The Sky-Splitting Sword

After breaking through to Planetary Rank, Tang Ping didn't try to take on too much. He went straight for the Sky-Splitting Sword Babata had given him, along with the accompanying Spirit Reader attack technique.

He knew his own limits. He wasn't the sort of destined protagonist from a novel who could "learn whatever he saw and master whatever he learned."

Even with the Luo Family backing him, given his potential, he could train with all his might and, at best, become a World Lord acknowledged by the laws after hundreds of thousands or even millions of years.

World Lord Rank experts could certainly roam across thousands of star regions and earn the admiration of countless people, standing at the forefront of their era. But after tens of millions of years, they would still meet their end and turn to dust.

In this universe of Swallowed Star, only the undying could truly be eternal!

Trying to learn too much at once would only leave him mediocre at everything. Rather than splitting his energy between the paths of the warrior and the Spirit Reader, he was better off devoting himself wholeheartedly to the way of the Spirit Reader.

Tang Ping had no confidence that he could open the door to immortality in this life. All he could do was do his best and leave the rest to fate. In the end, it all came down to luck.

He had already planned it all out: first, he'd ride the Luo Family's rise to accumulate resources. Then, after a few million years, when his strength hit a bottleneck and he could no longer make progress, he'd acquire rare treasures and use his cultivation slot in Chaos City to make one final attempt.

If he succeeded, he'd set foot on the path to immortality. If he failed, he'd come back and enjoy a few million years of freedom. Even if he just lazed around and waited for death, it wouldn't be a bad deal.

"I hope I make it." Tang Ping murmured softly, his gaze falling on the ancient Sword Box before him.

The Sky-Splitting Sword was a Tier 3 Telekinetic Weapon made up of 365 little golden swords. It had three core forms: the sword form specialized in offense, the wing form in escape, and the shield form in defense.

As a high-grade Telekinetic Weapon for the Universe Level, it was extremely difficult to control. It had three levels of mastery. The first required a mental amplitude of 12, the second demanded even more, and the third required Universe Level strength combined with a mental amplitude of 48 for complete mastery.

Once Tang Ping could perfectly wield the first level, his attack power would reach twelve times that of an ordinary Spirit Reader. And that wasn't all: as a Divine Weapon, the Sky-Splitting Sword naturally tripled the power of his telekinesis. Combined, that meant a 36-fold amplitude from the first level alone!

What did that mean?

A first-rank Planetary Rank warrior had a basic attack power of two million kilograms: one million kilograms of physical strength and one million kilograms of Genetic Origin Energy. That was twice the basic value of an ordinary Spirit Reader.

At first glance, warriors seemed to have every advantage. But when it came to strength amplitude, even the best warriors could manage only four or five times their base strength. Tang Ping's 36-fold amplitude meant his attack power could reach 36 million kilograms, giving him an overwhelming advantage over warriors of the same rank!

"Let's see how many little swords I can control now." After his life-level leap, Tang Ping could clearly feel his consciousness growing stronger, and controlling his telekinesis had become much easier.

He opened the Sword Box. Inside, 365 transparent little swords glinted with cold golden light, arranged in dense, neat rows. They were made of an attribute-free metal that could be used with any Genetic Origin Energy.

At a thought, the first little sword shot through the air, followed by the second, then the third... In the blink of an eye, ten little swords were darting around him, their paths as sharp as lightning.

Tang Ping's smile grew wider and wider. "Ten! And I still have some strength left, even on my first try. With more practice, I'll soon be able to reach twelve and meet the requirements for the first level perfectly!"

Once he did, with 36 times the attack power at his disposal, he'd be invincible among those of the same rank!

But only after he started practicing did Tang Ping realize that controlling the Sky-Splitting Sword was far harder than he'd imagined.

It seemed like all he had to do was control the little swords as they flew and formed patterns, but in truth, it demanded extremely precise, focused telekinetic control. Every formation required him to precisely direct each sword's trajectory, speed, and force.

As expected, he wasn't one of those peerless geniuses who could master anything at a glance.

After seven days, Tang Ping could finally just barely combine twelve little swords into a complete sword form. But their flight speed and maneuverability still had plenty of room for improvement.

Feeling both the fatigue and the sense of accomplishment that came with controlling his telekinesis, Tang Ping was secretly glad he hadn't impulsively tried to cultivate as both a Spirit Reader and a warrior. Even controlling the Sky-Splitting Sword alone was so mentally exhausting. Trying to master both paths would only mean neglecting one for the other and ultimately achieving nothing.

Two weeks later, the Smart Bracelet's reminder chimed right on time. The reservation his wife had made for the Cultivation Room had expired.

Tang Ping rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and reluctantly got up to leave the Cultivation Room. For all fourteen days, he had barely closed his eyes for a single minute, relying on the high-energy Nutrient Solution and stimulants provided by the Luo Family to keep going as he focused entirely on controlling the Sky-Splitting Sword.

Spirit Readers naturally had far more stamina than ordinary people and could maintain high-intensity training for long periods. That was the essence of cultivation: an evolution that transcended the levels of life.

The main reason he was so reluctant to leave was Earth's unusual circumstances.

As Luo Feng's home planet, Earth had long since been placed under the highest level of protection. From remote mountain ranges and boundless deserts to the depths of the oceans, every area had been designated a strictly protected zone. A comprehensive monitoring network covered the entire planet, and any damage caused by an individual or organization was strictly forbidden.

That meant finding somewhere he could practice his techniques freely without worrying about damaging the environment was out of the question—unless he paid an exorbitant price to rent a dedicated facility.

Even worse, some unscrupulous businesses had all sorts of tricks up their sleeves. When renting out a facility, they promised the world. But when it came time to move out, they'd inspect every inch with a powerful flashlight. Even the tiniest scratch was enough for them to ruthlessly dock the security deposit, and some would even seize the opportunity to sue for massive compensation.

"Scumbags!" Tang Ping cursed inwardly, then quickly calmed himself down.

Fortunately, he now had access to the Virtual Universe, where he could practice secret techniques and moves just as well. As the Luo Family's son-in-law, he could even use the family's exclusive Virtual Training Ground for free, so he no longer had to worry about finding a place to train.

That was what made the Virtual Universe so incredible: it could perfectly simulate every real-world scene and energy response.

Just imagine how much money it could save on research if physical and chemical experiments could be repeated in virtual simulations. It could even simulate the practice of extremely dangerous secret techniques, helping people avoid countless potentially fatal mistakes.

After all, a single mistake while practicing many high-level secret techniques could ruin one's cultivation at best or cause instant death at worst. The Virtual Universe was practically a "get-out-of-death-free card" for cultivators.

"It wasn't until I came to this world that I realized how terrifyingly great the being who created the Virtual Universe truly was." Tang Ping couldn't help but marvel.

He walked out of the training center and onto the plains on the outskirts. Looking up at the blue sky and white clouds, with an endless stretch of green reaching to the horizon, Tang Ping immediately felt an itch to try something.

Instinctively, he wanted to spread his Wind-Thunder wings and perform an escape technique like a roc spreading its wings, soaring ninety thousand miles into the sky and feeling the thrill of flying at breakneck speed. Or he could activate the Sky-Splitting Sword, ride it through the wind and clouds, and experience the carefree life of an immortal hero.

But as soon as the thought came to him, he forcefully suppressed it.

Earth had strict restrictions on flying. Without a pilot's license and an approved flight path, flying low or soaring high without authorization would bring a massive fine and land him under immediate house arrest.

He was now the Luo Family's son-in-law, with a special status. If he knowingly broke the law, his punishment would only be more severe. He could only rein in his restless heart and obediently summon a hover cab.

"It'll be fine once Luo Xiaoyu and I get assigned our own residence." Tang Ping sat in the car, watching the scenery flash past the window, his heart full of anticipation.

"Then an entire star system will belong to us. We'll be the real kings there. As long as we don't cross the line, we can do whatever we want and never have to put up with these restrictions again!"