January 2059, Chinese calendar.
On this particular day, Earth's four strongest beings gathered on Mist Island.
"Luo Feng, how did you become like this?" Thunder God exclaimed, his voice filled with astonishment.
The Golden-Horned Beast's massive head swiveled toward Thunder God, dark golden eyes narrowing. Luo Feng suddenly released a thunderous roar that echoed across the island, causing Thunder God to actually take a startled step backward.
"Luo Feng is still developing a human body through the Clone technique," Han Jue explained patiently. "It will probably take a year or two before he completes the process. By the way, don't tell anyone about Luo Feng's possession of the Golden-Horned Beast, not even to anyone on Earth."
"Understood," Hong nodded solemnly.
With the sponsorship of Hunyuan Units provided by Han Jue and their recent experience in the universe, Hong and Thunder God were no longer ignorant natives unfamiliar with the cosmos. They both knew the true value of a Golden-Horned Beast, one of the twelve pinnacle bloodlines of the space beast race.
"Having a clone and being able to naturally grow to World Master level is truly amazing," Thunder God sighed wistfully.
Thunder God's mind had now reached the second level: a pure heart, a state of unity between man and nature. He was at most a little envious of Luo Feng's opportunity, but felt no jealousy. Instead, he recognized that Luo Feng's transformation was a great boon for Earth's future.
"Han Jue, Three Axe Mountain's invitation to us will have no impact on our participation in the subsequent Genius Battle, right?" Hong asked, his expression serious.
"That's correct," Han Jue waved his hand dismissively. "You'll face no restrictions."
"It seems there are some representatives from the Virtual Universe Company branch within Three Axe Mountain," Han Jue said with a knowing smile. "Perhaps you two can join the Virtual Universe Company early through that connection."
"Are there any benefits to joining early?" Thunder God asked curiously.
"Yes, of course there are, but your freedom will be restricted," Han Jue explained. "You can still participate in the Genius Battle later if you join early. You might also be able to purchase a Bloodline Evolution Agent through the Virtual Universe Company connections."
Han Jue's tone was uncertain on that last point, as he wasn't entirely sure about the early recruitment benefits.
"Restrictions on freedom? Forget it," Thunder God shook his head decisively.
While the Bloodline Evolution Agent was tempting, for Thunder God who loved freedom above all else, it wasn't enough to make him give up his independence. He needed far more compensation than that to accept such constraints.
"There are still over seven years until the Genius Battle begins," Han Jue said, his gaze shifting between his two companions. "Brother Hong, Master, you two need to work hard during this time."
With their current strength, it would be difficult for them to even make it past the preliminary rounds of the Genius Battle, let alone enter the core ranks of the Virtual Universe Company. Han Jue still hoped to lend a hand to these two, especially Thunder God.
Upon hearing this sobering assessment, Hong and Thunder God's expressions grew solemn.
"Well, I feel like I'm not far from the fifth level of Domain mastery," Hong nodded seriously, determination burning in his eyes. "I'll strive to break through within a year!"
Although Thunder God didn't speak, the fierce determination in his bearing was unmistakable.
"Roar!"
Luo Feng roared from the side, his massive form radiating eager energy. Although Han Jue couldn't quite understand what he was saying, he could guess the sentiment, Luo Feng was expressing his own determination to grow stronger.
"What you need to do now is first elevate the Golden-Horned Beast's body to Universe level," Han Jue said, walking over to pat Luo Feng's massive paw. The beast's scales were surprisingly warm to the touch.
With the Golden-Horned Beast's bloodline, once it reaches Universe level, it will naturally possess a Domain. There was no need to worry about its talent for comprehending the laws. Compared to the original timeline, Luo Feng's possession of the Golden-Horned Beast was a full year earlier. With Luo Feng's natural talent combined with such a powerful body, he would have no problem competing for a top three spot in the Genius Battle.
First place? That would naturally belong to Han Jue himself.
"Luo Feng, you're also at the Stellar level now," Thunder God said eagerly, his competitive spirit ignited. "How about we have a sparring match? I've gained a lot from this recent training period."
Luo Feng was about to express his agreement when Han Jue interrupted smoothly.
"Master, how about we have a duel instead?" Han Jue smiled at Thunder God with obvious amusement.
"Who wants to compete with a monster like you?" Thunder God huffed, puffing his beard indignantly and glaring without any real heat. "Fighting you is just asking for humiliation."
"Hahahaha!" Everyone burst into laughter at Thunder God's honest complaint.
Soon, since Earth's surface wasn't suitable for such a battle, the environmental damage would be catastrophic, the four of them traveled to Mars to watch Luo Feng and Thunder God fight.
The barren red landscape of Mars stretched endlessly around them, providing the perfect arena for unleashing their full power without concern.
"Roar!"
Luo Feng, in his Golden-Horned Beast form, took the initiative! With a single powerful claw strike, he sent Thunder God flying backward, his massive form moving with terrifying speed despite its size.
Unwilling to be outdone, Thunder God drew his long sword and slashed forward! Leveraging his Domain advantage, he engaged Luo Feng in close combat, his blade work a blur of deadly precision.
Of course, this was also because Luo Feng had just taken over the Golden-Horned Beast's body and was still unfamiliar with its movements and capabilities. More importantly, he hadn't yet learned the Golden-Horned Beast's inherited secret techniques, the powerful abilities passed down through the bloodline's genetic memory.
"Brother Hong, I'll probably be cultivating on Earth for the next few years, waiting for the Genius Battle to begin," Han Jue said to Hong beside him, his eyes tracking the fierce battle between Thunder God and Luo Feng.
"Thunder God and I have joined the Three Axe Mountain organization, so we may not be able to stay on Earth for long," Hong nodded, his expression thoughtful. "We'll likely be called away for missions and training."
"Don't worry, Earth is my home too," Han Jue said quietly, watching the two warriors clash. "I won't let anything happen to it."
The battle between Thunder God and Luo Feng had already reached a fever pitch, with Thunder God's Domain pressing against the Golden-Horned Beast's instinctive spatial control. Ultimately, Thunder God exploited Luo Feng's unfamiliarity with his new body and, relying on his superior Domain mastery and decades of combat experience, secured a hard-fought victory.
Before entering seclusion for intensive cultivation, Han Jue spent the 2059 Spring Festival with Han Hesheng and Han Hechang.
They were now the effective rulers of the HR Alliance and the top performers under Thunder God at the Thunder Dojo, respectively. It could be said that they now held the final say over these two major factions, a remarkable achievement that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.
Of course, their strength was worthy of their status.
On Earth, the evil War Gods and corrupt Councilors had long been eradicated by their combined efforts. With Han Jue's meteoric rise and the subsequent elevation of Earth's overall strength, humanity had regained complete dominance over the planet in just over two years.
While the monsters hadn't yet become extinct, they had been relegated to the status of prey for human warriors. The ocean depths still harbored powerful beasts, but none dared challenge humanity's supremacy anymore.
As long as a steady stream of powerful individuals continued to emerge among humanity and the overall bloodline level continued rising, Earth's future was secure.
"Little Han, are you ready for seclusion?" Han Hechang asked, using the familiar nickname with obvious affection.
"Yes," Han Jue nodded. "Uncle, if anything happens on Earth that you can't resolve, you can contact Luo Feng for help. If that still doesn't work, contact me through the Virtual Universe."
"Okay," Han Hechang nodded solemnly, understanding the weight of that responsibility.
"Uncle, you're now the fifth most powerful person on Earth," Han Jue said with a slight teasing smile. "Why aren't you considering finding a partner? At your level, you'll live for centuries. Seems lonely to spend that time alone."
"You brat," Han Hechang cursed without heat, then shook his head ruefully. "You know I just want to practice martial arts. Now that I know the universe is so vast and prosperous, I want to see it with my own eyes. Maybe I'll consider marriage when I'm nearing the end of my lifespan, but for now, cultivation is my only love."
He looked up at the sky, his eyes distant with dreams of the cosmos.
"Uncle, cultivating the mind is more important than simply accumulating strength," Han Jue reminded him gently.
"I know that," Han Hechang sighed, a hint of frustration entering his voice. "But I've never been able to break through that barrier. My mind has been stuck at the first level for too long."
Han Jue had already explained to both Han Hechang and Han Hesheng about the third level of mind cultivation. Both understood its importance intellectually, but understanding and achieving were vastly different things.
"Just take your time," Han Jue reassured him. "Mind cultivation can't be rushed. It requires specific experiences and insights, forcing it will only create inner demons."
Chinese calendar, October 29, 2061.
Earth, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.
It was 9:30 AM in China, but deep night reigned here over the turbulent sea.
A silver-gray spaceship hovered above the churning waters, completely undetectable by any Earth-based instrument. Its stealth systems were far beyond humanity's current technological capabilities.
Inside the control room, a group of space adventurers were filled with barely contained excitement.
"Captain!"
The ship's auxiliary intelligence system spewed out a stream of data, revealing Earth's general composition, population levels, and technological capabilities, or rather, the lack thereof.
The captain's expression was serious despite the excitement thrumming through his crew. His eyes held a hint of manic anticipation, but also caution. He turned to look at the eight crew members beside him, noting how they trembled with eager greed.
"Everyone, it's almost time to reap the fruits of our discovery," the captain said, his voice cutting through their excitement like a blade. "However, the more we stand at this moment of triumph, the more we must exercise extreme vigilance! After all, this is a planet once ruled by an Immortal, we know almost nothing about its current true state!"
The eight crew members held their breath, excitement dampened by sudden wariness.
"When you discover an apparently unowned planet, you must exercise extreme caution!" the captain continued, his tone deadly serious. "Perhaps such a planet harbors supremely powerful individuals in hiding. It's not uncommon for a ship to capsize in calm waters due to overconfidence."
The crew nodded, properly chastened by his wisdom.
Excited but now appropriately cautious, the captain and crew used their auxiliary intelligence to hack into Earth's network, attempting to obtain more detailed information about this backward planet.
However, they had no idea that someone on Earth had already detected their presence.
"Luo Feng, an alien spaceship has entered Earth's atmosphere and is attempting to invade our network!" Babata's excited voice rang out, practically vibrating with anticipation.
"How strong are they?" Luo Feng asked calmly, his newly reconstructed human body tensing with readiness.
"The strongest one is approximately sixth level Stellar," Babata replied after a moment of analysis.
"Is this the level of aliens?" Luo Feng muttered, genuinely confused. "Just Stellar level? With such weak strength, they dare come to Earth?"
After all the stories he'd heard from Han Jue and Babata about the dangers of the universe, about powerful Universe-level cultivators and terrifying Domain Masters, encountering mere Stellar-level space pirates seemed almost anticlimactic.
Perhaps they didn't know Earth's history, or perhaps they were desperate enough to gamble on an easy target.
Either way, they'd made a fatal mistake.