Gathering

"Hahaha, Yue Ming, you've finally come out of seclusion! Don't forget our agreement from a year ago. We must have a proper spar this time; don't you dare make any more excuses to back out."

"We can talk about sparring after we've finished the wine."

Yue Ming had just arrived at the Limit Martial Hall headquarters when he saw Thor walking toward him. Thor pulled Yue Ming into the spaceship-like building. This structure was actually a real spaceship that Hong had acquired from ruins years ago, which he later converted into the headquarters of the Limit Martial Hall.

Under Thor's guidance, the two arrived in a spacious hall. Hong had already prepared drinks and was waiting. When he saw Yue Ming arrive, he actually stood up personally to welcome him and invited him to take a seat. If anyone had witnessed this scene, their jaws would have dropped in shock.

"Yue Ming, come and taste this wine. It's a fine vintage I've collected for many years; I usually can't bear to bring it out."

After all three were seated, Hong personally poured wine for Yue Ming and Thor. Instantly, the fragrance of the wine filled the entire hall. To have the number one person on Earth pour wine for them—the only people on the entire planet who could enjoy such treatment were likely Yue Ming and Thor.

"Brother Hong, you're going a bit too far! This is blatant favoritism! You bring out your long-treasured wine just to entertain Yue Ming, yet every time I asked you for some, you told me you'd finished it all? No way! I have to drink more; I'm going to make sure you feel the sting of it..."

"How much wine have you already swiped from me? I only have these few jars left; I can't let you ruin them all."

"This is truly good wine!"

Yue Ming took a sip and found the wine was indeed excellent. Not only was it delicious, but it also contained vast amounts of life energy. Although it was far inferior to Dragon Crystal Rice, it was worth several Spirits of Plants and Trees.

"Yue Ming, you've been in seclusion for so long; you must have gained quite a lot!"

"I have indeed gained quite a bit, but you two aren't doing too badly yourselves. You've both already broken through to the Stellar Level. However, I must remind you: do not overly pursue the improvement of your cultivation realm. Focus more on the comprehension of domains and laws. In the universe, true geniuses at the Stellar Level almost all possess domains, and top-tier geniuses have even stepped into the threshold of Origin Laws..."

Yue Ming was worried that they would focus solely on breaking through their cultivation realms and neglect the improvement of their domains and laws. If the Peak Genius Battle were to start and both of them were unable to participate because they had broken through to the Universe Level, wouldn't that be a pity?

In the original story, the two failed to seize the opportunity of the Peak Genius Battle, which caused them to be left far behind by Luo Feng. Now, there was still plenty of time before the Peak Genius Battle; if the two worked hard to comprehend their domains and laws, it was not impossible for them to achieve a high ranking.

"Improving a domain is too difficult. Brother Hong's domain has broken through to the second level, but I've been comprehending it for over a year and the improvement is negligible. I don't know when I'll be able to break through to the second level..."

"I was trapped at the first level of the domain for many years. It's not surprising that I could break through to the second level; it can only be considered a result of long-term accumulation. But wanting to break through to the third level of the domain is not easy. I'm afraid it will be hard to achieve without several decades of effort."

"You lack secret technique inheritances and guidance from famous teachers, so naturally, improving your domains is difficult. Once you obtain secret techniques in the future and have a clear direction, your speed of comprehending domains will increase significantly."

Yue Ming could understand their frustration. Without secret technique inheritances or guidance from masters, every step forward had to be explored on their own, making domain improvement naturally fraught with difficulties. Fortunately, Earth had produced a Luo Feng. Once Luo Feng obtained the inheritance of Meteor Star, the two would naturally be able to obtain secret technique inheritances.

"Don't look at me like that. I don't have any secret technique inheritances either. Although I know where one is, to obtain that inheritance, one must be a Mental Master. There is only one person on the entire planet who meets the requirements."

"Who is it?"

Hong and Thor asked in unison.

"Luo Feng from your Limit Martial Hall. Luo Feng's talent as a Mental Master is very strong; he is currently the most gifted Mental Master on Earth. Only he can obtain that inheritance. Unfortunately, Luo Feng is currently trapped in Ruins No. 9. I'm afraid he won't be able to come out for a short while, so you'll just have to wait patiently!"

"You mean Luo Feng isn't dead, but is trapped in Ruins No. 9?"

"There are many types of assessments in Ruins No. 9. Luo Feng's talent as a Mental Master is too high, so he was forced to participate in a special elite assessment. This assessment is quite difficult; one must master a secret technique within three years. Although Luo Feng's talent is good, I'm afraid it will take him a year or two to master the technique."

"As long as Luo Feng is alive, that's enough. Once he comes out, we'll let him go and obtain the inheritance you mentioned."

Hong and Thor did not get to the bottom of it, nor did they ask how Yue Ming knew these things. Everyone had their own secrets, and the fact that Yue Ming was willing to share this much with them was already more than enough. If it were anyone else, they would likely have kept it hidden, trying to find a way to obtain the inheritance in secret.

The three changed the subject, chatting about humanity reclaiming their homeland and rebuilding their lives. In the blink of an eye, two jars of fine wine were finished. Thor began to bring up the old topic again, pulling Yue Ming to go outside for a spar.

"Are you sure you want to spar with me?"

Yue Ming unfolded his Water Domain, though he did not use his full strength; the power only reached the fifth level. Yet, even at the fifth level, it still crushed Thor, binding him to the spot, unable to move.

"Forget it, pretend I never said anything about sparring."

Thor's face was dark. He felt it was too embarrassing. In front of Yue Ming's domain, he had been completely crushed without the slightest ability to resist, held fast in place. He would never mention sparring again.

"What level has your domain reached?"

A flash of shock crossed Hong's face. His own second-level domain was already quite powerful, but he could not do what Yue Ming had just done—crushing Thor instantly. Although Thor was not his match, he could at least put up some resistance.

"I spent over a year in arduous seclusion. Did you think I was just playing around? I've been comprehending the Water Domain, and it's already at the fifth level."

Yue Ming did not tell the whole truth. After all, breaking through from the first level of a domain to the threshold of the Origin Laws in just over a year—and doing so for both the water and space Origin Laws—was simply too shocking.

"Monster!"

Hong and Thor exchanged a glance and said in unison.

"I suppose this is just talent! After this gathering ends, I'll likely need to go back into seclusion. This time it will be for at least half a year. I'll find you two for drinks again once I come out. You should work hard too; don't let me pull too far ahead."

Hearing Yue Ming say this, Hong and Thor truly felt immense pressure. They secretly decided to begin their own seclusion as soon as the gathering ended. After all, both Beast Emperors had been eliminated, and with the five major powers overseeing the reclamation of the homeland, they didn't need to keep a constant watch.

"Alright, the wine is finished. Let's call it a day!"

"I'm going back to seclude myself as well."

Thor also intended to leave, preparing to do as Yue Ming did and return to seclusion. However, Thor had a good mindset; even after being crushed by Yue Ming, he wasn't discouraged. Instead, he was filled with fighting spirit.