Universe Secret Realm

Looking at the endless desert before him, Luo Zhiyuan sighed softly.

In the sea of his consciousness, Bulieni said, "Why the sigh, kid? That's what life as a cosmic adventurer is like."

"As long as you're alive, there's still hope. Once you're dead, it's all over."

"Who cares what happens to your corpse? Even the bodies of powerful warriors are a fortune in themselves, and their enemies will find all sorts of ways to use them."

Bulieni paused, then said softly, "Take Old Mystic and the others. Natural Beast Gods, you know? Their bodies could never be left behind after they died. The various races of the universe that surrounded and killed them would treat them as treasures and carve them up!"

Luo Zhiyuan let out a long breath and said quietly, "I know. I even know that back then, humanity took part in surrounding and killing the Metal Beast God. To this day, they're still enjoying the Essence Blood he left behind."

"The Metal Beast God? Alo? Heh. Your human race is a pinnacle race, too. How could humanity have stayed out of something as big as killing a Natural Beast God?" Bulieni replied evenly.

"Back then, Alo was a stubborn fool. Once a fight started, he charged straight ahead without ever thinking about taking a roundabout approach. That's why Old Mystic was the first to foresee his fall. And then..."

"Heh, when I made my body back then, I even got Alo to give me some of his scales to make an alloy. That gave my body an Innate Secret Technique."

"A pity about all that flesh and those scales. If I'd known, I should've pulled off more of them. I could've kept them as a memento."

Luo Zhiyuan's heart stirred. He said to Bulieni, "I know where the Metal Beast God fell. Once I get into the Core Layer of the Virtual Universe, I'll visit the place. Maybe I can bring back a souvenir for you."

"Good! It's a deal!"

After that, Luo Zhiyuan continued to follow his strategy of staying as still as a mountain. He did nothing else, leaving only a fraction of his consciousness on guard while he focused entirely on cultivating the second level of the Shadow Divine Weapon in the Killing Field.

Two months flew by. During that time, Luo Zhiyuan encountered plenty of other examinees. Some had already lost their way, some had been enslaved, and others looked tense as they struggled to hold on. He couldn't tell whether they had entered before or after him.

Luo Zhiyuan never faced any real danger. A ninth-level Universe Level monster approached him once, but before it could attack, Xingxing sprang into action and strangled it.

That day, the guide on Luo Zhiyuan's body began shining brightly. An arrow appeared, pointing toward the way out of the Illusion World.

The three months were up. Luo Zhiyuan got to his feet and flew in the direction the guide indicated. Along the way, the arrow kept turning for no apparent reason. Sometimes there seemed to be nothing ahead, but after he flew forward, he would find himself in another world.

After flying for a full day, Luo Zhiyuan finally emerged from the Illusion World. He handed the guide to the hulking gatekeeper and automatically became a Trainee Universe Mercenary. Then he left the underground cavern, joined his personal guards, who had waited for him for three months, boarded the spaceship, and departed Red Bat Planet.

During those three months, Luo Zhiyuan had contacted the Luo Family several times and told Luo Feng that he was taking the Trainee Universe Mercenary exam. Now he planned to explore a Universe Secret Realm that Bulieni had picked out as the least dangerous, so he told Luo Feng about that as well.

Hearing an unfamiliar term, Luo Feng asked Babata, "Babata, do you know what a Universe Secret Realm is?"

"Of course! The great Demon Lord Babata knows all sorts of things!"

"You know, as the universe evolves, most regions become star systems or cosmic voids. But for certain special reasons, some unusual regions can also take shape. These areas are completely different from ordinary cosmic environments, so they're called Universe Secret Realms."

"Every Universe Secret Realm is different, and their levels of danger vary. Many unimaginable life-forms and treasures are born in them. The most dangerous ones could even kill warriors as powerful as a Universe Country Lord."

That last sentence turned Luo Feng pale. He hurriedly told Luo Zhiyuan to be extremely careful and not act recklessly.

Luo Zhiyuan grinned and told Luo Feng, "Dad, don't worry. The Universe Secret Realm Bulieni picked for me is a super-small secret realm that humanity has completely developed."

"The five great powers jointly monitor the secret realm and regularly clear out dangerous life-forms, so there's nothing dangerous that can get out of control. The Xuanyi Universe Kingdom uses it as a training ground, and it's open specifically to Trainee Mercenaries."

Luo Feng immediately put on a stern expression. "You're still so young. How much experience could you possibly have? How could I not worry? Remember, people can be treacherous. Sometimes, the most dangerous thing isn't the environment—it's the people around you!"

Seeing Luo Zhiyuan nod and take his words to heart, Luo Feng's expression softened. He continued, "In another two months, your mom should be having your two younger brothers. Remember to visit us in the Virtual Universe then."

Luo Zhiyuan immediately brightened and nodded enthusiastically.

He was happy partly because his younger brothers would keep the family entertained and spend time with their parents, and partly because he could correct the History Trajectory.

His unexpected arrival had thrown history off course, but that deviation would soon be repaired. Then he wouldn't have to keep anxiously guessing what chain of unforeseen events might happen next.

After ending the call and logging out of his anonymous account, Luo Zhiyuan asked, "Bulieni, shouldn't you tell me what's going on in this Universe Secret Realm called 'Suonsai'?"

Bulieni answered readily, "No problem. Suonsai is a Miniature Universe Secret Realm that humanity completely developed twenty thousand eras ago. It's only 4.1 light-years across."

"The secret realm has a stretch of land two light-years in diameter. It also contains more cosmic energy than the outside world, so some decent specialties have developed there."

Luo Zhiyuan couldn't help asking, "A stretch of land two light-years in diameter? Why didn't it form a planet?"

"Don't interrupt!" Bulieni said impatiently. "Don't make such a fuss. Any kind of terrain can appear in a Universe Secret Realm. Keep listening."

"Of all these specialties, the most useful to humans is something called Radiance Stone. Once refined and processed, it can be used to add Law Secret Patterns of the light element to equipment. The Light Wings you use, for example, contain this mineral."

"After countless years of development, all the large Radiance Stone deposits have been mined out. But plenty of scattered Radiance Stones are still spread across the Suonsai Secret Realm. And because of the realm's nature, new Radiance Stones form from time to time. These new stones don't gather in one place, either."

"So the Xuanyi Universe Kingdom opened up the Suonsai Secret Realm to all Trainee Mercenaries. For every Radiance Stone you find, the kingdom will pay 100,000 Universe Coins!"

"That's practically the entire net worth of an ordinary Star Level youngster. So lots of Trainee Mercenaries risk their lives here, hoping to find a Radiance Stone and get rich overnight. Of course, plenty of people end up dead in the wilderness, too."

Luo Zhiyuan asked, puzzled, "A lot of people die? Didn't you say this was the least dangerous Universe Secret Realm?"

"Right. Humanity really did clear out all the dangerous life-forms in this Universe Secret Realm. But secret-realm storms still spring up from time to time. They're pretty powerful. Unless you're at World Lord Level, even a brush against one will kill you."

"Kill me? Bulieni, are you trying to get me killed?" Luo Zhiyuan shouted.

"Why are you panicking? You don't need to worry about the secret-realm storms. If you're unlucky enough to run into one, you can hide in the World Ring for a while. A crisis that's most dangerous to other adventurers is nothing to you."

Bulieni thought for a moment, then continued, "But you should remember what Luo Feng just said. In the Suonsai Secret Realm, secret-realm storms aren't the biggest cause of death. The most common cause is people killing one another."

"Quite a few adventurers have been lucky enough to find Radiance Stones. But before they could leave the secret realm and exchange them for money, other adventurers killed them."

"I understand," Luo Zhiyuan said. "Finding treasure, holding on to it, and making it back alive—that's what makes a true adventurer. That's why Suonsai is called a training ground, right?"

"Exactly. That's also why I sent you there. Here's your mission: ten Radiance Stones. You've got three months."

Luo Zhiyuan pressed his lips together and chuckled. "Heh. Bulieni, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ten Radiance Stones in three months? You're obviously sending me out to rob people!"

Bulieni protested innocently, "I never said that. You could always find them yourself."

Luo Zhiyuan laughed, then said briskly, "Ha! If it were really that easy to find Radiance Stones, so many Trainee Mercenaries wouldn't be risking their lives here."

"But it's fine. I accept the mission! It's just a little robbery. Nothing to worry about. With my state of mind, something like that won't shake me."

"As we say back home: Heaven and Earth's treasures belong to those with the virtue to claim them. Radiance Stones are treasures, after all. Those weaklings have only themselves to blame if they get robbed."

"When the time comes, I'll give you the Radiance Stones I snatched fair and square as a keepsake!"

Bulieni chuckled. "That's exactly the attitude I wanted from you."

"As a strong warrior, you should earn treasures, secret techniques, and opportunities through your own efforts."

"You're lucky to have your teacher's legacy. You get plenty of things without lifting a finger. So I'm making up for that now, before you turn into a hothouse flower!"

"Ha ha ha! My ambition knows no bounds. You're underestimating me, Bulieni!" Luo Zhiyuan laughed heartily. "Three months? I'll bring them back in two!"

"Good! You said it! Two months, then. Bring me ten Radiance Stones! If you can't, I'll call you a braggart for an entire era!"

PS: It's the first of the month, brothers. Send some votes and add the story to your collections, or I won't feel confident.

My editor gave me my first recommendation. They said it would go live at 2 p.m. But they put it under comedy and commentary, and I have no idea how well it'll do. Still, I've got plenty to complain about, too.

I hope you'll support me. Thank you!