At the entrance to the Luo Family's treasury in the Virtual Universe, the massive alloy doors slowly swung open, and an ancient aura steeped in the passage of time washed over them.
Tang Ping and Luo Xiaoyu stood side by side, their eyes filled with anticipation.
This was where the countless treasures Luo Feng had brought back from his journeys through the universe were stored, along with the treasures the Luo Family had collected over the past two hundred years. Any one of them might be the key to changing their cultivation path.
As for the preliminary work of establishing the Lay Flat Investment Company, Tang Ping had already taken care of everything.
As a three-star client of the Cosmic Galaxy Bank, he had entrusted all the company's preparations and recruitment to the bank's professional team.
According to the process, the team would first screen candidates who met the requirements, then Tang Ping would conduct the final interviews. Once he had confirmed his selections, the business could officially begin. Every subsequent investment would be monitored in real time by an advanced AI, which would immediately alert him to any abnormalities or potential risks.
In the interstellar age, some advanced artificial intelligences were almost as capable as Immortal beings. As long as the proper procedures were followed, it was nearly impossible for someone to run off with the money and leave him drowning in debt. The business would also be carried out exactly as intended.
Thinking of that, Tang Ping finally put his mind at ease and focused all his attention on the treasury before him.
Still, he couldn't help recalling the story he'd heard about Earthlings being tricked.
The enormous banners at Earth's Spaceport were covered with warnings, clearly stating that anyone looking for work off-world could ask the Luo Family's superintelligence to assess the risks.
Yet plenty of people were still swept up by false promises like "buy a house in a year with no skills," "get rich in three years," and "earn ten thousand a month washing dishes." They followed strangers without a second thought, only to end up as slaves, trapped for life doing hard labor on alien worlds. Some women were even forced into becoming baby-making machines or engaging in illegal trade.
"If they can't even make it at home, what makes them think they'll suddenly succeed in a foreign land?" Tang Ping shook his head helplessly, his eyes full of regret.
They would rather believe the empty promises outsiders dangled in front of them than listen to their families' advice. They always assumed the Luo Family only wanted to exploit their labor, forgetting the most basic truth: there's no such thing as a free lunch.
"Respect other people's choices and just focus on yourself." Tang Ping sighed softly, pushed those tangled thoughts aside, took Luo Xiaoyu's hand, and stepped into the treasury.
The moment they entered, they felt the restrictions. The Virtual Universe Network was completely blocked, and even the Smart Sprite they carried with them had lost its signal.
More unusual still, all the treasures in the treasury appeared to be mere shells. They couldn't sense any energy fluctuations, and even the materials felt no different from ordinary objects.
That meant picking out genuine treasures would depend entirely on their knowledge and luck. After all, many top-tier treasures had high-quality counterfeits. Mistaking a Tier 1 replica for a genuine Tier 5 item would be a devastating loss.
Fortunately, Tang Ping already had a good idea.
He'd once heard that the Luo Family had secretly established several treasuries to guard against unexpected events. The one located at their old home on Earth was their most valuable "backup treasury." Every treasure inside was worth at least several billion Black Dragon Coins, so there was almost no chance of a fake being passed off as the real thing.
This was the Earth treasury.
Inside, the treasury looked like a dazzling starry sky. Countless treasures rested in transparent display cases suspended in midair: weapons gleaming with a cold light, armor shimmering with flowing radiance, rare natural treasures exuding a strange fragrance, and ancient manuals covered in mysterious markings.
Tang Ping and Luo Xiaoyu slowed their pace, carefully examining each display as they considered what to choose.
While Tang Ping was still hesitating, Luo Xiaoyu had already found her target.
She stopped in front of a display case and pointed to a silver-blue suit of armor inside, a delighted look in her eyes. "Let's choose this Origin Force Battle Suit. It looks like a classic Tier 4 model. If it's the genuine Sky-Splitting Wind-Thunder Armor, it'll be a real bargain!"
Tang Ping leaned in for a closer look. Faint patterns of wind and thunder seemed to shimmer across the armor's surface. Though he couldn't sense its energy, it still gave off a sharp, fierce aura.
He knew the value of the Sky-Splitting Wind-Thunder Armor. If it was genuine, it could be used up to the Domain Lord Rank, or even the World Lord Rank. It could also weaken attacks by Domain Lord Rank experts by 50% and attacks by World Lord Rank experts by 10%.
More importantly, if its wearer cultivated the Wind and Thunder Laws, the armor could amplify the power of their Origin Force, making it a perfect match for his cultivation path.
Luo Xiaoyu playfully winked. "We can take turns wearing this armor. Whoever goes out gets to wear it."
After all, an Origin Force Battle Suit could freely change its appearance. And as for the "smell" and such, neither of them had any reason to complain about the other. They'd already experienced every smell between them and knew each other more intimately than any outsider ever could.
Tang Ping felt a warmth in his heart, then continued searching the treasury for his own target.
After wandering for who knew how long, Tang Ping stopped in a corner deep inside the treasury.
A palm-sized black metal plate sat in the display case. Its surface was smooth and unmarked, utterly unremarkable and completely out of place among the dazzling treasures around it.
Tang Ping's eyes lit up. If his memory served him right, this plate contained a secret technique so incredible that it was rarely seen even in the Primal Universe: the Nine Calamities Secret Technique!
The most terrifying thing about this Nine Calamities Secret Technique was that it could directly increase the user's Gene Multiplier!
When the Gene Multiplier of any living being in the universe increased, everything grew by the same factor: the speed of their Law Comprehension, attack power, speed, defense, and physical strength.
A tenfold increase in Gene Multiplier meant ten times the combat strength. And the limit of this secret technique was an astonishing 10,080 times the Gene Multiplier—an all-around enhancement of more than ten thousandfold!
It was terrifying!
A heaven-defying secret technique like this was enough to drive any Immortal Expert into a frenzy.
But Tang Ping also knew that the more incredible a secret technique was, the harsher its restrictions. This technique could only be stored in this metal plate. It was forbidden by the Supreme Rule of the universe: its existence could not be mentioned to anyone, nor could it be taught to anyone else. Only the plate's owner could cultivate it.
Even more frightening, cultivating it came with enormous risks. There was a 99 percent chance that the body and soul would completely collapse. Unless the cultivator had a clone, death was almost certain.
"With my cautious nature, it'll probably be a long time before I can get a clone. This secret technique won't do me much good for now," Tang Ping analyzed calmly.
But the next second, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. Just because he couldn't use it didn't mean no one else could!
As for whom to give it to, he had an answer almost at once: Luo Feng Ancestor!
First, deciphering this metal plate required extraordinarily powerful Spiritual Telekinesis, along with a whole host of lucky coincidences. Luo Feng Ancestor's Spiritual Telekinesis far surpassed that of ordinary people, and he was famous for his "good luck"—a perfect fit for the conditions needed to decipher it.
Second, Luo Feng Ancestor had always been clear about settling debts and repaying kindness, and was especially good at repaying favors ten or a hundred times over. If he gave him such a valuable secret technique, he was bound to earn a tremendous favor in return.
He'd take something from the Luo Family, turn around and give it to Luo Feng, and then Luo Feng would have to thank him for it.
Thinking of this, Tang Ping couldn't help chuckling to himself. "Heh heh heh~"
I really am clever as hell!
He discreetly memorized the number of the display case containing the metal plate, then walked over to Luo Xiaoyu and said with a smile, "I've made my choice too. Let's go register."
Luo Xiaoyu looked at him curiously. "What did you choose? I didn't see anything."
Tang Ping winked at her mysteriously. "It's a secret."
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