The group exited the virtual reality pod. Lu Ze's face was all smiles throughout.
The experience gave him a lot of satisfaction. "You understand how powerful I am by now, right?"
The girls looked at each other, but in the next moment, their faces brightened up.
Their behaviors made Lu Ze's heart shiver. 'Not good!'
'Are they actually offended by his victory?'
When Lu Ze began to open his mouth, all the girls immediately cornered him.
"Wa-wait! What will you girls do? Arghh~"
Without fail, Lu Ze's cry for help filled the entire area. He later went out of the cultivation room with a painful bump on his forehead. He held it as it throbbed.
Immediately after, the girls followed suit. They looked triumphant.
...
Even after they finished the bout, the group didn't have plans to cultivate.
They either spent the rest of their time fighting or cultivating for the past couple of days. They were deeply exhausted and drained out now.
It was high time for them to take a break. Accordingly, they made use of their time to watch some movies and try out some video games.
Eventually, a few hours had already passed. Lu Ze and the girls leaned against each other and watched the screen.
Without a warning, New Dawn's voice interrupted the peace. "Master, the ship is about to leave the warp dimension near the Telun System."
Lu Li rejoiced. "We have finally arrived. I haven't seen my mother and father for a long time."
Lu Ze patter Lu Li's head. "We could stay for a longer period this time once we return."
Lu Li was pleased as she nodded.
At this moment, the distorted white space outside the window morphed into a dark space. A vibrant nearby solar system replaced the scenery.
They had reached the Telun System.
The ship proceeded to dock at their home planet, Lanjiang.
Of course, Lu Ze didn't directly land at the space station. He went straight for his house and parked the ship above. Thereafter, Lu Ze got up and stretched. "We are here. Let's go."
The girls nodded. As they walked out, Lin Ling carried Ying Ying.
...
They stepped foot in the yard. Lu Ze then checked the surroundings.
Currently, the night was approaching.
The meager mansion and the nostalgic martial arts gym stood still in the same place.
Lu Ze was glad to see a familiar sight.
Lu Li said, "I haven't been back here for so long. Nothing has changed."
Lu Ze agreed.
Alice said, "Senior, Li, my parents are here too. Let's go."
The group went to the door. It wasn't locked. They pushed it and went inside the house.
Inside, Lu Wen, Fu Shuya, Merlin, and Zhu Hong Lian entered their view. The adults were eating together in the dining room.
When they saw the group barge into the place, they were taken aback. However, they recovered quickly and sported excited expressions.
Fu Shuya's eyes went red as she disappeared from her original spot and approached Lu Ze and Lu Li. She hugged her two children.
"My good boy and Li, you guys didn't even inform me that you were coming back."
Lu Ze attempted to lighten the situation with a laugh. "We just finished our work yesterday and only made the decision to return a while ago. Since the ship can travel at a rapid rate, we arrive sooner than we expected."
Lu Li smiled. "You should blame Ze. He wanted to give you a surprise, so he didn't tell you anything."
Lu Ze looked at Lu Li in disbelief. She just agreed earlier to keep it hush.
'Why is she suddenly blaming him?'
This was way out of line!
Lu Ze couldn't tolerate the betrayal. He had to give her a good lesson later.
Fu Shuya patted Lu Ze's head. "Kid, you are heartless!"
Lu Ze: "..."
He widened his eyes and pretended to be innocent. "I'm sorry, Lord Mother, I will listen to your teaching next time."
Fu Shuya laughed and pinched Lu Ze's face. Her eyes were full of pride but also pain.
"My good boy has grown up. I have heard about what you did outside. You are a big hero now. You must have gone through a lot of hardship, right?"
Lu Ze blushed.
Being complimented by outsiders and being complimented by the person he was closest to felt different.
If he were to receive praise from a stranger, he would feel a bit glad. But now that Fu Shuya was the one who spoke highly of him, he felt quite embarrassed.
He laughed at it. "I'm no big hero. I just did what I should be doing."
To be honest, Lu Ze never actually felt he was some hero. His deeds were just similar to how the elders were willing to sacrifice everything for the Human Race. They too never felt overjoyed about it.
At this juncture, Zhu Hong Lian went near them and revealed a smile. "Ze, Shuya is right. You are indeed a big hero for ordinary citizens. If you don't believe it, you can search online. The public is complimenting you."
Lu Ze smiled helplessly. "Aunty Hong Lian, do you agree with them too?"
Alice hugged Zhu Hong Lian. "Mom, am I amazing too?"
Zhu Hong Lian beamed and appeared indulgent as she rubbled Alice's little head. "Of course, my Alice is amazing."
"Hehehe." Alice was delighted.
Zhu Hong Lian felt greatly pleased to see Alice act like this. She had lived a tough life.
In the next moment, she glanced at Lu Ze. She could tell Alice was very happy to be with Lu Ze.
Back on the dinner table, Lu Wen and Merlin looked at each other. Their mouths twitched.
Sourness was oozing from them!
This kid stole their daughters while their wives praised him to the skies non-stop!
Right then, Merlin conceived a bold idea. He smirked "It's true, isn't it? Ze is truly amazing. His contribution to the Human Race is significant."
Lu Ze didn't expect the words to come from him. 'Did he really just compliment him? Uncle Merlin?'
This was out of the ordinary.
Merlin coughed it off. "I have seen many girls fall for you. If you will it, countless girls would hug you, right?"
Lu Ze: "?"
The girls: "?"
At this point, Lu Ze could already sense the not-too-friendly stares from his girls.
He knew from the beginning Merlin wouldn't compliment him without any ulterior motive. As soon as he had the chance, he would pay him back well!
Lu Wen looked at Merlin in surprise. 'This guy... was cruel!'
But thinking about how Lu Ze snatched his little daughter, he felt it was only appropriate. He even added, "Brother Merlin is right. I have seen what those younger girls said. Kid, you must not betray Li and the rest of your girls. Do you understand?!"
Lu Ze: "?"
Even his father is setting him up. He can't believe this...
It was at this point that Zhu Hong Lian narrowed her eyes and directed them at Merlin. Without further ado, Merlin straightened his back and acted innocent.
Zhu Hong Lian said, "Merlin, come and tell me. Why do you care about what those young girls on the internet think?"
Merlin: "?"
Merlin almost broke out in cold sweat.
Lu Wen: "..."
He looked at Fu Shuya, only to be greeted with a gentle smile. His body trembled.
'Damn it, Merlin put him in danger'
There was not a single winner out of the three.
Amidst the taut atmosphere, the group seated themselves and ate dinner.
Merlin cooked the meal. Hence, the taste was superb. But it still couldn't compare with Alice's cooking now.
Even though the cosmic system state Merlin had been utilizing the red orbs to cultivate, he was still inferior to Alice.
Right now, Alice has already surpassed her master.
After dinner, the men were tasked to do the dishes while the women sat on the couch to chat.
Lu Wen and Merlin avoided Lu Ze's gaze the entire time.
When the dishes were dealt with, everyone kept the conversation going until Lu Ze took out numerous batches of red, blue, and god art orbs for his family.
That way, their resources wouldn't run out for a long time.
Merlin and Zhu Hong Lian had a cosmic system state cultivation level. The pile of resources handed to them was sufficient to help them reach the cosmic cloud state.
As for Lu Wen and Fu Shuya, they got more resources so as to reach the cosmic cloud state.
When the matter was settled, everyone went on their way and cultivated.
Lu Ze's room didn't have ample space to accommodate everyone. Fortunately, he can use Space God Art to easily create a small dimension, wherein he could place the special bed from the Round Race.
When Merlin and Lu Wen witnessed Alice and Lu Li proceeding to Lu Ze's room, their eyes turned green.
On the other hand, Lu Ze felt like he was living his best life.
...
When Lu Ze had finished a round of hunting in the Pocket Hunting Dimension, he began to learn more about the Sand One Divine Art.
Moments later, the earth runes around him manifested physically.
Lu Ze slowly opened his eyes. He had a grin on his face.
It only took him about a month to raise the mastery of Sand One Divine Art to an experienced level!
At present, it can slightly deal more damage than the Earth Shocking Blow.
...
In the following two weeks, the group stayed at home.
Because Lu Ze's combat power surpassed Merlin's by a great deal, Merlin had no one to vent his anger on. He was left helpless.
But since Merlin was Alice's father, Lu Ze decided to be lenient.
Overall, their spars bordered on friendly.
...
At other times, Lu Wen and Fu Shuya were occupied with their job at the company.
Merlin and Zhu Hong Lian, on the other hand, would attend their restaurant.
As for the rest of the time, the parents cultivated. But during this period, they had an extra duty—to babysit Ying Ying!
They adored and spoiled the little girl.
Whenever they eat, they subtly hint at Lu Ze and his girls to think whether they had forgotten something important.
At first, they couldn't figure it out, but after they saw Ying Ying, they realized their blunder.
Lu Ze felt exhausted. He was a kid too!
However, they really couldn't disrespect their elders, so he gave them a smile and shut his mouth.
Right now, it was the turn of the trio—consisting of Alice, Lu Li, and Lin Ling—to prepare the meal.
When Merlin had tasted Alice's dishes, his eyes reddened.
Like a broken record, he kept saying his daughter surpassed him. A mixture of feeling proud and disappointed came over him.
...
As usual, Lu Ze and his girls would venture into the Hunting Dimension every night. They returned with a bountiful harvest each time.
Eventually, they distributed the poison ball and the one-time divine art runes to the parents.
They were reliable to keep in hand, particularly because they were cosmic cloud state trump cards.
When two weeks had passed, Lu Ze and the girls wanted to visit the school.
Lu Ze and Lin Ling only attended their classes for a total of one year, and yet, they were about to graduate now.
As for Lu Li and Alice, they didn't even get to spend three months there.
Now, the university chapter of their lives is about to end.
The group boarded the New Dawn and left the planet.
...
Inside the ship, everyone rested in the living room.
Lu Li and Alice felt a little dejected to leave home again.
Lu Ze comforted them with a smile. "We can visit them the next time we return. Given the resources I have shared, their cultivation level can only rise. There will be plenty of time in the future."
Lu Li and Alice were stunned. They agreed in the end.
The life of a cosmic cloud state spanned millions of years. Moreover, their cultivation level wasn't capped at the cosmic cloud state.
Lu Li complained, "Mom always gets to hold Ying Ying. She also says those things. I don't even want to go back there."
Alice patted her head. "My mother behaves the same. She says it whenever she can..."
The girls looked at Ying Ying, and each of them contemplated in their own heads.
A few hours later, the New Dawn left the warp dimension.
Seeing the familiar Dawn System, Nangong Jing stretched out. "I haven't been back to school for a long time."
Qiuyue Hesha smiled. "How are those guys faring now?"
Naturally, she was referring to Luo Bingqing and his group.
Lu Ze said, "Aren't they cultivating in isolation for over a year?"
Nangong Jing remarked, "I wonder how strong they have become."
Lin Ling said, "Yuqi and the others as well. We haven't seen them for quite some time."
Lu Ze nodded. "Last time, Elder Lin Dong brought the resources back. They shouldn't be weak with those supplements. Let's visit them."
The New Dawn docked at Qiming and stopped in the air, right above the dormitory of the elite class.
Currently, it is daytime. Students come and go.
After seeing the ship, the crowd was shocked.
"That ship... seems to be the Monarch of the New Dawn's private ship?"
"Are they inside?"
"Are they back to school?!"
"Oh shit?! I can see the Monarch of the New Dawn in person?"
"I'm so excited!"
They had all heard about Lu Ze's legacy but never got to interact with him. Of course, they were beyond thrilled now.
At this moment, the door opened. Lu Ze's group egressed from it.
"It really is the Monarch of the New Dawn!"
"It really is them!"
A lot of people screamed. Lu Ze looked around at the scene in a daze. Quite some girls were red-faced and excited.
Lu Ze: "..."
His mouth twitched. 'Why did these girls look at him that way?'
This was scary.
Not just the girls. Some guys even stared at him strangely.
Lu Ze didn't feel good.
The girls felt awkward. They frowned.
This scene reminded them of what Merlin and Lu Wen said before.
Those little whores.
The girls sneered and released their chi.
Those girls down there immediately felt they were being watched by something terrifying.
When they saw Nangong Jing's and the other girls' cold eyes, they shuddered.
However, they thought Nangong Jing and the rest of her group were overdoing it.
They were just looking at the Monarch of the New Dawn! Why did they have to be so stingy?
Regardless, they didn't really dare to go against Nangong Jing and her team, so they could only look away.
Being alive was more important.
Lu Ze laughed dryly and didn't dare to talk.
It wasn't proper to say anything right now.
Lin Ling swept her mental force across the entire elite class dorms and said, "Yuqi and others aren't here."
Lu Ze was somewhat bemused and asked, "Are they on another planet? Perhaps at Jinyao?"
Lin Ling's eyes lit up. "That's possible."
Nangong Jing said quietly, "Let's go to Jinyao."
They boarded the New Dawn and flew towards Jinyao. They arrived in just a few minutes.
Lu Ze smiled. "I didn't expect the elder to be back already."
He sensed Elder Nangong's chi on the planet.
Nangong Jing smiled softly and said, "Let's go over there then."
"Mhm."
...
In front of his little shack, Elder Nangong sat on the ground. In front of him were Luo Bingqing, Ye Mu, and the others.
He was enriching them with cultivation knowledge. With the help of the purple orbs and his experience, these prodigies could make fewer mistakes.
At this moment, Elder Nangong looked off into the distance and smiled.
Luo Bingqing and the others looked in that direction too and were dazed.
"This is..."
Lin Kuang opened his mouth and said, "Lin Ling and the others?"
Xuan Yuji smiled and said, "They're here."
Ye Mu and the others didn't sense Lu Ze since their cultivation level was weaker but hearing their words, they also rejoiced.
"Ze and the girls are back?"
They hadn't seen Lu Ze and the girls for a long time.
At this moment, a beam swiped across the sky and stopped before their heads. This beam morphed into the New Dawn that slowly landed on the empty ground.
Lu Ze and the girls walked out.
Luo Bingqing, Ye Mu, and the others greeted them with a smile.
Xuan Yuji hugged Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha. She hailed, "You guys are back!"
Daphne patted Nangong Jing's shoulder. "I heard about what you guys did at the Blade Demon Race. Amazing!"
Nangong Jing smiled proudly. "Of course, who are we? I was protecting Fox Demon. Otherwise, she will be in a lot of danger."
Qiuyue Hesha: "?"
Qiuyue Hesha turned around and looked at Nangong Jing in bewilderment.
How could she be so shameless? She sneered and said, "If the other girls and I didn't help you weaken the enemy, you would be long dead."
Nangong Jing glared at her. "If I wasn't at the front stalling, you would be killed too."
Louisa smiled. "Stop arguing. How can we not know you two?"
Before Lu Ze appeared, they were the top bunch of young dukes. They had collaborated many times.
Meanwhile, Luo Bingqing, Lin Kuang, and the others surrounded Lu Ze.
Luo Bingqing sighed. "I can't sense your chi anymore."
Jack, Derrick, and Lin Kuang also felt complicated.
They witnessed Lu Ze from being much weaker than them until reaching this present level.
This feeling of being outsmarted and crushed wasn't too pleasing for a prodigy.
Lu Ze didn't know what to say. He merely scratched his head and smiled.
Lin Kuang grinned at Luze and remarked, "I heard your power is at a cosmic cloud state?"
Lu Ze nodded ploddingly. "Barely."
Although he was a level-5 cosmic system state, and his Sand One Divine Art reached experienced mastery, he knew his combat power still didn't reach level-2 cosmic cloud state. It was at most, at the peak of level-1 cosmic cloud state.
He looked at Luo Bingquing's few people and smiled. "Teacher Luo, you guys have been progressing swiftly too. You're nearly a cosmic system state."
They were only planetary states before, and now, they were at the high level of the star state.
It was probably just a few months before they broke through to the cosmic system state.
Luo Bingqing faintly smiled. "This is all thanks to your red orbs."
Lin Kuang patted Lu Ze's shoulder in shock. "I didn't even know that you had such a powerful master!"
Jack and the others agreed with extreme surprise on their faces.
Ye Mu whispered, "Ze, I heard that your master is a cosmic realm state or above? Is he really that strong?"
Lu Ze: "..."
He glanced at Ying Ying who was in Elder Nangong's arms and coughed.
'How was he supposed to say this?'
He replied dryly and vaguely, "Approximately. I don't know exactly how strong he is."
Lu Ze looked at Ye Mu and the others then smiled. "Your cultivation levels have been progressing quickly too. You would be reaching the planetary state soon."
Xavier scratched his head and humbly said, "There is no way we can be compared with you. Teacher Luo and the others are much stronger than us too."
Ian nodded and looked at Lu Ze with admiration. "Ze is still the strongest."
Lu Ze: "..."
All the guys looked away from Ian. They couldn't handle that gaze.
After chatting for a while, Lu Ze learned that Elder Nangong had just returned, so he intentionally requested Luo Bingqing and the others to come over and teach them.
Elder Nangong smiled and said, "You guys just arrived at the right time. If you're free, come help teach them too."
Lu Ze and the girls naturally wouldn't refuse, so they participated as asked.
At night, the instructions ended. Luo Bingqing and the others went to Jinyao City to cultivate.
Lu Ze and the girls stayed with Elder Nangong.
Elder Nangong smiled and said, "You guys, come with me."
Elder Nangong reached a cliff next to his shack.
There was a golden circle at the edge. There was a powerful space ripple from this circle.
Lu Ze, who was slightly puzzled, asked, "Elder, this is?"
Elder Nangong replied with a smile, "You'll know once you go in."
Lu Ze and the girls walked in.
There was a golden misty dimension inside the orb.
The dimension wasn't big. It was just tens of kilometers wide. There were piles of black alloy crates stacked inside. Looking at the runes on them, they were probably storage equipment.
Nangong Jing quietly said, "Aren't these the resources we got from the blade demons?"
Elder Nangong nodded. "Mhm, this portion is reserved especially for the Dawn System. It will be used by future students and teachers. I've brought them here."
He smiled while opening one of the crates and said, "There are quite a lot of treasures inside. It only feels safe when they are by my side."
Lu Ze and the girls felt it was quite amusing how nervous Elder Nangong was with this.
Lin Ling smiled and said, "Elder, these resources are precious, but you're a cosmic cloud state. No one dares to go for it on Jinyao."
Elder Nangong said, "You girl, Lin, I have to watch these resources carefully! All of you have been using Ze's resources. You don't know how hard it is to get them. These are the foundational blocks for our human prodigies' ascension."
"With these resources, those younger ones would have much greater conditions. When we were young, we didn't have these. It is as extremely hard as... Lin and Alice, you can ask your parents..."
Lu Ze and the girls scratched their heads.
Elder Nangong was right.
This was the same in his past life. When the country was just built, Lu Ze's grandfather could barely eat enough food.
But after a few decades of hard work, life was so much better when Lu Ze transmigrated.
Not everyone could be wealthy, but they didn't need to worry about food and clothing, right?
Plus, the circumstances at the time weren't as dangerous as the galactic era too. There were regional conflicts elsewhere, but inside the country, it was rather stable.
Nothing came to be in one jump. It was slowly built up.
Lu Ze sighed looking at these resource crates.
They could beat the Blade Demon Race and take their resources, but these resources still couldn't be given to everyone.
There were too many humans. These resources would only be used on those most deserving.
These people were either very talented or very hard working.
There was nothing they could do.
Lu Ze sighed.
The basis of a race's development was survival of the fittest. This was a law that wouldn't change no matter what the era was.
No matter how strong Lu Ze became, he couldn't change this.
Elder Nangong might be rather young among cosmic cloud states, but his experience gave him a rather old mentality.
They liked to reminisce, and Elder Nangong was no exception.
He recounted a lot of the difficult pasts. Lu Ze and the girls were paying attention, but it was hard to withstand listening to it...
They could only imagine since they didn't go through it themselves.
After Elder Nangong was done and they thought it was over, Elder Nangong smiled. "Okay, let's not talk about this. Come, I'm opening up the alternate dimension domain for the Dawn System. You guys can help too."
Lu Ze and the girls: "?"
'So, they were called here to be laborers?'
However, they could only accept because the elder asked them to.
It wasn't hard, but it was repetitive.
Opening a long-term stable alternate dimension required a stable special structure.
This required a lot of work.
For those who didn't have Space God Art, they could only stabilize it by force.
For Lu Ze, it was rather easy.
Elder Nangong was a real cosmic cloud state, but he still took two nights to create an alternate dimension of tens of kilometers.
Lu Ze was only a level-5 cosmic system state, but using the Space God Art, he created over a hundred kilometers of space in one night.
After that period, they were sent off by Elder Nangong.
The next morning, they thought about it and let Ying Ying remain.
Lu Ze and Qiuyue Hesha went to Jinyao City's dao enlightenment room to learn Sand One Divine Art.
Nangong Jing and the rest didn't have any other god arts to learn, so they went to the spirit gathering room.
At night, Lu Ze would still drag them into the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
...
Two Months Later, Dao Enlightenment Room.
Lu Ze was glowing with yellow runes.
Streams of ethereal sand appeared like a gauze mist that covered his body.
The runes around him materialized and sand appeared across Jinyao City like a gentle veil.
Those students and teachers, as well as guards, were taken aback upon seeing the sand.
"What is this?
"It's raining sand? I don't remember the planet having such weather!"
"..."
When they reached to grab the sand, they found out that it could penetrate their palm.
At this moment, one person said, "By the way... Monarch of the New Dawn seems to be here?"
"No wonder. He probably made this."
"Did he break through again?!"
"It doesn't look like it."
Everyone was confused seeing the yellow sand, but thinking of Lu Ze, they calmed down.
After sensing that the yellow sand didn't mean any harm, they continued to do their things.
A few hours later, the runes fused into Lu Ze's body. He opened his eyes, and a rune flashed.
Lu Ze breathed out and opened his palm. A gust of yellow sand flew and kept changing form based on Lu Ze's will.
It seemed very flexible. After playing around with it for a while, Lu Ze closed his palm, and the sand disappeared.
He got up. After two months, he had finally brought Sand One Divine Art to perfect mastery.
It was a bit hard.
He wondered how the female alcoholic and the other girls were.
During these two months, they had finally pieced together Sand One Divine Art for everyone.
Everyone was learning. Qiuyue Hesha had even brought it to experienced mastery.
A month ago, his cultivation level reached level-6 cosmic system state. He was just a little bit away from level-7 cosmic system state. In at most a week, he could break through again.
To be honest, Lu Ze didn't even know how strong his combat power was now.
But when he broke through to level-6 cosmic system state, he was a bit stronger than level-8 cosmic system state beasts. Now, he should be able to fight peak cosmic system state beasts, right?
Lu Ze was quite keen.
He wondered if he could beat the level-7 cosmic system state green scorpion.
If he could, then there would be level-7 cosmic system state super red liquid. His cultivation speed would rise again.
In truth, Lu Ze wasn't happy with his current cultivation speed. He could only progress one level in over a month.
Now that the Sand One Divine Art has been cultivated into perfection, he can consider the Poison Ball Divine Art.
Mhm... he would go in and try later.
Lu Ze walked out of the dao enlightenment room.
When he saw everyone gawking at him outside, he quickly disappeared from the spot.
There were more people here than the cultivation building in Planet Shenwu.
...
Soon, he came to Elder Nangong's shack.
Elder Nangong and Ying Ying were sitting there quietly, each holding a fishing rod.
The girls weren't around. They were probably still learning divine arts.
Feeling Lu Ze's presence, Elder Nangong turned around and smiled. "Did you finish cultivation? What was that sand illusion?"
Lu Ze was stunned and then realized it was probably the divine art secrets spilling after he reached perfect mastery.
Lu Ze smiled indifferently, mulled over it, and said, "It's nothing. I just learned a cosmic system state divine art to perfect mastery."
Elder Nangong was going to reply, but Ying Ying said unhappily, "Grandfather, you said you can't talk while fishing!"
Elder Nangong immediately turned around. "Ying Ying is right. I won't talk. We'll catch a big fish for you to eat!"
Lu Ze: "?"
He coughed and sat next to Ying Ying. He looked at the river and asked, "Elder, are the fishes from this river really delicious?"
Elder Nangong did not speak but nodded.
Then, Lu Ze was glared at by Ying Ying.
Lu Ze: "..."
If I can't talk, I can still speak telepathically.
Lu Ze spoke to Elder Nangong telepathically. "Elder, give me a fishing rod? I'll try fishing too."
Fishing depends on patience. You had to wait for the fish to bite the bait.
Lu Ze was no fishing master, but he could at least catch fish, unlike someone whose bait was eaten up but still couldn't catch a single fish.
He skillfully took over the fishing rod handed by the elder and gently hooked on a piece of golden fruit.
...
Two hours later, Lu Li and Qiuyue Hesha flew over to the shack.
Seeing the roasting rack before the shack, Lu Ze adding fire under the grill, Elder Nangong doing the seasoning, and the drooling Ying Ying, they were taken aback.
'What are they doing?'
'Roasting fish?'
It smelled quite nice.
The two looked at each other and quickly went to help.
Afterwards, Ying Ying wiped away the oil on his mouth and smiled. "Grandfather, I'm going to play with Xiao Xi."
Elder Nangong nodded amicably.
After Ying Ying left, Elder Nangong glanced at the three. "You have finished eating. Hurry up and cultivate. What are you doing here?"
"?"
Why is the treatment so different?!
Lu Ze and the girls looked at Elder Nangong in disbelief, but he waved his hand for them to leave.
"Hurry up and cultivate. I'm going to expand the alternate dimension. Unless you guys want to help me?"
After some silence, Lu Ze laughed it off. "... Um, we should be cultivating."
The three quickly flew off and returned into the dao enlightenment room.
...
At night, the group had some fun in the Pocket Hunting Dimension and entered the fourth map.
The sun was scorching. They immediately felt dry-mouthed upon entering here.
Lu Ze glanced around. He didn't sense any boss.
On the way, Lu Ze said, "Lin Ling, look for large scorpion groups."
Lin Ling was shocked. "There might be super scorpions..."
Lu Ze smiled and said, "My Sand One Divine Art reached perfect mastery. Let's see if we can beat one."
Qiuyue Hesha, slightly surprised, turned around and gazed at Lu Ze. "Little Brother Lu Ze, you have reached perfect mastery? You didn't even tell me."
Nangong Jing, Lin Ling, and Alice looked over vigilantly.
Nangong Jing said quietly, "Just then? What happened just then?"
Qiuyue Hesha flicked her hair. "Just then, Li, Lu Ze, and I did something. It was a very great experience."
"!"
Nangong Jing widened her eyes in shock. "Fox Demon, Li. You two are snatching food!"
Lin Ling and Alice also didn't look too happy.
Lu Li smiled gently. "Mhm, it was delicious."
"..."
Nangong Jing charged at Qiuyue Hesha.
Seeing the two play fight, Lu Ze endured a headache.
He coughed. "Lin Ling, quick. Look for suitable prey."
Lin Ling looked around. She was a mini-map to them now.
She pointed in a direction. "There seems to be suitable prey there."
Lu Ze immediately stopped Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha. "Alright, stop it now. Let's focus on hunting."
More than ten hours later, the group was hunting and moving under Lin Ling's guidance. Soon, the horizon turned into towering erected rocks.
The glow from Lin Ling's eyes disappeared, and she said proudly, "Found it."
Lu Ze smiled and rubbed her short black hair. "You're amazing, Lin Ling!"
Lin Ling blushed and slapped Lu Ze's hand away. "Don't mess up my hair!"
Lu Ze laughed and pretended he didn't hear it. "Let's go over."
Nangong Jing smiled eagerly. "Let's go and try how strong that level-7 cosmic system state super scorpion is."
The group soon came near the rocky region.
They had been here a few times and acquired great loot most of the time.
Lin Ling's eyes glowed again. She pointed to the right. "That way."
The group flew towards the direction Lin Ling pointed at.
Moments later, they stopped moving. In a large pile of rocks before them, there loomed a subtle powerful chi.
If it was before, they probably wouldn't even be able to sense this chi.
Lu Ze raised a brow, smiled, and said, "It's a sand beetle cave."
Lu Li tucked up her black hair and smiled. "Let's go in."
They had collected all their Sand One Divine Art rune shards, but the level-5 cosmic system state super liquid was still the best liquid for Lin Ling, Lu Li, and Alice.
Lu Ze could barely use peak cosmic system state liquid, while Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha still used level-8 cosmic system state liquid.
The sand beetle cave was still highly valuable to them.
The group moved over.
The sky was searing hot right now, and the sand beetles began to sleep. When they went inside the cave, the sand beetles were snuggled together sleeping.
Lu Ze looked at the sand beetles all over the floor. The corners of his mouth curled up, and he smiled. "Let me try the power of Sand One Divine Art in perfect mastery."
The girls nodded and looked keenly at Lu Ze. They were very curious too.
Terrifying chi surged as yellow runes spun in Lu Ze's eyes.
The sand beetles immediately opened up their eyes, including the golden one in the center.
They moved nervously.
Lu Ze reached out his hand and endless sand appeared in the cave.
Lu Ze clenched his hand, and all the yellow sand enclosed the sand beetles into a giant sand ball. The ball kept spinning and shrinking.
'Crack'...
In a short instant, the ball was only tens of meters wide. The chi inside had completely disappeared.
Lu Ze opened his hand, and the giant ball disappeared leaving behind squashed sand beetle bodies that were slowly turning to dust.
The girls gasped. "It's really strong."
Lu Ze smiled. "It's not bad. Let's find a super scorpion and try."
The group picked up the drops and kept moving.
Soon, they found cave after cave. The process was very simple...
A few hours later, in some part of the desert, Lu Ze and the girls saw a massive rock shrouded in dark green mist.
After so long, they finally found a scorpion cave.
Lu Ze smiled. "Let's go in."
Everyone concealed their chi and walked into the cave.
They immediately saw clusters of scorpions and green sand scorpions in the center.
Even though the green sand scorpion was resting, Lu Ze and the girls could still feel a terrifying chi.
Faint yellow runes flashed in Lu Ze' eyes, he smiled and said, "I'm attacking then."
Lu Ze appeared above the cave.
He opened his hands, and the sand surged, forming a colossal sandstorm.
All the scorpions were startled and woke up.
'Hiss!'
The green scorpion's chi surged. A dark green light flashed on its tail. It was planning to attack.
At this moment, Nangong Jing and the other girls burned their spirit force using Seduction God Art, Stone Transformation Divine Art, Dark Mist, Fire Clones, and other divine arts to help Lu Ze.
Lu Ze closed his hands, and the sand storm came together, encompassing all the scorpions into a giant sand ball.
'Rumble'...
Thunderous sounds ruptured as the giant ball shook. Spirit force seeped out from the giant ball and crashed into the stone wall making it shake.
"Hiss!"
Pitiful howls were coming from inside the ball.
Moments later, Lu Ze's expression changed, and the giant ball shook vigorously.
'Rumble!'
The ball exploded.
Poison mist splashed out and filled up space. Lu Ze felt a pungent smell and a piercing pain from inside his body.
He quickly appeared next to the girls.
"This poison is too strong. Let's go out first!"
He dragged the girls out.
"Hiss!"
The terrifying chi chased up.
That chi was only slightly weaker, but it was more furious.
All the other scorpions were dead.
Alice frowned. "This scorpion is so hard to deal with."
Lu Ze nodded. "The space inside is too small. We'll fight outside."
They couldn't even dodge the poison in such a cramped environment. If they didn't have Poison God Art, they would be knocked out already.
Lu Ze and the girls stopped in space.
Immediately, a dark green figure followed and shot dark green spirit force balls at Lu Ze and the girls.
Lu Ze took the girls away.
'Rumble!'
An explosion shot in all directions.
The explosion spot eroded the ground.
Lu Ze looked at the giant figure. It obtained some small wounds on its body. Dark green blood was oozing, but it looked enraged and murderous.
The Sand One Divine Art had some effect.
Lu Ze breathed with relief.
He thought his attack was completely ineffective.
Since it worked, he would keep fighting.
Lu Ze grinned. His eyes were so eager. "I'm going up, you guys be careful back there."
Nangong Jing glanced at some girls and a few people and grinned. "I'll go help."
She liked fighting head-on more.
The green scorpion was shrouded in dark green mist. There were also strands of sand that formed armor.
It greeted Lu Ze and Nangong Jing.
Lu Ze used Earth Shocking Blow while forming spirit flames on his other hand.
The three clashed.
In a short time, the surrounding few thousand kilometers region was shrouded in poison mist. Their battlefield kept shifting as well.
A few minutes later, the armor on Lu Ze and Nangong Jing cracked. Their faces were pale, but the scorpion was more heavily injured.
Its left pincer was broken. Dark green blood was splashing out.
At this moment, Lu Ze grabbed at the scorpion. Sand flew towards the scorpion.
The scorpion planned to retreat.
However, Nangong Jing appeared on its side and kicked.
The scorpion blocked with its other pincer.
Nangong Jing fell back spitting some blood. But at the same time, Lu Ze thrust his fist force on its head.
'Rumble!'
Dark green blood splashed as its body fell back into the sand coming at it.
Lu Ze grinned and formed a giant sand ball.
The ball spun rapidly and began to shrink.
The scorpion's pitiful howls echoed. When the ball reached 5 meters in diameter, the howls stopped.
Lu Ze panted and let go. The sand ball dissipated, and the body dropped to the ground, turning to dust.
The group smiled.
Nangong Jing wiped the blood on her mouth. "It was easier than I thought."
Qiuyue Hesha and the other girls landed next to the two. "Are you okay?"
Lu Ze nodded. "It's a bit troublesome, but it's not strong to the point of fighting a life-and-death battle."
Moments later, the drops were revealed.
Super red and purple liquid, poison god art orb, sand god art orb, divine art rune shard, one-time divine art rune poison ball.
Lu Ze picked them up. "Let's continue."
At this moment, the sky suddenly turned dark.
Seeing this, everyone was aghast.
'Is there another boss coming?'
At this moment, a silver pillar descended from the sky.
Lu Ze gasped. There was a treasure!
Qiuyue Hesha also rejoiced. She saw this pillar of light on the last map.
The summoning crystal came from there.
The other girls were confused because they hadn't seen it before.
Qiuyue Hesha asked softly, "Little Brother Lu Ze?"
Lu Ze nodded and said, "Let's go over!"
They must fight for confidence in this light pillar.
"Hiss!"
"Roar!"
"Ree!"
All sorts of roars sounded as countless violent chi surged in all directions.
The rocky region of the desert started to quake. They could sense that the sleeping sand beetles, scorpions, and other beasts turned extremely ferocious.
All of the beasts flew towards the light pillar.
Everyone tensed up. There were large numbers of cosmic cloud state creatures in there.
Lu Ze flashed in silver light. "Come, let's go over now!"
Good thing he had Space God Art and could run fast.
Just when he was about to use space transmission, another silver light descended and shone on the group.
In another region, another silver light also shot down.
Three silver pillars lit up the dark desert.
"..."
Lu Ze and the girls were taken aback.
'Did the airdrop hit their face?'
Immediately, countless powerful chi locked onto them.
Lu Ze looked up at the two orbs slowly descending. He quickly yelled, "Quick, let's grab them!"
Lu Ze took the girls away in silver light and appeared before the two light orbs.
It was a crystal with gray mist and a blue spirit fruit.
Lu Ze immediately placed them into his mental force dimension. Only then did he breathe easy.
Qiuyue Hesha spoke with excitement. "We're too lucky this time!"
The others knew what the light pillar was since Lu Ze told them before.
Lin Ling glanced at the beam of the light in the distance and said, "There are two more!"
Lu Ze frowned. There was quite some chi that circulated towards them.
Those bosses would definitely come.
When he felt the high-level cosmic cloud state chi, he still shuddered.
He quickly said, "Grab hold of me, let's go!"
After Lu Ze and the girls disappeared, countless terrifying figures immediately appeared before the light orb.
Seeing the pillar slowly dissipate, they roared furiously.
...
Meanwhile, Lu Ze and the girls were tens of millions of kilometers away.
With his cultivation level, if he was in the real world, he could move thousands or even ten thousand light-years in one go with space transmission.
The fifth map was different because the space was much more stable.
They looked at the still distant light pillar and frowned.
It looked close, but it was actually very far.
Just when Lu Ze was about to use space transmission, his body suddenly went stiff.
Four terrifying chi rose and covered the entire desert.
"Ree!" X2
They were very familiar with this sound.
On the distant horizon, a fire appeared and lit up the dark sky. On the other side, ice formed.
Alice shrunk her neck. "They are those two overlord birds!"
They weren't surprised that these two birds appeared, but their chi was still extremely powerful.
"Roar!"
In another region, a distortion in space occurred, and a silver light flashed. It looked like an illusion.
Lu Ze gasped in disbelief. "It's that... silver wolf?!"
He was all too familiar with that wolf.
He was wondering why the silver wolf in the summoning crystal was only a level-1 cosmic cloud state and should be on this map, but he couldn't find it.
However, its true power wasn't level-1 cosmic cloud state.
This terrifying overlord's power must be at cosmic realm state, right?!
Qiuyue Hesha pursed her red lips and asked, "This silver wolf has Space God Art, right?"
'How powerful would it be?' They couldn't even imagine.
At this moment, in another region, the green light poured out. Endless life force permeated the place.
"An overlord with Wood God Art!"
It was too far, and the light was too bright. They couldn't see what overlord it was.
The four overlords stood in four directions. Their spirit light pushed against each other. However, it was obvious that the silver wolf's power was stronger. The other three overlord beasts seemed to be subtly collaborating against the wolf.
When the other beasts felt this terrifying chi, they shuddered despite the lure of the treasure.
Only a few rare high-level cosmic cloud state beasts still wanted to fight for the treasure.
After all, on the second map, the rabbit boss became an overlord because it took the Lightning Cloud Divine Art.
Lu Ze supported this.
In this situation, the more chaotic it was, the better it was for them to get something.
The atmosphere was slightly silent for a while. Then, Lu Ze said, "Let's go down and see the situation first."
Nangong Jing said with some expectation, "Do you think these four overlords would start fighting? That way, perhaps we can pick up free stuff again."
Their eyes lit up.
This did seem possible, didn't it?
Just as they thought like this, the four chi suddenly clashed together.
The ice bird, fire bird, and overlord with Wood God Art attacked the silver wolf boss.
"Roar!" The silver wolf howled in fury then his terrifying chi surged. Space crumbled like shattered glass.
Lu Ze and the girls were waiting to collect free things when space suddenly disintegrated. Before they could react, they disappeared from the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
"?"
'It is this far but the shockwave still got them?!'
Lin Ling's mouth twitched. "I wonder who would get the treasure in those two pillars."
They all really wanted to know. Whoever got it would become stronger. It would be harder for them to beat too.
There was no point in being frustrated, so they didn't think too much. After the pain subsided, Lu Ze smiled. "Let's count our loot."
Lu Ze took out what they got from the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
They could pretty much ignore the drops from ordinary sand beetles and scorpions.
They killed six golden sand beetles which dropped 30 red and purple liquid each. These were given to Lin Ling, Lu Li, and Alice.
The rest of the sand god art orb and stealth god art orb was also split up.
There were four Sand One Divine Art rune shards, but no one needed them anymore.
The green scorpion dropped five level-7 cosmic system state super red and purple liquid. Lu Ze used this for himself.
There was only one divine art rune shard, so it couldn't be used.
The one-time divine art rune poison ball could unleash level-2 cosmic cloud state power.
Lu Ze didn't need it nor did Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha. Therefore, it was given to Alice in the end.
Usually, Alice, Lin Ling, and Lu Li stayed together in battle. It was the same no matter which of the three he gave it to.
Then, there was sand god art and poison god art. Lu Ze kept giving the sand and poison god art to Qiuyue Hesha.
There was also the regeneration god art orb from the long worm, other sand god art orbs, wood god art orbs, and so forth.
There were also level-7 and level-8 cosmic system state red liquid. These were given to Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha.
Then, Lu Ze took out the two treasures from the pillar.
One was the gray mist crystal and the other was dark blue spirit fruit.
Alice smiled and asked, "Senior, what is that?"
Lu Ze projected his mental force into the crystal. Immediately, he felt his eyes blur, and he seemed to be amidst a dead gray mist.
Suddenly, violent winds blew, forming a giant gray bird with three pairs of wings that had a wingspan of nearly a hundred meters.
"Ree!"
A stone-splitting sound rang in Lu Ze's head.
Oh shit?!
What level of beast was this?!
This chi was more terrifying than when Ying Ying released her chi after knowing that Ting Ting had been dead for more than two thousand years!
Ying Ying at that time was unimaginably strong to Lu Ze. However, this beast was even stronger.
This was at least a cosmic realm state beast!
The gray bird slowly flapped its wings, creating hurricanes in the gray mist.
Lu Ze had never seen this god art before, but it should be a dark type of god art.
It was probably an overlord boss too.
It should know divine art as well.
Its combat power definitely wasn't as simple as it showed.
Now, he finally had the strongest trump card other than Ying Ying.
Ying Ying could fall asleep, but this card would make him feel safe.
Like the previous summoning crystal, this gray bird could also fight for an hour at full power. If it wasn't full power, it should last longer too.
Lu Ze exited the gray mist. He saw that there was a six-winged gray bird in the crystal.
The girls noticed the change too. "It's like the crystal for summoning the silver wolf!"
Nangong Jing asked, "How is it?"
Lu Ze smiled and said, "This beast is very strong. It's not weaker than Ying Ying."
Lu Ze was talking about the current Ying Ying.
Ying Ying's power would increase every time she slept. Lu Ze and the girls didn't know how strong she was either.
This gray bird was much stronger than when they first saw Ying Ying. It shouldn't be weaker than Ying Ying now.
Hearing this, everyone stopped breathing.
Ying Ying was a cosmic realm state!
And someone from the Star Spirit Race!
This was a super boss for sure!
Nangong Jing smiled and said, "Now, we won't be scared of any dangers."
Lu Ze nodded. "Yes, with this, it's much more secure for us to go out."
Lu Ze quite wanted to go out and venture.
Although they didn't need other resources, The Human Race did.
Lu Li looked at the blue fruit and asked, "What is this?"
Lu Ze swept it with his mental force too.
Information about the fruit appeared in his brain.
This spirit force could greatly improve learning ability!
This was a spirit fruit that could allow the user to connect with universal laws. After using it, their ability to learn god art and divine art would be significantly increased. Lu Ze didn't know how much though.
However, this spirit fruit only lasted a day.
Lu Ze didn't really have anything he needed to learn badly right now.
Lu Ze felt it was better to use this after he got the poison ball divine art and a few more divine art runes.
If this improving effect was really absurd, Lu Ze might be able to bring many divine arts to perfect mastery at once.
After all, it was connected to universal laws.
He could pretty much see how the universe operated.
These sort of trump cards could allow Lu Ze to do whatever he wanted in the Elf Cosmic Realm. To him, that blue fruit was even more valuable than the summoning crystal.
"How is it?" the girls asked.
Lu Ze nodded. "It's very good and can greatly improve learning for god art and divine art. However, it's not the time to use it now. It can even be used to learn the deeper part of the universe's power."
Lu Ze put the things away. "Okay, let's cultivate."
Planet Jinyao, Spirit Gathering Room.
Lu Ze sat on the cushion.
After using level-7 cosmic system state super red liquid, Lu Ze could feel a violent power enter his body. Half of it fused into his physical body while the other half helped Lu Ze suck in spirit force from the void.
At this rate, he would be able to break through to level-7 cosmic system state in at most two days.
...
The second night, Lu Ze and the girls gathered and entered the Pocket Hunting Dimension again.
They were quite anxious as they didn't know who got the other two treasures.
This time, they went straight into the desert without doing anything.
They looked around. The desert was calm. Lu Ze sensed a cave of sand beetles not far away. Nothing seemed to have changed."
"?"
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
'Did those bosses split the things and return to their respective places?'
"Ree!"
Three terrifying chi suddenly soared. Then, there was a clash that made their skin crawl.
The distant horizon was burning in flames and then covered by ice and also surging with golden lightning.
Then instantly, the battle erupted. The entire world seemed to have been boiled. Countless chi rose, and the beasts in the desert scurried away.
Lu Ze quickly said, "Run!"
Silver light flashed, then he took the girls away from the battle. Moments later, Lu Ze used up more than half his power and stopped.
He looked at that world-destroying battlefield and felt scared.
The others felt the same.
Even from this far away, they could feel the shockwave of that battle.
Nangong Jing, somewhat shocked, quietly looked at the three visions in the distant sky and asked, "What is that golden lightning? We didn't see it that night."
Lu Ze was confused too. They only saw four overlord beasts. There wasn't one with golden lightning.
Lu Li couldn't help but exclaim, "That overlord with the golden lightning is so strong. It can fight the ice and fire bird at the same time!"
Qiuyue Hesha had a solemn expression. "It doesn't have the lower hand as well!"
Lu Ze frowned. "Perhaps a beast that wasn't an overlord got the treasure in the pillar?"
He thought of the rabbit boss on the second map. 'Is it a lucky beast like the rabbit boss?'
Amazing!
This beast could steal the treasure in front of those overlords especially when the silver wolf overlord had space god art.
Lin Ling asked, "Where are the silver wolf and wood overlord?"
Lu Ze smiled. "If they joined the battle, it would be even more troublesome for us."
The group nodded.
They were killed by some random shockwave yesterday.
Nangong Jing's eyes, looking at the fierce beast, lit up. She revealed a bright smile. "Then, wouldn't we have a chance to freeload again today?!"
The others grinned.
It was the same as the last time. Lu Ze and the girls used Chi Concealing God Art and wrapped themselves in the sand.
They hid from other bosses while waiting for the battle to end.
Unlike the battle between the fire and ice bird last time, this battle was very intense. They fought for over half an hour.
The three overlord's chi became much weaker, and the desert was ravaged.
To dodge the battle, Lu Ze and the girls had been running around for over half an hour.
Luckily, Lu Ze's space transmission wasn't bad. If there was no interference, he would be faster than level-3 and level-4 cosmic cloud states. It was fine to just escape the shockwave.
After another clash, the three overlords finally stopped fighting. After a standoff in the air for a moment, the three beasts went away.
Lu Ze and the girls were hiding under the desert and watching the sky.
A few minutes later, there was nothing else but a few singled-out chis. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.
They looked at each other. This was too hard. There were a few times where they were almost caught.
Lu Ze smiled and said, "Let's go out."
They flew out from under the sand.
Qiuyue Hesha sighed. "The overlord-level battle is really terrifying."
Everyone nodded.
This was a cosmic realm state battle!
This was too far for them.
Lu Ze looked at the mess, and the corners of his mouth rose frantically. "Okay, let's see if there's anything good."
This ruin was a treasure cove for them right now!
At this moment, a chi surged around Lu Ze and the girls.
It was just a few kilometers from them. Sand suddenly sprayed out. A bloodied beast with weakened chi charged out.
It was 50 meters tall and covered in earth yellow. It was a huge wolf with sand floating around it.
Lu Ze and the girls smiled.
Level-1 cosmic cloud state beast.
They had encountered such a boss before, but it was slapped to death before it could escape.
Now, it was different.
Lu Ze grabbed at the wolf without hesitation.
The sand around it exploded and surged towards it.
Before it could use its power, it was wrapped around by sand.
The sand spun while shrinking. In a short moment, it was just ten meters in diameter.
The wolf inside died too.
They collected the drops happily before moving off to find more.
They killed quite some half-dead beasts.
At this moment, Lin Ling pointed in a burnt area. "There's a fierce beast below. Its chi is extremely weak. At first, it seemed very strong."
Lu Ze formed two giant sand hands that were a few thousand meters wide and poked into the crystallized sand.
"Open!"
As Lu Ze used force, the two sides cracked. A weak chi was released.
"Chit!" A sharp shriek sounded, and a long gray figure charged out at Lu Ze from under the crystals.
Even though it was extremely weakened, Lu Ze still felt a sliver of threat.
He raised his brow, then his body flashed. He moved a few hundred meters to the side. The gray figure flew past where Lu Ze was and landed on the ground again.
'Rumble!'
The ground fractured.
This was a hundred-meter long worm with a ten-meter diameter.
However, it was different from ordinary worms. Ordinary ones were just earthy pigments with light yellow clay. This one was gray and had abstruse gray runes on its skin.
Its body looked perfectly fine, but its chi was extremely weak.
This was the super beast worm?!
Isn't it supposed to have a Regeneration Divine Art?
Thinking about this, Lu Ze smiled at the girls. "This beast recovers quite fast. I'm going up, you guys support me!"
The girls guessed what it was. They smiled and nodded.
Lu Ze glowed with spirit flames, then sand twirled around his body. He charged up. Nangong Jing followed suit too.
Behind them, the other girls started using the support god arts and divine arts.
The super worm was about to attack, but suddenly, it felt its chi and movements became suppressed and slower.
It had greatly diminished combat power and weakened increasingly a lot.
It screamed and suddenly shut off into the distance.
Lu Ze was stunned.
This guy was that timid?
But... how could he let it run away?
Gray runes spun in his eyes as he used Stone Transformation Divine Art with full power.
The worm suddenly stopped. Sand shot into the sky and wrapped towards the worm.
Gray spirit light flowed on the worm's body, and it removed the effect of being turned to stone. However, it was covered by sand.
Lu Ze used Sand One Divine Art with full power trying to condense the sand and crush the worm.
However, Lu Ze soon frowned. He felt a very powerful resistant force.
In the distance, gray spirit light was seeping out of the sand ball. The sand ball was shaking as though it was unstable.
Moments later, Lu Ze's face changed. Gray spirit light exploded inside the ball.
'Rumble!'
The sand filled the skies, then the ball exploded.
The worm was once again covered in blood. Flesh and blood splattered everywhere.
Gray spirit light glowed, and its wounds rapidly healed. However, its chi was getting weaker.
It looked coldly at Lu Ze before trying to run off again.
At this moment, a golden light flashed and stopped before the worm.
Nangong Jing twisted her waist and threw a heavy punch.
"Stop!" The golden fist force scattered the sand.
"Chit!"
The worm opened its hideous mouth, then a gray spirit force ball formed.
It greeted the fist force.
'Rumble!'
The clash created a shockwave in all directions. Nangong Jing and the worm both fell back.
At that instant, a clear spirit force struck the worm heavily.
'Rumble!'
Another explosion sounded, and the fist force tore apart the worm's tough skin, creating a huge hole in its body. Gray blood splashed out. It caused the body to drill into the ground. creating a huge crater.
"Chit!"
The worm howled again as the gray spirit light rushed to heal its body.
Lu Ze continued to pursue the worm.
Two giant desert hands formed and grabbed towards the worm. Before the worm could react, it was held on tightly.
The giant desert hands clenched and even made cracking sounds.
The worm struggled but couldn't break free no matter what. As the hands tightened, it made a sharp shriek.
1000m, 500m, 300m, 100m...
More and more gray blood dripped out while the hands tightened, forming a pond of blood.
At the same time, the struggle weakened.
When the giant hands were 30 meters long, the struggle completely stopped.
However, Lu Ze didn't let go. He continued to shrink his hands.
After all, this thing had super regeneration. Lu Ze was afraid it still wasn't dead.
When it was 20 meters long, Lu Ze stopped the Sand One Divine Art.
The two hands turned into sand as a pile of scrambled mess. The opponent dropped to the ground, which quickly turned to dust.
The girls frowned at the body. It was pitiful.
Alice smiled and said, "This is a peak cosmic system state super beast. I didn't expect to find this."
Lin Ling said, "Ze, can you use this level of super spirit liquid now?"
Lu Ze thought about it and answered, "Probably not now. I can try after I break through to level-7 cosmic system state. With my current cultivation speed, I can break through the day after tomorrow."
But even at level-7 cosmic system state, he wasn't that confident he could use it straight up.
It should be completely safe at level-8 cosmic system state.
Nangong Jing smiled. "Even if this doesn't work, there are other things."
If even Lu Ze couldn't use it, there was no way they could use it, but there wasn't just spirit liquid that dropped.
Qiuyue Hesha and the other girls nodded.
Soon, the worm turned to dust.
There were five each of the super liquids, a divine art rune shard, a gray regeneration god art orb, a sand god art orb, and a chi concealing god art orb.
Lu Ze frowned. "Too bad, there isn't a one-time divine art rune."
Unlike the fourth map, most super beasts on the fifth map would drop one-time divine art runes. However, this super worm didn't drop any.
What a poor super beast!
Lu Li smiled. "It's fine. There should be other beasts."
The group continued their search.
In the next few hours, they found quite some super beasts and cosmic cloud state beasts. The strongest was one level-4 cosmic cloud state golden lightning eagle. It was sealed in ice.
They broke the ice, and the eagle died.
They couldn't use its liquid yet, but the golden lightning god art orb was usable.
They found 22 golden sand beetles and 13 green scorpions. They even found another five super worms.
They gathered four poison ball divine art runes and one regeneration divine art rune. They got four one-time regeneration divine art runes. They didn't know what they did yet.
At this moment, they were on the crystallized ground. There was golden lightning flashing on, but they could feel the immense power from it.
One could imagine how strong that golden lightning eagle overlord was.
On the horizon, there was a patch of burned forests. There were just the scorched tree trunks.
However, Lu Ze and the girls were excited.
This was the oasis!
There were a lot of bosses there, and there was that dew in the center.
This was one of the best resources for them.
Lu Ze grinned. "Let's go in quickly!"
Lu Ze and the girls moved to the scorched forest rapidly.
They were shocked. The forest in the oasis was boundless. They couldn't see how big it was.
However, it was completely burned to coal now.
They entered the forest in amazement.
They carefully avoided the golden lightning sparks remaining on the tree trunks while going deeper.
Lin Ling looked around.
Lu Ze asked, "Is there remnant chi?"
Lin Ling frowned. "I don't see any chi."
Nangong Jing quietly looked at the forest and said, "Perhaps those beasts are all dead?"
Qiuyue Hesha and the others nodded.
The forest was clearly caught in a giant shockwave.
Lu Ze nodded. "Let's go deeper."
Even without the beasts, that crystal tree, where the golden and blew due were located, should still be there. That thing wasn't destroyed during the last overlord battle. It shouldn't be destroyed this time as well.
As they went further into the area, they saw different regions too. Some regions were a sea of golden lightning that they had to avoid.
They even passed a dried-up crater. That crater should have been a giant lake, but now, there was no single drop of water.
Even the ground was cracked.
Soon, Lin Ling pointed ahead. "I sense a special wave in there. It should be the crystal tree we saw last time."
The group rejoiced. They were close to that crystal tree.
They sped up and left the charred forest soon.
It was a vast plain after they came out. In the center, there was the huge golden crystal tree.
Nangong Jing looked at the dust on the ground. "It seems that those flowers were burnt to death too."
This region should have been a sea of flowers.
Lu Ze smiled and said, "Good thing the crystal tree is fine. Let's go over it."
The group went before the crystal tree. There were quite some golden flowers blossoming.
Lu Ze was delighted and said, "Come, let's harvest all the golden dew there.
There were 36 drops of golden dew in total.
Lu Ze's eyes were glistening and said, "This is enough for us to cultivate for so long."
The girls nodded. One golden dew could last two days. Six each was enough for 12 days.
This was enough for them to progress to a small state.
How could they not be happy?
The group continued to explore the forest.
Lin Ling used her Spirit Eye God Art at full power but couldn't find anything.
The beasts here were either dead or escaped.
Therefore, the group left the oasis and kept searching elsewhere.
A few hours later, they killed quite some injured green scorpions and acquired level-7 cosmic system state's super red and purple liquids, as well as poison ball divine art rune shards.
They also killed a few more super worms.
They also killed some other ordinary cosmic cloud state beasts. The strongest was still that golden lightning eagle, however.
There were a few of the level-3 cosmic system states, and the rest were level-2 or below.
That level-4 eagle was a disgrace to the cosmic cloud state beasts.
It should have around level-7 to 8 cosmic cloud state combat power.
Yet, it was still caught in the shockwave.
While the group was immersed in the joy of collecting resources, a violent chi suddenly rose one time in the desert again.
"Ree!" X3
Oh shit?
It hasn't even been a day yet.
Are the three bosses fighting again?
No way!
However, before he could speak, a golden light beamed across the sky, and they knew nothing afterward.
...
The group woke up back in their bedroom. They desperately panted for air.
Just what conflicts did these overlords have? They didn't even stop for a day and started fighting again.
The problem was that they weren't even able to run away and were killed.
However, they did get a lot of loot this time.
Lu Ze smiled. "Although we still died, we have acquired more than the last time."
The girls squeezed out smiles on their pale faces.
Lin Ling smiled. "Indeed, this time, we have acquired many regeneration divine art runes, right?"
That was something only a level-9 and a peak cosmic system state super beast would drop!
However, this time, the three overlords did scale up their battle a lot.
It was reasonable that they had such loot.
Lu Ze grinned and said, "Let's go through them."
"Mhm."
...
After a while, the group sat up and looked keenly at Lu Ze.
Lu Ze smiled and took out the loot today.
They didn't even count the loot of ordinary beasts below a cosmic cloud state. There were too many.
They killed a total of 35 golden sand beetles. Those were 175 of the level-5 cosmic system state beast's super red and purple liquids each.
They acquired eight complete runes of Sand One Divine Art. They didn't need it now, so it was kept in Lu Ze's mental dimension. He would give them to the elders when he could.
They killed a total of 27 green scorpions. Those were 135 drops of level-7 cosmic system state beast's super red and purple liquids.
They pieced together six poison ball divine art runes too.
They also got more one-time poison divine art runes, poison and sand god art orbs.
They just killed nine of the super worms. They got 45 drops of the peak cosmic system state beast's super red and purple liquids.
They made two complete regeneration divine art runes. Lu Ze kept one for himself and gave Nangong Jing the other. This was the best for her as she fought close combat.
There were also eight one-time regeneration divine art runes.
Lu Ze and the girls kept one each and left two as souvenirs for Elder Nangong and Elder Lin.
They killed 82 of the level-1 cosmic cloud state beasts and acquired over 400 red and purple liquids of that level.
They killed 43 of the level-2 cosmic cloud state beasts and acquired over 200 red and purple liquids of that level.
They killed 18 of the level-3 cosmic cloud state beasts and one level-4 cosmic cloud state beast.
They had so many god art orbs they couldn't even use.
They got 36 golden dews as well.
With those, they could use stronger red and purple liquids.
Lu Ze even wanted to test if he could use a level-1 cosmic cloud state beast's red liquid.
If he could, that would be one level in half a month.
At this rate, he would reach a level-8 cosmic system state in half a month.
The group went off to cultivate on their own.
Lu Ze proceeded to the spirit gathering room.
He was about to break through to level-7 cosmic system state. He should accomplish this goal first before anything else.
Lu Ze plopped down on the couch and used a drop of golden dew. It formed a thin layer of gold on his cells. Immediately, he could feel his senses and mastery of spirit force drastically improving.
With his current state, he can use stronger spirit liquid to cultivate.
Lu Ze debated on consuming the level-7 cosmic system state super red liquid. After pondering about it, he settled on using the peak cosmic system state super red liquid.
All at once, his body was filled to the brim. Lu Ze was plagued by piercing pain.
Sure enough, the energy was formidable. He wouldn't be even able to digest it without the golden dew.
Swiftly, Lu Ze absorbed the power within him. He hadn't even depleted the energy from the red liquid, but his cultivation level broke through in just a few hours.
The seventh-star ring in his body broke apart.
Even though he already reached level-7 cosmic system state, Lu Ze didn't rest and extend his cultivation period. After all, the effectiveness of the golden dew was limited. Each second was precious, including the cosmic system state super red liquid.
He shouldn't waste them!
...
Twelve days later, Lu Ze slowly opened his eyes. The infinite energy inside him made him smile. He then got up and stretched out.
Given the valuableness of golden dew, Lu Ze chose not to eat food during the past few days to prevent wasting his time. Apart from entering the Pocket Hunting Dimension, he only cultivated at all the other times.
Just yesterday, he managed to raise his cultivation level to level-8 cosmic system state.
Back when he broke through to level-7 cosmic system state, he attempted to use level-1 cosmic cloud state super red liquid, but his body almost exploded there and then. As a result, he didn't dare to touch it in the meantime.
The real world didn't allow revivals.
Now that the golden dew was consumed today, Lu Ze couldn't immerse himself in raising his cultivation level.
Lu Ze exited the spirit gathering room. The sun outside the planet shone brightly on his face. He then closed his eyes in comfort.
The warmth of the sun was truly comforting.
At this moment, the girls also made their way out of their respective rooms.
They cultivated as Lu Ze did and exhausted 12 days in using the golden dew.
Naturally, they had nothing to do now, since they used up all the dew.
The girls saw Lu Ze when they came out. They smiled brightly.
The people waiting outside were dumbfounded.
It is the Monarch of the New Dawn!
'How lucky are they to encounter Lu Ze and his girls in here?'
'What should they do?'
'Should they ask for an autograph?'
Beautiful females were staring at Lu Ze without blinking.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched.
Sigh... why did he have to be extremely handsome? It gave him a lot of pressure.
Countless girls everywhere were bewitched by him.
Unfortunately, it wasn't their fate to be with him.
'Ah, this should be the worst pain to experience in the world, right?'
So as not to hurt them further, Lu Ze decided to stay out of their sights.
The disparity between genders was distinct.
No men dared to stare at Nangong Jing and his other girls openly.
However, the women didn't have the same restraint.
Out of nowhere, Lu Ze and the girls disappeared from the spot.
Everyone looked around in confusion.
"Did they just disappear?"
"When did they make themselves disappear?!"
"Does this power belong to a... cosmic cloud state?"
All the eyes of the girls in the area were filled with disappointment.
All they wanted was to get an autograph or at least get a chance to know him. Maybe through that, something might build up.
...
Lu Ze and the girls appeared once again in front of Elder Nangong's shack.
Ye Mu, Luo Bingqing, and the rest were sitting on the ground, listening to Elder Nangong's teachings. Sometimes they revealed expressions of realization. At other times, they furrowed their brows.
Lu Ze found it amusing. They resembled students in traditional classrooms in his past life.
A good student and a bad student could easily be differentiated.
For instance, Luo Bingqing was a classic example of a good student. His face appeared calm, and he nodded from time to time as though he understood the thought.
Meanwhile, Derrick was a bad student. The whole time, he was just scratching his head as he frowned.
Elder Nangong turned his head and looked at Lu Ze and the girls in surprise. "Your group has become stronger once again."
He could definitely see and distinguish the improvement. Elder Nangong was a cosmic cloud state after all.
With all the orbs Lu Ze gave him, he could even fight a level-2 cosmic cloud state while being a level-1 cosmic cloud state. It wasn't a surprise for him to immediately point out their progress.
Lu Ze and the girls smiled. It was just pure luck this time.
Lin Kuang asked, "Elder Nangong, how much did Ze progress this time?"
The others sported curious expressions, including Luo Bingqing.
Elder Nangong responded, "A lot of progress. In this half month, they increased their levels of cultivation by two. He is a level-8 cosmic system state."
Everyone: "..."
Their faces stiffened.
'Is this really possible for a human being?'
Before, they were even proud of themselves for reaching the subsequent level in just a month.
They didn't expect Lu Ze and the girls to go above and beyond.
Two levels!
Elder Nangong grinned. "Do you now understand there is always someone better than you? Yes, your cultivation might be truly fast, but don't be complacent."
Why did Elder Nangong choose to say it this time? Well, he didn't like the budding arrogance of the youths.
Lin Kuang and the others soon realized what the old man was getting at. They nodded seriously. "We understand!"
Luo Bingqing and the rest weren't lucky enough to own the Pocket Hunting Dimension. They didn't get to experience countless deaths. Hence, the small bit of pride from making progress was understandable.
Luo Bingqing frowned and got up. "Elder, I want to enter the void border. I need to experience some battles."
Lin Kuang and the others all stood up as well. "We want to go too."
This included Ye Mu and the rest. They already became planetary states a few days ago.
Luo Bingqing and the rest were star states.
A lot of opportunities would be waiting for them in the void space.
It would be pointless if they waited until they were cosmic system states.
Elder Nangong smiled. "Have you decided?"
Luo Bingqing and his team nodded firmly.
Elder Nangong said, "That is a wise decision. You really need to experience some battles to humble yourselves. Even if you don't need any cultivation resources since Lu Ze provides them, you should still gather some at the void border for the Human Race."
Lin Kuang grinned. "During Ze's and Lin Ling's turn, they have conquered the territory of the Blade Demon Race and acquired countless resources for our race. Now, it is high time for us to put in some effort."
The crowd broke out in a grin.
Xuan Yuji chimed in, "Although we can never be as good as Ze, we will still try our best."
The others nodded.
'What is the actual point of cultivation?'
For some, it is to extend their lifespan. But this is only an aspect of it. The other reason is to protect and lead the Human Race.
Ordinary people are more likely to do it to live longer, but prodigies cared more about providing security to the entire race.
Sometimes, prodigies had shorter lives than ordinary cultivators. After all, they would be the first to respond during interracial wars.
The more power you possess, the greater the responsibility you will shoulder.
In their current generation, they were blessed to have Lu Ze. He kick-started the golden age of the Human Race.
Even so, they were also representative figures and a part of the same generation.
'How could they not do something?'
Thinking about the consequences, the spirit of valor dawned upon them. Their ambitions grew.
Lu Ze smiled. "Brother Lin Kuang, since you are venturing into the void space, it is only right for you to bring along some trump cards just to be safe."
Luo Bingqing and the other teams were taken aback.
'Trump cards? What did he mean by trump cards?'
This wasn't anything new to Elder Nangong. But, he still looked at Lu Ze with surprise.
"It seems like you guys have managed to gather some precious resources lately."
Lu Ze curled up the corners of his lips and took out a pile of one-time divine art runes and poison balls.
There were a total of a few hundred one-time divine art runes. Meanwhile, the number of poison balls available piled up to form a small mountain.
Elder Nangong: "?"
The excessive supply of valuable resources caused Elder Nangong's smile to freeze.
'Am I getting old? My vision is getting blurry.'
He looked at the ground again.
Elder Nangong: "?"
The number of the resources didn't change. It wasn't a trick!
'Oh shit?!'
How come there are so many?
This is a cosmic cloud state treasure!
The hairs on Elder Nangong's skin stood on ends.
The treasures weren't even a cosmic system state. They were real and actual cosmic cloud state treasures!
More importantly, their number was overwhelming!
Luo Bingqing and the rest gawked at the pile of resources.
Seeing how Elder Nangong's expression shifted, they made some conjectures.
'Are all of these things trump cards?'
'There was even a shedload of them. Is this right?'
For Elder Nangong's expression to change drastically, the value of those things shouldn't be trivial.
'Perhaps... are all of them actually peak cosmic system state trump cards?'
With this possibility in the forefront of their minds, everyone shuddered.
'All of those are too powerful!'
How could Ze bring out so many of them?
But then again, he was a cosmic cloud state after all. The mountain of resources he brought out was pretty much useless to him.
Elder Nangong took a deep breath.
'Calm down! I'm an elder! I must stay calm!'
Lu Ze smiled. "Elder Nangong, we don't need these anymore. You can hand them to other prodigies as rewards."
Elder Nangong took another deep breath before he nodded. "Okay."
Lu Ze urged, "Brother Lin Kuang, if you really plan to visit the void space, then take some with you."
He continued, "The power of the poison balls is approaching the peak of the cosmic cloud state. As for the divine art rune containing a sand element, it has a level-1 cosmic cloud state power."
Lu Ze didn't forget to add, "The one containing poison has level-2 cosmic cloud state power. However, note that they can only be used once, so make sure to bring some extra."
Luo Bingqing and the others were Lu Ze's friends, so he wasn't the least bit stingy with them.
"?"
As a result, Luo Bingqing and the other groups were dumbfounded.
They didn't know how to respond anymore.
This was completely different from what they thought.
Level-2 cosmic cloud state!
The void space would explode.
Moreover, didn't just Lu Ze say he didn't need them anymore?
Then, his combat power actually surpassed level-2 cosmic cloud state?!
Lin Ling gave out a smile. "Brother, bring some with you. You might encounter cosmic system states in the void space."
Nangong Jing nodded. "Yes. The insectoids are rampantly invading several places recently."
Strangely, the void space they were in charge of was welcoming to the Insectoid Race. The insectoids had swarmed the place a few times already.
Elder Nangong said, "It's better to take some precautions. Take some cards."
He grabbed a pile of poison balls and handed them to Luo Bingqing and the others. He looked at the one-time divine art runes and distributed two sand divine art runes and one poison ball divine art runes to everyone.
Luo Bingqing and the others felt it was surreal.
Their faces trembled.
This contained a cosmic cloud state power!
The Human Race actually had a few hundred of them...
Elder Nangong waved his hand in dismissal. "Alright, since you guys are planning to leave, you might as well go now."
Luo Bingqing and the others nodded.
"Elder Nangong, Ze, Nangong... we are going then."
They took out the ships they received when they were appointed as young dukes and finally left.
After watching them, Elder Nangong appeared proud but a little worried.
He sighed.
He had sent too many prodigies off. Some came back safely while some remained outside forever.
But now, things operate differently.
Those resources represented security. With them around, no one would dare to bother the prodigies of the Human Race even if they didn't have many cosmic cloud states.
Elder Nangong looked at Lu Ze and his girls.
'Perhaps, their group is about to leave as well.'
Of course, their destination was not the void space. They should be on their way to explore the Elf Cosmic Realm. It would surely be more dangerous than any other missions they had.
Nevertheless, Elder Nangong, who had practically witnessed Lu Ze's growth, had confidence in the latter.
In the near future, they would surely astound the Elf Cosmic Realm with their greatness.
He then said, "You guys came at the right time. Help me excavate the alternate dimension."
Eventually, Elder Nangong didn't prolong the work of the group. He brought out the fish he had caught before and personally grilled it for them. Alice and the other girls had helped on the side.
Qiuyue Hesha then asked, "Elder Nangong, where is Ying Ying?"
It was just at this point that Lu Ze recalled the absence of the little girl.
Elder Nangong gave them a smile. "She went to Weite. She should be back soon."
Right after saying the words, a wormhole emerged. Ying Ying exited from that tear in space.
She had company behind her. It was a cute little girl, Lue Xi. They were both carrying school bags.
Lue Xi hid nervously behind Ying Ying. But the latter didn't allow the other girl to shy away. Ying Ying dragged the pitiful Lue Xi and rushed over upon noticing Elder Nangong was roasting fish.
Elder Nangong cracked a smile. "Ying Ying is back."
He looked at Lue Xi and showed an amicable expression. "You must be Lue Xi, right?"
Lue Xi clenched her two hands and shivered. "Saint... Hello..."
'Oh my, it's a saint!'
'Saint Jinyao!'
Even Lue Xi was merely a young kid, she often heard about the saint from the principal. Well, pretty much everyone in the Federation knew about the 12 saints.
Lue Xi could not stop the anxiety within her.
Elder Nangong assured her. "Just call me Grandfather, like Ying Ying."
He had a good impression of Lue Xi. Elder Nangong even understood her profile well.
This time, Lue Xi had the courage to raise her head. Realizing how Elder Nangong treated her with care, she let go of some of the nervousness she felt.
Ying Ying seemed to be right though. Saint Jinyao was a kind grandfather. Nevertheless, she was still a little hesitant to start addressing him as her grandfather.
Qiuyue Hesha coaxed, "Xiao Xi, the elder already permitted you to treat him as your grandfather. What are you still waiting for?"
Lue Xi looked at Qiuyue Hesha and rejoiced. "Sister Hesha!"
Before, her apprehension caused her to miss Qiuyue Hesha's presence. Now that she saw someone else she knew, she began to relax.
She finally smiled at Elder Nangong. "Grandfather."
"Aye." Elder Nangong found it adorable. After all, Lue Xi was too cute.
'If only Jing Jing was sensible enough to give him a little child to play with...'
He looked at Nangong Jing with complaints in his heart.
Nangong Jing: "?"
She held his gaze in confusion, causing Elder Nangong's mouth to twitch.
'How could she be infuriatingly clueless?'
'Ze was more understanding!'
Carrying those thoughts, Elder Nangong looked at Lu Ze with the desire to pin his hopes of holding his great grandchildren soon on Lu Ze.
As for Lu Ze, he didn't have the least bit of interest in Ying Ying. The little brat fought over food with him.
'... This fish should be ready for consumption, right?'
It looked appetizing. He couldn't help but gulp. However, he suddenly felt that someone's eyes lingered on him.
When he went to locate the source, he saw Elder Nangong directing a mysterious yet meaningful glance at him.
Lu Ze: "?"
'What is Elder Nangong signaling to him?'
Elder Nangong: "..."
So much for nothing! He found himself disappointed in Lu Ze.
Meanwhile, the girls had surrounded Ying Ying and Lue Xi.
Qiuyue Hesha looked gently at Ying Ying who was carrying a school bag. She was also like this when they first saw her.
She inched to pat Ying Ying's hair. "Ying Ying, is attending your classes at school fun?"
Ying Ying affirmed it with a nod. Her usually expressionless face had some joy in it.
Nangong Jing grinned. "It should be Ying Ying's first time to go to school. If there's anything you don't understand, you can always ask me. I used to be a very good student!"
She wasn't just good at cultivating. She also had impeccable comprehension!
As usual, Qiuyue Hesha sneered, "You talk as though you're the only one."
She also patted Ying Ying's little head. "Ying Ying can ask me too. My academic performance is excellent as well."
Lin Ling chimed in, "Me too."
Ying Ying, shattering the moment, said "I have already learned everything."
"?"
The girls were taken aback.
'Is Ying Ying actually a smart student too?'
Lue Xi answered timidly, "It is true. Ying Ying is outstanding. She could immediately learn everything the teacher discussed after hearing it once."
The girls: "..."
It finally dawned on them that she was a cosmic realm state. A being like her was inherently genius.
'How else would she absorb universal laws, god arts, and divine arts?'
The girls felt embarrassed.
Nangong Jing attempted to dismiss it with a laugh. "Hahaha, the fish is ready. Let's eat."
Ying Ying tore open a wormhole and threw her bag in it before she bolted towards the roasted fish.
"I'll help you, Grandfather."
"Ying Ying is really nice."
...
After dinner, Ying Ying took Lue Xi back to Weite.
Lu Ze and his girls carried a conversation with Elder Nangong.
Lu Ze said, "By the way, Elder Nangong, I forgot to give you something."
Elder Nangong asked, "What is it?"
Lu Ze took out a gray rune. "This is a one-time divine art rune. It can quickly repair your wounds. As long as your head isn't crushed, you will recover."
It was similar to the Super Regeneration Divine Art, but it worked even better.
This divine art could even deal with hacked body parts. Moreover, its speed was top-notch among the rest.
Lu Ze had the plan to call it 'Super Speed Regeneration'.
Elder Nangong accidentally spat the golden tea he was sipping.
'Isn't it practically an additional life?!'
Elder Nangong looked at the divine art rune in shock. He pointed at himself. "Will it still be effective on a cosmic cloud state like me?"
A lot of recovery-type resources existed in the universe. Usually, the stronger the cultivation of the cultivator, the lesser the effectiveness of a rune.
After all, their advanced cultivation level brought about some changes in their constitution. In particular, their bodies contained more energy.
Lu Ze could understand Elder Nangong's worries. Even when he was weaker, his own Super Regeneration God Art didn't effectively work.
He smiled and nodded. "Yes, it will still work. Even a peak cosmic cloud state will recover completely with this divine art rune. It is just that weaker cultivators would recover at a much faster rate."
Elder Nangong: "..."
The hairs on his body stood on ends.
'Is Lu Ze implying that a weakling like him, who was merely a level-1 cosmic cloud state, will have few more additional lives? And it is not just one either?'
Elder Nangong took a deep breath and said, "I don't need it. You should use it on yourselves!"
Lu Ze and his girls had to venture outside most of the time. Having the rune would be essential for their survival.
As for him, he always remained within the Federation. Given his power, nothing couldn't threaten his life except for extraordinary circumstances.
Lu Ze curled up the corners of his mouth. "Don't worry. We already have our own, Elder Nangong. Just take this one."
He did anticipate that the old man would reject it. However, the latter should have no reason to, since each one of them already had one.
Lu Ze has a level-8 cosmic system state cultivation level. Even if he can't beat the super long worm right now, he will still be able to, once he becomes a peak cosmic system state.
By then, he will have an easier time collecting more one-time divine art runes.
He gave an assurance. "We will get more of these soon."
Elder Nangong was torn. Even though Lu Ze wasn't lying to his face, he was still hesitant.
In his opinion, no one can have too much life-saving resources.
Nangong Jing urged him as well. "Grandfather, Lu Ze is right. We'll be able to get more soon. Just take it."
After being confronted by Lu Ze's and Nangong Jing's firm eyes, Elder Nangong fell silent and finally yielded. "Fine then, I'll take it."
The group continued to converse with Elder Nangong for a longer period before they decided to return to Jinyao City.
...
Dao Enlightenment Room.
Lu Ze rested on a cushion and entered his mental force dimension.
In it, he found a green divine art rune and a gray divine art rune, including a blue spirit fruit.
He hesitated between the two divine art runes he owned.
'Should he just consume the spirit fruit and learn both of the two divine arts?'
There might be a chance he could attain perfect mastery at once.
But then again, he didn't get any cosmic cloud state beast's divine art yet.
'Should he just wait in the meantime and reserve the fruit until he gathers everything?'
Lu Ze thought about it. In the end, he didn't touch the fruit. He would settle on gaining a beginner mastery of the two divine arts first.
The Little Poison Ball Divine Art was a force to be reckoned with. It was more useful than his Poison God Art as well.
Also, a beginner mastery of Super Speed Regeneration Divine Art should be significantly better than progressing the Super Regeneration Divine Art. This is a natural consequence since the latter originated from the second map. Of course, it could only be inferior.
Lu Ze soon used a drop of peak cosmic system state super purple liquid. His mental force was dramatically boosted to the point it caused him a headache. Since his senses were also heightened, the pain intensified.
Still, everything remained manageable.
Lu Ze used another blue crystal. It served as a balm to alleviate the painful sensation a bit.
In the next moment, Lu Ze smiled. His advanced ability to comprehend knowledge should allow him to learn everything much faster. It would be even faster than when he learned Sand One Divine Art.
Immediately, Lu Ze used the rune of the Super Regeneration Divine Art.
...
Three days later, Dao Enlightenment Room.
A gray spirit light was circulating Lu Ze. Simultaneously, a gray-colored chi flowed out as a void gray rune was formed.
The rune spun around Lu Ze's body and merged with him.
At this moment, he gradually opened his eyes.
'Super Speed Regeneration Divine Art, Beginner Mastery!'
It only took him three days! His speed had become twice as fast.
Lu Ze proceeded to learn the Little Poison Ball Divine Art.
Another three days later, the Poison Ball Divine Art had attained beginner mastery.
At this juncture, Lu Ze stood from his seat and stretched out before he exited the dao enlightenment room.
From the beginning, he never once got out of the room.
Carefully, Lu Ze decided to leave and disappear discreetly, without other people seeing him.
...
Nangong Jing and his girls sat in a row in front of Elder Nangong's shack. Elder Nangong was facing everyone.
Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls seemed lifeless. Meanwhile, Elder Nangong's face appeared stern.
"Since ancient times, reproducing has been the duty of the Human Race. You are all the top prodigies of the current generation. Surely, the children you will give birth to are guaranteed to be absurdly talented. They will become the supporting pillars of the Human Race in the future. Do not be self-centered. You have to consider the fate of the Human Race..."
Elder Nangong swept his serious gaze at the girls.
Ever since Lue Xi visited him, the desire to hold his great-grandson escalated. Hence, it became his life goal to educate these kids.
'Too bad Ze wasn't here...'
The nonchalant Ying Ying couldn't be bothered as she watched her cartoons. However, Lue Xi listened throughout. Her face was even blushing.
'Having children?'
'Shouldn't that mean doing that?!'
'Sister Hesha and Brother Lu Ze...'
Lue Xi gulped some saliva as scenes appeared in her mind.
Her face became much flushed.
She quickly shook her head.
'This was too exciting!'
Lue Xi patted her face. She looked at the helpless Qiuyue Hesha and frowned.
...
At this moment, a beam sliced across the air, and a figure stepped foot on the ground.
It was Lu Ze.
...
Lu Ze looked at the lifeless state of the girls. He was stunned.
'What is going on?'
'What did they do to make Elder Nangong lecture them seriously?'
At this juncture, he could somehow pick out some words from the vague speech.
'Children...'
'Reproducing...'
"..."
'Sorry for the disturbance, I'll leave now!'
Lu Ze was so close to escaping, but Elder Nangong sensed his presence.
The old man grinned. "Ze, you're finally here. Come over, I have something to tell you."
Lu Ze: "..."
He walked over with a bitter expression and reluctantly sat next to the girls.
Barbarian Race, Barbarian God Planet.
In the Barbarian God Palace, the leader of the Barbarian Race was sitting before the statue of the ancestors. His eyes were closed as he was performing some priestly duties.
'Hum!'
At this moment, the statues lit up with bronze light, which then radiated throughout the palace.
The eyes of the leader of the race suddenly opened.
"The ancestral statues woke up on their own?! A catastrophic disaster might befall our race. What actually happened?!"
He stood up abruptly and released his chi. Although he was only a peak cosmic system state, he had a level-1 cosmic cloud state combat power.
He stared at the five statues.
'Hum!'
'Hum!'
'Hum!'
The light released by the statues gradually intensified. It created stronger vibrations as well.
Moments later, the bronze light pierced the sky and extended to the cosmos.
Five chis surged, and bit by bit, they grew stronger.
Throughout the planet, the higher authorities and prodigies of the Barbarian Race felt the onset of the formidable phenomenon.
They all looked in the direction of the Barbarian God Palace.
"What is happening?"
"Five powerful chis are awakening... Th-this is..."
"It is the chi of the ancestors! The ancestral souls are awakening?! Five of them are waking up simultaneously?"
"Race Leader... Did he do something?!"
Everyone was shocked.
An ancestral statue is actually the soul of an ancestor of the Barbarian Race. Their ancestors have sealed their souls and battle will within the statues through a secret technique. It is primarily done for the protection of the Barbarian Race against all sorts of disasters.
It represents their strongest trump card!
Only cosmic cloud state barbarians could forge their ancestral soul and leave a last strand of life force to seal the soul of the cultivator.
Back when the Barbarian Race was still a cosmic cloud state race, all their cosmic cloud states would do their best to return to their planet each time they were at death's door. It was their tradition to seal their souls if they were about to die.
The five statues were the last glamor left behind by their ancestors.
As predicted, the Barbarian Race did encounter disasters after the Barbarian Race declined.
Once they did, the leader of the race, who was also a great priest, would pray to and awaken their ancestral statues.
Up until now, they had successfully withstood all the ordeals.
Nevertheless, not all the ancestral souls would be awakened. Even the most disastrous calamity only required three ancestral souls.
The awakening of five ancestral souls was unprecedented.
Everyone immediately flew towards the Barbarian God Palace.
All of them assumed something major occurred.
Man Dazhuang, Man Dali, and the other cosmic system states guarding the palace immediately headed for the place where the ancestral statues were.
"Race Leader? Why did you awaken all of the ancestral souls?"
"What happened, Race Leader?"
...
The leader shook his head slowly as he looked at the light. "I didn't wake them. All the ancestral souls did it on their own."
"What?!"
Everyone's heart froze over.
'What could have happened to cause the sudden awakening?'
Everyone was dumbfounded.
"Roar!"
At this moment, five ancient battle roars reverberated through the world.
Five ethereal figures emerged out of the statues and charged into the air.
"They... are truly awake!" the leader murmured.
The audience stood still and looked into the distance with a heavy heart.
Right then, a huge wormhole was created.
Strands of blood spirit light flashed. It brought along the expansion of a destructive chi.
Man Dali gasped. "The insectoids are invading?!"
"This chi... They are fearsome insectoids!"
"..."
They never expected the intrusion of the insectoids in their ancestral planet. The strength of these intruders was mortifying as well.
Those who participated in dealing with the Blade Demon Race before shuddered.
Back then, they sensed a similar chi!
"It's a cosmic cloud state insectoid!"
In comparison, the insectoid was inferior to the one they encountered on the blade demon territory. Even so, its power terrified them deeply.
Without giving them a chance to breathe, a horde of insectoids charged out of the wormhole.
Blood spirit light filled the entire space.
The destructive chi dispersed and caused the surrounding 10,000 light-years of the area to quake.
All the barbarians in the affected region sensed the impending danger. All of them looked in the direction of the ancestral planet.
"What is this? There are multiple powerful chis!"
"This destructive chi... It belongs to the Insectoid Race?!"
...
"Damn it! What gives them the audacity to invade our ancestral planet?!"
"Go and protect the ancestral planet! Guard the Barbarian God Palace!"
...
Countless barbarians roared and boarded their ships.
"Hiss!"
The Insectoid Race was headed by three insectoids. Two of them were armed with a blood-colored shell and owned three pairs of scythe-like forelimbs. They had tens of sharp tails on their behind.
Almost every body part functioned as a weapon.
The last insectoid was pitch-black in color. Unlike the other two, it only owned four hindlimbs and a pair of sharp, sword-like forelimbs.
The two blood insectoids were level-1 cosmic cloud states, but the black-colored one was already a level-2 cosmic cloud state.
But then, their chis surpassed their cultivation level by a great deal. Their actual combat power should be far stronger than what they let on.
Behind the three leading insectoids were a few hundred cosmic system states and tens of thousands star states.
Upon witnessing this scene, all the barbarians were taken aback.
At this juncture, the ancestral souls roared.
Bronze light pierced through and countered the blood spirit light in an attempt to block it.
"Roar! With the last bit of my soul, protect my race!"
"Fight!"
Five chis ascended. The leading soul had a level-3 cosmic cloud state chi while the rest possessed level-2 cosmic cloud state chi.
The nearby region quaked even more. Those present in the area felt the tremors.
Tears flowed out of their eyes uncontrollably as they knelt in the same direction.
"It is the chi of our ancestors!"
"Please protect us, Ancestors!"
...
The face of the leader was no longer amicable. His eyes reddened as his chi soared.
"Barbarian Race, fight alongside our ancestors! Protect our race!"
Everyone roared and unleashed their chi.
The leader of the Barbarian Race looked at the three cosmic cloud state insectoids, especially the black one.
He then relayed, "Dazhuang, go and look for reinforcements. Ask the aid of the Human Race!"
That cosmic cloud state insectoid proved to be a formidable opponent. Even with the ancestral souls, they wouldn't be able to win against it.
Man Dazhuang nodded. "Understood!"
Man Dazhuang gritted his teeth and dashed over to the underground base in the Barbarian God Palace.
He needs to reach the Human Race quickly!
If it were before, the Barbarian Race had no hopes of surviving the annihilation. However, things were different this time.
Man Dazhuang witnessed first-hand how Lu Ze summoned a powerful beast that instantly eliminated a formidable insectoid that was even superior to the ones attacking their race.
If he were to successfully notify the Human Race, their race would surely be saved!
...
Planet Jinyao
Elder Nangong criticized Lu Ze and his girls. For an hour, he had been lecturing them.
'Why did he have to visit this place? If he would only get reproached, going back to cultivation was much better.'
Now, without a doubt, his girls would also blame this incident and vent their annoyance on him.
'How come he is the only one who always gets hurt?'
'This is too unfair!'
Out of nowhere, a wormhole appeared in front of the wooden shack. Elder Lin came out of the hole with unconcealed desperation written all over his face.
After seeing Elder Nangong together with Lu Ze's group, he became dumbfounded.
'What just happened?'
'Why are these kids being scolded?'
After hearing Elder Nangong mention the rise of the Human Race, Elder Lin became puzzled.
He was about to question it, but he quickly realized what he came for.
Now wasn't the right time to dawdle!
He said seriously, "Nangong, there is trouble!"
When Elder Nangong first noticed Elder Lin's arrival, he didn't mind it. The latter had enough free time since he monitored the void border with Saint Shenwu. Given their current power, it was unlikely for a problem to arise at the border.
At first, Elder Nangong thought Elder Lin only wanted to stroll somewhere and have a drink with him. Hence, he didn't stop his lecture session.
Actually, he even wanted to drag Elder Lin into pressuring the kids.
However, he had to pause at this point. He could sense the urgency.
Lu Ze and his group revealed a grateful smile to Elder Lin. It appeared as though they had recovered their vitality.
All of their eyes fell upon Elder Lin. They were shocked by the seriousness of his expression.
Elder Nangong frowned. "Old Lin, what happened?"
He quickly racked his brains and quickly asked, "Did those little guys run into trouble in the void space?"
In his mind, it was the only possibility that could make Elder Lin distressed.
Elder Lin shook his head. "It concerns the Barbarian Race."
"Barbarian Race?" Elder Nangong and Lu Ze's group didn't expect this answer.
They were considered an indomitable race among cosmic system state civilizations.
'What could threaten them?'
Elder Lin explained, "An insectoid tide just appeared there. Three cosmic cloud state insectoids led the horde of insectoids. One of them is almost as strong as the one we encountered at the blade demon territory."
"What?!" Elder Nangong exclaimed.
"Such a powerful insectoid invaded the Barbarian Race?"
The cosmic cloud state insectoid they saw last time was a level-3 cosmic cloud state, but it possessed a level-5 cosmic cloud state combat power.
Without Lu Ze's summoning crystal, it would have been much tougher to deal with the disaster.
Elder Lin nodded. "They are down to their last resort. By the looks of it, they won't last any longer. I have already taken a few minutes to travel from Shenwu. We have to add the time in transmitting the distress call. Their situation should be dire right now."
Elder Nangong furrowed his brows. "Is it exceptionally serious?"
Elder Lin answered, "They are on the brink of annihilation."
Elder Nangong's eyes narrowed. It was more critical than they had expected.
The Barbarian Race had been their ally, especially when the Human Race was still budding and weak. If they chose to ignore the humans back then, then the current generation would end up in a tougher predicament.
He looked at Ying Ying and took a deep breath. "It is our duty to help the Barbarian Race."
Elder Lin agreed with a nod. "I thought so too. We shouldn't be ungrateful."
On the side, the eyes of Lu Ze and his girls recovered their luster.
'What a perfect opportunity to escape!'
He broke out in a grin. "Elders, why don't we bring Ying Ying along and go over right away?"
Elder Nangong agreed. "Alright, in that case, you guys should leave now."
Elder Lin took out two silver runes. They bought them from the trade planet last time.
They were transport runes. It was meant to be used in a grave situation like now.
'If one of the races in our alliance is in danger, we have to send reinforcements immediately.'
"Remember, one will take you to the Barbarian Race. The other one can help you return."
Lu Ze took them and nodded. "I understand."
He even considered remaining at the Barbarian Race for a few days in order to make the old man forget about what happened today.
They exchanged glances. A tacit agreement had been formed quickly.
Lu Ze patted Ying Ying's little head.
Ying Ying questioned, "What's wrong, Lu Ze?"
Lu Ze curled up the corners of his mouth. "Let's go. We will treat you to a delicious meal."
Ying Ying's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Lu Ze replied, "Of course... Ouch!"
Nangong Jing punched Lu Ze's head. Even his other girls sent a death stare at him.
'This bastard is tricking Ying Ying into eating an insectoid!'
'Aren't there better things to eat?'
It is basically all his fault why Ying Ying cannot distinguish what should be eaten.
'She now eats everything!'
Lue Xi retreated.
'Ying Ying and the sisters had to leave, right?'
'Did that mean she has to stay with the saint by herself?!'
'She wants to go home right at this very moment!'
Qiuyue Hesha rubbed Lue Xi's head. "Xiao Xi, just stay here and play."
Elder Nangong assured her with a smile. "Xiao Xi, this place is really fun. I taught Jing Jing everything when she was young. Look at how good she has grown up."
Lu Ze: "..."
In the next moment, Lu Ze crushed a rune.
Silver light wrapped around them, making them disappear instantly.
...
Barbarian God Planet.
The leader of the race asked, "Why would an insectoid with a level like yours intrude here?"
The black cosmic cloud state insectoid said, "Your Barbarian Race has more resources than we imagined. Sure enough, your race is truly a cosmic cloud state race in the past."
The leader was going to retort, but the black cosmic cloud state insectoid shrieked.
"Kill all living things! Take the resources back to our master!"
The leader's expression changed, and he roared.
"Barbarian Race! Fight to the death!"
Hopefully, the Human Race could arrive sooner!
The black cosmic cloud state insectoid led the charge towards the Barbarian Race.
The five ancestral souls roared as the bronze light around them flared up like the sun. Their chi grew even stronger.
Looking from afar, the five souls seemed to be burning.
Seeing this, the eyes of the Barbarian Race's leader reddened. He gritted his teeth and roared. "Kill!"
His bulky figure glowed with bronze runes. His black hair instantly turned pale. Simultaneously, his chi suddenly shot up again.
A bronze figure appeared behind him and also roared. Eventually, the figure fused with his body. He stepped foot in space and cause some fractures. His figure disappeared then and there.
The cosmic cloud state combat power couldn't be detected on the spot anymore. At the same time, a battle erupted in a faraway place.
The universe was quaking. The resulting shockwave pulverized most of the nearby planets.
The cosmic system states of the Barbarian Race also clashed with the cosmic system states of the Insectoid Race.
Their battles also created terrifying storms.
With the Barbarian God Planet as the center, the surrounding thousands of light-years became a chaotic battlefield. The cosmos continued to quiver as countless planets were destroyed.
Various spirit lights crowded the galaxy.
Deafening sounds consisting of roars and shrieks echoed everywhere.
From time to time, either an insectoid was torn to pieces, or someone from the Barbarian Race was slain.
An ocean of blood drowned the entire region.
"Yong!"
Man Yong, a cosmic system state, was being attacked by two cosmic system state insectoids. His body was pierced through by sharp insectoid limbs. Blood instantly poured out from his wound.
The cosmic system state barbarian on the side witnessed the exchange and roared. His left hand released blood mist as he clenched his right hand and attacked the insectoids that were about to cut off Man Yong's head.
'Rumble!'
The insectoid fell back. Still, he didn't stop in his tracks and swung his leg through the insectoid.
Man Yong took out a green rune and crushed it. A green light encompassed his wound. He looked at the broken arm of the barbarian earlier. His pale face snarled. "Kill!"
He didn't rest at all. His bulky body withered as a puddle of blood formed around him.
The two kept attacking the other insectoids.
Man Kun, Man Xiu, and the other prodigies of the Barbarian Race were also defending against the insectoid tide.
The wave of insectoids consisted of planetary state insectoids.
"Defend until death! We must not let these insectoids breach our sacred ancestral planet!" Man Kun roared.
Tens of thousands of planetary state prodigies of the Barbarian Race burned their spirit force.
'Rumble!'
'Rumble!'
'Rumble!'
The two sides clashed, and the resulting explosion rang through the entire planet.
The powerful shockwave caused the entire place to shake. The scene was akin to doomsday.
The sky was permanently dyed red as countless bodies rained down. The intensity was overwhelming because of the sheer number of corpses.
Even though the exchange of blows was short, hundred of bodies already descended from the sky, further tainting the ground red.
Man Kun's face grew hideous. Complicated runes glowed on his skin as he held his giant sword. With every cut, sharp sword rays hacked swarms of insectoids.
Even so, the sea of insectoids was endlessly sweeping past them without any decrease in number.
Man Xiu, who was next to Man Kun, killed the other insectoids he could.
The other prodigies near them formed a barrier in order to stop the planetary state insectoids from gaining access to the planet.
Some barbarians were stronger than Man Kun. They were nearing the star state. However, the others were merely mortal evolution states.
Despite the disadvantage, they didn't show signs of wanting to retreat.
As time went on, the faces of the Barbarian Race's prodigies lost their color. Their attacks were greatly weakened, but more and more insectoids were still inching closer.
Man Xiu's eyes flashed with despair. "Kun, we won't be able to stop this soon!"
The veins on Man Kun's hands popped as he slashed a row of insectoids. He roared, "We have to try! We must hold on until Ze arrives!"
The other barbarians roared. "Kun, are you sure the Human Race will lend their hand? There are three cosmic cloud state insectoids here. Even our ancestral souls are no match for them."
They could clearly sense the feeble chi of the ancestral souls and the leader of the race. Unfortunately, the chi of the three leading insectoids remained unaffected.
The disparity in strength was substantial.
'Would the Human Race really risk their lives to help them?'
Man Kun shouted, "They definitely will! Hold on! They will surely come!"
The prodigies squeezed out the remaining bit of their power once more. Right now, they had no other option but to wait for reinforcements from the Human Race.
At this juncture, in the depths of the insectoid tide, a silver light flashed. Once it vanished, Lu Ze and his girls emerged.
"Hiss!"
The nearby planetary state insectoids were taken aback, but they still charged at the group.
Before Lu Ze and his team could even look around, they felt countless violent chi directed at them.
Qiuyue Hesha furrowed her brows. A pink light flashed and the surrounding planetary states were immobilized. Like a virus, each and every insectoid in the entire planet was paralyzed. All of them shrieked.
On the other hand, the faces of the prodigies from the Barbarian Race worsened.
It appeared as though the insectoids were launching their ultimate attack. All at once, the chi of the Insectoid Race turned chaotic. Their bodies even dropped down like flies and formed myriad layers around the planet.
This scene stunned the prodigies of the Barbarian Race. Their gazes shifted between the insectoids on the ground and the once infested clear skies.
Only those who had been to the blade demon territory had smiles on their faces.
Man Kun announced, "They are here! The Human Race is here! Our reinforcements are here! Lu Ze and the girls are here!"
The rest of the prodigies had heard enough of Lu Ze and his girls. All the cosmic system states who participated in dealing with the Blade Demon Race constantly mentioned them.
The young cosmic cloud state prodigies were naturally curious.
But when they saw them personally, they had a more concrete understanding.
In an instant, that doomsday-like disaster had faded into nothingness.
They were truly and incredibly formidable.
Lu Ze frowned. "This situation is quite serious. Let's go and help."
A star state from the Barbarian Race was being ganged up on by the insectoids.
The battle had only begun for a few minutes, but numerous barbarians had lost their lives. Several more were injured
"Damned insectoids!"
"Bastards!"
"Die!"
The remaining barbarians roared with reddened eyes.
A star state is usually a few hundred years old in terms of age. Even in a very powerful race like the Barbarian Race, the number of star states is scarce.
Throughout the years, most of them were acquainted with each other. They were either friends or closely related by blood.
It broke their heart to watch their comrades die in battle.
Just as when the situation reached the point of hopelessness, a deep black demonic chi suddenly encompassed the insectoids.
Demonic flames swallowed the star state insectoids inside its core.
"Hiss!"
A tortured howl reverberated through the area, but in just a brief instant, it stopped.
The demonic flames disappeared along with tens of thousands of insectoids.
The barbarians who witnessed the gruesome annihilation were taken aback.
'Did all of those insectoids just die?'
As Lu Ze perused the surroundings, he realized how grave the casualty was. Everyone was riddled with wounds or knocking at death's door.
Seeing it, he said, "Li, Alice, go and treat them. We'll help the others."
Lu Li obeyed.
Alice glanced across the battlefield and felt sympathetic. She gave Ze a nod. "Don't worry, Senior, leave this to us."
The two girls approached the battlefield and flashed with green light, which then began to surround the whole region.
All the barbarians immediately began to recover while those who were nearly dead were able to stabilize their condition and heal completely.
Following such, Lu Ze, Nangong Jing, Qiuyue Hesha, and Lin Ling went to the cosmic system state battlefield.
There were a few hundred cosmic system states on each side. The insectoids had more, but they couldn't still gain an overwhelming advantage.
Unfortunately, a few of the cosmic system state barbarians met their untimely death. Those who were still standing sustained grave injuries.
Lu Ze frowned and opened his hand. Then, he clenched it tightly. Accordingly, a ball of sand surged in space and went to wrap around the cosmic system state insectoids.
Having achieved perfect mastery of Sand One Divine Art with his current cultivation level, Lu Ze's attack was inherently powerful. His strength was unparalleled.
Almost in an instant, the sand ball shrunk in size until it was only 1 meter.
Lu Ze opened his palm. In coordination, the sand ball also vanished. A ball-shaped pile consisting of cosmic system state carcasses remained in its place.
The cosmic system states of the Barbarian Race: "..."
They were shaken to their core.
The battlefield suddenly became quiet. Everyone gasped.
At this point, another deafening sound interrupted the peace.
The figures of Lu Ze and the girls were finally revealed.
Those cosmic system states who grew closer to the Human Race during the conquest of the Blade Demon Race approached immediately.
Man Yi looked desperately at Lu Ze. "Ze, please help our leader and ancestral souls. They can't last long!"
"Ze, please help them..."
Lu Ze saw a lot of familiar faces. Man Yong, who boarded the same ship last time, was present. He was covered with wounds and on the verge of withering.
Even so, he didn't mind the pain. He dashed over just to plead his worries to Lu Ze.
Lu Ze said, "Don't worry, Elders, we'll head there now. You guys should recover first. Lin Ling, treat them."
Lin Ling followed his instructions.
Hearing that Lu Ze agreed, some barbarians fainted on the spot. The remaining ones looked at Lu Ze gratefully.
Lu Ze then left with Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha. Meanwhile, Lin Ling assured the rest with a smile. "Don't worry, Ze will save your leader and ancestral soul. Get yourselves treated first."
She glanced at the unconscious Man Yong as she inserted a green light from her hand into the latter.
Immediately, his life force stabilized while his injuries recovered rapidly.
In a short moment, Man Yong's life force had returned to its previous state.
The barbarians gasped.
This ability was so terrifying.
Man Yong was a high-level cosmic system state. He was on the brink of death moments ago.
'How come the human girl can easily revive him without much difficulty?'
It was an unimaginable power.
'Is she perhaps a cosmic cloud state as well?'
...
In the distant space considerably far away from the Barbarian God Planet, sounds of battles echoed incessantly.
Nothing had changed regarding the three cosmic cloud state insectoids. However, the five ancestral souls were already forced to burn their own souls to raise their combat power.
Despite their efforts, they could only barely stop the cosmic cloud state insectoids.
After a clash, the two sides parted their ways.
The five souls' light dimmed down.
The leader of the Barbarian Race was riddled with wounds.
Meanwhile, the three insectoids were still perfectly fine.
The black cosmic cloud state sneered. "You burned your souls just to increase your combat power abruptly. After this battle, all your ancestral souls will disintegrate. Actually... it doesn't matter. Even if you choose not to burn it, we will still rip it apart."
The insectoids never left anyone alive. They didn't even spare the souls.
"It seems you guys are at your limit. Let's not waste time then."
Just when it was about to attack, it suddenly turned around.
"Hmm? Cosmic cloud states joined again? One, two, three... six?"
"Allies of the Barbarian Race?"
"But their chi is a bit weak. The strongest is probably a level-2 cosmic cloud state. They are incapable of hindering us."
The black insectoid agreed. "How dare they interfere with us? Let's find their race and annihilate it too."
Meanwhile, the leader of the Barbarian Race rejoiced.
'They were finally here!'
Although Lu Ze's power appeared insufficient, he knew everything would be taken care of because of the former's formidable super master.
They had nothing to worry about now.
Luckily, he agreed to become allies with the Human Race. Otherwise, the Barbarian Race would probably end up becoming a wandering race this time.
The leader of the Barbarian Race gave himself a like.
At this moment, some movement in space occurred. Lu Ze, Nangong Jing, and Qiuyue Hesha appeared thereafter.
As soon as they did, the three cosmic cloud state insectoids, the leader of the Barbarian Race, and five ancestral souls looked over.
The black insectoids said coldly, "No matter what species you belong to, you have successfully secured the annihilation of your race!"
High-level insectoids didn't care about the death of low-level insectoids.
They were merely tools for high-level insectoids to discard.
The insectoids were just infuriated by the audacity of Lu Ze and his group to interfere with their plans.
This shouldn't be tolerated.
Lu Ze looked at the three insectoids and raised a brow.
They appeared so ferocious.
He said telepathically, "Ying Ying?"
Ying Ying's clear voice entered his head. "What's wrong?"
"Look at these three insectoids, don't they look appetizing?"
...
Ying Ying responded with a disgusted tone, "No, they don't look appetizing."
Lu Ze: "?"
'Is he still talking to the real Ying Ying?'
'Did she just refuse to eat?'
The insectoids saw Lu Ze gasp in shock and sneered. "Did you just recognize fear now? Too late though! Your race will be obliterated!"
Lu Ze ignored the insectoids and focused his attention on communicating telepathically.
"Just kill them then."
Ying Ying said, "Oh."
In the next second, the three cosmic cloud states suddenly vanished in thin air like they never existed.
Barbarian Race Leader: "?"
'What happened?'
'Where did they go?'
He couldn't feel their chi anymore. Not even a trace was left.
Even Lu Ze and girls were dazed. They couldn't also tell how it occurred.
Lu Ze was at a loss for words.
'Sure enough, she was Boss Ying Ying!'
'She was unmatched!'
'Mhm... best to let her eat more.'
'I'm a mature adult now. I won't fight over food with little kids.'
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
At this juncture, the five ancestral souls experienced fluctuations. Their lights dimmed, finally revealing their appearance.
There were five 20-meter tall figures.
Their faces appeared relieved. Their souls grew more ethereal. They were the farthest thing from reality.
The eyes of the leader of the race reddened.
His wrinkled face quivered as he said, "Ancestors... you guys..."
He, wanting to grab the souls, reached out his hand, but the five ancestors simply nodded at him and looked at Lu Ze's group. They smiled.
Then, the five figures disintegrated and fused with the universe.
Lu Ze and the girls had complicated emotions.
Meanwhile, the leader's hand was hanging mid-air as his face was filled with disbelief.
Tears soon trickled down his face.
He opened his mouth. "Ancestors... no... no..."
Ever since the Barbarian Race had declined, the ancestors protected them for a long time.
But now, all of them have vanished.
Lu Ze sighed. If only it were possible, he could have helped them preserve the ancestral souls.
Unfortunately, the souls had already exhausted the last fragment of their power. He didn't have the ability to properly safeguard their souls.
Lu Ze was torn to watch the leader of the Barbarian Race cry like a young boy.
Although it was his first time to meet the leader, the latter showed his vulnerable side. He seemed so helpless right now.
One could tell how important the ancestral souls were to the Barbarian Race.
...
In the distance, there were battlefields consisting of cosmic system states, star states, and planetary states.
When the chis of the three cosmic cloud state insectoids disappeared, all the barbarians were taken aback.
"What is going on?"
"Are they killed?"
"That quickly?"
When they confirmed that the mountain-like chi was gone for the second time, they all rejoiced.
"They... really disappeared!"
"Hahaha, this is great!"
...
Everyone was celebrating. But in the next second, their smiles stiffened.
Their eyes carried disbelief as they reddened. Tears began to burst out.
The entire cosmos fell silent.
After some time, Man Yi, feeling numb, asked, "How... is this possible?"
He disappeared from the spot and charged towards the battlefield.
Right after, all the other cosmic system states dashed towards the cosmic cloud state battlefield.
Even the star states and planetary states rushed over like crazy despite knowing it was pointless.
...
Lu Ze and the girls didn't know what to say.
At this moment, several chis approached rapidly. This included Man Yi and peak cosmic system states.
They were followed by countless cosmic system states.
The crowd went to the leader of the race.
After seeing how pale and old he had become, everyone couldn't accept the reality before them.
"Race... Leader?"
'Is this truly their leader?'
Their leader looked up to meet their eyes.
When they noticed his overflowing tears, their hearts froze over.
Man Yi spoke with difficulty, "Race Leader, where are the ancestral souls..."
They, wanting to get an answer they liked, appeared hopeful.
However, the leader remained listless.
Seeing this, everyone's hearts sank.
They cried and roared.
"No!"
"No!"
...
When the heartbroken wails erupted, those other barbarians on their way froze on the spot.
Several cultivators cried.
"No! Ancestors!"
"Impossible!"
"Arghhh! I don't believe it!"
The grieving period went on for a long time until finally, their leader took a deep breath.
Then, his chi surged as his voice was transmitted to everyone.
"For a long time now, the ancestral souls have protected our race for 12,384 years. Today, the insectoids barged their way in and invaded us. Our ancestors used the last bit of their souls to preserve the lives of our race. With their sacrifice, we were given a chance to hang on and wait for the human reinforcements."
He closed his eyes. "After this battle, the ancestral souls have departed. The entire race grieves."
Within the range of a hundred thousand light-years, all the barbarians seemed to have lost their spirit.
'Did the ancestral souls disintegrate just like that?'
'What if their leader is only sleep-talking?'
They didn't have the courage to accept the truth.
Each planet of the Barbarian Race had its respective Barbarian God Palace. The statue of their ancestors resided in those establishments.
In their hearts, their ancestors stood as their guardian angels.
'But now, are they truly gone forever?'
They couldn't accept the reality.
The tormented voice of their leader was transmitted once again.
"The ancestral souls have passed over. The entire race grieves for them."
His voice struck a chord in everyone's hearts.
The crowd lost the colors on their faces.
'Is it real? Did the souls of their ancestors succumb to the afterlife?!'
...
Back in the battlefield, the cosmic system state, star state, and planetary state barbarians knelt in the direction of the ancestral souls.
Lu Ze and the girls felt shocked to witness the scene.
Countless barbarians were kneeling to pay their respects.
One could tell the significance of the souls to the Barbarian Race. They were on par with the importance of the 12 saints of the Human Race to humans. Perhaps they were revered much more than that.
After a long while, the leader of the race stood up. The rest followed suit.
The leader, forcing out a smile, approached Lu Ze and the girls.
He said genuinely, "Aren't you Lu Ze? You are the person the others have been talking about? Thank you for saving our race. We would love to express our gratitude, but the souls of our ancestors have just passed over. Right now, we won't be able to hold a feast for you."
Lu Ze gave the leader a nod. "Don't mention it. Dealing with the passing of your ancestors takes precedence. The Barbarian Race has also aided the Human Race in the past. Hence, you don't need to mind such formalities."
The leader of the Barbarian Race could finally breathe with ease. "Thank you for understanding."
The leader had to offer at least that much because Lu Ze was an important figure. He couldn't offend an omnipotent cultivator.
Back then, the barbarians couldn't even tell how the three cosmic cloud state insectoids were eliminated.
Lu Ze's mysterious master also gave them a fright. They should avoid displeasing such a being if possible.
Thereafter, the leader of the Barbarian Race led Lu Ze and the girls away from the battlefield and escorted them back to the ancestral planet.
After expressing their sincere apologies, all the barbarians proceeded to the Barbarian God Palace.
The leader allowed Man Yong, Man Kun, Man Xiu, and some of the others to accompany Lu Ze.
...
In the warp dimension near the Barbarian Race, a milky-white crystal ship was flying rapidly.
Yi Lei, Fred, and two beings from the Golden Spear Race were aboard.
One platinum-haired woman, who had a curvaceous figure and lustrous metallic skin, said, "We are about to reach our destination. Cager, this is your first mission. Get used to it. There are only three cosmic cloud state insectoids there. They are not invincible. Fred and I will attack. You can watch with Yi Lei on the side."
A man with spiky and gold-colored hair nodded. "Alright, Big Sister Mirium."
In truth, he felt a bit nervous. He recently raised his cultivation level to the cosmic cloud state. This would be his first time doing a mission issued by the Crisp Green Blade.
Yi Lei patted him on the shoulder. "Relax, Cager. The missions assigned by the Crisp Green Blade this time are not difficult to accomplish. I have already completed one."
Cager asked, "By the way Fred, didn't your own race post a mission? Both of you claimed the mission. How come you didn't finish it?"
Fred and Yi Lei didn't expect the question. They soon recalled the human cultivator and the mortifying cosmic cloud state pet he owned back at the border of the Blade Demon Race. Their hairs stood on ends.
The prodigy left a lasting and deep impression on the two.
Fred looked at Mirium. "It is not important. Someone else completed it first."
Mirium looked at Fred in surprise. Upon seeing that Fred wasn't interested in continuing the conversation, she didn't push him.
The atmosphere fell silent. Even the talkative Yi Lei kept his mouth shut.
Yi Lei sent a telepathic message. "Brother Fred, five months have passed. Still, the prodigy from the Human Race didn't look for us. Does he really not care about those mission points?"
Fred surmised, "That might be a possibility. He is definitely not simple. The talent of his pet has far surpassed even the Elf Princess. A prodigy like him doesn't lack anything. He probably doesn't have any need for mission points."
Yi Lei remarked, "Brother Fred, I have thought of something bold..."
Fred interrupted him. "No, don't even think about it! Even if that human prodigy didn't take the mission rewards, we can't steal it!"
'What will happen if that prodigy decided to visit the Crystal Race one day?'
'How will you explain yourself then?'
The mission rewards might be enticing, but there was no need to offend someone like Lu Ze over it.
Yi Lei laughed it off. It was merely a suggestion. He found it a pity to waste the rewards. However, after thinking about it more, he soon gave up the idea.
At this juncture, Fred suddenly announced, "We are here."
Everyone looked outside the window, only to be greeted by the tranquil space. Cager asked, "Big Sister Mirium, did we land at the wrong location?"
Mirium frowned. "This should be right. An intense battle took place here recently."
Fred said, "One, two, three... Fifteen cosmic cloud states? Why can I detect several chis here?"
This didn't match the information they received.
"Fifteen? I thought there are only three cosmic cloud state insectoids to deal with?"
Fred and Mirium looked at each other and then looked in the direction of the massive bronze planet—Barbarian God Planet.
Fred questioned, "This should be the territory of the Barbarian Race, right? They used to be a cosmic cloud state civilization in the past. We should try asking."
Mirium nodded.
...
On the planet, Man Yong and his companions led Lu Ze and his girls around the planet.
There could have been breathtaking sites all around. However, the corpses of the insectoids ruined the scenery. Now, there wasn't anything to look at.
Even if a lot of barbarians were cleaning up the mess, it would still take them a while to restore the charm of the place.
Lu Ze and his group were a bit embarrassed to still be escorted around despite the predicament of the barbarians. They just lost their ancestors permanently.
'Should he try sending them back to the Barbarian God Palace then?'
They seemed really keen to go. However, something alarmed Lu Ze. He looked up in the air and furrowed his brows.
"Someone is coming."
Nangong Jing asked, "How come two of the chis are quite familiar?"
Lu Ze remarked, "Oh, perhaps you are right."
Lin Ling said, "Shouldn't they belong to the two cultivators from the Crystal Race we encountered in the territory of the Blade Demon Race?"
Lu Li chimed in, "Those two cultivators from the Crystal Race? Why are they here?"
"Could it be...?"
During their previous encounter, those two cultivators chased after the insectoids and ended up in the blade demon territory.
'Did they come here for the same reason this time?'
Lu Ze then remarked, "This universe is really a small place..."
The crystal ship soon made its way into the Barbarian God Planet.
At this moment, two cosmic system state barbarians stopped in front of the ship. They looked imposing as they wore cold expressions.
One of the barbarians probed, "Who are you?"
The Barbarian Race had turned vigilant at this time. It was a necessity since the leader of the race and the rest of the cultivators were currently paying their respects to the ancestral souls. The sacred period couldn't be interrupted.
The occupants of the ship frowned. Since time immemorial, they were revered as the top-notch prodigies of a prominent cosmic cloud state civilization. Hence, no cosmic system state civilization had treated them like this. It greatly irked them.
When Fred scanned the place outside the window, he saw the dense cluster of corpses. He was taken aback.
"Look at the surface of the planet."
Cager said, "As expected, the insectoid tide plagued this planet."
Mirium frowned. "This shouldn't be right. Those three cosmic cloud state insectoids might not stand a chance against us, but that shouldn't be the case for the Barbarian Race. How could they defeat them?!"
Fred agreed with a nod. "Let's ask them."
...
Outside the ship, four figures appeared.
The barbarians felt stunned by their arrival. "As it turned out, the masters of the Crystal Race and the Golden Spear Race have graced us. I apologize for the rudeness."
The Golden Spear Race and the Crystal Race were deemed the strongest cosmic cloud state races in the whole Elf Cosmic Realm. Even before the decline of the Barbarian Race, they still couldn't compare with the two races.
Since they were rather easy-going, the barbarians didn't need to needlessly worry.
One of the barbarians said, "Our leader is worshipping the souls of our ancestors. He is unable to greet you. Please forgive us."
"Souls of your ancestors?"
Mirium raised a brow. "Are you referring to the souls of your ancestors from ten thousand years ago?"
Mirium also heard about them before.
The barbarian confirmed. "Yes, Master from the Golden Spear Race."
Yi Lei communicated telepathically. "Did something happen to the soul of their ancestors?"
Mirium replied, "Is it because of the insectoid tide? Let's confirm it."
Cager smiled and waved his hand. "No need to be formal. We were led here due to an emergency. I want to ask a few questions."
One of the barbarians asked, "Masters, are you going to inquire about the insectoid tide?"
Yi Lei said, "It must be true then. Your race recently faced an insectoid tide. Then, forgive my straightforwardness, I don't think your race can subjugate those cosmic cloud state insectoids..."
Before he could finish, his face suddenly turned to the side where a few figures made themselves known.
It was Lu Ze and his girls!
Yi Lei and Fred were taken back.
Yi Lei exclaimed, "It is you?!"
As fate would have it, the human prodigy was here.
Fred smiled. "It turned out to be Brother Lu Ze. I have been wondering how the cosmic cloud state insectoids are eradicated swiftly. I now know the answer after seeing you."
Mirium: "?"
Cager: "?"
The other two were confused. Yi Lei often overreacted, so they didn't find his response reliable. But for Fred to actually smile...
Mirium knew Fred was a prideful cultivator. 'How could he be smiling right now?'
She began to doubt whether she was actually awake. When she turned to observe Lu Ze, she discovered he was merely a level-8 cosmic system state human.
'What is special about him then?'
'Why would Fred and Yi Lei behave oddly?'
Lu Ze grinned. "It turned out to be Brother Fred and Brother Yi Lei. What a coincidence that we meet again!"
Fred pointed out, "You are the one who helped the Barbarian Race to deal with the insectoid tide, aren't you, Brother Lu Ze? I have a feeling you have closer ties to the Barbarian Race. Do you?"
During their encounter at the blade demon territory, a few barbarians were also present.
Lu Ze curled the corners of his lips and nodded, "Yes, the Human Race has established an alliance with the Barbarian Race a few thousand years ago. They have taken care of us in the past."
Man Yong and his fellow barbarians looked at Lu Ze gratefully. They also witnessed the events in the blade demon territory. Naturally, they recognize the two cultivators from the Crystal Race back then.
Lu Ze's remark was enough to urge the Crystal Race to value the Barbarian Race more. As expected, both Yi Lei and Fred spared another glance at the latter. Even Mirium and Cager did so too.
Fred smiled. "Ah, that should explain it. It is not a surprise you would lend a hand. The Barbarian Race has a deep foundation. Ten thousand years ago, they used to be a cosmic cloud state civilization. Speaking of which, there seems to be a connection between us too."
Man Kun and the others: "..."
'What connection?!'
If they were truly connected, then how come they hadn't set foot on the Barbarian Race Planet for so many years?
Lu Ze then said, "Did you come here to complete a mission? I accidentally eliminated your mission target again."
Mirium's and Cager's eyes narrowed.
'Again?'
'Did this level-8 cosmic system state human poach Fred's mission before?'
It gradually dawned on them that the human before them did finish Fred's previous mission in the blade demon territory.
'How is it possible?!'
'But he is merely a level-8 cosmic system state though?'
'Where did he get the skill to steal a mission from a level-3 cosmic cloud state like Fred?'
'What universal joke is this?!'
More shocking than the previous points were the warm treatment of Fred and Yi Lei. They humbled themselves before a human?!
Cager looked strangely at Yi Lei and Fred.
'Are they bewitched or something?'
Yi Lei waved his hand to dismiss it and smiled. "What are you talking about, Brother Lu Ze? We're just too slow this time."
Fred followed up with a nod. "Don't mind such trivial things. It has been five months since... Oh shit?! Level-8 cosmic system state!"
Earlier, Fred was so shocked to see Lu Ze again that he failed to sense Lu Ze's current cultivation level.
Yi Lei: "!"
'How long has it been?!'
'Only five months, right?'
When they met Lu Ze before, he was just a level-2 cosmic system state. In these five months, did he just become a level-8 cosmic system state already?!
But that would imply that he advanced more than one level a month?!
'What kind of monster did they meet?!'
Mirium and Cager were stunned for different reasons. They were familiar with the nonchalant and proud Fred.
'Why is suddenly swearing now? Where did the Fred they know go?'
'What is so shocking about a mere level-8 cosmic system state? It doesn't make sense.'
Mirium communicated telepathically. "Cager, stay vigilant. There might be something strange here. Perhaps a powerful being is lurking."
'Did something happen to Fred and Yi Lei without them knowing?'
Cager nodded seriously. "There is clearly a problem here."
Lu Ze smiled. "Is there a problem?"
During this time, his cultivation rate simply increased twofold after mooching off the grand battle in the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
But to outsiders, the incredibly faster rate was absurd.
Fred and Yi Lei shook their heads stiffly.
Fred responded awkwardly, "No, there is nothing."
This human bypassed five levels within the cosmic system state in just five months. He even owned a terrifying pet.
Fred has now become certain of his hunch. Surely, a supreme being is supporting Lu Ze. Perhaps this expert recognized something special in the latter.
Lu Ze might be extraordinarily talented. There was no other logical explanation for his abrupt progress. Even an endless supply of cultivation resources wouldn't cut it.
Regardless, it was a private matter they shouldn't pry into.
Lu Ze was purely a prodigy that belonged to the universal level. Even the Elf Princess couldn't compare with the peerless human.
Mirium smiled. "Fred, who are they? Why don't you introduce them to us?"
Fred returned the smile. "This is a prodigy from the Human Race, Lu Ze. His talent is unparalleled. When I met him five months ago, he was just a level-2 cosmic system state."
Fred didn't intend to hide anything from his close acquaintances.
In the near future, Lu Ze's exceptional talent and unmatched power will be known by the entire Elf Cosmic Realm. Every race will be able to recognize his alarming aptitude.
"?"
'Skipping five levels within a prominent state in just five months...'
'This refers to the cosmic system state though...'
Immediately, the other two cultivators looked at Lu Ze in a different light.
This could explain Fred's unusual attitude upon learning the human had become a level-8 cosmic system state.
'So that turned out to be the reason!'
'How could someone possess an unrivaled talent?'
Wait a minute, something else wasn't right...
'Why can the Human Race produce a god-like prodigy? Who else is supporting Lu Ze?'
'What else could explain the leap in his progress? Is it really just the unlimited supply of resources and his inherent talent?'
Mirium and Cager immediately made conjectures that caused their skins to crawl.
Mirium telepathically said, "Fred, who is backing up this human?"
Fred answered, "I don't know either. I am not naive enough to question him. When I encountered him before, he owned a level-1 cosmic cloud state pet with a level-6 or level-7 combat power. His pet knows Space God Art."
Mirium: "..."
'Oh my! Did they meet a maniac?'
"Is he... a prince from an eminent empire or a well-connected organization then?"
'What is his actual family background?'
Fred was puzzled. "I don't know anything. It is plausible though."
After a period of silence, Mirium smiled at Lu Ze. "I didn't expect Brother Lu Ze to be a divine prodigy. Please excuse my rudeness. I am Mirium, a prodigy from the Golden Spear Race. This is a younger fellow from my race, Cager."
Lu Ze amicably returned the greeting. "Hello."
The features of the Golden Spear Race were closer to the Human Race. Aesthetically speaking from the perspective of a human, Mirium was a rare, breathtaking goddess of beauty.
Except for the metallic lustrous skin, she could even pass off as a human.
Nangong Jing and the rest of Lu Ze's girls instantly narrowed their eyes. Even if they belonged to distinct races, others might confuse their origins if it weren't for the difference in skin color. The girls couldn't stand Lu Ze glancing at Mirium.
When Lu Ze sensed the animosity, he quickly introduced, "These are my lovers..."
This time, his girls revealed a triumphant smirk.
Fred then said, "It is only right for Brother Lu Ze to claim the reward points for the two missions. There should be a lot. Aren't you going to collect them?"
Only then did Lu Ze realize that he practically accomplished two missions already.
'Should he take a look then?'
He thought about it and asked the girls telepathically. "What do you girls think? Should we go?"
Qiuyue Hesha replied, "I think we should. The Elf Race will surely offer valuable items."
Nangong Jing agreed. "We really should. If we return now, the old man is going to pester us again."
All of them instinctively stiffened. This was a crucial matter.
Lu Ze nodded.
"Alright, let's have a look," Lu Ze replied to Fred.
The eyes of the four prodigies lit up. It was in their best interest to form a connection with Lu Ze as early as possible.
Yi Lei said, "In that case, let's go together, Brother Lu Ze. We have to finish missions right now too."
Lu Ze gave the other party a nod. They didn't know their way through the Elf Cosmic Realm. It would be much easier to navigate the place with the help of these two cosmic cloud state prodigies.
He looked at Man Kun and his companions. He then asked, "Will you be able to wait a while until things are settled here?"
Lu Ze was a bit reluctant to leave since he wanted to watch over the Barbarian Race in the meantime. After all, he had to honor the alliance, and Man Kun was personally his friend.
After hearing the response of the other party, Fred and his group hesitated. They, however, gave a nod in the end.
Mirium said, "In that case, we'll wait with Brother Lu Ze."
They were pressed for time. Even so, the rewards tied with completing a mission from the Crisp Green Blade weren't important as building a good relationship with Lu Ze.
Man Kun and the rest were dumbfounded. They didn't expect that top-tier prodigies were willing to waste their time for Lu Ze.
'Didn't this mean that Lu Ze's talent was unsurpassable?'
Simultaneously, they felt thrilled by the developments.
After all, their races had close relations. For convenience sake, you might as well count Lu Ze as a barbarian.
Man Yong quickly offered, "Then, I'll arrange a place to stay for you."
...
The leader of the Barbarian Race and the elders took a day to pay respect to the souls of their ancestors. Thereafter, they also planned to hold a banquet to welcome the prodigies.
Fred and the rest expressed their desire to form tactical cooperation with the allies of the Human Race. They would suggest the idea to the heads of the Crystal Race and the Golden Spear Race once they return.
It was the wisest plan for them.
The Barbarian Race was much more elated by the prospect. They just lost their strongest trump card with the passing of the ancestral souls. It would be best if they could work with the Crystal Race and the Golden Spear Race. This bridge was only made possible by Lu Ze.
As a result, the high-level officials of the Barbarian Race both respected and felt grateful towards Lu Ze.
On the other hand, Lu Ze was quite embarrassed.
Life still had to go forward amidst the pain.
During the third day, Lu Ze and his girls finally boarded the New Dawn and left the planet with Fred and his team.
A day later, back in the center of the East Region, a fluctuation in space occurred.
From it, the New Dawn and the ship of the Crystal Race emerged.
Lu Ze and his girls just finished their breakfast. Currently, they were resting on the couch.
Lu Ze curled up the corners of his lips. "We are back on the trade planet again."
It feels as though they had visited the place a long time ago.
They once encountered the Purple Scale Race in this area. Lu Ze began to wonder whether they were annihilated by the insectoids.
Lu Ze missed them.
Lu Li said, "This cosmic system state ship earned its name accurately. It took us very long to reach this place last time. With our current ship, we only needed a week to reach the place."
Nangong Jing and the other girls nodded.
Previously, it felt as though they went through ordeals just to reach the planet. But this time, they merely closed their eyes and cultivated for a bit. In the next second, they had already arrived.
Lin Ling said, "It never entered my mind that the Crisp Green Blade will establish a branch in the East Region. I thought we needed to visit the Elf Race."
The Crisp Green Blade founded departments across the four cardinal directions. The one constructed for the East Region was located at the trade planet.
Fred and his group had already agreed that they would report the completion of the mission first with Lu Ze.
Alice nodded. "I had the same thoughts. Originally, I wanted to visit the Elf Race as well."
Lu Ze cracked up a smile. "We still have the opportunity to do so in the future."
In their minds, as long as they had sufficient power, they could just directly visit the place.
Lu Ze himself was quite curious too.
...
Soon, the two ships docked at the space station of the trade planet.
There were much fewer ships than when they visited last time.
As soon as the ship of the Crystal Race stopped by, a lot of attention was drawn.
"That ship belongs to the... Crystal Race? That is a prodigy from the Cyrstal Race, right?"
"The passengers must be members of Crisp Green Blade. Perhaps they returned after finishing a mission."
"I'm really envious... You need to possess a cosmic cloud state combat power at the very least in order to join."
"There is no point in coveting the same thing. They are prodigies of the Crystal Race. Never in our life will we be able to match them."
"What about the ship following them closely? How come I can't recall seeing it in the past?"
"I don't know... Maybe cultivators of the Golden Spear Race are aboard?"
"Probably not. Think about it though. They should be at least a peak cosmic cloud state race before they can join the prodigies of the Crystal Race. Isn't that more reasonable?"
"They are coming out!"
The crowd watched the doors of the New Dawn intently.
After they saw Lu Ze and his girls alight, they felt confused.
"Which race did they come from?"
"I don't think I have seen them before. Maybe they are not a cosmic cloud state race?"
Everyone was taken aback. Those who lived in the East Region had a good understanding of all the cosmic cloud state races in the Elf Cosmic Realm.
Without such knowledge, they might inadvertently offend someone they couldn't handle.
"That group... Don't they belong to the Human Race?"
Everyone was shocked by the possibility of it.
"Human Race?"
As soon as someone realized which race they belonged to, the entire crowd was befuddled.
'Isn't it just a puny cosmic system state race that only entered the galactic era for 2000 years?!'
'Why would an inferior race follow a prodigy from the Crystal Race?'
'Did the group agree to become a lackey?'
Well, that was the only possible explanation for the association. Even though they perceived it incorrectly, some of the cultivators were envious.
Most likely, the humans following the prodigies of the Crystal Race should definitely be formidable.
At this moment, Fred and his team also stepped foot on the ground.
The audience gasped. "It's Fred and Mirium!"
"It's them! In the Elf Cosmic Realm, they can secure a place among the top 1000 cosmic cloud state prodigies."
"Hey, the other two prodigies should be Yi Lei and Cager. They secured a prodigy ranking as well. They recently became cosmic cloud states."
A restriction is imposed on the prodigy ranking. For a prodigy to be included in the ranking, he must have a cosmic cloud state cultivation. This requirement was insanely difficult.
For sure, they will be high-level cultivators of their own race.
To their surprise, Fred and his fellow prodigies smiled and dashed over to accompany Lu Ze and the girls.
Yi Lei pointed out, "Brother Lu Ze, I know I haven't seen you for just a week. But why does it feel like you have gotten even stronger?"
Lu Ze looked strangely at Yi Lei. He guessed it right.
Even if Lu Ze didn't complete a breakthrough, he still got stronger. Yi Lei shouldn't be able to tell. Can he though?
Is it really good to compliment him shamelessly like that?
Lu Ze felt he should be humble. "It's just negligible progress."
Cager grinned. "Brother Lu Ze's little progress wouldn't be considered little to us."
Lu Ze: "!"
He looked at Cager in disbelief. The guy had a glib tongue.
He didn't feel bored getting along with them.
In the end, Lu Ze waved his hand in dismissal. "You compliment me too much, Brother Cager."
"No, no, Brother Lu Ze is just too humble."
...
The atmosphere quickly turned awkward.
Nangong Jing and the girls rolled their eyes.
'How could they not know what Lu Ze is actually like?'
'Keep acting!'
Fred and Mirium even blushed.
'These guys must be idiots!'
The two top-tier prodigies couldn't take it anymore. They shouldn't let the foolish conversation go on longer.
Fred covered his intentions with a cough. "Brother Lu Ze, do you want to find a place to rest first? If not, do you want to visit the Crisp Green Blade Branch Department straight away?"
Lu Ze thought about it and smiled. "Let's go to the Crisp Green Blade first then."
He was interested in discovering the possible mission rewards.
Fred quickly nodded.
Mirium said, "We'll lead the way then. Brother Lu Ze, you may proceed with the registration and report the completion of those two missions."
She really didn't want to be under public scrutiny like this anymore.
Lu Ze didn't mind either.
The group soon left the space station.
...
Everyone gasped. "Hey, did you see that?"
"I saw it..."
"That Yi Lei and Cager treated a human like that...?!"
'That was outright embarrassing!'
"Promise me, don't be a sucker, okay?"
"More importantly, did you see Fred's and Mirium's attitudes? They are behaving weirdly."
The others nodded.
"Could it be... that's not a human? Is it a race that simply resembles the Human Race?"
"But didn't you hear it clearly? They were going to visit the Crisp Green Blade. Those questionable prodigies... Are they members too?"
"By the way, did you sense the cultivation level of those questionable prodigies?"
A small group of the crowd felt dazed.
'Aren't they only cosmic system states?!'
Lu Ze and the girls entered the city with Fred.
The streets were filled with shops and looked very prosperous.
Lu Ze and his group were quite surprised.
After all, the place just survived an insectoid tide.
'Are there still a lot of living beings on the trade planet?'
Mirium pointed out, "Brother Lu Ze looks very surprised."
Lu Ze smiled and nodded. "A bit."
She smiled and explained, "When the insectoid tide began, it was a bit chaotic, but after a long period of cleaning up, the internal regions had improved. You will only see traces of intense battles in the outer regions."
"Moreover, since some races aren't powerful enough, they are forced to buy some supplies that could protect what remains of their race."
Lu Ze could see the crowd gathering at equipment shops.
Most of the customers were star states. There were a few cosmic system states as well.
From observing, the equipment getting sold wasn't of high quality.
Still, the buyers went in desperately and came out excitedly.
They probably bought what they wanted.
At this moment, two 1-meter tall white-haired and bear-like patrons exited a shop. They wore dejected expressions.
One of them said, "It's over for us. We already gathered the resources of our entire race. Still, we failed to buy a high-level one-time-use item..."
The other one cried. "What do we do? What do we do? The leader of our race and the others can't hold on longer."
Fred said, "These weak races aren't likely to survive during the onslaught of an insectoid tide."
In the next moment, Fred nodded. "During this period, countless races are destroyed by the insectoids."
This has become the new norm in the universe. The Elf Cosmic Realm consists of tens of thousands of races. Most of those are only star state and planetary state races.
Lu Ze and the girls looked at each other. All of them saw a shadow of the previous Human Race on the two white bears.
Mirium said, "Brother Lu Ze? Should we move now?"
Lu Ze smiled. "Give me a moment."
He reached out his right hand, wherein earth runes appeared. Thereafter, a yellow sand morphed to cloak his body.
Endless runes of Sand God Art formed on his hand. They merged into one rune, creating an earth yellow rune.
After half a minute, the process was completed. The rune floated freely in his hand.
Lu Ze gave a nod of approval. "It worked at one go. Not bad."
Ever since he achieved perfect mastery of Sand One Divine Art, he gained the ability to make his own one-time divine art runes once he learned them from the Pocket Hunting Dimension.
Naturally, the quality of the runes he made couldn't compare with the ones from the Pocket Hunting Dimension. Their maximum power was capped at the peak of the cosmic system state.
Still, he was deeply satisfied to have created one.
'One of these should be enough, right?'
He threw the rune towards the white bears.
Seeing it, one of the white bears suddenly jumped up.
'What is this?'
'When did it appear in my hands?'
He looked around in a daze, but only a voice rang in his head. "This one-time divine rune has a peak cosmic system state power. Use it to save your race. It can only be used once. Cherish it."
The white bear was stunned. He looked at the rune as his body shook excitedly.
When he scanned the surroundings to locate his benefactor, he didn't find anyone looking at them.
The other white bear simply thought that his friend couldn't handle the pressure and went mad. He quickly pulled his fellow bear. "Xiao Bai, let's return. Even if we have to die, we should die with the leader!"
Xiao Bai dragged his friend and ran.
He was about to open his mouth, but he quickly shifted to communicating telepathically. "Xiao Er, we don't need to die! We don't need to die! Our race is saved!"
Xiao Er questioned, "Saved?"
Xiao Bai quickly told Xiao Er about the divine art rune he received.
Xiao Er grew very excited too. "Who... is that master?"
Xiao Bai shook his head. "I don't know. I couldn't find him for a long time. I will set a worship stand for this master and pay my respect to him every day!"
"Yes, quickly! We can save our race!"
The two departed without further ado.
...
Lu Ze felt glad. He found those two bears adorable and cute. Hence, he felt compelled to help them. It wasn't that hard anyway, and he got to test his hypothesis.
Alice praised, "Senior is a really nice person."
She too was saved by him in that manner.
Nangong Jing grinned "Ze! I wanted to do it too."
Lu Ze flicked her forehead. "Let's go now."
In the end, he saw Fred, Yi Lei, Mirium, and Cager watching him with astonishment.
"?"
"What's wrong with you guys?"
'Why does it seem like they encountered a ghost just then?'
Mirium questioned, "Brother Lu Ze, how did you do that?"
"What do you mean?"
'What did he do?'
Fred asked, "That rune... How did you create it?
Lu Ze casually answered, "Oh, you mean that rune earlier? I just casually drew it though. It's a very simple process. You can do the same as long as you understand your divine art well enough."
The corners of his mouth curved up. "I just wanted to test it. Luckily, it actually worked during my first try."
"..."
'Simple... Simple, my ass!'
'If it were simple, why couldn't they do it too?'
'Understanding of divine art...'
Yi Lei exclaimed to the other three telepathically, "What sort of monster is he? I'm willing to bet that his divine art achieved perfect mastery! If not, I'll crash into a neutron star!"
For cultivators like them, it isn't difficult to attain beginner mastery when it comes to divine arts. The true struggle starts at achieving familiar mastery.
If someone were to reach experienced mastery though, a ruckus would surely follow.
As for perfect mastery of divine art...
'Isn't it just a myth?'
The highest degree they can achieve was familiar mastery. However, they paled in comparison to Lu Ze. It was ridiculous to still praise themselves.
Meanwhile, Lu Ze scratched his head. 'Did he say something wrong? Sure enough, divine art was much difficult for others to comprehend.'
He quickly changed the subject. "Um, let's go to the Crisp Green Blade."
Yi Lei avoided the awkwardness with a laugh. "Yes, let's move."
Right then, Fred provided, "You should note that in order to become a member of the Crisp Green Blade, you need to possess a cosmic cloud state combat power. They might conduct some test later."
Fred, fearing Lu Ze would be annoyed, looked at the latter carefully. The more he got to know the human prodigy, the more he found the other person unpredictable. By now, he absolutely believed Lu Ze was not a simple man.
'If Lu Ze got angry...'
The hairs on his skin stood on ends just by thinking about it.
Lu Ze was a bit surprised, but he soon gave a nod. "That is not a problem."
Anyway, all of them possessed a cosmic cloud state combat power already.
Quickly, the group picked up the pace. Along the way, the powerful beings they encountered increased. Some would purchase resources while others wandered around.
The looming threat posed by the insectoid tide rendered the trade planet the safest place. Hence, the number of those races wandering the streets grew. Most of them had fled their territory and sought shelter within the area to avoid the insectoid.
This scene made Lu Ze think about the plight of the Blade Demon Race. He wondered whether they escaped or not.
Shortly, the entire group reached the central area. The measly population stood out. Among this crowd, the weakest were cosmic system states. Most of the cultivators were even cosmic cloud states.
In a couple of seconds, they were in front of a grandiose structure that was tens of meters tall. A large area was occupied by it. Upon looking closely, beautiful runes adorned the door.
Those who made use of the ingress and egress were usually younger beings. Despite their age, their chis were already threatening. All of them were cosmic cloud states!
Fred mentioned, "This is the Crisp Green Blade Branch Department. Let's enter."
Lu Ze followed suit. He was a bit surprised. The youths he observed were very strong. A handful of them had surpassed his power. It made him aware of how lacking his current strength was.
The group pushed open the door. Inside, various races were present in the living room.
As soon as entered, the crowd noticed Fred and nodded at him.
"Fred, you guys are back?"
"Mirium, how did the mission go?"
"..."
The two only responded with smiling expressions.
At this juncture, someone asked, "Fred, who are these people?"
Everyone looked over. They didn't expect Fred to bring company. The person he brought didn't even belong to a well-known powerful race of the East Region...
At this moment, one hairless gray-skinned being sneered. "Human Race? Isn't this a puny race that doesn't even have a cosmic cloud state? This bunch of brats isn't cosmic cloud states yet. Fred, what are you guys doing? You brought a weak race to our branch. Do you want us to be ridiculed?"
Everyone was taken aback. The Human Race wasn't particularly powerful, neither did it have a stable foundation.
Fred furrowed his brows as Mirium glanced at the gray-rune cultivator. "Isiah, your Gray Stone Race let two cosmic cloud state insectoids flee before. It led to the destruction of several civilizations. You should learn to mind your business first."
Isiah's face fell. Just when he was about to defend himself, a clear voice interrupted the scene. "What are you guys arguing about?"
The expressions of everyone changed. The previously clamorous living room lost its liveliness. Everyone acted like obedient children.
At this moment, a figure came out of the room on the side. It was a skinny man who was over 2 meters tall. He wore an exquisite green-flower-runed armor. He had green hair, pointed ears. Overall, he had an extremely handsome appearance.
Everyone greeted, "Lord Anton."
Anton smiled elegantly and nodded.
Lu Ze widened his eyes. 'Is this a being from the Elf Race?'
A live, breathing elf in person!
This was his first time to encounter one. Well, he can at least admit that Lord Anton was quite the charmer. He was truly handsome than Lu Ze was, but not that much.
The girls also looked at Lord Anton curiously. It became Lu Ze's turn to be jealous.
He coughed to prevent them from ogling. "What are you girls looking at? Isn't the most handsome person already in front of you?"
The girls rolled their eyes.
Lu Li asked, "Are you jealous?"
The other girls found it amusing.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. Suddenly, he didn't want to talk anymore. But in the end, he countered, "Jealous? Am I the type to get jealous?"
After witnessing the witless bunch treat the entire room like air, Fred and his companions broke out in a cold sweat.
These ignorant humans didn't mind their manners even though they were in the presence of the Elf Race.
They must truly possess something that gave them a lot of courage. Even Isiah was confused.
'Since when did the Human Race become this bold?'
Their blunder proved how weak races remained inferior races. They couldn't even understand the prestige of the Elf Race.
Even if the Gray Stone Race was merely a peak cosmic cloud state race, they still weren't stupid enough to act impolitely in front of the Elf Race.
Anton looked at Lu Ze and the girls for a longer time. He discovered a hint of complexity in them. Although their cultivation level remained at the cosmic system state, his instincts told him they shouldn't be underestimated. But regardless, they were mere humans.
Anton said, "The Crisp Green Blade is a place dedicated to dealing with the disaster brought upon by the insectoids. It's not established so that you can air your conflicts. If you really have to argue, then leave this room."
Everyone answered, "Yes, Lord Anton!"
Anton nodded. When he was about to leave, Fred said, "Lord Anton, please wait a moment!"
Anton turned around and said impatiently, "What else is it?"
Fred explained, "My friends here wish to join the Crisp Green Blade. Please test their combat power, Lord Anton."
The atmosphere in the room turned frigid.
Isiah and the rest looked at Fred in a daze.
'These humans... Did they actually dare to join the Crisp Green Blade?'
'Did that mean they have a cosmic cloud state combat power?'
The pathetic Human Race could produce a prodigy with a cosmic cloud state combat power while being a cosmic state?
'What absurdity are they spewing?;
Anton raised a brow, but he wasn't too surprised either. He already sensed something odd about them.
He smiled and looked at Lu Ze. "You guys want to be tested?"
Lu Ze nodded. "Yes, Lord Anton."
Isiah and the rest of the cultivators in the room were bewildered.
'Oh, they are actually serious about being tested?!'
Those who were cosmic system states clearly weren't dull-witted. Since they dared to be tested, it could only mean that they had confidence in their ability.
As it turned out, that bunch of humans really possessed a cosmic cloud state combat power?!
The other prodigies in the crowd only managed to have a cosmic cloud state combat power when they became peak cosmic system states.
But what about these humans? They weren't even peak cosmic system states yet. Even so, they had a cosmic cloud state combat power?
Could they still be called humans?
Anton nodded. "Follow me then."
He walked towards a passage. Accordingly, Lu Ze and his girls followed suit, including Fred and his companions.
The rest of the cultivators looked at each other. "Let's watch it!"
...
They couldn't resist their curiosity and followed behind.
...
Anton soon reached a room and walked in.
On the outside, the room didn't appear to be spacious. Upon entering it, the inside actually had over a hundred kilometers area.
A platform that was tens of kilometers wide was installed at the center. There were rows of seats on the side. Within those rows, five Elven soldiers from the Elf Race were seated.
They appeared to be cultivating.
Anton led the group to the border of the stage.
The Elven soldiers opened their eyes. Two of them were males while three were females. All of them were peak cosmic system states.
One had to admit that the Elf Race looked ethereal. The men were lethally attractive while the women were breathtakingly beautiful beyond words.
Lu Ze couldn't resist sparing another glance. He knew he had to stop when the murderous chi from his behind intensified.
The Elven warriors were also studying them.
After realizing Lu Ze and the girls were merely level-8 cosmic system states, the soldiers were puzzled. They look at Anton for clarification.
Anton challenged, "If you manage to beat an Elven warrior whose combat power just stepped into the cosmic cloud state on the stage, you will become a member of the Crisp Green Blade. Understood?"
Based on his remark, a peak cosmic system state Elven warrior had a cosmic cloud state combat power.
Even the leader of the Barbarian Race only attained a cosmic cloud state combat power after becoming a peak cosmic system state. It took him tens of thousands of years. More crucially, it was only him who managed to do so.
In comparison, the Elven soldiers were obviously younger, but they already owned cosmic cloud state combat power. And there were five of them all at once.
On the other hand, the Elven warriors were more befuddled right now.
'Did those humans really possess a cosmic cloud state combat power?'
'They had weaker cultivation levels though!'
'Why were they looking at them with bewilderment?'
They belonged to the Elf Race.
'What is so surprising about having a cosmic cloud state combat power?'
The leading female elf who looked alluring nodded. "Sure, Lord Anton."
Lu Ze nodded as well. "Understood."
Anton said, "Begin then."
He withdrew and sat down to watch Lu Ze and the girls.
Everyone waited for the battle to begin.
A green-haired elf flew onto the stage.
He revealed a graceful smile. "Which one of you wants to come first?"
Alice offered, "Senior, I'll go."
Lu Ze didn't stop her. "Okay, be careful."
Alice giggled. "I know."
In the next second, she suddenly appeared on the stage.
The other on-lookers narrowed their eyes.
"Such speed!"
"This human girl is only a level-7 cosmic system state. How is she so fast?"
At this juncture, they noticed the wind around Alice.
"That is... Wind Divine Art?"
A level-7 cosmic system state is capable of achieving an unimaginable speed just by relying on the Wind Divine Art?
'What joke is this?'
Even Fred and his companions were pleasantly surprised. They assumed only Lu Ze was talented. They didn't expect the obedient-looking girl following him to be this threatening?!
A trace of change can even be noted in Lord Anton's face.
With her speed alone, it would be difficult for enemies to deal with her.
Alice just reached level-7 cosmic system state. When Lu Ze was in the same state, he already had a level-2 cosmic cloud state combat power.
The gap between her and Lu Ze wasn't that significant. She at least had a level-1 cosmic cloud state combat power now.
Alice observed the Elven soldier.
Dark light circulated her hands. Thereafter, a small black statue emerged.
Lu Ze: "..."
The smile on Lu Ze's face gradually disappeared.
'Shit!'
'He forgot about this!'
Everyone: "?"
They looked strangely at Lu Ze.
'Isn't that statue... molded out of the human guy?'
'What is this?'
'Did she use the statue of her lover as a weapon?'
Fred's mouth twitched.
Yi Lei hesitated, but he bolstered up his courage and discreetly asked, "Brother Lu Ze, this statue..."
"Don't bother asking!" Lu Ze responded before the question was completed.
Yi Lei didn't dare to probe anymore.
Anton coughed to clear the strange atmosphere. "Alright, let's begin."
The Elven soldier nodded at Alice. "Please!"
Alice nodded in return.
The Elven soldier took a deep breath. He would surely show this girl something astounding.
At this point, the temperature suddenly rose.
The Elven warrior's eyes widened.
Black demonic flames burned around Alice. From these scorching flames, a fire clone emerged.
The elf said in shock, "A fire clone that just reached the cosmic cloud state?!"
That female human alone gave him enough pressure already. Unexpectedly, she created a fire clone.
A human who could form a cosmic cloud state fire clone while being a level-7 cosmic system state...
'Isn't she terrifying?'
The fire clone soon charged towards the soldier.
The Elven soldier flashed with green light. Accordingly, a long sword appeared on his right hand.
He let out a battle cry. Energy flowed from the sword and extended to cut through the fire clone.
'Oh no!'
He became too focused on the fire clone that he forgot about the human girl.
He quickly turned around, only to be confronted by a black flame sword pointed at him.
The black flame sword caused some distortion in the surroundings. Even so, not a trace of flame seeped out.
What a terrifying control on her flame power!
He could only sigh. "I lost."
Below the stage, the audience grew silent. Everyone was at a loss for words.
'What just happened? Did the Elven soldier lose just like that?
They couldn't accept the reality yet.
Right then, Alice's flame sword disappeared as she retreated. Before returning, she politely said, "Thank you for going easy on me."
When she reached Lu Ze's side, she smiled. "Senior, Senior, I won!"
Lu Ze patted her head. "Alice is really amazing."
The Elven soldier walked off the stage absent-mindedly.
The other Eleven warriors showed stern expressions.
The defeated elf reminded, "Be careful, those humans aren't simple at all."
One green-haired female elf proceeded to the stage and asked, "Who is next?"
Lu Li responded, "I'll go."
As Alice did, she appeared in front of the female elf in just a blink.
Once more, the prodigies who were watching the fight were dumbfounded because of the incredible speed.
Sure enough, the second human girl proved to be a force to be reckoned with.
'Did all human prodigies reach this level?'
Lord Anton looked at Lu Ze and the rest of the girls intently before allowing them to continue. "Begin."
The female elf yelled as she stomped on the ground. Vines began to make their way towards Lu Li.
A green long sword appeared in her hand thereafter. Immediately, she used the full extent of her power!
She didn't dare to underestimate Lu Li at all after witnessing Alice's performance.
Lu Li was unfazed as she let out a grin. Dark runes flowed in her eyes as the Eternal Darkness Mist expanded to plunge the entire stage into the dark.
"What? This mist can block my vision and interfere with my mental force. How did this happen?"
"My senses have been restrained too..."
"..."
True enough, it was excruciating to look through the mist. If you weren't strong enough, you wouldn't even see a single thing on the stage.
Yi Lei and Cager exchanged glances. They failed to see through it.
Fred and Mirium had to struggle a bit before they could continue watching.
As for the female elf, she was forced to look around vigilantly. After all, her limited vision only allowed her to monitor a radius of a hundred meters.
There and then, a fearsome power approached from her behind. She didn't have enough time to turn properly.
In the end, she could only scream and form a green barrier.
Lu Li's fist came into contact with the newly formed barrier.
'Rumble!'
The resulting collision created a shockwave that spread across all directions. But it soon disintegrated after reaching the borders of the stage.
'Crack...'
The green barrier revealed signs of fracturing.
The female elf couldn't quite believe it. "What? How is this possible?!"
A single punch caused her barrier to break?!
Before she could have more time to counter, Lu Li adjusted her fist into a palm and pressed it against the barrier.
Dark flames were ignited and moved to trapped the female elf.
Lu Li's opponent was forced into a corner. She gulped and finally said, "I lost."
Upon witnessing it, the other prodigies exclaimed, "That girl is unbelievably powerful too!"
"Are all human prodigies actually this strong?!"
"..."
Given the current members of the Crisp Green Blade, the power exhibited by the Human Race this time was actually weaker than most of the cultivators present. After all, the majority of the prodigies were all cosmic cloud states.
Nevertheless, it had to be considered that the group of humans before them were only cosmic system states. If the field had to be evened and they were reverted to the same state, they wouldn't be as strong as the humans.
Everyone turned their heads at Isiah, who then sensed the change in the mood of the room. His mouth twitched.
Everything didn't match his thoughts. There must be a problem.
Isiah's eyes flashed while Lord Anton raised a brow.
'Human Race...'
He scanned through his memories and soon retrieved something about the race.
Two thousand years ago, a few youths of the Human Race had crossed paths with the Elf Race. They pleaded to be brought to the Divine Tree in order to forcefully turn them into cosmic system states.
This kind of incident rarely occurred in the recent ten thousand years. Naturally, it left some kind of impression on him.
'How could a new race produce an overwhelmingly powerful prodigy?'
Not only were their foundations extremely solid, but their talent was also something to be wary of. Their mastery of god art and divine art truly astounded him. Perhaps the Human Race was guarding a grave secret.
'The Insectoid Race went on a rampage...'
'The Human Race deviated from its weak nature...'
As it turned out, an extensive investigation should be conducted soon.
Both Lu Li and the female elf got off the platform.
When Lu Li had gone back to Lu Ze, she asked, "How did I do?"
She resembled a kitten waiting to be complimented.
Lu Ze rubbed her head. "Extremely amazing."
Without break, the match continued. This time around, Lin Ling volunteered with a smile. "I'll go."
Lin Ling was a peak level-7 cosmic system state. The group had nothing to worry about.
As they had predicted, the moment Lin Ling entered the platform, she adeptly avoided the attacks of her enemy. Her green spear shortly breached the defenses of the male elf and forced him to admit defeat without much struggle.
Without any changes, Nangong Jing and Qiuyue Hesha had done the same. They were level-8 cosmic system states with level-2 cosmic cloud state combat power. Hence, they won over without exerting too much effort.
In fact, they didn't need to launch full-powered attacks.
They only revealed a power equivalent to what Lu Li and Alice showed.
At this point, everyone grew numb after accepting how capable the humans were. Lu Ze was the last human left untested.
Lu Ze looked at the crowd and scratched his head.
'Who should he be fighting then?'
In the end, the answer didn't matter.
Everyone looked at Lu Ze curiously. His status among his peers seemed to be the highest.
'Logically, he should be the strongest, right?'
However, the five Elven warriors were probably insufficient in forcing Lu Ze to go all out.
Just when Lu Ze was keen to try, Lord Anton already stood up and smiled. "The test ends here. I approve of your membership in the Crisp Green Blade. Congratulations, you're all members now."
Lu Ze scratched his head. "Lord Anton, I haven't been tested yet."
Anton gave him a smile. "We don't need to. You're clearly stronger than your comrades. My soldiers aren't a match for you."
The other prodigies were dumbfounded.
True enough, the male human seemed to be formidable.
They looked at him curiously. The desire to learn his actual strength arose.
Anton remarked, "I didn't expect the Human Race to produce prodigies like your group. Alright, go and sign up."
He left afterwards.
At this time, one female elf approached the group and said, "I'll lead you to the registration."
Lu Ze and the girls followed the female elf. They naturally left the room. Likewise, the rest of the crowd followed suit.
...
The registration site was located in a side room in the foyer.
After completing the registration process, the female elf handed out a metal device to each person.
It was green in color, along with some gold and red runes on it.
The female elf explained, "This is a badge that proves you are a member of the Crisp Green Blade. You can use it in searching for and accepting missions. It can also serve as a communicator. You will be able to receive signals within the entire Elf Cosmic Realm."
Lu Ze was shocked. It was truly an advanced technology that could only be created by the Elf Race. It was capable of detecting signals across a realm.
That was equivalent to nearly 200 million light-years in diameter.
Lu Ze smiled. "Okay, thank you."
The female elf replied, "No need to be so polite."
These humans were too strong. She had experienced it on the stage firsthand.
Although she was a cultivator from the Elf Race, she could only be considered an elite in her own race.
The elf continued, "You are now members of the Crisp Green Blade. You can accept missions at any time. If you're done with the mission, you can return to the branch, and there will be personnel that will verify it."
Lu Ze and the girls expressed their understanding through a nod.
"We'll be going first then."
Outside the foyer, Fred and his companions were waiting patiently.
They rushed over when they noticed the group. Fred said, "Congratulations, Brother Lu Ze! You guys are now members of the Crisp Green Blade formally"
Lu Ze smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
Fred looked at the girls and said, "I didn't expect your lovers to be superbly talented as well."
Lu Ze grinned. He was delighted to have his harem recognized.
Qiuyue Hesha said, "Thank you, but you should also know that our power is far lacking compared to Ze."
Mirium responded, "Sisters, you are too humble. You have a cosmic cloud state combat power while your cultivation level remains at level-7 cosmic system state."
If these humans actually reached the cosmic cloud state, then their combat power could only grow more absurd.
A few of the races who were close to the Golden Spear Race and Crystal Race came over.
"Fred, aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Yes, it's our first time to witness prodigies like them."
"..."
Lu Ze and the girls gave a warm response to everyone. After all, only those races who were top-tier cosmic cloud state civilizations, if not peak, could build relations with the two prominent races.
Establishing a connection with them would surely benefit the Human Race.
...
Isiah looked at Lu Ze and the girls. He sneered before departing.
After leaving the premises of the department, his eyes flashed.
'How could the Human Race nurture a powerful prodigy?'
He had to investigate this matter!
Isiah smirked.
...
Back in the foyer, the other prodigies went off to deal with their own businesses after expressing their goodwill.
Lu Ze and the girls could finally breathe with ease.
Mirium smiled. "Brother Lu Ze, what your group revealed earlier scared them."
Yi Lei joined the conversation. "Indeed. Although they appear hospitable right now, they are usually prideful cultivators. They would never talk to someone on their own initiative."
Lu Ze rolled his eyes. He was used to being treated like this anyway.
He then said, "Alright then, let's hand in the mission first."
Fred said, "Follow me, Brother Lu Ze."
They arrived at the region where the mission verification was conducted.
The place was vast. Countless members were having their missions verified.
A few of them were in the foyer before.
Fred brought Lu Ze and the girls to a station where a female cosmic system state elf was in charge.
Fred reported the mission details and took out the recorded scene. He verified the report for Lu Ze and the girls.
After the entire process was finished, Lu Ze received the corresponding points.
He got 500 reward points for the first and 400 reward points for the second.
Following such, they left the department.
Fred said, "Brother Lu Ze, we are planning to look for a suitable mission before heading off. What do you guys think?"
Lu Ze responded, "Let's do that."
Right now, Lu Ze could barely release a level-3 cosmic cloud state combat power.
In truth, he was only slightly stronger than Yi Lei and Cager. But a significant gap existed between him and the likes of Fred and Mirium.
Even so, they had nothing to fear because they had Ying Ying around.
Mirium said, "In that case, let's visit the hotel in the Central Region. That's a property of the Golden Spear Race."
Lu Ze recalled how expensive the charge was at the hotel previously.
Back then, that was also the outermost hotel.
The hotel owned by the race of this girl was built in the Central Region! She must be a top-tier wealthy lady.
Yi Lei's eyes lit up. He said, "Brother Lu Ze has more bearing. If it were just Fred and I, Big Sister Mirium wouldn't definitely make the offer..."
Before he could finish the sentence, he felt Mirium's cold glance directed at him.
Mirium showed a smile. "Okay, let's go."
...
They soon arrived at the Central Region Hotel.
This hotel was so much better than the one they stayed at last time.
An enormous area that was completely golden was provided. The group could feel an intense spirit force originating from the inside.
If they cultivated here, their cultivation speed would match their speed at the spirit gathering room.
Seeing how shocked Lu Ze and the girls were, Mirium explained, "The spirit gathering formation in our hotel is extremely powerful. It uses medium-grade spirit gathering stones. Those are considered very rare resources, even in our race. The density of the spirit force had no choice but to increase inside the rooms."
Lu Ze went to confirm, "A spirit gathering stone is divided into several grades?"
Fred and his companions looked at each other.
Mirium asked, "Brother Lu Ze, you didn't know?"
They assumed Lu Ze had a powerful organization behind him.
'How could he not know about the grades of the spirit gathering stones?'
If his group didn't rely on the stones, then how else did they cultivate swiftly?
Lu Ze scratched his head. "We usually just use the spirit gathering stone in our race. It's not that effective now."
Cager's mouth twitched. "If that's the case, then it's likely that your race uses low-grade stones."
Lu Ze smiled. "Where can you get medium-grade spirit gathering stones then?"
In response to Lu Ze's question, Fred said, "There is a possibility you can trade the rewards you got from the Crisp Green Blade for a medium-grade spirit gathering stone. However, you will surely need many points."
Mirium added, "The rewards you received this time should be abundant. You can check if you want to trade them for something."
Lu Ze said, "I got it. I might check later."
Mirium led Lu Ze and the girls to their room.
Lu Ze and his girls decided to stay together as usual. They couldn't wait to use the badge.
A screen soon appeared in front of them.
Nangong Jing said, "Let's see the list of available resources for trade."
Lu Ze agreed.
The tabs were separated into 'Missions Tab' and 'Exchange Tab'.
Then, the 'Exchange Tab' was further divided into various categories. The group could see 'Technology', 'Cultivation', 'One-Time Use', 'Items', and 'Permanent Items'.
Lu Ze quickly searched for a spirit gathering stone.
Shortly, two rows of information appeared.
The first provided details about the medium-grade stone. It required 100,000 points, but that would only give them one stone.
The second row was dedicated to low-grade spirit gathering stones. They only cost 1000 points. Moreover, they could be purchased in bulk.
Lu Ze and the girls were at a loss for words.
Lin Ling complained, "So expensive!"
Even though they already accomplished two missions, they only received 900 points in total.
When will they even get to reach 100,000 points?
'No one knows!'
Lu Li looked at Ying Ying and suggested, "What about finishing some high-earning missions and doing some additional? There should be nothing wrong with it, right?"
Of course, without external help, they wouldn't make it on their own.
But currently, they have Ying Ying to help them.
Lu Ze said, "Let's peruse the available missions first."
...
Meanwhile, in an office within the Crisp Green Blade Department, Lord Anton stood in front of a window. He was watching the scenery outside. A female elf approached him from behind.
She asked, "Lord Anton, what do you need me for?"
Anton turned around and smiled gently.
"Did Vivian inform you about the test?"
The woman confirmed it with a nod. "Yes. Did you want me to conduct a thorough check on them?"
Anton nodded. "You are correct. Even if the insectoid tides are gradually stabilizing, we can't be too complacent. We need to be extremely wary of the Insectoid Race. They are considered a top-tier race in the universe even if we are not fighting against the entire race."
He continued, "Based on the history of the Human Race, they shouldn't be capable of producing superior prodigies. Something is amiss. You should check the connection between this and the insectoids."
The woman nodded. "I understand."
She was in the midst of leaving. Unexpectedly, Anton stopped her.
"Wait."
Accordingly, the woman turned around. "What other requests does Lord Anton have?"
Anton carefully reminded, "Do this secretly. There might be a powerful being backing up the Human Race."
Even though Anton was reluctant to admit it, the Elf Race didn't actually have the ability to produce prodigies like Lu Ze and his team.
Although their princess was exceptionally talented, she would still lose against the female humans.
It just goes to show that the male human could only be stronger.
After all these years, the Elf Princess was the sole top-tier prodigy of the Elf Race.
But the Human Race managed to top that.
They had more than one powerful prodigy!
Surely, someone had to be secretly helping the Human Race.
Right now, Anton couldn't confirm whether the mysterious person was a friend or a foe. Hence, they could only conduct the investigation in secret.
They had to proceed with the investigation because the Human Race was practically a subordinate of the Elf Race.
If the being backing them up had no ill intentions, then no conflict would arise.
By then, they could also form a connection with that person. Perhaps they could even ask him to deal with the insectoid tide.
At the very least, they still had to confirm the stance of that mysterious being towards the Elf Cosmic Realm.
The woman nodded. "I understand."
She proceeded to leave.
Anton rubbed his temple and sighed. "This is really a troublesome period."
A grandiose device appeared in his hand. He inserted his spirit force and established a connection.
He needed to report the matter to the higher authorities.
...
Back in the hotel, Lu Ze and the girls had lifeless expressions after going through the missions.
The highest-grade mission involved killing peak cosmic cloud state insectoids.
It could give them 10,000 points. They could just finish ten of them.
But, how could there be peak cosmic cloud states inside the Elf Cosmic Realm?
Most likely, these kinds of insectoids were drawn over by peak cosmic cloud state civilizations.
The missions gathered by the Crisp Green Blade mostly focused on eliminating wandering insectoids. It didn't include those already being held up.
It would be unlikely for a level-7 or level-8 cosmic cloud state insectoids to veer from their current battlefield.
Most of the missions only had low-level cosmic cloud state insectoids as the main target.
It was a bit rare to see missions involving medium-level cosmic cloud state insectoids.
The number of members doing the missions had to be considered as well. Countless prodigies were watching diligently.
Nangong Jing asked, "How long do we need to wait until we earn a hundred thousand points?"
Lu Ze said, "We should just use the points... for something else. A communication device isn't that bad."
Qiuyue Hesha nodded. "If our race could replicate one that could cover the entire East Region, it would be greatly beneficial."
Lin Ling chimed in, "I agree! Our prodigies are increasing. A lot of them will be leaving the Milky Way to explore."
Alice added, "Yes, although it still requires 5,000 points, it is at least cheaper than the spirit gathering stone."
Lu Ze said, "In that case, let's settle on getting the communication device first."
Nangong Jing and the rest of the girls nodded. She said, "As for the spirit gathering stones... we can ask Mirium if we can get them elsewhere."
Lin Ling added, "Let's ask about the dao enlightenment stones too."
The exchange list didn't include it. Maybe it was much more precious than the spirit gathering stones.
Even the Elf Race didn't want to hand them out as rewards."
Following such, they went back to their usual cultivation routine.
...
Four hours later, someone knocked on their doors.
Ying Ying, who was watching cartoons on the bed, vanished.
Lu Ze opened the door and saw Cager standing outside.
Cager smiled at him. "Brother Lu Ze, we just got a mission. The targets are three cosmic cloud state insectoids. One is a level-1 cosmic cloud state. The other two are level-2 and level-3 respectively. Big Sister Mirium asked me to inform you."
Lu Ze and the girls returned the smile. "Let's go."
Cager led them to the foyer of the hotel.
The others were already waiting there.
Mirium expounded, "The target is moving towards the territory of the Steel Bone Race. It should arrive within two days. It would take us three days to travel from the trade planet. We should leave now."
Lu Ze and the girls agreed.
Two days later, in the territory of the Steel Bone Race, a small solar system with a metallic black planet spinning around the sun existed at the center. The atmosphere appeared tranquil.
Metallic structures that were architecturally designed with pointed edges were erected. The corners were furnished with piercing spikes.
Currently, strange black-skinned humanoid lifeforms were entering and leaving.
A massive wormhole suddenly emerged outside the planet. Blood spirit force seeped out from it. The tremendous power tied to the force made the entire solar system quake.
The capable cultivators of the Steel Bone Race charged out. They looked up at the wormhole and gawked.
"What is this chi?!
"How terrifying?!"
"This killing intent... Didn't it belong to the Insectoid Race?!
...
Everyone looked in the direction of the largest building. Inside it, a towering figure sat on the throne. The commotion caused him to stand abruptly. He was a level-1 cosmic cloud state.
In the next second, he frowned at the wormhole.
"Another insectoid tide!"
A few cultivators of the Steel Bone Race rushed over worriedly.
"King, the insectoid tide is here. What do we do?!"
"Yes, it has been difficult to eliminate the previous swarm. And yet, they are invading again. What should we do?"
...
The king sneered. "What are you worried about? Since they are here, then we have to stop them!"
Right at this juncture, a hideous figure made its way out of the wormhole. Three gray ten-legged insectoids soon revealed themselves. The powerful chi they owned disturbed the space.
The king exclaimed in disbelief, "Impossible! How could powerful insectoids like them show up in our territory?!"
Based on his senses, the chi of three insectoids surpassed his, particularly the other two by a great deal. He was incapable of stopping them.
The rest of the cultivators from the Steel Bone Race stiffened on the spot. They didn't even have the courage to move. Simultaneously, the residents of the planet froze up.
"Cosmic cloud state! Cosmic cloud state insectoids!"
"What should we do, King?!"
"Can our king prevent these insectoids from wreaking havoc?"
...
Everyone waited for their king to manage the situation.
...
Back in the palace, the king shouted, "Run! Tell everyone to pack their things and run!"
The moment he finished the words, he disappeared from the spot and charged to their treasure depot.
His race wouldn't be able to subjugate the incoming insectoids. Rather than defending their territory in vain, they might as well leave with the resources. Naturally, they had to take away some of the resources before they could fully flee.
The rest of the constituents was taken aback. "King?!"
"If we flee, then what would happen to our ancestral planet? What about the rest of the Steel Bone Race?"
The king's voice boomed from outside the palace. "There is a level-3 cosmic cloud state insectoid! We do not have any means to defeat it. If we do not escape now, not even a seed can be preserved!"
Hearing this, everyone gritted their teeth. Accordingly, one of them transmitted, "Attention, everyone. Abandon the ancestral planet. Take everything and run for your lives!"
His words reverberated throughout the planet. The rest of the cultivators were stunned.
'Run for your lives?'
'They aren't going to defend the planet, are they?'
Shortly, all the cultivators returned to their respective rooms and brought some of their valuable items. They made use of the space runes to save themselves thereafter.
Of course, some weren't able to keep space transmission runes at hand. They could only cry there and then.
"Take us with you!"
"Don't leave, bring us along!"
...
All at once, the scene turned chaotic.
The three insectoids glanced across the planet. The level-3 cosmic cloud state said, "What a pity... They only owned low-grade teleporting devices. They could only escape to nearby locations then. Cornelius and Golf, lead the swarm and chase after them! Don't let any resources slip away!"
"Yes!"
The other two cosmic cloud state insectoids opened up a wormhole and took a portion of the swarm.
Meanwhile, the level-3 cosmic cloud state looked in the direction of the planet. It had a scornful expression on its face. "How dare you flee? Hiss!"
Blood spirit force surged and wrapped the entire planet.
The leading insectoid communicated with the swarm. In the next second, a sea of insectoids dashed to the planet.
...
Half a day later, a few white lights flashed outside the ancestral planet of the Steel Bone Race and revealed two ships.
Aboard the New Dawn, Lu Ze and the girls watched the scene outside the window.
Nangong Jing furrowed her brows. "These insectoids are horrible."
The galaxy was riddled with rubbles and space storms. You wouldn't even spot a massive planet around because all of them were obliterated.
When they scanned with their mental force, the group failed to detect traces of life force within 10,000 light-years. The scene resembled doomsday.
Qiuyue Hesha frowned. "It is a good thing we defeated the insectoids that appeared in our territory."
If not, they wouldn't fare much better than the Steel Bone Race.
Lu Ze nodded. "Let's observe and check the situation first."
They alighted together with Fred's group. Their expressions were rather calm in the face of destruction.
Fred remarked, "It looks like the cultivators of the Steel Bone Race failed to escape."
Mirium nodded. "According to the reports, their king has only reached the cosmic cloud state recently. They are unfortunate."
Yi Lei asked, "How should we deal with this?"
Fred answered, "The insectoids shouldn't be far away. Let's look for them."
Lu Ze and his girls were confused. 'What?! Do they have to look for them? Wouldn't that be difficult?'
At least, they brought a 'small radar' with them.
Lu Ze communicated telepathically. "Ying Ying, do you know where the insectoids in this place are?"
Ying Ying's voice provided, "They are 210,000 light-years in the West. "It is near."
Lu Ze grinned. "Ying Ying is awesome! I'll give you a candy later!"
He didn't actually have sweets with him. What he was referring to was the red liquid.
'That can be counted as candy too!'
Ying Ying almost rushed over. Luckily, she remembered not to appear in front of others.
Lu Ze felt delighted. "No need to search carefully. They are 210,000 light-years in the West. We will encounter them if we leave now."
"?"
Fred and his companions were taken aback.
'How can he tell? It is a far away area though...'
Despite the doubts, the group kept the question to themselves.
Mirium said, "Since Brother Lu Ze knows the way, let's go now."
Fed agreed with a nod. "I will take you over."
Accordingly, he created an opening in space and entered the wormhole.
Lu Ze and his girls took their ship and followed suit.
...
A swarm of insectoids occupied the area.
All the planets along the way were torn to pieces.
Blood spirit force surged like insurmountable tides in the ocean.
In front of the swarm, a group of cultivators was sprinting.
"F*ck, why are we so unlucky?! There are insectoids here!"
"Much worse, they are cosmic cloud state insectoids! Isn't this the territory of the Steel Bone Race?!"
"They have no chances of surviving this!"
...
Everyone fell silent.
The fate of the Steel Bone Race was just too obvious at this point.
"Well, we will not survive this too!"
Right then, the leading three insectoids suddenly stopped in their tracks.
The cultivators who were being chased looked back with curiosity, only to see a wormhole where a few beings charged out.
The desperate cultivators rejoiced.
"Crystal Race? Golden Spear Race? They are members of the Crisp Green Blade! We are saved!"
As soon as they came out of the wormhole, Lu Ze and the girls saw a swarm of insectoids.
Fred glanced at a few people and then looked at the three gray insectoids headed by them. "It's them, alright. Let's go."
Mirium nodded. She looked at Lu Ze and the girls. "Brother Lu Ze, Fred, and I will deal with the level-2 and level-3 cosmic cloud state insectoids. You guys, Cager, and Yi Lei can take on the level-1 cosmic cloud state insectoid. Is that alright?"
Lu Ze was taken aback. 'He only needed to handle the level-1 cosmic cloud state insectoid?'
He was fine with things being so easy. He nodded.
Mirium released a golden long sword and charged up with Fred.
The three cosmic cloud state insectoids stopped and roared.
"Ants! How dare you stop the insectoid swarm?!"
The three insectoids were very powerful. Their chi surpassed their cultivation level especially that level-3 cosmic cloud state.
Feeling this powerful wave, Fred and Mirium's expressions didn't change at all. They charged up.
Mirium waved her long sword gently, and golden sword rays formed around her. Thereafter, she swung her sword lightly and exclaimed, "Sever!"
Golden sword rays seemed to have ignored space and instantly appeared before the three cosmic cloud state insectoids.
"Hiss!"
The roar came, and a blood-colored barrier formed before the three insectoids. The golden sword ray clashed with the barrier.
'Screech'...
At the same time, the other two cosmic cloud state insectoids opened their mouths, forming red orbs.
The two red orbs charged towards Mirium.
At this moment, Fred took a step forward and reached out his hands. He glowed with white color, then suddenly, the white crystal shield was formed before them.
'Rumble'...
The two blood energy balls struck the shield. A shocking sound rang through the world.
The crystal shield only vibrated. There was no sign of breaking.
However, the shockwave shot in all directions. The cultivators escaping felt the terrifying power and instinctively retreated for some distance.
They looked at the battle in shock. "No wonder they are deemed prodigies of the Crystal Race and Golden Spear Race. They are too strong beyond words!"
The strongest among them was a level-1 cosmic cloud state. Despite this, he was still shocked.
They didn't even dare to fight these three insectoids, although these two prodigies could fight with them and vaguely have an advantage.
"Hiss!"
After a wave of test attacks, the three cosmic cloud state insectoids charged up.
Lu Ze and the girls did so as well.
The remaining level-1 cosmic cloud state insectoids charged towards them.
Yi Lei and Cager tensed up.
Yi Lei lost his usual smile and said, "Careful! Its combat power is probably at level-2 cosmic cloud state!"
Cager nodded. "Yes! Its chi is very strong!"
He could sense that this level-1 cosmic cloud state insectoid's chi is stronger than his.
The insectoid hissed. "Two ants, you're asking to be squashed!"
The alien from the Insectoid Race was powerful. At the same cultivation level, he didn't think the two could beat him.
As for the few cosmic system states, he completely ignored them.
Lu Ze was surprised. 'Is it that strong?'
Cager and Yi Lei were preparing for an attack.
At this moment, a yellow rune flashed in Lu Ze's eyes. Terrifying power emerged from him.
Sensing this, Yi Lei and Cager stiffened. They gasped and looked at Lu Ze, who was burning with spirit flames.
"What?!"
Lu Ze's power was much stronger than theirs!
'This was a level-3 cosmic cloud state combat power, right?!'
A level-8 cosmic system state had a level-3 cosmic cloud state combat power?!
'What sort of monster is this?!'
The gray insectoid was also bewildered. "Impossible!"
This cosmic system state being was stronger than him?!
Impossible!
Lu Ze grabbed with his hand. Endless sand appeared in space and wrapped around the insectoid.
The insectoid sensed a lethal threat. If he didn't dodge it, he would die!
"Hiss!"
It used all of its spirit force trying to escape the sand.
At this moment, the spirit force in its body paused and became chaotic. Its body was also immobilized.
He looked at the cosmic system states on the side.
Clearly, they were interfering with his actions.
The insectoid roared. "Damn it!"
It burned its spirit force trying to escape.
Lu Ze grinned. If he let this insectoid escape like that, he didn't need to live. He used all his spirit force, and the sand instantly wrapped the insectoid.
The sand formed a huge ball and started to compress.
'Dong! Dong! Dong!'
Blood spirit force seeped out of the ball as it shrunk.
Feeling the powerful resistance, Lu Ze burned his spirit force and used Sand One Divine Art to the max.
Time flew by. The resistance gradually weakened until it completely stopped.
The gray insectoid's life force was gone.
Lu Ze let go of his hand, and the sand scattered around, revealing the scene inside.
One couldn't see the insectoid's original form. It turned into a gray-green ball with goo seeping out.
The girls rolled their eyes.
Nangong Jing complained, "Every time this divine art kills someone, it looks like this. We can't even eat anymore."
Lu Ze looked at them innocently. 'It's not like he wanted this!'
Yi Lei and Cager were dumbfounded.
'This was too terrifying!'
They had already looked highly of Lu Ze's talent, but who knew it could reach this level?!
The fleeing cultivators witnessed this too, and the atmosphere turned eerily silent.
Moments later, someone said shakily, "Hey... did you see that?"
It was a black-scaled bulky humanoid.
He punched himself in the chest.
"Ouch!"
"It's not a dream."
"What sort of race is this?! Someone with a cosmic system state cultivation level has a level-3 cosmic cloud state combat power?!"
"This was stronger than the prodigy of the Elf Race, right?"
Fred's battlefield was also very intense.
They were slightly stronger than the insectoids.
At this moment, all of them suddenly looked in Lu Ze's direction.
The two insectoids were shocked. "Golf died?! No way!"
Golf wasn't weak. Even if he faced a prodigy of a cosmic realm state civilization, he wouldn't die that quickly, right?!
Meanwhile, Fred and Mirium looked at each other. They immediately looked at the calm-faced Lu Ze.
It's him!
After a brief moment of silence, Fred and Mirium started fighting against the two insectoids again.
'Rumble'...
Spirit force waves swept the surrounding space. Planets popped like bubbles.
In the farther region, the powerful waves still made quite some cultivators shiver. They looked in the direction of the battlefield in shock.
Lu Ze frowned.
'So strong!'
His combat power was barely level-3 cosmic cloud state, but the difference between him, Fred, and Mirium was massive.
He couldn't even see their movements clearly. If they were the ones fighting, he wouldn't last long.
Fred and Mirium were only the top prodigies of a cosmic cloud state civilization.
Who knew how many prodigies like them were there in the universe?
Above them, there were cosmic realm state prodigies and even higher.
His current power was nothing.
The girls thought the same as Lu Ze.
They still needed to be stronger to survive in the universe and lead the Human Race to a stronger future.
'Rumble!'
The battle lasted a few minutes. With a bang, the level-2 cosmic cloud state insectoid overturned. Blood gushed out as it howled pitifully.
The level-2 cosmic cloud state was no match to Fred and Mirium, but the level-3 insectoid was slightly stronger.
Only now did their advantages became significant.
"Cornelius!" the level-3 insectoid roared.
Before he could see the situation, Fred and Mirium came up to attack him.
The level-3 insectoid immediately went on the passive side. It was even struck by attacks quite a few times.
However, its defenses were extremely strong. Even though it was struck a few times, it was able to block them. There were just a few cracks on its gray shell. Dark green liquid oozed.
"Damn ants!"
The level-3 insectoid was burning with killing intent.
Fred and Mirium charged up again.
The insectoid slashed in the air, and space was torn open. A strange blood-colored lump came out from it.
The lump flew out!
This lump floated in space and moved a little like it was alive. With every movement, blood spirit force surged.
Shocking murderous chi permeated.
Seeing this, Fred and Mirium suddenly had a dangerous premonition.
Golden runes flowed in Mirium's eyes then her long sword blossomed with an extremely blinding golden ray.
"Sever!"
She slashed and an extremely sharp golden sword ray surged tearing the void towards that blood lump.
The insectoid waved its front claw and stopped before the golden sword ray. At the same time, it opened its hideous mouth and ate that lump.
'Rumble!'
The insectoid tumbled.
Mirium flashed with golden light and wanted to chase after it.
Fred formed a white orb in his palm. Terrifying power surged.
At this moment, the blood spirit force around the insectoid suddenly surged. An intense bloody smell shot out, filling the space.
At the same time, the insectoid's chi kept rising.
Mirium was dazed. The orb in Fred's hand dissipated too.
"No way!"
Lu Ze glanced at Yi Lei and Cager, and he was a bit puzzled. "What did the insectoid eat?"
He was quite shocked to see the huge increase in power.
Yi Lei opened his mouth and said, "That's the blood essence of a high-level insectoid. It contains knowledge regarding Slaughter God Art. After eating it, this insectoid's power would greatly increase. I didn't expect this insectoid to have something like that."
Fred and Mirium retreated to Lu Ze's and the girls' side.
Mirium looked solemn and said decisively, "Give up these two insectoids! We need to run."
They couldn't handle this insectoid at all now.
"Quick! Otherwise, we won't get away!"
They took out their runes, ready to run.
The other cultivators were stunned. "What did that insectoid eat? Its chi rose that much?"
"If only we can eat one too."
"Is it now the time to be thinking about that? Don't you see that the prodigies from the Crystal Race and Golden Spear Race are planning to run?"
"Yes! We should run too. Don't die here."
Lu Ze and the girls were shocked.
'Are they going to give up just like that?'
They only killed level-1 cosmic cloud state insectoids though.
Lu Ze raised a brow as he spoke telepathically. "Ying Ying? Is that insectoid digesting the blood essence? Can you cause a backlash?"
"I can."
...
The level-3 cosmic cloud state insectoid glared at Lu Ze and the girls, then it smiled cruelly.
At this juncture, the power it got from the blood essence suddenly moved.
It instantly exploded!
It could feel the essence starting to attack its own body.
'Impossible?!'
'Backlash?!'
'How could that be?'
It had used the essence before, but this was its first time feeling a backlash.
It was used to consuming the essence.
'Why is there a backlash then?'
It tried to suppress the spirit force waves, but no matter what, the spirit force boiled up even more until it couldn't suppress it anymore.
Cracks appeared on its body.
Its powerful chi went back to what it was and even became weaker.
"?"
Fred and the group looked at the insectoid in confusion.
'Backlashed?'
'Why is it so unlucky?'
Fred and the group knew that insectoids had all sorts of trump cards. But it was their first time hearing and seeing someone receiving a backlash right after using a trump card.
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. The insectoid's chi was backlashing, and these two were still petrified.
He coughed. "Brother Fred, Sister Mirium, can you beat it now?"
The two were bewildered and stared at the insectoid.
The insectoid took out a gray rune and wrapped himself and the injured level-2 cosmic cloud state insectoid in a defensive shield.
Space around them rippled.
Fred yelled, "No, they're going to escape!"
They used all their power.
A white energy ball and golden sword ray sliced on the gray shield.
'Rumble'...
The shield didn't even crack. It was about to fuse into space.
The insectoid snarled. "You think you can stop me?"
Lu Ze smiled and spoke again. "Ying Ying, interrupt their teleportation."
"Oh!"
Immediately, the space around that gray shield boiled like water.
"?"
The insectoids were confused.
'What is going on?'
'Rumble!'
The silver light of space exploded.
The powerful gray shield was torn apart.
When the light was gone, the two insectoids were revealed.
"..."
Fred and the group were stunned again.
At this moment, the two insectoids were covered in hideous wounds. Goo kept spilling out. That level-2 cosmic cloud state insectoid lost a segment of its body.
"Damn it, what is going on?!" the level-3 insectoid roared in disappointment.
They were already about to run away, but space suddenly exploded!
This didn't make sense!
That space rune was made by a powerful being of the Insectoid Race.
How could this happen?!
Fred and the other cultivators all thought that the insectoids were escaping, but a dramatic scene of defeat happened.
This was great!
Fred and Mirium charged up again.
The two insectoids knew they had nowhere to go. They hissed and charged back.
'Rumble'...
Consecutive clashes sounded in the air.
Although the two insectoids were much weaker, they still unleashed extremely strong power in their desperation.
"Hiss!"
Moments later, a golden sword ray sliced across the level-2 cosmic cloud state insectoids, cutting another segment off its body.
This insectoid howled pitifully. Its life force became a candle in the wind that was about to be snuffed out at any time.
Mirium didn't stop there. She raised her long sword, then more golden sword rays shot into the air. They turned into light and sliced past the level-2 insectoid.
The insectoid stiffened.
A moment later, a shockwave swept past, and its body turned to pieces.
The level-3 insectoid howled again.
But since its combat power was much weaker, it could barely stop Fred's attacks, much less counterattack.
With Mirium's participation, the level-3 insectoid was severed into many pieces in a few short seconds.
'Pant...'
The two returned to Lu Ze and the girls. Yi Lei and Cager smiled excitedly.
"I thought they were going to escape."
"Haha, the mission is finished. Brother Fred and Sister Mirium are amazing!"
They could get the mission rewards now.
Lu Ze and the girls smiled.
The cultivators on the side also felt relieved. Their race was near this region. If these cosmic cloud state insectoids weren't dealt with, their race would be in danger too.
"Hiss!"
At this moment, the distant insectoid swarm felt the death of their bosses.
Fred opened his mouth and said, "Let's handle this insectoid tide too."
This wasn't included in the mission parameter, but since they already saw them, it was better to handle it.
Otherwise, who knows how many solar systems they would destroy?
Without the cosmic cloud state insectoids, the insectoid swarm was easily wiped away.
Thereafter, Yi Lei and Cager took the materials from the cosmic cloud state insectoid body and recorded them before leaving.
The other cultivators felt relieved.
"I thought our race would be destroyed too."
"I was thinking about going back and fleeing with my race members."
"They're truly the prodigies of the Crystal Race and Golden Spear Race. That combat power should be middle to high level among cosmic cloud states?"
"Really strong." Everyone nodded.
One person said, "But I wonder who that cosmic system state was?"
Everyone stopped breathing.
Those few cosmic system states were too scary. They didn't dare to believe it.
"Especially that man. His combat power was around level-3 to level-4 cosmic system state, right?"
"Terrifying!"
"Soon, their names would be notorious."
In the near future, the entire Elf Cosmic Realm would know their names.
After a while, someone shook his head. "This doesn't concern us. I'm going back to the race to spread the news."
"I'm going back too."
"..."
Everyone left.
...
In the ship of the Crystal Race, everyone was sitting and resting.
Yi Lei smiled and said, "I didn't expect we would be this lucky."
Cager laughed. "Yeah, that insectoid was too unfortunate. Backlash and space transmission explosion."
Lu Ze and the girls smiled.
At this moment, Yi Lei looked at Lu Ze. "But I didn't expect Brother Lu Ze's combat power to be this threatening. Having a level-3 cosmic cloud state combat power at level-8 cosmic system state."
Cager nodded. "Brother Lu Ze is stronger than us, but we're cosmic cloud states."
Fred and Mirium recalled what happened in the battle. They guessed that Lu Ze's combat power would be extremely strong. They thought it would be about level-2 cosmic cloud state.
However, he was a level-3.
The difference between every level in the cosmic cloud state was extremely huge.
Lu Ze grinned. "It's only so-so."
He only could barely kill people slightly stronger than him now. He had fallen.
Lu Ze saw the surprised gazes of the four cultivators and grinned. "By the way, Brother Fred, do you know where to locate other middle-grade spirit gathering stones and dao enlightenment stones?"
Fred was taken aback, and Mirium said, "Brother Lu Ze, do you want a middle-grade spirit gathering stone and dao enlightenment stone?"
Lu Ze smiled. "Of course, if there is a higher grade, I wouldn't mind."
Fred's mouth twitched. Even middle-grade was hard to get, let alone a higher one.
Mirium laughed it off. "Brother Lu Ze is really funny. Even the Elf Race doesn't have top-grade spirit gathering and dao enlightenment stones."
Lu Ze was dazed. "Even the Elf Race doesn't have them?"
Fred nodded. "Yes, although they are a cosmic realm state civilization, top-grade stones are too precious. Cosmic realm states can't get them. You have to be at least a cosmic monarch state or cosmic lord state to get it. Only those powerful races and organizations can get it."
Lu Ze raised a brow. He didn't expect it to be that hard to get.
He said, "Where did they get their medium-grade stones then?"
Fred and the others looked at each other. They felt more confused about Lu Ze.
Lu Ze's combat power amazed them.
Such a prodigy should have a powerful being supporting him, right?
Didn't that boss tell him about this?
Fred didn't think much about it anymore. He smiled and said, "Elf Race got theirs from the second level of the Sivir Ancient Battle Ruin."
Lu Ze and the girls were surprised.
'Isn't this the place that Liu Zhiyun told them last time?'
Seeing the surprise of Lu Ze, Fred smiled and said, "Middle-grade dao enlightenment stones and spirit gathering stones are usually in the second region of the ruin. There would be some in the first region, but after all these years, there are few found in the first region.
Mirium nodded. "There is a barrier between the first and second region. Only those who reach cosmic realm state combat power can break through the barrier and enter the second level."
Liu Zhiyun had told them before but not as clearly as Mirium.
After all, Liu Zhiyun went in when he was just a cosmic system state. His power was probably the weakest in that ruin.
Lu Ze continued asking, "Where can you enter that ruin?"
Fred and the others were dazed. "Brother Lu Ze, you're planning to go in and see?"
Lu Ze nodded.
Fred smiled and said, "Our Elf Cosmic Realm has an entrance."
Lu Ze and the girls rejoiced.
Lu Ze asked, "Where is it?"
Fred smiled and replied, "It's in the Central Region of the Elf Cosmic Realm. It's not far from the Elf Divine Realm."
He took out the star map and marked the location.
Lu Ze remembered it and smiled. "Thank you, Brother Fred."
Fred waved his hand and said, "It's no secret in the Elf Cosmic Realm. Even if I don't tell you, you can find out soon if you ask someone else."
Fred was right.
Mirium smiled. "When does Brother Lu Ze plan on going?"
Lu Ze thought about it. "I still plan to trade some things in the Crisp Green Blade. It will probably take some time."
Mirium nodded slightly. "I have been there once with an elder from my race. It is very dangerous. If Brother Lu Ze plans to go, best to be safe."
Lu Ze nodded when he heard the words.
He was going to wait a while. One reason was to get enough points until he obtained the communication device. The second could be explained by his insufficient power.
There would be quite a lot of peak cosmic cloud states in the first level. He had to bring his cultivation level to cosmic cloud state first.
As for going to the ruin, he would get Liu Zhiyun to lead the way afterwards.
Lu Ze and the girls stayed in the Crystal Race.
Seeing this, everyone began to discuss their cultivation learning.
It was very beneficial to Lu Ze and the girls.
Fred and other companions also felt more shocked while conversing.
Lu Ze and the girl's cultivation level were weaker, but their mastery of god art far surpassed theirs.
Moreover, Lu Ze and his team have realized more than just a few god arts.
They could preach about all sorts of god arts.
One word that made them feel awkward...
'Empowerment!'
This made some of Fred's hair stand on end.
What kind of horrible perception is this?!
The talents of the Human Race are terrible, right?!
All of a sudden, Fred and the others felt that Lu Ze was hiding a lot and therefore adopted an even humbler attitude.
In the following time, in addition to exchanging martial arts knowledge, everyone looked at the missions in the badges from time to time, and if they found new missions suitable for them, they would continue to do them.
...
Ten days later, in the warp dimension, the ship of the Crystal Race and the New Dawn were flying across space.
Lu Ze was sitting in his room. Endless spirit force was pulled into his cells, then the final star ring cracked.
Moments later, Lu Ze broke through. His cells were covered with stars. All the stars were perfected. Spirit force connected them.
He just needed to wait for the new planet to be perfected, and he could consider breaking through to the cosmic cloud state.
Peak cosmic system state!
Lu Ze exhaled slightly, clenched his fists in both hands, and felt that ferocious power in his body.
He grinned.
He was much stronger now.
He came out of the room.
Nangong Jing and the other girls were sitting with Ying Ying, watching cartoons.
At this moment, Lu Li looked at Lu Ze with wonder. "Lu Ze, you're out."
Lu Ze coughed and nodded.
Nangong Jing studied Lu Ze from head to toe. "Ze, you broke through to the peak cosmic system state?"
Qiuyue Hesha grinned. "Little Brother Lu Ze, I broke through earlier than you."
Lu Ze: "..."
The fox demon and alcoholic always broke through a few days earlier than him. This was hard to bear.
Alice jumped up from the couch. "Since Senior broke through, then let's cook some delicious food to celebrate?"
Ying Ying's and Lu Ze's eyes lit up.
Ying Ying's clear voice sounded. "Sister Alice is the best!"
She looked at Alice with admiration.
Lu Li and Lin Ling were slightly annoyed. Lin Ling pinched Ying Ying's face. "Ying Ying, your Sister Li and I have cooked a lot of good things for you. You're only going to compliment Sister Alice?"
Ying Ying's body stiffened.
She quickly said, "Sister Ling and Li are the best too!"
Lin Ling nodded happily and let go of Ying Ying.
The three went to the kitchen.
Lu Ze came to Ying Ying. "Quick, play the next episode."
Ying Ying nodded.
After dinner, the group sat on the couch watching cartoons once more.
At this moment, Ying Ying said, "Someone went to the Milky Way to find grandfather and the other soldiers."
Hearing this, Lu Ze and the girls stood up.
Lu Ze opened his mouth and asked, "Who is it?"
Lu Ze allowed Ying Ying to watch the situation in the Milky Way because he expected cultivators would go and investigate them for the power he revealed.
However, cultivators were already there now. This was faster than they had expected.
Ying Ying pointed in space and a screen showed a scene.
A wormhole appeared and a person flew out.
Lu Ze and the girls raised their brows.
This person was gray-skinned, had no hair, and had a complex black rune on his head.
Alice exclaimed, "It's him!"
Qiuyue Hesha frowned. "I remember. Isn't he called Isiah?"
Lu Ze raised his eyebrows slightly. "I expected this."
Nangong Jing grinned and said, "He's probably not the only one here, right?"
Lu Ze nodded. "At least the Elf Race would definitely go."
"Ignore the other races first. Let's see what this guy plans to do."
Milky Way Galaxy.
Isiah flew out of the wormhole and looked around with contempt.
This little place was no different from his previous understanding.
One could see that the Human Race wasn't some powerful race.
'Why did they have those few prodigies?'
'Are they even humans?'
He expanded his mental force.
Thereafter, he found a planet with life. Isiah tore open space casually and entered the wormhole.
...
Gracious System.
A wormhole appeared, and Isiah came out.
He looked down at the planet and flew there.
Soon, he came to a high plain. It seemed to be cultivating a low-grade spirit herb.
Isiah felt contemptuous again.
Such low-grade spirit herbs were useless in his race.
Yet, the Human Race had to plant them. They were a low-grade civilization indeed.
He shook his head in disdain and flew to a city.
He wasn't dumb. Lu Ze's and the girl's combat power were terrifying, but their cultivation level wasn't high. This meant that their foundation was truly scary.
Just building such a strong foundation required too many resources.
'How could the Human Race supply it?'
And, their god art and divine art had to be extremely strong.
'How could a race like the Human Race possess high-level divine arts?'
There must be some beings behind this.
It might be that they found a rather abundant ruin.
'If that was the case, then don't blame him!'
Isiah's eyes flashed with cold light.
Of course, there was also the possibility that Lu Ze's and the girl's talents were noticed by an extremely powerful being.
If that turned out to be the truth, he would leave immediately.
Such being wasn't someone he nor his race could mess with.
He planned to go into the city and see the situation first.
...
New Dawn.
Lu Ze looked at the scene on the star screen after watching Isiah come to the wormhole.
"Isn't this Xing Zhan Plains?"
Lin Ling nodded. "He came to Gracious."
Lu Ze's eyes flashed with excitement.
"They're growing Xingzhan fruit trees again? There will be a lot of ripe fruits soon, right?"
Lu Ze gulped.
He hadn't had Xingzhan fruit cake for a long time.
It was his fault that he wasn't able to protect the trees from the void beast tide.
Lu Ze felt bad.
After eating the batch of Xingzhan fruit pancakes, which Lin Dongyu gave him, he hadn't had any for a long time.
Qiuyue Hesha squinted her eyes and said, "Looking at Little Brother Lu Ze now, he really is deserving of his young duke title."
Lu Ze's mouth twitched. He just remembered his young duke title was Xingzhan Fruit Pancake.
But because everyone called him Monarch of the New Dawn, they forgot his young duke title.
'Mhm... he should beat up Lin Dongyu sometime.'
Isiah went into Xingzhan City.
The people in the city glanced at Isiah a little and didn't pay any more attention.
There were few cultivators from the other race, but there were still some. Many races that have trading relationships with the Human Race will come to the Human Race to trade on the planet.
Especially since the Human Race showed cosmic cloud state power, the nearby race came to suck up to them.
It wasn't very special that there were a few other cultivators in the city.
Isiah casually went around the place. Soon, he arrived in a vast square.
There was a statue there. Isiah was stunned.
This statue was Lu Ze!
Lu Ze frowned.
'This guy was indeed from the Human Race?'
It seems his status wasn't low.
The group on the New Dawn saw the statue too.
Lu Ze looked at the statue. His mouth twitched, and his face was blank.
"I have a statue in Xingzhan City? Why don't I know?"
Nangong Jing rolled her eyes. "We don't know either."
Lu Ze fell into contemplation, then he looked at the statue.
Seeing Lu Ze's solemn expression, Lu Li asked curiously, "Lu Ze, what's wrong?"
When Lu Ze heard the words, he touched his chin broadly and said calmly, "The problem is quite big."
Lu Ze spoke further with dissatisfaction. "I feel this statue doesn't portray my handsomeness enough. Should I be a model at the scene so that they can change it accordingly?"
"..."
The atmosphere turned awkward.
Lu Ze looked at them and asked, "Don't you feel so?"
'Don't they want him to be more handsome in public? He was their man.'
Lin Ling roared and punched Lu Ze.
The other girls were ready to punch him too.
At this moment, the scene changed.
Lu Ze quickly said, "Stop! Look, there's a situation!"
The girls looked at the scene. Isiah was indeed walking towards another cultivator.
They would let him go this time.
They went back to their seats to watch the scene.
Lu Ze felt relieved.
Isiah walked towards a white, sharp-headed being. He grinned. "Brother, who is this statue of?"
The cultivator studied Isiah and asked, "Is it your first time at the Human Race?"
Isiah nodded and smiled. "Yes, I'm a tourist. It's my first time here."
The other party nodded. "You came to see the night scene of Xingzhan Plains, right?"
He sighed. "Too bad, it's not as good as before. A few years ago, before the void beasts came, the Xingzhan fruit trees were lush. That night scene... The ones now are newly planted. Who knows how long it would take to recover? Let me tell you..."
The cultivator shared a pile of useless information.
Isiah's smile gradually became hideous.
'Is this person asking to die?'
'Who the hell wants to know all of these?'
If he wasn't worried about a being behind the Human Race, he would crush this planet.
Isiah took a deep breath. "Brother, you haven't told me who this person is."
The cultivator smiled and pointed at the statue. "Don't be scared."
Isiah raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
The other party came back to his senses. He smiled and pointed to the statue.
"It is the Monarch of the New Dawn. By the way, do you know about the prodigy titles of the Human Race? It's like this..."
Isiah quickly said, "I know, I know, is this human prodigy really strong?"
"Strong?" the other cultivator sneered.
"You're the first one I have heard calling the Monarch of the New Dawn 'strong'."
Isiah frowned. "Is he not strong?"
'Or are there stronger ones in the Human Race?'
Just when Isiah was confused, the cultivator said, "A 22-year old cosmic system state with a cosmic cloud state combat power. Do you call a monster like this strong? You're joking right, Brother?"
"?"
Isiah's body stiffened. His eyes widened, and his mind blanked out.
The atmosphere fell silent.
The other cultivator was a little worried. He patted Isiah's shoulder and asked nervously, "Brother? Are you alright? You're not scared to death, are you?"
He regretted saying the words.
'Is he required to pay compensation now?'
At this moment, Isiah grabbed his shoulder and stared at the cultivator. "Are you absolutely certain this person is only 22 years old?"
Once confirming Isiah recovered, the other party rejoiced. "Brother, you're fine? I thought you were scared to death!"
Isiah: "?"
His mouth twitched. He suddenly had the urge to choke the other cultivator to death.
He took a deep breath and forced out a smile. "I'm fine."
In the next moment, he didn't give the other party a chance to speak and quickly asked, "Is this Monarch of the New Dawn truly 22 years old only?"
The cultivator grew unhappy. "Of course, Brother, why would I lie to you?"
"..."
Isiah took a deep breath. Disbelief filled his eyes.
'22 years old...'
Lu Ze was merely 22 years old, but he had a cosmic system state cultivation level and a cosmic cloud state combat power.
He already surpassed the Elf Princess.
'How could he be strong?'
He questioned, "But isn't the Human Race a cosmic system state civilization only? Why would they suddenly gain the ability to produce a prodigy like him?"
The other party grinned. "I don't know too well. Rumor has it that the Monarch of the New Dawn awakened his talent a few years ago. They say that a formidable yet mysterious being took him as a disciple. They speculate that this being has reached the beyond of the cosmic realm state. It is the primary reason why Monarch of the New Dawn is unparalleled."
"Beyond the cosmic realm state?!"
Isiah drew a cold breath.
The entire cosmic realm state didn't have such a powerful master...
The other cultivator grinned. "These are all hearsays. Others even claimed that the Monarch of the New Dawn is actually the son of the universe. I don't even know who to believe."
"Um, Brother, can you release my shoulder? You got a lot of power. What is your cultivation level? Is it at the abstruse martial state or at the core martial state?"
Isiah: "..."
He laughed it off. "I'm an abstruse martial state."
He soon loosened his hold.
The cultivator smiled. "Amazing! I'm about to break through to the abstruse martial state too!" he rejoiced.
Isiah nodded expressionlessly. "Oh, good luck."
He turned around and said, "I'm busy. I'll be going then."
He already got what he could. This idiot probably wouldn't know much about that super boss.
The other party scratched his head.
"Brother, the Human Race believes that meeting is determined by fate. Since we are destined, why don't we spar with each other? I'll treat you to a meal after!"
Isiah responded, "No... need, no need. My family is still waiting for me."
The cultivator said regretfully, "Family is more important indeed."
Isiah left.
...
Lu Ze had gotten embarrassed to hear the praises.
Lin Ling remarked, "Even foreign cultivators think that Ze is strong."
Lu Ze rebutted, "I'm not just strong! I'm a monster!"
Nangong Jing and the rest of his lovers rolled their eyes.
Quickly, Lu Ze changed the topic. "Um, let's keep watching."
Isiah extended his stay in the city. Throughout this period, he learned more about Lu Ze.
He had gained a basic understanding of the other person.
The more he heard, the more shocked he felt.
It only took Lu Ze five years to raise his popularity. In such a time, he also managed to break through to the cosmic system state.
Isiah couldn't accept the absurdity of the situation.
'Is Lu Ze even a real human?'
'Could there be a god-like organization behind him?'
'If not, then how can he become peerless without much struggle?'
His interest was piqued. He wanted to conduct an investigation.
However, the more he learned about him, the more mortified he became.
If a god-like organization really supported Lu Ze, then prying into his origins and background might just throw him deep into the abyss.
There was a high chance he would lead his race to destruction as well.
Isiah's heart froze over. Albeit reluctant, he settled on withdrawing his curiosity.
Outside the city, Isiah looked back at the well-known metropolis. His eyes flashed.
Isiah gritted his teeth and left. He decided to find another planet and city.
He really wasn't satisfied to leave like this.
Just as Isiah was about to enter the warp dimension, Lu Ze asked, "Ying Ying, pressure him a bit. Try scaring him."
The other girls revealed a malicious smile.
Ying Ying obeyed as starlight flashed in her eyes.
Just when Isiah was about to enter the warp dimension, the space he tore open closed abruptly.
Isiah was taken aback.
'What is going on?'
'Did the opening he created close right away?'
Suddenly, an extremely terrifying pressure descended on his body.
'Crack...'
Isiah's body bent over. He had fractured his bones all over. The resulting pain made him break into a cold sweat.
Isiah could feel his body freezing over.
It is a powerful being!
An extremely powerful being!
His skin crawled as his eyes overflowed with terror.
Someone caught him!
After all, if it were a cosmic realm state, how could a cosmic cloud state hide from such a being?!
Isiah regretted his actions.
'I'm really stupid...'
I shouldn't have come here. If I wasn't so nosy, I wouldn't be discovered. Perhaps I would still be able to do some missions by then.
He struggled to speak. "Master! Master, please forgive me! I didn't do anything that wronged the Human Race! Please forgive me!"
Watching Isiah beg, Qiuyue Hesha felt satisfied. "Little Brother Lu Ze, how are we going to deal with him?"
Lu Ze pondered about it.
If he were to murder the man, the Gray Stone Race might retaliate. It was a peak cosmic cloud state civilization. They are incapable of taking them on for now.
The Human Race wasn't strong enough. All they could rely on was Ying Ying.
More importantly, Ying Ying should be sleeping soon as they are about to break through to a new state.
The Gray Stone Race had a significant role in the cosmic realm. It was the race tasked to stop the insectoid tide.
If something were to happen, the Elf Race might not tolerate it.
'Teach him a lesson!' Lu Ze thought.
At this juncture, Ying Ying suddenly said, "Someone is coming over here."
As soon as she delivered the message, a wormhole appeared and brought out a pretty figure.
It was a powerful being from the Elf Race.
As soon as she exited, she encountered the terrified Isiah. The scene caught her off-guard.
When she stepped foot in the Milky Way, she sensed Isiah's chi. It was the reason she came over.
She didn't expect to see such a scene.
'What is wrong with this man?'
'Why does it seem like someone was pressuring him?'
The female elf failed to sense the presence of another chi though.
Isiah immediately rejoiced when he saw her arrive. "Lord, Lord, save me!"
Hearing his pleas, the elf frowned.
Just when she was about to speak, an immensely powerful pressure also fell upon her.
Her enchanting face immediately became pale.
'A super powerful being is here!'
The pressure directed at her surpassed even the queen's power!
Luckily, she had experienced being pressured by the queen once. In comparison, she could tell that the pressure she was receiving right now was far superior.
'Why would a powerful being stay in the Human Race?'
'How did Isiah, this damned idiot, offend a powerful being?!'
'Is he a complete and utter idiot?!'
The elf glared at Isiah and quickly said, "Master, I'm not with this guy! I'm a good person!"
Aboard the New Dawn, Lu Ze and the girls looked at the female from the Elf Race who surrendered immediately. Their faces looked strange, especially Lu Ze.
He thought the Elf Race would be condescending.
However, this was all due to Ying Ying's terrifying power.
Nangong Jing looked at Lu Ze and asked, "Ze, what do we do?"
Lu Ze lifted the corners of his lips. "Just scare them away."
Even if it was Isiah, Lu Ze didn't really plan to kill him, let alone someone from the Elf Race.
After all, the Elf Race was a cosmic realm state civilization. They had helped the Human Race at the very least.
If the Elf Race didn't help the twelve saints reach the cosmic system state, then who knew what the Human Race would be like right now?
He rubbed Ying Ying's little head and said, "Ying Ying, throw them into a panic. Give that Isiah a lesson, but don't hurt that being from the Elf Race. Prevent them from investigating the Human Race again."
Ying Ying nodded.
Starlight spun in her eyes. In the next second, the female elf and Isiah disappeared instantly.
In the process, those two only felt as though their vision blurred. Somehow, they had left the premises of the Milky Way, but they were clueless as to where they were heading.
Their hearts were even more scared stiff.
'What sort of an omnipotent being is this?'
They were played around like mere ragdolls.
The female elf's heart grew cold.
'Oh no, I'm only 2000 years old. Am I going to die this young? I haven't even experienced the sweet taste of love yet! I'm so disappointed.'
Just when she felt despair, the power suppressing her suddenly loosened!
The elf was taken aback.
'Is she free now?'
The moment she had such a thought, Isiah suddenly screamed.
The female elf looked around and saw Isiah squirming. There were cracks forming in his body as gray-colored blood gushed out.
After witnessing the gruesome scene, the female elf's heart rate quickened again.
'So that powerful being is actually planning to kill them one by one?!'
Run?
Or accept fate?
Isiah felt his body getting crushed. A painful sensation overwhelmed his entire senses.
In the following moment, the immense pressure was lifted.
He ended up blinking.
He didn't... die?
Right then, a clear voice echoed in their heads.
"I'll let you off this time. You are not allowed to go to the Milky Way and disturb the Human Race. If you failed to do so, I won't go easy on you."
The two were frozen on the spot.
That voice clearly didn't release any chi, but they still couldn't move at all.
This suppression was emitted by a higher life form.
It was definitely an extremely powerful being!
Even so, the two ended up rejoicing.
Such a powerful being let them go?!
The female elf immediately said, "Thank you, Master! I will inform my race not to disturb your peace."
Isiah spoke shakily. "Thank you, Master, for sparing me!"
After the pressure was gone, the space became tranquil.
The two were still stuck in the same place, not daring to move for the fear that the master hadn't left yet.
After a few minutes of silence, the female elf probed, "Master, are you still there?"
There was no response.
Only then did she relax.
Thereafter, she thought of something and looked coldly at the heavily injured Isiah.
Isiah felt relieved, but after seeing the cold gaze of the elf, he revealed an awkward expression. "Master, what orders do you have?"
The elf responded coldly, "Speak, how did you offend that master?"
Isiah almost burst out in tears. He answered, "I just wanted to investigate Lu Ze. I didn't do anything, but I was... monitored."
The elf was shaken.
"You didn't do anything?"
Isiah confirmed with a nod. "I just asked about Lu Ze in one of the cities. I was very well-behaved."
He was also fearful he would offend some formidable being if he overdid it. Unfortunately, he didn't expect this being to be more extraordinary than he had imagined.
The elf breathed easy. She was delighted. After all, she had the same intention.
This meant that Isiah saved her the trouble.
If it were not for him, she would be the one heavily injured, right?
However... he just wanted to investigate Lu Ze but got warned in the end. From the incident earlier, it seemed as though that being was pretty much the master behind Lu Ze...
Was that being Lu Ze's master?
It was most likely the fact.
But... why did that being's voice sound like a kid?
'Haha, how is that possible?'
How could a child be this strong?
Perhaps that master only wanted to act like someone who was young?
Which powerful being didn't have some unique fetish these days?
The elf quickly stopped thinking. She didn't want her mind to be read.
That master was probably stronger than the queen! Yet such a being appeared in the Human Race.
This was not an ordinary occurrence.
Luckily, that master didn't have ill intentions towards her. She had to quickly report to Lord Anton first!
The elf warned, "You must not offend that master. Otherwise, you would have to appease his anger by yourself!"
Isiah's mouth twitched. "Of course, I don't dare to."
The elf nodded and looked at her star map. When she saw her location, she was dumbfounded. "How is this possible?!"
Isiah tensed up. "What's wrong, Master?"
The elf said, "Have a look at the star map yourself."
Isiah took out his star map. When he saw his current location, he was stunned as well. "We are actually back at the trade planet?"
His skin crawled.
There were tens of millions of light-years between this place and the Milky Way galaxy!
In that short instant, they were transported here?!
That being didn't even reveal his face?!
This was terrifying?
How could one be this powerful?
The elf took a deep breath and said nothing more. She tore the space open and departed.
Isiah went to a nearby barren planet to start recovering from his wounds.
It would be dangerous for him to enter the warp dimension now.
...
Back on the New Dawn, Lu Ze and the girls smiled.
Lu Ze said, "With that lesson, they wouldn't dare to scheme against the Human Race, right?"
If that didn't work, he would ask Ying Ying to annihilate those races.
On the side, the girls were hugging and rubbing against Ying Ying.
"Hehe, Ying Ying is so amazing!"
"Let me hug you, mua~~"
Ying Ying waved her two little hands helplessly.
Isiah and that elf would never expect that a powerful being would end up like this.
After a while, Lu Ze couldn't handle it anymore.
"Calm down, you five!"
Alice smiled at Ying Ying. "As a reward for this big help, let's go cook then."
Lu Li and Lin Ling got up too.
Ying Ying's eyes immediately lit up.
