The Bigger the Storm, the Pricier the Fish
In the folds of the outer star field of the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, lies a forbidden land of life called the "Fire Fox Secret Realm." This is both the ancestral home of the Fire Fox Clan and a floating continent suspended in the turbulent currents of dark energy, spanning tens of millions of kilometers. On the continent, azure lakes reflect the crimson-gold sky, ancient trees coexist with flowers blooming in all seasons, and colorful butterflies fluttering among the flowers scatter tiny fragments of light.
Countless Fire Fox Clan live here. They have long, flowing hair and fox ears that burn with flames. When they walk, their fox tails will lightly sweep across the grass, leaving a faint, warm fragrance.
As the most beautiful race in the galaxy, the Fire Fox Clan should have lived a carefree life. After all, they have a World Lord Ancestor who is recognized by the laws of the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, and this protection is enough to make most forces hesitate.
But the shadows of the universe never completely dissipate. There are always Interstellar Thieves piloting cloaked starships that roam the outskirts of the secret realm, waiting like hungry hyenas for lone members of their kind to abduct and sell as interstellar slaves.
"The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish"—this coded saying from the interstellar black market is perfectly embodied in the lives of the Fire Fox Clan slaves.
The more dangerous the forbidden zone, the more it arouses the greed of those Interstellar Noble Clans; the price of the Fire Fox Clan has already been driven up to astronomical levels.
Fortunately, the clan rules are strict, and only a minority of clansmen dare to step out of the secret realm's barrier without permission. Most of the time, this floating continent remains peaceful and serene.
In the center of the secret realm, a crimson island floats above the sea of clouds, and on the island grows a divine tree called "Heaven-Burning Parasol Tree".
The trunk is as thick as a star fortress, and its branches and leaves can cover half the sky. Every leaf is burning with an inextinguishable flame. When the wind blows, the flames on the tree crackle and rustle, much like the whispers of the ancestors of the Fire Fox Clan.
At this moment, a Fire Fox Clan woman was reclining on the thickest branch of the divine tree.
She was voluptuous yet agile, with an air of elegance. Nine fluffy fox tails swayed gently behind her, the flames at their tips leaving fleeting trails in the air. At this moment, however, her brows were furrowed into a deep frown, and her amber eyes were filled with unyielding sorrow.
Beneath the tree, a woman clad in crimson armor stood respectfully, her fox ears drooping slightly, displaying the same unparalleled beauty characteristic of the Fox Race.
The Fire Fox Clan has always been matriarchal, as most of the clan's cultivation talents are concentrated in women. The elder named Huo Mei is one of the few Domain Lord -level experts in the clan.
She looked up at the figure on the branch, her voice heavy with suppressed emotion. "Reporting to the clan leader, in order to support Tang San's plan, the clan's treasury is empty, and now even the basic cultivation resources for the younger generation have been reduced by 70%."
We elders are alright, but the girls in the clan can't even afford the daily nourishing Spirit Liquid for their fox tails. They have to use their robes sparingly, and although they can barely manage, but—"
The clan leader, Huo Linger, slowly sat up on the branch. Her crimson skirt cascaded down like a waterfall. She raised her hand and pressed it to her chest, feeling a heavy weight there.
"Do they have any complaints?" Her voice was as soft as a sigh. As the head of the tribe, it was the last thing she wanted to see her people suffer because of her.
Huo Mei quickly shook her head, her fox tail gently sweeping across the ground, bringing a warm breeze. "Everyone knows the clan leader's difficulties. Since you have made a decision, it must be for the future of the whole clan. Even if life is tough, the girls will grit their teeth and bear it."
Several young men who had just come of age came to me, saying they were willing to accept marriage alliances with people from outside the tribe, only asking for a large dowry to help alleviate the pressure on the tribe.
"It's all my fault—" Huo Linger's voice instantly turned into a sob. She raised her hand to cover her face, her nails almost digging into her palms. "My talent is too poor. I've wasted hundreds of thousands of years and still haven't even touched the threshold of immortality. If I were stronger, why would I need to live off the whims of others?"
Huo Mei leaped onto a tree branch and gently embraced the clan leader.
Her embrace was warm and broad. "What nonsense are you spouting, Chief? You are the most gifted person in our tribe for millions of years! If it weren't for your leadership, we would all be slaves from birth, and we wouldn't have the peaceful lives we have today."
If anyone's to blame, it's the dark sky of the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, which can't accommodate our helpless and destitute people—we just hope that Huo Wu hasn't made a mistake in choosing her."
The two embraced and looked at each other, their eyes filled with an unyielding melancholy, followed by a long sigh.
Huo Linger buried her little head in Huo Mei's arms, feeling the softness and warmth. Her tense nerves finally relaxed a little. The warm fragrance and white cream unique to her clan surrounded her nose, and the knot in her heart also dissipated a bit.
Just then, a crisp electronic notification sound rang out in the Personal Terminal.
[Ding! Cosmic Galaxy Bank reminds you: 3.9 trillion Universe Crystal have been deposited into your account. Note: Tang San is repaying the loan; any excess will be interest. The Fire Fox Clan can contact me anytime if they encounter any difficulties.]
"Ah?"
The two women looked up at the same time, their hair sticking messily to their cheeks, like two twin red lotuses startled by a sudden rain. Their sexy red lips parted, their eyes filled with disbelief and astonishment.
The Ganwu Secret Realm, Linghu Island.
[Ding! You have an interstellar express delivery waiting to be signed for!]
As soon as Tang Ping stepped out of the Cultivation Room, he saw a silver-white starship hovering above the island. Two robotic figures flew out of the starship, each carrying an alloy box, and landed steadily in front of him.
The lead robot spoke in a emotionless, mechanical voice. "Tang San, the items you ordered from the Ganwu Treasury have arrived. Please inspect them. There is also a nurturing treasure that requires your cooperation to activate before we can take it back for further nurturing."
Tang Ping nodded slightly.
In the Ganwu Secret Realm, there are two delivery methods for shopping: one is robot escort throughout the entire process, from storage and transportation to verification, all handled by mechanical programs, maximizing safety;
Another option is to hire trainees for delivery, which is 50% cheaper. After all, if trainees get injured, they can buy inexpensive healing potions to treat their injuries, and if they get tired, they can drink boosting potions. The machines, on the other hand, need maintenance and energy replenishment.
--
However, there is a risk of damage or loss when escorting trainees.
Therefore, the trainees in the secret realm tacitly agreed that cheap goods would be given to specific people, while valuable items would always be delivered by robots.
He first opened the silver-white box on the left, inside which lay a ring engraved with spatial runes.
Tang Ping channeled his Divine Power into the unique ripple code on the delivery order, and the ring instantly unlocked. A powerful energy aura rushed out, revealing not only the fifth-tier Divine Weapon "Undying Sword" that he had ordered, two pieces of fifth-tier armor, a fragment of a Star-Track Gilded Plate, but also a set of Origin Force accumulation packages prepared for the Universe Level.
Aside from the Divine Weapon and armor he used, the rest were naturally gifts for Luo Xiaoyu and Huo Wu. Although the two girls weren't directly involved in the successful return of funds this time, they had silently supported him behind the scenes, and even if they didn't make any great contributions, they certainly deserved credit for their hard work.
With a thought, Tang Ping sent the "Undying Sword" flying out of the ring. The sword was almost transparent and ethereal, as if it were formed from pure Time Law. When it hovered in mid-air, even the surrounding light was distorted.
He had already practiced the refining method hundreds of times in the Virtual Universe. At this moment, with a flick of his wrist, his Spiritual Imprint surged into the sword like a tide. In just a few breaths, he completed the initial recognition of the sword as its master, and also comprehended the Law Secret Patterns of the first three layers of the sword manual.
The next second, his wrist twitched slightly.
"Hiss hiss hiss~"
Countless silver-white sword energies condensed in the sky, like an inverted Galaxy, eventually converging into a colossal sword that pierced through heaven and earth. The power of time flowing on the sword caused the surrounding air to freeze, and even the distant lake water stopped rippling.
"Clang!"
The giant sword crashed down with a deafening roar, but upon contact with the lake's surface, it cleaved a deep chasm hundreds of feet deep.
Giant waves surged forth like white mountains, stretching all the way to the horizon, while the lake water touched by the sword energy instantly turned into still water droplets suspended in the air.
It should be noted that the environmental materials of the Ganwu Secret Realm are specially made, and ordinary Universe Level powerhouses simply cannot damage the terrain here. The power of this sword has already exceeded conventional understanding.
"That's great!" A hint of joy flashed in Tang Ping's eyes as he raised his hand to recall the Divine Sword.
The colossal sword instantly shrank, transforming into a tiny sword only an inch long, which landed in his palm like a delicate ornament. He then took out one of the fifth-tier armors, dripped blood onto it from his fingertip, and the armor instantly transformed into Flowing Light that merged into his body.
With a thought, a long, dark robe covered his entire body, the hood obscuring most of his face, revealing only his sharply defined jawline. Combined with his deliberately restrained aura, he exuded an air of mystery and unpredictability.
"When I fight someone in the future, I'll hide in the shadows and let out a few strange 'heh-heh' laughs. That'll definitely give them a fright," he thought to himself.
Tang Ping's expression softened slightly as his gaze fell on the cultivation package he had prepared for Luo Xiaoyu.
That girl is still a third-class student. Although she is already at the Universe Level, if she wants to break through to the ninth level of the Universe Level, she not only needs to complete tedious secret realm missions, but also needs to accumulate enough Origin Force. The process is very troublesome.
With this set of equipment, she could advance to the ninth rank of the Universe Level in one step, and from then on, she only needed to focus on refining her domain and comprehending the laws. As for the other set of fifth-rank armor, it was naturally reserved for Huo Wu.
She is about to break through to the Domain Lord level, and her journeys will be fraught with danger. With this Supreme Treasure protecting her, he can feel much more at ease. In contrast, Luo Xiaoyu doesn't need such good equipment for the time being. The third-tier armor she selected from the Luo Family's treasury is enough for her to use until the peak of the Universe Level.
Finally, Tang Ping opened the box on the right side.
Inside lay a plant over two meters long, its vines as green as jade, with several heart-shaped leaves growing on them—the very juvenile "Cloud-Touching Vine" he had ordered.
Following the order instructions, he extended his right hand, a wisp of sword energy emanating from his fingertips, and gently sliced open his wrist.
"Whoosh~"
The moment the blood touched the vines of the Cloud-Touching Vine, it was frantically absorbed by them.
With Tang Ping's current cell activity, the wound on his wrist began to heal instantly. He shook his head helplessly and could only repeatedly cut his skin, letting his blood nourish this miraculous plant.
Just then, the robot next to them took out a blood-red fruit.
The fruit resembles a grape, yet it exudes a rich life force, making it the key ingredient for cultivating the Cloud-Touching Vine.
As soon as the fruit landed on the vine, it was wrapped and bound by countless thin vines. Then, a hissing sound of electricity rang out, and streaks of blood-red lightning flowed across the Cloud-Touching Vine, completely fusing the fruit's energy with Tang Ping's essence blood.
The cultivation service for this Cloud-Touching Vine is "packaged to reach the peak of the Domain Lord level," with all subsequent resources provided by the merchant without requiring any additional payment from him.
As energy was continuously injected, the color of the Cloud-Touching Vine gradually changed from emerald green to dark red, and wispy red veins appeared on the surface of the vine, just like the blood vessels in the human body.
"Hmm?" Tang Ping curiously reached out and gently touched the leaves of the Cloud-Touching Vine.
The moment they made contact, a pure consciousness surged into his mind. It was the information transmitted by the Cloud-Touching Vine, which contained its control methods and growth requirements.
The plant was much easier to control than he had imagined; it was almost like having a telepathic connection.
With a thought, Tang Ping caused the Cloud-Touching Vine to rapidly shrink, eventually transforming into a half-meter-long vine that coiled around his arm like a nimble little snake before slowly merging into his skin and disappearing.
He only felt a cool film covering his body. Instead of feeling uncomfortable, he could clearly sense the flow of energy around him, and even the dark energy in the air seemed within reach.
What's even more amazing is that Cloud-Touching Vine's consciousness is filled with attachment to him, as pure as an infant's dependence on its parents, and Tang Ping also feels a strange sense of bond, as if this plant is an extension of his body.
The Cloud-Touching Vine only recognizes one master in its lifetime, and once it recognizes its master, it will obey unconditionally. It is an extremely rare auxiliary plant in the universe.
Tang Ping played with it for a while, then returned the Cloud-Touching Vine to the robot, asking it to take it back to the cultivation base for further growth.
Finally, there's his most important treasure right now: the Star-Track Gilded Plate.
This is an irregularly shaped metal plate about the size of a palm, dark gold in color. There are no traces of artificial carving on the surface, but silver-blue patterns flow naturally, as if a condensed galaxy has been engraved into it.
The metal plate was of a quality far superior to ordinary star iron. Even when bombarded with the power of World Lord Rank, it would only cause ripples of light without leaving any damage.
Legend has it that this natural metal was picked up by an ancient Venerable near the "Eternal Singularity," and it is itself a manifestation of the laws of Space-Time Laws.
As instructed, when Tang Ping injected his Divine Power into the gilded plate, the patterns instantly activated, projecting a three-dimensional "Space-Time Star Map" into the void. Each point of light in the map represents a spacetime node, the silver lines represent normal spacetime flow, the gold lines represent spacetime acceleration areas, and the dark lines represent spacetime folds.
It's genuine!
After completing the inspection, he turned and returned to the Cultivation Room, activated the defensive array of Linghu Island, and began his secluded cultivation.
With the trivial matters settled, the next step is rigorous self-cultivation.