[After handing in 10 Ice Prisms, you successfully passed the assessment.] [The staff told you to wait, as an important person wanted to meet you. You gladly accepted, assuming it was because you had taken that mysterious crystal.] [But you had overlooked something very important.] [Cultivating Plant Lifeforms cost a fortune, and your background meant nothing in the face of the Universe Mercenary Alliance. How could an ordinary person cultivate so many?]
"You're about to die," Han Han said.
[You met the Immortal, Guna.] [At a glance, Guna saw that you had a Silver Token on you. He forcibly extracted it from your body, and you felt your Life Imprint being destroyed.] [You were furious, but in the face of an Immortal God, your anger seemed laughable.] [You saw joy on Guna's face. Yet everything had clearly been yours. You knew all too well that an Immortal God could kill you without facing any punishment.] [Before you died, Guna told you this:] [The mysterious crystal was called Ice Flower. It was a treasure that could improve one's affinity with the laws. He had originally intended to use it to cultivate one of his descendants. If the stakes involved with you hadn't been so high, he could even have taken you as a disciple or helped you once.] [Without waiting for your reply, Guna narrowed his eyes and directly destroyed your consciousness.] [You died.] [This simulation has ended.]
"Ice Flower! It improves affinity with the laws!"
Han Han felt no distress at all over dying in the simulation. He was only moved by the thought of Ice Flower. He hurriedly looked at the score and options, hoping he could choose it.
[Score: E-99] [After obtaining the treasure Ice Flower, you could have further improved your talent. Unfortunately, you overlooked how insignificant your background was in the eyes of the powerful.] [You may choose two of the following options:] [1: Universe Rank One] [2: Over 15 years of insights (including insights into blade techniques)] [3: A C5-Rank Spaceship] [4: 182 Ice Prisms] [5: A herd of Ice Prism Beasts] [6: 28 billion Cuilang Coins] [7: One Ice Flower]
"Six and seven," Han Han said without hesitation.
He still needed to keep repeating the simulation until he could choose Ice Flower. How could he possibly choose a breakthrough to Universe Rank? As for the other options, none mattered as much as 28 billion Cuilang Coins right now.
[Rewards issued.]
A pale-blue crystal appeared in the System Space.
Han Han immediately went deep into his manor, then entered the Micro World. There were no instruments or equipment in this secluded area; he had deliberately left it empty.
With a thought, Ice Flower appeared.
"Buzz—"
The temperature around him dropped rapidly. The Gold Wood Grass emerged on its own, covering Han Han protectively.
"Ice Flower!"
Han Han looked at the crystal, excitement in his eyes.
"Anything that can improve affinity with the laws is incredibly precious. This was even meant for Guna's descendants. And since this facility was established by the Universe Mercenary Alliance, those descendants are probably geniuses from the Alliance. This must be an extraordinary treasure, not just some ordinary one that improves affinity."
"But... how do I use it?"
He couldn't find any information in the Virtual Universe. Perhaps his access level was simply too low.
Han Han carefully examined the aura of Ice Flower. In the end, he still didn't dare use it directly. "It's better to wait and let the version of me in the simulation test it first."
"Time to cultivate."
He wasn't someone who relied solely on simulations. He could train hard in reality, too.
After all, the two didn't interfere with each other. The stronger his foundation was before a simulation, the stronger he would be within it, and the farther he could go. That would also increase his chances of earning a high score afterward.
Just like this time.
If Han Han had started the simulation before getting the Spirit Silk Grass seeds, he definitely wouldn't have obtained Ice Flower in the end.
Three days later.
Han Han decided that he needed to join a faction: the Ganwu Dojo. Within the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, it was undoubtedly one of the top powers.
Besides, the Ganwu Dojo imposed few restrictions. Any Planetary Rank warrior could join by registering and paying a fee.
"Fortunately, Cui'en Planet is decent. There's a Ganwu Dojo here, so I don't have to travel somewhere else."
Walking into the Ganwu Dojo felt like entering a city within a city.
"There's actually a Ganwu Practitioner here." Han Han looked at the powerful human carved above the main entrance. He wore a dark purple battle robe, with a golden leaf on his sleeve.
A One-Leaf Ganwu Member had to be at least Universe Rank.
"Quite rare. Even a place like Cui'en Planet has a Ganwu Practitioner at its dojo. Looks like I'm in luck." Han Han smiled and walked inside.
The Ganwu Dojo held almost entirely open lessons and didn't forbid residents from entering. Han Han soon reached the registration desk.
"I'm here to register."
Han Han spoke to the white-haired old man in front of him, who studied Han Han in turn.
"Register?"
The moment the old man spoke, a light screen appeared beside him, displaying Han Han's name, nationality, strength, and other details.
Han Han didn't care.
Even if people here knew he had been born a slave, so what? The Ganwu Dojo didn't care. If he had a high-level account at the Universe Galaxy Bank, for instance, he'd dare to sell Locke Divine Water right out in the open.
That was because, to great powers like these, something so minor wasn't worth violating their own rules.
"You're called Han Han?"
The old man nodded slightly. "A Planetary Level Nine warrior, a citizen of the Cuilang Empire. All right, the registration fee is 800 Cuilang Coins, and you'll need to pay 10 Cuilang Coins each year after that."
The terms were exactly the same as those in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire.
"Sure."
Han Han took out 1,000 Cuilang Coins. "Here's the registration fee, plus 20 years' worth of dues."
"Mm."
The old man accepted the payment and quickly processed the registration. Since Han Han was already a citizen of the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, the process was extremely quick. It was all done in a few minutes.
"Most of the Planetary Rank students are probably here to pad their credentials for their families."
As he walked across the plaza, Han Han looked over the other students.
Some were indeed earnestly sparring, but most seemed to be... playing, deliberately showing off something.
"Let's go."
Han Han returned to his manor. Now that he was registered, he could access the Ganwu Dojo's many lessons through the Virtual Universe. There was no need to go there in person.
After returning, Han Han immediately entered the Virtual Universe.
He teleported to the area reserved for the Ganwu Dojo and searched for lessons on the Rotten Wood Blade.
The Rotten Wood Blade wasn't some secret technique unique to a single person. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been openly sold at a fixed price. He found a lesson video with ease.
"100,000 Cuilang Coins per session. They really know how to make money."
Han Han reluctantly paid. He then entered the scene in the video, where a figure was simulated and began demonstrating the first layer of the Rotten Wood Blade technique.
"But there's a reason it costs so much."
Watching a realistic demonstration up close was far better than watching a video.
The version of himself in the simulation had been very backward in his thinking. He hadn't even joined a faction like the Ganwu Dojo. If nothing else, joining would at least have made it easier to learn common secret techniques.
And so Han Han immersed himself in studying the Rotten Wood Blade. Before he knew it, his simulation count had refreshed.
Before you continue