On the evening of September 9th, around eight o'clock, vehicles from the special training camp arrived at the main entrance of the elite training camp.
Students like Wei Wen, returning from hunting monsters in the wilderness, disembarked one by one. Every student stared in shock at Wei Wen's oversized backpack. Just the sheer bulk of it hinted at the exaggerated scale of the monster materials he had harvested.
Many speculated that once Wei Wen submitted those materials and earned record points, his ranking would skyrocket.
"Quick, let's check the Black Dragon Rankings. Wei Wen's ranking is definitely going to be updated soon."
"With his talent, it's very likely his first ranking update will be unparalleled."
"I wonder just how high he'll climb!"
Driven by curiosity, students hurried down the stairs and rushed toward the black dragon sculpture at the training camp entrance, their attention fixed on the shifting rankings displayed upon it.
In truth, these rankings changed almost constantly and wouldn't stabilize until 12:28 AM on the 12th. But many knew Wei Wen was exceptionally defiant.
Rumor had it he had mastered the second stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade in just ten days. After more than a month, he surely must have reached the fifth or sixth stage. In any case, Wei Wen was seriously impressive.
The very fact that Wei Wen could create such miracles suggested his power level and trial tower rating weren't far apart.
Could it be... another elite was about to break into the top 100 immediately upon entering the training camp?
No, since only half the students had hunted monsters today, Wei Wen breaking into the top 100 was a given. What they were truly curious about was: what was Wei Wen's limit on this very first day?
"It's changed! Wei Wen's ranking has changed!" an exclamation soon rang out.
"Look! How many places did he jump?"
"From 181st to... 1st?!"
Every student and God of War instructor knew Wei Wen was powerful, but they hadn't expected this level of power. When they saw the ranking refresh once more and Wei Wen's name appear at the very top, they were all stunned, minds utterly blank.
"A rookie claiming first place on the very first day of his first month... This has never happened in the entire history of our elite training camp, right?"
It was worth noting that in the entire history of the camp, only five individuals had broken into the top 100 within their first month.
Those five were all heaven-defying, peerless geniuses. Four were already high-level God of War, and one had surpassed the God of War level entirely. With an achievement like this, Wei Wen was virtually guaranteed to surpass the God of War!
"Other students might not have submitted their monster materials yet. Wei Wen's ranking could drop soon."
"Then we'll wait and see..."
Time passed swiftly. Even without updating his power level, Wei Wen's points ranking remained firmly in first place!
Update his power level? It was completely unnecessary!
"I heard Wei Wen has held first place for the past half month. Is that even imaginable?"
"I heard that too. They say he single-handedly outshone all the veteran students in the elite training camp. It's a bit embarrassing for us, haha!"
For these students who ventured out daily to hunt, the first thing they did upon returning was look up at the black dragon carving to check the rankings.
Wei Wen remained the unshakeable, undefeated number one. Even the most talented students were shocked by his accomplishments.
For a new recruit, simply entering the top 100 in the first month was a special event worthy of being recorded in the training camp's history. But Wei Wen's feat of seizing first place in his first month... could only be called a miracle!
In this September of 2056, the upper echelons of power across the entire world were stirred by this 19-year-old Chinese youth named Wei Wen.
Undercurrents swept the globe. Judging by his age, Wei Wen seemed almost immature. So how could he defy all common sense, seeing his strength soar madly in just a few months and even achieve first place in the elite training camp?
Was it truly just talent and comprehension? Yet, since ancient times, no one had ever displayed such terrifying potential as Wei Wen.
If not talent or comprehension, then what other reason could there be? Every powerful figure was intensely curious about Wei Wen.
Even knowing that Hong held him in high regard, some were quietly preparing to make their move.
…
In reality, ever since Luo Feng's identity as a Spiritual Master was revealed, he had learned that Wei Wen was also one. He had even consulted Wei Wen about Spiritual Master cultivation practices.
At that time, they didn't have the secret manual, so Luo Feng relied on his own efforts.
Wei Wen's control over spiritual power was already superior to his. After obtaining the manual, while Luo Feng felt his cultivation speed had increased, he also encountered difficulties one after another.
Especially after mastering the third stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade, the techniques Wei Wen had taught him before temporarily lacked a follow-up.
Wei Wen was very concerned with Luo Feng's growth, as it was tied to his own. Whenever Luo Feng came seeking guidance, Wei Wen would instruct him.
As for comprehending the 312 Basic Forms of the Spiritual Master, it was quite challenging due to their complexity. However, guiding Luo Feng's practice wasn't difficult.
Although the secret method contained vast information, it was primarily conveyed through 312 diagrams. With Luo Feng's comprehension, Wei Wen only needed to demonstrate a few times for him to grasp it.
As for the optimized version of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade, Wei Wen had already publicly released the new Nine Stage Thunder Blade manual, so naturally, he had no reservations about teaching Luo Feng the optimized version.
After memorizing both the new Nine Stage Thunder Blade and the secrets of the 312 Basic Spiritual Master Forms, Luo Feng began practicing the Thunderblade and increasing his telekinetic amplitude.
Luo Feng possessed high comprehension and learned quickly. He became obsessed with daily practice of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade.
During training, he could also use his mental power to sense the sword's trajectory. Relying on the perception of force provided by his spiritual power, Luo Feng could practice the Nine Stage Thunder Blade even faster, effectively becoming an indirect Spiritual Master.
As for his Spiritual Master training speed, it was even more astonishing than his progress with the Thunderblade. After all, Luo Feng's greatest strength lay in being a Spiritual Master.
[Your friend Luo Feng has gained sudden insight into the optimized Nine Stage Thunder Blade. Your comprehension of the optimized Nine Stage Thunder Blade continues to deepen. Congratulations on comprehending the Ninth Stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade.]
[Your friend Luo Feng is comprehending the spiritual power. Your control over spiritual power continues to improve. Congratulations on achieving a spiritual power amplitude of 12.]
"Luo Feng's progress is truly frightening. But now that he's in the elite training camp, it's not surprising his growth rate is even more abnormal." Though shocked, Wei Wen found Luo Feng's progress understandable.
After all, under normal circumstances, joining the elite training camp would at least double one's growth rate, even in the first month with limited resources. Thus, after only half a month, Luo Feng's Nine Stage Thunder Blade, spiritual power amplitude, and other aspects were improving rapidly.
Coupled with the advantage provided by the optimized defensive amplitude of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade, Luo Feng achieved even better results in the trial tower. His combat power amplitude reached 12, earning him the Dragon Blood reward.
[Your friend Luo Feng is refining Dragon Blood to increase his strength. Congratulations, your warrior physique and spiritual power continue to improve...]
Generally speaking, the lower a Spiritual Master's brain domain width, the easier it is to break through to the Planetary Level. For example, Dong, a Planetary Level Spiritual Master, had a telekinetic amplitude of only 9.
Take Luo Feng, for instance. His brain domain width was higher. Even if his spiritual power amplitude increased to 16, he still couldn't break through to the Planetary Level automatically.
As for Wei Wen's brain domain width... Although he had become a Spiritual Master, his mental power was stored in his Sea of Consciousness, not his brain—otherwise, it would be quite the brain stone. Therefore, Wei Wen's brain domain width hadn't improved upon becoming a Spiritual Master. Naturally, one could say it wasn't difficult for him to break through to the Planetary Level.
Based on his spiritual power amplitude of 12, as long as the intensity of his spiritual power met the standard, a natural breakthrough was assured.
During Luo Feng's Dragon Blood refinement process, Wei Wen's physical fitness rose from the baseline of a junior God of War with punching force of 64,000 kg... to the average level of a junior God of War with 96,000 kg brute force... and then to the level of an intermediate God of War!
As a being whose hidden mental power had not yet been fully exhausted, the moment Wei Wen reached the intermediate God of War level, the intensity of his spiritual power was two full levels higher than his warrior level.
Wei Wen's strength as a Spiritual Master had naturally broken through to the Planetary Level.
The moment Wei Wen's physical fitness reached the intermediate God of War level, the dark golden sphere in his sea of consciousness suddenly swelled.
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, the entire dark golden sphere shattered into fragments. An immense surge of spiritual energy erupted, instantly flooding his entire sea of consciousness.
Within this boundless mental expanse… currents of spiritual power now swirled and permeated every corner, spreading limitlessly. A tiny number of dark golden fragments were still mixed within, not yet fully dissolved.
This turbulent, liquid-like flow coursed through Wei Wen's sea of consciousness like a Milky Way. The sheer volume of spiritual power it contained was astounding. Within this galaxy of spiritual energy, one could occasionally sense the presence of those remaining dark golden shards.
Suddenly, the churning flow of mental power began to rotate. It spun faster and faster… forming whirlpools that gradually coalesced into a radiant galactic spiral.
Rumble~~~
Wei Wen's breathing gradually steadied. The vortex violently expanded, and the mental water flow within it noticeably thinned. His formidable mental power and combat amplitude erupted, and his control over his power grew stronger.
Whoosh!
The now-expanded, translucent stream of mental power abruptly began to contract, swiftly condensing into a massive orb of spiritual energy!
The orb was translucent, with flickers of strange, multicolored light within its depths. That handful of dark golden fragments remained, still not completely melted.
The mental power began to pulse with a life of its own. In this special rhythm, the dark golden fragments gradually dissolved, further strengthening Wei Wen's spiritual energy.
As his power of thought coalesced, it seemed to transform into a planet of mental force, beginning a continuous rotation. At this moment, there was no dispersing mist, and the size of the watery orb remained unchanged.
Boom!
Within the boundless sea of consciousness, it was as if a star had gone supernova at the final moment of its life.
A monstrous suction force was born at the very core. The mental orb seemed trapped by a black hole, shrinking frantically until it gathered at that central point!
Buzz!
Wei Wen's entire sea of consciousness trembled. All mist and currents of mental power melted away. In the vast mental expanse, only the core point of light remained. This signified that Wei Wen had reached the first level of the Planetary rank.
The light point was essentially the condensation of a vast amount of spiritual power. An invisible, strange wave continuously emanated from it. A planet-level mental force radiated outward, suffusing every part of Wei Wen's body and even extending beyond it.
"Success!" A smile touched Wei Wen's lips. "This… is Planetary level."
The moment Wei Wen's first-level planetary spiritual power spread through his body, his originally mid-level God of War physique began to undergo a drastic transformation!
The cells, bones, marrow, meridians, muscles, fascia, skin—every part of Wei Wen's body was undergoing an incredible metamorphosis. The genetic code within him rapidly decomposed, optimized, and recombined. His life essence was transforming!
A breakthrough to the Planetary level was a transformation of one's very life hierarchy, far more profound and exaggerated than any previous advancement through the nine levels of the Apprentice rank.
Upon reaching Planetary level, Wei Wen could now fly through the air without needing to breathe. He could even manage flight without relying purely on telekinesis. Only at the Planetary level could one truly be called a Spiritual Master!
"The feeling of being Planetary level… is excellent."
As the transformation completed and Wei Wen felt his mental power catalyzing the changes in his body, he experienced an unprecedented sense of awe.
His own body had gone from being a strong individual who had seemingly reached his limit and could grow no further, to feeling like a newborn in an instant.
Breakthroughs in smaller stages were merely iterative improvements upon an existing foundation. But now, by entering the Planetary level, Wei Wen had stepped onto an entirely new tier. As long as he had sufficient resources, he could advance from the first to the ninth level of the Planetary rank.
In Swallowed Star, there are two main training systems: the Spiritual Master and the Warrior.
Wei Wen, as a Spiritual Master, had now been promoted to Planetary level. As for his Warrior path… his Spiritual Master strength had broken through, yet he didn't seem to have awakened any special abilities.
Therefore, it seemed that special abilities were typically awakened only when a Warrior broke through to the Planetary level.
…
Late at night.
Whoosh!
Wei Wen soared into the sky. This time, he didn't employ spiritual power, yet he still effortlessly floated over 300 meters in the air.
Wei Wen instantly sensed that ball of light within his sea of consciousness—it was the key to his newfound ability to fly!
The light sphere could also, according to his will, manipulate the magnetic field surrounding his body.
This magnetic field could counteract the Earth's gravity acting upon him, allowing him to levitate naturally. A slight impetus would send him flying forward!
After the mental power that once existed as a flowing river was condensed into a miniature planet, Wei Wen felt his consciousness instantly grow significantly more potent.
"I am now at the first level of Planetary rank, but I'm only an ordinary first-level Planetary." Wei Wen couldn't help but muse to himself. "To improve my strength quickly, one method is to rely on Luo Feng. Another is to rely on treasures, like the Muya Crystal."
The attack power of a first-level Planetary Spiritual Master ranges between 100 million and 200 million kilograms.
Furthermore, upon entering the Planetary level, the difference between Spiritual Masters and Warriors becomes increasingly pronounced.
The strength of a normal genetic Warrior is divided into Physical Strength and Force Strength, because once a Warrior reaches Planetary level, they can release Force.
A Force attack can reach 100-200 million kilograms of power, and their Physical Strength can also reach 100-200 million kilograms! Therefore, the base value for a first-level Planetary Warrior is 200-400 million kilograms—roughly double that of a Spiritual Master of the same level!
On the surface, Warriors seem to hold an advantage over Spiritual Masters, but this isn't entirely the case. For instance, the Force Amplitude of top-tier Warriors might be four to five times that of an average Planetary Warrior; even the Thunder God, one of the strongest, only reaches about seven times.
But Wei Wen was different. Before even reaching Planetary level, his mental power amplitude had already reached 12 times!
As Luo Feng continued to grow, his spiritual power amplitude could keep increasing. For example, before Luo Feng himself broke through to Planetary level, his amplitude reached an exaggerated 16 times. If fed back to Wei Wen, his spiritual power amplitude would become even more monstrous.
Of course, Luo Feng's situation was a special case. Another Planetary Spiritual Master, East, currently at the second level of Planetary, only has a mental power amplitude of 9 times.
As for strength, many were stronger than Wei Wen. For example, the world's number one powerhouse, Hong, was at the sixth level of Planetary, and the second strongest, the Thunder God, was at the seventh level.
Thus, Wei Wen planned to remain in the elite training camp for a while longer, striving to wait for Luo Feng to grow.
…
Hongning Base City, Wilderness Area.
A streak of light shot swiftly across the skyline, like a meteor piercing the void. The ability to fly unaided marked this individual as a Planetary-level powerhouse.
Powerful genetic force rippled around Atkin's form, occasionally bursting forth with a frightening brilliance!
"Fifth Elder," the three powerful Gods of War below said respectfully.
"I trust you have already looked into what I tasked you with?" Atkin gazed down at the three powerful Gods of War before him.
"We have," one of the formidable Gods of War replied with a frown. "However, Wei Wen is now officially a member of the Extreme Martial Hall. That makes it difficult for us to act. Moreover, judging by his performance in the elite training camp, even if the three of us were to confront him directly, we might not be a match for him."
"I initially thought Wei Wen would be easy to handle," Atkin mused, weighing the situation. "I didn't anticipate he would formally join the Extreme Martial Hall. Of course, given his talent, receiving an invitation is expected. Still, it complicates matters." He paused, then continued, "But my intention is not to kill him. I merely wish to uncover the secret behind his rapid progress. Perhaps I too could advance as a result."
As the founding Chairman of the Palace of Gods of War , Hong strictly forbade warriors from fighting without cause. This was especially true for those who hunted geniuses.
Should Hong discover such actions, the consequences would be severe. A certain planetary-level powerhouse had once tried it and ended up being pulverized by Hong's hammer.
Although Atkin himself was considered the Fifth Elder, seemingly on par with the First Elder, the disparity in their actual strength was immense. If he were to provoke Hong's wrath, he stood no chance; being beaten by Hong would be a foregone conclusion.
However, as seen in the original story, this man was profoundly ambitious.
In that narrative, he had even attempted to seize the Wooden Crystal left behind by Luo Feng.
Neither Hong, Thunder God, nor the others were initially aware of Atkin's true ambitions. But after the battle against the Monstrous Beasts, as the world's top planetary-level experts fell one after another, Atkin's aspirations were laid completely bare.
Atkin began targeting powerful figures from the Extreme Martial Hall, the HR Alliance, and other factions, even allying with other planetary-level forces to plunder their resources.
Even when his schemes were exposed, he still pretended to occupy the moral high ground, preparing to pressure Luo Feng with public opinion before everyone on Earth. But Luo Feng paid him no mind.
With Luo Feng's temperament, he simply acted as he pleased. To use Luo Feng's final assessment of him: He's scum, through and through.
"I recall that students of the elite training camp are granted a short vacation after the 28th," suggested one of the Gods of War.
"That's a good point," Atkin said, his eyes narrowing. "We'll wait until after the 28th, when the training camp's higher-ups and the students have let their guard down, and then make our move."
…
Time flowed quietly by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the 28th.
Wei Wen remained firmly in the number one spot on the elite training camp's Black Dragon Ranking, a fact that continued to shock the world.
All major factions had taken note of this prodigy—an 18-year-old who had claimed the top position on his very first day at the camp and held it ever since.
It was now 10 PM. Most of the students who had gone out that day had already returned. With only two hours left until the point deadline, barring any surprises, the final rankings were unlikely to change significantly.
Seeing Wei Wen's name atop the list, students gathered around the black dragon sculpture buzzed with discussion. Achieving first place in his very first month had earned him universal recognition of his potential from his peers.
About three kilometers outside the training camp, in a residential building:
"Hurry up, set up the cameras. We need to record this moment," growled a European warrior as his subordinates prepared the equipment.
"Captain, all set. We just need to wait now."
As soon as he finished speaking, a projection flickered to life on the wall of the room—the live Black Dragon Ranking list.
"Excellent. The higher-ups of the HR Alliance are very interested in Wei Wen. We must relay the information back to headquarters promptly."
"Also, this time we've been specifically ordered to keep a close eye on Luo Feng from China. After all, he's now broken into the top 100, and his ranking is impressive. Furthermore, as a spiritual master, he's destined to become at least an Invincible God of War in the future."
"Understood," each warrior responded with solemn expressions.
In truth, it wasn't just this team. Intelligence personnel from numerous organizations around the Hong Ning Base City were also closely monitoring the Black Dragon Ranking."
"For every student high on the list, these organizations maintained extensive dossiers. However, Wei Wen, who had just joined the training camp this month, was undoubtedly the one who piqued everyone's interest the most.
…
Despite his fame, having become the strongest, youngest, and most promising talent in the history of the training camp, Wei Wen typically maintained a very low profile and seldom appeared in public places.
Aside from Luo Feng and his two roommates next door, Zhao Ruo and Shi Jiang, few others in the training camp ever saw him.
Everyone assumed that Wei Wen's achievements were the result of secluded, relentless practice. Even without seeing him, they were deeply impressed by his perceived diligence.
But no one knew that the hard-working genius they imagined was, at this very moment, fast asleep.
Hard work? Could Wei Wen possibly have comprehended the Twelfth Stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade, or increased his spiritual power amplitude beyond 16 times?
Neither was possible! After all, in the original storyline, it took Luo Feng's spiritual power amplitude over a year to reach level 16, and Luo Feng's mental capacity was exceptionally vast.
As for the Twelfth Stage of the Nine Stage Thunder Blade, he didn't even have a secret manual to reference—it was uncertain whether the current Thunder God had even comprehended the Tenth Stage.
…
Extreme Martial Hall HQ.
"Brother Hong, what were our achievements at the age of 18?" Thunder God asked, looking at Hong before him.
"At 18? We were probably still running for our lives during the Great Nirvana!" Hong sighed.
During the Great Nirvana, as the world descended into chaos, Hong, formerly an assassin, seized the opportunity to rise.
He eventually became the world's number one, regarded as a god-like figure by Earth's warriors.
As for Thunder God, he wasn't far behind, now the second strongest on the planet. One had founded the Extreme Martial Hall, the other the Thunder Dojo. Though their factions often competed, the two men shared an excellent private relationship, treating each other as brothers.
"Back when we were fleeing, we faced desperate situations multiple times. If not for sheer luck, we wouldn't be where we are today," Thunder God reflected.
"Yet it was those past tribulations that forged our foundation," Hong acknowledged. "After reaching the planetary level, I created the Nine Stage Thunder Blade."
"The Nine Stage Thunder Blade was once my greatest pride. Across the entire world, aside from myself, no one has fully mastered it. The strongest among others hasn't even comprehended the seventh stage."
"And you at the Extreme Martial Hall have all the luck! An 18-year-old who reached the sixth stage a month ago. Who knows how far he's progressed now? He might have reached the ninth stage, or perhaps even higher!"
"If you want to learn, go find him yourself," Hong joked.
"Thankfully, I've managed to salvage some pride. After a month in seclusion, I've finally created the Nine Stage Thunder Blade!" A smile spread across Thunder God's face.
"So that's why you came to see me today—to show off!" Hong shook his head slightly, amused.
"Want me to go find Wei Wen now and see which of you is superior?" Hong teased.
…
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