Playing Cards, Showing Off His Sword, and Snagging Shares
I sleep at 3 AM and wake up at 6 AM; even the King of Hell praises my good health!
Early in the morning, Tang Ping hummed a tuneless little tune as he played a card game exclusively for "masters" with the maids surrounding him. The loser would have to shed their restraints and gain unbridled "great freedom."
"Hehe, Your Majesty cheated! You peeked at our cards!" a fox-eared maid scolded coquettishly, the tip of her fluffy tail trembling with anger.
"Nonsense!" Tang Ping slapped his thigh, speaking righteously and sternly, "I am a famously honest man, how could I do such a despicable thing? A bet is a bet, hurry up and pay up!"
No sooner had the words been spoken than a guard's voice came from outside the hall. "Reporting to King Anle! Marquis Justice requests an audience!"
Tang Ping didn't even look up, lazily waving his hand. "Let her in."
A moment later, a capable figure stepped into the hall. The newcomer was a young girl wearing only a black veil and barefoot. Her skin was as white as snow, but her eyes and brows were filled with a fierceness that was incongruous with her age. She was none other than the Marquis Justice.
Her gaze swept over the alluring scene within the hall, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, before she declared loudly, "King Anle, according to industry rules, the once-in-a-millennium business summary is a confidential matter and outsiders are forbidden from attending. Please dismiss those around you."
Tang Ping clicked his tongue and waved his hand.
Upon seeing this, the maids blushed and quickly dressed themselves, then gracefully withdrew.
Before leaving, Tang Ping's hands couldn't resist groping a few of the Alien Race girls. The soft ears of the Fox Race, the tail fins of the mermaids, the sharp claws of the cat clan—the unique physiques of these beautiful girls from various races of the universe always made him feel fresh and interested.
Marquis Justice's eyelids twitched as he watched, but he ultimately said nothing.
To be honest, this King Anle was quite absurd, yet he possessed the cultivation King Level and was highly regarded by his clan, who bestowed upon him the title of King Anle and granted him great power.
But then he thought about it again. Compared to those perverts in the clan who treated women as playthings and killed them at the drop of a hat, this man was already a "great benefactor." His relationships with the maids were all consensual, and he never abused his power or got involved in bloodshed.
Only twenty companions can be chosen every hundred years, and resources will be spent cultivating each of them to the Universe Level. Once the hundred-year period is over, their stay or departure is entirely up to their own will, without any coercion.
What pleased Marquis Justice even more was that this superior was a hands-off manager who never interfered with the Security Department's affairs and always publicly supported her. Every year at the end of the year, their department's performance bonus was always at the highest level.
Such a good leader is hard to find even with a lantern.
The maids withdrew, and the hall returned to silence.
Marquis Justice put aside his thoughts and began to report on his work, which consisted mainly of various data, the Security Department's performance over the years, and how he had thwarted the probing and infiltration attempts of various forces.
Tang Ping was getting drowsy listening to the music, and out of sheer boredom, he lightly twirled his fingertip.
Buzz~
A clear, resonant sword cry echoed throughout the palace, and a three-foot-long sword appeared out of thin air. The sword was crystal clear, as if it had been carved from ten thousand years of cold jade. Secret patterns flowed on the sword. As soon as it appeared, the surrounding space and time rippled, as if even the light was being absorbed by the blade.
He stretched out his fingers and gently stroked the spine of the sword.
The Flowing Light flowed along his fingertips, and the longsword emitted a series of joyful hums, as if responding to its master's touch.
Tang Ping looked around the empty hall, then suddenly sighed, his voice desolate. "I have traversed the Primal Universe for over ten thousand years, slaying all my enemies and defeating all heroes. I have no rivals in the Solar System! Helpless, I can only retreat to the sun and befriend eagles."
Alas! In my life I have sought a worthy opponent but found none; how utterly desolate and unbearable! Alas! All heroes are helpless, my long sword is useless; is this not a tragedy?
After his impassioned speech, he looked intently at the Marquis Justice, who had just finished his report, his eyes full of expectation.
Marquis Justice looked at him blankly; where was the eagle?
Even if you can't figure out what your boss is thinking, it's your duty as a subordinate to help them solve their problems.
She immediately said solemnly, "Reporting to King Anle, within the Solar System, apart from you, the strongest being is this Immortal God of mine. The highest among the others is only at the World Lord Rank. Even for a peerless genius like Human Race, who appears only once every tens of millions of epochs, it is absolutely impossible for a realm lord to defy the King Rank."
If you'd like to find an opponent to spar with, why not explore the Initial Universe, or call for people in the company headquarters group chat and have a match in the Virtual Universe Arena?
Tang Ping: "----"
Good grief, he doesn't even know how to flatter!
He wasn't really looking for a rival; he was just showing off! No wonder the master and apprentice were so frustrated at the company, only able to do the dirty and tiring work that others didn't want to do.
Take the Solar System Security Department, for example. It is nominally a base for cultivating the future of Human Race, but in reality, it is just a peripheral department.
If he hadn't argued his case so strongly, his performance every year would probably have been at the very bottom!
Seeing Tang Ping's face gradually darken, Marquis Justice's heart skipped a beat, and he became uneasy.
Did I say something wrong? I should have secretly asked the Smart Sprite to search for "how to properly talk to your boss"----
But company policy prohibits the use of Smart Sprite assistants when reporting work!
Tang Ping remained silent for a long while, then suddenly let out a soft sigh.
Oh well, having a subordinate like this isn't such a bad thing. At least she's straightforward and won't say one thing to your face and another behind your back. She's better than those two-faced people who flatter you but call you an idiot behind your back.
Thinking this, he slightly raised his palm.
Buzz~
The space-time within the hall trembled violently, spiritual light flickered in the void, and incomparably pure Immortal Divine Power gathered like a tide, condensing into a small, transparent sword about an inch long in his palm.
Countless secret patterns flowed rapidly across the sword's blade, emanating a chilling aura.
With a casual toss, the small sword landed lightly in front of the Marquis Justice.
"This is a new move I created, called Undying Sword Qi," Tang Ping said calmly. "Consider it a reward for your hard work over the past few thousand years. If you ever face a life-or-death crisis in the future, you can instantly refine this sword with your consciousness and unleash its sword qi to defend yourself."
"It is sufficient to deal with opponents below the level of Venerable."
Marquis Justice stared at the glittering little sword before him, his pupils suddenly contracting.
With her limited knowledge, she couldn't discern the slightest foundation of this sword energy. Moreover, it was entirely condensed from pure Immortal Divine Power, without any physical vessel as its carrier! The secret patterns on the sword were intricate and profound; merely observing them for a moment gave her a feeling of dread.
The ancient texts of the Human Race Treasury have never recorded such an incredible secret technique!
Is this King Anle really that terrifying?
But—why does this sword energy seem somewhat unstable? The Divine Power Flow always carries a dangerous aura, as if it might explode at any moment. Furthermore, can he really create sword energy so easily that it can kill Venerable below the Venerable level? Isn't he only King Rank cultivator himself? Is he just bragging?
Despite a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, Marquis Justice dared not reveal the slightest hint on his face.
I dare not refuse the gift from an elder.
She carefully accepted the small sword, solemnly storing it in an empty World Ring, and bowed deeply. "Thank you for the gift, King Anle!"
"Alright, you can go now." Tang Ping waved his hand, then slowly added, "I heard the bank is going to select outstanding employees for the longest time, and the rewards are very generous. I've already submitted your name."
Another easy, flat pie in the sky.
The Marquis Justice's eyes lit up instantly, his previous apprehension vanished, and he straightened his back, his voice filled with fighting spirit. "Yes, Your Majesty! Your subordinate will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty's high expectations!"
After saying that, she turned and hurriedly left the palace.
Judging from his hurried pace, he was probably about to summon his subordinates as soon as he left the palace, ordering them to be on high alert and not to falter at this critical juncture.
Inside the hall, Tang Ping watched her retreating figure, stroked his chin, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.
This subordinate, though lacking in humor, is endearingly earnest and genuine.
After seeing off the Marquis Justice at the Sun Temple, Tang Ping did not summon the maids back to join in the festivities. Instead, he sat cross-legged atop the Divine Temple, his fingertips swirling with wisps of crystalline, Immortal Divine Power as he pondered the newly created secret technique, "Undying Sword Qi."
As a die-hard fan of Xianxia novels, ever since he achieved immortality and joined the ranks of sword masters, he has been obsessed with developing a legendary supernatural power that allows one's words to become law and sword energy to roam freely.
However, at the level of Marquis Rank, the soul and divine body have long been fused together. Every wisp of divine Divine Power and every inch of flesh and blood is an extension of the soul. The two are united as one, which is the reason why the divine body of Immortal Expert recovers so slowly and with such difficulty after being damaged.
After all, the restoration of the soul is always the most difficult.
However, the Undying Sword Qi Tang Ping wanted to create required him to forcibly separate strands of Immortal Divine Power from his own divine body to condense into a killing move.
This is tantamount to cutting one's own soul and body apart with one's own hands. Putting aside the excruciating pain, such damage alone would require endless years or priceless Supreme Treasure to repair.
Paying such a price for a single offensive technique seems like a terrible loss to anyone.
What's even more troublesome is that the separated Immortal Divine Power already carries his original imprint, with a faint trace of consciousness lurking within. If one is not careful, the enemy could seize the sword energy and use this trace of consciousness to launch a counterattack, potentially resulting in the Soul Enslavement.
In this way, one must then figure out how to sever the connection between the sword energy and the body, and completely erase the will within it.
The most difficult task is to ensure that this Divine Power of divine power, whose consciousness has been severed and erased, remains stable and unleashes its full potential.
During his time King Rank, Tang Ping tried many times but never succeeded.
Only after breaking through to the Venerable Realm and completely mastering the Time Law did he finally find a way to break the deadlock. He wove a net with complete Time Runes to bind that rootless Immortal Divine Power within it, maintaining the form of the sword energy in a dynamic balance.
Of course, the confidence to act so recklessly stems from his almost inexhaustible Divine Power Ocean.
The amount of Immortal Divine Power he wasted in order to master this secret technique would probably be enough to make an ordinary Cosmic Overlord weep with regret.
But for Tang Ping, this loss was nothing more than a casual inhalation and exhalation of the vast divine sea within his body, spanning billions of kilometers.
Being big means you can do whatever you want!
Tang Ping chuckled softly, shook his head, and dismissed those thoughts.
Actually, he had no choice. Over the years, he had stayed in the Solar System as a hands-off manager, never venturing out to explore for treasure. His only assets were the more than 100 billion Hunyuan bestowed upon him by his clan when he was conferred titles, plus a bunch of Heavy Treasure Supreme Treasure.
He had quite a few Hunyuan coins, but that didn't stop him from squandering them! In order to study the various paths of Divine Power evolution, he frantically acquired all kinds of Special Lifeform fragments and rare treasures, and his wealth visibly shrank.
Those Heavy Treasure and Supreme Treasure are naturally not suitable to be bestowed upon subordinates.
The way to manage subordinates is simply to use a combination of kindness and severity. Tiantian threaten people with a stick but never offer any rewards, who will be willing to risk their lives for you?
That's why he came up with the idea of using Immortal Divine Power to forge sword energy as a reward. After all, Divine Power was like cabbage to him—inexhaustible and inexhaustible.
Hey-hey!
Thinking of this, Tang Ping couldn't help but rub his hands together smugly.
With nothing to do, he casually pulled out a palm-sized, gilded booklet: Little Notebook.
As he flipped through the pages, he first instructed Little Love to "routinely clear out those fraudsters," but when he turned to the last page, his eyes suddenly lit up!
Back then, when his master, representing the Cosmic Galaxy Milky Way Group, signed that Earth revenue contract with Luo Feng, he added a supplementary agreement!
If someone from Earth Lineage were to ascend to the Cosmic Venerable in the future, shares of the Cosmic Galaxy Milky Way could be given to that Venerable as a free gift.
Get rich!
He remembered it clearly: the Luo Family now held 70% of the Earth's revenue. Although 90% of that 70% was to be allocated to the three giants —Cosmic Galaxy Milky Way, Giant Axe Dojo, and Virtual Universe Company —the three giants all had to pay at market price.
The Luo Family had personally promised him 20% of the Luo Family profits. With that share, he could steadily earn 0.008 Hunyuan every year.
According to the original agreement, the Cosmic Galaxy Milky Way would take the remaining 30% of the net profit.
In recent years, there has been no outstanding news from Luo Feng's side. Although the proportion of Spirit Reader among newborns on Earth is slightly higher and their Brain Domain Width is also good, it has only been a few thousand years after all, and no extraordinary geniuses have emerged yet, not even exceptionally outstanding ones.
Therefore, the price of Earth's "birth quota" has remained relatively stable, increasing by only 50%, with each quota steadily priced at 3 billion Black Dragon Coin (equivalent to 3 million Ganwu Coin). Based on this calculation, Earth's total annual revenue is approximately 300...
Trillions of Ganwu Coin.
If they could acquire 30% of the shares in the Cosmic Galaxy Milky Way, plus the 20% that the Luo Family would receive from their share of profits, that would amount to 44% of the total gains?
Earning 0.04 Hunyuan every year! That's 4 Hunyuan in 100 years! Imagine how much more in 10,000, 100 million, or even 10 billion years! And this is an incredibly stable income you can earn while lying down!
With this money, he could continue to enjoy himself to the fullest, and also recklessly acquire all sorts of rare and precious materials and fragments to research even stronger Divine Power Path!
Yay!
Without saying a word, Tang Ping drew a line in the air with his fingertip, and a screen of light appeared.
Bird immediately drafted an email, filling in the name of his Grandmaster Lord of Peng Yang the recipient. He then dug out the dusty screenshot of the document from years ago, deliberately highlighting the key line in blue, making it bold, enlarged, and highlighted in red to make it extremely eye-catching. Only then did he click the send button with satisfaction.
[Recipient: Lord of Peng Gong, Sender: Tang Ping, Subject: Report on the Matter of Uniting the Earth Lineage's Lineage into a Single Orchid, Respected Grandmaster]
Greetings!
It's been a while since I last contacted you. I've been very busy lately. I wonder how your health is?
I have heard that you have been working tirelessly day and night for the development of the Human Race. I urge you to take good care of your health and balance work with rest. After all, you are the pillar of our Human Race, and your well-being is the cornerstone of the stable development of our race.
This letter is to report to you specifically regarding Article 3 concerning the Earth Lineage. Relevant screenshots have been attached to the email, and there is a particular clause that I would like to emphasize:
Please take note of the above-mentioned orchids.
In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to share some personal information with you. I am a native of Earthling and have now successfully advanced to the realm of Cosmic Venerable.
I have always held you in high esteem. As the ruler of the Human Race, you have been in charge of the rise and fall of the race. You have always adhered to the principle of keeping your word and being upright, and you have always been selfless and impartial in handling the affairs of the race.
Under your leadership, Human Race has been able to gain a foothold in the vast universe and continue to grow stronger. Your vision and courage are truly admirable.
Finally, I wish you good health and all the best!
Your most beloved grand-disciple: Tang Ping]
A moment later.
Lord of Peng Gong:?
Wind-Thunder Venerable:?