The ring had been hidden away, and the danger of it being discovered was gone. Yuan's taut nerves finally relaxed a little.
Waiting always seemed to drag on. Yuan spared a small part of his attention to chat with the others in the hunting party, while devoting almost all the rest to erasing the Spiritual Imprint on the Space Ring.
Yuan's thoughts stirred, and he suddenly asked, "I was busy cultivating before, so I don't know much about the rumors circulating on the wasteland."
"From what you've said, the Northern Rock Race was wiped out in an instant? Even a demigod couldn't wield that kind of power, could they?"
Zong Cao, who sat closest to Yuan and had taught him how to hunt Desolate Beasts, picked up the conversation. "Not a demigod! The demigods your Isis Race talks about are, at most, World Rank!"
One of the boys who had taught Yuan the Die Feng Sword Art, Zong Feng, chimed in. "What's wrong with World Rank? The World Power they possess is said to be capable of creating all things—even an entire world!"
"Still, that's nothing compared to the gods in the legends: immortal, eternal, and possessed of terrifying power!" Zong Cao glanced around and lowered his voice, as though afraid someone might hear him.
"They say that when their divine power swept across the land, everyone perished in an instant, whether they were World Rank or Domain Lord Rank. They didn't even know how they died! That's how the Northern Rock Race was wiped out!"
"I heard it happened because the Immortal Gods of the Light-Deriving Snake killed all the Immortal Gods of the Northern Rock Race in one of the divine wars."
"Without their gods' protection, it's no surprise the Northern Rock Race was wiped out! Sigh. Yuan, your Isis Race has Immortal Gods too, doesn't it? Have you ever seen them?"
Yuan was stunned by the truth behind the Northern Rock Race's destruction. It was a secret he would never have learned while living among the Isis Race.
Maybe it was better that he hadn't known. He could have just lived his life in peace.
Now that he did know, Yuan understood that life for the human members of the Isis Race wasn't as peaceful as it had seemed.
Yuan shook his head helplessly. "I've never seen one. Not even on TV. A few blurry photos that might be of them have circulated online among the Isis Race, but no one can prove whether they're real!"
At the mention of photos, everyone perked up. Yuan opened the Smart Wristwatch on his wrist and projected one of the pictures he had saved.
The image was tilted. A tall warrior in armor, his whole body glowing with golden light, stood atop a massive boulder with his back to the camera, holding a long spear.
The whole image was incredibly blurry, as if some strange force had interfered with the camera. Yuan explained, "The photo was taken more than a hundred thousand years ago."
"They say the photographer was allowed to leave and the photo survived because it didn't capture the Immortal God's face!"
The blurry figure in the projection stirred everyone with a feverish excitement. They were swept up in their adoration of the powerful and their fervent hope that they, too, might one day reach that level!
"Fortunately, your Isis Race has Immortal Gods too. You're only being oppressed for now. Otherwise, you might have been wiped out like the Northern Rock Race!" Zong Feng's younger sister, Zong He, one of the girls who had taught Yuan the Die Feng Sword Art, suddenly remarked.
She immediately realized she might have said something wrong and cautiously watched Yuan's reaction.
Zong He liked this cheerful, outgoing boy, whose humor was so different from the solemnity of the Starship Humans. She didn't want him to misunderstand her.
Yuan suddenly went expressionless. Staring at the girl with blue scales on her cheeks and strikingly exotic beauty, he asked coldly, "The Light-Deriving Snake is oppressing humanity? Why would you say that?"
"You didn't know?" Everyone else looked surprised. Zong He, meanwhile, breathed a sigh of relief; Yuan hadn't taken offense at her slip in the second half of her remark.
Zong Feng glanced at his sister, puzzled by her reaction.
Then, after weighing his words, he said, "We heard a little from the village chief. The Isis Race's Immortal Gods haven't shown themselves for years, so the Light-Deriving Snake has been pressuring the humans of the Isis Race in all sorts of ways to test them."
"They even forced you to hand over the mining rights to Qingsi Marrow Ore, which is essential to your cultivation!"
As Zong Feng explained, with the others occasionally adding details, Yuan finally gained a clearer, fuller picture of the history behind the conflict between his people and the Light-Deriving Snake.
Yuan's expression grew complicated. He stopped trying to erase the Spiritual Imprint on the Space Ring and said, "Ordinary people among the Isis Race know almost nothing about this. Everyone's just working hard to provide for themselves and their families."
Thinking of all those people laboring day in and day out, only for the fruits of their lives' work to end up in the hands of a bunch of snakes—all so their children could break through to Earth Rank.
A smoldering anger suddenly surged through Yuan's once-fragile, numb heart. It wasn't, as he'd first thought, that the resources were precious. The blue-eyed snakes had simply been oppressing them!
But the Starship Human boys' reaction surprised Yuan even more. Almost all of them yearned for the life he had just described. They didn't care if it meant giving up the path to becoming powerful.
Zong He's pretty face was full of longing. "How wonderful a life like that would be. No more wandering around every day, never knowing if you'll make it through. You could spend your life with someone you love..."
Her voice grew softer and softer. Suddenly, she felt a little embarrassed, and the scales on her cheeks turned even bluer...
The wind stirred the branches of the trees, and Yuan felt a rare sense of peace.
For the first eighteen years of his life, the pressure of his limited lifespan and his parents' expectations had driven him to focus single-mindedly on cultivation so he could reach Earth Rank.
Recently, Purple Crystal, which had been silent for years, had suddenly become conscious and started communicating with him. In the end, it had left him stranded in the wilderness.
Fortunately, the Starship Humans had saved his life. Then he had comprehended Light Artistic Conception, giving him a way to defend himself, however barely, out in the wasteland!
"Fortune and misfortune go hand in hand!" As Yuan watched the black hole in the sky chart slowly sink toward the west, he suddenly found himself no longer wanting to blame Purple Crystal.
He had come up with all sorts of snarky things to say, ready to unleash them on Purple Crystal once it woke up.
Like in those novels online among the Isis Race, he now wanted to learn where Purple Crystal came from and persuade it to become the "cheat" that would help him on his path to power!
For the first time, Yuan, who had always been content to take things as they came, began to think about his future.
Compared to ordinary members of the Isis Race struggling at the bottom, his own life was fairly comfortable.
And that was nothing compared to the precarious lives of the Starship Humans!
"I comprehended Light Artistic Conception at Earth Rank. I've already earned my way into the club of the powerful! I can't let my talent go to waste!"
Yuan resolved to set himself a goal. "I'll keep cultivating and climb to the heights of power—not just to live longer, and not just to give my family a better life!"
"I'll also make sure that the Isis Race and the Starship Humans on Dongyuan Planet are never bullied by other races again!"
"And one day, I'll even leave Dongyuan Planet and see the wider world beyond!"
Yuan's heart suddenly filled with bold ambition!
Something remarkable shifted in Yuan's state of mind. At last, he had the foundation he needed to become a powerful warrior!
"Crack! Crack!" Yuan felt an invisible pressure in his mind break beneath his will. In an instant, his senses became sharper.
His thoughts sped up, too. Yuan didn't understand what had changed, but he knew it had to be a good thing.
In fact, the strength of Yuan's consciousness crossed into Flying Star Rank (Star Rank) in that instant!
The chain reaction continued. His stronger Flying Star Rank thought process deepened his perception of Light Artistic Conception.
His desire to control the outside world grew stronger and harder to resist. He didn't want to control the light directly, in case something uncontrollable happened.
So, as Yuan sat in meditation, he suddenly drew the Tier 1 Origin Energy Weapon sword from his back amid the others' surprised exclamations and poured Origin Energy into it.
"Yuan! What are you doing? Everyone, get away from him!" a Flying Star Rank warrior on the outskirts barked. Instead of retreating, he rushed forward to stop Yuan's inexplicable behavior.
"I'm fine! I think I've realized something. You should get away too!" Yuan said urgently. The Origin Energy channeled through his sword became uncontrollable the instant it touched the light outside.
His Genetic Origin Energy began to slip out of his control. Like a floodgate had burst, it poured into the Origin Energy weapon without restraint!
The light around him finally warped beyond recognition! He vanished from everyone's sight. Only then did the nearby Flying Star Rank warriors react. "Is this... a domain?"
A figure shot skyward from a tree branch. It was Yuan, clad in black armor, a long sword in his hand and lightning in his eyes!
Everything within dozens of meters was shrouded in darkness. Yuan had the strange sense that he could control everything within that area, like a god inside his domain!
The black domain looked ready to expand, and the Genetic Origin Energy in Yuan's body began pouring out even faster.
With no other choice, Yuan turned his left hand into a palm and slammed it into his sword-wielding right hand. The sword flew free!
Without the weapon as a medium, the domain finally stopped expanding and vanished in an instant!
Everyone in the distance breathed a sigh of relief. As Yuan fell through the air, he didn't panic. He channeled his Genetic Origin Energy and glided toward the spot where his sword had fallen.
Several Flying Star Rank warriors confirmed that Yuan was unharmed when he landed. He had only exhausted too much Genetic Origin Energy and was somewhat weak.
As for any injuries from the fall, his Earth Rank, Tier 3 strength meant he'd recover quickly.
Then they called out, "Yuan's breakthrough into the domain realm caused such a huge disturbance. We need to leave quickly, before we attract too many Flying Star Rank Desolate Beasts..."
One of the Flying Star Rank warriors carried the exhausted Yuan on his back and reminded the others, "Bring Yuan's sword, and don't forget to leave a marker for the village chief!" "Got it!"
Once he had recovered, Yuan thanked everyone for their concern. He said he wanted to study the domain he had just comprehended, then went off to sit by himself at their new temporary camp.
His excitement at unexpectedly mastering a domain hadn't yet faded. It meant he was invincible within the Earth Rank realm!
With the strange changes in his Consciousness Sea as well, he even felt he might be able to fight a low-tier Flying Star Rank warrior without being outmatched!
No one could have expected Yuan to enter the domain realm so quickly. He still had no idea how to control his domain, which was why he had caused such a scene just now!
"When the Shenghui Village chief gets back, I'll ask him how to control a domain. Once I reach the ninth tier of Earth Rank, it'll be time to go home!" Yuan no longer doubted his talent. He was brimming with confidence!
He lowered his head and felt the Space Ring hidden beneath the skin of his finger. "And you, too. You've kept me waiting this long. I hope you have a big enough surprise for me!"
Before you continue