Parting

"Li Ze, we're about to leave. Come to the garrison square!" Lairui'er's voice came from the Intelligent Optical Computer.

"Understood!"

After answering, Li Ze rose and left the castle, then flew toward the garrison square in a blur.

When he arrived, he found not only the members of the Tongfeng Team, but also eight other Universe level soldiers from the First Brigade who had likewise earned a Sacred Mountain baptism quota.

He landed and took his place beside them.

"Captain, have you all found teachers? What are your plans next?" Li Ze asked them directly through voice transmission.

"Yes. Mengqian was the last of us, and even she was taken in as a disciple by a King-level Immortal a few days ago!" Jirui Yu's clear voice rang out in Li Ze's mind.

"Only after finding a teacher did I realize how much slower our cultivation had been without anyone to guide us!" Lairui'er added.

The others nodded as well.

"My brothers and sisters," Li Ze said, looking at them.

"My slaughter of the Demon Race and Mechanical Race during the Sacred Mountain Battle caused too much of a stir. My teacher has told me that both races have put me on their kill lists for the Fourth Outer Domain Battlefield!" Li Ze said.

"What do you mean?" Lairui'er was slightly taken aback.

"You're leaving?" Han Fu asked in a low voice.

"You have to leave?" Jirui Yu wanted to say something more, but held back.

All his teammates looked at Li Ze.

Li Ze nodded gently. "Yes. I'm leaving."

Lairui'er, Jirui Yu, Han Fu, Mengqian, and Lan Kun exchanged looks, their expressions complicated. None of them wanted to part with Li Ze, but asking him to stay was out of the question. They knew he would very likely be hunted down by other races if he remained on the Fourth Outer Domain Battlefield, and none of them wanted him to die there.

"I'm sorry," Li Ze said softly.

"There's no need to apologize," Lairui'er said. "We're already happy that you were with us and that we could fight beside you through this Sacred Mountain Battle. We don't want you dying on the Outer Domain Battlefield because of it. Besides, it's not as if we'll never see each other again!"

"Haha, whatever happens, Li Ze... we've been teammates for quite a while," Han Fu said with a chuckle.

Jirui Yu looked at Li Ze with her bright eyes. "Li Ze, don't forget us when you become a mighty warrior!"

"Tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of years from now, perhaps we'll see you again. I hope we'll all be powerful enough to control our own destinies by then." Since Lan Teng's death, Lan Kun had become quiet and withdrawn. It was rare for him to speak up like this. "I look forward to that day. Of course, I'll have to leave the Outer Domain Battlefield alive first."

"Don't be so sad, everyone. I haven't left yet. My teacher will only take me away from the Fourth Outer Domain Battlefield after the Sacred Mountain baptism!" Li Ze said with a light laugh.

Boom!

Legion Commander Xizes appeared in the garrison square, radiating his formidable aura!

"Since everyone is here, let's set off!"

After sweeping his gaze over the Universe level soldiers in the square, Xizes gathered them all into his World Ring, then turned and vanished from the square.

This time, Li Ze and the others did not have to wait long inside the World Ring.

Whoosh!

The scene before them changed, and Li Ze and the others appeared directly in the square of a Barracks Base similar to Barracks Base No. 7.

Many Universe level soldiers who had placed in the top thousand of the previous individual points ranking were already waiting in the square.

Li Ze looked around and saw many members of other teams who had fought beside him in the final battle.

When they sensed his gaze and saw that it was Li Ze, they nodded in greeting.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As time passed, Immortal Legion Commanders flew in one after another and transferred the soldiers from their legions who had earned Sacred Mountain baptism quotas into the square. Soon, all one thousand Universe level soldiers had gathered.

Boom!

King Huilei appeared in the square with an immense aura, clad in blue battle armor, his single horn flickering with threads of lightning.

"Greetings, King Huilei!" Everyone in the square, including the Legion Commanders, gave a military salute.

Whoosh!

Without speaking, King Huilei waved his hand and released a spaceship beside him.

It was a deep-blue, sword-shaped spaceship, roughly a thousand meters long, a hundred and fifty meters wide, and nearly a hundred meters thick. Looking at it, one could faintly sense an ancient aura, as though it had existed in the river of time for countless ages.

"Time ice. That's an F9 class spaceship forged from time ice," a Universe level soldier nearby whispered in astonishment.

"Legion Commanders, return to your posts. All Universe level soldiers receiving the Sacred Mountain baptism, board the ship!" King Huilei's imposing voice rang in everyone's ears.

"Yes!" Everyone answered his command.

Then all the Universe level soldiers began walking toward the ship's hatch in an orderly fashion.

The spaceship's interior was enormous. The War Sword Spaceship's "guard" housed its engine compartment, while the hilt contained its other functional cabins. The entire blade was a spacious, luxurious hall six hundred meters long and a hundred meters wide. After boarding, all the Universe level soldiers waited in the hall.

"Walli, do you have information on ships made from this kind of F9-class material?" Li Ze asked Walli directly, gazing at the enormous spaceship with envy.

"Master, ships made from this kind of F9-class material are almost all custom-built. This entire ship is made from the F9-class material time ice. Master shipbuilders engraved it with the mystic patterns of the origin laws, giving it astonishing defenses. Even a King-level Immortal God would find it extremely difficult to break through this ship."

Li Ze nodded at the explanation, wondering when he would be able to own a ship like this.

After all the Universe level soldiers had boarded, King Huilei entered the ship as well and went to the central control room.

The hatch closed. The entire ship trembled gently, then grew still again.

"Master, you've received a message from your teacher, King Yuchi, asking you to see him. Would you like to enter the Virtual Universe?" Walli's voice suddenly sounded in Li Ze's mind.

"Enter the Virtual Universe!"

"Understood. Connecting to the Virtual Universe."

Li Ze sat on a sofa, then sent his consciousness into the Virtual Universe Network.

Since Li Ze had become King Yuchi's disciple, his virtual assistant, Walli, had been authorized to teleport him automatically into King Yuchi's space. Thus, the moment Li Ze appeared, he was transported directly to King Yuchi's personal space.

Within a vast expanse of stars, a towering black mountain floated above a river of stars, rising an unknown number of tens of thousands of kilometers high. Wisps of red and white mist drifted around it, and planets could faintly be seen orbiting in the distance.

Li Ze appeared directly outside the crimson palace on the summit.

"Teacher, your disciple Li Ze requests an audience!" Standing outside the great hall, Li Ze bowed respectfully.

Rumble!

The palace doors, dozens of meters tall, swung open!

"Li Ze, come in!" A hearty voice came from within the hall.

Hearing it, Li Ze stepped into the great hall.

Inside the hall.

It was as empty as before. Only his teacher, King Yuchi, sat on the lofty throne, looking down at Li Ze with a gentle smile.

"You're already on your way here to the Sacred Mountain on the Yulan Continent, aren't you?"

Hmm? Here? Li Ze's thoughts stirred.

"Teacher, you're at the Sacred Mountain on the Yulan Continent too?"

"Hahaha!" Rather than getting angry when Li Ze answered his question with another question, King Yuchi laughed. "Yes. I've been waiting for you at the Sacred Mountain on the Yulan Continent for some time!"

As soon as he asked, Li Ze regretted his rashness. After all, he had only met King Yuchi once and did not know what sort of temperament he had. Beings who had reached the Immortal Level had lived for countless ages, and many Immortals had very strange personalities. It was entirely possible for a single remark to anger his teacher.

Hearing his teacher's laughter, Li Ze breathed a sigh of relief. His new teacher seemed to be someone who did not fuss over minor formalities.

"Li Ze, last time I said I'd prepare a cultivation plan for you, but something suddenly came up, so I still haven't sent it!" King Yuchi said with a smile.

"I'm waiting for you at the Sacred Mountain so I can take you straight out of the Fourth Outer Domain Battlefield after your baptism. I've already chosen where you'll cultivate next! That place will be of tremendous help to your future path!" King Yuchi looked at Li Ze, his gaze as sharp as lightning.

"Yes, Teacher!" Li Ze stood solemnly at attention.

"By the way, there's another reason I called you here!" King Yuchi changed the subject.

"Didn't you receive a one-time redemption privilege for the Universe Level Special Army Treasury? Have you redeemed anything yet?"

"Not yet! I wanted to wait until after the Sacred Mountain baptism!" Li Ze did not understand what King Yuchi was getting at, but answered honestly.

"Good. Wait a moment!" Hearing that Li Ze had yet to redeem anything, King Yuchi nodded.

Ding!

"Master, you've received a transfer notification from the Cosmic River Bank!"

Li Ze immediately opened the message.

Dear customer, hello!

Your consciousness-linked account at our bank has received a transfer of 200,000 Hun Yuan units. Your account balance has reached 215,761.45 Hun Yuan units and has automatically been upgraded to a four-star account. You have also automatically become a valued four-star customer of the Cosmic River Bank. As a four-star customer, you enjoy many special privileges.

A list of these special privileges and their descriptions is attached below.

Cosmic River Bank

Seeing the enormous bank balance, Li Ze was startled and looked straight at King Yuchi on the throne.

"Li Ze, the items in the Special Army Treasury are extremely precious. Many have already vanished from the universe, so their redemption prices are extremely high as well. With your little bit of wealth, I'm afraid you'd only be able to stare helplessly if you found something good!" King Yuchi watched Li Ze's expression with a smile.

"Based on past redemption records from the Universe Level Special Army Treasury, the wealth I've transferred to you will be enough to redeem some items that will be immensely helpful to you. Think carefully about what you want to redeem, and message me directly if there's anything you don't understand!"

"Teacher..." Warmth welled up in Li Ze's heart. He had never expected his new teacher to be so thoughtful, anticipating even this and giving him such an enormous sum.

Even an Immortal Army Lord rarely possessed so much wealth, yet his teacher had given it without hesitation to someone who was merely at the Universe level.

"There's no need for that. You're my only disciple now! This bit of wealth is a drop in the ocean for me!" King Yuchi knew what Li Ze was thinking from his expression and cut him off before he could say more.

"All right, there's nothing else. Once you've used your redemption privilege for the Universe Level Special Army Treasury, I'll take you away," King Yuchi said.

Without waiting for Li Ze to respond further, his figure slowly vanished from the Virtual Universe.

Looking at the spot where King Yuchi had disappeared, Li Ze smiled, then vanished from the Virtual Universe as well.

To be continued.