Hong and Thor

"Tsk, I was discovered after all..."

Empress Ruthless stepped on her flying sword, instantly breaking through the resistance of the seawater and leaping out of the ocean.

Behind her, a giant, scaleless, four-legged python wreathed in lightning and covered in black scales also surged out of the sea.

This was none other than the Thunder Dragon Emperor, one of the two great Monster Emperors. Some said it evolved from a type of electric eel, while others claimed it was a sea snake. It was a Planetary Level 8 monster!

"ROAR!!!"

The Thunder Dragon Emperor let out an angry roar, but seeing Empress Ruthless vanish a hundred miles away in the blink of an eye, it hurriedly scanned its surroundings before sullenly retreating back into the sea.

It didn't have the guts to stay out of the ocean for long. While it knew that Hong and Thor wouldn't kill it easily, if it lost that gamble, it would be the one to die...

"I knew it."

The higher a monster's intelligence, the more it feared death. This point was highlighted perfectly by the behavior of the two Monster Emperors.

Empress Ruthless shook her head. She hadn't intended to kill the two Monster Emperors anyway. If she were careless and forced them to trigger a global monster tide in their desperation to survive, that would be a major disaster...

Beside Empress Ruthless was a chain made of SS-grade Alloy, binding four massive monsters. This was the very reason she had come to the East Sea.

"Four King-level monsters should be enough to trade for 300 billion. I'll head straight to Hong's place."

With that thought, Empress Ruthless ignored the Thunder Dragon Emperor hiding back in the sea. She activated her flight technique and disappeared in a blink.

Hongning Base City is located in the western part of Asia, near Europe. Its actual location is in Turkey, sandwiched between the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean. Not long after the Grand Nirvana period erupted, the original nation here had completely fallen.

Empress Ruthless soon arrived at the global headquarters of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, which was housed in the wreckage of a massive interstellar transport ship!

As soon as she appeared, her transcendent aura and iconic bronze mask were immediately recognized by the woman in blue robes at the headquarters entrance.

"Councilor Ruthless, please, this way."

The woman hurriedly stepped forward and gestured for her to follow.

Empress Ruthless nodded. With a thought, the chain binding the four King-level monsters behind her loosened, and with a 'thud,' the four monster carcasses slammed onto the ground.

"Find someone to process these for me. 300 billion will suffice."

"Understood."

The woman nodded repeatedly, then took out a dedicated communicator, spoke a few words, and hung up.

"Councilor Ruthless, I have already contacted the staff to handle it for you."

"Fine, let's go."

Empress Ruthless didn't need the woman to lead the way; she had been here many times before when exchanging for items.

The Vegetation Spirit used by Xu Ai and Xu Xin had also been traded from Hong and Thor using her insights into domains.

Insights into a Triple Domain were an extremely favorable price to trade for an Ancient Civilization gravity chamber.

Walking through a corridor filled with a sense of technology, at the end of the passage, a quiet room door stood half-open, severely lowering the cyberpunk aesthetic of the spaceship...

"Master, Councilor Ruthless has arrived."

"Mm, come in."

Hong's cold voice rang out.

The woman bowed slightly and then departed.

Empress Ruthless pushed open the door and walked inside.

"What a rare guest. Even that brat Thor knows to come here and mooch off me every few days, but you haven't been here for a whole month."

Hong looked at Empress Ruthless as she walked in and smiled.

Ever since she presented her cultivation insights on the Triple Domain, he and Thor had treated her as an equal. When dealing with someone of the same level, there was naturally no need to keep a straight face to maintain distance.

"I've been in seclusion for the past month, so I haven't had the time to visit."

Empress Ruthless spoke the truth. She hadn't stepped out of her villa once in the last month, spending eighty percent of her time in the gravity chamber. She only came out when Xu Ai and Xu Xin visited... Xu Xin!

Hong nodded in satisfaction.

"You can visit me whenever you like, but cultivation is more important."

Other councilors were one thing; their potential was limited, and reaching the Councilor level was their peak.

But Empress Ruthless was a genius who had comprehended a domain the moment she broke through to Planetary Level, and she had even surpassed him by comprehending a Triple Domain ahead of time.

She definitely had the potential for Star Level or Universe Level in the future. Hong did not want Empress Ruthless to waste her time on trivial matters like the other councilors.

Poor Hong, his vision was limited; he only knew up to the Universe Level...

The two chatted briefly about topics related to cultivation before getting to the point.

"By the way, you didn't just come here to visit today, did you?"

Hong said with a smile.

"You aren't the type to visit without a reason."

The first time she came, she took her Triple Domain insights and traded them for an Ancient Civilization gravity chamber and some of Thor's Vegetation Spirit;

The second time, she took her domain manipulation insights and ten-fold force amplification techniques and traded them for a copy of Basic Spirit Reader Techniques and some of Thor's Vegetation Spirit;

The third time she came, she took another copy of the self-compiled Basic Genetic Martial Artist, and traded it to him for a pile of alien metals and some Vegetation Spirit from Thor...

Hong couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the thought; his younger brother Thor's stock of Vegetation Spirit had almost been cleaned out by Hen Ren.

"I want to buy two portions of Jade Marrow and Dragon Blood. I just sold your Extreme Martial Arts Hall four King-level Monsters, and the money is already prepared."

"...That's it?"

Hen Ren nodded. This was her purpose in hunting down the four King-level Monsters. Having grown accustomed to using Vegetation Spirit, she had forgotten that things like Jade Marrow even existed...

Hong was speechless. It was just Jade Marrow and Dragon Blood; was it really necessary to visit in person?

He had been worried that she had gained some new insight into cultivation and wanted to trade for something valuable, like a Soaring Sky Shuttle or the like...

"I will have someone send the Jade Marrow and Dragon Blood over in a moment."

"However, this Jade Marrow and Dragon Blood is only useful for martial artists below the Planetary Level. You... are you planning to use it for those two disciples of yours?"

"Yes, it's for them."

There was nothing to hide about this. When she displayed her Triple Domain, Hong and Thor would certainly have investigated her background thoroughly; the fact that she had taken Xu Xin and Xu Ai as disciples would definitely be in the file.

They naturally had no ill intentions; they were simply satisfying their own curiosity.

"This Jade Marrow and Dragon Blood can only be used by official martial artists... Have they become martial artists?"

"Not yet. Only Xu Ai has become a martial artist; Xu Xin is still a bit short."

The college entrance examination had just ended. If Xu Xin wanted to participate in the Quasi-Martial Artist assessment on July 1st, she had less than 20 days left to work hard.

Hong thought for a moment and decided to have his artificial intelligence check.

[Yes, Master. On June 1st, Xu Ai passed the Quasi-Martial Artist assessment with a punch force of 903kg, a speed of 25.7m/s, and a Low-level Warrior Rank rating in neural reaction.]

"Hmm, a 16-year-old Quasi-Martial Artist. Not bad."

Although she was fed by Vegetation Spirit...

Hong looked at Hen Ren. "The disciple you took in should have succeeded in cultivating the 'Five Hearts Towards Heaven', right? Having consumed so much Vegetation Spirit, with that level of cellular activity, a punch force of 2000kg should definitely not be a problem."

"4000kg."

There was nothing that needed to be hidden about this, so Hen Ren stated the truth.

Hong nodded. This figure was quite good; it was already keeping pace with the offspring of those high-level War Gods and council members.

"By the way, how are her force exertion amplitude, sword techniques, and movement techniques?"

Since the conditions were there, these combat methods should naturally be learned as early as possible. Hong didn't believe that Hen Ren wouldn't teach Xu Ai these things.

Hen Ren thought for a moment and realized what Hong was thinking, so she said 'modestly':

"Specialist Level sword techniques, Micro Level movement techniques, and a 2x force exertion amplitude. She just hasn't participated in the actual combat assessment yet."

"Mm-hmm, very good."

Only then did Hong nod with satisfaction.

To have raised her sword techniques and movement techniques to this realm at 16, along with a 2x force exertion amplitude, made her a rare genius on Earth.

With this kind of talent, physical fitness didn't matter; it could be piled up directly using resources.

"Once she passes the actual combat assessment, send her to the Elite Training Camp."

"No."

Hen Ren refused directly.

What a joke. What could the Elite Training Camp possibly teach Xu Ai?

Hen Ren could share knowledge directly, she could provide the resources, and as for the 'Ancient Civilization' gravity chamber, they already had one at home. There was absolutely no need to go to the training camp to share one with other students...

Calculated this way, wasn't cultivating at home perfectly fine?

"...Alright then."

After being rejected by Hen Ren, Hong naturally thought of this as well.

It was true; when someone had resources, where would they need to be sent to a 'slum' to fight others for them...

"However, she still needs to be tested in actual comba—"

"Brother Hong!"

Accompanied by a loud shout, the door was pushed open once again. A bald young man swaggered in, with an embarrassed-looking blue-robed young man following behind him.

"Third Sister is here, why didn't you call me? That's too much!"

"You go down and get back to work first."

Hong helplessly waved his hand at the young man. The young man hurriedly bowed and then helped them close the door.

Seeing that Hong wasn't paying attention to him, Thor started talking to Hen Ren directly.

"Third Sister, what good things do you have to trade this time? Second Brother tells you, I've gotten my hands on quite a few good things again. You should take a good look when the time comes."

"I only want two portions of Jade Marrow and Dragon Blood..."

"...That's it?"

"It's over."

Hen Ren nodded.

She had miscalculated...

Thor rubbed his bald head; rushing over here without figuring things out first was just too embarrassing...

At this moment, the Jade Marrow and Dragon Blood that Hen Ren had requested were delivered.

The staff member placed the Jade Marrow and Dragon Blood on the table and then left.

"Hen Ren, regarding the Jade Marrow and Dragon Blood, I suggest you wait a month before letting your disciple use them."

Hong reminded her, as he had much more experience using these types of medicinal agents.

"For your disciple Xu Ai, although the diluted Vegetation Spirit is easy to absorb, she has been drinking it for months, so there should still be quite a bit of residual medicinal efficacy that hasn't been fully absorbed. Have her train in the Gravity Chamber for a month to absorb all that power; she should be able to break through to the Low-level War General level."

"Once her physical fitness reaches the Low-level War General level or higher, that is the best time to use the Jade Marrow. As for the Dragon Blood, I suggest waiting another month after finishing the Jade Marrow before using it."

"Fine, I'll listen to you."

Hen Ren nodded. Although Xu Ai was already at the High-level Warrior level, she couldn't tell if there was any residual medicinal power left either. It would be better to stop the medication and spend a month purely on training.

In any case, on Earth, she was there to hold up the sky for everything, so there was no rush for Xu Ai's path to becoming stronger.

Having obtained what she wanted, Hen Ren bid farewell to Hong and Thor.

"By the way, are you going to Ancient Civilization Ruin No. 9 this year?"

Hong suddenly asked.

That's right, from the past until now, Hen Ren had never once been to Ancient Civilization Ruin No. 9!

"No..."