"A juvenile Star-Eating Grass?" Han Jue's eyes widened in genuine surprise.
Rimuru's training plan for him had always included cultivating a plant life form after reaching Universe level. Among the plant life forms available for purchase by human cultivators, the Star-Eating Grass was renowned as the most tenacious and aggressive species. It devoured rock, metal, and wood indiscriminately, transforming these materials into incredibly tough and sharp vines.
A single Star-Eating Grass larva cost approximately 300,000 Hunyuan Units, an astronomical sum by most standards. Raising it to Immortality using even the most basic cultivation methods would require tens of millions of Hunyuan Units, comparable to investing in a peak Immortal King.
However, with optimal cultivation methods, once a Thousand Vine Star-Eating Grass reached Immortal rank, it would possess combat strength equivalent to a peak Immortal King. Each of its main vines would extend a million kilometers in length, with toughness and sharpness comparable to a human cultivator at peak Immortal King level. Its vitality would far surpass that of a human Immortal King!
Even the entire fortune accumulated by the Ice Wasteland World Master couldn't afford to raise even the weakest Immortal-level Star-Eating Grass, a testament to both its value and power.
"Yes," Hafa nodded solemnly, his expression conveying the significance of this opportunity.
"The teacher will come personally to trade with you. Just wait on Qiongling Star for the next few days."
September 27, 2058, Earth Standard Calendar.
On this day, Marquis Cang Yuan arrived on Qiongling Star and officially met with Han Jue.
In the reception room, Marquis Cang Yuan appeared as an ordinary middle-aged man with no discernible aura of authority. His unassuming appearance belied his status as a titled Immortal, a deliberate choice that immediately put Han Jue on guard. Only the most powerful beings could so completely suppress their presence.
Han Jue studied Marquis Cang Yuan carefully, waiting for the Immortal to speak first. Protocol demanded he show proper respect, but curiosity burned within him regarding the legendary figure before him.
"Han Jue," Marquis Cang Yuan began, raising his hand in a casual gesture.
A metal box materialized on the table between them, appearing from his spatial storage with effortless precision.
"This contains the juvenile Star-Eating Grass. A good friend gave it to me many years ago, but unfortunately I lack the resources and time to cultivate it properly. And if I were to use minimal investment just to reach Immortality, it wouldn't provide much benefit to someone at my level." Marquis Cang Yuan's tone carried genuine regret. "Better to trade it to someone who can fully utilize its potential."
Han Jue nodded in acknowledgment and retrieved the Sea-Suppressing Pearl from his spatial storage.
The artifact had lost most of its accumulated power over the past weeks, transforming into what appeared to be a transparent glass sphere. When Han Jue placed it on the table, the faint spatial energy within continued dissipating visibly, a clear sign of its depleted state.
Marquis Cang Yuan's expression twitched slightly. He immediately seized the Sea-Suppressing Pearl and activated a sealing technique, preventing further power loss. Only after the energy stabilization completed did he breathe a visible sigh of relief.
"A perfectly intact Sea-Suppressing Pearl should be worth over ten million Hunyuan Units. Space-related treasures are exceptionally rare throughout the universe, so by that calculation, I'm still getting the better end of this deal," Marquis Cang Yuan said with a wry smile.
"You're being modest, Lord Marquis," Han Jue replied respectfully. "This Sea-Suppressing Pearl has lost most of its power. I can't even imagine the resources required to restore it. To me, the juvenile Star-Eating Grass is far more valuable, something I can nurture and grow alongside my own cultivation."
"Oh?" Marquis Cang Yuan's interest sharpened, his gaze becoming more focused. "You don't feel any regret at all? Although restoring this artifact is extremely difficult, it remains a rare spatial treasure. With proper restoration, it might prove useful even to certain Immortal Kings."
"None whatsoever," Han Jue shook his head firmly. "I don't believe I'll need it in the future."
"Such confidence?" Marquis Cang Yuan studied Han Jue with renewed attention, his eyes gleaming with something approaching approval. "Little one, I hope to hear your name echoing throughout the universe in the years to come. The Virtual Universe Company is indeed the best environment for someone of your talents. I sincerely hope that one day, you too will achieve Immortality and transcend your mortal limitations."
"Thank you for your encouragement, Lord Marquis," Han Jue said with a respectful smile, accepting the blessing with genuine gratitude.
"Well then, I should take my leave. I have other matters requiring my attention," Marquis Cang Yuan stood gracefully, preparing to depart. "Farewell, young cultivator. May fortune favor your path."
"Until we meet again, Lord Marquis."
Marquis Cang Yuan's form shimmered and vanished, teleporting away without a trace, the casual display of overwhelming power that came naturally to Immortals.
Han Jue carefully opened the metal box left on the table. Inside rested a small white grass, approximately sixty centimeters tall, with silvery roots curled protectively around themselves. The plant life emitted a faint metallic sheen, already showing hints of the fearsome predator it would eventually become.
"Rimuru, how exactly do I establish the master-servant bond with this creature?" Han Jue asked, examining the juvenile Star-Eating Grass with fascination.
"Simply make a cut on your wrist deep enough to bleed freely, then nourish it with your blood," Rimuru responded quickly, his form pulsing with excitement. "The plant will absorb your genetic signature and establish a permanent soul connection. However, don't complete the bonding process yet. When we return to Earth, I'll prepare the necessary resources for optimal initial cultivation. We want to maximize its growth potential from the very beginning."
"Understood," Han Jue nodded, carefully returning the Star-Eating Grass to its container.
The expedition to the Dry Sea Secret Realm had officially concluded!
With all matters settled, the next question became...
Han Jue glanced at Gongtel, who remained loyally positioned at his side like a devoted guardian, and felt a headache forming behind his eyes.
"Lord Han Jue, is something wrong?" Gongtel asked, his expression showing genuine concern and confusion.
As the newly appointed Merfolk Clan Leader, Kashel had led his people in their great migration to the Cuimu Empire. Remembering the ancient teachings about honor and obligation, Kashel had specifically assigned Gongtel as Han Jue's personal protector, a gesture meant to express eternal gratitude that instead created an awkward situation.
Although Gongtel possessed Domain Lord cultivation, he lacked advanced weaponry and sophisticated combat techniques. His actual combat capabilities barely exceeded those of a first-level Domain Lord. Given Han Jue's own abilities and future prospects, Gongtel's assistance would provide limited practical benefit.
"It's nothing," Han Jue sighed, accepting the inevitable. "Prepare yourself. We're returning to Earth."
This expedition had taught Han Jue a valuable lesson about the nature of cultivation and progress.
Combat experience? He could easily accumulate that through the Virtual Universe's Killing Field and Decisive Battle Spaces, facing opponents perfectly calibrated to his skill level.
Life-or-death adventures? After his experiences within the Dry Sea Divine Kingdom, ordinary Universe-level cultivators could hardly threaten Han Jue's survival. More powerful Universe-level opponents were exceptionally rare, so continuing to seek external dangers wasn't life-or-death adventure, it was courting unnecessary death.
The answer was clear: focused cultivation.
Approximately eight years remained until the Genius Competition began. With his extraordinary talents, dedicated cultivation in a controlled environment would yield far faster progress than aimless wandering!
Life-or-death adventures would be better reserved for assessment missions at the Virtual Universe Company after he properly reached Universe level and had access to institutional support.
October 1, 2058.
The spacecraft officially departed from Qiongling Star, setting course toward the distant blue-green planet called Earth.
The journey from Qiongling Star back to Earth would require nearly two months of continuous space travel, plenty of time for Han Jue to organize his understanding of the laws and refine his combat methods into more efficient forms.
October 28, 2058.
Luo Feng's twin sons were born into the world.
Luo Feng named them Luo Ping and Luo Hai, choosing names that carried hopes for peace and prosperity.
After becoming a father and experiencing the overwhelming love that came with holding his children, coupled with Babata's increasingly persuasive arguments about maximizing his potential and his burning desire to catch up with Han Jue's meteoric rise, Luo Feng finally agreed to an audacious plan.
He would seize the Golden Horned Beast's body.
The Golden Horned Beast egg had been discovered in one of Earth's deepest ocean trenches, a location that would have been impossible to explore before humanity's advancement to the stars.
During his investigations, Luo Feng also uncovered other mysteries hidden on Earth, including the ancient mechanical spaceship partially phased into dimensional space beneath the Bermuda Triangle, evidence that Earth's history held secrets far deeper than anyone had imagined.
December 2, 2058.
Han Jue's spacecraft arrived at Huangyang Star, where he temporarily settled Gongtel.
Bringing a Domain Lord-level merfolk warrior back to Earth presented too many complications and security risks. There were few adequate countermeasures for potential problems, and Han Jue refused to expose his homeworld unnecessarily.
After ensuring Gongtel had comfortable accommodations and access to communication, Han Jue continued his journey home alone.
When he finally returned to Earth, Hong and Lei Shen hadn't yet completed their return. According to the information Han Jue received, they were still completing their cosmic mercenary apprenticeship qualification tests in distant star systems.
Han Jue wasn't particularly concerned about their safety. Their accumulated wealth was sufficient to purchase multiple Stellar-level slaves to accompany them and provide protection during dangerous missions. The tests might challenge their skills, but shouldn't threaten their lives.
Luo Feng swallowed nervously, staring at the massive egg positioned before him in the secure facility.
The Golden Horned Beast egg seemed to pulse with latent power, its surface covered in intricate golden patterns that suggested the incredible might dormant within.
"You're already close to Stellar level now, so why aren't you confident about successfully seizing the body?" Han Jue asked with mild amusement, having arrived to offer moral support for his friend's transformative moment.
Luo Feng shook his head, his expression conflicted.
"It's just... I keep thinking that I'll transform into a giant star beast in the future. It feels somewhat..."
"Who told you that you can't remain human?" Han Jue interrupted firmly, cutting off that line of anxious thinking. "The Golden Horned Beast possesses an innate talent called Clone. You can absolutely create a human body clone after the possession succeeds, and it doesn't even have to be specifically an Earthling body. With access to superior genetic templates, you could create something even better."
"There's such a thing?" Luo Feng's eyes widened in genuine surprise as he immediately focused his thoughts inward. "Babata, is this true? Why didn't you mention this before?"
"I... honestly didn't consider that option," Babata's voice carried embarrassment through their mental link. "My master never used the Clone technique that way, so it simply didn't occur to me. But Han Jue is absolutely correct, there's no reason you couldn't create a human-form clone and use that as your primary combat body while the Golden Horned Beast body serves as your true foundation."
"Don't worry about the possession process," Han Jue continued, placing a reassuring hand on Luo Feng's shoulder. "You still need to participate in the upcoming Genius Battle. If you don't create a human body suitable for combat, how exactly would you compete using the Golden Horned Beast's true form? Can you imagine trying to fight in the Virtual Universe's arena as a space beast? The logistics alone would be impossible."
Understanding dawned across Luo Feng's features, washing away much of his previous anxiety. The path forward suddenly seemed far less terrifying when framed in practical terms rather than philosophical ones.
"Han Jue, thank you. Truly," Luo Feng said with heartfelt sincerity, gratitude shining in his eyes. "This information changes everything."
"It's nothing significant between fellow Earthlings," Han Jue replied with a dismissive wave, though his smile conveyed genuine warmth. "We're all working toward the same ultimate goal, bringing glory to Earth and ensuring humanity's place among the stars. Your success benefits all of us."
He gave Luo Feng's shoulder a firm pat of encouragement.
"Now go seize your destiny. I'll be here waiting when you emerge victorious."
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