The Uniqueness of Earth

Virtual Universe, Journey game, entrance to the Deep Cold Cavern in the Lost Desert.

Black and white light flickered suddenly, and the figures of Tang Ping and Luo Xiaoyu appeared side by side.

The moment they stepped into the cavern, bone-chilling winds laden with a frigid aura rushed toward them. Luo Xiaoyu's delicate brows furrowed instantly; her long spear unsheathed with a "swish," its tip condensing pale blue energy. Her presence was as steady as a mountain as she scanned the surroundings with vigilance.

Like Tang Ping, she had enabled 100% sensory input, allowing her to clearly perceive the anomalies here: not only did her physical body have to endure the erosion of the freezing wind, but her consciousness was also being repeatedly assaulted by an invisible force—a dual attack on both spirit and flesh.

"Wife, don't be nervous." Tang Ping stepped forward and gently wrapped his arm around her waist, his tone steady. "Our current wealth is enough to push us to the peak of Star Rank in a short time, but you have two key problems: first, you haven't mastered a domain, and second, your willpower is insufficient."

He paused, patiently explaining, "Origin Force is the soldier, the body is the weapon, and willpower is the general. If the general is incompetent, the entire army suffers."

"The reason your power amplitude hasn't broken through five times yet is that your willpower cannot keep up. And this Deep Cold Cavern is the perfect place to temper your willpower."

"However, mental exhaustion cannot be recovered just by refreshing in the virtual world, so we must have a plan: come once every three days, train to your limit each time, then go back to take spirit-restorative medicine and rest for three days before returning. This is effective without damaging your foundation."

"Swish!" Luo Xiaoyu retracted her spear, her cold, elegant face turning toward Tang Ping. A faint glimmer appeared in the depths of her eyes, and a warm current surged in her heart.

She had once thought that by choosing Tang Ping, she was leading him away from the limitations of Earth into the vast expanse of the stars, and that neither owed the other anything.

Yet now, she, the proud daughter of the Luo Family, was the one relying on her husband to pave her path and plan her cultivation. This sentiment was more precious than any rare treasure.

Luo Xiaoyu knew full well that the seniors of great families couldn't have failed to discover the cavern or other similar methods for tempering willpower.

But no one was willing to do it: first, the process was too painful—the wind scraped the bones and the spirit suffered, a torture ordinary people simply couldn't endure. Second, the efficiency was too low; young people would suffer and grit their teeth, yet see no obvious improvement in the short term. Who would be willing to waste their effort?

More importantly, it was a matter of cost-effectiveness.

Rare treasures that restore the spirit are exorbitantly expensive. Spending the same time and money to directly improve one's cultivation level would allow willpower to grow naturally alongside it; there was simply no need to take this "detour."

As for those who couldn't break through to Universe Level, great families had the confidence of "casting a wide net." If you couldn't do it, someone else would. Those who failed simply became cannon fodder, doing the dirty and exhausting work.

This was the law of survival in the interstellar space: natural selection, survival of the fittest. Even the Luo Family was no exception.

After all, the larger the family, the more it had to emphasize "fairness and justice." If everyone played favorites, the morale would scatter, and the family would eventually collapse.

Yet, outside of these cold rules, apart from her parents, perhaps only the husband before her would unconditionally sacrifice for her and accompany her on this difficult path.

Luo Xiaoyu had never been good at speaking softly since she was a child, nor did she know how to express gratitude, but she knew what Tang Ping liked. She looked up at him, her voice soft yet firm: "Husband, I love you."

Before the words had even faded, she raised her hands and began to unbuckle her Origin Force Battle Suit. The black suit slid down, revealing the delicate skin of her shoulders and neck, which shimmered with a faint light in the dim cavern.

Tang Ping: "???"

His eyes widened instantly, and he hurriedly pressed down on her hands, his voice trembling: "Wife! This is the Deep Cold Cavern! Not to mention the freezing wind, there is also the mental attack. Doing this here... are you trying to kill me?"

"My body... doesn't seem like it can handle this!"

Three days later, Tang Ping disconnected from the Virtual Universe. Gone was the pride of his recent Star Rank breakthrough; his eyes were unfocused, his hands and feet shook like a sieve, and he struggled even to pick up the restorative potion on the jade table.

He shakily unscrewed the cap and downed a triple dose of the supplement in one go, only then letting out a long sigh as he felt his soul return to his body.

Opening his personal panel, he saw the notification: [Willpower: Star Rank Level 4 (488/1000)]. Tang Ping's mouth twitched.

Good news: he had found a way to rapidly improve his willpower!

Bad news: this method was too "draining," and he was nearly at his limit.

"But how can a man say he can't? Charge!" Tang Ping clenched his still-trembling fist, suppressing the urge to retreat.

Over the next year, the two of them fully embraced this "painful yet happy" cultivation mode.

Piled high with rare treasures, their strength soared like a rocket: Luo Xiaoyu not only broke through to Star Rank Level 2 but also successfully mastered the Water Domain. When her pale blue domain unfolded, she could condense a sky full of water blades amidst the freezing wind, combining offense and defense.

Tang Ping's progress was even more exaggerated. His telekinetic amplitude broke through to twenty-four times, and he was finally able to skillfully use the second secret technique of the Sky-Splitting Sword, "Sword Escape." When executed, dozens of colorless long swords converged into a pair of sharp sword wings. With the added bonuses of the Wind-Thunder Secret Technique and his Level 2 Fusion Domain, his escape speed reached the extreme—even the monitoring system of the Journey game would lag for a split second before it could capture his trajectory.

Furthermore, his Wind and Thunder domains were approaching the third level and were on the verge of a breakthrough. Occasionally, when Babata came over to check on them, her wings would flap rapidly, and her eyes would be filled with shock.

After all, this visible speed of progress simply did not fit Tang Ping's identity as a native of Earth. Could it be that this Earth was truly as she had guessed, like those peak human races, capable of producing special geniuses?

If that were the case, would the future of Earth be in great danger if they continued to expose themselves?

One day.

Tang Ping looked at his sword wings and had a sudden thought: if he used this speed to spar with Luo Xiaoyu, wouldn't it be very exciting?

He quietly noted this bold idea in his "little notebook."

Right now, their physical realms weren't high enough, but once their strength grew further, wouldn't they be able to try it?

Between husband and wife, life should be spent in novel explorations so that every day has a sense of freshness. Otherwise, why would Earth have the "seven-year itch"?

No matter how beautiful a goddess is, seeing her fart and poop every day would eventually wear down the initial spark.

Thinking of this, Tang Ping felt energized again. He picked up a new bottle of supplement, preparing to help Luo Xiaoyu endure a little longer the next time they entered the cavern.

This is what it means to be a man. If your wife is good to you, then of course you must shield her from the wind and rain and stand as a sturdy pillar!

As for where that wind and rain comes from, well, don't ask.