Arrival

As his consciousness returned to reality, Qin Zhao slowly sat up in the Consciousness Access Pod in the core area of the Outer Space Relic. The cold touch of metal stood in stark contrast to the bustle and splendor of the Virtual Universe. Beside him, the white light in the eyes of the crystal-bald K-77 glowed calmly.

"Congratulations, Qin Zhao. Supervisor Snow has used the highest authority to transfer one million Noah Coins into my subsidiary account. He also left a message asking you to make good use of the Killing Field." K-77's electronic voice was steady and even.

"One million Noah Coins?" Qin Zhao raised an eyebrow slightly. Snow was even more generous than he had expected. One million Noah Coins was no small sum, enough for him to train intensively in the Killing Field for a long time. It seemed his displayed talent had truly impressed Snow.

"The database has been updated with detailed information on the 'Killing Field.' You may consult it at any time," K-77 added.

Qin Zhao nodded, suppressing the urge to try out the Killing Field right away. His priority was to return to the Flame Meteor Empire, tell Mu Han about his joining the Glacier Sacred Land and the change in the planet's ownership, and make arrangements for what came next.

"K-77, keep the communications channel open. If there's any news from the Holy Land, notify me immediately."

"Understood."

Without further delay, Qin Zhao moved, turning into a streak of light as he swiftly left the Outer Space Relic and raced toward the capital of the Flame Meteor Empire. With his Earth God Clone, he had become far more adept at wielding the power of earth. His flying speed far surpassed that of an ordinary Planet Level warrior, and in less than half a day, he had reached the skies above the imperial capital.

He made no effort to conceal his presence. The pressure of a Planet Level powerhouse, along with the faint, weighty sense of resonance with the earth, immediately alerted the powerful figures within the capital.

A fiery red streak shot up from deep within the palace. It was Mu Han. Sensing that Qin Zhao's presence seemed deeper and more restrained than before he had left, Mu Han's eyes flashed with surprise. He flew up to meet him and asked, "Qin Zhao, are you about to head to the relic?" His voice held a faint, barely perceptible note of anticipation.

"Senior Mu Han, I've already been to the relic! I have something important to discuss with you!" Qin Zhao said solemnly.

"You've been there?!" A hint of delight appeared in Mu Han's eyes. He immediately nodded, and the two flew together to a heavily guarded private chamber deep within the capital.

After setting up an Origin Force soundproof barrier, Mu Han asked eagerly, "Qin Zhao, what was the Outer Space Relic like? You've come to see me, so I assume you gained something from your visit?"

Qin Zhao got straight to the point. "Senior Mu Han, I passed the Outer Space Relic's trial and made contact with a civilization from the universe. I've also joined a talent cultivation organization called the Glacier Sacred Land."

"What?! You—you succeeded?!" Mu Han trembled all over and sprang to his feet, his face alight with incredulous joy. His voice shook with emotion. A hundred years after Liu Yuan's departure, the Flame Meteor Planet had finally reestablished contact with the universe!

"Yes, senior. And there's more." Qin Zhao paused before delivering another bombshell. "A Domain Lord supervisor from the Glacier Sacred Land, Lord Snow, has transferred ownership of the Flame Meteor Planet to me through the Virtual Universe Network."

"A Domain Lord? And he transferred ownership of the Flame Meteor Planet to you?" Mu Han froze again. This news was an even greater shock than the first.

The ownership of an entire planet had been handed over so casually? He didn't know much about the value of planetary transactions in the universe, but he could imagine just how valuable the rights to a planet must be! And a Domain Lord powerhouse had personally given ownership of the Flame Meteor Planet to Qin Zhao. The implications made his heart race.

"Under the laws of the universe, the Flame Meteor Planet now belongs to me personally," Qin Zhao explained calmly. "But this isn't about gaining control. It's a form of protection. With legitimate ownership, the Glacier Sacred Land's reception ship can arrive here openly, and our Flame Meteor civilization can use that as a basis to formally apply for civilization registration with the Universe Country in our star region. That will allow us to truly join the Cosmic Humans."

Mu Han was, after all, a Planetary Level Nine powerhouse. He soon recovered from his shock, drew a deep breath, and looked at Qin Zhao with shining eyes. "I understand! Qin Zhao, this is wonderful news! On behalf of the Flame Meteor Empire—no, on behalf of everyone on the Flame Meteor Planet—I thank you!" He bowed deeply to Qin Zhao.

He knew that without Qin Zhao, the Flame Meteor Planet might have remained trapped in ignorance for countless years. They might even have fallen victim to an invasion by interstellar colonists one day. If that happened, the entire population could end up enslaved!

"Senior, there's no need for that." Qin Zhao helped Mu Han up. "I'm one of the Flame Meteor Planet's people too, so of course I'll do everything I can. Lord Snow left me a communication code, and I've already contacted the Glacier Sacred Land's reception department through the relic's intelligence. The Sacred Land's reception ship should reach the Flame Meteor Planet in about thirty Cosmic Days."

"Thirty Cosmic Days..." Mu Han murmured, quickly converting that into the Flame Meteor Planet's local time. "Less than two months! Wonderful! What do we need to prepare?"

"No special preparations are needed," Qin Zhao said, shaking his head. "The reception ship may cause a stir when it arrives, so you should be ready for that. As for the details of civilization registration, I'll discuss them with you once I reach the Sacred Land and learn more. For now, we just need to wait."

"I understand!" Mu Han nodded firmly, unable to hide his excitement and hope. "Go without worry, Qin Zhao! I'll look after the Flame Meteor Planet. I only hope you'll make a name for yourself in the universe. Then the Flame Meteor Planet will have someone to rely on out there!"

As the former strongest person on the Flame Meteor Planet, Mu Han knew more about the situation than anyone else. The burden of making contact with the universe had therefore rested almost entirely on his shoulders. Now that a peerless talent like Qin Zhao had emerged, he could finally breathe a little easier.

In the days that followed, Qin Zhao spent most of his time in the imperial capital. He focused on consolidating his recent breakthrough and familiarizing himself with the power of his Earth God Clone and his initial grasp of the Law of Earth. He also used K-77's account to enter the Virtual Universe's "Killing Field" and train in actual combat.

The Killing Field truly lived up to its name. It allowed him to choose his opponents' species, strength, level of mastery over their domains, and even their secret techniques, then fight them to the death. Battles in the Virtual Universe couldn't match the real thing, but they greatly enriched Qin Zhao's combat experience and ability to react.

The one million Noah Coins Snow had given him would last a long time, even at his current Planet Level One strength...

Time passed quietly amid cultivation and waiting. Aside from occasionally entering the Virtual Universe's Killing Field through K-77 to hone his combat skills, Qin Zhao devoted most of his attention to deepening his comprehension of the Law of Earth Origin. His Earth God Clone gave him a far greater affinity for the Law of Earth than ordinary people had, so even sitting in still meditation brought considerable progress.

On roughly the fifty-fifth Flame Meteor Day after Qin Zhao's return to the capital, the sky was once again bathed in the blazing light of the star. As that light spread across the land, an immense, invisible pressure descended without warning. Like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, it shattered the peace of the Flame Meteor Empire in an instant!

Inside the cultivation chamber, Qin Zhao had been immersed in his comprehension of the laws. The pressure immediately jolted him awake. "It's finally here?"