Brothers and Shackles

Inside the great hall, a patch of grass appeared between the two men. The withered weeds on it turned green at a visible rate, while grass seeds buried beneath the soil sprouted and grew. In the end, both bloomed at the same time.

Looking at the projection before him, the Molten Sector Lord said nothing and continued listening to Frank's report.

"According to the monitoring satellites, this anomaly has affected a relatively large area, covering one-third of the core region of the Kuka Planet Prairie."

Frank waved his hand again, and the projection between them changed.

A circular map appeared before them. It was a complete map of the Kuka Planet Prairie, with a brightly highlighted green area occupying a considerable portion of its center.

Finally, Frank added, "This anomaly has accelerated the conversion rate of wood-element genetic energy in the area. According to Lorenzo, there have also been fluctuations in the laws."

"Fluctuations in the laws?"

At that, the Molten Sector Lord became interested.

He searched his memories briefly, only to realize that he had never encountered such an anomaly before. His expression turned grave.

With wealth slightly greater than that of a Marquis-level immortal, he knew a great many secret accounts.

Yet even he had no memory of such an anomaly. That alone was enough to show how extraordinary it was!

The Molten Sector Lord ordered, "Seal off the news and wait for my orders."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Frank nodded respectfully, then withdrew from the great hall.

Once Frank had left, the Molten Sector Lord connected to the Virtual Universe with a thought.

Virtual Universe, Qianwu Continent, Qianwu Mountain.

Qianwu Mountain was where many immortal powerhouses under the Qian Wu Universe Country resided within the Virtual Universe. It was said that the Qian Wu Ruler's palace stood at its summit.

On the mountainside of Qianwu Mountain stood several hundred palaces. Their owners were all trusted subordinates of the Qian Wu Ruler, each one a powerhouse among immortal deities.

The Molten Sector Lord arrived at one of those palaces and entered amid the respectful bows of the guards at its gates.

It was not only the gate guards. Every other guard within the palace respectfully bowed when they saw the Molten Sector Lord, as though he were the palace's master.

Within the core hall of the palace, a burly man sat upon a throne.

When he saw the Molten Sector Lord arrive, he stood with a laugh to greet him. "Haha! Fifth Brother, I was just about to look for you when you came."

"Congratulations, Second Brother, on getting your wish and successfully becoming a marquis! From now on, I should call you Marquis Rongdian."

The Molten Sector Lord smiled as well. His brother-in-arms had successfully become a marquis, and he was sincerely happy for him.

Though the burly man spoke modestly, there was unconcealable delight in his tone. "Barely! I merely barely became a marquis."

Clearly, unlike what he said aloud, he was immensely proud of having become a marquis.

After the congratulations, the two brothers-in-arms, who had not met for decades, began chatting. However, they deliberately avoided the subject of immortality and merely talked about interesting anecdotes.

As they spoke, the Molten Sector Lord mentioned the unprecedented anomaly that had appeared on one of the training planets under his command.

As soon as he heard this, Marquis Rongdian became interested. He had never heard of such an anomaly either.

As a trusted subordinate of the Qian Wu Ruler, Marquis Rongdian's authority had risen after he barely became a marquis. He used that authority to search for what kind of special ability this anomaly belonged to.

When they saw the information provided by the Virtual Universe, both were rather surprised.

"Special ability: Origin of Life. A special ability ranked among the top three in the universe. It possesses an extremely strong self-recovery ability. Genetic energy can enhance and cultivate plant life, and it has high affinity with the Law of Wood.

"Note: Those with exceptionally powerful Origin of Life abilities possess an extremely rapid divine power recovery rate after breaking through to immortality."

Seeing the final line of the information, the Molten Sector Lord quietly read it aloud. "Value: from 1 mixed element unit to 1,000 mixed element units."

Marquis Rongdian clicked his tongue. "As expected of a special ability ranked among the top three in the universe. The highest value of this Origin of Life is equivalent to the wealth of an immortal army lord."

The Molten Sector Lord shook his head. "Its value isn't low, but the range is too wide. At the lowest, it's worth 1 mixed element unit, and at the highest, only 1,000 mixed element units."

"Only 1,000 mixed element units? Fifth Brother, that's equivalent to the entire fortune of a relatively poor immortal army lord!"

Even Marquis Rongdian, an immortal powerhouse who had barely become a marquis and whose wealth exceeded that of ordinary Marquis-level immortals, would not consider 1,000 mixed element units a small sum.

Of course, when he and his Fifth Brother had first inherited the assets of that alien King-level powerhouse, 1,000 mixed element units really had been a small sum.

"Only 1,000 mixed element units."

The Molten Sector Lord shook his head again and asked, "If it were you, Second Brother, and a treasure capable of rapidly restoring divine power were being sold for 1,000 mixed element units, would you buy it?"

"Buy it! As long as I have the money, I'll buy as many as I can!"

Marquis Rongdian, who had been focused on the price, lit up. "You mean the greatest value of Origin of Life lies in rapidly restoring divine power?"

"Yes. The greatest value of Origin of Life lies in its ability to rapidly restore divine power, but reaching that maximum value is too difficult!"

The Molten Sector Lord sighed softly. "Only exceptionally powerful Origin of Life abilities can rapidly restore divine power, but before one becomes immortal, who can tell whether it is an exceptionally powerful Origin of Life ability?"

Hearing this, Marquis Rongdian said, "The basic abilities, such as affinity with the laws, provide a lower limit, while the upper limit of rapidly restoring divine power is more like a gamble.

"I think Origin of Life has strong recovery abilities and is suitable for possession and nurturing descendants.

"However, a special ability is not a racial talent. After possession replaces the soul, it is uncertain how much of the most valuable talent at the lower limit—affinity with the laws—can be retained.

"Therefore, I think Origin of Life is worth 3 to 5 mixed element units."

At last, Marquis Rongdian gave his valuation. Even that price was already equal to half the fortune of most Sector Lords.

"Only 5 mixed element units."

The Molten Sector Lord chuckled softly. "I plan to nurture him. Unfortunately, there are only eighty-two years left until the Universe Peak Genius Battle. Otherwise, I could have tested his quality in advance."

Marquis Rongdian patted the Molten Sector Lord's shoulder. "No matter what decision you make, Second Brother will support you!"

"Thank you, Second Brother." The Molten Sector Lord smiled.

"Why are we brothers being so polite with each other?"

Marquis Rongdian took out several bottles of wine the Molten Sector Lord enjoyed. "Come! Today, let us brothers drink to our hearts' content!"

The two then drank heavily. The wine they consumed in that bout was worth 0.1 mixed element units.

After the drinking, Marquis Rongdian saw the Molten Sector Lord off with a smile.

After the Molten Sector Lord left, the smile on Marquis Rongdian's face faded.

He lowered his head and looked at the many empty bottles in the hall. "Sigh, if only you had listened to me and put aside your pride back then, how could it have come to this..."

After leaving the Virtual Universe and returning to reality, the Molten Sector Lord summoned a projection with a thought.

The projection showed a half-body portrait of a young boy, alongside written details of his name and background.

Looking at the boy in the projection, only in his teens, with black hair, black eyes, fair skin, and a rather thin build, the Molten Sector Lord quietly read, "Li Qi Royce."

Kuka Planet, the Royce Family.

Combining those two names, the Molten Sector Lord thought of another youngster with equally outstanding talent, Ron Royce.

He had reached the eighth level of the domain before the age of fifty. Among the talents the Molten Sector Lord had nurtured during the more than three hundred eras since establishing the Molten Empire, that aptitude was considered quite good.

If he had been properly nurtured for another few thousand years, he would have had a great chance of entering the top 1,000 of the Qian Wu Universe Country in the Universe Peak Genius Battle held by the Giant Axe Battle Arena.

Unfortunately, he had fallen during a trial at the Stellar Training Camp, and the empire had wiped out a Domain Lord family because of it.

After reading Li Qi's information, the Molten Sector Lord shook his head inwardly. His foundation is too weak. He still needs to be polished properly.

But it doesn't matter. Eighty-two years from now, he will not even be a hundred years old. This Universe Peak Genius Battle can serve as training for him.

A Stellar-level cultivator had a lifespan of ten thousand years, while the Universe Peak Genius Battle was held twice every ten thousand years, alternately hosted by the two peak powers, the Virtual Universe Company and the Giant Axe Battle Arena.

The Molten Sector Lord had nurtured talents for more than three hundred eras. Over those more than three million years, the geniuses he had cultivated had participated in more than seven hundred Universe Peak Genius Battles.

More than ten of them had entered the top 1,000 of the Qian Wu Universe Country.

Yet only one had entered the top 7,300 in the universe, and he had been eliminated in the first round of the second stage.

Still, reaching the top 7,300 in the universe was already quite good. After all, there were 1,004 human universe countries, and each universe country sent 1,000 geniuses to the finals. That meant over a million geniuses participated in the finals.

A million geniuses!

After the first stage ended, only 7,300 remained. This showed just how cruel and intense the finals of the Universe Peak Genius Battle were!

"With the special ability Origin of Life, his talent ranks near the top among all the geniuses I have cultivated over the past three million years."

As one of the top powerhouses among Sector Lords, the Molten Sector Lord also possessed extensive experience in nurturing geniuses.

He knew well that talent was merely the foundation. Comprehension, willpower, state of mind, luck, and other factors were also important in determining how far someone with outstanding talent could go.

I hope you can bring me a surprise, the Molten Sector Lord murmured inwardly.

During his more than three-million-year career of nurturing geniuses, he had suffered disappointment time and again. By now, he rarely placed hope in any particular genius.

Nurturing a genius capable of entering the top 1,000 in the universe was simply too difficult!

If not for that promise from the Qian Wu Ruler supporting him, he would have long since given up nurturing geniuses.

That opportunity from the past had brought enormous wealth to him and his brother-in-arms, Marquis Rongdian. At the same time, it had forged the shackles that made it impossible for him to break through.

In most people's eyes, he was incomparably powerful, having defeated an immortal deity head-on while still a Sector Lord. Yet only a few knew of his bitterness and suffering.

For an ordinary Sector Lord to break through and become an immortal deity, they only needed to solve two great problems. First, they had to fully comprehend one lower law. Second, they had to completely control their body.

Now, he had fully comprehended the Law of Fire, was close to fully comprehending the Law of Earth, and could completely control his body. He had even taken his first steps into the Law of Space.

Yet even so, he still could not break through and become an immortal deity!

Because Sector Lords with foundations as solid as his faced a third great problem!

That third great problem was relying on one's own strength to shatter the original nucleus and complete the infusion of divine power!

If he could not shatter the original nucleus, then even if he fully comprehended the Origin Law of Fire, he still could not become an immortal deity.

Without becoming immortal, one would ultimately return to dust!

Immortal deities possessed eternal lifespans and were untouched by the erosion of time.

Yet without becoming immortal, even the most powerful Sector Lord had a lifespan of only ten million years!

Once those ten million years passed, only the inner world within their body would remain in the world.