigy!"
"So I need to learn that divine art like this! I finally comprehended it! Hahaha!"
Everyone was roaring with excitement.
This phenomenon allowed everyone to benefit substantially.
Everyone seemed to be madmen right now.
At this juncture, someone yelled, "Thank you, Monarch of the New Dawn, hope you become unparalleled in this world!"
With this, everyone repeated the chant.
The noises were enough to shock the entire planet.
The words naturally reached Lu Ze. He was taken aback.
He scratched his head and suppressed the urge to feel cocky.
Lu Ze went to the living room. Only the three elders were there. They looked over when he arrived.
Lu Ze grinned. "Elder, I have completed the breakthrough process."
Saint Shenwu laughed. "We have sensed it already."
Saint Lin Dong nodded. "Not bad, your chi is this strong right after finishing your breakthrough. Your combat power must be exceedingly powerful."
Lu Ze scratched his head. "I don't know how strong I am now either."
Elder Nangong smiled. "Kid, do you hear the chants outside?"
Lu Ze: "..."
The three elders smiled.
"Of course, he heard them, he wasn't deaf.'
Actually, it was rather embarrassing.
Lu Ze responded, "I did hear them."
Saint Shenwu asked, "How does it feel?"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. "Quite embarrassing."
Saint Lin Dong patted Lu Ze's shoulder. "We have always been hearing such chants. This becomes your responsibility now."
Lu Ze was stunned, but he still nodded.
They were the first bunch of cosmic system states in the Human Race. Back then, they were the hope of the entire nation.
Now that he was the strongest prodigy, he probably had to shoulder the same burden.
The three nodded.
Thereafter, Elder Nangong told the Shenwu Army to send the people off.
At this moment, the doors opened. Nangong Jing and the girls finally came out.
Elder Nangong urged, "Okay, Ze, let us see what your power is like currently."
They were all curious about the developments of his combat power. Lu Ze nodded. He really wanted to know too.
Saint Lin Dong smiled, and a blue light flashed in his eyes. Frost appeared and enveloped them. This frost expanded, distorting the space around.
In just a few seconds, an empty area that was a few hundred kilometers wide appeared. Lu Ze and the girls were standing in the middle.
Lu Ze wasn't surprised. Uncle Merlin used such means before.
Since he reached the star state, he should have the same capability to do the same.
Because he had space god art, he could also create a space on par with cosmic system states in terms of size. Nevertheless, when it came to strength, it wouldn't be as strong as the one made by cosmic cloud states.
Saint Shenwu appeared eager. "Let me try."
The other two saints nodded. Following such, they move the girls to the border of the space and watched Lu Ze and Saint Shenwu eagerly. Saint Shenwu clenched his fists. His muscles expanded as he grinned. "Come, attack me." Lu Ze took a deep breath and nodded. "Elder Xu, I'm coming then."
Orange and black runes emerged in his body. His skin turned dark golden. Lu Ze took a quick step forward.
'Rumble!
Demonic chi danced around him as he disappeared from the spot.
Lu Ze soon appeared before Saint Shenwu. Dark golden runes formed a ring on his fist. As he released a punch, fluctuations occurred in space.
Looking at the distorted space around Lu Ze's fist, Saint Lin Dong and Elder Nangong were taken aback.
Saint Lin Dong said, "I still underestimated this kid."
Elder Nangong nodded. "To be able to twist this space, his power is actually near level-7 star state."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang's eyes widened in disbelief.
She pointed at Lu Ze and asked, "Elder, are you saying Lu Ze successfully completed a breakthrough to the star state and has approached level-7 star state combat power?"
Elder Nangong confirmed it and smiled.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang: "..."
She was at a loss for words.
It was quite good that at her age she had level-3 star state cultivation level and a combat power approaching level-4. However, compared to this kid, she was practically nothing
Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha glanced at each other. Their mouths twitched.
After their recent breakthrough, their combat power was close to level six of the star state. Naturally, they were proud of themselves.
Now that this guy reached the star state, they felt mentally defeated.
'So annoying!'
At this moment, Zuoqiu Xunshuang looked over curiously at the two girls and asked, "Jing Jing, Hesha, what's your current combat power?"
Nangong Jing smugly answered, "I'm close to level six of the star state."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Me too."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang: "..."
She silently looked away.
Saint Shenwu side-stepped and Lu Ze's fist slipped past his chest.
The old man reached out and grabbed Lu Ze's wrist instead.
Lu Ze received the massive force which flung his entire body, making him crash to the ground. In the following moment, white and dark light gathered on Lu Ze's hand, which then shot towards Saint Shenwu.
The saint raised his brow and released Lu Ze's hand. He dodged the ball and appeared behind the young prodigy.
His leg turned into a whip that attempted to hit Lu Ze's waist. However, the other party quickly used Demonic Burst and disappeared from the spot.
'Rumble!'
The leg landed on Lu Ze's afterimage in the end. The force swept across the entire space.
When Lu Ze materialized again, he was already above the head of his opponent. He opened both hands as light and darkness runes formed in his eyes. Light and Darkness beams formed around the saint.
Lu Ze closed his hands, and all the beams headed straight to Saint SHenwu.
'Rumble!'
Chaotic power waves ended up plowing the area.
During this time, Saint Shenwu charged out of the spirit light. Some kind of invisible force field was around him. It blocked all the incoming spirit force.
Lu Ze charged at the saint again.
The two naturally clashed for another round.
Elder Nangong and Saint Lin Dong nodded at the battle.
Elder Nangong grinned. "Not bad. Old Xu is only using a similar power to Ze's. The fact that they could fight to this degree proves Ze's combat experience is not bad." Saint Lin Dong agreed. "Quite excellent combat instinct."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled.
Little brother Lu Ze fought life-and-death battles inside the Pocket Hunting Dimension every night. His combat instinct was already honed through those perilous situations he encountered.
She grinned and looked at Lu Ze with pride.
The battle ensued for a few more minutes. Destructive waves filled the space.
If the two saints didn't help to block the waves, the girls would have difficulty watching
After another clash, Lu Ze's fist missed. Saint Shenwu appeared behind him and had his leg target his back.
Lu Ze wanted to avoid it, but he noticed the depletion of his spirit force. He paused for a moment. Hence, the leg came into contact with his back.
'Rumble!
An overwhelming power struck him. Thereafter, he was thrown into the ground like a shooting star that crashed.
His mind blanked out for a bit.
Saint Shenwu landed next to him and pulled him up. He laughed while patting Lu Ze's shoulder. "Hahaha! Not bad! Although I suppressed my power, I haven't had such a good fight for a long time. Your combat experience isn't bad either."
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. "I still need to work harder."
Saint Shenwu smiled. "When you break through to the cosmic system state, we'll fight again." Lu Ze smiled and nodded.
He either crushed his opponents or got crushed himself. He rarely had an even-matched fight.
Elder Nangong smiled. "Lin Ling, Lu Li, and Alice haven't broken through yet. Try to complete the breakthrough while a lot of people are still here."
The three girls nodded seriously.
Following such, Elder Nangong said, "Although the insectoid lair at our void border has been taken care of, this insectoid tide affected the entire Elf Cosmic Realm and the Demon Realm. I'm going to check the situation at the other places and accordingly make plans." Everyone nodded.
On a planet filled with sharp black structures, there was a tall mountain with a grandiose built.
The blade demon sitting at the throne glanced across at all its subjects. "We need to wage war! We need to cleanse our humiliation with human blood! Kill them!"
"Kill them!"
"Kill them!"
The blade demons roared in unison.
The exceptional pride of their race had died.
Time flew past.
Three days later in the morning, Lu Ze and the girls were having breakfast.
Someone suddenly knocked on the door.
Alice went to open it and saw Zuoqiu Xunshuang outside.
"Mom, why did you come?" Nangong Jing saw her mother and felt stunned by her visit.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang said with a heavy tone, "We have figured out the situation regarding the insectoid tide."
Everyone was taken aback. Lu Ze asked curiously, "What is it?"
"This invasion incident had occurred wide-scale. Aside from the Elf and Demon Cosmic Realm, the nearby cosmic realms were also attacked by the insectoids. We just don't know why the insectoids suddenly started the war."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang sat by the dining table and continued, "However, I heard that there were four to five cosmic realm state insectoids at the border of the Elf Cosmic Realm. This is only the situation in that realm. The others aren't accounted for yet."
Everyone gasped.
Lu Li asked, "If we then added the other cosmic realm states, wouldn't that mean the insectoids have sent tens of cosmic realm states?" Zuoqiu Xunshuang nodded seriously, and she cracked a smile. "Based on conjectures, there's a large-scale insectoid lair in the sea of void space outside the cosmic realm. This war might last for a longer period of time." "There will be numerous insectoid queens entering the cosmic realm soon. The insectoid lair at our void space isn't the only one. According to other reports, many races are suffering massive losses."
Hearing the graveness of the situation, everyone frowned and fell silent.
Lin Ling sighed. "The situation is much worse than we thought."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang smiled bitterly. "Lin Ling is right, but even if the sky falls, there's someone tall enough to support it. The few resources we have here won't interest the powerful insectoids. But that might not be the case for weaker insectoids. We need to monitor the situation in the void space. Who knows if another insectoid queen would come?"
Lu Ze and the girls nodded.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang added, "Other than that, the Blade Demon Race seems to be plotting something nefarious as reported by our scouts. The situation isn't too good. Hopefully, they won't do something extremely damaging to both sides."
Lu Ze was shocked. "Are they going to attack
US?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang replied. "It's all because of you. You killed the prodigy they had nurtured with all their resources. The blade demons are inherently vicious. There's no way they wouldn't go crazy."
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. He laughed awkwardly. "It's not entirely my fault. Their prodigy took the initiative to challenge me. I couldn't just hide. That would be insulting to the Human Race."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang rolled her eyes. "No one is blaming you though."
Lu Ze chuckled.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang looked at Lin Ling. "By the way, are you going to make a breakthrough soon?"
Lin Ling nodded. "Mhm, in about three to five days."
"That's really quick." Zuoqiu Xunshuang sighed. "Then, for this time, we'll give an earlier notice. More people who aren't preoccupied may come to gain something from your phenomenon."
Lin Ling nodded.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang pinched Lin Ling's face. "Hehe, Lin Ling is really nice! You're much more obedient than Jing Jing."
Nangong Jing: "?"
At this moment, Lu Ze thought of something. He took out a level-1 star state red orb and offered, "Aunty Xunshuang, try using this."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang saw the orb, and her eyes lit up. "Is this the orb you have been giving to Jing Jing and the rest?".
Lu Ze laughed. "They're using those with higher quality. Your cultivation level is a bit low, so those are not suitable for you." Both the alcoholic and the fox demon were now using level-3 star state orbs.
Lin Ling, Lu Li, and Alice were still stuck at level-1 star state orbs. When they finish their respective breakthrough, they would have to use level-3 star state orbs too.
Zuogiu Xunshuang: "?"
She didn't want to talk anymore. Following such, she took the orb and asked, "How do I use it?"
Lu Ze instructed, "Just eat it then digest the energy."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang smiled ."Then, I'll try it here."
She rushed off to test its effects.
Lu Ze and the girls looked at each other.
"Should we feed some to Ying Ying?" Alice grinned.
"Mhm."
At noon, the group was having lunch when the door to the room reserved for Zuoqiu Xunshuang suddenly opened. She charged out with excitement.
She went to Lu Ze and patted his shoulder heavily. "Good son-in-law. This orb is amazing! I feel as though the inadequacies in my previous cultivation have been fixed!"
This would improve her potential, opening up infinite possibilities.
'How could she not be excited?'
She moved closer to Lu Ze and asked, "Do you have more?"
Lu Ze took out some and said, "Of course, there's enough for you to cultivate with. If you don't have enough, tell me."
She grinned. "My son-in-law is really nice! If Jing Jing doesn't behave well, you can tell me. I'll help you teach her a good lesson!"
Nangong Jing: "?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang went to check once more, "It won't affect the cultivation of the team, right?"
Lu Ze shook his head. "Don't worry, Aunty Xunshuang, it's fine."
Since he finally reached the star state, he could now kill level-3 star state beasts. Hence, level-1 star state beasts were comparatively easy to deal with.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang felt relieved. "That's good."
Lu Ze asked, "By the way, Aunty Xunshuang, are the three elders here?'
Zuoqiu Xunshuang shook her head. "The void border is enormous. Elder Nangong and Elder Xu went to guard other places. As for, Elder Ao, he had gone back to Earth. That's the ancestral planet after all."
Lu Ze frowned. "So that's it."
He wanted them to test how useful level-3 star state orbs were. Noticing his somber reaction, she smiled. "Don't worry, when Lin Ling does her breakthrough, they will come over to protect Lin Ling." Lu Ze recovered his smile. "Okay."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang smiled gently and rubbed Lu Ze's hair. "Is it for their foundation? That's very thoughtful of you."
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. "Aunty Xunshuang, it's strange to see you behave like this."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang's smile stiffened. She hit Lu Ze's head and glared at him. "I'm going back first. You guys should cultivate."
She then left since she couldn't wait to use the red orbs. Naturally, she shouldn't allow herself to fall too far behind these youths.
News of Lin Ling's incoming breakthrough soon spread out.
Everyone who could free themselves rushed over to planet Zhihuo.
Because everyone didn't have anything to do after the insectoid invasion, more people visited the planet than before.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang commanded the Shenwu Army to maintain the order.
She recently used red orbs for three days. Although her cultivation level didn't improve, her chi was clearly much stronger.
She smiled happily.
Later on, the saints have arrived in Lu Ze's suite.
Back in the little girl's room, Ying Ying's mouth opened. The usual drool was present in her face. She reached out her hand to grab something in the air while mumbling, "Big... drumstick!"
Without a warning sign, Ying Ying sat up and looked around. She was extremely disappointed when she didn't see her big drumstick.
The moment she decided to sit down, a light emerged.
When Ying Ying saw it, she blinked dazedly and then dropped onto the bed.
The starlight appeared again.
Before sleeping, Ying Ying bit her fingers and mumbled, "Roasted... pork feet..."
Lin Ling's phenomenon also lasted for ten hours.
When it disappeared, Lu Ze opened his eyes slowly. He grinned. The god art orbs he had gathered these few days were mostly digested by him today. He got off the bed with the plan to walk out of his room when he heard the chants again. "Thank you, Young Duke Lin. Hope you become unparalleled in this world!"
Lu Ze: "?"
"They didn't even change the words at all?!'
Lu Ze exited his room...
Aside from the elders, the girls were present too.
Qiuyue Hesha smiled cheekily at Lin Ling. "Young Duke Lin Ling is really amazing! Unparalleled!"
Lin Ling blushed. "You're making fun of me, Sister Hesha!"
Saint Shenwu laughed. "If Old Lin knew how strong his descendant is now, he would feel relieved."
Elder Nangong smiled and nodded. He looked at Lin Dong. "Old Ao, isn't Old Lin recovering at the Palace of Heroes? How is he?"
Lin Dong frowned. "He was too seriously injured before. His foundation was ruined. It would still take him a few days to recover."
The other two saints frowned.
Elder Nangong sighed. "We have no choice. He was tortured by that death curse for so long. It's quite great already that he can still recover."
Lu Ze said, "By the way, Elder Lin Dong, I have produced higher-level orbs now. Perhaps you can try it with Elder Lin when you leave. It might be useful."
The three saints were stunned by the offer. In the following moment, they exhibited excited smiles.
Elder Nangong nodded. "Yes! Ze's energy orbs can correct flaws in cultivation. It might help in helping us recover!"
Lu Ze took out three level-3 star state orbs and said, "Elders, you can now evaluate how the orbs will work for you."
The three took them accordingly and looked at their respective orb with some eagerness.
They haven't been able to progress at all for two thousand years after becoming a cosmic system state.
There was nothing more painful than this experience for a cultivator.
Now, they can hope for something better again. The three used the orbs and closed their eyes to digest them.
Everyone looked earnestly at the three elders. It was a short minute, but it felt like a century.
A minute later, the three opened their eyes. Lu Ze asked curiously "How is it then, elders?"
The three looked at each other with both enthusiasm and disappointment.
Elder Nangong smiled. "It's much better than the orbs you gave us last time. The effects are apparent now."
Lu Ze and the girls were thrilled.
Elder Nangong added, "But the quantity is lacking."
He looked at Lu Ze. "This is the highest level of energy you can create now, right?"
Lu Ze confirmed it.
Anyway, he hadn't tried fighting level-4 star state beasts yet.
The elders looked at each other and shook their heads.
Thereafter, Saint Shenwu grinned and patted Lu Ze's shoulder. "We can wait. Your progress is more important."
Lu Ze understood what they meant. He felt a little disappointed too.
100.
The level wasn't still enough.
Seeing the shadow of disappointment in Lu Ze's face, Saint Lin Dong smiled. "Although it's not that useful for us, it should be greatly helpful to Old Lin. He's focused on recovering his cultivation level after all."
Lu Ze grinned. "Then, I'll give some red orbs to Elder Lin Dong then you bring them back to Elder Lin."
It wasn't difficult to kill level-3 star state beasts with the fox demon's aid. Only three days had passed, but he already collected more than a hundred.
Saint Lin Dong smiled and nodded.
Lu Ze took out some level-2 and level-3 orbs and gave them to Saint Lin Dong.
The saints each had their own business to attend to, so they departed.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang also got some more orbs from Lu Ze.
After repairing her foundation, level-1 star state orbs weren't enough anymore. Hence, Lu Ze increased the quality to level-2 star state orbs.
Currently, only Lu Ze and the girls were left in the living room.
Nangong Jing complained, "All of them are finally gone. My mother looked at Ze as though he was her own child."
Qiuyue Hesha sneered, "It's your fault for not being a good daughter, isn't it?"
"Ha?! You want to fight?" Nangong Jing glared back.
Qiuyue Hesha also sent a death glare.
Lin Ling wrapped her hand around Lu Ze's neck and kissed him. She leaned against his chest and caressed it. "Ze, thank you for being so nice to my grandfather."
Lu Ze rubbed her head. "Your grandfather is my grandfather too."
Lu Li gloomily lamented, "He's probably waiting for Sister Ling to marry him..."
Alice giggled. "I agree."
Lin Ling blushed.
Lu Ze argued, "What sort of person do you think I am? Why do you even think I am waiting for that?"
Everyone looked over contemptuously.
Lu Li retorted, "Do you think we would believe
you?"
Lu Ze raised up his head. "No, no, no, you have misunderstood me. I'm not only waiting for Lin Ling. I'm waiting for all of you to marry me."
The girls: "?"
The atmosphere became silent.
Only Qiuyue Hesha was giggling. After a period of tense atmosphere, Nangong Jing clenched her fist and charged over. "Regardless, beat him up first!"
"Why are you so shameless?!"
"Yes! How can you be waiting for us, senior? You should be the one asking us!" "Alice! That's not the point!"
"Oh... oh..."
After playing around, the group had dinner and returned to their rooms to cultivate.
Lu Ze went inside the Pocket Hunting Dimension and dragged Qiuyue Hesha into it once again. As soon as they went into the fourth map, the surroundings went dark.
Qiuyue Hesha looked around vigilantly. "Little brother Lu Ze, where is this?"
Lu Ze looked around and said, "This is the underground space."
Qiuyue Hesha was surprised. It was her first time visiting this place.
Lu Ze smiled and nodded. "Mhm, we're quite lucky today!"
Qiuyue Hesha asked, "Why is that?'" "Most of the beasts here live alone, and they are very far apart from each other. If we hunt here, we don't need to worry about startling the other creatures."
"Really?" Qiuyue Hesha's eyes lit up. "If all the places we stop by are like this, we won't have to die numerous times."
Lu Ze's mouth twitched.
'What could he do?'
He felt miserable too.
"Let's go." Lu Ze grabbed Qiuyue Hesha's hand and moved in a random direction.
"Let's see if we can kill the level-4 star state beasts here."
They didn't dare to attempt this outside since it would cause too much commotion.
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. At this moment, she glanced cheekily at Lu Ze. "By the way Little brother Lu Ze, I want to ask you something."
"What is it?"
Qiuyue Hesha smiled seductively. "When are you planning to bring the other girls inside?" Lu Ze: "?"
Lu Ze's heart almost stopped beating after being confronted. This seemed like a lethal question.
He looked at Qiuyue Hesha and attempted to laugh it out. "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
Qiuyue Hesha groaned. "Every time I get out of the dimension, I'm dying from pain. I can barely hold it in with the presence of the other girls."
"Hmph, if those girls are also dragged inside. How would they react when they die? I really want to witness it." Qiuyue Hesha's grin was filled with malice.
"Especially the T-Rex. She laughed at me when I first came out. In the future, the moment she cries out in pain, I have to return the favor!"
Lu Ze: "..."
Lu Ze was taken aback. "That's your only reason?"
Qiuyue Hesha blinked cheekily. "What other reason could there be?"
"Cough! Cough!" Lu Ze raised his thumb. "I knew it was this reason too! They would be in so much pain!"
Thereafter, he rolled his eyes. "I want to watch it as well, but those girls are all staying in the same room as you. I can't find any opportunity..."
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he looked hopefully at Qiuyue Hesha. "What if I simply enter and offer a chance to sleep together?"
Qiuyue Hesha looked at Lu Ze in disbelief. "... Little brother Lu Ze, do you actually want to get beaten to death?".
Lu Ze: "..."
"I'm just kidding..." Lu Ze faked a cough. "Don't worry, as soon as there's a chance, I will pull them inside too."
Qiuyue Hesha exhibited a disheartened expression. "So... Little brother Lu Ze, you already have me, but you're still thinking about other girls?".
Lu Ze's smile stiffened.
"?"
Qiuyue Hesha chuckled and threw a seductive glance at him. "I'm teasing you. Good luck, Little brother Lu Ze."
Lu Ze: "..."
He really didn't understand girls.
The two conversed as they moved around and hunted.
It was mostly planetary state beasts in the underground space. They could slaughter them easily with their current power.
Of course, there were some star state beasts too. Both of them could easily annihilate level-1 and level-2 star states with ease.
As for level-3 star state beasts, they had a combat power reaching level-6 star state. This wasn't far off from the actual combat power of Lu Ze. Nevertheless, with Qiuyue Hesha's seduction god art, it was all too easy for him to deal with them.
By combining their powers, they set level-4 star state beast as their target.
Five hours later.
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha were resting against a patch of black rocks while recovering spirit force.
Qiuyue Hesha grinned. "We gathered a lot of resources this time. We killed more than twenty level-3 star state beasts."
Lu Ze nodded. "It's enough for the cultivation of the three people for a while."
They were able to procure more than a hundred orbs from the beasts.
If they consumed two to three orbs per day, the resources they had gathered today can last them for half a month already.
At this moment, two powerful chi surged out from the distance. Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha turned their heads. Lu Ze was shocked. "What a strong chi!"
Qiuyue Hesha was also shocked too. "This chi is nearing the cosmic system state, isn't it?"
Lu Ze raised a brow. "One of the chis... the cultivation level is only at level five of the star state?"
Qiuyue Hesha looked at Lu Ze. "Little brother Lu Ze, is it a super-beast with god art?"
She had encountered super-beasts like those before. Their combat power was terrifying.
Even with the same cultivation level, she wasn't 100% confident she could kill such a beast.
"Probably, the other one is a level-8 star state beast with god art." Lu Ze was taken aback.
"High-level god art beast attacking a low-level super beast... This is the first time I have seen something like this."
Qiuyue Hesha blinked. "It's probably because of the special circumstances of this area, right? Little brother Lu Ze, you said beasts in this place isolate themselves. They even chose to live far apart from each other. In that way, the other beasts won't be able to take advantage of them in battles."
Lu Ze agreed. "Mhm, you're right."
He looked in the direction of the battle. His eyes flashed with some hope.
'If there was a super-beast, there should be a hive as well. Meaning, a higher chance of encountering treasures inside.'
Qiuyue Hesha asked, "Little brother Lu Ze, are we going over?"
Lu Ze thought about it and gritted his teeth. "Yes! There really might not be several beasts attracted by the commotion. Even if there are, their levels shouldn't be too high. If we are careful, we might snatch something."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. "Mhm, I'll listen to you."
They carefully moved towards the chi.
As they got closer, they personally saw the explosion of the dense black spirit light.
Horrifying shockwaves swept past the ground. The ground trembled. Dust particles and rocks were scattered in the air of the underground world.
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha stopped tens of thousands of kilometers away from the battlefield.
"Let's wait for a bit. This is a rather safe distance. We'll go over to check later."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. Thereafter, the two started to warily scout the surrounding chi. Soon, Qiuyue Hesha's eyes flashed with delight. She grabbed Lu Ze's arm and relayed excitedly, "Little brother Lu Ze, the strongest nearby beast is only a level-5 star state."
Lu Ze acknowledged it. "If it's just a level-5 star state, we can still flee even if we can't beat it."
He sighed. "But, we can't be too careless. We can only check the beasts in our direction."
ca
Qiuyue Hesha nodded seriously too.
The two concealed their chi and waited for the battle to end.
'Rumble!'
'Rumble!'
'Rumble!'
'Rumble!' 'Rumble!
Deafening roars filled the dimension.
Even from a distance of tens of thousands of kilometers, Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha could clearly feel how powerful and dangerous the battle was.
If the two approached even further, then the shockwave alone was enough to heavily injure them.
The battle lasted for more than ten minutes. Both of the chis became much weaker.
With this development, the chi lurking around also began to move away. The chi of the level-5 star state beasts suddenly dropped. Lu Ze's eyes flashed. "It doesn't have enough spirit force!"
"Roar!"
A roar echoed throughout the place. The chi of the level-9 star state erupted at this very moment.
A piercing sound overwhelmed the entire area.
Once again, the chi of the level-5 star state beast dropped drastically. The same situation happened to the level-9 star state beast. However, the latter was faring much better than the super beast.
A distressed howl and roar could be heard. Following such, another clash between the two chis ensued.
'Rumble!'
Lu Ze could distinctly sense the waning life force of the super-beast. It was gradually losing its life. On the other hand, the chi of the level-9 star state beast had weakened as well.
"Roar!"
At this moment, all the lurking beasts charged onto the battlefield.
Lu Ze's eyes flashed with silver light as he grinned. "Now!"
He dragged Qiuyue Hesha in the same direction.
At the bottom of a sky-high pillar, there was a cave.
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha appeared in the vicinity.
They looked outside.
The ground was ridden with craters. Demonic chi was surging within them.
On the land, there was a nearly a hundred-meter-tall, black-furred, three-tailed dog. It opened its mouth to swallow a body on the ground.
Strands of demonic chi drifted out from the corpse, which was soon digested by the black dog.
With this occurrence, the carcass slowly turned into dust, and the wounds on the dog began to heal.
Its chi was growing stronger, and its cultivation level was about to complete a breakthrough.
As soon as Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha revealed their presence, it stared coldly at the two.
The two were stunned.
Lu Ze looked around and soon saw a floating black rune in the cave.
Lu Ze exclaimed, "It's this!"
He decided to take the one-time-use divine art rune and escape!
Lu Ze quickly made a move to steal it.
Perhaps, since the super beast was already dead, Lu Ze grabbed it without difficulty. He sent it into his mental force dimension.
'Great!
'Time to run!
Suddenly, a powerful chi bore down on him.
Lu Ze's smile stiffened.
Qiuyue Hesha saw how his escape had been interrupted. She desperately asked, "Why aren't you leaving?".
Lu Ze scratched his head and laughed it off.
"... Um, Hesha, I don't think we can..."
Qiuyue Hesha: "?"
Lu Ze pointed at that dog. "That creature locked the space."
Qiuyue Hesha's mouth twitched. "Are we going to die again?!" The dog suddenly roared.
Demonic chi rose up and transformed into demonic flames.
The demonic wave swept past tens of thousands of kilometers.
Every part of Lu Ze's body ached. Following such, he soon lost his consciousness and woke up back in his room. His handsome face twisted in pain.
He breathed in cold air. "That guy healed so fast! It was stronger than before, after digesting that corpse too.
"Ouch! So painful..." This was the first time he encountered such a situation.
But still, he got a star state one-time-use divine art!
Half an hour later, the pain all over Lu Ze's body subsided.
He couldn't wait to enter his mental force dimension.
Amidst the orbs, there was a divine art rune blazing with black flames.
Lu Ze's mental force touched the black rune and immediately acquired information about it.
It was a demonic chi divine art, but unlike Demonic Burst, it was an attack-type divine art.
It formed corrosive and destructive demonic flames using the demonic chi.
It was extremely powerful!
Lu Ze exited his mental force dimension and smiled.
If it was fully unleashed, its power is nearing the cosmic system state!
It wasn't as good as the silver giant hand before, but then again it was a divine art rune guarded by a super beast. Hence, it wasn't highly inferior.
Lu Ze decided to name it 'Demonic Flames' divine art.
Lu Ze closed his eyes and started cultivating.
He used a level-3 star state orb, and the energy surged into his body.
Time soon progressed. A month had already passed.
Lu Ze and the girls just finished their breakfast. Currently, they were relaxing on the couch.
At this moment, Qiuyue Hesha looked outside. Upon seeing the spaceships, she grinned. "Today, those guys will be chanting for Li and Alice."
Lu Ze smiled. "You two! The two of you will be unparalleled."
Lin Ling blushed and pushed away his chest. "Ze, you're talking about this too!"
She was extremely embarrassed during this time.
Lu Li and Alice finally realized what happened.
It was the chants of the people who benefitted from the anomaly...
The two looked at each other and also felt uncomfortable.
Right then, someone knocked on the door. Lu Ze and the girls looked in its direction.
Nangong Jing grinned. "It's probably the elders."
Lin Ling got up and said, "I'll go and open the door."
Indeed, it was Elder Nangong and his companions standing outside the door.
Lin Ling smiled. "Come inside, elders..."
At this juncture, Lin Ling was taken aback because she saw a white-haired amicable old man.
It was Elder Lin!
Her eyes reddened as tears trickled down.
Elder Lin smiled at her reaction. "Lin Ling, long time no see. My little girl is a star state warrior now."
Lin Ling bit her lips and hugged Elder Lin. She was sobbing in the process.
"Grandpa! Have you recovered?"
Elder Lin patted Lin Ling's back and smiled. "You're a big girl now. Why do you still cry? Get up, don't let the other old guys laugh at you."
Lin Ling stood up in embarrassment and wiped away the tears. "Grandpa, Elders, Aunty Xunshuang, come in."
She moved aside and let them inside.
Lu Ze and the other girls heard Lin Ling cry. They could only watch the door.
When Lu Ze noticed it was Elder Lin, he smiled too. "Long time no see, Elder Lin. Congratulations on your recovery!"
His attitude was great. He wanted to leave a good impression.
Nevertheless, according to Lin Ling, Elder Lin already liked him a long time ago. Well, that was what she claimed...
Elder Lin nodded. "Not bad, not bad. Your talent is indeed amazing." He patted Lu Ze's shoulder. "Thank you."
Lu Ze scratched his head. "It's what I should be doing anyway."
Elder Lin laughed. "Indeed, we're family now."
He looked at Lin Ling and Lu Ze in a teasing manner.
Lin Ling looked down in embarrassment.
Elder Lin could tell the girl really liked the youth before him.
However, when he looked at Lu Li and the rest of the girls, his mouth twitched.
'This kid was too much of a womanizer!'
But then again, as long as Lin Ling didn't object to their special arrangement, he won't interfere with their intimate affairs.
Elder Nangong looked at the two girls who were supposed to begin their breakthroughs. "Are you ready?"
Lu Li and Alice nodded.
Elder Nangong smiled. "Then, go, us four will protect you."
He looked at Lu Ze and the other people in the room, including Zuoqiu Xunshuang. "You guys can go too." The rest of them returned into their rooms while the elders sat down on the couch.
Elder Lin looked at the sea of Zhihuo Lotus outside and sighed. "Zhihuo System, I haven't been here for a long time."
Saint Shenwu rolled his eyes. "You have been having it easy these past few years. Us three have been tired to death."
Elder Nangong sighed. "In the beginning, there were no issues, but Old You went out for Alice. Now, only the three of us remained. The pressure was definitely immense."
Elder Lin smiled. "You three have guarded the Federation well."
The three rolled their eyes.
They were stressed every day!
Elder Lin laughed it off and quickly changed the subject. "Um, how is Old You?"
The three fell silent.
Then, Saint Lin Dong shook his head. "The last time he sent news back was three years ago. I don't know how he is doing now."
After a brief period of silence, Saint Shenwu grinned. "It should be fine. That guy knows not to do something life-threatening."
The group nodded.
At this point, endless light fell upon the space.
All of their eyes sharpened. "It is beginning."
Elder Lin, who witnessed the phenomenon for the first time, was stunned. "Is this the phenomenon created by the breakthrough of those two girls?"
Shenwu grinned. "How is it? Those two girls are two of the prodigies whom the Human Race is proud of too."
"This phenomenon isn't the best. Ze's phenomenon is obviously superior."
He then gasped. "That kid's phenomenon spanned a light-year!"
Elder Lin's eyes widened. "A light-year?! That kid just broke through to the star state?! How is that possible?!"
Saint Lin Dong smiled. "True, it's quite unbelievable. Even in the entire Elf Cosmic Realm, there would only be few who could accomplish that."
Elder Lin mumbled, "The era of the Human Race is coming..."
Elder Nangong thought of something and sneered, "Recently at the battlefields of Geka System, Anlan System, and Ruite System, the activities of the blade demons are increasing by the second."
Saint Lin Dong's face went cold. "Hmph! I thought they would launch a massive attack because of that incident last time... They're probably scared of the insectoids coming back too. That's why they're just brewing conflict in regions with high resources."
Shenwu asked, "What's the exact situation?"
Elder Nangong shook his head. "Not sure. However, those cosmic system states haven't made a big move yet. They're just guarding the border like us."
"In that case..." Elder Lin looked at the rooms and smiled. "Should we let them go and check the situation?"
"Them?"
Elder Lin smiled. "They're star states already. It's time for them to participate in battles matching their level."
Back in her room, Ying Ying was still sucking her finger as she drooled. "Roasted... meat."
She opened her eyes and looked around in confusion.
At this very moment, the endless light fell upon her.
Her little body dropped back to the bed again. She struggled to wiggle around and get up.
"Tasty food."
She hadn't eaten tasty food for a long time, but she was still exhausted.
She wanted to sleep...
Ten hours later, the combined phenomenon of Lu Li and Alice disappeared. Lu Ze opened his eyes.
Water flowed around him.
He got quite a lot of water god art orbs from the big turtle. He digested more than half of them through the phenomenon.
Currently, he finally brought his water god art to star state level.
At this moment, a spark flashed in his eyes.
Orange flames ignited around him, green vines appeared, sharp golden needles formed, rich earth-yellow light danced around, and finally, there was the blue stream of water.
Lu Ze grinned.
He gathered the five elements of divine god art.
He wondered whether there was a divine art that merged the five elements. If there was, it would be formidable.
It would be even better if the divine art could throw in light and darkness god arts in the mix.
Lu Ze was quite hopeful.
If he could learn those god arts, he would become genuinely invincible.
Lu Ze put away his god art and got off the bed.
At this moment, the chants outside began again as expected.
They sang the same tune...
Walking out of the room, he saw the four elders on the couch.
Shenwu grinned. "How is it? Did it benefit you?"
Lu Ze raised a brow. "A bit."
All his god arts had reached the star state. If he wanted to learn more, he would need more star state god art orbs.
The four smiled.
At this moment, Lu Li and the other girls came out one by one.
Everyone was happy, but Elder Nangong suddenly faked a cough and reminded seriously, "Ze, you guys have things to do now."
Lu Ze and the group was taken aback.
Lu Ze asked in confusion, "What is it, elder?"
"During this time, the Blade Demon Race has been active in the resource-abundant battlefields of the solar system. They probably want to create some conflict there and wage a war."
Lu Ze frowned. "They want to steal resources?"
Shenwu grinned. "That is part of the reason. The other part is you." "Me?" Lu Ze was stunned.
Then, he realized, "It's not because of that Luoluoxisi, right?"
Shenwu nodded and grinned. "Hehe, he is a prodigy nourished with copious amounts of resources after all. You killed him without a thought, so they suffered a great loss. Naturally, they would retaliate."
Lu Ze was speechless. "I couldn't tell a lot of resources had been used on him. He couldn't even handle a light stomp from me..."
That was in the past already. Why couldn't those guys let go of the matter?
Elder Nangong and the others: "..."
They felt a familiar piercing ache. Veins popped out of their foreheads.
Did he actually say those words?!
That being wasn't blessed enough to receive a super-god art like you do. It was already considered a fortune for a cosmic system state civilization to invest in a prodigy like him.
After a period of silence, Elder Nangong coughed. "Anyways, you guys can go to the Geka System. All of you are star states now. You have pretty much matured. You must participate in these large-scale wars."
Lu Ze was shocked. "Geka System?"
He seemed to recall hearing this name a long time ago.
"Yes, we know you guys have been to a few wars, but those are child's play. There are some rare resources on the Geka System. There is also a spirit metal marrow. It is essentially the center of battle between humans and the blade demons. They have increased the troops there, so the situation is getting worse."
Shenwu nodded. "So don't be careless when you go over. Take care."
Lu Ze had now remembered that a certain young duke died at Geka System.
He nodded. "Don't worry, we will be careful."
Elder Nangong nodded.
At this moment, Lu Ze thought of something. "By the way, elder, I have a lot of low-level orbs here. How about you reward these brothers Lin Kuang and the others? Use some to cultivate new prodigies too." He could barely fit the low-level orbs in his mental space.
He didn't need them either.
The four elders looked at each other with excitement.
Elder Nangong smiled. "If you don't have any use for them, then give them to us. With those orbs, I believe our human prodigies would grow like crazy."
Shenwu chimed in, "Hehe, soon the numbers of our human prodigies would multiply by a few times. Maybe even tens of times. The quality would greatly improve too." "By then...'
The four looked ahead with hope.
That would be when the Human Race truly started getting strong.
Elder Nangong continued, "By the way, you can bring Lin Kuang's and the other's share to the Geka System. They would be going too."
Lu Ze nodded.
Elder Nangong carefully put the low-level orbs into his storage ring. The other three elders were vigilant as though fearing other beings would steal it.
Lu Ze felt it was funny.
Following such, the four got up. Elder Nangong said with desperation, "We need to think about how to use these. You guys can go and rest."
Right then, they were planning to leave.
At this juncture, Elder Nangong threw a golden ring to Lu Ze.
"Ze, your New Dawn has been modified. The defense and offense have both reached high-level star state. It is much faster than before too. This is the best we can do from that heritage. You can test the specifics yourself."
Lu Ze's eyes lit up. He grinned.
It was finally done.
He couldn't wait to test it.
Elder Nangong informed, "This time, the blade demons guarded the Geka System heavily and flooded it with reinforcements. Xunshuang will bring a part of the Shenwu Army to provide additional support. You guys can go with her."
Lu Ze and the girls nodded.
"Then, we'll be going first." Subsequently, Elder Nangong and the girls disappeared from the spot. Zuoqiu Xunshuang smiled. "Then, I'll go back and organize the army. We'll be heading tomorrow. I'll notify you guys."
Lu Ze and the girls didn't have any issue with it.
After Zuoqiu Xunshuang left, Alice smiled. "I'll go and cook to celebrate!"
After dinner, they went to Ying Ying's room and fed her.
As soon as they entered, they encountered Ying Ying's odd sleeping position.
The blanket was even kicked to the side.
Qiuyue Hesha went over and placed her blankets properly again.
Nangong Jing was confused. "Doesn't she usually sleep peacefully?".
Lu Li guessed, "Did she have a nightmare?"
Lu Ze complained calmly, "She's a cosmic realm state. What can happen to her? She's probably dreaming about something tasty and wanted to eat it. That's why she kicked her blanket away."
Nangong Jing and the girls: "..."
Indeed, the same kind of beings understood each other the best.
They were both foodies...
The following night, Lu Ze and the girls just finished dinner when a silver light flashed. A wormhole appeared in the living room. Zuoqiu Xunshuang came out wearing her silver armor.
She looked at the clean plates on the table and said, "The Shenwu Army is ready. Time to depart."
Lu Ze was taken aback. "Already?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang affirmed, "It has already been settled since before. The Shenwu Army would send the reinforcements. This is just the final step to the plan."
She looked at the group. "Have you been preparing at all?" Qiuyue Hesha said, "Aunty Xunshuang, wait a moment."
She entered Ying Ying's room and carried the little girl out.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang smiled gently. "Is she still sleeping even now?"
"Mhm."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang urged, "Come over then."
The group followed Zuoqiu Xunshuang into the wormhole and arrived at a basic room.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang introduced, "This is the room prepared for you."
She pinched Ying Ying's little face. "Let her sleep here. There are a few more rooms on the side."
Qiuyue Hesha covered Ying Ying with a blanket and left.
They checked out the few rooms next door. They were at the extensive part of the corridor.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang informed, "This region is where the high-level officials live. Right now, it's just us."
She pointed at the outermost room. "That's my room. If there's an issue, you can visit me there."
She pointed at the other rooms. "You can choose any room among those."
Lu Ze and the girls nodded. They didn't neglect to thank Zuoqiu Xunshuang.
The group chose their respective rooms. Lu Ze entered one of them and looked at the simple metal furniture. In the next moment, he lay on the bed. They had been traveling to several places lately. The ship was practically their home.
Lu Ze looked at the ceiling, lost in thought.
'Wait, did he forget something?'
Lu Ze frowned. He tried to recall it. Moments later, his eyes lit up.
'Oh shit!'
'The New Dawn has been repaired, hasn't it?'
Unfortunately, he was already boarding a ship now. Otherwise, he would have inspected the new ship.
Life was drained from Lu Ze. His dream to become a pilot had to be delayed once again.
It would take half a month to reach the Geka System. Perhaps he would just drive the new ship later.
He wasn't Ying Ying. He must wait.
Lu Ze sat on the bed and went inside the Pocket Hunting Dimension. As always, he dragged Qiuyue Hesha inside.
During this period, however, Lu Ze was taken aback. It seemed as though the girl who was accompanying him was about to make another breakthrough
'Is she actually moving on to level-2 star state?'
Although Lu Ze was surprised, he didn't find it out of the ordinary. After all, a month had already passed, and he gave her level-3 star state orbs for her cultivation. In fact, it was long overdue.
On the same note, the same thing should be happening to that female alcoholic.
Lu Ze felt sour. As for him, he would need to wait for at least ten days to make his breakthrough
Actually, the time difference could be attributed to his superiority in every aspect. Hence, he required more energy to complete a breakthrough.
In comparison to the two girls who were stuck at digesting level-3 star state orbs, Lu Ze could at least barely digest level-4 star state orbs now. However, another issue cropped up.
Level-4 star state beasts were naturally tough to deal with. Even after stringing along Qiuyue Hesha, the both of them could only be evenly matched with their opponents.
Once they fail to kill the enemy, they might also catch the attention of powerful bosses.
'What else could he do then?'
He had no better options right now.
Up to this point, the two of them had only managed to kill five level-4 star state beasts. Those were not sufficient for his cultivation.
He felt vexed!
Nevertheless...
Following her breakthrough, her combat power should be on par with him. By then, she was much more useful in killing higher-level monsters. With such a plan in mind, Lu Ze grinned. He felt eager.
Since she was in the process of breaking through, he would go hunting by himself first.
After a round of hunting, he started cultivating as usual...
The following morning, Lu Ze visited Ying Ying's room. Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha were already inside, feeding the gluttonous girl.
The kitchen was bustling with activity. Alice and the rest of the girls were preparing breakfast.
Upon seeing him arrive, Nangong Jing got up.
She smugly asked, "Hmph, Ze, can you if something about me is different?"
Lu Ze was dumbfounded, but he indulged Nangong Jing. Then, he smiled. "Do you want to spar? What would be the bet?"
Nangong Jing didn't expect the response. She looked vigilantly at Lu Ze. "What do you want to do?"
Lu Ze raised a brow. "Are you scared?"
Although she already knew Lu Ze was trying to trick her, Nangong Jing still responded, "What a joke! Me? Scared? Why don't we bet then? But, what bet?"
Qiuyue Hesha's mouth twitched. She had sensed his chi last night. He wasn't unaware of their progress.
Yet, this T-Rex still naively took the bait...
Sure enough, her brain was pretty much empty, except for some muscles.
Lu Ze raised a brow. "If I guess correctly, how about kissing me?"
Nangong Jing blushed and looked at Qiuyue Hesha with embarrassment.
As for the other three, they were still in the kitchen.
Nangong Jing exclaimed, "Okay. If I win, I'm going to flick your forehead!"
She hadn't done that in a long time. Ever since Lu Ze became stronger than her, her forehead had been suffering. Lu Ze smiled. "Sure."
He inched closer and pretended to look around. He made Nangong Jing quite uncomfortable.
Still, she felt overjoyed inside. To her, it seemed as though Lu Ze was simply entranced by her beautiful appearance.
'Stupid guy!' She could already imagine herself flicking his head.
At this moment, Lu Ze smiled. "You successfully made a breakthrough to level-2 star state." "?"
Nangong Jing's smile froze. She gasped at Lu Ze. "How did you guess? I didn't release my chi. I hid it on purpose!'
Lu Ze rolled his eyes. He already knew about it upon discovering the fox demon's breakthrough last night. The following day, Nangong Jing was obviously in a rush to show off.
And of course, he couldn't say that either. He smiled at Nangong Jing. "You lost! You're not going to cheat, are you?" Nangong Jing blushed and looked at Qiuyue Hesha before kissing Lu Ze. Then, she glared at him before going back to the bedside as she fed Ying Ying. She didn't dare to speak at all.
At this moment, the kitchen doors opened, and the other three girls came out.
Alice announced, "Time to eat!"
Five days later, Lu Ze used a level-4 star state red orb. It felt a little painful, but as he devoured the energy, it slowly turned into a hollow star ring. That faint star ring appeared quite fragile.
As copious amounts of spirit force were pulled into Lu Ze's body and digested thereafter, the star ring condensed, forming the same rings that were a couple of times smaller than the first one.
Lu Ze opened his eyes and clenched his fist.
'Rumble!'
A hum reverberated, and an invisible shockwave spread across all directions.
Lu Ze smiled upon sensing the intensity of the power.
Finally, he too completed a breakthrough to level-2 star state. His combat power increased by several folds.
With his current power, he should be able to face ordinary level-8 star states.
Level-4 star state beasts were easy prey for him now. He could even consider fighting level-5 star state beasts.
Lu Ze felt great. He continued to cultivate.
Ten days later.
There was a vast solar system revolving around. This particular system covered a region of ten light-years.
There were three massive stars orbiting at each other in the center.
Space outside this solar system was distorted.
Black warships flew out and headed towards the system.
In Lu Ze's room, he opened his eyes and got off the bed.
He visited Ying Ying's room once more.
Nangong Jing and the girls were there already. They were surrounding Ying Ying as they threw red orbs into the light around her. Thereafter, the starlight sucked the orbs and brought them inside Ying Ying.
Ying Ying's little face revealed a smile.
The girls giggled at the sight.
With Lu Ze's arrival, Alice hopped next to him and held his right hand.
The smile on her face was blinding. "Senior, you finished cultivation?"
Lu Ze nodded and rubbed her long blue hair.
Alice closed her eyes and rubbed against his palm, smiling with satisfaction.
Lu Ze looked at Ying Ying. "Is she still asleep even at this time?"
He was not used to a life where Ying Ying did not fight over food with him. Qiuyue Hesha nodded. "It's almost been two months."
Lu Li asked, "Is her heritage this time really tough to deal with?"
Lin Ling shook her head. "Maybe."
'How could they understand the Star Spirit Race's heritage?'
Nangong Jing said, "Ze is here. Let's have breakfast."
At this moment, Ying Ying suddenly waved her hand in the air and mumbled.
Everyone turned around in surprise and joy. "Is she going to finally wake up?" Lin Ling looked at Ying Ying's little face frown. She could see her struggling. "Is she alright though?"
The other girls looked worriedly at the little girl. Lu Ze questioned, "Is she lacking energy?"
He took out a large stack of red orbs and threw them at Ying Ying.
They were immediately digested by the starlight. The frown on Ying Ying's face smoothened out.
Everyone felt relieved.
Suddenly, Ying Ying opened her eyes and sat up in a rush. "Eat breakfast!"
Lu Ze: "?"
Girls: "?"
Their mouths twitched. Upon waking up, the only thing she cared about was breakfast?! At this juncture, Ying Ying sniffed the air and looked at the table. Seeing it filled with food, her drool almost poured out.
Following such, she appeared at the table and started eating the food without waiting for the others.
Lu Ze's expression changed drastically. He called out, "Ying Ying! Leave some for me!"
He charged over and started the usual quarrel with the little girl.
The girls laughed at the scene.
Lu Li offered, "Let's make some more."
The three girls went into the kitchen again while Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha sat to watch the antics at the table.
Two hours later, Ying Ying put down her half-bitten chopsticks and burped. Lu Ze: "..."
She gobbled up all the food meant for him.
She seemed much cuter when she was sleeping
At this time, someone knocked on their door. Alice went to open it.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang entered. When she saw Ying Ying, she was stunned. Thereafter, she hugged the latter. "Little girl, are you finally awake?"
Nangong Jing asked, "Mom, what is wrong? Do you need something?" Zuoqiu Xunshuang replied, "The ship is about to dock at the base of the Geka System."
Lu Ze remarked, "We're finally here."
Nangong Jing's eyes flashed with the will to fight. "I wonder how strong the blade demons would be?"
The other girls were eager to know too.
They were star states now.
Time to fight!
Zuoqiu Xunshuang smiled. "You will know soon. I was going to remind you to be careful. However, since Ying Ying is awake, that's not needed. Prepare yourselves and come out."
Lu Ze and the team looked at Ying Ying.
Lu Ze rubbed Ying Ying's little face.
"Ying Ying, we're going to war. How about you go first and play with Xiao Xi?"
Ying Ying nodded. Lu Ze added, "By the way, watch over those who used red orbs on this battlefield a little. Don't let them die here."
Lin Kuang and the other teams were just planetary states after all. This region might be beyond their league.
Ying Ying nodded. "I understand."
Alice passed a storage ring. "Ying Ying, these are the new spirit foods I have been studying. You can eat them."
Ying Ying's eyes lit up immediately, and she put the storage ring in her pocket with care. She saluted. "Don't worry, Sister Alice, Ying Ying promises to finish them!"
Following such, Ying Ying tore open space and left.
Lu Ze smiled. "Let's go."
The group went to the foyer.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang and more than ten high-level planetary states were waiting for them.
They all looked over when Lu Ze and the girls came out.
Their eyes were filled with admiration. They saluted, "Greetings, Monarch of the New Dawn and young dukes!"
Lu Ze and the girls also saluted back before walking next to Zuoqiu Xunshuang.
In the deep space, there was a patch of metallic astral bodies floating.
There were countless warships going in and out. It looked majestic.
Lu Ze and the group were shocked.
Lin Ling commented, "This is more massive than planet Shenwu." Zuoqiu Xunshuang smiled. "This is the base of the Geka System. It is tactically important to us, so the base is wider. In terms of power, it is stronger than planet Shenwu. However, the void border is too vast as well. Most bases are distributed in different solar systems." Lu Ze and the girls nodded.
As they conversed, the fleet soon approached the base.
Planet Weite.
Lue Xi was sitting in her room before her desk, watching something from her computer device.
There were two little girls holding hands.
Just when the two were about to inch closer, Lue Xi covered her eyes in embarrassment, but she still peeked through her fingers.
At this moment, Ying Ying suddenly appeared behind Lue Xi.
She was going to call out Lue Xi's name, but after seeing the screen, she also let the scene play as she watched curiously.
Ying Ying asked, "What are these two sisters doing?"
"Aiyah!"
Lue Xi was scared off from her seat. She threw out the device in her hands.
Ying Ying grabbed it and asked plainly, "What's wrong, Xiao Xi?"
Lue Xi turned around and saw Ying Ying. Her eyes reddened, and she hugged Ying Ying.
The two fell onto the bed.
"Wow, Ying Ying! Why did you only come now? It's been nearly two months."
Ying Ying answered, "I fell asleep."
Lue Xi was stunned.
'Did she sleep for two months?'
Ying Ying brought up the question again in curiosity, "Xiao Xi, what was that clip earlier?"
Lue Xi's face turned bright red.
"This... is something from Sister Hesha's room. I was cleaning the room and found it accidentally. I don't know what it is."
Ying Ying was a little confused. "Sister Hesha's thing?"
Lue Xi nodded. "Yes! Yes!"
She then quickly changed the topic.
"By the way, Ying Ying, I'm going to school tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?"
Ying Ying was taken aback and recalled that cute girl asking her the same thing. She fell silent for a moment, she soon nodded. Lue Xi grinned. "Hehe, Ying Ying is the best." At this moment, a wormhole appeared next to Ying Ying. She went in and took out a red school bag. She declared with pride, "This is my school bag."
Lue Xi was dumbfounded. "It seems really ancient."
Ying Ying asked, "Really?" Lue Xi nodded. "Ying Ying, I still have some pocket money here. I can buy a new one for you."
Ying Ying shook her head. "I'll just use this."
Lue Xi didn't insist and accepted Ying Ying's decision. Then, she dragged Ying Ying out of the room. "Let's go talk to the principal, grandpa, and get him to enroll you."
"By the way Ying Ying, don't tell others what you saw just then."
"Okay."
Geka System Base. The reinforcements of the Shenwu Army docked at the space station. Lu Ze and the others alighted. He immediately noticed Lin Yan and some high-level planetary states who were waiting nearby.
Lin Kuang and the others were behind.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang ordered a high-level planetary state from her behind, "Take the troops to assemble and wait for my orders."
"Yes!" The soldier saluted and went to organize the troops from the ship.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang urged, "Let's go over."
Lu Ze looked at the fleet of Shenwu Army. Quite a lot of strong people went over.
There were even tens of star states coming out from other motherships. They were also flying in Lin Yan's direction.
This included Carol whom Lu Ze had seen before a few times. He was the vice commander of the reinforcements.
There was also an old man whom he encountered at the insectoid tide.
Lin Yan showed a sliver of a rare relaxed smile. "Welcome, everyone."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang waved her hand and said, "Xiao Yan, what is the situation now?" Lin Yan's mouth twitched. He answered seriously, "It's not too good. The reinforcements of the Blade Demon Race went to the Geka System half a day before. They have taken over planet Geka and built some defense mechanisms there. To avoid unnecessary loss, I have ordered the stationed army to retreat. We have given up five light-years of resources outside the battle line. These resource points have pretty much all fallen into the hands of the blade demons."
The other star states weren't even surprised.
The defense army alone, who was in charge here, wouldn't be able to stop the reinforcements of the enemy.
Planet Geka was the most precious resource planet in the Geka System.
The most intense battles between blade demons and humans occurred here, but now the humans made the move to retreat.
At this moment, Lin Yan's phone rang. He listened to the report, and his expression changed. "The blade demons are moving. All their ships on the other resource points have been pulled back to planet Geka. They probably noticed our own reinforcement. They are preparing for war."
Everyone frowned.
The old man said, "Since they want a war, we'll give it to them!"
In the center of the Geka System, a planet was flashing with intense spirit force waves, and spirit metals were growing on the surface.
At this time, tall sharp black towers were erected on the ground. There were cosmic fortresses outside the planet and hideous red battleships that almost filled up the space around.
Right then, the space rattled vigorously, and a large battleship fleet landed not far away.
The two sides engaged in a standoff.
Moments later, tens of figures flew out of the blade demon ship to confront the human fleet
Meanwhile, Lu Ze and the other star states also alighted the ship to approach the blade demons.
The two sides stopped in the middle of the battlefield.
Their chis clashed, creating powerful winds that rattled space.
At this moment, the blade demons saw Lu Ze standing in the middle of the humans.
Immediately, all of their eyes flashed with ferocity. "It's Lu Ze! He's here!"
"Kill him and exact revenge for our prodigies!"
"We must not let him go!"
The blade demons roared at Lu Ze, wanting to tear him to pieces.
Lu Ze: "?"
Was he that famous in the Blade Demon Race?
Lu Ze felt great.
'He was viral!'
The other human star states frowned at this. They wondered whether the blade demons would really try to kill Lu Ze at all cost.
The white-haired man said, "Lu Ze, you guys, be careful. Don't go too far. They would be targeting you."
Lu Ze nodded. "I understand General Iman."
The leading level-9 star state blade demon took a deep look at Lu Ze and sneered, "Humans, we'll be taking planet Geka. You have no share here!"
Iman retorted, "Blade demons, you don't get to decide our right over the share."
The blade demon smirked. "Then, we shall see."
The blade demon and Iman disappeared from the spot.
They fought each other in an extremely far region.
'Rumble!'
Space storms erupted everywhere. Their clash was the fuse that ignited the entire battlefield.
'Rumble!'
Spirit light flashed across a million kilometers.
"Kill!"
The two sides charged at each other in a distant region.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang charged over with her silver spear too.
At this point, a level-6 star state and five level-5 star state blade demons rushed in Lu Ze's direction.
They taunted, "Lu Ze, today you will die!"
Lu Ze grinned, and his chi burst out. The powerful chi of a level-8 star state swept the space, making the five blade demon star states freeze.
The killing intent in their eyes quickly transformed into terror.
"How is this possible?" The leader was in shock
"How can he be this strong?!"
They already took Lu Ze seriously enough, but they still made an erroneous underestimation.
Iman and his fellow soldiers looked at Lu Ze like he was a monster too.
They witnessed his silver lightning before, but they knew it wasn't his own power.
Lu Ze just reached level one of the star state for a month. Having a level-5 to level-6 star state combat power was already absurd enough. Yet, this guy's combat power reached level eight of the star state?!
This was out of this universe.
The leading blade demon's face changed as he roared, "Sisi Nier, retreat!"
The blade demons attempted to withdraw, but Lu Ze grinned as he appeared before the level-6 star state blade demon Sisi Nier.
He released a punch.
Sensing the destructive power, Sisi Nier's eyes widened as he screamed, "No!"
His hands flashed with blood spirit force. The blades on his arms gathered more spirit force as he tried to block Lu Ze's fist.
However, when Lu Ze's dark golden fist touched those blades, the blades disappeared as though they were bubbles that had been popped. Sisi Nier's arms also turned into blood mist. The fist force penetrated his chest and instantly wiped away his life force.
Everyone's eyes widened.
Before they could react, Lu Ze disappeared again.
'Rumble!' x5
Five punches and the remaining five level-5 star states were killed by a single punch.
Looking at the six corpses floating, all blade demons were taken aback.
There were only about 50 star state blade demons in this area, but now, more than 10% died.
This was a great loss!
The humans were also dumbfounded.
Nangong Jing rolled her eyes. "Ze, leave a few to us."
She hadn't fought for a long time. Hence, she was itching for a fight.
Lin Ling was also disappointed. "Yes, it's so hard to meet opponents..."
As for the other three girls, they didn't care.
Lu Ze laughed. "I was too excited. I'll leave a few for you next time." At this moment, a roar sounded, "Lu Ze, die!"
A level-8 star state blade demon broke free from his opponent and charged at him.
The level – 8 star state blade demon's opponent was a gray-haired, middle-aged man.
The man was planning to chase after the blade demon. Unfortunately, another level-8 star state blade demon blocked him.
Right then, the blade demon understood the burden he placed on his shoulders. He had to fend off two opponents, raising the chances of his death even higher.
However, if he managed to kill Lu Ze in the process, everything would be worth it!
Lu Ze sensed the chi of the enemy and frowned. His face turned serious.
He used both fire buff and darkness buff.
Demonic chi surged around him as he disappeared from the spot and charged towards the blade demon.
In return, the blade demon snarled as smoke enveloped his long sword.
"Die!"
His speed suddenly increased as he hacked at Lu Ze.
The wind spun around Lu Ze's demonic chi, and his speed also rose accordingly.
Dark golden runes flowed around his right hand, which clashed with the sword.
'Rumble!'
The massive force forced Lu Ze's body backward. Even the blade demons paused for a moment.
A few hundred kilometers away, Lu Ze managed to control his descent.
He looked at his fist. A deep dent from the sword was left on his gloves. Blood began to trickle out.
At the border of the wound, there was corrosive dark-red energy attempting to invade his body.
Lu Ze raised a brow as he employed all his healing god arts. Instantly, the foreign chi was wiped out as the wound recovered.
The blade demon charged up again. "Lu Ze, you must die by my hands. I'm Keke Lusi!"
The previous clash allowed him to gain an understanding of Lu Ze's power. Sure enough, the young human was formidable. 'He shouldn't be!
Nevertheless, the insolent kid was actually weaker than he was, thereby boosting his confidence.
At this moment, Nangong Jing flashed with golden light as she directed a punch at Keke Lusi.
Golden fist force shot at him. That domineering power made his expression change.
The moment he attempted to block, a pink light flashed in Qiuyue Hesha's eyes. Immediately, he involuntarily stopped in his tracks, and the golden fist force struck his armor. The power had hurled away his body.
At this juncture, demonic chi surged around Keke Lusi.
He forcefully stopped his momentum as he gawked at Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha in shock. "How is this possible?!"
He thought only Lu Ze was powerful among the humans...
'The two girls next to him were this strong too?!'
Before he could ponder on it, Lu Ze appeared before him.
Lu Ze punched Keke Lusi's back.
Sensing an even stronger attack, Keke Lusi's face appeared serious. Spirit force surged from his long sword as he sliced at Lu Ze.
Right then, his chi suddenly soared, and the power on the sword became much weaker.
'Rumble!'
Lu Ze's fist greeted the sword again.
Both of them fell back from the resulting force.
Lu Ze felt the pain struck, but he still grinned.
He wasn't fighting alone. Before Keke Lusi could stabilize himself, Lin Ling's eyes glowed as a golden needle shot at him. They were all attacking his weak points.
"Argh!" As the danger approached, he roared and forcefully gathered some power. He unleashed his demonic chi, forming a dark-red spirit barrier and blocking all the incoming golden needles. During this moment, blue flames appeared around Alice and produced fire clones, which exploded near the shield.
The blue flames burned in space like a blue star. The scorching temperature left some fluctuations around.
Moments later, a strand of dark-red beam flashed past the blue flames, and Keke Lusi charged out. His face ended up dark-red. Blood sipped out of his mouth. He got injured.
He gasped and looked at the group in disbelief. "How can you guys be this strong?!" The blade demons couldn't grasp the reality. They thought it was just Lu Ze who was exceptionally powerful, but the girls around him were also very dangerous despite being a bit weaker.
In an instant, Keke Lusi was injured.
The leading blade demon shook off Iman and roared, "Everyone retreat!"
They had to retreat. Keke Lusi was a level-8 star state. Right now, they only had two level-8 star states to back them up. This meant, except for him, Keke Lusi, and the other level-8 states, all other blade demons would be killed in one shot.
'B-but those were star states!'
If only two of the three star states remained in the end, the loss would be beyond recoverable.
His roar reached through tens of millions of kilometers. The planetary states also received the news.
The blade demon soldiers felt dazed. 'Didn't they just start fighting?" 'Why are they retreating all of a sudden?'
However, they still followed their orders in the end.
"Retreat!"
The humans didn't really understand what happened. Nevertheless, how could they let such a good opportunity pass? "Kill!"
The human planetary states roared as they chased after and shot at the blade demons.
The blade demon ships exploded as a consequence.
The enemies were killed as their bodies aimlessly floated in space.
Back at the star state battlefield, the blade demons blocked most of the humans to protect the fleet during the retreat.
Keke Lusi wiped the blood from his mouth. He too planned to escape right now.
Lu Ze said aloud in a cold manner, "You want to run away?!"
Demonic chi surged around him as he charged at Keke Lusi for another time. Keke Lusi retorted, "Don't think about stopping me, Lu Ze!"
He wasn't pathetically weak. Even though he became much weaker under the influence of Qiuyue Hesha's seduction god art, he still felt confident he wouldn't die in their hands.
At this moment, Lu Li's eyes flashed with darkness runes. Darkness spread in space and encompassed Keke Lusi.
Keke Lusi felt his vision and mental force being suppressed by the darkness.
His face changed. "What is this?"
A few runes flashed in Lu Li's eyes. Accordingly, Lu Ze and the girls were no longer affected by the Eternal Darkness Mist.
Lu Ze instantly appeared next to Keke Lusi and kicked his waist.
When Keke Lusi sensed danger, it was too late for a countermeasure. He could barely push his sword in front of his waist to block the attack.
'Clank!'
Keke Lusi felt the explosive power coming from Lu Ze's leg.
His long sword was bent by the overwhelming power as the remaining force entered his body, sending him flying.
Keke Lusi spat a mouthful of blood, and his chi instantly dropped. Before he could get his bearings, Nangong Jing appeared.
She roared and punched his back.
Keke Lusi almost failed to put up a light barrier in time.
'Rumble!'
Keke Lusi spat out blood again and crashed in Lu Ze's direction.
Lu Ze grinned and charged at the enemy again.
Keke Lusi couldn't see the surroundings, but he knew the attacks wouldn't stop now.
If this continued, his death would be set in stone.
Thinking about this, his eyes flashed with determination.
He roared as chaotic chi spread from his body.
The dark-red mist around him made some sizzling sounds amidst the darkness. He roared and that dark mist was sucked into his body.
His horn became red, and his chi suddenly skyrocketed. It also turned chaotic.
Lu Ze quickly halted his sneak attack and distanced himself. "Oh shit!'
A transformation?
'Run...'
Qiuyue Hesha's mouth dripped with blood. She reminded, "Careful, his mental force became much stronger, but it is also chaotic. It's getting hard for me to influence him.
Lu Ze said, "Don't go up there. Li, can you still hold on?"
Lu Li nodded. "For about half a minute." "Then, let's stall him first."
The region, where Lu Ze and the girls were, received most of the attention, whether it was from the blade demons or humans.
Witnessing Keke Lusi getting trapped in darkness, the blade demons stopped retreating. They couldn't just give up on a level-8 star state without a fight.
The level-9 star state blade demon roared, "Scatter the darkness and save Keke Lusi! How dare you?!"
The human side increased the forces of their attacks. Nevertheless, all the blade demons continued to block them. They were willing to directly receive the hits just so they could interrupt the darkness surrounding their comrade.
The leading level-9 star state also took a hit from Iman in exchange for a chance to shoot out a black sword ray towards the darkness.
After the group noticed the incoming attacks launched at them, their expressions changed. If it were just level-6 or level-7 star state attacks, it wouldn't affect them gravely. But level-9 star state attacks were something else! Lu Ze quickly used space god art to reach Lu Li and the other girls. "Come, let's leave..."
Before he could proceed, Lu Ze stopped in his tracks. His expression became odd. All the girls had the same reaction.
As it turned out, all the attacks that were launched didn't have a particular target at all. Some seemed to be heading for the group, but the others also landed on Keke Lusi. The same went for the retaliation sent by the level-9 star state, Keke Lusi just ran around in the darkness like a fly.
Lu Ze and the girls could only watch the level-9 star state shoot a black sword ray, which was actually heading for Keke Lusi...
Lu Ze's mouth twitched as he remarked, "Li, the beings outside cannot see through the mist, can they?"
Lu Li responded, "The Eternal Darkness Mist is a cosmic cloud state divine art. Ordinary level-9 star states wouldn't be able to clearly see the situation inside with my current power."
Everyone: "..."
Lu Ze and the girls dodged the weak attacks. They simply stood by as they witnessed the level-9 star state sword ray approached Keke Lusi.
Keke Lusi finally sensed the incoming threat.
His consciousness was fading away due to the eerie divine art. He let out strange roars.
His sword flashed vibrantly as it clumsily clashed with the sword ray.
'Rumble!'
A shockwave rattled the mist.
Lu Li's face went pale. "I can't hold on!"
Right then, the mist slowly retreated. The fate of Keke Lusi was finally revealed. The level-9 sword ray ended up shattering his sword and slicing his armor.
Everyone saw it.
Blade demons: "?"
Humans: ?
They watched the blade demon shoot the sword ray but...
'W-why did it hit Keke Lusi?'
Keke Lusi was flung a thousand kilometers away. The reason he wasn't dead yet was due to the eerie divine art. His combat power managed to rose up. The level-9 star state blade demon didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth but nothing came out.
At this moment, another roar filled the space. Dark-red streams spun around Keke Lusi as his chi became uncanny.
With this scene, the faces of the Blade Demon Race changed. "Oh shit! Blood Demon Transformation! Keke Lusi was forced to use a forbidden divine art?!"
Keke Lusi shot across space and appeared before the level-9 star state. His arm blades flashed with terrifying dark-red spirit light as he hacked towards the blade demon that rendered the blow earlier.
Lu Ze and the girls: "?"
'An internal conflict?'
The arms of the level-9 star state blade demon also glowed and blocked the attack.
'Rumble!' The level-9 star state and Keke Lusi were blown away by the force released by the clash. "General Duoduo Nike!"
"Damn it! Keke Lusi has lost his mind after using Blood Demon transformation! What do we do?!"
"Stop him?!"
"Who?!"
Keke Lusi could hold himself against Duoduo Nike a little now. Who would dare to go up?
Moreover...
The human side wasn't going to let this opportunity slip. True enough, Iman roared, "Attack!"
The humans used maximized their forces to attack the blade demons.
Qiuyue Hesha's face appeared strange. "No wonder I felt his consciousness turn chaotic after using that divine art. I thought it was some mental force defense technique..."
Lu Ze chimed in, "As long as you become an idiot, you won't be controlled, right? I don't see any problem with that.."
Lu Li smiled. "... If it weren't for that blade demon's attack, he might really be fine now."
Duoduo Nike wanted to die. He blocked Keke Lusi's attacks while watching out for Iman. He roared, "Retreat! Hurry!"
Everyone withdrew.
Given this development, Lu Ze and the girls smiled.
Qiuyue Hesha used seduction god art. Instantly, all the star states were affected, except for Duoduo Nike and the other level-8 star state.
It was a brief moment, but the blade demons were assaulted once again.
Quite some blade demons were heavily injured. Some even died on the spot. The rest had received some damages too.
Lu Ze and Nangong Jing charged towards the other level-8 star state.
He was already having a difficult time facing two level-8 human star states. When he saw Lu Ze and Nangong Jing inched closer, his face became pale.
He cried out, "General Duoduo Nike!"
Duoduo Nike saw this, of course. His eyes flashed with a sliver of pain as he ordered, "Run! Try your best to survive!"
Hearing this, all the blade demons rejoiced. Some had blood light appearing around them as they tore through space and disappeared from the spot.
Some used runic scrolls that also helped them experienced a surge in speed.
Some weaker blade demons were about to do the same, but they stopped after Qiuyue Hesha used seduction god art. Naturally, they were massacred by humans.
The level-8 star state blade demon also tore open a green scroll. He instantly turned into a beam and disappeared.
Duoduo Nike looked coldly at Lu Ze before breaking free from Keke Lusi and disappearing thereafter.
Only Keke Lusi was left behind.
He roared at Duoduo Nike.
He was going to keep chasing after the other blade demon.
At this moment, the dark-red light around flashed, and a bloody smoke spread out. His chi instantly dropped.
His divine art had faded away, and his mind was clear again.
He looked around but only saw humans. He didn't see a single blade demon.
'Where are my teammates?!'
'A-am I... abandoned?!'
Iman pressed something with his right hand. A blue light entered Keke Lusi's body thereafter, sealing his power completely.
Coupled with this move and his heavy injuries, Keke Lusi fainted.
Iman turned to Lu Ze and the girls. "Lu Ze, you guys did exceptionally well." The other two level-8 star states nodded.
"Indeed, otherwise, we wouldn't even be certain if we could win or not. There was no way it would be this easy."
Lu Ze cracked a smile. "Pity we didn't capture them all."
Iman shook his head. "At the star state level, everyone has their respective trump cards and escape means. It's not easy to kill a star state. We killed tens of blade demon star states this time though. This could be considered the greatest victory in 200 years."
The level-8 star state smiled. "This time, it is enough for them to feel bitter for a long while."
Lu Ze then realized something. Star states were the supporting pillars of a cosmic system state civilization.
'How could they not have escape means?'
Lu Ze felt it was a bit of a pity, but he no longer minded it now.
It just proved he wasn't strong enough. If he was, he could ensure the death of every single blade demon.
Iman looked down. They could still see the tail of the blade demon fleet. His eyes went cold. "Don't let them get away!"
The star states nodded as they charged towards the fleet.
Lu Ze appeared in the middle and used Light-and-Darkness Beam.
'Rumble!
The beam exploded, blasting the center ship to pieces. The nearby ships suffered the same fate.
In the other regions, all the star states attacked. The remnant blade demon ships blew up without resistance.
In just a few short seconds, tens of thousands of ships turned into cosmic dust. Following this, the star states entered planet Geka.
There were still remaining cannon towers. This time, the blade demons lost too quickly. Usually, the star state battle should be the one that will take the longest to finish.
These cannon towers were only deployed when fleets were barging through the defense line.
Yet, the star state battle ended first, and the rest just fell apart. These cannons towers became useless now.
The blade demon base was empty.
Iman sighed. "I didn't expect to win this battle without much fuss." Lu Ze asked, "General Iman, should we keep chasing them? The blade demons should have a base similar to ours over there, right?"
Iman questioned, "What do you mean?" Lu Ze insisted, "Now that the blade demons had lost so many star states, we can destroy their base too. Perhaps this would make them suffer the greatest loss?"
Everyone looked strangely at him following his suggestion.
Lu Ze felt awkward and asked, "Is there a problem?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang slapped Lu Ze on the head. She rolled her eyes. "If it were easy, we would have done that already. Don't you think so?"
Iman smiled and explained, "Both our base and the blade demon base are the same. The defenses are extremely strong. We can't break through it unless we have a cosmic system state coming over. But if even if one from our side arrives, their very own cosmic system state would also come to balance it out." Lin Yan chimed in, "Otherwise, the defense force would consider retreating before you guys came."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang said, "Normally, we can call the elders over, but right now, the threat of insectoids is prevalent. It's not the time to begin a major conflict with the blade demons."
Lu Ze nodded. By the time he completely repaired the foundations of the elders, their combat power should increase as well. At most, it would take him a year. He shouldn't be desperate. Iman expressed, "But Ze did remind me. We can't take their base yet, but we can't also let go of a single resource point!"
He turned around and ordered, "Amanda, Li Xi, you two, stay and control planet Geka. The rest of you, come with me to sweep the blade demon resource points! The entire Geka System is ours now! As for the blade demons, they can watch us eat in their base!"
Everyone grinned.
Blade Demon Base
Ships loaded with resources kept docking at the space station. The blade demons guarding there grinned at the ships.
"He... this is a major win!"
"Yes, in just half a day, we found more resources in the human base than what we scavenged for a week in other places. This is only the beginning too."
"Haha, the masters have stationed at planet Geka with the Sharp Blade Legion. With that advantage, the humans can only dream of landing on Geka. The entire planet is ours now!"
"Everyone stand by! Don't fail at this crucial moment! I'll kill him personally!"
All the soldiers stood straight. But their eyes were blazing with fire. With more resources, they would receive a slight share too.
At this moment, space rippled above the base. Heavily injured blade demons fell out.
Countless ships charged out. Some were burning too. Seeing this, all the blade demons stationed at the base were taken aback.
"That's... Master Duoduo Nike?!"
"They're the star state masters. Why are they back?"
"Not good... a lot of our soldiers are missing?! Where did they go?!"
"It's the ship of the Sharp Blade Legion? How come the damage appeared to be extensive?"
"Just what happened?!" A cold voice announced, "Notify our subjects at all the resource points to retreat immediately! Take away all the resources you can! From now on, all the ships are forbidden to leave the base!"
Everyone's eyes flashed with a trace of horror.
'Something major happened!' They didn't know what it was exactly, but it seemed grave...
After the blade demons landed, some of them fainted on the spot. They were heavily injured and returned to the base purely on their will.
Duoduo Nike's face was really bad. He found out that more than 30 star states were gone. His body was trembling!
"That was 30 star states!'
His face only got better when he saw a small female blade demon alive.
Luckily, Beibei Niya, who had healing god art, didn't die. Otherwise, they would take forever to recover.
He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Beibei Niya, stabilize the injuries of those who fainted. Everyone, heal yourself first! We'll discuss things later after our companions aren't in the brink of dying anymore!"
Beibei Niya nodded. "Yes!"
Half an hour later, the powerful blade demons gathered in a meeting room. Their chi was still extremely weak, but at least, the lethal injuries had recovered.
Duoduo Nike took a deep breath. "Our losses are substantial this time. We lost 35 star state brothers and sisters!"
The atmosphere fell silent.
Everyone's expression was really bad. Duoduo Nike glanced at everyone and said, "But, we did get something. At least, we know Lu Ze's real combat power. We have to account for the few powerful female humans as well. Their sacrifice was worth it. They discovered the hidden enemies we must watch out for. The original plan was just to kill Lu Ze. Now, we need to revise it accordingly."
In a single day, the human fleet had taken over all the resource points.
The massive fleet went to the edge of the Geka System and stood off against the vast base of the Blade Demon Race.
In the main ship, Zuoqiu Xunshuang approached a window and looked at the vast base with a sneer on her face. "I wonder what would they feel upon seeing our fleet docking at the place they resided?" Iman smiled. "Don't get careless. The territory of the Blade Demon Race is nearby. They can always send reinforcements at any time. From now on, assign five people per squad. Monitor the base of the Blade Demon Race at all times. If they ask for support, we need to rethink whether we should retreat."
Everyone nodded.
The five star states remained while the rest left the main ship.
Lu Ze and the girls followed Zuoqiu Xunshuang back to her own ship, which was the vehicle they boarded.
Lu Ze asked, "By the way, Aunty Xunshuang, where is Brother Lin Kuang and his group?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang replied, "Probably on Lin Yan's ship. Are you going to give them the red
orbs?"
Lu Ze nodded. "Yes, now is a good chance."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang smiled and patted his shoulder. "Go over by yourself. You know Xiao Yan anyways."
She smiled cheekily at Lin Ling. Lin Ling looked down in embarrassment while Lu Ze just laughed.
At this moment, Nangong Jing stretched her back, showing off her curvaceous body. "It's no big deal. You can go alone. I'm going back to cultivate."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "I won't accompany you either."
Alice and Lu Li had the same response.
Lu Ze: "?"
'What?'
'Did they choose to cultivate rather than join him?'
'Did they assume they can surpass him by doing so?'
'Pfft, naïve!'
Anyway, he could always cultivate after running the errand. Following such, he looked at Lin Ling. "Lin Ling, how about you?"
She hadn't talked to Uncle Ling for a long time after all. He decided it was better for her to follow him.
Lin Ling hesitated for a moment before nodding Zuoqiu Xunshuang grinned. "Then, you two, go ahead. Say hello to Lin Yan for me."
Lu Ze nodded. Then, he grabbed Lin Ling's hand and used space god art.
With this, Nangong Jing and the girls rapidly went into their rooms to start cultivating.
Lu Ze and Lin Ling appeared in the main hall. The guards looked vigilantly at the two, but when they realized their identities, they immediately stood straight and saluted.
"Greetings, Monarch of the New Dawn and Young Duke Ling!" Lu Ze asked, "Hello, where is Marshal Lin?" A high-level planetary state guard answered, "He is in his office. Should I take you over?"
He looked eagerly at Lu Ze and Lin Ling.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. Surely, if he rejected the offer, the other person would be hurt. He didn't seem like a planetary state boss at all.
Lu Ze smiled and nodded. "Then, thank you, general."
This high-level planetary state guard shook his head. "Not a problem, please follow me."
After the two departed, the guards revealed expressions of admiration.
"Those are Monarch of the New Dawn and Young Duke Ling! The reports provided that the battle at Geka System ended so quickly because of their overwhelming power."
"I know this. Rumor has it, his power can rival the old star states. This is unbelievable!" "Yes, he had recently broken through last month. This is too terrifying."
"Young Duke Lin Ling's power is extraordinary too. I'll tell you guys one thing though. Don't spread it around."
The guard looked around vigilantly. "What is it? Tell us!"
The guard coughed out. "Last night, when I was walking down the corridor, I saw Marshal Lin smile. It is probably because of Young Duke Lin Ling, right?"
The atmosphere fell silent.
Everyone took in a cold breath.
"Y-you... are saying Marshal Lin cracked a smile?!"
The guard confirmed it. "I'm not blind. It was just an instant, but I'm certain he smiled!"
Everyone looked at each other in disbelief.
'Cold-faced Hades Lin Yan can smile?!'
This seemed disturbing. The guard coughed. "Um... let's not discuss this anymore."
The other guards quickly changed the topic.
"Um... I really want to lead Monarch of the New Dawn and Young Duke Lin Ling myself."
"Unfortunately, General Wu is our superior."
"Sigh... my kid admires the Monarch of the New Dawn so much. He wanted me to get an autograph from him. Now, this can't happen."
In the corridor, the general chatted with Lu Ze and Lin Ling eagerly while leading the way. He smiled. "Monarch of the New Dawn, my daughter admires you so much. If it's convenient, can you give me your..."
Before he could finish, he saw Lin Ling smiling at him. His mouth twitched.
Lu Ze was confused. "Give you what, General Wu?!
He found out along the way that his name was Wu Wenhai. He has a daughter who also graduated from Federal University. She was their senior.
Wu Wenhai faked a cough. "W-want an autograph."
He took out pen and paper from his storage ring Lu Ze: "..."
He took it and signed accordingly.
Wu Wenhai put it away carefully. He sighed. 'Daughter, it's not because dad doesn't want to help you, but if I do, I might not live anymore...'
Moments later, they arrived at Lin Yan's office.
He knocked and reported, "Marshal, Monarch of the New Dawn and Young Duke Lin Ling is here."
A voice responded, "Let them in."
Wu Wenhai smiled. "Please enter. I'll go ahead then." Lu Ze nodded. "Thank you for leading the way."
The two went in.
Lin Yan was sitting at his desk while doing some work. He looked up at Lu Ze and Lin Ling.
The father-and-daughter paired stared at each other. The atmosphere was a little awkward.
Lu Ze smiled. "Uncle Lin, I have some energy orbs that might be suitable for you."
Lin Yan asked, "Are you talking about the orbs you use to cultivate?"
Lu Ze nodded and handed over a storage ring. There were a lot of level-1 and level-2 star state red orbs, as well as a few level-3 star state red orbs. He also reserved some for Uncle Merlin and Aunty Honglian.
Lin Yan was a bit moved. He took a deep look at Lu Ze and said, "When are you two having kids?"
Lin Ling: "?"
She finally realized how Sister Jing felt. She was being sold by her own father! This old guy!
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. "Um... we're planning to do it soon."
Then, he quickly changed the subject. "By the way, where are Brother Lin Kuang and the others?"
Lin Yan's face returned to being cold. "He is cultivating. If he has even half of your talent, I will finally feel relieved."
Lu Ze couldn't really answer that. He laughed it off. "Then, Uncle Lin, you can have a chat with Lin Ling. I'll find them first."
Lin Yan noticed Lin Ling didn't object, so he agreed. "The room at the end of the corridor is theirs. Go ahead."
At the commanding tower in the base of the Blade Demon Race, Duoduo Nike and the blade demons were observing the human fleet docked at their base. Their faces were rather ugly.
"How dare they!" a blade demon said angrily.
Duoduo Nike waved his hand and asked, "Lulu Xisi, how is the teleportation formation going?"
A blade demon reported, "Almost ready, it wouldn't create too much space pressure teleporting blade demons over."
Duoduo Nike smiled. "Very well! I have reported back Lu Ze's real combat power. The Demon Palace takes this matter seriously. This time, there will be six senior senators from the senate attacking. Lu Ze and those girls won't be able to run away!"
"Six senior senators?!" all the blade demons, who were dumbfounded, exclaimed.
'Senior senators were peak stage star states!' 'The Blade Demon Race only had six senior senators in total!'
"Isn't that... too much?"
The blade demons looked among each other.
Duoduo Nike sneered, "If the Lord Demon King and the elders can pass through the formation as well, they would also join the senior senators." His eyes flashed with coldness as he added, "This is to ensure nothing fails. We can't let Lu Ze and the girls flee from our grasp!"
The blade demons smiled.
"This time, Lu Ze won't escape his calamity!"
Lu Ze knocked on Lin Kuang's room. Soon, the door opened, and Lin Kuang's head peeped out.
After seeing Lu Ze, Lin Kuang's eyes lit up. "Ze? Why did you come over?"
He looked around. "Where are Lin Ling and the other girls?"
Lu Ze answered, "Lin Ling is with Uncle Lin. Jing Jing and the others are cultivating with Aunty Xunshuang."
Lin Kuang nodded. "Oh, come in."
Lu Ze entered Lin Kuang's room. It was similar to his.
Lin Kuang asked, "By the way, why did you come to find me?"
Lu Ze smiled. "Call the others over first, Brother Lin Kuang."
Lin Kuang was stunned and looked at Lu Ze with confusion. However, he still nodded. "Wait here for a moment."
Lin Kuang went out as Lu Ze sat down on a chair to wait for him.
Moments later, the door opened again, and a group of people-Lin Kuang, Luo Bingqing, Derrick, Jack, Xuan Yuji, Daphne, Louisa, Chi Xiaomo, Mo Xie, and Bony-entered. Derrick grinned. "Ze? Lin Kuang says you asked him to bring us here. So you really are here?"
"I heard your team killed many star states in the battle a few days ago. Be honest, what's your current power?"
Everyone looked over curiously.
Lu Ze smiled. "It's around level-8 star state."
Everyone: "..."
Mo Xie smiled bitterly. "I thought reaching level-4 planetary state in just a year is quick enough. But compared to you..." He then shook his head.
The other people were speechless too. They had pretty much the same progress as they reached the planetary state around the same time. They used red orbs to perfect their foundation, including all sorts of precious resources from the secret realm discovered by the Round Race. Only then did they reach their current level.
They felt their own speed was rather terrifying, but Lu Ze immediately shattered the illusion.
Daphne asked, "What sort of species are you? We are progressing faster, and yet, our difference is only growing apart. Did Elder Nangong give you something special?" Lu Ze: "..."
'What else could he say?' He was using the newest version of the red orbs to cultivate every day. Right then, he just smiled and changed the subject. "Elder Nangong told me to bring some orbs for you guys."
Hearing this, everyone gawked at Lu Ze. They were like kids who just learned they were about to receive candy.
Lu Ze took out storage rings and gave them to the group.
They looked inside, and Xuan Yuji exclaimed, "This many?"
This was way more than before. The other people were confused too.
Lu Ze explained, "If you have any questions, go ask the elder."
Luo Bingqing took a deep look at Lu Ze before smiling. "Don't be shocked. Utilize the resources well instead."
The others nodded.
Jack smiled. "With these resources, I'm confident in reaching the star state within five years!"
The other people were also keen and confident. They could reach the star state after reaching the planetary state for less than ten years. They didn't dare to believe such a speed previously.
'But now, it was about to become reality!'
Lu Ze smiled. That probably wouldn't happen. He would donate more resources soon after getting stronger. At his current rate, he should reach the cosmic system state next year. By then, Lin Kuang and the others can reach the star state at least.
Thinking about this, Lu Ze felt great about the future. In that case, even without Ying Ying, the Human Race's power would be considered the top among cosmic system state civilizations!
They would then be able to obtain more resources. Ordinary people would have better cultivation resources too. The power of the entire race would experience an overwhelming surge! Lu Ze smiled at the group. "I came here for this. The elder said the energy is very precious, so use it well."
Luo Bingqing and the others nodded seriously.
Xuan Yuji nodded. "Don't worry, we're not kids. How can we waste these resources?"
Lu Ze nodded and smiled. "Then, there's nothing else. I'm going back first."
Everyone nodded. They couldn't wait to use the red orbs to cultivate.
As soon as they left Lin Kuang's room, the door was slammed shut.
Lu Ze: "..."
Then, Jack smiled. "Um, Ze, you already know the way, right?"
Subsequently, he disappeared from the spot. The other guys vanished from the spot one by one.
In the end, only Luo Bingqing remained. He took a deep look at Lu Ze and patted his shoulder. "Thank you, Ze."
Lu Ze raised a brow. 'Does he know something?'
Lu Ze shook his head and returned to Lin Yan's office. He discovered that the two were chatting. The atmosphere seemed more pleasant.
The two looked over as Lu Ze came in.
Lin Ling got up and sat next to Lu Ze. "It's done?"
Lu Ze smiled and nodded.
Lin Yan sighed. "Ze, please look after Lin Kuang.'
Lu Ze responded, "Don't worry, Uncle Lin."
Lin Yan nodded and looked at the two. "Okay, I won't disturb the two of you. You can go back."
Lin Ling blushed while Lu Ze chuckled. "We'll be going then, Uncle Lin."
Following such, Lu Ze put his arms around Lin Ling's waist and left using space transmission.
Lin Yan took out that photo and smiled gently at the woman in it.
Meanwhile, Lu Ze and Lin Ling appeared back on Zuoqiu Xunshuang's ship. Lin Ling looked around. "Ze, this is your room..."
Lu Ze looked at Lin Ling. "I know."
All the other girls are cultivating right now.
'How could he miss this opportunity?'
Lin Ling's body tensed up after seeing the blatant desire in his eyes.
Lu Ze could tell her face was becoming flushed rapidly.
The two gazed at each other.
Passionate feelings bloomed between them. The two had known each other for years. They even fought together, played around, and understood each others' likes and dislikes.
Given their intimate familiarity with each other, the feelings between them grew deep as well.
Amidst the silence, Lin Ling wrapped her arms around Lu Ze's neck and closed her eyes as she brought her face closer.
Lu Ze slowly bent down.
At the very moment the two were about to touch, a sudden alarm blared.
"Attention, everyone! There are movements at the base of the Blade Demon Race."
Lu Ze and Lin Ling: "?" 'Oh shit!
Lu Ze didn't feel too good. He finally had such a good opportunity. 'Why did the blade demons have to retaliate now?!'
Lu Ze had the urge to summon that cosmic cloud state beast and annihilate the blade demons at once. Lin Ling bit her lips. Her face revealed her annoyance.
She was even ready. A chance like this was hard to come by.
Now, the atmosphere was ruined. She felt disappointed.
She looked up and saw Lu Ze's face. She couldn't resist laughing though. With this, she didn't feel bad anymore. Instead, the sweetness reached her heart.
She tiptoed and kissed Lu Ze. Then, she leaned her face into Lu Ze's shoulder and rubbed against his neck. She said with some embarrassment, "Next time..."
Lu Ze felt helpless.
'What could he do?'
He hugged Lin Ling tightly. "I am about to cry. I need Lin Ling's lips to recover."
Lin Ling tiptoed again, and they shared another kiss.
At this moment, the door was pushed open. Nangong Jing walked in as she said, "Ze, you're back...?"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Behind her were Lu Li, Alice, and Qiuyue Hesha.
Seeing the two interlocked with each other, Nangong Jing's smile disappeared. Lu Li smirked while Alice pouted her lips.
Only Qiuyue Hesha blinked cheekily at Lu Ze.
'Little brother Lu Ze really knew how to grasp opportunities. Unfortunately for him, an accident ruined it.' Lu Ze and Lin Ling: "..."
The atmosphere fell silent. Nangong Jing called them out, "Wow, Lin Ling, you're being sneaky!"
Lin Ling quickly broke free from Lu Ze's hold and ran to the side, looking down at her shoes.
Lu Ze: "?"
'Why was he abandoned so quickly?'
He could feel the ache in his heart.
Sensing the gaze of the three other girls, Lu Ze's mouth twitched. He felt a cold sensation on his back.
Just when he was trying hard to find a way to survive, Zuoqiu Xunshuang came to the door. Her face was serious. "We're going out to assemble. There is a situation over there at the base of the Blade Demon Race."
Lu Ze almost cried. He looked at Zuoqiu Xunshuang with gratitude.
She was the best aunt! He managed to survive.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang: "?"
She was confused by Lu Ze's grateful expression, so she asked, "What's wrong?"
Lu Ze coughed. "It's nothing. Aunty Xunshuang, let's go." Zuoqiu Xunshuang nodded. Thereafter, she opened a wormhole and walked inside first.
Lu Ze's eyes flashed with coldness.
Those bastards ruined his rare opportunity. If he didn't kill them this time, he wouldn't feel satisfied.
When Lu Ze came before the fleet, everyone else was already present.
Iman nodded at Lu Ze's group and said, "Wang Tian, are they asking for reinforcements?"
A black-haired, middle-aged man responded, "No."
Everyone was confused.
'What were the blade demons trying to do then?'
'Did they get bored so they repositioned their ships instead?'
At this moment, tens of beams shot out of the base towards Lu Ze and the girls.
The six chis at the front were extremely powerful.
The expressions of Iman and the others changed.
Iman was in disbelief. "Who are those six blade demons? Peak stage star state?! How come we didn't notice them before?"
Wang Tian said, "We have been constantly monitoring their base. There should be no reinforcements!"
Lu Ze frowned. He could feel those six chis were locked onto him.
These bastards not only ruined his chance with Lin Ling, but they also wanted to beat him up?!
Right then, Iman gritted his teeth and ordered, "Retreat!"
They had no chances of winning. At this juncture, an invisible wave spread across the nearby light-year. One blade demon was holding a gray stone rune. He was inserting all his power into it.
His face was getting pale, and his chi was getting weak. He yelled, "Hurry up! The space binding stone consumes too much power. I can only last a minute!"
This stone was one of their strongest means. It was awarded to them when the Blade Demon Race accomplished a major work for the Advanced Demon Race.
This stone could only be used ten times. This was the ninth time now.
In order to avoid the escape of Lu Ze and the girls, they made full preparations!
The other five blade demons looked coldly at Lu Ze. "One minute is enough!" "Everyone listen! The only targets are Lu Ze and the female humans next to him. We must kill them no matter what!
"Yes!"
The blade demons charged at Lu Ze and the girls.
Duoduo Nike's face looked hideous. He could finally exact revenge now!
Iman's face changed.
He yelled to Lu Ze and the girls, "Run!"
He followed up with, "Everyone, stop them at all costs! Create a way for Monarch of the New Dawn and the girls to escape!"
Iman stood before Lu Ze and his group.
The blade demons snarled. The one leading the charge sneered, "Escape? Lu Ze will die here today!"
Lu Ze was still thinking about which method he should use to kill them.
'When did he say he was going to run though?' Should he use the star state one-time divine art rune?
What about the cosmic cloud state summoning crystal?
Or call out Ying Ying instead?
There was no reason for him to run, but upon seeing so many people stand before him, Lu Ze felt touched.
The Human Race managed to pave its own path because of this spirit of self-sacrifice.
Lu Ze pushed aside the star state before him and smiled. "General Iman, don't worry, I'm here."
Iman and the soldiers were taken aback.
'Did that Star Spirit Race recover?'
Thinking about this, everyone relaxed.
At this moment, Lu Ze turned to the blade demons.
Everyone became nervous once again.
'What is Lu Ze doing?'
The blade demons didn't expect Lu Ze to come out from behind the humans. They were taken aback then snarled in the next second.
"You dare to show yourself. You're asking to die!"
At this moment, demonic flames rose around Lu Ze. The chaotic chi rattled the space. All the blade demons were stunned. They looked at Lu Ze in disbelief.
"How is this possible?!"
Lu Ze's chi made them shiver.
"How can he be this powerful?"
Lin Yan's eyes narrowed. "This power..." Iman recalled Lu Ze's Lightning Palm last time.
'Is this one of Lu Ze's trump cards again?!'
"Just how many hidden aces did this kid have?'
The other star states also remembered the same scene where Ze crushed the insectoid lair.
Seeing this demonic flame, they felt they were experiencing a similar show.
Lu Ze was shocked too. He didn't expect the demonic flame god art to be this formidable.
This chi surpassed the star state already.
He clenched his hands.
'Isn't this supposed to be a star state divine art?'
This rune used a power reaching the peak stage star state. The divine art was also a peak star state divine art. However, the peak star state standard in the Pocket Hunting Dimension seemed to differ in the actual world.
The peak star state bosses in the Pocket Hunting Dimension were stronger than ordinary level-1 cosmic system states even if they weren't overlords.
No wonder this divine art was this strong.
'Wait!'
In that case...
Lu Ze's eyes lit up. He had a bold idea.
He looked at the terrified blade demons and then at the base of Blade Demon Race.
He grinned.
He used the power of the rune.
Demonic flames ignited as he waved his hand. The black flames shot at the blade demons like a tsunami.
The enemies wanted to run, but they realized their surroundings had become extremely condensed.
It was difficult to move even more. 'How could they avoid this disaster?'
The leading senior senator roared, "Stop!"
All the blade demons went into a craze. They used all their trump cards.
Even the senior senators did the same, they especially used barely-reaching-cosmic-system-state power attacks.
However, the black flame was like the deep abyss. It devoured everything they threw on it.
Thereafter, those blade demons were engulfed by the flames like feeble pebbles.
The last victim was the senior senator who used the space restriction stone. His eyes flashed with despair.
At this juncture, he suddenly realized something. He looked at the base behind him, and his body felt chills all over.
Just when he wanted to say something, he was engulfed by the black flames.
Lu Ze watched this expressionlessly. He didn't bother to stop.
The flames continued towards the base of the Blade Demon Race.
He knew this base's defenses were supposed to be impenetrable, but he still wanted to try whether he could breach it.
The blade demons in the base were waiting to witness a good show.
In the end, it played out in a completely different way.
The shift from heaven to hell only took a brief second.
They could only watch as the powerful star state beings ended up getting devoured into the demonic flames.
This included the six senior senators!
They were peak stage star states!
Yet, they were still powerless to resist.
All the blade demons, who were watching, were in disbelief.
At this point, someone observed, "Why do I feel the flame is coming for our base?"
Right then, the truth finally dawned on the blade demons.
They stared at the black flames in horror and retreated a few steps instinctively.
One peak planetary state roared, "Quiet! Calm down!"
He said, "Don't forget! This is our base! The demonic flames can't touch it! Don't worry!"
As his words fell, the demonic flames arrived and slipped inside.
A blood-red barrier suddenly emerged and blocked the black flames.
'Sizzle...'
The blade demons froze as they watched.
Green smoke began to appear. The power swept over the surrounding light-year. Space ended up quaking, creating a cosmic storm. The storm swept past Iman and the other soldiers as well. Those lower-leveled star states struggled to stop the storm.
Iman and the others gasped.
Lu Ze wanted to destroy the base of the Blade Demon Race straight up?!
Everyone felt excited. Usually, this type of defense could only be broken if the saints themselves came over.
'Could Lu Ze really destroy it?'
If the base of the Blade Demon Race in the Geka System could be destroyed, this would be the most glorious victory in all these years of human-and-blade-demon long-drawn battles.
Even the saints can't accomplish this.
It wasn't that the saints weren't capable, but if they attacked, then so would the opposing cosmic system states. This stalemate had lasted for a long time.
When the peak planetary state blade demon saw the barrier put a stop to the flames, he felt relieved.
He was really worried that the defenses would be breached
He turned to the soldiers and roared, "See! This is the defense capabilities of the base! It won't be breached! Don't worry!"
The rest of the blade demons relaxed. As long as the defenses weren't breached, they didn't have to worry.
Reinforcements would also come soon.
'Crack...'
Suddenly, there was a small disturbance, and all the blade demons stiffened.
They didn't dare to breathe anymore.
A few seconds later...
'Crack...'
'Crack... Crack..
Everyone was taken aback as they looked at the blood barrier in disbelief.
The cracks began to manifest on the surface of the blood jade-like barrier.
As the black flames kept charging, the visible cracks expanded.
Crisp sounds reverberated.
All the blade demons felt their hearts go cold.
At this point, the demonic flames suddenly paused and became weaker.
Noticing this, the blade demons felt hopeful once again.
'It must be stopped!'
They had never been this anxious before.
Lu Ze sensed the demonic flames weaken. This was a one-time divine art rune anyway. It only had the power for a single attack.
He gritted his teeth and fused his power with the demonic flame divine art.
Lu Ze's power was not inferior, but for this level of divine art, it wasn't enough either.
The demonic flames only flared up a bit.
However, this sliver was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
'Crack...'
The balance was upset.
Under the burgeoning flames, the barrier shattered.
The last strand of black flames surged into the base.
Every place it passed, the living blade demons became dust.
The metallic alloys of the base turned to water. The flames left a gaping hole at the base. 'It was breached?'
'It was really breached this time?!'
All the star states behind Lu Ze gasped.
They felt like they were dreaming.
While everyone was gawking, Lu Ze breathed out and grinned.
"General Iman, the defenses of the base of the Blade Demon Race are breached."
His face appeared pale, and his chi had been weakened.
In that last moment, he inserted his own power into the Demon Flame divine art. His body was pretty much drained.
Good thing the defenses were already breached. Otherwise, he would have to rely on using the red orbs.
If that was the case, his heart would truly ache. Red orbs were precious. They were used to nurture human prodigies.
The eyes of everyone present glinted with joy
This was great!
Iman roared, "Destroy the base of the Blade Demon Race. Kill all of the blade demons!"
They were going to make the blade demon suffer a thorough loss this time!
All the star states were excited.
"Attack!"
They charged towards the defenseless base of the enemy.
Without the barrier and the death of their respective star states, the blade demons in the base were like sheep to the slaughter.
The human star states entered the base.
Immediately, explosions colossal than planets occurred all over the base.
The blade demons were torn to pieces by the star state attacks.
The buildings were being destroyed constantly.
There was no mercy.
Lu Ze watched this expressionlessly.
War was never glamorous, but it was necessary sometimes.
Nangong Jing and the girls didn't charge over. They chose to stay with Lu Ze.
Nangong Jing grinned. "This time, the blade demons are suffering a sweeping loss!"
Qiuyue Hesha looked at Lu Ze with love. "Yes, it was all because of Little brother Lu Ze. Ever since the two races began fighting, no side has experienced such a great loss!" The two sides were evenly matched before, but now, the situation was no longer the same.
Six peak star states, one level-9 star state, tens of ordinary star states...
This loss was over the top.
Moreover, it involved their base as well, which required countless resources to establish.
Without this base, the Geka System would belong to humans for quite a while.
Lu Li, Lin Ling, and Alice didn't feel the significance of this accomplishment as greatly as the others, but they did recognize that Lu Ze made a major contribution.
Alice grasped Lu Ze's hand tightly. "Senior is so amazing!"
Lu Li said, "Alice, you're going to make him feel arrogant again."
However, she too looked at Lu Ze with love and admiration.
Lu Ze felt very happy. He saw Lu Li's eyes. It revealed everything he needed to know.
However, Lu Ze pretended not to notice them.
He smiled. "Look at who I am? I'm your man."
The girls felt embarrassed and speechless at the same time.
Nangong Jing argued back, "We haven't completed the last step yet!"
Lu Li chimed in, "Yes! Sister Jing is right!"
Lin Ling remarked, "Narcissistic."
He mumbled, "It's all because you girls are always together."
The girls narrowed their eyes.
Lu Li asked, "Hmm? Lu Ze, what did you just say?"
Lu Ze: "..."
He quickly said, "I'm wondering why you girls are so cute."
Qiuyue Hesha giggled and so did the others.
'Rumble!'
There was a vibrant white light that swept past the entire space.
Lu Ze and the girls looked over. That huge monster-like base of the Blade Demon Race exploded.
The explosion lasted for half a minute.
When everything had settled down, the base of their opponent was truly history now.
Iman and the soldiers flew over from the base.
They had smiles on their faces.
Iman looked at Lu Ze with his old eyes. He patted the latter's shoulder. "Kid, good job! Amazing work!"
He was from nearly the same era as the twelve saints. He had gone through wars, internal conflicts, and a period where the future seemed so bleak.
Under the strict rule of the twelve saints, the Human Race began to unite and grow stronger.
Despite this, the wars waged by the foreign races still suffocated the Human Race.
It was too tough.
When he saw Lu Ze destroy the base of the Blade Demon Race, he knew the Human Race would soon welcome a new era.
'How could he not be thrilled?' The other star states also knew how hard-earned this victory was.
Lin Yan patted Lu Ze's shoulder and grinned. "Not bad, Lin Ling picked the right person."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang also said, "That's right, Jing Jing picked the right person."
Everyone was speechless. They felt the two adults were showing off.
"Lu Ze deserves the title 'Monarch of the New Dawn'. After this battle, the war between humans and blade demons will begin a new chapter." "Hahaha, at least, before the blade demons create another base like this, the entire system belongs completely to us for now!"
Iman commanded, "Everyone, return to the fleet. I need to report the situation here to the saints and station some fleets to guard here."
Zuoqiu Xunshuang understood his decision. "Indeed."
On some planet, within the void border, Elder Nangong was sitting inside a base of the Shenwu Army.
At this moment, there was a desperate knock on their door.
Elder Nangong frowned and opened his eyes.
The door opened itself.
The bald-headed Cheng Feng was waiting desperately outside. He was sweating and appeared to be in disbelief.
Elder Nangong frowned. "What's wrong? Why are you so nervous?"
He sensed the surroundings. There were no insectoids.
Elder Nangong was unhappy. Cheng Feng was old and a star state.
How could he not be mature?
Cheng Feng relayed excitedly, "Elder Nangong, something serious happened at the Geka System?!"
Elder Nangong's expression changed. He got up suddenly. "What happened? Did something happen to Ze and the girls?"
Cheng Feng realized Elder Nangong misunderstood him and quickly said, "No, but something did to the blade demons. Lu Ze... he... destroyed the base of the Blade Demon Race there."
Elder Nangong was taken aback.
After a long while, he said, "What did you say?"
He felt he heard it wrong. Maybe Cheng Feng misspoke.
Cheng Feng repeated what he said earlier.
Elder Nangong's face drastically changed. He disappeared from the spot, leaving the words, "Watch the border! Notify me immediately if there are insectoids!"
"?"
Elder Nangong left just like that...
At other places, Saint Shenwu, Elder Lin, and Saint Lin Dong all received the same news and reacted the same.
Blade Demon Ancestral Planet.
A star state blade demon landed at the Grand Demon Palace.
"My King! Something major happened at Geka System!" The voice was trembling. It made quite some blade demons look over with annoyance.
"Gaogao Ersi! What are you so worried about?"
"You're interrupting the cultivation of the King."
The blade demon sitting on the throne opened its golden eyes and glanced at the kneeling blade demon. "What is it?"
Gaogao Ersi answered with a quivering voice, "Our base at Geka System had been destroyed!"
Immediately, the palace became dead silent. Even the Blade Demon King's body stiffened. He got up suddenly. "Gaogao Ersi, what did you say?!"
As the King rose, the pressure in the palace grew heavier. Gaogao Ersi shivered. He repeated, "It was the Human Race! That Lu Ze! He breached the base's defenses! That's how the base fell."
"Impossible!" a voice nearest to the king exclaimed. "Lu Ze is strong, but according to the reports before, he's only has a level-8 star state combat power! How can he breach the base?!"
This blade demon wasn't lustrous like the others. His scales were gray, and he had a few wrinkles on his face. However, his chi made the space shudder. He was a cosmic system
state!
Another old cosmic system state blade demon said, "Bibi Niuer is right. We sent out six senior senators, so Lu Ze wouldn't get away. Can he reach the cosmic system state from being a low-leveled star state in a day?"
Gaogao Ersi was trembling even harder. He quickly explained, "Elder Bibi Niuer, Keke Lisi, Lu Ze didn't seem to be using his own power. I have managed to get a recording."
He took out a black device and projected the disastrous events. In it, Lu Ze was facing the blade demons attacks. His body erupted in demonic flames and turned into a tsunami which devoured all the blade demons. After that, those flames proceeded to destroy the base.
The blade demons watched as the barrier shattered.
All the blade demons, who were present in the room, surged with killing intent.
Since their defenses were breached, they didn't need to finish watching it.
The base was no longer there.
No one spoke, and Gaogao Ersi didn't dare to either.
The Blade Demon King glared at Lu Ze.
'How old was Lu Ze? How did he obtain a power like that?!'
The last time he heard of Lu Ze's name, he was only a planetary state.
'In a year, he reached the star state?'
'Is he talented?'
'Or... is there someone behind him?'
Much worse... is the Elf Race involved?
As the monarch, he had to entertain all the possibilities. He commanded, "Go to Geka System!"
Back in his room on the ship, Lu Ze, Nangong Jing, and Qiuyue Hesha were resting on the bed. Alice and the other girls were cooking in the kitchen.
The battle was finished. Now, it was just time to take over the system. What happened there wasn't something Lu Ze and the girls needed to worry about. They just needed to eat good food and cultivate.
Soon, their dinner was ready. Alice and the rest of the girls carried out spirit food.
"Time to eat." Everyone rushed over to the dinner table. Following such, they went back to their rooms to cultivate.
Lu Ze went inside the Pocket Hunting Dimension and dragged Qiuyue Hesha in.
Just when Lu Ze was about to speak, Qiuyue Hesha ran into his arms and kissed him.
Lu Ze: "?"
Qiuyue Hesha praised, "You were very amazing today, Little brother Lu Ze."
Lu Ze raised his eyes. "Of course, it's just a base at Geka System. It's not that hard to destroy it. You know my hidden cards."
Qiuyue Hesha poked Lu Ze's chest. "You misunderstood me. That isn't what I am referring to." Lu Ze: "?" "Then, what is it?"
Qiuyue Hesha teased, "It's about Lin Ling."
Lu Ze: "!" His smile stiffened.
'Is she jealous?"
"Or... is she actually praising him?'
Lu Ze couldn't understand her even after mulling over it for a long period of time, so he gave up. He just chuckled. "It was a special circumstance. Next time, I will try harder and drag someone else in."
Qiuyue Hesha rolled her eyes and sighed. "I keep feeling that soon, this space wouldn't just contain the two of us."
Lu Ze fell silent as he hugged Qiuyue Hesha tightly. He didn't know what to say. He felt guilty.
This was greatly unfair to all the girls, but what should he do? He refused to give up any one of them.
All of them already made their choices.
Since there was no way to circumvent it, he would need to take responsibility for all of them.
Qiuyue Hesha tip-toed and whispered in his ear, "So, time is of the essence. You need to compensate me well, Little brother Lu Ze."
After a long while, the two ventured into the dimension.
Qiuyue Hesha smiled sweetly while holding Lu Ze's hand. "Little brother Lu Ze, with your current power, should we go and try hunting a level-5 star state beast?"
She looked hopefully at Lu Ze. He didn't expect her to be interested in something this intense. It was quite tough to kill a level-5 star state beast with his level-8 combat power. But then again, it wasn't a far-fetched dream to deal with those beasts.
It might even be much easier with her seduction god art, but the difficulty cannot be disregarded.
However, Lu Ze wanted to attempt the same.
His cultivation level was at level two of the star state now. He could barely use a level-5 star state red orbs.
With that arrangement, he would be able to maintain the fastest cultivation speed.
He smiled. "Then, let's go and try."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded.
Lu Ze recognized two types of level-5 star state beasts. One was that bone armored elephant with body god art while the other was a yellow bear with gravity god art.
No matter which god art he acquired, it would improve his power quite a lot.
Lu Ze started to search for these two beasts.
A few hours later, they finally found an elephant in a valley.
This bone-armored elephant is a level-5 star state. It was using the rocks in the valley to sharpen its bone armor. As it ground against the rocks, the latter was turned into powder. The elephant swung its nose around in satisfaction.
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha, who were behind mountains, sensed the vicinity. After seeing no powerful beasts nearby, the two grinned. Lu Ze said, "I'm going up. Support me, Hesha."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled and nodded. "Be careful."
Lu Ze kissed her face. "I know."
Thereafter, he turned to face the bone-armored elephant. His face became sharp and merciless. He used fire buff, darkness buff, as well as Demonic Burst.
'Rumble!
The sturdy ground where he took off collapsed.
The elephant sensed the explosive power and looked up in vigilance. Simultaneously, its four sharp tusks glowed with white spirit light while power surged from its long nose.
At this juncture, Lu Ze appeared above the elephant's head. He looked below at the elephant as dark golden runes surged on his feet. He stomped heavily onto the elephant's back.
A thunderous explosion occurred. The resulting shockwave spread in all directions and reached the cliffs of the valley.
Lu Ze didn't feel happy about landing a successful blow. His expression changed as he sensed a shock force come from the armor. That terrifying power entered his body, and he fell back.
In mid-air, before Lu Ze could stop his momentum, he felt the wind howling towards him from the left. A black long shadow released a slash.
It was actually the elephant's nose. It contained a formidable power.
At this moment, Qiuyue Hesha used seduction god art. The elephant suddenly paused for a moment before it swung its nose once more. While the elephant halted, Lu Ze forced himself to stop his descent. Demonic chi surged around him as he shifted a few hundred meters to the left. The nose swung past where Lu Ze originally was, and the wind blew across his face.
Lu Ze wiped some blood from his mouth. He panted as he looked at the giant creature.
In stopping his fall, he received some minor injuries. But these injuries recovered in an instant.
He didn't expect the elephant to be stronger than he had imagined. It wasn't fast, but its defenses were extremely sturdy, and it possessed a rebound effect.
Lu Ze looked at its face and the joints where there was no armor. His eyes sharpened. He couldn't fight it head-on, but he could utilize how slow its speed was. Hence, he appeared close to its kneecaps. There were cracks in the bone armor.
When Lu Ze was near, Qiuyue Hesha used her god art.
The elephant wanted to lift up its leg to kick Lu Ze, but it was slowed down.
Lu Ze punched fiercely in between the cracks. The golden fist force struck the thick hide heavily
Lu Ze grinned. The defenses in this portion were weaker than the armor. But once again, he felt the terrifying rebound effect.
Lu Ze: "?"
'Oh shit! This after-effect isn't only exclusive to the armor?'
Lu Ze didn't feel too good. His body was flung away. This time around, he used all his force to retreat in the direction he was crashing to. Simultaneously, the elephant lifted its leg and attempted to kick him.
Lu Ze sped up. As the reverse shock force disappeared, he changed directions and dodged the attack. However, the elephant had turned to face him. It roared and opened its hideous mouth as terrifying power formed into a white spirit ball. This ball further grew to a diameter of five meters within an instant.
This power was extraordinary. It locked onto him. The space around him constricted, and it became increasingly difficult to dodge.
Just when the elephant was about to shoot, Qiuyue Hesha used seduction god art again. Accordingly, the spirit force around it became chaotic, and the cannon shrunk as soon as it was released.
Lu Ze grinned. He could handle this level of cannon. The fox demon was really great though. He should reward her again after!
Lu Ze stepped forward and punched the mouth cannon.
'Rumble!
The entire space became filled with dark-gold and white colors. Rocks fell everywhere, and the valley was ridden with deep cracks.
Before the shockwave ended, Lu Ze charged towards the elephant again.
The rebound shock on the skin wasn't as threatening as the one in the bone armor. He could still handle it as long as he didn't receive a full-powered attack. He had hopes of winning this round! The two continued to battle. The chi made all the surrounding animals flee, fearing that they would get caught in the crossfire.
Ten minutes later, the mountains were demolished, and the valley became a rink. The elephant still stood there, but its chi was much weaker. Blood flowed out from the cracks in its body.
The elephant had body god art, but it was more focused on defenses. It was rather lacking when it came to recovery. Its injuries never healed. Instead, it got worse. This was particularly why it became so weak. Lu Ze breathed out, and the chi around him became much weaker. It was very taxing for him to fight beyond his limit like this. Even ordinary level-8 star states wouldn't last longer than him. However, he was in a better state compared to the elephant.
Qiuyue Hesha's face was also pale. She had nowhere to hide now.
Both sides needed rest, but just after a few seconds of silence, the elephant swung its nose towards Qiuyue Hesha.
Lu Ze took off with Demonic Burst and carried Qiuyue Hesha away from the attack.
Qiuyue Hesha's panted in Lu Ze's arms. "Little brother Lu Ze, I can't do it. I have no power left."
Lu Ze nodded and smiled. "Mhm, have a good rest. Leave the rest to me."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. "Be careful."
Lu Ze smiled. "Don't worry, in terms of stamina, I'm very confident." Qiuyue Hesha thought of something else and blushed as she took off.
The elephant roared furiously again, but Lu Ze wasn't worried. It was nearly out of power anyway. Lu Ze approached the elephant's stomach. There was a huge wound there.
The elephant grew nervous. It roared and formed a barrier with spirit force at its stomach.
Lu Ze grinned. He condensed all of his power and punched the barrier again.
'Rumble!
The shield cracked in an instant, and the remaining fist force entered the wound.
Blood splashed out like crazy. The beast wailed. It was nearing its death. However, Lu Ze didn't stop. He used his remaining power to keep punching the wound.
After six consecutive punches, the fist force penetrated the wound and wiped its life force away. The beast finally fell.
Lu Ze breathed easy.
'It was finally dead!'
'He got its body god art!'
He very much wanted that reverse shock power.
Qiuyue Hesha flew over and hugged Lu Ze excitedly. "We finally killed it. It was too difficult."
Lu Ze rubbed her hair. "Yes."
Other than the usual orbs, there was a pale god art orb and a deep red blood crystal. If he digested all of these, his combat power should undergo a substantial improvement. Lu Ze felt great and so did Qiuyue Hesha. She said, "After you digest these and become stronger, it won't be so hard to kill such beasts."
Lu Ze kissed Qiuyue Hesha. "It's because of your help that I can obtain these."
The two left to get some rest.
Two days later.
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha looked at another elephant's body and breathed out. They killed a second one. With the experience from the first one, this one was much easier to deal with.
The two waited for the body to turn to dust, but suddenly, there was a terrifying roar.
They felt a petrifying power fall from the sky.
Lu Ze's vision went dark.
'My orbs!'
Lu Ze suddenly woke up back in his room.
'Holy...'
All that effort he spent to kill the elephant, but he couldn't even collect the orbs.
He must exact revenge!
Luckily though, he got the first drop. After the pain disappeared, Lu Ze was ready to cultivate. However, someone knocked on his door.
Lu Ze was stunned.
'Who is looking for him?'
Lu Ze looked at the door and went over. When he opened it, he encountered Lu Li wearing some kind of loose pajamas. She appeared anxious.
Lu Ze asked, "Li? What is wrong?"
Lu Li smirked. She pushed Lu Ze inside and closed the door herself.
Lu Ze: "?"
'What is she attempting now?'
'Could it be...'
'Cut him with a sword.'
Noticing his nervousness, Lu Li inched even closer. "Lu Ze, why are you so nervous?"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. Well, her evil smile would never fail to agitate him. He had to be vigilant.
Beyond his expectations, Lu Li pushed Lu Ze into the bed.
Lu Ze: "?"
'Oh shit!'
Lu Ze looked into the depth of her eyes. They seemed to be watery at this moment, allowing him to see through her emotions. 'Emotions that he hasn't seen before!
Likewise, Lin Ling exhibited the same behavior during that one morning too.
Before Lu Ze could properly react, Lu Li bent down and kissed his lips.
Lu Ze: "..."
The following morning, Lu Ze opened his eyes and looked at Lu Li who was in his arms. He grinned.
He never expected her to possess the guts to take control of the matters.
Her long lashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
A hint of fatigue was evident on her face. Still, she pushed herself to hug Lu Ze tightly and lean on his chest.
Lu Li acted like a kitten. Lu Ze found it amusing and kissed her in the forehead as he hugged her even tighter.
The two reveled in the physical intimacy and indulge themselves in the heat of the moment.
Right at this juncture, something dawned on Lu Ze. Hence, he inquired, "Li, what about the others?
'How come they allowed her to enter his room alone?'
She hadn't been back for the entire night.
Supposedly, the other girls should be swarming them now. But... where are they? Lu Ze was ready to get beaten up. Lu Li pouted her lips and bit Lu Ze's shoulder. "There's only us right now. Why do you bother to ask about the other girls?"
Lu Ze immediately said seriously, "Li is the best in the world! If anyone objects, I'll beat his head!"
Lu Li sneered and rolled her eyes. However, the smile never left her face.
She teased, "I used some Eternal Darkness Mist and blocked their senses. They were cultivating anyway, so of course, they didn't discover my actions. Lu Ze: "..."
Did she use a cosmic cloud state divine art just for this purpose?
Lu Ze was appalled.
'Are all girls this vicious?'
'Wait!'
The others might be cultivating. However, the fox demon already exited the Pocket Hunting Dimension like him.
This meant...
'S-she probably already knew about it, right?'
'Perhaps, she is even enjoying the show.'
Lu Li grinned. "However, the mist is about to scatter soon. Let's get up."
She was smiling like a cunning little fox, but 'little' did she know, the fox demon already discovered her.
Lu Ze smiled and didn't say anything. Otherwise, he will end up upsetting her.
Lu Li took away the sheets and opened the door.
Outside, Nangong Jing, Alice, Lin Ling, and Qiuyue Hesha were already standing at the door.
When it finally opened, they saw a sweet smile pasted on Lu Li The girls: "..." The atmosphere became very awkward.
Lu Li was planning to sneak back, but she was caught red-handed...
Nangong Jing called her out, "Wow Lu Li, you're truly here indeed!"
She was seething with anger!'
'She couldn't take his first, but now, she wasn't even his second either.'
How impudent was Li to employ such nefarious means?
The sneaky girl used her divine art to commit a crime while they were busy in their cultivation!
'This was crossing the line!'
At the very least, she hoped she had divine art like hers...
Alice pouted her lips and looked at Lu Li in disbelief. "Li! You changed! We are supposed to be allies!"
Alice felt betrayed.
Lin Ling was taken aback.
'Why are things like this?'
'Isn't she supposed to be next in line if the incident concerning the blade demons didn't occur?'
'Yet, it had only been a day but someone else took her spot!'
Lin Ling refused to say anything. Tears were welling up in her eyes.
Only Qiuyue Hesha was grinning like a troublemaker.
Nangong Jing, Lin Ling, and Alice all looked at Lu Ze as though they were aggrieved. 'This bastard!'
'Hmmph, they aren't going to talk to him for at least a month... no... a week... no... three days!
Lu Ze coughed. "Then, how about tonight,
we..."
The three girls rolled their eyes and turned away from him.
Lu Ze laughed at their reaction.
Well, there were always more opportunities in the future.
He disappeared from the spot and returned in an instant.
Nangong Jing, Lin Ling, and Alice touched their mouths.
'H-he kissed them!'
They were annoyed, but their hearts were beating fast.
After a moment of silence, Alice said, "I'll go and cook breakfast."
Lin Ling glared at Lu Ze. "I'll go and help."
Lu Li chimed in, "Me too..."
She followed the others to the kitchen.
Now, only Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha remained.
Qiuyue Hesha winked at Lu Ze and sat down.
Nangong Jing went to drink some golden fruit wine gloomily.
Lu Ze went to sit next to Nangong Jing.
Nangong Jing glanced at him and rolled her eyes before chugging more of her drink. Lu Ze took out a bucket of golden fruit wine. "Jing Jing, your wine is almost finished, right?"
She loved drinking so much that Lu Ze set a rule for her to only drink a bucket per month.
Despite this, she was still low on wine near the end of the month and always pleaded for more wine.
Today seemed about the right time too.
As soon as Lu Ze took it out, Nangong Jing stiffened.
Her face appeared to be torn.
After a long intense internal battle, she looked away and ignored Lu Ze.
'If she drank slower, she could last three days!'
'She wouldn't succumb!'
Lu Ze grinned and took out another bucket. He seduced her like the devil. "You can drink two buckets this month. How about it?"
'Should she take it?'
But they agreed to cut communications with him for three days!
She was the elder sister, she had to stay true to her words.
Nangong Jing gulped some saliva.
Lu Ze grinned again. He took out another bucket.
"Mhm, this month, Jing Jing can get three buckets of golden fruit wine. How about it?"
Nangong Jing: "..." She stopped breathing!
'Damn it, this demon!'
'He was tempting her!'
It was too hard.
Lu Ze sighed. "I knew it. Jing Jing doesn't want to drink anymore. I'll take them back now..."
"No!"
Nangong Jing charged over and put all the wine in her storage ring.
'Great!
'She could drink three buckets this month!'
'Hahahaha!
Nangong Jing felt as though Qiuyue Hesha looked at her as if she was an idiot.
Her smile stiffened.
Lu Ze hugged Nangong Jing and rubbed her black long hair. "Don't be angry anymore, okay?"
"Hmph!"
Moments later, the kitchen door opened. The three girls came out while conversing with each other. All three of them had smiles on their faces.
Lu Ze: "?"
'Did they make up that quickly?' At the same time, the three girls felt bewildered upon seeing Nangong Jing lean on Lu Ze's shoulder while she lost herself in the alcohol. Alice and Lin Ling: "?"
'What is this?'
'What happened to their three-day agreement of refusing to talk to this guy?'
She didn't even last three hours...
As though sensing Alice's and Lin Ling's glances upon her body, Nangong Jing acted as though she finally recalled something.
She sat upright and looked innocently at the other two girls. There was an awkward silence among them.
'Sure enough, this drunkard was beyond help!'
"They would never trust her again!'
Alice put the dishes for breakfast down on the table and looked despondently at Lu Ze. "Time to eat."
Lu Ze smiled and quickly went over to eat. He threw out some compliments. "Alice's spirit food is truly amazing. It is the best food in the universe! I feel so happy just thinking about how I can eat this for the rest of my life!"
Alice finally couldn't keep up her stiff expression. Her face cracked a smile before saying, "Then, eat some more, senior."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
Alice blushed and an even wider smile blossomed on her face.
At this moment, Lu Ze sensed Lin Ling's misery. He smiled at her and conveyed telepathically, "Lin Ling, next time, we'll go visit Uncle Lin again?" Hearing this, Lin Ling was perplexed. 'Visit her father again?' Lin Ling automatically recalled the series of events last time.
'First, they went to see her dad. Thereafter, they returned to his room. Following such...'
She blushed and relented.
The foolish Alice and stupid Nangong Jing chose to make up with Lu Ze anyway. She couldn't resist him alone.
Lu Ze felt relieved. At least, all of them were happy now.
'Women were really tiring to deal with.'
Nevertheless, he shouldn't neglect to cheer them up. After all, if they didn't care about him, they wouldn't get angry at all.
Lu Ze's eyes flashed. He should find an opportunity to get the last step done.
'Mhm... if he did that, no one would lash out at him anymore, right?'
'Great!'
Lu Ze felt happy about his future life.
Not far away from Geka System, there was a fluctuation in space. Following such, four figures exited the warp tunnel.
It was Elder Nangong and his fellow seniors.
Their face looked a bit exhausted. They were cosmic system states, but they were far from peak cosmic system states. In addition, their god art wasn't related to speed, so they wasted a day traveling here.
But at the very least, they finally made it to Geka System.
Elder Nangong grinned. "Those old guys from the Blade Demon Race are about to arrive too. Let's visit Ze first."
The other three saints agreed.
The moment they attempted to take off, they stopped on their tracks and turned around suddenly.
A few powerful chis appeared. Elder Nangong's eyes turned cold. "Speak of the devil." Saint Lin Dong said, "Let's go and meet them straight away."
Shenwu grinned. "I haven't fought them in a long time. I wonder if they have improved at all."
Elder Lin added, "I wonder whether they still recognize me after disappearing for all these years."
"Let's go then!"
The four flew in the direction of the chis.
Near the territory of the Blade Demon Race, the space was torn open, leaving out a large crevice.
The Blade Demon King, Bibi Nier, Keke Lisi, Beibei Lazi, and two other cosmic system state blade demons came out.
Six of them looked coldly at Geka System. They could sense there were barely any blade demons left in the area.
This was all committed by Lu Ze!
Their killing intent intensified.
Beibei Lazi asked, "King, while those old guys aren't here yet, should we go over?"
The other four agreed.
They came here hoping to kill Lu Ze before the human cosmic system states arrived.
If they could kill the youth right now, it would be a major incident.
Right then, everyone looked in one direction.
The Blade Demon King noted, "It seems that they are here already."
Keke Lisi remarked, "Even if those three old guys are here, we're still going to kill Lu Ze!"
Space was ripped ajar once more. This time Elder Nangong and his companions flew out.
The blade demons were stunned.
'Four?'
'How could there be four cosmic system states?'
'Didn't the Human Race only has three cosmic system states left?!'
Soon, they noticed Elder Lin.
Keke Lisi's face changed. "Lin Heng?! It's you! You're still alive?"
They hadn't seen Lin Heng in several years. They almost didn't recognize him.
Elder Lin smiled. "Keke Lisi? You're still alive too, so how can I die that quickly? What? Want to fight?"
Keke Li's mouth twitched. He had fought Lin Heng many times.
Lin Heng had spirit eye god art and was very difficult to deal with. He almost ended up dying once. Hence, he instinctively tensed up after realizing Lin Heng was still alive.
The blade demons frowned.
The Blade Demon King looked coldly across the four of them.
Four cosmic system states...'
'This was beyond their plan...'
Elder Nangong grinned. "What? Daodao Erdun? Do you want to attack our prodigy while we aren't here? Do you have no shame attacking a minor?"
The blade demons didn't know how to argue.
Even if it was just the three of them, they would still try to kill Lu Ze. However, they didn't expect four cosmic system states would rescue him.
The plans couldn't keep up with this development. This vexed them immensely.
The Blade Demon King looked coldly at the four. "Your humans have a good prodigy, but he can no longer be considered a minor. This time, the Human Race won, but if he dares to attack again, we won't hold back." Lu Ze hadn't reached the cosmic system state yet, but there was too much uncertainty about him.
The next time Lu Ze appeared on the battlefield, they would send a cosmic system state over!
Elder Nangong and the other elders were shocked. The Blade Demon King was already treating Lu Ze as a cosmic system state.
The Blade Demon King turned around. "Let's leave!"
He didn't say any harsh words or even ask for any requests.
It was just pleasantries.
Their combat power could win against the four humans, but the gap wasn't substantial enough to ensure victory.
They were all cosmic system states. Therefore, all of them had trump cards.
If one got away, then even if they annihilated the Human Race, the blade demons would still be living under the threat of such a cosmic system state.
It was lethal to a cosmic system state civilization.
Unless one side had enough numbers of cosmic system states to crush the other side, they must play by the rules first.
Cosmic system states wouldn't attack unless they were forced to. The blade demons entered the space tunnel without hesitation.
Only then did Elder Nangong and his fellow elders relax. They were scared the blade demons would suddenly attack. If that indeed occurred, the existence of Ying Ying couldn't be hidden anymore.
By then, they would draw the attention of a cosmic realm state civilization.
The Human Race was still too weak for that right now.
Now, they still had a chance to develop.
Elder Nangong smiled. "Let's go and see that kid."
The four of them smiled proudly.
On the main ship, Lu Ze and the girls had their breakfast. As they were planning to cultivate, someone knocked on their door.
Accordingly, Lu Ze opened it and saw Zuoqiu Xunshuang standing outside.
He asked, "What's wrong, Aunty Xunshuang?"
Zuoqiu Xunshuang grinned and patted his shoulder. "The elders are here. They want you guys to go too." They just communicated with the elders yesterday.
'How did they come over so quickly?'
He nodded. "Okay."
Then, he turned his head to the room. Nangong Jing and the girls stood up this time.
Naturally, they heard Zuoqiu Xunshuang's words.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang opened a wormhole, and the group went over.
On Yiman's main ship. Inside the meeting room.
Zuoqiu Xunshuang brought the group over.
Lu Ze looked around. Pretty much all the star states have arrived.
Elder Nangong and his companions were also present.
Everyone looked at the newly-arrived individuals.
What Lu Ze did yesterday earned the respect of all the star states!
Breaking the blade demon base's defense barrier at the Geka System wasn't something a star state could do.
Lu Ze's actions were unprecedented in the history of the Federation.
The elders revealed a warm smile upon seeing Lu Ze.
The eagle was still young, but it possessed the power to soar already.
Seeing Lu Ze seated, Elder Nangong said, "We are all here. Now, I will address a few points."
Elder Nangong smiled. "During the recent battle at Geka System, Lu Ze's contribution is absolutely the greatest! Ever since feuding with the Blade Demon Race, the Federation has never achieved such glorious results!"
Hearing this, Lu Ze felt a little embarrassed.
So what he did is that amazing?'
He didn't even know...
"This time, after the base of the Blade Demon Race was destroyed, their control over the Geka System would definitely wane. This is good for the Human Race. In the next few years or even a few decades, the entire Geka System would belong to us until the blade demons could rebuild another decent base for war!"
Everyone was excited after hearing this.
The resources in the Geka System were too abundant.
If they could have a few decades to excavate it, it would greatly benefit the Human Race.
Spirit metals could forge large amounts of low-level armors to armors which were below aperture opening state and mortal evolution state.
Spirit metal marrows could even highly enhance the equipment of planetary states and star states.
For a soldier, good equipment comprised a major component of his combat power.
In addition, there were also some notable cultivation resources in the base too. These could all be turned into the power of the Human Race in a few years to a couple of decades.
Thinking about the possibility, the star states looked at Lu Ze with even more fervent eyes.
This was all thanks to him. Otherwise, how would the Geka System end up in the hands of the Federation?
Elder Nangong said, "Regarding the excavation of resources, General Yiman will be in charge of the entire operation."
Yiman nodded. "Yes!"
There was no reason for the Blade Demon Race to give up the Geka System. Once they have a stable post, they would still return to reclaim their previous territory.
Hence, the question now was to figure out how to excavate efficiently while solidifying the control of the Human Race.
Elder Nangong nodded and continued, "We will give rewards according to contribution in this war."
He looked at Lu Ze. "As for Lu Ze, he's already Monarch of The New Dawn. He's extremely talented, and the Human Race should do its best to provide for him. Does anyone object to this?"
The star states all shook their heads.
As long as they hadn't lost their rationality, they would also choose to invest in Lu Ze. The Human Race would be relying on him to pave the path outside the Milky Way.
Elder Nangong nodded with satisfaction.
Thereafter, he looked at Lu Ze seriously. "Also, there is another thing about Lu Ze." Lu Ze was taken aback. He asked, "What's wrong, Elder Nangong?"
The old man replied, "Because you destroyed the base of the Blade Demon Race, their cosmic system states have become highly conscious of you now."
Lu Ze questioned, "Isn't that the case ages ago? They even sent a few prodigies after me..."
Elder Nangong responded, "This time, the Blade Demon King personally took charge of the matter. He and the elders of the Blade Demon Race went over, looking for you."
Lu Ze: "..."
They were all cosmic system states... Coming to attack a level-2 star state noob like him was way over the top.
Lu Ze might only be a star state, but those cosmic system states from the Blade Demon Race weren't going to play by the rules.
Elder Nangong slowly said, "Just recently, they were approaching the Geka System. Perhaps they already decided to attack. Fortunately, we stopped them in time." "What?!"
The star states felt a cold sensation all over their bodies. The entire cosmic system states of the Blade Demon Race were within their reach a while ago?! If Elder Nangong and his fellow elders didn't stop them, they would all be dead right now.
Lu Ze was merely a level-2 star state.
'How come the blade demons took him as an utmost threat who should be eliminated right away?'
The atmosphere fell silent. Elder Nangong smiled. "Don't worry too much. This is our territory. They can't do anything about Ze. However, if Ze wants to intervene next time, their cosmic system states would do so as well."
Yiman's mouth twitched. He still hoped Lu Ze would destroy the next base if the blade demons built one.
But his dreams were already shattered before they could even begin.
This was hard to bear.
Lu Ze felt the same. He knew his actual combat power. He was only a level-8 star state. If he didn't have those one-time-use divine art runes, he would be slapped to death.
Lu Ze didn't dare to participate in the wars anymore.
Elder Nangong continued, "So, in the ensuing period, you guys should just focus on cultivation. Break through to the cosmic system state first. That way, the Human Race can suppress the Blade Demon Race completely. If we can subjugate their core members, it would be the best outcome."
The star state: "...
Elder Nangong spoke as if the cosmic system state was really easy to reach...
Nevertheless, since they were talking about Lu Ze, they felt it won't be difficult for him.
Lu Ze nodded. "I understand, Elder Nangong."
Saint Shenwu grinned. "In that case, you guys can come with me to Shenwu for solitary cultivation. Planet Shenwu also has a spirit gathering room and a dao enlightenment room. It would be the best environment for your cultivation."
The group agreed.
Coming out of the meeting room, Elder Nangong asked some of the star states to guard the Geka System.
The rest had returned to their station at the void border.
After all, there were sightings of remnant insectoids. The more people present, the faster they could be cleared.
Lu Ze and the girls returned to Zuoqiu Xunshuang's ship, who was also a general of the Shenwu Army. She had to go back too. Back in their room, Lu Ze said to the girls, "Go back and cultivate. Reach the cosmic system state quickly."
Nangong Jing and the rest nodded. When they reached the cosmic system state, they would be able to a variety of things.
Lu Ze wanted to eradicate all the cosmic system states of the Blade Demon Race after reaching the cosmic system state. By then, the Human Race would have enough powerful beings to manage most of the territory.
They proceeded to their own rooms. Lu Ze began cultivating.
He didn't work on his cultivation level. Instead, he chose to digest the body god art of the white bone-armored elephant. He should have done this last night, but Li interrupted him. Hence, he couldn't cultivate the entire night.
Even so, Lu Ze grinned upon recalling the events last night. Later on, he shook his head and focused.
He drew out the pale god art orb in his mental dimension. The orb turned into a stream of light and entered his body. Knowledge about the god art orb began invading his mind. At the same time, severe pain emerged.
However, the sensation was fairly tolerable.
He used a blue crystal and purple orb before learning the body god art.
In the Blade Demon Space
The Blade Demon King's entourage flew out. They looked in the Geka System's direction with killing intent. After a moment of silence, Keke Lisi asked, "King, what do we do now?"
Bebe Laze was also worried. "Yes, our plan to ambush Lu Ze failed. Those humans are going to protect him well. We won't have an opportunity anymore."
The others were anxious too.
If Lu Ze was just an ordinary prodigy, it wouldn't matter, but he progressed too quickly. He was only 20 years old or so, and his cultivation level already reached the star state. His combat power was even more absurd. He was on par even with those otherworldly prodigies who dominated the Demon Realm.
Their Blade Demon Race was only an average, or even slightly below average, cosmic system state civilization. If a prodigy like him had time to develop, it would be a disaster!
The Blade Demon King took a deep look at the Geka System and said nothing.
The other five blade demons hoped the Blade Demon King would offer a solution at least.
The Blade Demon King gradually said, "Contact the Dark Metal Demon Race, Black Smoke Race. Ask for their assistance. Also, get in touch with those races who don't have a conflict with us. We will all attack the Human Race. If we have enough cosmic system states and ambush them, we will have better chances to kill those old humans."
Beibei Lazi was concerned. "But... the Human Race also had allies."
'How could the Human Race not ask for help?'
The Blade Demon King took a deep breath. "That is why the matter should be done covertly."
He looked at the five blade demons and said, "Beibei Lazi, Keke Lisi, Bibi Niuer, you three will personally contact all those who would join our cause in the following six months. You can't leak the news out no matter what! Remember, don't give Lu Ze too much time! At most, half a year! Contact all the races we
can."
The three blade demons looked at each other and didn't object.
Lu Ze's progress was truly rapid. If he got more time, they were scared that he would suddenly reach the cosmic system state.
If that was the case, it would be ridiculous.
The three nodded.
Keke Lisi asked, "King, what about the bottom line conditions for the alliance?"
The Blade Demon King responded at an unhurried pace, "The bottom line is, as long as we annihilate the Human Race and kill all their cosmic system states, the blade demon won't take any of the loot. Those can be split evenly between the members of the alliance."
"Also..." He took a deep breath and added, "If these conditions aren't enough to move them, tell them we're willing to provide cultivation resources for twenty star states to every race who would be willing to participate."
Hearing this, the five blade demons inhaled deeply.
Bibi Niuer asked, "King, isn't this price a bit burdensome?"
If they ended up recruiting five allies, that would be equivalent to cultivation resources of 100 star states!
That corresponded to 300 years of income of the Blade Demon Race!
The Blade Demon King shook his head. "Naturally, this would depend on you three. What sort of conditions we get will now depend on you."
The three blade demons nodded with seriousness. "Rest assured King! For our race, we will do our best!"
The Blade Demon King nodded. "Go now."
The three nodded and entered the warp dimension.
The Blade Demon King and the other two elders didn't speak for a long time.
Moments later, one elder questioned worriedly, "King, what do we do if the attack fails?"
Their king answered, "If we fail, then we can only seek protection from the masters in the upper race."
The other two elders could only look down without saying anything. The atmosphere was dead silent once again.
Moments later, the king said, "Let's go. We can't make a single mistake this time. We have to go back and prepare."
"Yes!"
Back in Lu Ze's room, a dark golden and pale spirit light circling Lu Ze could be observed.
Gradually, the two lights began to merge and transform.
Lu Ze had finished learning the body god art of the elephant. Now, he was going to fuse it into his current body god art.
There were various types of body god art. Some purely improved power while the others solely improved speed. Then, there were types that could enhance all aspects.
'What if you fused different body god arts together then?' All paths lead to one destination. If the fused body god art kept evolving, it would naturally become stronger. Lu Ze's body god art merged with the first body god art, strength god art, and golden body god art. It was rather powerful.
Now, his body god art would evolve once again.
As the pale spirit light and dark golden spirit light commingled, the pain grew more intense, which was enough for Lu Ze to even frown.
However, he could feel an invisible wave spreading. His body was swiftly progressing!
Especially his defensive capabilities.
The white-armored giant elephant's body god art specialized in defense.
After combining its body god art with the others, Lu Ze's defensive abilities were far beyond his other aspects. The dark golden spirit light and pale spirit light intertwined.
Different colors flashed.
Eventually, the white spirit light became half-transparent. The light was akin to a flickering fire that was ablaze.
More and more dark golden and white spirit light turned into a translucent white flame.
Lu Ze also emitted an exceedingly powerful chi.
A few hours later, the merging process was finished.
Lu Ze opened his eyes and looked at the spirit fire on his palm.
He clenched his fist.
'Rumble!'
A thunderous explosion occurred.
Cracks within space manifested around Lu Ze's fist. He could see the twisted space inside.
Lu Ze slowly unclenched his fist, and the space repaired itself.
He grinned excitedly.
'He is really a prodigy!'
He felt his combat power was nearing level-9 star state.
'What an explosive improvement!'
However, he couldn't unleash his power in the ship right now. He should try it in the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
'Wait!'
He and Li had finally done the deed last time.
'In that case... could he drag her inside too?'
Lu Ze's mouth twitched.
'How will he explain the presence of the fox demon inside?!
Lu Ze's felt a headache.
Lu Ze thought about it and decided to leave the matter for later. Looking at the time, he realized it was already midnight. Lu Ze got out of his room and checked each room until he found a few of the girls in Alice's room. The three girls were cooking while Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha were resting on the couch.
Lu Ze sat down. They started chatting.
Soon, Alice and the rest carried out a table of appetizing food.
After a satisfying dinner, they returned to their own rooms to cultivate.
Lu Ze took a deep breath and entered the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
At the portals, Lu Ze looked around and saw Qiuyue Hesha's light orb. There was indeed another glowing orb next to it. Lu Ze could sense his own familiar chi.
Lu Ze sighed. He extended his mental force to the orb. As expected, he could tell what Lu Li was doing. She had her eyes closed with the plan to cultivate.
Lu Ze revealed a cheeky grin.
'Would she be scared the first time she enters?'
He dragged her inside. Immediately, her orb materialized, and a figure appeared thereafter.
When the light finally vanished, Lu Li emerged.
Lu Ze grinned and went behind Lu Li. He covered her eyes with his hands and toned down his voice. "Guess who?"
Lu Li: "?"
She was taken aback. She was minding her own business. But then, something invaded her consciousness. Her mind drew a blank. When she regained her senses, she found herself transported to an eerie place that seemed to be a different dimension.
When she was about to attack, she sensed Lu Ze's familiar aura. She was way too familiar with his chi. Hence, her tense body immediately relaxed.
She asked, "Lu Ze! Where is this place? Why are we here?"
Lu Ze wasn't surprised she could guess his identity. He smiled and covered her eyes while hugging her waist. "This is my world."
Lu Li rolled her eyes and patted Lu Ze's hand. "Stop it. What's going on here?"
Seeing that Lu Li was nervous, Lu Ze found it entertaining and explained the Pocket Hunting Dimension to her.
After he was done, Lu Li gazed at the four portals with wide-open eyes. She confirmed, "Are you saying those orbs originated from the worlds inside?"
Lu Ze confirmed it. "Yes. Because of yesterday, you received my chi. It is the reason I can pull you inside too."
Lu Li felt stunned, and her face became flushed. But soon, she caught on. Her expression became strange. "Wait... Sister Hesha has your chi too, right?" Lu Ze's smile stiffened. He laughed awkwardly. "Hahaha... you're Li indeed! You're so smart!"
Lu Li wasn't happy at all upon hearing the compliment though. She glared at Lu Ze before looking around curiously and asked, "Where is Sister Hesha?"
Lu Ze smiled. "She isn't in here yet. I have to drag her inside."
Lu Ze's mental force connected with Qiuyue Hesha's orb, causing the figure of the latter to appear.
Lu Li only noticed the light orbs on the side. She discovered the other orb was her.
Qiuyue Hesha finally joined the two. She was intimately familiar with the process. When she saw the curious Lu Li, she smirked. She came over and hugged the other girl. "Li, you're finally inside. It is a pitiful experience to be alone in here."
Lu Li: "?"
Lu Li asked, "Why?"
Lu Ze: "..."
He didn't even have the time to explain their purpose yet...
Qiuyue Hesha narrowed her eyes and looked at him. "Didn't he tell you the reason why?"
Lu Li: "?"
She looked at Lu Ze.
Lu Ze coughed it off. "It's nothing. It's just that after we die in the Pocket Hunting Dimension, we would experience a painful sensation."
Lu Li: "?"
"Die? We would die?" Qiuyue Hesha grinned. Before, she was the only one who suffered. Now, she finally had another sister who would share the same fate as her.
'Great!
She smiled. "We have to die before we can leave the Pocket Hunting Dimension."
Lu Li: "..."
She was in disbelief. "You have to die to get out? Doesn't that mean he's been dying every day? Wait..."
Lu Li suddenly looked at him. "Lu Ze... did you die every day for those orbs?"
Thinking about it, her eyes welled up with tears.
Lu Ze immediately knew what she was thinking. The fox demon reacted the same way when she first came in.
Lu Ze responded, "Not every day. From awakening the god art until now, I didn't die for about a month."
Of course, he only survived until the end of the Pocket Hunting Dimension's time on the first map. As for the other times, well, he didn't enter the dimension then.
It was too hard to leave the Pocket Hunting Dimension alive.
Lu Li's heart ached more upon hearing his words.
'Didn't that mean this guy died over a thousand times?'
'Yet, this bastard, could still laugh?!'
Lu Li bit her lips and glared at Lu Ze. In the next moment, she flipped her long hair and said, "We are going to kill beasts, right? I'm not strong enough, but my divine art is useful. I will come in this dimension every day from now on."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Even if Li doesn't want to enter, I will drag you inside to keep me company."
'What a joke! She can't be the only one who should experience that horrifying death!'
'Mhm... Not just Lu Li. None of the other girls can escape this!'
Lu Li rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath and said, "Do we go enter the portal now?"
Before Lu Ze could say anything, Qiuyue Hesha giggled. "Don't be impatient, Li. There is a final ritual yet to be done." Lu Li was confused. "What ritual?"
Lu Ze: "..."
His mouth twitched after seeing her innocent eyes.
'Is the conscience of the fox demon not bothered when she said those words?'
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Ah, I will teach you."
After a long while, the three appeared on the fourth map.
Lu Li's face turned red. She was still pondering life.
Qiuyue Hesha grinned with a satisfied smile.
Meanwhile, Lu Ze forced himself not to laugh. He was scared it would tip Lu Li off.
Lu Ze looked at the satisfied Qiuyue Hesha and wondered whether she also liked girls.
'Why did he feel she was more delighted than him?'
Lu Ze shook his head and focused. "Li, it's your first time in here, you should look out. Hesha, take care of her."
Lu Li attempted to disregard what happened. She nodded. "Okay, I know."
Lu Ze and the two girls moved from mountain range to mountain range, seeking all sorts of prey.
An hour or so later, the group suddenly halted in their tracks and looked at a distant mountain peak.
Lu Ze sensed a chi of a level-5 star state beast from there. He smiled. "We found an opponent. Let's go and check it."
Lu Li nodded with excitement.
This was her first time entering the Pocket Hunting Dimension. She was as excited as Qiuyue Hesha when the latter first witnessed the beasts turn into orbs.
After all, it had always been Lu Ze who gave them orbs. Now, she could help too.
The beasts along the way weren't too strong. She wasn't that useful. Now that there was a stronger one, of course, she was looking forward to it.
Qiuyue Hesha simply nodded.
The three rapidly climbed the peak. Soon, they were faced with a level-5 star state bone-armored elephant, who was resting in the rink at the peak. As it breathed, the wind ended up turbulent like thunder.
Lu Ze rejoiced.
This elephant's god art was a good find.
If it were yesterday, he and the fox demon would have a difficult time fighting it.
But today was different.
He had grown stronger, and he had Lu Li on the side.
Lu Ze said, "I'll go beat it up. Hesha and Li, back me up. The two girls nodded.
White spirit flames rose up from Lu Ze. Darkness buff and fire buff formed inside his body.
Lu Ze felt his power explode. He was bursting with it.
He stomped on the ground, and the entire peak quaked. Cracks spread along the land as the pebbles dispersed. He disappeared from the spot.
The elephant sensed his rising chi and immediately stood up in vigilance.
It roared as a pale light flashed.
Lu Ze appeared before the elephant and punched it. He used Golden Fist Art and rammed his fist toward the beast's head.
That's right. He was going to fight head-on.
He wanted to test how strong he was now at full power.
"Roar!" The elephant swung its nose towards Lu Ze. It was larger than Lu Ze's body as it clashed with his tiny fists. Suddenly, everything went quiet. In that instant, the space seemed to swell until it was finally torn apart.
A striking, vibrant spirit light formed a raging storm.
'Rumble!'
The surrounding tall peaks were trembling due to the clash. Deep crevices were formed on the ground, along the mountains.
Stones rolled down the mountains.
All the beasts nearby stiffened.
They looked in the direction of the battle and shivered. They scurried away in terror.
Following another clash, Lu Ze retreated a few hundred meters. The elephant also retracted its nose.
The beast roared in fury upon seeing the futility of its attack.
Lu Ze grinned.
There was still some difference in power, but luckily, it was negligible. As for the shock force, Lu Ze learned the god art and incorporated it in his attack. Hence, it wasn't as obvious as it was for him yesterday.
Even if he was alone, he would be evenly matched with the elephant.
But well, he wasn't alone right now.
Darkness covered the battlefield. This was Lu Li's Eternal Darkness Mist.
The elephant felt its senses were weakened, making it growl nervously.
Lu Ze charged at the elephant. As he was nearing it, Qiuyue Hesha used her god art, causing the beast to pause.
In that moment, Lu Ze appeared before the beast's stomach and released his long-awaited Golden Fist Art.
A translucent white flame rose up and struck the belly heavily. 'Rumble!'
The elephant was flung into the sky.
The elephant's defenses were affected by Qiuyue Hesha's seduction god art. Hence, it only lasted an instant, and the barrier soon cracked.
The fist force reached its coarse skin, creating a bloody gaping hole.
The blood traveled along its damaged organs and dripped out.
The elephant's chi was instantly weakened.
It made a pitiful howl.
Lu Ze's left hand flowed with light as he punched again, penetrating the wound.
'Rumble!'
A thudding sound could be heard from the insides of the elephant.
Blood gushed out even more.
The beast's life force was wiped away this time. It merely turned into a giant carcass leaving a hole in the ground. Lu Ze was proud of himself.
'He is very strong!'
His combat power was so much better than yesterday.
Of course, this was with the contribution of Li as well. Otherwise, he and the fox demon could still easily kill the elephant but not instantly.
This was an efficient form of jungling.
Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha flew over.
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Today was so much easier."
Yesterday, they put so much effort into killing this elephant.
Lu Ze agreed. "We can kill more level-5 star state beasts today."
The god art orbs from the elephant could be used by others.
After using it, the alcoholic and fox demon would be able to use level-5 star state orbs to cultivate.
Lu Ze felt if he improved the body god art, he could even use level-6 star state red orbs.
However, he couldn't beat such beasts.
Lu Ze scratched his head. He had to think of a way to quickly drag the other three girls inside as well.
The six of them together should be able to try. Lu Ze shook his head and smiled. "Let's continue."
An hour later, the trio looked in the direction of a brown bear at the top of a mountain. He had seen this bear before. In fact, he had been eaten by it.
That was his first time being eaten alive...
Lu Ze snarled.
'He is back for revenge!'
Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha watched his actions.
Qiuyue Hesha teased, "Lu Ze, is there any ulterior secret between you and this bear?" Lu Ze: "..."
He glared at Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha who were both making fun of him.
"You guys are finished tomorrow." Hearing this, the two blushed and rolled their eyes at him. However, they didn't dare to tease him anymore. Lu Ze smirked. "Li, Hesha, I'm going up."
The two nodded.
Lu Ze charged at the gravity bear in the distance.
The bear turned around and roared. Lu Ze invaded its territory.
At this moment, the sky suddenly turned dark.
The bear looked around in confusion, wondering whether he went blind.
Thereafter, he felt a painful sensation on his head and lost consciousness in the next second.
Lu Ze grinned. He killed this bear with a single punch.
He collected the orbs dropped by the bear, and the group proceeded to another area.
In the following ten hours, the three of them killed all sorts of beasts they encountered with ease.
They had already annihilated six elephants and ten bears.
It was a huge loot!
In a mountain range, the group saw another level-5 star state elephant.
Lu Ze charged up. Their cooperation was flawless. Out of nowhere, the elephant turned around.
The three were taken aback.
They were discovered.
But they didn't care.
However, at this juncture, the elephant roared. Its right foot stomped on the ground, and then, the trio felt a massive spirit force from its leg dropped from the sky.
Their minds went black, just from sensing the terrifying power.
Lu Ze woke up back in his room.
'... That elephant leg possessed a divine art, right?'
He didn't expect that creature to be a super-beast!
'Shouldn't they look different from ordinary beasts?'
Meanwhile, Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li woke up simultaneously.
Qiuyue Hesha gritted her teeth and trembled in pain.
Meanwhile, Lu Li was stunned by immense pain. She cried out and shivered on the bed.
Lu Li caused too much commotion. She had disturbed the sleep of the other girls and roused them up.
When they found her crying, they were perplexed.
Alice asked with worry, "Li, are you alright?"
Lu Li shook her head. "I'm fine..."
When she said it, her body was still trembling, so it wasn't convincing at all.
Nangong Jing was also anxious. "Do you really feel fine? Did something happen with your cultivation? How come both you and the fox demon are behaving in the same manner?"
Qiuyue Hesha: "?"
Lu Li finally figured out the reason for Qiuyue Hesha's tears before. Most likely, it was the latter's first time exiting the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
Lu Li could now grasp how the other girl felt at the time. Yet, she had to hold it in.
Waves of pain overwhelmed her.
At this moment, Lu Li also wanted the other three girls to taste the same suffering.
Moreover, it would be much more efficient if everyone went hunting together, right?
Lu Li shuddered and quickly wiped the thought away. She smiled. "I'm fine, you guys can cultivate now. I'll be good as new soon." Nangong Jing touched Lu Li and failed to discover any anomaly. Accordingly, the three girls went to cultivate.
After those three closed their eyes, Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha glanced at each other and giggled.
Meanwhile, in Lu Ze's room, he decided to keep learning the body god art of the white elephant after the pain subsided.
As more of the god art fused with his own body god art, he could clearly feel his combat power increasing despite the lack of progress in his cultivation level.
The time gradually passed. The following day, Lu Ze woke up feeling deeply satisfied.
He came out of his room to have breakfast with the girls. He handed out a new batch of orbs and god art orbs as well.
Mhm... when he came out, Lu Li bit him.
In the next few days, Lu Ze worked on his cultivation level during the day and entered the Pocket Hunting Dimension with Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha at night.
After a couple of days together, their cooperation became much more impeccable. They could even take on numerous level-5 star state beasts with god art at once.
Hence, the group acquired more loot as well.
At the void border, in the space outside planet Shenwu, a ripple in space occurred. Following such, a wormhole was formed, whereby a fleet flew out. It was heading towards planet Shenwu.
The fleet landed at the space station.
The high-level star states of the Shenwu Army led their men to their assigned duty.
Elder Nangong and Elder Lin needed to deal with other matters too.
Lu Ze and the girls followed Saint Shenwu instead. They were heading to the quarters of the Shenwu Army.
In the central region, there was a 20-story-high, black metallic structure.
Saint Shenwu explained, "This is the cultivation building of the planet. There is a dao enlightenment room, as well as a spirit gathering room inside. Only those who have made great contributions can enter. Adventurers with enough merit points can also file an application to gain access."
Lu Ze sighed. "This is even more spacious than the dao enlightenment room at Jinyao City."
Saint Shenwu laughed. "The void border is a place where most of the strong people are staying. Hence, a vast space is necessary to accommodate them."
He also sighed. "Despite this, there still isn't enough room."
Indeed, a few hundred rooms were too few for the group of prodigies and powerful beings in the Federation.
Lu Ze asked curiously, "Elder Xu, how are these rooms made?"
Saint Shenwu smiled. "They are all founded using dao enlightenment stone and spirit gathering stone. Thereafter, you inscribe the correct formation onto it. The stones are rare. We don't have them here. As for the formations, we need to ask the races who specialize in formations to help us."
His smile became helpless. "It is not that we don't want more rooms. It is simply because they cost too much. The Human Race is currently at the crucial point of development. There are too many things we need to spend on."
Lu Ze and the girls nodded. The group decided to see whether they could find any of the stones during their travel in the universe.
Saint Shenwu said, "Okay, I'll take you to the cultivation grounds."
The entire group followed Saint Shenwu to the cultivation building.
There were few people present, but they all looked over in shock when they saw their arrival.
They all heard what the group did. Hence, they carried deep respect for them. Accordingly, they paused just to salute. After the group was far away, the crowd whispered, "I didn't expect Monarch of The New Dawn and the girls would come here."
"Lord Shenwu brought them over personally. They are probably going into solitary cultivation."
At this point, a male star state said, "By the way, have you heard about what happened in the Geka System?"
Everyone turned their heads over curiously. "Geka System? What happened then?"
The star state laughed at the others. "You don't know, do you? Our race achieved a sweeping victory there! We even destroyed the base of the Blade Demon Race."
Everyone was in disbelief.
"What?! Even the base is destroyed?"
"That's impossible! Their defense back there should be at the cosmic system state level, right? Since the saints didn't participate, how could it be possible then?"
"Li Dajiang, your information should be wrong!" Li Dajiang sneered, "My source is definitely credible. My friend went to the war and saw the destruction with his own eyes. The news should spread like wildfire soon!"
All the people fell silent.
Those who could come to the cultivation building were all significant individuals. They might be high-levels of the Shenwu Army, or powerful adventurers perhaps.
They usually wouldn't spread rumors only to ridicule themselves. Everyone was moved upon seeing how convincing Li Dajiang was.
Someone finally asked, "Old Li, what's the situation?"
Li Dajiang explained, "I heard it was Monarch of the New Dawn who breached their defense. The Blade Demon Race lost more than forty star states in this battle, including six level-9 star states."
"Didn't Monarch of the New Dawn reach the star state recently? How could he breach a cosmic system state defense?"
During this point, someone interjected, "Did you guys forget how the insectoid lair disappeared from Zhihuo System?"
"Hahaha! This is something major for humans!"
"Indeed, with Monarch of the New Dawn around, the Human Race will dominate."
"We can't drag our race behind too. Let's go and cultivate."
Lu Ze and the girls followed Saint Shenwu to the cultivation building.
Two star state soldiers were guarding the place. They saluted after seeing the saint. "Lord Shenwu!"
Soon enough, they noticed Lu Ze's group behind Saint Shenwu. The reason for the visit quickly dawned on them.
The soldier on the left asked, "Lord Shenwu brought the Monarch of the New Dawn and the girls for solitary cultivation here?"
The saint confirmed it and emphasized sternly, "Ze and the girls will be cultivating at the highest floor. The period for their stay remains uncertain, but as long as they choose to remain inside, do not allow anyone to disturb them."
The two soldiers understood the order. "Yes!"
The saint continued, "If your shift ends, relay the same thing to subsequent soldiers who will be assigned here."
The two soldiers nodded seriously. "We understand!"
They were extremely shocked. Of course, they knew about the exceptional talent of the group, even their absurd cultivation level. Lu Ze and the girls were well-known in the Federation.
Nevertheless, the soldiers didn't expect the marshal of the Shenwu Army to personally escort the team into the cultivation building and pressure them like that. No prodigy in history had ever received this kind of treatment. That was the precise reason they were shocked.
Saint Shenwu nodded and smiled at Lu Ze while patting his shoulder. "Ze, the other old guys and I still need to guard the border. You guys can cultivate here during this time. Don't slack off."
Lu Ze returned the smile and nodded. "I understand, Elder Xu."
The saint nodded and left.
One bearded soldier smiled at the group. "I'm Qiao Shuya, please follow me. The top floor is a bit special. I'll lead you guys there." Lu Ze and the girls looked among each other in confusion.
'Special?'
'Isn't it just another dao enlightenment room?'
Despite their doubts, they nodded and followed Qiao Shuya.
He guided them into a lift at the edge of the hall. He smiled. "This is an exclusive lift to reach the top floor. We have to take this particular one."
The group was even more bewildered.
'An exclusive lift?'
Qiao Shuya inserted his spirit force into the device, and the doors of the lift opened.
When they reached the top floor, Qiao Shuya said, "There are ten dao enlightenment rooms and spirit gathering rooms on this floor. They are usually unoccupied. Only when we receive a leader of foreign races, or in other special circumstances, would we use them. You guys can cultivate here. You do not have to worry about other people."
The entire floor was reserved for them.
Lu Ze nodded. "Okay, thank you, General Qiao Shuya."
"This is what Lord Shenwu personally instructed. It is my duty. I won't disturb your cultivation either. If you need anything, just contact us."
Lu Ze smiled and nodded. "Okay."
Qiao Shuya returned to the lower floor.
The group looked around curiously. There was a white alloy walkway outside the lift. On each side, there were ten rooms, as well as a mark indicating which hall housed the dao enlightenment room and spirit gathering room.
Nangong Jing smiled. "There are so many rooms. I feel like it is a waste."
Lin Ling joked, "Think of it in another way. No one uses this place usually. At least, with us around, they wouldn't be wasted." Alice looked around on the side and asked, "I wonder what the rooms meant to receive leaders of the foreign race will look like. We should check them out."
The others were also interested in the idea.
They only used ordinary dao enlightenment rooms before. They had never seen ones that were this top-notch.
They entered one of the dao enlightenment rooms. Well, the structure was similar to the rooms in Jinyao City. The key difference was the size. The rooms were quite spacious here.
The group was a bit disappointed.
Nangong Jing remarked, "There is actually no difference, other than it having a wider space."
Lu Li smiled. "It is probably in consideration for races who are rather massive in build, like the Barbarian Race?"
Lin Ling nodded.
Alice mumbled, "I thought there would be kitchens."
Qiuyue Hesha: "..."
'Did this girl consider this place a hotel?'
They went here for cultivation.
Alice's words made Lu Ze recall something.
Even during solitary cultivation, they still needed food.
He smiled. "Alice, you brought kitchen utensils, right?" Alice complained, "Senior, you're insulting the professional standard of a spirit chef! Of course, I carry my kitchen utensils with me!" Hearing this, Lu Ze had a bold idea "How about using one spirit gathering room as a kitchen?"
The girls: "?"
This guy... Did he want to eat even during solitary cultivation?
Alice wouldn't agree to this no matter how much she spoiled him... right?
Contrary to their expectation, when they turned around, they saw Alice looking like she had discovered a new world. She was really planning to do it?! Nangong Jing scolded, "Are you guys here for solitary cultivation or what?!"
She was furious!
"Could they still have a serious solitary cultivation?'
Ever since using the orbs, the longest time she had spent in solitary cultivation was no more than a month...
Her longest record happened during the aperture opening state. It took her two months!
She even felt she was a fake star state...
Lu Li nodded. "This is the dao enlightenment room and spirit gathering room after all. It doesn't seem proper to treat it as your kitchen, does it?"
Lin Ling: "..." Being the timidest among them, Alice quietly conceded, "Senior, it is probably not good for us to use the spirit gathering room as a kitchen, isn't it?"
Lu Ze argued, "We are only using one room to cook. It is not like we are going to ruin the room. It will be a waste to have it remain unoccupied."
Nangong Jing and the girls rolled their eyes.
Lin Ling said, "You just want to eat."
Lu Ze rebutted, "Do you guys not want to eat then?"
Everyone: "..."
After a moment, Qiuyue Hesha smiled "It is an empty spirit gathering room anyways. It should be fine, right? Otherwise, it would be too boring to constantly cultivate."
Lu Ze's eyes lit up.
'She knows me well!'
He kissed Qiuyue Hesha before saying, "Hesha is right."
Lin Ling relented, "Okay then... we'll just use one room as a kitchen."
Lu Ze was overjoyed.
Following the debacle, the group designated another spirit gathering room as their resting and eating place.
Half a month later in the spirit gathering room, Lu Ze was sitting inside while he was immersed in cultivation.
Outside his cell core, a third ring was slowly forming. As it formed, an invisible wave spread from his body. He was growing stronger in all aspects.
Soon, the spirit force continuously entered him. His third ring stabilized, and Lu Ze broke through to level three of the star state.
Lu Ze opened his eyes.
'Finally!'
It took him a month to do so!
During solitary cultivation, their plan was to work on their cultivation level during the day inside the spirit gathering room and to learn god art during the night inside the dao enlightenment room.
Lu Ze's speed in digesting god art orbs doubled with the help of the dao enlightenment room. His mastery of body god art improved drastically. His gravity god art was also improving steadily. However, he still needed some time to increase its corresponding combat power at a certain point because he didn't have any foundation for it.
The spirit gathering room wasn't majorly helpful. After all, they already had red orbs. Nevertheless, it did speed up their progress by a few days.
Every night, Lu Ze entered the Pocket Hunting Dimension with the fox demon and Lu Li as usual. They were getting more and more efficient at jungling. They even managed to stock a lot of level-5 star state red orbs.
During this time, they attempted killing level-6 star state beasts. However, they weren't able to thoroughly beat up the opponent for a long time. If they kept going at it, their energy would run out first. Hence, they could only flee.
Fortunately, a week ago, both the fox demon and the alcoholic reached level-3 star state. Fox demon's combat power greatly improved. Accordingly, Lu Ze was finally able to kill a level-six star state beast along with the other two.
Now, with the level-6 star state red orbs, Lu Ze's cultivation sped up. He reached level-3 star state today.
"Now, it should be simple to kill level-6 star state beasts. I could even consider fighting a level-7 star state?"
As his body god art grew stronger, his combat power increased substantially as well. Breaking through one ring alone made him feel as though his combat power surpassed more than one ring.
Once more, the trio entered the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
Within the forest, Lu Li said, "Ze, you're a level-3 star state now. Should we try killing level-7 star state beasts?"
Lu Ze smiled and nodded. "I want to attempt it too."
The three moved through the mountains and killed all beasts they encountered. Soon, they found their desired target, a level-7 star state green tiger.
Lu Ze charged up with full power while the two girls supported him from behind. The green tiger was extremely swift. Even under the influence of Qiuyue Hesha's seduction god art, it was still faster than Lu Ze. However, it couldn't see the other party in the dark mist. It could only defend against the incoming attacks.
Despite so, its counterattacks were a major threat to Lu Ze.
After an arduous battle between them, the three were almost completely drained. Only then did Lu Ze finally annihilated the tiger. Seeing it slowly turn to dust, the three exhaled. Lu Li said, "This beast is really strong. We almost lost."
Lu Ze grinned. "But we still won in the end, didn't we?"
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Little brother Lu Ze's combat power increased a lot after breaking through. Greater than both my own and the T-Rex's."
Lu Li nodded. "Your combat power should be at level nine of the star state, right?"
Lu Ze patted Lu Li's head and kissed her. She glared at him in return.
Qiuyue Hesha teased, "Li is still so shy. You are so cute."
Lu Li blushed even more.
At this moment, the tiger turned to dust. Lu Ze picked up the orbs and said, "Okay, let's continue."
"Mhm." The two girls stopped playing around.
A month later, Lu Ze woke up after experiencing another death in the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
However, his eyes contained deep satisfaction. He could finally kill level-7 star state beasts.
This was worth it!'
He broke through to level four of the star state in the morning. By now, he could eliminate level-8 star state creatures.
Back in the mountain ranges of the Pocket Hunting Dimension, he could be considered one of the powerhouses.
As long as he didn't encounter those super-bosses, the three of them could live joyfully inside the dimension.
His combat power had reached the peak of the star state. Unfortunately, those level-9 star state beast had a combat power reaching the cosmic system state. There was a noticeable gap between the two.
It was a good thing that the level-8 star state red orbs were sufficient in the meantime.
In the Pocket Hunting Dimension, rumbling and roaring sounds echoed throughout the entire mountain range.
Chaotic spirit force swept across all directions as cracks spread across the land.
Lu Ze was standing on top of the ruins. He was currently facing a level-5 star state white-armored elephant staring fiercely at him.
It ambushed him, causing them to almost lose their lives.
Luckily, his combat power was on par with level-5 star state super-beasts.
Lu Li flipped her long black hair as black mist spread out. Qiuyue Hesha also used her signature seduction god art.
Lu Ze grinned. "I'm going in." 'Rumble!
Lu Ze rushed towards the enemy.
At this juncture, the elephant suddenly lifted up its front legs and stomped. Lu Ze immediately felt the spirit force gather above his head, forming two elephant legs that descended upon him. This was the elephant's divine art.
The three of them died because of it not long ago. But now, the situation was different.
Qiuyue Hesha used seduction god art, and the divine art of the opponent was weakened. Thereafter, Lu Ze charged up with spirit flames on both fists. He clashed with the legs.
'Rumble!
An explosion overwhelmed the dimension.
Right then, the dark mist had encompassed everyone.
Lu Ze went to locate the elephant's stomach.
The beast was just about to counterattack when it paused for a moment. By the time it could react, there was immense pain coming from its stomach.
The elephant flew up. Lu Ze followed suit and kept throwing heavy punches that tore through its defenses. Blood soon gushed out from its stomach.
Every time it wanted to counterattack, it was suppressed by Lu Ze's attack and Qiuyue Hesha's seduction god art.
Rumbling sounds occurred non-stop as its wails grew weaker.
Finally, its life force was completely wiped away under one of Lu Ze's punches.
Its body dropped heavily to the ground. Lu Ze felt stunned. "Oh shit?'
'I'm this strong already?'
Two months ago, the three of them couldn't even resist the elephant.
The body of the elephant turned to dust, leaving a group of orbs on the ground.
Lu Ze collected everything-super red orb, super purple orb, super blood crystal, super blue crystal, god art orb, and a flickering white divine art rune shard.
The divine art was most likely the stomp divine art from before.
'Isn't this god art extremely useful?'
He could stomp whomever he wanted. Unfortunately, it was just a shard. He still needed to gather four of them to make a complete one.
Qiuyue Hesha pointed at a small hill. It withstood the recent battle. At the bottom of it, a 100-meter tall cave could be seen.
She smiled. "Little brother Lu Ze, is it the hive of the super-beast?"
Lu Ze's eyes lit up, and he smiled. "It should be. We should go and check it."
The three ventured inside and immediately saw the floating white rune.
Lu Li smiled. "Is this the one-time divine art rune of that elephant?"
Lu Ze grinned. "This is something good. The demonic flames from last time match the level of this rune. Its power should be at level two of the cosmic system state."
He put it away and said, "Combining our power is enough to kill level-5 star state super beasts. We won't have a shortage of one-time divine art runes. Let's prepare a few more just in case."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "By then, we can fend off level-2 cosmic system state beings with these runes."
Lu Li smiled. "If the cosmic system states of the Blade Demon Race dare to come, we'll have the means to deal with them."
One could tell Lu Li was still annoyed due to the threat sent by the cosmic system states of the Blade Demon Race.
Not just her, Lu Ze and the other girls felt annoyed too.
Lu Ze grinned. "Soon, our combat power will catch up to them." The two girls smiled. Lu Ze said, "Let's continue with the hunt."
The two girls nodded.
Three days later, the three had killed many beasts in the Pocket Hunting Dimension. Among them, eighteen were level-7 star state beasts. As for the rest, they were mostly low-leveled.
As for a level-5 star state super-beast, he just killed five-three were the armored elephants while the remaining two were tigers. The green tiger's divine art was a wind-speed-buff-type divine art.
The three of them were currently on an empty plain. There were gray stones scattered around and rock beasts completely made of rocks living around.
All the beasts present possessed rock god art.
Lu Ze and the girls killed a lot of these beasts after discovering the area. They also got several rock god art orbs.
Rock god art was a variant of the earth god art. If he could fuse this with his earth god art, it would probably be a good enhancement. Right after the group eliminated another level-6 star state wolf-like rock beast, a powerful roar reverberated.
The two girls stiffened. They looked at each other.
'Didn't they hear this sound before somewhere?'
At this moment, a silver light flashed, and the three people met their end.
Lu Ze woke up, feeling as though life was drained out of him.
He remembered what that sound was. It belonged to the massive cow overlord who could turn people into stone.
Another month later, Lu Ze sat on the cushion of the spirit gathering room. His chi kept growing stronger. Inside his body, the fifth ring began to form. Just a few hours later, it was completely formed.
During this month, he used level-7 star state red orbs and the spirit gathering room to cultivate.
He finally reached level five of the star state!
"How strong am I now?"
Lu Ze looked at his hands in curiosity. He could sense the absurdity of the power inside him. He couldn't really figure it out now.
'Should he test it?'
Lu Ze clenched his hands. The power surged thereafter.
'Rumble!
An explosion occurred as spirit flames appeared around his body.
A volatile chi seeped out as visible cracks appeared in space. At this juncture, the entire spirit gathering room shook. Lu Ze: "?"
'Oh shit, what is going on?'
He looked nervously around the room. Nothing was broken. Only then did he feel relieved.
He almost thought he destroyed the entire room.
He couldn't afford to play around anymore.
If he did, he might really end up demolishing the cultivation building.
But soon, Lu Ze's eyes flashed with joy. He didn't even use full power, but the chi earlier was nearing the cosmic system state.
If he used full power, perhaps his combat power would reach the cosmic system state...
Lu Ze was in disbelief. His combat power reached the cosmic system state so quickly.
It didn't even seem hard to achieve it.
Thinking about it, he shook his head and suppressed his cockiness.
He couldn't even beat a kid like Ying Ying yet.
Simultaneously, all the girls looked in Lu Ze's direction.
They sensed a terrifying chi coming from there.
It was a cosmic system state chi!
'That guy broke through?!' The group rejoiced.
Alice thought about it. Soon, she walked out of her room.
Senior broke through today and possessed a cosmic system state combat power. She should prepare more delicious food to celebrate.
Alice smiled brightly.
Lu Li and Lin Ling had the same idea. They too exited the room.
Along the way, they saw each other. Each of them felt taken aback.
Immediately, they realized the implication of their actions. They could not help but blush.
Lin Ling said, "Alright, let's cook something good. Since he broke through, we'll let him have more food today."
Lu Li flipped her long hair. "He will be overjoyed."
Alice nodded. "Perfect, I thought of a new recipe. It's difficult to cook it alone. You guys can help me."
Lu Li and Lin Ling nodded.
The people cultivating in the same building all looked up in shock.
'Did they just sense a cosmic system state chi?
'How is that possible?'
There were no cosmic system states here other than the saints.
The saints couldn't progress further, so it shouldn't be them either.
That chi only flashed in an instant. It was soon gone. Now, they couldn't confirm the source anymore.
The two guards sensed the terrifying chi and jumped up like a spooked cat.
Qiao Shuya asked, "Tai, you felt it, right?" The black-haired, middle-aged man nodded. "Yes, but it was quickly gone."
The two looked at each other. Following this, Qiao Shuya thought of something and quickly said, "Did something happen to Monarch of the New Dawn and the girls?!"
Old Tai widened his eyes. He could feel cold sweat trickling down his skin.
Lord Shenwu reminded them plenty of times to protect Monarch of the New Dawn and the girls.
If something happened to the group, they would be responsible for the consequences!
The news regarding the events in Geka System already reached the masses two months ago.
They were amazed by his unmatched talent and power. By then they realized the significance of his entire team. They were probably the most individuals in the Human Race.
Old Tai quickly said, "I'll contact Lord Shenwu. You should go upstairs and check what's going on!"
Qiao Shuya nodded and quickly rushed over.
On the top floor, Qiao Shuya exited the lift with a nervous expression.
At this time, a frown crossed his face as he was taken aback.
'Why could he smell food?' He noticed strange movements in one of the rooms.
Qiao Shuya didn't dare to proceed.
After all, the soldier knew of the intimate affairs between the girls and the Monarch of the New Dawn.
If he saw something he shouldn't, would he be annihilated?
When he was about to make a move, one of the doors opened.
Nangong Jing was guzzling a mouthful of wine as she walked out.
Seeing Qiao Shuya, Nangong Jing stiffened. She questioned, "General Qiao Shuya, what's going on?" Qiao Shuya quickly explained, "We sensed a powerful energy wave coming from here earlier. It disappeared right away. I was worried about your safety. We immediately notified the saints already and went up here to help out."
After listening, Nangong Jing realized the misconception. The energy belonged to Lu Ze. They probably ended up sensing it.
She didn't expect they would relay the matter to the elders right away.
Perhaps, they were deeply concerned about their life.
Nangong Jing smiled. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."
Qiao Shuya was stunned.
'What do you mean by fine?'
'How would you explain the power wave then?'
He felt bewildered.
At this juncture, another door opened. Lu Li walked out with a plate of spirit food.
An overpowering aroma drifted out of the spirit gathering room. Qiao Shuya: "?"
He looked dazedly at the dish in Lu Li's hands, and the blue flame inside the room.
'Where is this?'
'Who am I?'
'Why are they cooking inside a reputable cultivation building?'
At this moment, Lu Li saw the other person too. She was shocked.
Lu Li smiled politely and nodded. "Hello General Qiao Shuya."
After the greeting, she moved to another spirit gathering room.
Qiao Shuya scanned the situation inside and saw the luxurious couch, including the exquisite dinner table. "?"
'Oh shit!'
'Is this actually the spirit gathering room they had been guarding?' When Lu Li placed the food on the table, he became dumbfounded.
'Isn't this a restaurant instead?'
Right then, another door opened. This time, it was Lu Ze. He walked out of the spirit gathering room with a smile. He already smelled food, and his cultivation level had stabilized already. Of course, he should come out to eat appetizing dishes.
Soon enough, he realized Qiao Shuya was standing in the corridor.
Lu Ze's smile stiffened.
'Um... are they in trouble now?'
Lu Ze felt embarrassed.
The two looked at each other awkwardly.
Lu Ze wondered whether he should invite Qiao Shuya as well.
'Maybe, he would keep the secret for them?'
Lu Ze smiled. "General Qiao Shuya, how about we eat together?" Qiao Shuya: "..."
His mouth twitched as he forced out a smile. "No, no, thank you for the invitation. I still need to guard the building... Um, since you're not in danger, I'll go down then."
Following his statement, he returned to the
lift.
Lu Ze looked at Nangong Jing. "Jing Jing, why did he go up here?"
Nangong Jing rolled her eyes. "It's entirely your doing. They also felt it when you released your chi. Qiao Shuya thought something happened to us."
Lu Ze said, "So that's it. I just wanted to test how strong my combat power has become."
He put his arm around Nangong Jing's waist and said, "Let's go inside."
Old Tai saw Qiao Shuya come out with a strange expression, and he asked nervously, "What happened?"
Qiao Shuya gulped some saliva upon recalling the intense mouthwatering scent. ... It seemed really tasty.
But he couldn't accept such bribery...
Monarch of the New Dawn and the girls were treating one of the precious rooms as his kitchen. He should relay the matter to the saints.
They were the future hope of the Federation after all.
Qiao Shuya looked at Old Tai. "Were you able to contact the saints?"
Old Tai nodded. "Yes."
The saints hung up immediately and made their way when he finished speaking.
Qiao Shuya nodded.
Alice and the girls spent an hour cooking enough delicious food to fill a table.
Lu Ze, Nangong Jing, and Qiuyue Hesha drooled at the smell.
Alice said, "Time to eat."
Lu Ze cheered, "Alice is the best!"
He grabbed a piece of meat and ate it.
"Hmm?!" Lu Li and Lin Ling narrowed their eyes.
Lu Ze stopped chewing and quickly added, "Li and Lin Ling are also the best!"
But then, Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha also looked over.
Lu Ze: "..."
He faked a cough. "Hesha and Jing Jing are also the best."
Lu Ze gasped.
After lunch, the group sat on the couch with satisfaction and rested.
Right now, they looked outside.
Someone knocked on the door to the room where all of them were staying.
Alice quickly went over and saw Elder Nangong, Elder Lin, and Saint Shenwu standing outside.
They seemed quite anxious.
Lu Ze and the girls were taken aback.
Lu Ze asked, "What's wrong, Elders?" Elder Nangong was just about to speak when he smelled the aroma and asked, "Hmm? Why is it so fragrant here?"
Lu Ze and the girls: "..."
Right away, the three elders noticed the empty plates on the table.
Elder Nangong's mouth twitched. He glared at Lu Ze angrily. "Didn't I specifically tell you to cultivate?"
Lu Ze explained, "We did though."
Thereafter, as though fearing the elders wouldn't believe him, Lu Ze said, "My combat power has reached the cosmic system state."
"?"
The three old men gawked at Lu Ze.
Lu Ze scratched his head.
'Are they not happy with his progress?' Lu Ze argued, "... It only took me two months and a half to reach the cosmic system state. This speed isn't too slow, right?"
The elders: "..."
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Elder Nangong suppressed his urge to spit out blood. He said, "... Mhm, not too slow. You have been working hard indeed."
He felt his heart was bleeding out. His consciousness was being sucked away.
Elder Lin's and Saint Shenwu's mouths twitched too. They didn't want to talk at all.
Lu Ze felt relieved and smiled. "Yes? This is balancing work and play."
Elder Lin's mouth twitched. "Yes, yes, yes..."
Saint Shenwu grinned. "But don't be too proud. The Blade Demon Race hasn't done anything yet during this period, but they probably have plans under the surface. You guys need to quickly reach the cosmic system state."
Lu Ze nodded. "I understand."
Lu Ze thought of something and said, "By the way, elders, my cultivation level improved. I can gather better energy orbs. Could you check if they are useful?"
He still had over a thousand of those level-8 star state red orbs. As for low-leveled ones, he gathered even more of them.
Being a level-5 star state, his power barely reached the cosmic system state. By now, he could consider killing level-9 star state beasts.
He should give the orbs to the elders first.
Elder Nangong and his companions were dazed. They looked eagerly at Lu Ze. Elder Nangong smiled. "Really? Give us some. We will test it."
Lu Ze took out three level-8 star state orbs and handed them to the elders.
The three sat down to absorb their own piece.
Their designated resting room was a spirit gathering room. Hence, vast amounts of spirit force were pulled in from the void into their bodies.
Their faces trembled. The spirit force around them was unstoppable, which caused the elders to appear thrilled. However, they didn't open their eyes and simply devoured the vast spirit force voraciously.
Lu Ze and the girls were quite excited. It seemed to be working.
Twenty minutes later, the three old men opened their eyes again. Their faces revealed excited smiles.
They looked at Lu Ze with fervent eyes.
Lu Ze asked, "How was it, elders?"
Elder Nangong looked at him. "How many of these energy orbs do you have?"
Lu Ze scratched his head. "Over a thousand?"
The three let out a desperate breath.
Shenwu was shaking with excitement. He said, "That is enough, that should be enough... haha... hahaha! After all these years, there is finally hope!" Elder Lin and Elder Nangong clenched their hands nervously. Their faces were flushed.
"We can recover? We can cultivate?"
Elder Nangong was still in disbelief. He was trying to confirm something. He kept questioning it. He later took a deep breath and said, "Don't get so excited yet!"
He looked at Lu Ze.
"Ze, if you take out all the energy orbs, would it affect your cultivation? Don't lie to us."
Elder Nangong and Saint Shenwu regained their senses. They looked at Lu Ze intently.
The progress of his group was far more important than theirs.
If Lu Ze and the girls could become cosmic system states, it doesn't matter if they wouldn't be able to recover.
The Human Race would have new supporting pillars. Even if they died, they would have no regrets.
This was the heritage of the Human Race. It had been like this for every generation.
Lu Ze knew what they were thinking and responded, "Don't worry, I'll leave some for myself. I can produce more. It is enough."
Finally, they felt relieved.
Saint Shenwu laughed. "Okay! It seems it is not yet time for us to enter our coffins!"
Elder Lin chimed in, "With this energy, we can be healed completely in about a month!"
Elder Nangong added, "It seems us old guys can still protect you for a while."
Lu Ze and the girls smiled. Thereafter, Lu Ze took out the level-8 star state red orbs. He feared it won't be enough, so he even took out some level-7 star state orbs for them.
The elders left in excitement.
They hadn't been able to progress for two thousand years. But now, the opportunity to flourish even more was right before their eyes.
They wanted to quickly enter solitary cultivation.
Lu Ze and the girls smiled after seeing how desperate the elders departed.
Nangong Jing grinned. "This is my first time seeing grandpa this eager."
Lin Ling nodded. "Me too."
Alice said, "It is a pity my ancestor hasn't returned yet..."
Seeing her disappointment, Lu Ze patted her head. "After this period of time and when the three elders have finally recovered, we will find your ancestor."
Alice's eyes lit up and she looked hopefully at him. "Really, senior?"
She was very worried about her ancestor.
Lu Ze smiled. "Of course. But don't you need to do something first?"
Alice blushed. She kissed Lu Ze and ran away quickly.
She checked her heart. It was beating so fast.
Lu Ze: "?"
He was confused. He thought she would understand he wanted more food. However, she kissed him instead... 'What a misunderstanding...'
'But if she is going to kiss him, why couldn't she make it last longer at least?' Nangong Jing and the other girls thought the scene was entertaining. Even so, they couldn't control the trace of jealousy within.
Lin Ling smiled. She also hugged Lu Ze and kissed him.
She looked up. "Ze, thank you. Otherwise, my grandpa wouldn't be able to recover." Nangong Jing copied the action of the other girls.
Lu Ze: "?"
'Did they have a talk about kissing him today?'
He was overjoyed. Moments later, Nangong Jing looked up. "Thank you for helping my grandpa too." Lu Ze patted their heads upon seeing their tender glances directed at him. He hugged them and said, "We are a family. A thank you isn't actually needed, is it?".
Lin Ling and Nangong Jing looked at each other and saw the embarrassment on their faces.
Nevertheless, they did nothing and allowed Lu Ze to hug them without difficulty.
Alice had a frown in her face.
'Don't they feel shame?'
She shouldn't have fled earlier...
Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha smiled.
They were spending time with Lu Ze inside the Pocket Hunting Dimension every night. The time moved differently within. It was much slower.
They could remain in the dimension until they were satisfied.
A few minutes later, Lu Li's and Qiuyue Hesha's eyes carried a dangerous glint.
The hug was taking too long!
Sensing the threat, Lu Ze, Nangong Jing, and Lin Ling stiffened.
Lu Ze released the two girls.
He laughed it off. "Um, let's cultivate."
During the night in the dao enlightenment room, Lu Ze sat down and entered the Pocket Hunting Dimension as usual.
He dragged Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha inside. The three had their intimate moment before entering the fourth map.
Lu Ze reached level five of the star state today. His combat power had finally stepped on the cosmic system state. With this progress, he decided to confront level-9 star state beasts.
Given their current strength, they could pretty much dominate the mountain ranges.
Other than the overlord boss and level-9 star state super-beasts, ordinary beasts were no match for the trio at all.
Lu Ze felt as though the hardship he encountered since venturing into the map had been lifted away.
In just an hour, Lu Ze and the two girls killed more than ten level-8 star state beasts and more of those that were below such level.
They searched for a while. Lu Ze soon found a level-9 star state beast at the top of a mountain.
It was an over 100-meter-tall gravity bear.
Lu Ze charged up like he did in the past while Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li used their god arts to support him.
The bear immediately used its gravity god art. A gravity force enough to crush a planet was applied to Lu Ze. Fortunately, his body was extremely sturdy now. It was just a little difficult to move and use his power.
Lu Ze used Demonic Burst and approached the bear.
'Rumble!
Lu Ze's fist clashed with the claws of the opponent. A thunderous sound was produced consequently. Thereafter, the gravity bear was flung away.
Lu Ze didn't pause and went after the bear right away.
"Roar!"
The bear wanted to counter-attack, but after another clash, it was sent flying again, weakening its chi even more. On the same note, the level-9 star state gravity bear's combat power had just reached the cosmic system state too. Unluckily for the enemy, it didn't have anyone to support it. Unlike Lu Ze, he had Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li around. Their influence affected the bear quite a bit. Lu Ze managed to subdue it.
In a few short seconds, Lu Ze attacked over a few hundred times. Deafening sounds rumbled throughout the dimension. The resulting waves completely obliterated the mountain ranges. The surrounding tens of thousands of kilometers were ravaged.
The scene was akin to doomsday.
After another clash, the gravity bear fell back once again. It received a substantial number of wounds around its body. Blood began to gush out from them. Overall, its state made it look pitiful.
Lu Ze appeared behind its back. Light flashed in his eyes as he released a heavy punch, burrowing it into the wound.
'Rumble!'
The destructive fist force penetrated the body of the bear and wiped away its life force.
Its massive body fell to the ground, carving a deep crater. Lu Ze landed next to it. Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha followed suit.
The trio had smiles on their faces.
Qiuyue Hesha remarked, "Little brother Lu Ze is getting stronger and stronger." Lu Li nodded. "Not even a level-9 star state beast can stop you for long."
Lu Ze raised a brow. "Naturally."
He had been working so hard and had accumulated plenty of good resources.
'How could he not get stronger?'
He hugged Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li, kissing them both on the face. "Of course, you two contributed too."
Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li rolled their eyes.
The body of the bear turned to dust, and accordingly, Lu Ze collected the loot before the group took off.
A few days later in the underground space, Lu Ze was holding Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li as they scurried away.
Deep black demonic flames wreak havoc behind them.
Every place the demonic flames passed, space was torn apart. The surface of the land was fracturing Amidst the flames, there was a huge black dog barking like crazy.
The demonic flames swept towards them.
At this moment, Qiuyue Hesha's eyes flashed pink, and the raging flames halted in its tracks for a moment.
Green wind circulated Lu Ze as he used Demonic Burst as well. Their speed shot up by another level, and they created a considerable distance between them and the dog.
Sweat appeared on Lu Ze's forehead.
He looked at the pale-faced Lu Li. "Li, how much longer do you need to recover?'
Lu Li responded, "About 20 seconds."
Lu Ze declared, "Then, we'll hold out for longer!"
The Eternal Darkness Mist was useful for escaping
Qiuyue Hesha looked back at the dog and frowned. "I didn't expect to encounter a level-9 star state super-beast!"
Lu Ze grinned. "Luckily, it's just a super-beast. If it were an overlord boss, we wouldn't even be able to flee. We're quite fortunate if you think about it that way."
Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li smiled.
In just two seconds, the dog pursued them again. Lu Ze and the two girls felt the terrifying chi from their behind.
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha exhausted all their power. They were waiting for the attack.
At this juncture, the chi behind them suddenly disappeared without a trace. Following a growl, the black dog flew off. The trio: "?"
'Why did it suddenly leave?'
... Is there some even greater boss?!'
Lu Ze instinctively sensed there was something on the side. He had encountered situations like these several times.
He looked around vigilantly but didn't sense any recent overwhelming chi. Lu Ze felt stunned for a while, but he soon smiled.
The two girls also attempted to scan the surroundings and found nothing.
Lu Ze grinned. "Let's recover and then continue later."
The two girls followed him.
During this time, a black shadow appeared before the three who then stiffened.
They didn't even notice the presence of the chi before, and yet, it suddenly appeared before them.
It was a boss for sure!
But when they saw the entire creature, they were taken aback.
It looked like a black fur ball that was 50 centimeters in diameter. It had a pair of big eyes that were blinking curiously. Furthermore, it possessed two triangular-shaped ears and a 50-centimeter long tail at the back.
'Oh shit?!'
'Is this an overlord?!'
At this point, the black ball blinked, and an opening appeared on it, from which demonic flames shot out.
Following such, the three died on the spot.
Lu Ze woke up back in his room. He felt sad they were killed by an adorable creature.
For the rest of the time, the group continued their solitary cultivation.
Lu Ze and the two girls not only gathered level-9 star state orbs and below, but also managed to obtain some divine art rune shards.
The atmosphere was quiet in the resting room.
The group sat on the couch with a serious expression.
Lu Ze had given out the divine arts he had gathered to the girls. But now, there was a pressing matter...
Lu Ze let out a cough and tapped the table. "About this wind god art, how about calling it Wind Speed Buff? After all, it relies on wind god art to increase the speed of the user. This name is simple and appropriate."
Everyone shook their heads in unison.
Nangong Jing voiced out, "I object."
Lu Li remarked with disgust, "Such a bad name."
Lin Ling looked down at Lu Ze with contempt. However, she didn't say anything.
Qiuyue Hesha smiled helplessly. "Little brother Lu Ze's naming talent seems to be non-existent."
Even Alice couldn't compliment him in this regard. She looked away awkwardly when he glanced over, seeking her help.
His heart felt the ache as he retorted, "What's wrong with Wind Speed Buff? It's very simple. I think this name is very good!"
Nangong Jing sneered, "I don't want what you think. I want what we think! Let's vote. Who agrees? Who disagrees?"
Lu Ze raised both of his hands. The five girls scornfully glanced at him. Hence, he silently put down his hands.
It was all Lin Ling's fault!
She said the name he had chosen was bad. And then, his prided naming system was abandoned just like that.
Right then, Nangong Jing revealed a triumphant smile. "Five to one. Lu Ze's suggestion won't do! What other names do we have?"
Alice's eyes lit up as she raised her hand in excitement. "Me! Me! Wind! I Am The Grand Emperor, Follow My Orders..." Nangong Jing stood her ground. "Okay! I object!"
Qiuyue Hesha also exclaimed, "I object!"
Lin Ling followed suit. "I object!"
Lu Li chimed in, "I object!"
The four girls looked at Alice in disbelief. 'Is she even speaking the human language?' Alice: "?"
She pouted. "I didn't think it was bad." Lu Ze scratched his head "I don't find it bad either."
This name was quite exceptional. It was similar to what Lu Ze liked though. Thinking about it, he looked at Alice in shock. He didn't expect her to be talented in naming things as well.
'Amazing!
Alice heard his approval and looked over at him joyfully. 'Sure enough, senior is the only one who could appreciate real art!'
Even so, his naming capabilities were a bit pathetic... The four girls glared at Lu Ze with murderous intent.
If other people had come to learn the name of the divine art, could they still save their faces?
"..." Lu Ze faked a cough and defended, "It is not bad. However, it is not suitable for the divine art!"
Lu Li flipped her hair. "How about Wind Acceleration then? It is a wind divine art, and its effect is acceleration."
Nangong Jing, Qiuyue Hesha, Lin Ling, and Alice: "..."
They glanced strangely at Lu Li.
Indeed, she and Lu Ze grew up together...
Their naming skills were very similar.
Lu Ze praised, "This is a good name Li! Simple and direct."
It was almost as good as his. As expected, she was his sister.
This time, Lu Ze gave a look of approval to her.
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Let us just add that to the backup options. What are the other names possible?"
Lin Ling smiled. "Wind Body?"
Lu Ze was confused. 'What sort of name is this?'
Qiuyue Hesha's and Nangong Jing's eyes lit up. There was finally a decent name.
Nangong Jing said, "I'll suggest one too. Green Shadow Chant?"
The eyes of the four girls seemed to contain some interest. On the other hand, Lu Ze was bewildered.
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "I think T-Rex provided a better name. I won't say my suggestion anymore."
Nangong Jing smiled. "Then, let's pick one." "Green Shadow Chant." X4
"Wind Acceleration."
In the end, everyone else chose Green Shadow Chant except for Lu Ze.
Four of the girls glared at him. Lu Ze: "..."
"Green Shadow Chant."
The second divine art was the bone-armored elephant's stomp.
Lu Ze immediately offered, "Foot Stomp!"
"Objection!" x5.
Nangong Jing suggested, "Earth Shocking Blow."
"Agree!" x4.
Lu Ze: "?"
'Are the names he proposed really that bad?'
He was beginning to doubt life.
"There's one more, Demonic Flame Divine
Art!"
"Agree!" x5
Lu Ze: "?"
He felt dumbfounded. They vehemently denied his suggestions before. Now that all of them were in unison, Lu Ze couldn't react. However, he grinned after a while.
Seeing the smile on his face, Nangong Jing and the girls laughed.
Lu Li transmitted telepathically to the other four, "Next time... how about letting him choose the names?"
"Mhm."
Lu Ze said, "We have only acquired these three divine arts for now. Cultivate it to perfect mastery as quickly as possible."
The group nodded.
Perfect mastery of divine art and non-perfect mastery were two completely different notions.
The primary reason they could fight against opponents way beyond their cultivation level could be attributed to their perfect mastery of divine arts.
"Okay, go cultivate."
The team returned to their own dao enlightenment rooms to cultivate.
Lu Ze sat down and chose the wind divine art. 'Mhm... Green Shadow Chant.'
The divine art rune flew into his mind, transforming into profound knowledge.
Ethereal green runes flowed around his body as the wind went around him, making his hair strands flutter.
Green Shadow Chant buffed one's speed through wind god art.
This was similar to Darkness Buff and Fire Buff. However, Green Shadow Chant solely focused in enhancing speed.
Lu Ze used a purple orb and blue crystal before learning the divine art.
Half a day later, Green Shadow Chant reached beginner mastery. Lu Ze didn't rush to learn it deeply.
He drew in a pale white divine art rune.
'Earth Shocking Blow.'
This was a body divine art dropped by the elephant. It could activate powerful spirit force attacks. Actually, it wasn't restricted to stomping. The elephant could only resort to such an attack because it only had legs.
Overall, this divine art was similar to the Golden Fist Art but much stronger. After all, Golden Fist Art was only a mortal evolution state divine art. It couldn't keep up with Lu Ze.
If he didn't refine every aspect at an extremely rapid state, he wouldn't be able to possess a cosmic system state combat power.
Half a day later, his Earth Shocking Blow achieved beginner mastery.
Lu Ze then proceeded to learn Demonic Flame Divine Art.
He had used it before once. It was extraordinary.
Demonic Flame Divine Art was an attack-type divine art. While Earth Shocking Blow focused more on targeting a single opponent, the main point of Demonic Flame Divine Art was releasing an attack capable of affecting a large crowd.
Lu Ze felt it was a pity they couldn't gather star state defense-type or other special divine arts. But then again, he didn't have the discretion to decide what sort of divine arts would appear in the dimension.
Another half a day later, Demonic Flame Divine Art attained beginner mastery. Thereafter, Lu Ze started to focus on Green Shadow Chant.
Having the means to escape danger was the most important key in surviving.
Two days later, Green Shadow Chant reached familiar mastery. A week later, it achieved experienced mastery.
Another two days later, the green runes around Lu Ze burrowed into his body.
He opened his eyes. After nearly a month, the Green Shadow Chant was finally at perfect mastery.
This wasn't an easy feat.
With his current speed, if he went all out, he should be able to fight peak level-1 ordinary cosmic system states.
Lu Ze shook his head. He walked out of the dao enlightenment room and went to the resting room, only to find Nangong Jing sitting alone as she immersed herself in drinking
He inched closer and sat next to Nangong Jing. Looking at her carefully, he discovered she had consumed excessive amounts of alcohol. Her face was blatantly flushed.
Nangong Jing turned her head to Lu Ze. Following such, she leaned against him as she voraciously gulped down a mouthful of booze.
Lu Ze asked, "Where are the other girls?"
He also didn't encounter anyone in the kitchen as well.
Nangong Jing answered, "Perhaps they are still learning divine arts. I just recently came out."
Lu Ze nodded.
Learning divine art was different from cultivating ordinarily. Failure to elicit insight or enlightenment would prolong the process. At this moment, Lu Ze and Nangong Jing looked at each other. Without a warning, the atmosphere changed.
The other girls were still cultivating.
'Is it just the two of them right now?'
Both of their eyes slowly changed. Lu Ze smirked, harboring indecent thoughts. He hauled Nangong Jing and disappeared from the spot. "Wait... Ze!"
Only her shy and nervous voice echoed in the empty room.
The next morning, Nangong Jing slowly opened her eyes and met Lu Ze's doting smile. She could not help but blush. Even so, she glared at him and bit the arm that was holding her. Hence, Lu Ze ended up gasping. "Stop! Stop! Jing Jing, are you actually going to kill your own husband?" Nangong Jing's lips curled in disdain. He released his hand, only to snuggle into his embrace.
Lu Ze felt proud. He hugged her tightly for a while until she said, "Let's get up. It has been a day."
Lu Ze looked victorious as he stood up and gathered his things. He had taken out the bed given by Qiu Lin to accomplish the deed. He considered himself smart for being able to think ahead.
Nangong Jing made her way to the door furtively and opened it. Right outside, Lu Li, Alice, and Lin Ling carried out plenty of dishes from the room they converted into a kitchen.
All the girls looked over, causing them to catch Nangong Jing peeking out. The latter was exposed. When she was about to say something, Lu Ze worsened the situation. Because he smelled the food, he asked without consideration, "Jing Jing, did Alice and the other girls prepare some food?!"
He hadn't eaten for a day. Naturally, he felt a bit hungry.
The girls: "?"
Nangong Jing and the other girls looked at each other. The atmosphere turned uncomfortable.
Since Nangong Jing was blocking the exit, Lu Ze patted her head in confusion. "Jing Jing, you can come out now. Why are you still standing here?"
Nangong Jing: "..."
She glared at Lu Ze and opened the door to its fullest extent in the end. Only then did Lu Ze see the three girls standing outside.
Lu Li wore a cheeky smile while Lin Ling's and Alice's eyes appeared discontent.
Lu Ze: "..."
'Why are they standing outside the door?'
Lu Ze scratched his head. "What a coincidence! Alice, Lin Ling, and Li are outside too." Lin Ling and Alice glared at Lu Ze before proceeding to the resting room. Meanwhile, Lu Li winked at Nangong Jing before following the others.
'Mhm... tonight, Sister Jing would finally experience death too.'
Nangong Jing scratched her head as well. In the beginning, she was also one of the girls who strongly objected to this. But now, she ended up breaking her resolve and betraying the other girls. She could not help but feel guilty. Nangong Jing pushed Lu Ze away. "You deal with this..."
Lu Ze rolled his eyes. Still, he nodded. "Don't worry, I'm here."
He had been honing his consoling skill lately. He believed he was proficient at it.
The two went into the resting room as well. Inside, Qiuyue Hesha was already sitting on the couch. She immediately glanced at the awkward-looking Nangong Jing.
Nangong Jing returned the stare with a glare. 'What is this fox demon looking at?'
Qiuyue Hesha smiled and looked away. She hoped T-Rex would still be as tough as she was currently later at night.
Lu Ze smiled and approached the aggrieved Lin Ling and Alice. When the two angry girls noticed him, they merely looked away. Despite these reactions, Lu Ze laughed it off and telepathically communicated, "Lin Ling, Alice, you two are the only ones left now. How about ... tonight... We ...?"
The two girls blushed swiftly. They looked at Lu Ze in disbelief.
'He was really shameless! 'How come he still has the audacity to suggest that?'
'If he is a decent man, he should have done it in private at the very least!'
'How could he openly offer it to the both of them?!'
Lin Ling and Alice were both annoyed and embarrassed. 'How could they agree to it?'
Lin Ling sneered, "You can let Alice go with you!"
Alice mumbled, "I think it's better for Sister Lin Ling to go first..."
Lu Ze was overjoyed. They weren't actually angry. He was simply too good at consoling girls.
As a consequence, Lin Ling and Alice had flushed faces while seated before the dining table.
After breakfast, they returned to their own rooms to cultivate.
Lu Ze sat on the cushion and used a level-9 star state red orb to work on his cultivation level. The spirit force in his cells was almost full again. At most, he could reach level six of the star state in a week. By then, his speed should be unmatched among level-2 star states with his newly-acquired perfectly mastered divine arts. Perhaps he could also attempt killing a level-9 star state super-beast?
While cultivating, the time flew by. Soon, it was midday. Lu Ze took a break so he could eat. Thereafter, he cultivated again until night. Likewise, when he finished his dinner, he returned to the dao enlightenment room.
He had perfected the mastery of Green Shadow Chant. Hence, he decided to learn Earth Shocking Blow next. However... he had to enter the Pocket Hunting Dimension before that.
As expected, Nangong Jing's light orb appeared in the Pocket Hunting Dimension too. Lu Ze reached out for it with his mental force. After a flash, Nangong Jing appeared inside the dimension.
She was confused. When she saw Lu Ze, she questioned, "Ze, where is this place? Why am I here? Why are you here?"
Lu Ze patted her head and explained. Soon, she understood the situation and pointed at the four portals. "Ze, your god art is actually a world?"
Lu Ze nodded. "Well, it wouldn't be wrong to put it that way..."
He really didn't know the extent of the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
At the very least, he and the two other girls were usually killed by the super-bosses on the fourth map from time to time.
Nangong Jing's mouth twitched. 'How terrifying is he? Even so, isn't he still her man?'
Nangong Jing grinned at the thought. "I have the keenest eyes!"
Lu Ze: "?"
"What did you say, Jing Jing?"
Nangong Jing chuckled. "Nothing."
Following such, she thought of something and quickly lost her smile. "Ze, the fox demon and Li were here before me. Did they..."
Lu Ze: "..."
'Why are women so sensitive?!' He smiled. "Yes, let me drag them inside."
When Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li saw the curious Nangong Jing, they felt relieved and smiled. There would be another person who would die with them.
Nangong Jing saw their odd reactions and suddenly felt a cold sensation. Something seemed to be amiss.
"Fox demon, are you plotting something?"
Qiuyue Hesha said, "Jing Jing, we have been friends for so many years. Do you still see me as a villain?"
Nangong Jing wasn't moved at all. She knew Qiuyue Hesha too well.
At this moment, Lu Li smiled. "Sister Jing, did Lu Ze tell you about needing to die to exit the dimension?"
Nangong Jing nodded.
Lu Ze smiled. "Then, we are fine. We will only experience a bit of pain when we die." Lu Li's and Qiuyue Hesha's faces were stiff
Nangong Jing raised a brow. "That's it?"
Qiuyue Hesha directed a provoking smile at Nangong Jing. "T-Rex, don't cry."
Nangong Jing sneered in contempt without even looking at her. "Who are you looking at? Am I the type who is easily scared of pain?"
She was Nangong Jing. She had experienced countless battles, living on the verge of death. Would she be fazed by trivial pain?
Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha smiled carefully. All they had to do was wait and watch.
At this moment, Nangong Jing asked, "Ze, shouldn't we enter a portal now?"
She really wanted to witness the beasts Lu Ze had mentioned and the orbs they dropped.
Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li glanced at each other. Immediately after, Qiuyue Hesha grinned. "There is a ritual we haven't done yet."
Lu Ze: "..."
She was at it again. For some reason though, he was a bit excited.
Nangong Jing was confused. "Ritual? What ritual?"
Lu Li blushed, and her heart skipped a beat.
After a long while, the group finally appeared in the fourth map. Nangong Jing was both annoyed and embarrassed. She glared at Qiuyue Hesha. "Fox demon! You just wait! I will get my revenge!"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. He almost laughed out loud.
Nangong Jing noticed it, and she glared ferociously at Lu Ze. "This guy was enjoying the show. How dare he laugh at her?!
Seeing her uncontrollable temper, Lu Ze quickly interjected, "Okay, we are inside the Pocket Hunting Dimension. Stop playing around. We need to stay calm..."
"Roar!"
An extremely powerful chi rose up in the distance. The three were startled, especially Nangong Jing. It was her first time to encounter it.
'What kind of beast is this strong?'
Lu Ze said, "Hold on to me."
Accordingly, the three hugged Lu Ze, and he used Fire Buff, Darkness Buff, and Green Shadow Chant at full power. Some kind of green ball formed around them as they took off. Soon, they went past the range of the powerful chi. Only then did Lu Ze stop.
Nangong Jing questioned, "What was that? That chi belongs to a cosmic system state, doesn't it?"
Lu Ze, Lu Li, and Qiuyue Hesha were rather composed.
Lu Ze responded casually, "It's a super-beast with a level-9 star state cultivation.
If it were an overlord, they wouldn't be able to get away at all. The super-beast clearly wasn't interested in pursuing them. Otherwise, they would be in big trouble right now.
Nangong Jing was taken aback. "Is that a level-9 star state beast?"
'Its chi is that overwhelming already?!'
She didn't even know whether she would have the same combat power when she reached level nine of the star state.
Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li were amused. They reacted the same way when they were first dragged inside the dimension.
Lu Ze smiled and rubbed Nangong Jing's head. "Yes, its combat power should be around level two of the cosmic system state."
"Okay, let's begin."
The group swept through the mountain ranges. Other than level-9 star state super-beasts and overlords, all beasts fell victim to their hands and turned into orbs.
Six days later, they arrived at a barren stone plain. The plain was boundless. Lu Ze and the three girls could see beasts made of stones moving around. Qiuyue Hesha was worried. "Little brother Lu Ze, would this place be the territory of the stone-gazing cow overlord? Should we still enter?"
Lu Li also looked worriedly at Lu Ze. They had been here before. In the end, the petrifying gaze of the overlord turned them into stone. Since then, they never dared to come in anymore. Lu Ze smiled. "It should be fine. Let's just be careful. I want to check whether there are super-beasts among the stone beasts."
Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li were dumbfounded. Qiuyue Hesha confirmed, "Little brother Lu Ze, are you talking about the stone transformation divine art?"
Lu Ze nodded. Since the overlord had stone transformation divine art, then the super beasts should have it too, right?
Having that divine art would be quite nice.
Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li looked at each other. They were thrilled.
Lu Li smiled. "In that case, let's go."
Nangong Jing asked, "What is a stone transformation divine art?"
She couldn't follow their conversation at all.
Lu Ze replied, "A type of divine art that could turn people into stone. Perhaps you will see it soon."
Nangong Jing's eyes widened. These special divine arts would surely be effective. She was quite hopeful.
The four of them entered the stone plain, which was vast and similar to the underground space. However, the beasts were more closely packed.
The last time Lu Ze, Qiuyue Hesha, and Lu Li went here, they weren't as strong as they were currently. It was a bit difficult. But now, they could instantly kill all beasts they encountered. Hence, they quickly reached the depths of the plain with ease.
Five hours later, they reached a mountain formed with gray rocks. At the bottom of it, there was a massive cave. There was a cat-like rock beast with three tails that was resting on the ground nearby. Its cultivation level was level-5 star state.
Lu Li asked, "Is this a super-beast?"
Usually, super-beasts had their own lair. That cave behind the creature seemed like its own lair.
They found it difficult to distinguish whether the animal was a super-beast or an ordinary one. They wouldn't be able to figure out unless they engaged in battle since their chis were closely alike.
Lu Ze raised a brow. "We will only know if we test it."
A level-5 star state super-beast was no match for him now.
Lu Ze rapidly disappeared from the spot. While he released his chi, the rock-like kitten rapidly sprung up. It prowled and flashed with silver spirit light. Spirit force wave formed around it.
That terrifying chi was far from anything an ordinary level-5 star state beast could compare with.
Lu Ze's eyes flashed with surprise and joy. It was a super-beast!
There were chances it possessed stone transformation divine art!
Lu Ze's speed was rather fast among level-1 cosmic system states. Before the cat could react, he already appeared behind it and punched its back.
'Crack...'
The power instantly crushed the defenses of the enemy. Rocks ended up scattered around as the fist force penetrated the beast. The cat died on the spot as its body gradually fell down.
Lu Ze felt pleased. Even a level-5 star state super-beast couldn't put up a fight against him now. On the other hand, the group watched eagerly as the body turned to dust. Soon, the orbs emerged. There was a divine art shard lying in the ashes.
He grinned. "We have a new divine art now."
Qiuyue Hesha said, "If I used stone transformation with my seduction god art, it would be even more potent!"
Lu Li flipped her hair. "Then, we support you better."
Nangong Jing grinned. "Would the effects pile up? If we used this divine art together..."
Lu Ze smiled. "Okay, let's find more."
Two days later, the group killed a level-9 star state beast on the gray plains. Just when they were about to leave, they heard an ear-deafening roar.
Nangong Jing gasped. "What is that?"
She sensed an extremely powerful chi.
Lu Ze opened his mouth, but suddenly, a gray rock cow appeared before them. Gray ripples swept past, and the darkness claimed them. When he regained his consciousness, he was already back in the dao enlightenment room. He was prepared for death this time.
The gray stone plains were vast. The overlord was strong as well. It was no surprise it found them. Luckily, they have already gathered quite a lot of things.
In two days' time, they found three level-5 star state super-beasts and acquired three divine art rune shards. If they found one more, they would be able to form a complete divine art rune. With those, Lu Ze was ecstatic.
The door to Lin Ling's room suddenly opened. She snuck out. Seeing the empty corridor, she closed her door and proceeded outside Lu Ze's dao enlightenment room. At this moment, her face was red, and her heart was beating fast. She kept taking deep breaths.
Sister Jing and the other girls were already ahead of her. She could have been the second one. Hence, she shouldn't hesitate now!
She took another deep breath. Just when she planned to knock on the door, a surprised voice interrupted her. "Sister Ling?"
Lin Ling stiffened. She slowly turned around and saw Alice looking at her dazedly.
Both of them had the same plans. Lin Ling forced a smile. "Ahahaha... I have a divine art question that I don't really understand. I want to ask Ze."
She then looked at Alice. "By the way Alice, why did you come here?"
Alice returned an awkward smile. "Same... as you. I want to ask senior a question."
Lin Ling faked a smile. "I thought about it. Ze must be cultivating right now. How about asking him tomorrow so we don't disturb his cultivation?"
Alice nodded quickly. "That is what I thought too."
Thereafter, the two girls walked back to their rooms. As soon as they closed the doors, they touched their red faces and shrunk into a ball. They both knew what the other person was thinking. The embarrassment made them want to crawl into a hole.
ave
A week later, the sixth star ring was slowly forming in his cells. Soon, an invisible wave spread out, and all aspects of his power rose rapidly, and after a long while, the sixth ring in his body formed, and the progression stopped. Lu Ze slowly opened his eyes.
Sensing the terrifying power within him, he grinned. His combat power soared after reaching level six of the star state. Now, his speed could reach level-2 cosmic system state. This speed was on par with level-9 star state super-beasts!
He didn't need to worry about being caught by bosses with that level. Nevertheless, his Earth Shocking Blow and Demonic Flame Divine Art hadn't achieved perfect mastery yet, so his attacks were a little weaker. Right now, it could only reach the peak of level-1 cosmic system state.
With his current combat power and the help of the fox demon, Li, and alcoholic, perhaps they could try killing level-9 star state super-beasts? Even if they couldn't win, he could still run away though. This was the plan Lu Ze decided for the night. As for divine art, his Earth Shocking Blow just reached experienced mastery. He would probably need around 20 days to reach perfection mastery. This was the fastest speed possible already. Lu Ze went to the resting room. Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha were sitting on the couch watching their devices. He inserted himself in between them. They rolled their eyes, but they still leaned on Lu Ze while continuing with their own business.
As for Alice and the other girls, they were cooking food in the room they had converted. For some reason, Lin Ling and Alice were acting weirdly lately. Lu Ze assumed they were jealous or something. He decided to confront them, but he only got beaten up. He felt bewildered.
Soon, the girls who cooked the food entered the room and set up the table. Alice smiled. "Time to eat."
The three lazy people immediately sat down at the dining table.
At night in the Pocket Hunting Dimension, Lu Ze and the three girls did their usual ritual before entering the portal. During the past week, they had spent all their time at the gray stone plain. It was really exciting to eradicate super-beasts right under the eyes of the stone cow overlord.
Lu Ze had collected three complete stone transformation divine arts. But, he still had other divine arts he hadn't learned yet. He was in no rush to learn the stone transformation divine art. He had decided to divide them after he collected enough of the runes.
He then said, "I broke through to level six of the star state today. We can try fighting level-9 star state super-beasts. How about it?"
Nangong Jing and the three girls were taken aback. Nangong Jing sourly complained, "We just broke through for a few days. But... you broke through as well."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled helplessly. "As soon as we caught up to him, we fell behind right away again." When the two reached level-6 star state, Lu Ze was still a level-5 star state. Their combat power was weaker than Lu Ze, but the difference was rather minor. Now that Lu Ze reached level-6, the difference was major again.
Lu Li almost cried. "You two are doing very well already, okay? I can't even catch up to this guy." Lin Ling was probably hitting level-6 star state soon too. Only she and Alice just broke through to level-5 star state... It was too hard. Lu Ze was entertained. "I have to stand in front of all of you after all, how can I not be strong?"
A day later, the four people found a level-9 star state super-beast. It was a gray horse with one horn. It was over 100 meters tall and appeared very majestic. It was gracefully walking around while eating a rock from time to time.
Lu Ze said, "I'll go up first. Hesha and Li, support from the back. Jing Jing, judge the situation and attack when you can." The three followed his order.
Lu Ze shot out as he used Green Shadow Chant, darkness buff, and fire buff. His speed instantly soared to level-2 cosmic system state as he disappeared from the spot. Every place he passed by, thunderous sounds occurred. The typhoon left deep marks on the solid ground.
The horse looked over as gray spirit light surged. "Whine!"
It lifted up its front hooves as a gray light shot at Lu Ze. In return, he could feel his body gradually stiffening.
Stone transformation divine art!
Lu Ze used all his power to resist it. He didn't completely turn into a stone, only that he couldn't move properly. This experience was terrifying. For the first time, he tasted this divine art's power at an equal ground. It was truly powerful.
The horse shot out gray energy balls at Lu Ze. If he was struck, he would either die or end up heavily injured.
During this time, the horse's spirit force suddenly had fluctuations. It became weaker. Simultaneously, dark mist surrounded the area.
Lu Ze dodged the attack and released a punch, but the horse evaded it.
At this juncture, a golden fist force struck the horse.
'Rumble!
Nangong Jing's attack was just at level-1 cosmic system state. It couldn't injure the horse, but it helped in making it stumble. Lu Ze took advantage of the situation and continued punching. He landed a heavy blow on the horse's stomach, causing it to get flung as cracks appeared on its belly.
Suddenly, the gray wave spread out, and the stone transformation divine art was used again. There was no specific target for this attack. As a result, both Nangong Jing and Lu Ze were affected, making their attacks slower and giving more time for the horse to dodge.
The battle lasted a few minutes. Nangong Jing's chi became weak. Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha were panting already. Nevertheless, Lu Ze only felt a bit exhausted.
Seeing how the horse only received minor cracks, he gritted his teeth. "Let's go, we'll come back next time!"
He overestimated himself. The level-9 star state super-beast reached level-2 cosmic system state in all aspects. It possessed a terrifying stone transformation divine art.
His level-1 peak cosmic system state attacks fell short. Even with the help of the other three girls, it was too hard to kill the beast. While the senses of their enemy were dulled, Lu Ze hugged the three girls and jumped away using space transmission.
Lu Ze and the three girls could only continue to bully level-5 star state super-beasts. After remaining at the gray stone plain for a long time and decimating numerous powerful beasts, the stone cow overlord finally cornered the quartet. Right then, they were turned into stones without resistance.
The next morning, Lu Ze walked out of his room after cultivating. Immediately, he heard another door open, from which he saw Lin Ling exit her dao enlightenment room. When she noticed Lu Ze, she was taken aback. She quickly pouted her lips as her eyes were brimming with complaints.
Lu Ze looked around. If there was no one around, he would drag her into his room. His heart had been aching from seeing the sulky expressions of Lin Ling and Alice. These few days, he had been devising a plan to complete the deed with them.
Unfortunately, the girls got the timing off. Whenever they were out, the girls were present too. He wouldn't dare to haul them into his room while everyone was still watching
Currently, there was no one around to disturb him. Lu Ze rejoiced.
'Great! What an opportunity.'
Just when he was about to carry Lin Ling, the door on the side also opened, and Alice emerged from it. When the latter noticed the other two people, she was stunned. The atmosphere turned uncomfortable.
The piercing glare of the other two girls made his skin crawl. Lu Ze could only grit his teeth. 'Who cares?!'
He should be wise enough to trick...erm... call the two into his room. In the following second, he grinned. "Lin Ling, Alice, how are your divine art cultivation going? Do you want me to give you guys some guidance?"
Lin Ling and Alice ended up blushing in the end. The first time they summoned the courage to knock on Lu Ze's door, they also used the same excuse. Now that he was the one who asked it, they didn't know how to respond. In just a blink, they sent a death stare at him, making Lu Ze confused.
Lu Ze: "..."
'Did he even say something inappropriate?' Soon enough, a lecherous smile bloomed on his face. "What? Do you have problems? Why didn't you come to ask me earlier? Come inside, I'll teach you properly."
Without waiting for their consent, he simply hauled the two girls back in his room Lin Ling: "?"
Alice: "?"
"They didn't even consent to it yet!'
"Wait! Ze, I-I am fine. Let me down!"
"Senior, my divine art cultivation is going well. I don't need guidance..."
"I know you guys have problems, don't worry. I will help you solve it!"
"Ze, perhaps you should help Alice first?".
"No no no, Sister Ling must be experiencing much difficulty than I do. I feel she should go first."
As the door shut, Lin Ling's and Alice's voices faded away. Simultaneously, the door to the rooms of the other girls opened. Lu Li, Qiuyue Hesha, and Nangong Jing walked out. They glanced at each other.
Nangong Jing laughed. "You guys were eavesdropping too?".
Qiuyue Hesha smiled and stretched her back lazily. "I just felt like coming outside."
Lu Li flipped her long hair and smiled. "Now, Sister Ling and Alice can finally taste the pain of dying too."
The other two girls felt triumphant. It might not sound good, but that didn't matter. As long as everyone benefitted from the orbs, they should share the joy of dying together too.
Nangong Jing chuchled. "Hope they can hold it in."
This time, Qiuyue Hesha looked at Nangong Jing in contempt. "T-Rex, be honest, did you really not cry during the first time? I don't believe it. That's a soul-wrenching pain. How can you resist it without having experience?"
Lu Li also looked at Nangong Jing with suspicion. "I think so too."
Nangong Jing's smile stiffened. She could recall having tears stream down her face. But when the fox demon asked her about it the following day, she lied because she didn't want to be mocked.
Nangong Jing's face went red as she vehemently denied, "I didn't cry! It was just too painful. The sweat from my forehead went into my eyes. That is the only reason why water poured out of my eyes! That is not crying!" She quickly changed the topic, "Um, Alice and Lin Ling got kidnapped into his room. We won't be able to eat today. I'm going back to cultivate..."
She desperately wanted to leave the room. Unfortunately, Lu Li grabbed her hand." Sister Jing, I have been helping in the kitchen. I might not be as good as Alice, but the food should be edible."
Qiuyue Hesha also hugged Nangong Jing. "We'll help Li today. You can tell us about the tears."
Nangong Jing was dragged into the kitchen lifelessly.
The subsequent morning, Lu Ze woke up with Lin Ling and Alice sleeping next to him. He smiled gently as he cuddled the two.
'How satisfying it was to have two girls beside him!'
When a moment had passed, Lin Ling's lashes moved as she gradually opened her eyes. The events yesterday came hurtling at her, making her grit her teeth as she glared at Lu Ze. The bastard forced a threesome onto them!
But then, she couldn't resist the gentle expression on his face... At this point, Alice let out a mumble and opened her eyes thereafter. When she saw Lin Ling, she felt dazed. She could not help but blush.
When they attempted to ponder on it, anger rose up in their hearts again. Still, both girls grabbed one of his arms and began nibbling on it.
Lu Ze said, "I'm sorry, Lin Ling, Alice. You're going to bite my flesh off. Be gentle...' 'Are they actually dogs...'
Lu Ze gulped some saliva.
'Stop! He shouldn't think about it!'
Lu Ze rubbed his sore arms after the two girls were done. They tidied up the room and walked out.
Back in the resting room, Nangong Jing, Qiuyue Hesha and Lu Li watched the three people come out.
Lin Ling and Alice looked down in embarrassment.
Alice mumbled, "I-I will go and cook breakfast." She escaped the room in a rush.
Lin Ling couldn't handle their gazes too. "I'll go help." Lu Li followed them. "I'll go help too."
Lu Ze prayed for Lin Ling and Alice before sitting in between Qiuyue Hesha and Nangong Jing
Nangong Jing rolled her eyes. "Are you satisfied now?" Qiuyue Hesha remarked, "In the end, none of us could escape your clutches."
Lu Ze held their hands. He wanted to placate her. He thought for a long time before saying, "I'll treat you guys right."
Lu Ze: "?"
He should have studied more. He didn't even know what to say. Despite his poor words, the two girls smiled and leaned against his shoulders while nodding
When the three girls exited the room they had converted into a kitchen, Alice and Lin Ling were blushing even harder than before. On the other hand, Lu Li seemed greatly pleased.
"God knows what Lin Ling and Alice went through in there...'
While eating, Alice and Lin Ling were harassed by Qiuyue Hesha and Nangong Jing. Although they pleaded with Lu Ze to help them using their eyes, the boy was a coward. He couldn't move at all.
After the meal, the two girls fled back to their rooms. The other three girls also returned to their rooms to cultivate.
Lu Ze cleaned up and did the same. He still had to reach level-7 star state to fight level-9 star state super-beasts.
Of course, if his Earth Shocking Blow reached perfect mastery, his attack should reach level-2 cosmic system state as well. That way, he would be able to kill level-9 star state super-beasts smoothly.
After dinner, Lu Ze went into the Pocket Hunting Dimension. He saw two more rainbow orbs inside and felt smug.
'Yes, their hunting efficiency should improve a little bit now.'
Since he could drag Lin Ling and Alice inside, he finally managed to bring all the girls together.
'Wait...'
An idea suddenly dawned on Lu Ze. Lin Ling's god art was spirit eye god art. She could see the weaknesses of her opponents...
'If that was the case, could she see the weakness of the level-9 star state super-beast?'
One of the pressing matters was his insufficient power, rendering him unable to subdue the beast.
'If it actually had a weakness, then perhaps he might be able to kill it now?'
Lu Ze's eyes twinkled at the thought. It was a great idea worth trying!
Time to drag her inside first.
Lu Ze connected with the orbs using his mental force. Accordingly, Lin Ling and Alice appeared inside the Pocket Hunting Dimension. Similar to the previous girls, they were also bewildered.
Naturally, Lu Ze explained the situation to them, causing Alice to look at him with admiration. "Senior is incomparable! A god art like this exist? I feel my source flame god art can't compare with yours at all." 'Sure enough, he was her senior. Too outstanding!
Meanwhile, Lin Ling gawked at Lu Ze. She had always been very curious about his god art but never expected something like this.
Without fail, the newly-arrived girls realized something. They exchanged glances and directed their aggrieved gazes at Lu Ze.
"What's wrong?"
Lin Ling probed, "Have the other girls been here already?"
Lu Ze immediately knew what the two were thinking. His mouth twitched. Except for Hesha who had the privilege to enter the dimension first, the rest of the girls pointed out the issue straight away.
He laughed it off. "Yes, they have been here."
Lin Ling and Alice didn't feel too good. They assumed the rest of the girls were cultivating in their own rooms, leaving no chance for them to monopolize Lu Ze. As it turned out, they were the ones left out. Those traitors had been doing it here?! Their resolve to refrain was pretty idiotic then.
Lu Ze scratched his head. 'Are they jealous?'
He attempted to appease them with his smile and pulled the two into his arms as he kissed them both, causing them to blush. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. The two girls soon broke free from his hold. They glared at him, but their anger subsided a bit.
Lu Ze was satisfied with their behavior. "I'll pull the other people inside."
Consequently, his mental force connected with the other three dots, making the other three girls emerged inside the dimension. All three of them felt pleased upon seeing Lin Ling and Alice. Nangong Jing even hugged the two.
"Hehe, Lin Ling, Alice, you guys are finally inside. This place is really fun." Her smile carried malice in it. "It is quite exciting when you die and come out."
The two broke free from Nangong Jing and questioned, "Exciting?" Lu Ze didn't forget to tell them about dying and exiting the dimension. As expected, they were moved upon learning he had already died more than a thousand times. He had been generous enough to share the orbs that he gathered to the point of death to them. 'But what about excitement? Why would it be exciting?"
Lu Li smirked and flipped her hair. "Don't listen to her. Dying is actually a painful experience. You should best get mentally prepared for the first time."
Lin Ling felt assured. "It's just pain anyway. Don't worry, I'm prepared." Alice smiled and nodded too. "Don't worry, me too."
Well, it was not like they hadn't been in pain before.
Qiuyue Hesha chimed in, "Since Lin Ling and Alice were up to date with the situation, let's begin our daily ritual."
Lin Ling and Alice: "?"
'What is that?'
After a long while, everyone appeared in the mountains. Lin Ling and Alice were still blushing. In the end, they could not escape the daily ritual.
Out of everybody, Lu Ze was the happiest, but he contained it. "Alright, now that we are in here, stay vigilant."
Everyone nodded. Lu Ze said, "Let's try killing a level-9 star state super-beast again."
Qiuyue Hesha was hesitant. "Little brother Lu Ze, didn't we try it already yesterday? That goal might be too ambitious for us."
Lu Ze wasn't dissuaded. "Today is different. Lin Ling and Alice are here with us."
Lu Li understood his confidence. "Sister Lin Ling has spirit eye god art. Perhaps she can find the weakness of the beast!"
Nangong Jing nodded. "Our problem is the lack of powerful attacks. If we can find its weakness, we can exploit it!" Lin Ling and Alice were a bit dazed. 'What are they talking about?' Since they were the new initiates, they knew nothing of the world within. Lin Ling asked, "What do you need my spirit eye god art for?"
Lu Ze rubbed Lin Ling's short black hair and said, "We will just tell you along the way."
The group nodded and took off.
While looking for their target, Lu Ze and the girls killed all the beasts they encountered. Alice and Lin Ling finally understood how the orbs came to be. They also learned about the power levels of the beasts.
Three days later, the group found the gray stone plain. They set off to locate the chi of the super-beast.
In half a day, Lu Ze and the girls found a level-9 star state super-beast. It was a huge gray lizard with a horn. Its body was made of gray rocks. The creature had three pairs of legs, towering about 50 meters tall.
This lizard was resting in the valley. The bottom of the place was a deep crater, which was probably its lair.
Lu Ze raised his brow. "I'm going up."
The girls nodded seriously as he disappeared from the spot.
The lizard suddenly looked up with vigilance. When it saw Lu Ze, gray ripples flowed from its body.
Lu Ze immediately felt he was affected by the stone transformation divine art. His speed slowed down drastically. He was much weaker in other aspects too. "Roar!"
The stone lizard stomped on the ground. The earth cracked as it charged towards Lu Ze.
At this juncture, dark mist spread out, and the lizard also immobilized.
Lu Ze managed to dodge its huge mouth, but he didn't counterattack. He was waiting for an opportunity.
Alice was ablaze with blue flames that were wrapped with demonic chi. It was the Demonic Flame Divine Art.
Similar to the fire buff, Alice applied the Demonic Flame Divine Art to her fire clones. The fire clones also became much stronger.
Ten fire clones surrounded the lizard, but they didn't self-destruct. The lizard's senses were greatly weakened in the darkness. The fire clones were enough to hold it off for a long time. Meanwhile, Lin Ling looked at the lizard. Within a few seconds, her face went pale, but it revealed a trace of joy. "I found it! There is a weakness! Its stomach on the left side, between its first and second leg!"
Lu Ze and the other girls were satisfied with her performance. It would be great if they could finally kill the beast.
Lu Ze grinned. "Got it!"
Lu Ze flew towards the rock lizard at full force. Simultaneously, the fire clones coordinated with him and charged forward.
Nangong Jing concentrated her power.
"Roar!"
Gray ripples flowed around the lizard's body. Its chi was volatile. It felt delighted whenever it sensed the fire clones that were playing hide-and-seek with it. He locked onto their location and charged over.
Two of the ten fire clones were torn apart by the lizard.
At this juncture, a golden fist force penetrated the dark mist and struck the unsuspecting lizard. At the same time, Lu Ze appeared on the lizard's left side, between the first and second leg. He glanced at the stomach.
There was nothing unusual, but since Lin Ling said it was its weakness, he didn't question it further.
He clenched his fist as spirit flames soared up. Power surged as he directed a punch toward its weak point.
In return, the lizard made an unusually furious roar. The gray ripples around it tensed up, causing Lu Ze to feel an even potent stone transformation divine art. His speed slowed down.
The lizard was a little weakened after using its divine art at full power. However, it could still evade attacks. Unfortunately, Qiuyue Hesha employed her seduction divine art, making it halt in its tracks. It could only watch as Lu Ze successfully landed a blow on its body.
'Rumble!' 'Crack...'
The affected spot had fractured. As a result, the chi of their opponent dropped even lower.
Seeing the dense cracks he created, Lu Ze rejoiced. 'It worked! A heavy injury!'
"Roar!"
The lizard squirmed.
Meanwhile, Lu Ze disappeared from the spot. 'What if this lizard deliberately commits suicide?'
The lizard was severely injured. After releasing its power for an instant, it withdrew it and attempted to escape. During this time, a golden fist force struck from afar. Thereafter, Lu Ze appeared next to its injury and punched heavily again.
'Rumble!'
'Crack...'
Rocks were flung across every direction. Lu Ze's fist force slammed the body of the beast into the ground, leaving out a crater before the entire figure bounced back.
In the air, the lizard's chi continued to weaken. Despite its pitiable state, Lu Ze had no mercy. He kept striking its wound. 'Rumble!
'Rumble'
'Rumble!'
Soon enough, his fist force penetrated the body of the massive lizard, causing its life force to fade away. A huge carcass descended from the sky and dug out a wide crater in the ground.
Lu Ze stopped at the border while Nangong Jing and the other girls approached.
Nangong Jing felt proud. "We can't even beat it at all yesterday, but now, it died! Lin Ling and Alice helped out big time."
Alice and Lin Ling felt pleased by the compliment. It was good to know they were useful upon entering the dimension for the first time.
Moments later, the body turned to ashes.
Lu Ze happily collected the drop. He wondered whether he could use level-9 star state super red orbs. With his current cultivation level, perhaps he could try it.
He then ordered, "Okay, let's proceed."
Since even level-9 super-beasts were no match for the group, they only had to watch out for the overlord in the plain.
In just four days, they had acquired six divine art rune shards. Adding those to the previous three, they now possessed two complete divine art runes.
Another four days later, the group kept searching for prey on the plain.
Nangong Jing remarked, "We don't create much commotion while killing beasts. It has been so many days, but the overlord still hasn't found us."
Lu Li smiled. "Perhaps we can stay here until we collect all the divine art runes. Just the resources we have accumulated these few days are enough for us to cultivate for half a month."
Lu Ze added, "Perhaps we might leave the Pocket Hunting Dimension alive this time..."
Everyone didn't expect it.
Nangong Jing asked, "Can you leave this dimension alive? I thought you could only go out after dying..."
Lu Ze scratched his head. "You can actually leave as long as you survive a certain period of time."
Lu Li's and Qiuyue Hesha's eyes lit up.
Qiuyue Hesha asked, "Little brother Lu Ze, how many days do we have to stay here?"
Lu Ze was embarrassed. "I don't know."
Everyone: "..."
'How does he know they could leave without dying then?'
Lu Ze explained, "At the very beginning, the beasts weren't too high-level. I went out alive at the time. But as my cultivation level progressed, I could stay longer in the Pocket Hunting Dimension. I don't know how long 1 can stay inside anymore. After all, I only survived once."
Lin Ling questioned, "Are you saying you only went out alive once after entering the dimension over a thousand times?"
Lu Ze nodded. "That was pure luck."
Everyone: "..."
Alice offered, "I think needing to die just to exit the dimension is quite nice."
Nangong Jing nodded. "We don't have to live as long as we can exit the place."
Just when Lu Ze wanted to tell them not to give up, there was suddenly a dazzling golden light in the sky. It was brighter than even the sun.
The group was dumbfounded. Before they could absorb what was happening, they already died.
Lin Ling and Alice woke up in confusion. 'What just happened?'
Suddenly, an incredible pain from the depths of their soul overwhelmed their senses. They collapsed to the ground.
Alice cried out immediately as she trembled.
Lin Ling bit her lips and tried to hold it in, but the waves of pain charged at her. She couldn't suppress it, and eventually, she cried as well.
'Isn't this too painful?'
Thinking about how Lu Ze handled this every time, they felt bad for him.
On the other hand, Lu Ze was speechless. They didn't see the overlord but encountered a super-boss instead.
'Mhm... it's quite nice dying and coming out.'
Half an hour later, Lu Ze got up. He wanted to try the level-9 star state super red orbs. Immediately, the energy ravaged him. The surface of his body cracked as blood gushed out, painting him red.
Lu Ze used his healing god arts to stabilize the injury.
'Pant...'
Eight hours later, Lu Ze barely finished digesting the energy. However, the entire process was too time-consuming.
He decided to wait until reaching level-7 star state before using the orbs again.
The night had passed. Lu Ze felt a little hungry, so he walked out of his room.
In the following period of time, Lu Ze and the girls dedicated their morning to raising their cultivation level and used their evening to learn divine arts. Of course, their routine didn't discard their usual three meals throughout the day.
The time during their solitary cultivation passed peacefully. Fifteen days later, they had already gathered six stone transformation divine arts, as well as twenty-four one-time-use stone transformation divine art rune.
Lu Ze divided the resources among the group. Hence, everyone had a special divine art. If everyone completed learning the stone transformation divine art and locked on the same target, he wondered what the outcome would be.
Another five days later, Lu Ze's Earth Shocking Blow reached perfect mastery. The power of its attack reached level two of the cosmic system state. Currently, it would be a breeze to fight level-9 star state super-beasts.
He only needed one strike at its weak point to send the beast to the afterlife.
Another ten days later, Lu Ze reached level seven of the star state. His speed and attack neared the peak of level-2 cosmic system state. Of course, this power alone was not enough to take on overlord beasts. The group still had to avoid overlords actively.
This time, Lu Ze attempted digesting the level-9 star state super red orbs again. It was a little painful, but he could handle it.
Nangong Jing and the other girls weren't strong enough to the orbs. They could only settle with ordinary level-9 star state or level-5 star state super red orbs.
Twenty-seven days later, an eighth star ring was slowly forming in Lu Ze's body, and moments late, it fully formed, causing him to open his eyes. With the aid of the level-9 star state super red orbs, it only took him a total of 27 days to reach level eight of the star state. Lu Ze felt proud of himself. After sensing the power within him, he estimated his full-powered attack and speed could be considered decent even among level-3 cosmic system states. He then pondered whether he could finally move on to beating overlords. After all, he had never fought one head-on for a long time. He came out of the spirit gathering room and walked to the resting room. Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha weren't around, but there were a few dishes on the table. Alice and the other girls were probably cooking. Lu Ze checked one more time. No other person was present. 'Great!'
He went over and grabbed a piece of meat. 'Tasty!
He couldn't resist grabbing another piece. His eyes even reddened from the heavenly taste. Alice's cooking skill was definitely improving.
Although it was against his conscience to steal away some food, he wasn't strong enough to resist the temptation. Moreover, Ying Ying wasn't around. No one would deprive him of the right to eat.
At this moment, the door opened. Lu Ze immediately stood up and turned around casually. He saw Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha glaring at each other as they came inside. Well, they probably argued again. However, when they saw Lu Ze, a strange expression crossed their faces.
Nangong Jing reprimanded, "Ze, you're stealing food again!"
Lu Ze: "?"
"No way! I didn't! Stop the bullshit!"
Qiuyue Hesha found it amusing. She then approached him to wipe the red sauce off his lips. "What is this then?" Thereafter, she put the sauce into her mouth.
Lu Ze: "..."
He faked a cough. "I'm just testing whether it is actually cooked."
The two girls rolled their eyes. Nangong Jing also grabbed a piece of meat and ate it. Since Lu Ze already ate something, it should be fine if she did as well. However, she was interrupted by someone's arrival.
Alice and the other girls witnessed Nangong Jing sneaking a bite.
Alice exclaimed, "Sister Jing, you're sneaking a bite of the food again!" Lu Ze immediately fanned the flames, "Yes, you are stealing food!"
Nangong Jing: "?"
She gawked at Lu Ze in disbelief. 'How does he have the gall to accuse her of doing the same thing he just did?'
"You did it first!"
Lu Ze sneered, "Where is the evidence?" Hesha cleaned the evidence already. He can act innocent now.
Nangong Jing said, "... The remnants of the food should still be present in your mouth. Alice, if you don't believe me, you should try tasting it!"
Alice: "..."
She blushed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, let's
eat."
Sister Jing really wasn't embarrassed... Lu Li and Lin Ling looked at Nangong Jing helplessly. She was too shameless.
After dinner, everyone returned to their own rooms. Without fail, Lu Ze dragged all the girls into the Pocket Hunting Dimension. After their ritual, the group went into the mountains.
Lu Ze felt smug. "I reached level-8 star state today. Should we go and test if we can take on overlord beasts?"
The girls agreed.
Lu Li said, "Our stone transformation divine art has reached perfection mastery. Perhaps we can stand a chance."
Everyone prioritized the stone transformation divine art during this time. It would greatly help them with the entire hunting process.
"Let's take off then." Lu Ze grinned.
Lu Ze and the girls had only encountered four overlords. The first was the 800-meter tall green tiger. The second one was a thousand-meter tall, bone-armored elephant. The third one was the cute little black ball. As for the last one, it was the cow with stone transformation divine art cow.
These overlords corresponded to the divine arts they acquired. 'Maybe only beasts with divine arts could become overlords?' He didn't know the answer.
Each overlord was exceedingly powerful. After some negotiation, they decided to fight the elephant first. It wasn't agile. More importantly, the beast didn't possess any special divine art. If they couldn't beat it, they should still be able to escape.
Five days later, they finally found the overlord in a small mountain range, where it was covered in thick gray bone armor. The only place left out was its eyes and mouth. Even at its joints, it wore some kind of a stretchable material.
With each step it took, the earth quaked. When it accidentally set foot on the mountains, the terrain was crushed by its power.
Alice retreated. "Senior, are we really going to fight it? It seems very dangerous."
Lu Ze wasn't confident either. "Let's just try. If we can't beat it, we'll come back after we become stronger."
Lin Ling nodded. "I have the same thoughts. We have to know more about it. It doesn't matter if we die in the Pocket Hunting Dimension."
Right then, Alice could only nod.
Lu Ze took a deep breath. "Like before, I'll go up first." Accordingly, he disappeared from the spot. 'Rumble!'
His violent chi was released.
The full-powered Lu Ze now had a combat power of a level-3 cosmic system state. If this was released on a planet, the shockwave alone would be enough to annihilate the planet itself.
The elephant looked up and roared with authority. As a result, Lu Ze could feel the restriction on the space around them. A white spirit light flashed.
Before he could react, he already died and returned to his room.
'Oh shit? What happened? The overlord is that strong?" He thought he would still be able to run away, but that terrifying power had reached, at the very least, level-4 cosmic system state. It was even close to level-5 cosmic system state. The previous overlords weren't this absurd!
Lu Ze lay on his bed lifelessly. At this moment, someone knocked on his door.
'Who would come at this moment?'
'Aren't the girls in pain too?'
He was in so much pain he couldn't get up. Hence, he opened the door with wind god art.
Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls walked inside. Their faces appeared very normal.
Lu Ze: "?"
'Are they highly resistant to pain now?'
"This was terrifying!
Nangong Jing asked, "Ze, are you okay?" Lu Ze: "..."
He wanted to say his condition was bad. However, upon seeing their calmness, he wouldn't admit he couldn't bear the pain.
He stood up from the bed, causing his face to quiver from immense pain. Following such, he didn't forget to force a smile. "Me? I'm fine."
Alice questioned, "Senior, didn't you die? How can you be fine? Is it not painful?" Lu Ze shook his head. "No! I feel great!"
He quickly changed the topic, "By the way, why did you guys come over?"
Qiuyue Hesha answered, "After you were killed by the overlord, we got ejected by the dimension automatically. We were very confused too, so we came over to ask you."
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. "A-a-are you saying you girls didn't come out because you died?"
"No, what is wrong?" Lu Ze: "..."
He collapsed into Lin Ling's arms and declared shakily, "Um, ... I'm in a bit of a bad condition. I need a hug."
He incorrectly assumed these girls were resistant to pain!
He had to pretend for so long.
As it turned out, they didn't die at all!
The girls: "..."
Soon, they realized what Lu Ze was doing before. All the girls felt it was funny, but they couldn't help the anger.
Lin Ling hugged Lu Ze gently and sat on the ground, so he could lie more comfortably in her arms. "Is this better?"
Lu Ze squirmed in her arms to find a comfortable position before closing his eyes. "Mhm, this is cozy."
Even though the other girls rolled their eyes, they still massaged him in the end, making Lu Ze moan with satisfaction.
After a while, Nangong Jing asked, "Ze, do you know why we were suddenly out?"
Lu Ze responded, "Probably because after I die, you guys should follow too?" The Pocket Hunting Dimension belonged to him after all, and the girls only got the privilege to enter because of him. After his death, the others didn't have the right to stay inside any longer?
Nangong Jing and the girls realized this was the only probable explanation.
Lu Li smiled. "In that case, whenever we can't escape, let's just leave Ze and run."
Nangong Jing agreed. "That's a bright idea. We don't have to die at all."
Lu Ze: "?"
'How could they say such things?'
'Aren't they supposed to die together?' Lu Ze's heart was broken.
Qiuyue Hesha and the other girls were enjoying it greatly. If it wasn't obvious, they were merely kidding.
After some massages, Lu Ze recovered quite fast. However, he refused to say anything and kept enjoying the treatment. Since it was a rare opportunity, he had to cherish it.
Lu Ze smiled. "By the way, the elders looked as though they wanted us to have kids soon..."
The girls blushed as Lu Ze felt smug. This time around, they didn't cultivate the entire night. They only started cultivating again after finishing their breakfast the following day. Lu Ze worked on his cultivation level. The overlord was too strong. In his estimation, he needed to be a peak star state before he could try killing it with the girls.
In some classified room of the Shenwu Army at the void border, Elder Nangong was sitting on a bed.
Vibrant light flashed around him. The golden light grew thicker while the chi around him became stronger.
Moments later, he opened his eyes as a sharp light flashed.
He took a few deep breaths, but he still couldn't contain his excitement.
He recovered!
His essence had completely recovered!
That flawed foundation of his due to forcefully reaching the cosmic system state also became extremely sturdy.
After two thousand years of learning, his cultivation level went straight from level-7 cosmic system state to peak stage cosmic system state within half a year!
His combat power was numerous times stronger than before. 'How could he not be overjoyed?'
He was excited for half an hour before getting out of the room.
He went to the general's office.
A black-armored star state was doing office work. He quickly got up upon noticing the elder and saluted, "Lord Jinyao!"
Elder Nangong nodded. "How is the border lately?"
The person replied, "There would still be insectoids from time to time, but no more additional insectoid lairs emerged. We can defend and prevent the insectoids from invading the Federation."
Elder Nangong nodded. "How is the situation at the border of the Elf Cosmic Realm?"
"Outside reports claim that the battle with insectoids is still on-going at the border. The Insectoid Race won't stop for a while."
Elder Nangong frowned. The insectoids suddenly went crazy and attacked all nearby cosmic realms. However, they were a top race in the universe.
'What could you do?'
He rubbed his temple. "Stay alert. The void border is the door to our Federation. We can't afford to make a mistake."
"Yes!"
Elder Nangong asked, "How about the Blade Demon Race?"
"Ever since the Monarch of the New Dawn destroyed their base in the Geka System, they made no movements lately. They seem to be defending against the possible insectoid tides."
Elder Nangong raised a brow. This didn't seem like those violent blade demons he encountered.
Elder Nangong didn't believe it either, but now, his cultivation level had reached the peak stage of the cosmic system state. Whatever might happen, he felt quite confident.
Not just him. The other three old guys wouldn't stay the same either. It wouldn't be too difficult to defend the Human Race with their improved combat power. Even if they couldn't, Ying Ying was still around.
Elder Nangong said, "Keep defending here. Let me know if anything happens."
"Yes!"
Elder Nangong disappeared from the base. He soon wondered how the other old guys were doing. He had to go and show off.
A month later, a group of beings appeared on the ancestral planet of the Blade Demon
They didn't bother anyone and flew into the ancestral planet immediately. The group entered the demon palace.
The Blade Demon King and two other cosmic system states were already waiting inside. The Blade Demon King snarled and got up while opening his arms. "Welcome friends for agreeing to attack the Human Race together!"
As proof of alliance, the Dark Metal Demon Race sent four cosmic system states. The Black Smoke Race sent four too. There were also three participants from the Evil-Eyed Race, three from the Pale Scale Race, two from the Half Demon Race, and two from the Blood Claw Race.
Along with the six blade demon cosmic system states, there would be a total of 24 cosmic system states!
This was enough to decimate all four of those old things if they planned things out.
Planet Shenwu, Top Floor of Cultivation Building
Lu Ze was sitting in the spirit gathering room. Spirit force was being pulled from space and converted into his power.
Currently, the ninth star ring was slowly forming in his cells.
A few hours later, the ring had completely formed. The star core was vibrant. It was shining with starlight. The nine star rings, which appeared to be luminous and enigmatic, were outside the core.
He finally reached level nine of the star state. Right then, he slowly opened his eyes and felt proud of himself.
During this time, he also improved the Green Shadow Chant, stone transformation divine art, Earth Shocking Blow, and Demonic Flame Divine Art to achieve perfect mastery. Now, he was exceptionally strong!
His combat power was probably at the peak of level three of the cosmic system state and might even reach level four of the cosmic system state.
Lu Ze was fairly certain his combat power will step on level four of the ordinary cosmic system state when his cultivation level reached the peak of the star state. This was a greater amplification in his combat power, much higher when he was at the peak of the planetary state.
It could all be attributed to the consumption of blood crystals non-stop lately. Furthermore, he had perfected mastering a star state divine art.
If he broke through to the cosmic system state, how strong would his combat power be?
Lu Ze highly hoped his future would be promising
He could not help but grin. At most, it would take him a month to reach the cosmic system state.
Although he was already a level-9 star state, he didn't dare to challenge the overlord beast yet. He wouldn't even consider it before reaching the peak state of star state.
The group had slain quite a lot of super-beasts. They had nearly a hundred of each type of divine art rune. Lu Ze distributed them fairly among the group. Even though they perfected the mastery of these divine arts, the one-time-use divine art runes didn't require exhausting their own power. Hence, he decided to give a few to Lin Kuang and his group by handing the runes to the elders. In return, the elders will be the ones who will directly give those divine arts to the latter.
Lu Ze proceeded to the resting room. Alice had finished preparing the food already. She asked, "Senior, you finished cultivation? Let's eat then. Your favorite Sun Dragon Salmon is served today."
Lu Ze's eyes visibly brightened. "Alice, you are truly the best!"
This dish had a rare fish that lived in large stars. Its power ranged from the planetary state to the star state. It was a very precious beast. More importantly, it was rather tasty.
Lu Ze quickly sat down at the dinner table.
After the meal, the group relaxed on the couch together.
Lu Ze sighed. "I'm so full."
Nangong Jing and the other girls rolled their eyes. Thereafter, Lu Li leaned against Lu Ze. "You are quite happy Ying Ying isn't here to steal your portion." Of course, Lu Ze was satisfied with the arrangements. Without Ying Ying, he could eat to his heart's content!
He was curious though. "By the way, how is she doing? She doesn't contact us too."
Ying Ying went to find Xiao Xi on Weite a long time ago. There had been no news of her. Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Who says she didn't contact us? Ying Ying always contacts me."
Nangong Jing bragged, "And me." "Me too!"
"Me three!"
"Me as well."
Lu Ze: "?!"
'So Ying Ying just didn't want to talk to him.'
'But he was so nice to her?!'
'Whatever! He shouldn't bother to care!'
Even so, he still asked, "How is she?"
Qiuyue Hesha found it amusing. "She is attending school with Xiao Xi."
Lu Ze didn't expect it. The first time he saw Ying Ying, she was also carrying a red bag with the desire to attend school...
Lin Ling smiled. "It is good she is happy." Qiuyue Hesha and Nangong Jing nodded. They all considered the nice and obedient Ying Ying as their little sister.
Nangong Jing said, "Rumor has it, she is very popular at school. There are even little boys confessing to her." Lu Ze exploded. "What? Which bastard dares to confess to Ying Ying? I'll break his leg!"
'What a joke?!'
'Ying Ying was still a kid!'
'It was too early for her to date!'
Nangong Jing and the girls felt he was acting absurdly.
Alice smiled. "Don't worry, senior. There are people watching over Ying Ying."
"Who?" Lu Ze asked.
Lu Li explained, "Elder Nangong specially arranged for the teachers at school to be switched to planetary state and above teaching personnel after hearing Ying Ying was attending. He didn't want any accidents to happen." Lu Ze: "..."
His mouth twitched.
'Why didn't he get a treatment like that while studying?' However, Lu Ze felt assured upon hearing Ying Ying was happy. During this point, someone knocked on the door, obligating Alice to open it. The four elders were outside. They looked ecstatic.
Alice invited, "Four elders, all of you are here. Please come in."
Lu Ze asked, "Elders, why are you here? Did something happen?" He then asked curiously, "By the way, how are the orbs? Did you guys recover?"
Saint Shenwu laughed. "Hahaha! It's very useful! Too useful!"
He patted Lu Ze's shoulder. "Now, we have completely recovered. Our power also experienced a huge leap!"
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. He could feel their improvement too. 'Oh shit...'
The force was much stronger than before. He was already a level-9 star state, but his shoulder still felt sore from the current pressure they were emitting. Nevertheless, he felt happy for them.
Nangong Jing looked at Elder Nangong with surprise and joy. "Old man, you guys have really recovered?"
е
Elder Nangong's condition tormented her as well. This should mean he could live longer than two thousand years, right?'. Elder Nangong patted Nangong Jing's head and smiled. "This is all thanks to Ze. We have recovered. Our cultivation level has reached the peak of the cosmic system state."
"What?!" The group gawked at the four elders in disbelief.
'Peak of the cosmic system state?!'
'Aren't they almost about to reach cosmic cloud state?!'
They didn't expect the elders to grow this strong Elder Lin smiled. "We have lived for two thousand years. Although we couldn't cultivate, we still learned a lot of things. Now that our essence has recovered and we have your energy orbs, it is natural our progress will be like this."
Alice smiled brightly. "That is great. Four peak cosmic system states. We are quite strong now, right?"
Elder Lin shook his head helplessly. "Four peak cosmic system states are only considered above-average among cosmic system state civilizations. There is still a substantial gap when compared to those ancient cosmic system state civilizations."
Those ancient cosmic system state civilizations might have over a hundred cosmic system states. They simply lacked a cosmic cloud state.
The Human Race and the Blade Demon Race were just budding civilizations. As such, their cosmic system states weren't high-quality.
Usually, a peak cosmic system state was the minority of cosmic system states.
The Human Race developed weirdly.
Everyone looked forward to the development of the Human Race.
Although their progress was heading in a weird direction, the power at the pinnacle was stronger.
With Lu Ze at the top, more and more cosmic system states would be produced soon. By then, the Human Race would be considered a powerful cosmic system state civilization.
All of these possibilities relied on the steady growth of Lu Ze.
Carrying those thoughts, Elder Nangong looked at Lu Ze and the girls. "By the way, did you progress in your cultivation?"
Lu Ze smiled. "My combat power is approaching level three of the cosmic system state. Soon, my cultivation level will breach the cosmic system state. My combat power will definitely surge exponentially at that time."
Nangong Jing grinned. "Our power might be a bit weaker than his, but we already have a cosmic system state combat power."
The four elders: "..."
They made their mental preparations beforehand. Even so, they couldn't avoid being shocked by it.
'Isn't this progress unbelievably fast?'
It had only been four months since they last saw the group. But now, their cultivation level was approaching the cosmic system state already.
Elder Nangong coughed and patted Lu Ze's shoulder. "Mhm, great, keep working hard."
Elder Lin smiled. "With us now, you don't need to worry about accidents. Just cultivate." "Mhm." Lu Ze smiled and nodded.
"By the way, Elder, I have some new resources here. You can give them to Aunty Xunshuang and the others." Elder Nangong smiled. "You have new orbs? I'll split it with the others."
Lu Ze replied, "Mhm... There are also some other things too."
Elder Nangong and his companions were taken aback. "Other things?"
Lu Ze had only been taking out red orbs. 'Are there other things as well?'
Lu Ze took out a purple orb. He explained, "This is another type of energy. It can increase the mental force and learning capability for a while."
He had a surplus of red and purple orbs piling in every day. He almost couldn't fit them inside his mental dimension anymore.
Elder Nangong and the other elders: "?"
They looked at the purple orb in disbelief.
Elder Nangong asked shakily after a while, "You... are you saying this can increase learning ability?!"
This was too essential, whether it was learning secret techniques, god arts, or divine arts.
Except for the dao enlightenment room, they didn't have any other means to improve their comprehension ability. This could only mean one thing. What Lu Ze gave them was similar to the dao enlightenment room...
No, it was even more precious! It could increase mental force wherever they were, not just at a fixed place. Basically, its only drawback was the limitation in usage.
Lu Ze nodded. "Yes."
"Elders, you are now at the peak of the cosmic system state. With these orbs, you can probably learn the secrets of the cosmic cloud state faster. It would be easier for you to break through."
The four elders were excited. Lu Ze was right. Their foundation had been established, but breaking through to the cosmic cloud state wasn't just a matter of foundation. Understanding the cultivation state was also crucial. Otherwise, there wouldn't be countless peak cosmic system states stuck on this level.
Now, they had greater chances of breaking through. The desperation of the four elders was quite blatant from the way they breathed.
Elder Nangong frowned. "This energy is precious. Don't you need it yourself? Your cultivation level should be the priority." The other three elders nodded too.
Elder Lin smiled. "We appreciate it, but you should use it."
Lu Ze scratched his head. "Um, this energy orb has about the same quantity as the red one."
He had been storing his purple orbs from the first map to the fourth. In fact, he was getting a headache from looking at all the purple orbs.
"?י :The elders
"Oh shit?'
"That many?!'
Lin Ling smiled. "Elders, don't worry, Ze knows what he is doing."
She had been hunting non-stop lately. Of course, she knew how full their inventory was.
The elders felt their hearts couldn't handle the joy.
After some silence, Elder Nangong nodded. "Since Ze said it, then give it to us. We'll divide them properly. We also finished researching how to make heritage crystals. From now on, it will be easier for the Human Race to learn divine art. Coupled with the purple orbs, it would be even better!"
"Heritage crystal?"
Lu Ze was perplexed. 'Where did he hear this before?'
Elder Nangong's mouth twitched. "... The thing you got from the secret realm of the Round Race."
'Did this kid forget something that important?!'
He didn't feel too good. After thinking about it clearly, out of all the treasures taken out by Lu Ze, which one wasn't precious?
Perhaps the heritage crystal didn't mean much to him at all...
Lu Ze said, "Oh I remember, so it is that one."
His New Dawn was taken to be upgraded at the time. However, he had never gotten to drive it after getting it back. He didn't know how well it was either.
Lu Ze shook his head. "By the way, there is another thing."
He decided to give some one-time-use divine art runes to the elders.
"There are more?" The elders' hearts skipped a beat again.
'How many times did this kid have to scare them?!'
They were hopeful and yet annoyed. Lu Ze took the runes out, which ranged from planetary state and star state ones. "This is a one-time-use divine art rune. After activating it, you can release a perfectly mastered divine art once without using your own power. This portion is a planetary state while this one is a star state..."
The elders: "..."
'Resources like this truly existed?'
Elder Nangong asked, "Can it be enhanced with the power of the user?"
Lu Ze didn't expect the question. "... Perhaps?"
When he used the Demonic Flame Divine Art, it enhanced it with his own power. What if the elders empowered these runes then? They were peak cosmic system states! Then... that power...
Lu Ze's skin crawled thinking about it. It would be terrifying.
If they could use this at full power, perhaps the level of the attack would barely reach the cosmic cloud state?
Nangong Jing and the girls were dazed. The runes would be deemed tactical weapons if they were used by the elders.
Lu Ze said, "Mhm... I still have a few more. Elders take some more."
Lu Ze took out ten more.
Seeing nearly a hundred divine art runes, the elders were confused.
'How many of these things did he hide?'
Elder Nangong took them and said, "We will keep a few and split some with the others. The rest would be kept in the reserves."
Lu Ze smiled and nodded. "Mhm, you guys can decide it."
Elder Nangong asked again, "Nothing else, right?"
Lu Ze laughed. "No more."
He still had a large pile of god art orbs. He still planned to give some to the elders. However, upon witnessing their stunned reactions, Lu Ze decided to leave it for next time.
"Then, we will go out first. You guys should keep cultivating until you reach the cosmic system state."
Lu Ze smiled and simply nodded. Solitary cultivation was boring, but the feeling brought about by their progress every day was pleasant. Most importantly, he had Alice at his beck and call to cook delicious meals for him.
Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls began cultivating again after the elders left. On the other hand, Lu Ze cleaned up the dishes before doing the same thing as the girls.
He was about to become a cosmic system state. He was thrilled.
Time passed by. Twenty days later, Lu Ze was sitting on a cushion. The nine star rings were flashing inside his body. The ninth ring was originally very small, but it was now about half the size of the other rings.
Lu Ze could understand the slow pace. After all, he exhausted the level-9 star state super red orb.
Being a level-9 star state already, he wouldn't progress with just the level-9 star state super orbs. Otherwise, it will take him two months or even longer to complete a breakthrough.
Of course, the situation might be different if he could kill overlord beasts. Only then could he break through faster. After digesting the red energy orb, Lu Ze slowly opened his eyes and calmed down his spirit force.
A day of cultivation was over. It was time to eat dinner.
With his current cultivation level, he should be able to fight some overlords, right?
Lu Ze walked out of the room. As long as he managed to kill an overlord, his cultivation resources would greatly improve. The white energy strands alone from the four overlords would allow a substantial increase in his cultivation level.
Currently, he needed more than a month to break through. If he used those white energy strands, perhaps he could successfully make a breakthrough on the spot. He should try it at night!
The group ate dinner and returned to their rooms. Thereafter, Lu Ze did their usual routine-enter the Pocket Hunting Dimension and drag the girls inside. After a long while, they proceeded to the fourth map.
Now, he didn't even need to conceal his chi. He wanted the beasts to come after him.
Nangong Jing looked around. "Ze, are we going to split off and hunt beats like a few days ago?" Everyone had a cosmic system state combat power now, so they could pretty much treat the fourth map as their playground.
They couldn't beat the overlords yet though, so they might as well split up for better efficiency.
resou
As for gathering the resources, the orbs picked up by other people would automatically be sent to his mental dimension. Lu Ze had to give a good review for this function of the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
If only he didn't have to experience pain in exiting the dimension.
Lu Ze shook his head. "Today, we are going to start trouble with the overlords."
The girls were taken aback. Lin Ling asked, "Are you confident?"
Lu Ze grinned. "No, but we can always try. My combat power is at level-4 cosmic system state now. Jing Jing and Hesha are at level-3 cosmic system state. With your support as well, I feel we can attempt it."
Nangong Jing was eager. "Hehe, I have long wanted to try." Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "Then, go. Our stone transformation divine art is at perfection now anyways."
Lu Li and Alice nodded. Right now, they shouldn't be considered weak. Lu Li asked, "Which one do we look for this time?"
Lu Ze answered, "The elephant again."
They had to stand their ground at the place where they fell.
Of course, the most important reason was the vulnerability of the elephant. It appeared to be the easiest creature to bully.
The girls nodded.
Qiuyue Hesha said, "Let's split up and search."
Two days later, a thousand-meter-tall elephant passed by at a slow pace. It made the ground quake with every step as cracks formed on the mountain.
Lu Ze and the girls were at the top of a peak, watching the elephant.
Lu Ze said, "I'm going up."
Qiuyue Hesha reminded, "Be careful."
Lu Ze nodded. He disappeared from the spot.
'Rumble!'
Almost at the same time, a violent chi surged a few thousand meters in the air.
Lu Ze appeared.
Runes emerged around his body. Half-clear spirit flames burned as space fluctuated. The devastating chi almost spread out within hundreds of millions of kilometers instantly.
All beasts that sensed this chi cowered to the ground in terror.
A level-4 cosmic system state chi would be considered a lord in this map.
The elephant looked over. White spirit light flashed around its body. It lifted up its two legs and bellowed.
Lu Ze felt the restrictions around him. There was an even more terrifying chi forming rapidly above his head.
Giant elephant legs formed in the air.
This was a level-4 cosmic system state. It was even approaching level five!
Lu Ze breathed out.
It was powerful indeed. No wonder he died last time before he could react. This difference was major.
Lu Ze roared as a spirit flame formed on his fist. It looked similar to the legs of the giant elephant. It was the same divine art after all.
Naturally, the fist differed greatly from the legs of the beast. Fortunately, Lu Ze wasn't alone.
Pink mists appeared around Qiuyue Hesha. One eye turned pink as the other eye turned gray.
Lu Li's eyes flashed with black runes. The dark mist spread out and instantly swept past the area. Gray ripples simultaneously appeared around her.
Blue flames spun around Alice. Demonic Flame Divine Art and fire-buffed fire clones appeared. They rushed over the mist. Thereafter, Alice also used the stone transformation divine art.
Nangong Jing didn't join him directly this time. She used the stone transformation divine art as well. She had to wait for the right time to use the Earth Shocking Blow in the end.
Lin Ling didn't use her stone transformation divine art. Instead, she searched for the weaknesses with her god art.
The chi of the beast weakened, and then, its movements slowed down. The elephant's leg immediately became much weaker. The overlord: "?"
'What is going on?'
It roared furiously. Its leg landed, which was then greeted by Lu Ze's strike.
'Rumble!'
A shockwave spread across all directions, flattening the surface of the mountains. Lu Ze rejoiced.
His Earth Shocking Blow tore apart the elephant leg while not exhausting the rest of the power.
'Did he just win a head-on clash?!'
Lu Ze appeared near the elephant's stomach, and he looked up. Ordinary elephants didn't have bone armor in this particular area, but this overlord had a special gray membrane covering it.
He gasped and tried to punch the membrane.
'Rumble!'
Lu Ze felt a very powerful rebound force, which was subdued by his spirit flames. He had the same body god art after all.
"Roar!" The pale spirit light of the overlord flashed vigorously. Thereafter, a huge, pale white energy ball started forming at its stomach and fired at Lu Ze.
Lu Ze: "?"
Other than mouth cannons, stomach cannons also existed? Wind encircled him as he disappeared from the spot, dodging the pale energy ball, which then exploded on the ground as the terrifying force soared up.
The slightly-dented earth was left with a deep crater that was a few thousand kilometers wide.
Lu Ze appeared in the air. He looked at the overlord searching for him and called out, "Lin Ling, have you found its weakness yet?" It would be a bit hard without knowing weakness. After all, although his attack surpassed that of the overlord's, its turtle shell was quite tough to penetrate.
Lin Ling's face became pale. The overlord's power was much greater than hers. It was quite a burden to use her god art to locate its weakness. Hence, she panted. "No, I can't find a weakness. The defense mechanism all over its body is the same. It seems to be some special trait."
Lu Ze was taken aback. "Including those membranes?"
Lin Ling confirmed it. "Its defense is evenly distributed along its body. When you attack, it can increase the defense of an area to a certain extent."
Lu Ze: "..."
The overlord was too tanky.
"Then, we'll fight head-on."
The group nodded.
Alice used a fire clone to harass the overlord. Nangong Jing used Earth Shocking Blow to overwhelm it too. Meanwhile, Lu Ze would attack its stomach from time to time.
Although the defenses were distributed evenly, Lu Ze was used to hitting the same body part for the elephants.
The tens of thousands of kilometers surrounding the area were shaved off. The ground was riddled with cracks and craters.
Spirit force storms brewed. This battlefield was akin to doomsday.
Their energy spread over hundreds of millions of kilometers.
In half a minute, Alice's fire clones were completely torn apart and Lu Ze's clothes were ruined. He was even panting a little.
In order to breach the defenses, he attacked with full power. This was extremely taxing. He couldn't handle such energy consumption for
long.
Nangong Jing and the girls were more exhausted than him. The quality of their spirit force and remaining stamina were far lesser than his.
Nevertheless, the overlord was still standing. The white spirit light around it was much dimmer, but it had no visible wounds at all.
It roared proudly. The darkness around it weakened. He could subtly sense those animals. Now, it could counterattack.
Lu Ze went next to Lu Li and the other girls. He grinned. "Time to run. We can't beat it."
They would have plenty of opportunities in the future. The elephant wasn't the only overlord too. They could even opt for another one.
The girls laughed. They couldn't hold on for long too.
The group hugged him as Lu Ze sped off.
At this moment, the dark mist disappeared, revealing the battlefield.
The elephant overlord looked around in confusion.
'Oh shit, where did those two-legged beasts go?!'
The overlord bellowed furiously. The earth cracked even more.
Lu Ze and the girls appeared extremely far away. He saw the pale faces of the girls, so he asked, "Are you guys not doing well?"
The girls shook their heads. "We are fine. Just a bit exhausted."
Lu Ze was the one fighting head-on. They were just supporting him. They didn't really receive any injuries.
Lu Ze nodded. "Let's rest."
They landed on a mountain that had a level-8 star state green tiger. It roared furiously upon seeing the group arrive. This area was its territory.
The tiger pounced at them.
Lu Ze looked and patted it with his right hand.
The tiger's head was crushed into the ground while its limbs twitched in the air. It died on the spot.
The group found a place to sit while Lu Ze picked up the orbs.
Alice remarked, "What a pity! We were so close to winning."
Lu Li nodded. "If we are just a little stronger, we can beat the overlord."
Lin Ling, Qiuyue Hesha, and Nangong Jing nodded.
In the beginning, they were suppressing the overlord. The problem was its unbelievably tough defenses. It depleted all their powers just to breach it. Lin Ling asked, "How about fighting the green tiger overlord? Its defenses shouldn't be too strong. We can counter its speed with the stone transformation divine art."The eyes of the other people present lit up at the suggestion. The elephant overlord specialized in defenses. Their stone transformation divine art could immobilize it for a while to restrict its movements and land an attack on it.
What if it was the green tiger instead? The stone transformation divine art would become very effective then.
Lu Ze liked the idea a lot. "It seems we chose the wrong target from the start." Nangong Jing rubbed Lin Ling's face. "Hehe, Lin Ling is the smart one. Ze only knows how to fight crudely." Lu Li flipped her hair. "Yes." Lu Ze glared at the two girls. "You girls just wait!"
After the group rested, Lu Ze got up and smiled.
"Let's go find the green tiger overlord."
