First Meeting with Luo Feng

"The auction hosted by the Myriad Worlds Mall Alliance—I really want to go see it, but now isn't the time. Before I have the ability to protect myself, it's best to avoid meeting in person. Being cautious can't be wrong..."

Yue Ming naturally wanted to attend the auction. Even if he couldn't afford any treasures with Origin Points, broadening his horizons wouldn't hurt. But he had concerns, and after careful consideration, he decided to turn down Li Shanhe's invitation.

To put it bluntly, his strength was too low to feel secure. It might not just be Yue Ming who had reservations about meeting offline; Liu Ming was probably thinking the same way, which was why he, like Yue Ming, had refused the invitation.

[Swallowed Star] Yue Ming Order: [I might have to log off now. It looks like a Beast Tide has broken out ahead, and it seems pretty large. This is the first time I've encountered a Beast Tide since I crossed into the Swallowed Star world.]

[A Realm of Gods] Li Shanhe Order: [Then go handle your business. We'll talk when you have time. With your current strength and having comprehended a domain, there aren't many on Earth who can match you. No need to worry about your safety...]

Yue Ming wasn't making excuses; he really had run into a Beast Tide. Ahead in the Wilderness Zone, hundreds of martial artists were fleeing for their lives. Behind them stretched an endless tide of monsters, dark and dense like a flood.

The monsters were small, only about thirty centimeters long, resembling rats. They were incredibly weak, just ordinary monsters. But their numbers were overwhelming—as far as the eye could see, they covered the wilderness, seemingly infinite.

Yue Ming hovered in the air, looking down from a high vantage point. He saw that the Beast Tide covered nearly a hundred li in every direction. Many slower martial artists were swallowed up in an instant, their movements ceasing as they were devoured without a trace.

Watching the scene below, Yue Ming let out a soft sigh. He dove down from several thousand meters high. Though he wasn't a good person, he wasn't cold-blooded enough to watch others die without lifting a finger—provided it didn't put him in danger.

"Buzz~"

A water-blue ripple spread from Yue Ming's body, covering a hundred meters in an instant. Wherever he flew, within the range of his domain, every monster either exploded or was crushed into pulp.

In less than a minute, Yue Ming had cleared nearly a tenth of the Beast Tide that flooded the entire wilderness. This was the terrifying power of a domain—absolute suppression over lower realms. Before a domain, they could only be crushed!

"Flying in the air—a Councillor-level powerhouse has stepped in!"

"Luo Feng, we're saved!"

"Is this what a Councillor-level expert is like? Such terrifying strength..."

"One day, I'll become a Councillor too!"

The hundreds of martial artists Yue Ming saved looked up at him as he flew overhead, their hearts filled with gratitude. If he hadn't intervened, they would have been caught by the Beast Tide and likely met their deaths.

"Luo Feng?"

To precisely kill monsters without harming the human martial artists, Yue Ming was fully focused on controlling his domain. But when he suddenly heard the name Luo Feng, his movements paused slightly, and he couldn't help turning his head for a glance.

Among the hundreds of martial artists was a young man about eighteen years old, panting slightly. He was lean, around 1.75 meters tall, with a somewhat youthful demeanor. It was Luo Feng, the protagonist of the Swallowed Star world.

Yue Ming hadn't expected to run into Luo Feng like this. But after a brief look, he continued clearing the monsters without trying to make contact. As he slaughtered his way forward, he soon reached the center of the Beast Tide.

At the center, a figure was locked in battle with the monsters. Having just seen Luo Feng, Yue Ming recalled a plot point from the original story. If he wasn't mistaken, the person surrounded by monsters was Lu Gang.

Yue Ming had a decent impression of Lu Gang. In the original story, Lu Gang sacrificed himself to cover other martial artists' retreat, deliberately drawing the Beast Tide's attention. He was eventually surrounded, exhausted, and devoured by the monsters.

"Is this really it for me?"

As time passed, Lu Gang's situation grew worse. Though each swing of his blade killed a swath of monsters, they were endless, fearless, and he couldn't hold out much longer.

His stamina drained, fatigue etched across his face, but he dared not relax. Staring at the pitch-black, seemingly endless Beast Tide around him, even with his strong will, despair crept in.

Just as despair took hold, a figure descended from the sky—Yue Ming had arrived. As his domain spread, countless monsters were annihilated. Seeing Lu Gang still standing there dumbfounded, Yue Ming frowned.

"Still standing there? Waiting to feed the monsters?"

Lu Gang's face flushed red. He was a veteran of many battles and shouldn't have been distracted, but Yue Ming's entrance was so overwhelming—the domain unfolding, monsters dying in droves—that he was stunned into inaction.

"Thank you for saving my life. May I ask your name? I'll repay this debt someday..."

Lu Gang was curious about Yue Ming's identity. With strength like that, he had to be at least Councillor level. But when had such a powerhouse appeared on Earth? He knew all the strong ones in the Warlord Palace, and this man wasn't among them.

"No need for repayment. Just don't talk about me. I want to cultivate in peace without being disturbed."

Yue Ming didn't bother with Lu Gang any further. He flew off and continued clearing the monsters. After five or six minutes, he had killed every last monster in the wilderness, putting an end to the Beast Tide.

"Someone's coming?"

Yue Ming sensed an aircraft speeding toward him. It was clearly heading his way—likely military or some other faction, aiming to recruit him.

But Yue Ming had no intention of meeting them. He didn't want to join any organization, so he flew off in the opposite direction. After a few minutes, he circled back to Jiangnan Base City.

Back in Jiangnan Base City, Yue Ming found a hotel, took a relaxing bath, and collapsed into bed for a deep sleep. He hadn't rested properly in the half year he'd spent training in the Wilderness Zone.

What Yue Ming didn't know was that while he slept, the outside world was in an uproar. News that a mysterious Planetary-level powerhouse had quelled the Beast Tide in County 0231 had spread through the upper echelons of Earth's human society.