Inside the virtual world of the War God Palace, in a metal corridor.
Chu He followed behind Hong and Thunder God, his expression calm.
"As expected of the strongest men on Earth at this stage."
"When that aura burst out in the meeting room just now, it was truly awe-inspiring."
Watching the two men from behind, Chu He's thoughts churned.
One was at Planetary Level Seven, while the other, despite being at Planetary Level Six, had a domain...
"I have to find a way to improve my strength!"
"Whether it's Spiritual Force or a domain—even learning a few Kill Moves with a blade as a Warrior would be good!"
As he was thinking, a metal door at the end of the corridor swung open with a bang.
The three of them stepped through and continued onward, soon arriving at a lounge.
After Hong and Thunder God sat down casually, Thunder God glanced at Chu He with a smile. "You can sit too."
"Yes, Dojo Master." Chu He answered and quietly took a seat nearby.
He sat with his back straight.
Strictly speaking, he was still a member of the Thunder Dojo. It was best to show some respect in front of its Dojo Master, Thunder God.
That bald man was no stranger to killing.
"First, congratulations. You're now the second Spirit Reader on Earth to reach Councilor Level. So, how does it feel?" Thunder God asked with a broad grin.
Hearing Chu He call him "Dojo Master" and seeing how sensible and respectful Chu He was around him, how could Thunder God not be pleased?
He'd been green with envy when Brother Hong's Extreme Martial Arts Gym produced a Luo Feng.
At last, the Thunder Dojo had produced a talent of its own!
There were only two Councilor Level Spirit Readers on Earth: Fourth Speaker East and Chu He, who was sitting right in front of them.
Moreover, from the footage of Chu He killing Li Yao and Venina, it was easy to see that Chu He had much better control over his Spiritual Force than East had back when he was at Planetary Level 1.
Even now, East could only control sixteen Flying Daggers. The two men weren't sure how many Chu He could control, but it seemed likely to be at least that many.
Seeing that Thunder God seemed to be in a good mood, Chu He seized the opportunity. "Dojo Master, I only reached this level as a Spirit Reader by relying on Spirits of Vegetation. My foundation's pretty shaky. Do you have any Spirit Reader manuals I could borrow and study?"
He'd been thinking about how to improve his strength!
If he didn't bring it up now, he wouldn't be Chu He.
Hong and Thunder God exchanged a glance, then burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Thunder God, no wonder he came from your Thunder Dojo. That knack for asking for benefits clearly runs in the family," Hong teased.
Thunder God looked at Chu He with a smile. "Chu He, aren't you the chairman of Jiuzhou Group? Why are you suddenly claiming to belong to my Thunder Dojo?"
Chu He had advanced so quickly that even a fool could guess he'd probably discovered some unknown ruins or something similar.
They weren't bragging: the two of them had discovered most of the many ruins on Earth. If anyone on Earth knew the most about the universe, it was them.
So, in their eyes, Chu He must have come into contact with the real universe—and might even have gained some kind of inheritance.
Still, neither of them tried to take it from him.
As long as he still considered himself an Earthling and was willing to help Earth's people survive and prosper, he was one of their own.
There was no need to know every secret.
Even now, Thunder God was giving Chu He two choices.
"Let me make this clear. If you choose to stay with my Thunder Dojo, I don't mind letting you study Basic Spirit Reader Techniques for free. But... I know you've wanted to leave the Thunder Dojo for a long time."
"Now, I'll give you the chance to leave the Thunder Dojo!"
"Make your decision in front of me."
"Remember, once you leave, you'll have to trade treasures for Basic Spirit Reader Techniques."
After he finished speaking, Thunder God gave Chu He more than ten seconds to consider, then asked, "Well? Have you made up your mind?"
"Dojo Master, I have." Chu He nodded. "I'd like to trade some fine wines for it."
"Fine wines?" Hong and Thunder God exchanged a glance, their interest piqued.
If they were right, these fine wines were bound to be extraordinary!
"Yes, I've heard a little about the wines sold by Jiuzhou Group," Hong said thoughtfully. "Passion Fruit Dew and Ginseng Essence Wine are quite effective, but to trade for my manual..."
Hong shook his head.
The two were nowhere near equal in value.
In the trading system Hong had devised, Basic Spirit Reader Techniques was worth a full three stars!
A complete Spirit of Vegetation was generally worth somewhere between one and a half and five stars.
A few bottles of fine wine simply weren't enough!
"Of course, I don't mean those wines." Chu He smiled. "My strength wasn't sufficient before, so I didn't dare sell some of the better wines."
"For instance, Jade Dew Wine and Heavenly Star Wine can speed up the digestion and absorption of Cosmic Origin Energy. They're useful all the way up to Advanced War General."
"And..."
Chu He glanced at Hong and Thunder God. He trusted their character, so after only a moment's hesitation, he told them what the improved Jade Dew Wine could do.
"After I improved it, Jade Dew Wine became effective not just for students, but even for War Gods."
"In other words, as long as you watch how much you drink at a time, Jade Dew Wine can help Warriors improve rapidly before they reach Planetary Level."
"What? Are you serious?" Hong and Thunder God sprang to their feet in shock.
They weren't hung up on Chu He knowing the term "Planetary Level." They were stunned by what Jade Dew Wine could do.
The fact that he could improve it proved that Chu He was now fully capable of producing it in quantity.
To understand the value of something that could steadily improve a Warrior's strength, all they had to do was compare it to Dragon Blood or Jade Marrow.
"Have you tested it? Can Jade Dew Wine speed up everyone's digestion and absorption of Cosmic Origin Energy enough to make them War Gods?" Hong stared intently at Chu He. "And how much can you produce? What's the cost?"
"It can increase a Warrior's efficiency by about thirty percent. The exact amount depends on their talent, but at the very least, it can push someone into the Apprentice Stage—that is, to Beginner Warrior."
"I can grow the raw materials myself, so the cost isn't high. That means the price will be much lower too. For now, I'm planning to price it the same as a Gene Evolution Agent of the same level," Chu He explained with a smile.
In truth, Chu He could still make a profit even if he set the price a little lower. But if he did, his Jiuzhou Group would probably earn the hostility of the Five Great Nations!
Jade Dew Wine was far more effective at winning people over than handing out porridge during a famine.
What government wouldn't fear hearing the cry, "Heaven is dead"?
Jiuzhou Group wasn't yet strong enough to withstand the full force of the Five Great Nations.
"Good! Good! Good!"
"You're far more useful now than the two of us put together!" Hong sighed, then said solemnly, "Remember, Planetary Level is only the beginning, not the end."
From Chu He's actions, Hong and Thunder God could tell that he wasn't someone content to remain under another's thumb.
And this way of winning people over... They couldn't believe he had no ambition.
But so what?
The fact that he was willing to sell this wine openly, and at a low price, proved that he cared about Earth's people.
As long as he continued to consider the future of Earth's people, it wouldn't matter if he became the number one person on Earth instead of someone else!
"Don't slack off," Hong said sternly. "Once your Jade Dew Wine hits the market, I'll buy some. If it does what you say, I'll give you Basic Spirit Reader Techniques for free!"
"Understood." Chu He nodded.
Chu He knew exactly what Hong meant by "Don't slack off."
Before you continue