Hong and Thor

"Although it was different from my domain, I could confirm that it was indeed a domain. My domain's attribute was light; his should have been water. Judging by the strength he displayed, he was at least Planetary level third stage—possibly even fourth stage..."

At the global headquarters of Limit Martial Hall, a three-dimensional projection was replaying the scene of Yue Ming clearing out the Beast Tide in a spacious, brightly lit hall. However, due to the interference from the domain, the satellite had captured only a blurry silhouette.

Two men stood before the projection. One wore black and stood around six-foot-three, his presence sharp and icy. The other wore white robes, but what drew the eye most was his gleaming bald head. They were Hong and Thor.

"Planetary level third stage, perhaps even fourth stage, and he possessed a domain as well. Wouldn't that mean that even I, at Planetary level seventh stage, might not be his match? But if he possessed such tremendous strength, why had he kept such a low profile? If the Beast Tide hadn't erupted this time, no one would have imagined that Earth was hiding such an expert..."

If he had merely been an ordinary Planetary-level martial artist, they would not have taken him so seriously, much less gathered to discuss him. But a Planetary-level martial artist with a domain was entirely different. No one understood the power of domains better than the two of them.

"Perhaps he had his own difficulties. Or perhaps, like us, he had little interest in power, fame, or profit. Maybe he disliked being disturbed by worldly matters and devoted himself wholeheartedly to pursuing the limits of cultivation. Otherwise, with his strength, he could easily establish a City Base and become a major power."

In truth, Hong and Thor had no interest whatsoever in power, fame, profit, or even money. If not for strengthening humanity, they would not even have founded martial halls. It was not that they had no desires; their horizons and pursuits were simply different.

"Unfortunately, the domain's interference prevented the satellite from capturing his appearance clearly. We could only roughly determine that he was male, and he should be fairly young. But one thing is certain: after clearing the Beast Tide, he returned to the Jiangnan City Base. I've already instructed Thunderclap Martial Hall to investigate. They should be able to confirm his identity soon."

"Be more careful during the investigation. Don't create any unnecessary misunderstandings. Once we confirm his identity, the two of us will personally pay him a visit. It's a good thing for Earth to produce another expert. That way, the pressure on us will be a little lighter..."

As Earth's strongest person, Hong held an extraordinary position. If anyone else had stood in his place, they likely would never have wanted to see someone threaten their status. They might even have tried every possible means to eliminate every potential threat in order to preserve their position.

But Hong was exactly the opposite. Especially after learning of the vastness of the universe and Earth's insignificance, he had desperately hoped that those who came after them could catch up, stand alongside them, and protect Earth together. Hong's state of mind was truly exceptional.

"I never expected that, aside from you, Brother Hong, someone else could truly possess a domain. I wonder when I'll be able to comprehend one. Is my comprehension really that poor?"

Thor was beginning to feel rather depressed. He was, after all, considered a cultivation prodigy—the person on Earth with the highest realm and the greatest force amplification. Yet why had he remained unable to comprehend a domain? It always felt as though he was just a tiny bit short.

"So you've felt the pressure of being caught up to by those who came after you? Pressure can be a good thing. At our level, there are almost no opponents left on Earth, and even the slightest breakthrough is exceedingly difficult. Sometimes pressure can become motivation and push us forward. As for comprehending a domain, don't rush. You're actually only one step away from it. Perhaps one day, you'll have an epiphany and comprehend it naturally."

"Perhaps you're right, Brother Hong! Over the past decade or so, my cultivation has progressed more and more slowly. Maybe it's because I no longer had any pressure. But I still don't want to be surpassed by a junior. I, Thor, the mighty second strongest person in the world, have my pride too. How about you unfold your domain again and let me experience it? Maybe this time, I'll successfully comprehend a domain?"

Though Thor was broad-minded, as a senior, he naturally did not want to be surpassed by a junior. He had to comprehend a domain of his own. Having a domain and not having one were entirely different levels. Take him and Hong, for example: although Thor's realm was higher than Hong's, every time they sparred, he lost so thoroughly that he had nothing to say.

"You really are impossible."

Hong shook his head lightly. Though his tone was full of exasperation, he still unfolded his domain and allowed Thor to study it carefully. They had done this many times before, but after all these years, Thor remained stuck at the final step.

Hong truly wanted to help Thor, but no outsider could assist with comprehending a domain. One could only rely on oneself. Even Hong had comprehended his own domain for no clear reason—it had simply come to him naturally.

Hong's comprehension was truly outstanding, and his state of mind was even more extraordinary. Possessing a domain at the Planetary level would have made him a genius even across the vast star systems. For an Earth native with no inheritance and no one to teach him to comprehend one on his own was nothing short of a miracle.

In terms of physical talent alone, Thor definitely surpassed Hong. But in terms of comprehension and state of mind, Hong was unquestionably Earth's number one. Even the early Luo Feng was inferior to Hong. Luo Feng only became a top genius later because of a string of fortunate encounters.

"Your Limit Martial Hall is being far too overbearing!"

"Yeah! What right do you have to stop us from recruiting that expert?"

"Inspector Wang, shouldn't you give us an explanation?"

After Yue Ming's strength was exposed, word quickly spread throughout humanity's upper ranks. Nearly every major faction wanted to recruit Yue Ming, but before they could act, Limit Martial Hall stopped them from disturbing him.

The reason was that Limit Martial Hall had found Lu Gang and wanted to learn more about Yue Ming from him. Lu Gang had kept his promise and revealed none of Yue Ming's information. However, he did tell the people from Limit Martial Hall that Yue Ming did not wish to be disturbed, which was why the current scene had unfolded.

"I'm merely passing along a message from our hall master. What you choose to do is your own business. If you have any questions, you may go directly to our hall master. I'm sure he'll give you a satisfactory explanation!"

The crowd was furious upon hearing this, yet there was nothing they could do. Who would dare question Hong? That would be like seeking death. Hong's status on Earth was supreme. Though he rarely involved himself in mundane affairs, whenever Hong spoke, no one dared defy him. No matter how unwilling the major factions were, they could only abandon their plans to recruit Yue Ming.