Will

Three days later, Journey, Lost City.

A light flashed suddenly, and the figures of Tang Ping and Luo Xiaoyu appeared side by side on the plaza in front of the City Lord's Mansion.

Tang Ping was dressed in a pure black combat suit, the scabbard of the long sword at his waist emitting a dull metallic luster. His hat brim was pulled very low, obscuring most of his face and revealing only a sharp, clean-cut jawline.

Luo Xiaoyu wore a plain white combat suit, the tip of the long spear on her back glinting with a cold, sharp light. She also wore a face-concealing garment, her posture as straight as a pine, and one could discern a sense of heroic spirit just from her silhouette.

"Let's go, let's go outside the city and test our skills." Luo Xiaoyu's voice came through the garment's built-in audio module, carrying a hint of anticipation.

The moment they left the city, a hot wind laden with sand and gravel struck them again. Luo Xiaoyu did not hesitate, her figure suddenly darting out. The long spear on her back was in her hand in an instant, and the power of her Star Rank erupted without reservation!

"Boom!"

The tip of the spear, wrapped in brilliant energy, smashed fiercely into the ground. The massive shockwave instantly kicked up a sky full of yellow sand, forming a deep pit dozens of meters in diameter.

Immediately after, she spun and swept her spear, the spear shadows like silk. Streaks of energy tore through the air, slicing the sand dunes in front of her in half. Yellow sand danced in the sky, resembling a small sandstorm.

Occasionally, when she channeled the power of her domain, the surrounding sand grains instantly condensed into countless sharp sand blades, circling and dancing around her before shooting off into the distance, leaving behind dense clusters of holes.

In just half an hour, the desert outside the Lost City had once again been subjected to a "violent abuse."

Fortunately, this place was already desolate and uninhabited, and even water sources were extremely scarce. Such a commotion, aside from kicking up more yellow sand, caused no substantial impact.

After shattering a small sand dune with another swing of her spear, Luo Xiaoyu stopped, leaning on her spear as her shoulders rose and fell slightly. She looked at the system panel on her retina that showed no reaction, unable to hide a hint of frustration on her face.

Of the dozens of moves she had just performed, from basic spear techniques to domain fusion skills, not a single one was unrecorded by the Journey system, and naturally, there were no unexpected gains like the ones Tang Ping had previously experienced.

"Xiaoyu, it's okay." Tang Ping walked up and patted her shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, "Your money is my money, and my money is still my money. We're really not that different~"

Luo Xiaoyu was silent for a moment, then slowly raised her head to carefully examine the man in front of her. The silhouette under the hat brim was still familiar, but the light radiating from him was becoming increasingly dazzling.

To be able to earn 1 billion Black Dragon Coins in such a short time—this was wealth that even a peak Star Rank powerhouse might not be able to accumulate in a lifetime, yet he was only a level five Planetary Rank.

Thinking back to the gossip in her family, her cousins all said she didn't know what was good for her, choosing to marry an "ordinary person" from Earth instead of picking from the many scions of the great families of Black Dragon Mountain.

But looking at it now, as expected of her, Luo Xiaoyu, her judgment was spot on!

Thinking this, the frustration in Luo Xiaoyu's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a gentle, watery sheen. She took a step forward and gently grabbed Tang Ping's hand, the delicate sensation coming through her fingertips, and her voice softened: "Hubby..."

Tang Ping subconsciously looked left and right; the desert was empty and deserted, with only the sound of the wind whistling. He lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of hesitation: "Wife, in this desert... is that really okay? There's sand and gravel everywhere. If it gets inside, the experience might not be very good..."

Luo Xiaoyu: "???"

The air froze instantly.

The next second, the look in Luo Xiaoyu's eyes changed drastically. Her slender, fair hand suddenly reached toward Tang Ping's waist, precisely pinched his soft flesh, and twisted it hard!

"Hmph! My cousin was right. You men only think about these messy things all day long. It's disgusting!"

"Ah~! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Let go, let go!" Having his sensitive spot pinched, Tang Ping winced and couldn't help but shout out loud. The pain in his waist was incredibly real; it was worthy of 100% realism.

"Hmph!" Luo Xiaoyu gritted her teeth and twisted a few more times before huffily letting go and rubbing her own wrist, "Let's go, show me the scenery around here. Once I've seen it, I'm going back to cultivate."

Tang Ping rubbed his waist, speechless.

You were the one who started it, and now you're looking down on me? Isn't this the classic "biting the hand that feeds you"? But looking at his wife's puffed-up appearance, he didn't dare to retort and could only nod in agreement: "Alright, whatever you say."

Anyway, this desert was vast and boundless. Even if they got lost, it didn't matter; he could just use a Return Ticket to go back to the Lost City, which was very convenient.

The two walked side by side in the desert, the yellow sand beneath their feet making a "swishing" sound.

Golden sand dunes rolled and undulated, extending all the way to the horizon, intertwining with the afterglow of the setting sun, making for a magnificent sight. In the distance, one could occasionally see massive tornadoes dozens of meters in diameter, the yellow sand wrapped in wild winds, swirling wantonly between heaven and earth with a terrifying momentum.

After walking for about two hours, they unexpectedly discovered a small oasis. Clear spring water gathered into a pool, and several unknown green plants grew around it, making the air feel moist.

"Perfect for a rest." Tang Ping's eyes lit up. He pulled Luo Xiaoyu into the oasis, took off their outer combat suits, and jumped into the cool spring water.

Luo Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment before jumping in as well. The spring water washed over their skin, taking away the heat. The two played and splashed in the water, leisurely and carefree, which could be considered a cozy mandarin duck bath.

When the sun went down, the two sat leaning against each other on the highest sand dune.

The setting sun on the horizon was like a huge fireball, with ten thousand rays of rosy light dyeing the sky a gorgeous orange-red. A few bird calls came from the direction of the oasis, and occasionally, one could see a few desert beasts strolling leisurely in the distance.

The sun gradually sank below the horizon, and the stars in the sky quietly emerged, brilliant and bright like crushed diamonds scattered on black velvet.

The two just sat there quietly without speaking, simply feeling each other's body temperature and watching the galaxy, until sleepiness struck and they fell into a deep sleep in each other's arms on the sand dune.

The next morning, Tang Ping woke up first, and the sand dune beside him was already cold.

Luo Xiaoyu was long gone, leaving only a message in his game private messages: "I'm going back to cultivate first."

Tang Ping smiled and put away the message.

This trip with Luo Xiaoyu could be considered a thorough recharge. According to his cultivation speed, it would be enough for him to engage in hard training for the next half year. However, before going into seclusion, he had to handle the trivial matters of the Lost City properly.

Although that Universe Level big shot, Luo Hongguo, didn't really manage things, he couldn't afford to leave a bad impression. If he were to say something bad about him in front of Luo Feng one day, it would be difficult for him to cling to a powerful backer in the future.

Actually, there wasn't anything urgent in the Lost City.

Regarding the management of the City Lord, he logged directly into the game community and posted a recruitment notice, hiring an experienced player to manage it on his behalf with a monthly salary of 6,000 Silver Blue Coins. The requirements were simple: everything remains the same, do not change taxes or city defenses at will, and contact him immediately if any emergencies arise.

After all, in this desert city, apart from the mine thirty miles east of the city that produced rare materials for level two Origin Force combat suits, there were only some unique desert beasts.

Those beasts weren't very dangerous; to players, they were just mobs for grinding experience and dropping materials, so he didn't need to worry about them at all.

After handling the City Lord's affairs, Tang Ping set off for the mine in the east of the city.

The thirty-mile journey took him only a moment. Looking from afar, a massive mine cave crouched beneath the sand dunes, its entrance guarded by a squad of Planetary Rank guards clad in standard-issue armor, each one steady in presence and sharp of eye.

Seeing Tang Ping's figure, the captain of the guard squad immediately led the others in dropping to one knee, their voices respectful and uniform: "Greetings, City Lord!"

Tang Ping walked forward slowly, signaling for them to rise.

Feeling the genuine respect emanating from the guards, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

It was no wonder some people were willing to lose themselves in the Virtual Universe for a lifetime; everything here was far too realistic. Power, reverence, passion—what man didn't harbor a dream of "drunkenly sleeping on a beauty's lap, waking to hold the power of the world"?

And in this game, as long as one had the strength and the luck, that dream could be easily realized.

Led by the guard captain, Tang Ping walked into the mine.

The entrance was quite spacious, with many players and NPC miners working in an orderly fashion; ore carts shuttled back and forth, creating a scene of bustling activity.

However, the further they went, the deeper and more cavernous the mine became, the light gradually dimming until only the faint glow from the miners' headlamps remained.

What was even more unsettling was the bone-chilling wind that constantly swept through the cave, carrying an indescribable, sinister cold that pricked the skin like needles. At the same time, an invisible mental fluctuation constantly assaulted his consciousness, inducing dizziness.

"City Lord, the cold wind and mental attacks in the depths of this mine are extremely bizarre. Even Planetary Rank powerhouses cannot hold out for long on the periphery, which is why everyone has only dared to mine the surface ore until now."

The guard captain whispered his explanation, "Furthermore, it is rumored that this Cold Cave occasionally spawns powerful elemental monsters. Even the Guild Master tried to venture deep inside years ago, but was forced to retreat before getting very far."

Tang Ping nodded, understanding the situation.

This mine had been captured during the great war of the Million Legion, but because of its bizarre environment, it had become a useless piece of land that no one dared to explore.

Yet, he keenly sensed that the strange environment of this Cold Cave seemed to have another, hidden use.

"You all wait here; I will go in and take a look myself," Tang Ping instructed the guard captain.

"City Lord, please reconsider! It is too dangerous inside!" the guard captain urged him to stop.

"It is of no consequence." Tang Ping waved his hand, his figure flickering as he darted toward the deeper reaches of the mine.

Finding a relatively spacious corner, Tang Ping sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

The next moment, the bone-chilling wind struck again, and the health bar on his retina began to drop slowly: -10, -10, -10...

Because he had chosen the 100% realistic experience, this cold was not merely a numerical change, but a real, bone-deep freezing sensation, as if his very blood were about to solidify.

At the same time, that sinister, cold energy burrowed through his pores into his body, scraping against his flesh and spirit like a cold iron brush, causing his entire body to twitch in agony.

"Pain! It's too painful!" Tang Ping gritted his teeth, cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead as his body trembled uncontrollably.

But he did not stop; instead, he circulated the Wind-Thunder Secret Canon, actively guiding the energy within his body to resist the external cold wind and mental fluctuations.

Soon, something even more terrifying arrived.

Endless malevolence surged like a tide, and images of mountains of corpses and seas of blood instantly flooded his mind. Countless vengeful spirits roared and wailed, as if trying to drag his soul into hell; immediately after, various hallucinations followed one after another.

There was the exhaustion of his past life working overtime until late at night, the humiliation of his family being bullied, the bottlenecks and despair on the path of cultivation...

Tang Ping's consciousness teetered on the edge of collapse, and several times he wanted to log out of the game directly, but he held fast to his inner heart, resisting with his tenacious willpower.

Finally, the hallucinations shifted, and several exotic beauties with alluring figures and stunning faces appeared before him. They wore revealing clothing, their eyes seductive, walking toward him step by step with soft words and sweet scents, exhausting every means of temptation.

The corner of Tang Ping's mouth tilted slightly, and he thought to himself: "Finally, the test of lust..."

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the agitation in his heart, sinking his mind into a state of void, and turning a blind eye to the temptations before him.

Time ticked by second by second. The cold wind in the cave grew fiercer, and the mental attacks grew stronger, but Tang Ping's willpower became increasingly firm amidst this extreme pain and temptation.

Six hours later.

"Whoosh!"

Tang Ping's health bar hit zero, and his body dissipated into a ray of white light. Without hesitation, he chose to respawn on the spot. With a flash of light, his figure reappeared in the corner.

He immediately opened his personal panel, a look of pleasant surprise erupting in his eyes:

[Realm: Planetary Rank Level 5 (250/1000)]

[Willpower: Planetary Rank Level 6 (605/1000) → Willpower +5!]

[Lifespan: 22/5000]

[Laws: Wind Domain (7777/10000), Thunder Domain (7777/10000)]

[Secret Technique: Wind-Thunder Secret Canon (1788/10000000)]

"Beautiful! It was so worth it!" Tang Ping couldn't help but clench his fists, his heart filled with joy.

He remembered very clearly that in the worldview of Swallowed Star, willpower was the most important talent!

A powerful will could allow one to unleash potential in desperate situations, persist before cultivation bottlenecks, and even turn the impossible into the possible, changing one's destiny!

Who would have thought that this seemingly useless Cold Cave was actually an excellent treasure trove for cultivating willpower! It was a pity that the pain here was too terrifying for the average person to bear; perhaps only a ruthless person like him would dare to endure it.

Although he was in high spirits, the thought of the bone-deep pain he had just experienced still left Tang Ping with lingering fears.

In his past life, although he complained every day about the exhaustion of overtime and the pressure of life, looking back now, that had been the best era in thousands of years of civilization—he was well-fed, well-clothed, ate meat at every meal, and didn't have to live in fear or face life-and-death crises.

Compared to this kind of extreme pain, the exhaustion of his past life was simply not worth mentioning.

He had never suffered such agony before.

But thinking of the future, once he became truly powerful—at least reaching the Immortal level—he would possess endless lifespan, living in luxury every day, drowning in pleasure, with as many exotic beauties as he wanted, playing however he pleased, truly achieving a life of eternal happiness...

Thinking of this, the hesitation in Tang Ping's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a firm radiance. Gritting his teeth, he brushed the dust off his body and charged toward the deeper reaches of the mine once more.

"For a better future! What is a little pain like this! Bring it on!"