The Virtual Universe.
The sky was a clear, pristine blue, without the slightest blemish. Clouds drifted around, and within this misty void, a massive stone round table, over ten meters in diameter, floated in midair. Its surface bore ancient, mottled patterns. Surrounding the floating stone table, numerous stone chairs of the same material hovered in place.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
One figure after another appeared out of thin air. Among them were Jiang Tianchen, Anmonds, and Basaha. Each selected a stone chair and sat down.
“I represent the Three-Axe Mountain,” Jiang Tianchen said coldly, seated on his stone chair.
“I represent the Ice Sea Divine Kingdom,” a woman dressed in snow-white robes, her long hair nearly translucent, smiled.
“I represent the Black Dragon Mountain,” a Monarch-level being with scales covering his face, revealing only a pair of blood-red eyes, and standing nearly four meters tall, spoke in a deep voice.
…
There were twelve figures in total.
They represented four major organizations, two sacred realms, and the sixteen great families. Among the sixteen families, only a single representative had been sent. However, the four organizations and two sacred realms had arrived in total with eleven Monarchs.
“Then let us begin the meeting,” the scale-covered giant from the Black Dragon Mountain said in a low voice.
“The entrance to the Thunder World is currently guarded by Qinya, the envoy of the Qianwu Branch of the Galactic Mercenary Alliance. No adventurer below the Monarch level is allowed entry,” Jiang Tianchen’s voice echoed through the void.
“Who is this Qinya?” a gentle voice came from the female Monarch of the Ice Sea Divine Kingdom.
“She is a disciple of the Third Legion Commander of the Qianwu Galactic Empire,” Jiang Tianchen replied. “The Third Commander dotes on her greatly.”
“The Third Commander?”
The other eleven Monarchs were taken aback.
“Exactly. That’s why we can’t force our way in,” Jiang Tianchen scanned the other Monarchs. “So I suggest… we send in a large group of Monarch-level adventurers, under the pretense of taking the apprentice mercenary exam, to enter the Thunder World.”
“Brilliant idea!”
“Hmm.”
Jiang Tianchen’s suggestion was met with nods of agreement from the gathered Monarchs.
“Anyone with other opinions, please speak,” Jiang Tianchen said.
“With Qinya blocking the entrance, who dares openly defy the alliance’s laws?” the scale-covered giant chuckled. “Alright, Brother Jiang, we’ll follow your suggestion. We’ll send in large groups of Monarch-level adventurers.”
“How many will each faction send?”
“How will the numbers be decided?”
Immediately, the twelve Monarchs began a heated debate. The more adventurers one faction sent, the greater their advantage in the race for treasures. The main debate was between the four organizations and the two sacred realms!
“Each of the sixteen families may send a maximum of ten thousand Monarch-level adventurers.”
“Each of the four organizations may send a maximum of two hundred thousand Monarch-level adventurers.”
“Each of the two sacred realms may send a maximum of five hundred thousand Monarch-level adventurers.”
…
The outcome of this summit meeting within the Black Dragon Mountain star region quickly led to internal allocations within the four organizations and two sacred realms. Each faction had its own Monarchs, Lords, and Cosmic-level beings, and the number of slots allocated naturally varied depending on their strength and status.
…
Canglan Star.
With the joint blockade by the two sacred realms, four organizations, and sixteen families, no other Monarch-level adventurers were allowed entry into the Thunder World.
“Wow, so many people flying over!”
“It’s so dark with them, how many are there?”
At the Galactic Mercenary Alliance base, a group of adventurers stared in shock at the sky. A massive warship hovered above, and countless warriors in dark gray battle armor flew down in droves, completely blocking out the sky. In moments, they all flew in a line toward the entrance of the Thunder World—the villa.
“What’s going on?” Qinya, dressed in bright silver battle armor, demanded.
“Ma’am, we are all Monarch-level adventurers who have accepted the Galactic Apprentice Mercenary Exam,” a Monarch-level warrior at the head of the line respectfully replied.
“All here for the Apprentice Mercenary Exam?” Qinya was astonished, staring at the long line before her.
The line stretched endlessly, reaching all the way into the sky.
How many people were there?
Yet, when Qinya conducted a broad scan, she found the entire line consisted of Monarch-level adventurers, all of whom had accepted the apprentice mercenary exam task.
…
In the villa garden.
Anmonds, Basaha, and Jiang Tianchen observed as the team swiftly advanced into the Realm of Thunder.
“Amengzi, you’re quite fast,” Basiha remarked, eyeing Amengzi.
“Ten thousand Star-level Nine Stages, just perfect.” An Mengzi grinned. “Everyone, I’ll be taking the first step ahead.”
……
Even Lian Nuolan Mountain could muster ten thousand Star-Level Nine warriors, let alone a World Lord! For them, finding ten thousand Star-Level Nine warriors is as effortless as breathing! Take An Mengzi for example—his domain alone spans three star systems, not to mention the countless disciples who flock to him in admiration.
……
From then on, squad after squad arrived in the skies above Canglan Star.
All of them were star-level adventurers, and nearly all were at the ninth tier of the star level! Some formed small teams of dozens, others gathered in groups of thousands, and some even assembled massive forces numbering in the tens of thousands. Team after team of ninth-tier star-level adventurers filed into the Thunderbolt World! Meanwhile, many adventurers who had originally planned to take the probationary mercenary assessment were instead barred from entry.
Canglan Star, the headquarters of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, in the tavern next door.
The two domain lords, Ming Yu and Shao Donglai, were seated there. The entire tavern was filled with domain lords and cosmic-level beings—ordinary adventurers wouldn’t dare enter.
Just then, a man clad in dark green battle armor strode in, his pointed ears giving him an eerie, cold demeanor. His sharp gaze swept the room, instantly locking onto Ming Yu and Shao Donglai.
“Lord Mingyu, Lord Donglai.”
“Norlanshan, you’ve brought your men as well.” Ming Yu and Shao Donglai both nodded. Though they were Domain Lords, the man before them bore the prestigious title of ‘Axe Warrior’—an honor neither of them had achieved during their Cosmic-level days. Thus, they held a trace of respect for Norlanshan.
“It’s just a small force,” Nuolanshan chuckled. “They’re all outside.”
Ming Yu and Shao Donglai glanced outside.
Outside the window, on the open ground, a squad clad in uniformed battle attire stood in formation.
“Not bad at all, two hundred people,” Ming Yu praised. “For the Cosmic level, some only get fifty slots, others just a hundred.”
A team of 200 Star-Level Nine warriors from the Nolan Mountain family marched toward the villa, entering in orderly succession, one after another.
These 200 individuals were personally selected by Noulan Shan from his family and the Noulan Guards, all of them being highly skilled combatants at the ninth level of the Planetary stage.
“Just trying my luck,” Nuolanshan said with a smile.
“Hmm, go ahead.” Ming Yu said indifferently.
“Yes,” Nuolanshan bowed slightly before making his way to a corner of the tavern, where he joined two familiar Cosmic-level warriors. The establishment was filled with groups of Cosmic-level fighters and quite a few Domain Lords, all waiting patiently. They were biding their time until the Star-level ninth-rank adventurers from their respective organizations and factions would emerge.
In the tavern, by the window seat, Ming Yu and Shao Donglai were engaged in conversation.
“So many people going in,” Shao Donglai remarked with a sigh.
“The Two Holy Lands, the Four Organizations, and the Sixteen Families—combined, they have nearly two million Star-level adventurers!” Ming Yu sighed in awe. “Look, outside, the Star-level adventurers preparing to enter the Thunder World have already formed an endless line, stretching all the way into the sky!”
“Yes.”
Shaodong Lai peered out through the window.
A vast, dark mass, like a storm cloud blotting out the sky!
“Both you and I will send a thousand people in, but who knows what we’ll find.” Shao Donglai shook his head.
“Interstellar flight is slow, and there are also ferocious beasts blocking the way. Even if we rely on our numbers and dare to charge through recklessly, it would probably take seven or eight days just to reach the Wind and Thunder Canyon!” Ming Yu shook his head. “That’s why the group that was already in the Thunder World earlier, with the advantage of time, stands the best chance of obtaining the treasures of the Inner World.”
Shao Donglai nodded and then asked, “How many of your subordinates were originally in the Thunder World from the very beginning?”
“No one. You know our Three Axes Mountain doesn’t nurture the young,” Ming Yu shook his head, then suddenly recalled something, his eyes lighting up. “Ah, right. I once recruited three youngsters back then and persuaded them to embark on a cosmic adventure. At the time, they seemed quite tempted. If they were to take the risk, they’d likely sign up for the probationary mercenary trials.”
“Three young men?” Shao Donglai exclaimed in astonishment.
“Yes, it was Lord Manluo who instructed me to keep an eye on those three—Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen.” Ming Yu revealed a faint smile. “I’ll contact them.”
“Luo Feng, Hong, Thunder God?” Shao Donglai murmured. “To have caught Lord Manluo’s attention?”
……
In the realm within realms, it was the dead of night.
It was already the eighth day within the Boundary of Realms. In the desolate plains where wild grasses grew rampant, a patch of ground trembled slightly before—*whoosh*—five figures burst forth one after another.
“I haven’t rested for eight days straight, I’m exhausted. Why haven’t those cosmic powerhouses shown up yet?” Thunder God exclaimed in frustration.
“Taking advantage and still playing innocent,” Hong said with a laugh.
“It is exhausting, but it’s the kind of exhaustion that feels exhilarating,” Luo Feng said with immense satisfaction. Thunder God nodded vigorously in agreement. “Absolutely, exhilarating! Mining cosmic crystals is pure joy. Just think—Earth was valued at ‘2.1 billion Qian Wu coins,’ and we’ve already dug up… roughly 96,000 cubic units of cosmic crystals, which amounts to nearly 300 billion Qian Wu coins. You could say we’ve unearthed the equivalent of a hundred Earths.”
“That’s an interesting analogy.” Luo Feng laughed heartily.
96,000 units of Cosmic Crystals. Worth 300 billion Qian Wu coins!
A colossal number.
For cosmic-level powerhouses, this was still an immense fortune. It must be said that excavating an entire world is truly an exhilarating experience.
“Hmm?” Luo Feng was taken aback.
“What’s wrong?” Hong and Thunder God turned to look at him.
“Wait a moment, I’m going into the Virtual Universe Network,” Luo Feng said, then closed his eyes.
……
Black Dragon Mountain Island, Nine Star Bay.
Luo Feng suddenly appeared in front of his house and immediately spotted Xu Xin sitting nearby, browsing through some information.
“Luo Feng?” Xu Xin exclaimed in delight as she stood up. “You haven’t logged into the Virtual Universe Network for days.”
“These past few days have been incredibly busy. Time is wealth, time is power. Every single minute and second cannot be wasted,” Luo Feng said with a laugh. His words left Xu Xin puzzled. “What do you mean? Not a single moment can be wasted these days—where exactly have you been?”
“Let’s talk later.” Luo Feng’s mind stirred as a screen materialized before him, displaying an incoming communication request.
It was a communication request from Ming Yu, an external executive of the ‘Martial Division’ branch of the Virtual Universe Company in the Black Dragon Mountain region.
“Drip.”
Luo Feng answered the call.
“Lord Mingyu.” Luo Feng smiled as he looked at Mingyu.
“Luo Feng, let me ask you—are you currently in the ‘Inner World’ of the Thunderbolt Realm?”
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