Back to Earth!

"Star-Eating Grass Sapling?" Gu Ce was taken aback.

In the training plan Rimuru had arranged for him, there was a point about cultivating a plant lifeform after reaching Universe Level!

And among the plant lifeforms sold by the Human Race, Star-Eating Grass was known as the toughest offensive plant lifeform. It liked to devour rocks, metals, trees, and the like, making its vines incomparably tough and sharp.

A single Star-Eating Grass Sapling alone was worth around three hundred thousand Hunyuan Units. Cultivating it to Immortal with the worst plan required over ten million Hunyuan Units, and it would be comparable to a peak Immortal Army Lord.

But if cultivated according to the best plan, once Thousand Vine Star-Eating Grass advanced to Immortal, it would possess Peak King strength. Each of its main vines would be a million kilometers long, its toughness and sharpness comparable to a King Limit human, and its vitality would far surpass that of a human King Immortal!

Even with all of Ice Desolation World Lord's wealth, he could not raise even the weakest Immortal-level Star-Eating Grass. That showed just how formidable Star-Eating Grass was.

"Mm." Hafa nodded with a grave expression.

"Teacher will come personally to trade with you. For the next few days, wait on Qiongling Star for now."

Earth time, September 27, 2058.

On this day, Cangyuan Hou arrived on Qiongling Star and officially met with Gu Ce.

In the reception room.

Cangyuan Hou looked like an utterly ordinary middle-aged man. Gu Ce could not sense any aura from him at all.

Gu Ce looked at Cangyuan Hou, waiting for him to speak.

"Gu Ce." Cangyuan Hou raised a hand, and a metal case appeared on the table.

"Inside is the Star-Eating Grass Sapling. It was given to me by a good friend of mine. Unfortunately, I don't have the ability to cultivate it, and if I used the worst plan to make it Immortal, it wouldn't be of much help to me either," Cangyuan Hou said with a regretful expression.

Gu Ce nodded and likewise took out the Sea Suppressing Pearl.

The Sea Suppressing Pearl, which had lost most of its power, had nearly turned into a transparent glass ball. When Gu Ce took it out, the power on it was still faintly dissipating.

The corner of Cangyuan Hou's mouth twitched. Quick-eyed and quick-handed, he took the Sea Suppressing Pearl and sealed away the dissipating power on it before letting out a slight breath of relief.

"An intact Sea Suppressing Pearl should be worth over ten million Hunyuan Units. Spatial treasures aren't common. Calculated like this, I'm still the one who profited," Cangyuan Hou said as if joking.

"Lord Cangyuan Hou, you jest." Gu Ce wore a smile.

"This Sea Suppressing Pearl has lost its power. Who knows what price must be paid to restore it? To me, it's far less valuable than this Star-Eating Grass."

"Oh?" Cangyuan Hou said with interest. "You don't feel pained at all? Although restoring it is extremely difficult, this thing is still a rare secret treasure. It might be useful even to some King Immortals."

"No." Gu Ce shook his head. "I believe I don't need these things."

"That confident?" Cangyuan Hou gave Gu Ce a few more looks.

"Little fellow, I hope I can still hear your name in the future." Cangyuan Hou sighed. "The Virtual Universe Company is indeed the best place for you. I hope that one day, you too can become Immortal."

"Then I must thank Lord Cangyuan Hou," Gu Ce said with a smile.

"Very well. I should leave too." Cangyuan Hou stood up.

"If fate allows, we'll meet again, little fellow."

Cangyuan Hou vanished on the spot, leaving nothing behind.

Gu Ce opened the case on the table and saw a small grass curled up inside, entirely white, about sixty centimeters tall, with silver-white roots and stems.

"Rimuru, how do I make this thing acknowledge me as its master?" Gu Ce asked.

"Cut your wrist and bleed. Use your blood to nourish it, and that's enough," Rimuru quickly answered. "But don't make it acknowledge you yet. After we go back, I'll prepare the things needed for the initial cultivation."

"Alright." Gu Ce nodded and put away the Star-Eating Grass Sapling.

The trip to Ku Hai Secret Realm had come to an end!

Now that everything had been settled, next was...

Looking at Gongtel, who was following behind him and refusing to leave, Gu Ce felt somewhat helpless.

"Lord Divine Disciple, what's wrong?" Gongtel did not understand.

As the newly appointed Clan Leader, after leading the Fishmen to migrate to the Cuimu Empire, Kashel still did not forget the ancestral teachings and specially sent Gongtel to personally protect Gu Ce, leaving Gu Ce deeply helpless.

Although Gongtel was a Domain Lord, he did not have good weapons or equipment on him, and his strength was only at Domain Lord Level first stage. The help he could provide by following Gu Ce was truly not much.

"Forget it. Back to Earth!" Gu Ce ordered.

This trip out had made Gu Ce realize that his tempering did not seem to have much meaning.

Combat experience? He could obtain that entirely through the Killing Field and Duel Space.

Life-and-death adventure? After experiencing Kuhai Divine Kingdom, ordinary Universe Levels basically found it difficult to threaten Gu Ce's life. Powerful Universe Levels were not that common, and that kind of thing was not life-and-death adventure anymore. It was called courting death.

Secluded cultivation!

There were still around eight years before the Genius Battle began. With his talent, focused cultivation would only make him improve faster!

As for life-and-death adventures and the like, he could wait until after Universe Level and go do those assessment missions of the Virtual Universe Company.

October 1, 2058.

The spaceship officially left Qiongling Star and advanced toward Earth.

Returning to Earth from Qiongling Star required a little over two months.

During this period, what Gu Ce needed to do was organize his Law Comprehension and perfect his combat methods.

October 28, 2058.

Luo Feng's children were born, a pair of twin sons.

Luo Feng named them Luo Ping and Luo Hai.

After having children, along with Babata's constant persuasion and his desire to closely catch up to Gu Ce's footsteps, Luo Feng finally agreed to seize the Golden Horn Beast.

The Golden Horn Beast's egg was found in one of the deepest trenches on Earth.

At the same time, Luo Feng also discovered some other things on Earth.

Such as the Mechanical Race spaceship in the Bermuda Triangle.

December 2, 2058.

Gu Ce's spaceship arrived at Huangyang Star, and he temporarily left Gongtel there.

The risk of bringing him back to Earth was still a little too great, and Gu Ce did not have much in the way of countermeasures.

After Gu Ce returned to Earth, Hong and Thor still had not come back. They seemed to still be undergoing the Cosmic Trainee Mercenary Assessment.

Gu Ce was not very worried about their safety. The wealth on them was enough to buy a whole bunch of Stellar Level slaves to follow them and help them complete the trainee mercenary assessment.

Luo Feng swallowed and looked at the huge egg in front of him.

"You're almost Stellar Level now too. What, you still aren't confident you can seize it successfully?" Gu Ce teased.

Luo Feng shook his head.

"It's just that I feel like after this, I'm going to become a Star Beast, so I'm a little..."

"Who told you that you can't be human?" Gu Ce interrupted Luo Feng. "The Golden Horn Beast has the clone Innate Secret Art. You can completely nurture a human clone, and it doesn't even necessarily have to be an Earthling."

"There's such a thing?" Luo Feng was shocked and hurriedly asked Babata.

"Babata, what's going on?" Luo Feng asked inwardly.

"I don't know either." Babata also looked completely dumbfounded.

"Just seize it without worry. You still have to take part in the Genius Battle. If you don't nurture a human body and rely on the Golden Horn Beast's body, how will you take part in the Genius Battle?" Gu Ce shook his head slightly.

"Gu Ce, thank you," Luo Feng said, thanking Gu Ce.

"Small matter. We're all Earthlings." Gu Ce smiled calmly and patted Luo Feng's shoulder hard.