The Australian Continent, Fog Island.
Deep underground, an ancient-looking alien spacecraft with a futuristic design sat in place.
Suddenly, the spacecraft's hatch opened, and a small, pitch-black robot came out carrying a crystal core that smelled of rice.
Before long, it reached the edge of an underground river.
"Plop!"
The robot tossed the Muya Crystal into the river, then turned and headed back to the alien spacecraft.
Not long after the robot had thrown the crystal core away, an extremely thick root, nearly twenty meters long, swept it away in an instant. It looked just like the Golden Cudgel wielded by the Great Sage Sun in the myths.
Meanwhile, inside the alien spacecraft, a cute little demon with a mostly blue body, white accents, and a starry-sky-patterned backside watched the Muya Crystal being swept away. He rested his chin in both hands.
"This Beast Emperor has been raising it for over a year. It should just about be useful now..."
Bright Moon District. After spending some time with his family, Luo Feng went to Zhou Ze's rooftop.
With his hands clasped behind his head, Zhou Ze said, "Luo Feng, impressive. You broke through to the Planetary-level so quickly. I thought it'd take you a while longer."
Luo Feng smiled wryly. "I was driven into a corner. I didn't expect Li Yao to break through to the Planetary-level right before my eyes. He had the Black God Suit, so I couldn't kill him right away."
"At the time, I was worried a Councilor might suggest letting him off. After all, Councilors stand completely above other warriors and have all sorts of privileges."
Zhou Ze smiled. "So what if he's a Councilor? Hong and Thunder God wouldn't let him off just because he's one. He used such despicable methods against a warrior's family. If they let that slide, where would it end?"
Luo Feng smiled faintly. "Right. Still, thank you, teacher."
"It was nothing." Zhou Ze waved a hand.
Seeing how relaxed Zhou Ze looked, Luo Feng couldn't understand it. He had worked himself to the bone to reach his current level, yet whenever he visited his teacher, Zhou Ze seemed completely at ease.
And yet, he'd used telekinesis to control a flying knife and block Yan Hai's attack. Luo Feng didn't even know what to make of it.
"Teacher, how did you do it?" Luo Feng couldn't help asking.
"How did I do what?" Zhou Ze lay back in his chair and turned his head slightly.
"Yan Hai. He was once strong enough to compete for the title of Fifth Speaker, and you actually blocked his attack?" Luo Feng explained.
"Isn't that easy? He's just a filthy old has-been," Zhou Ze said mildly.
Luo Feng felt stifled. "But you're only at the War God Level, while he's at the second tier of the Planetary-level! His base strength alone is between four and eight million kilograms. Even without going all out, the force of his attack would reach twenty million kilograms!"
"I couldn't afford to underestimate that kind of power!"
Zhou Ze raised an eyebrow, walked over to Luo Feng, and flicked him on the forehead. Luo Feng winced in pain.
"What's the matter? Now that you're a Planetary-level warrior, you look down on the teacher who once scrimped and struggled to raise you? What a heartless student..."
Luo Feng looked a little embarrassed. "Teacher, stop joking. I'm genuinely curious."
Seeing Luo Feng's expression, Zhou Ze lost interest and returned to his chair. "Luo Feng, you've changed. You weren't like this before..."
Luo Feng replied calmly, "Teacher, everyone grows. I haven't changed."
"True. Most people would've gone crazy after spending over a year in that little black room." Zhou Ze smiled.
Luo Feng's expression was composed. "I figured out a lot this past year, especially after I got out and faced Li Yao and his wife, Yan Hai, the Hall Master, and Thunder God..."
"Teacher, from the very first day you taught me the blade, you told me that strength was what mattered in this world. Once you had strength, everything else would follow."
"I'm not interested in anything else. At first, all I wanted was to buy a big house for my parents and A Hua..."
"Now I just want to keep getting stronger. I genuinely enjoy the feeling of becoming stronger!"
Luo Feng's gaze was resolute.
"That's a good look in your eyes..." Zhou Ze gazed up at the starry sky without looking at Luo Feng.
The two fell silent for a while. Unable to bear it, Luo Feng awkwardly broke the silence. "Teacher, you still haven't told me."
"You can't even wait? I thought you'd improved your temperament over the past year. Instead, you've become more and more impatient..." Zhou Ze gave him a knowing smile.
"If you want to become stronger, work on your temperament. Don't spend all your time training. Read some old books, too. A true strong person should be like Hong and Thunder God, able to quickly steady himself no matter what happens."
Luo Feng wanted to ask something else, but Zhou Ze closed his eyes, stretched out his legs, and settled in to rest.
Helpless, Luo Feng could only leave.
Watching Luo Feng walk away, Zhou Ze rolled over. "Kids aren't cute once they grow up. Sigh..."
Back in his own Training Hall, Luo Feng thought about Zhou Ze's words.
"Teacher's words usually have a deeper meaning..."
Luo Feng thought back over everything that had happened with Zhou Ze. He felt his temperament was already good enough, and that improving it further wouldn't have any real effect on his strength—only ensure that he performed at his best.
But he took Zhou Ze's words to heart and held himself back, starting from the present and working to improve his temperament.
Fog Island.
A dark-blue fighter jet appeared overhead.
Luo Feng came out of the hatch and flew toward a nearby blood-red fighter jet.
"Luo Feng, your teacher didn't come?" Thunder God asked as Luo Feng entered alone.
"He isn't interested in this sort of thing..." Luo Feng smiled.
Thunder God shrugged. "The old man's getting more and more laid-back."
Luo Feng teased him. "Yeah, he's practically like a monk in a temple—he's seen through the world and let go of worldly concerns."
Thunder God draped an arm over Luo Feng's shoulder. "You little brat, talking about your teacher like that. Aren't you afraid we'll tell him?"
"Huh?" Luo Feng's expression changed. "Thunder God Speaker, don't be that cruel!"
"Hahaha!" Thunder God burst out laughing.
Just then, a three-dimensional holographic projection appeared inside the cabin, showing the entire landscape below.
Luo Feng looked down at the vast lake, which stretched for hundreds of kilometers. Around it were numerous flying saucers, triangular fighter jets, and even several temporary bases under construction.
Luo Feng was slightly surprised. "Hall Master, is this Fog Island?"
"Mm..." Hong replied, then explained it to Luo Feng.
From Hong and Thunder God, Luo Feng learned of the existence of the third Beast Emperor.
Deep beneath Fog Island, Babata had seen Luo Feng arrive long ago, but he felt conflicted.
"If my master could make two Inheritance Soul Seals, that would be perfect. Then, even if Luo Feng were purely a warrior, I'd still take him as my master's personal disciple..."
Babata considered himself well-traveled. He'd accompanied his master across the vast universe for over six thousand eras, yet he'd never seen a prodigy who possessed a domain at the Apprentice-level!
Such people only appeared in legends and tales.
But just as it was astonishing that he had a domain at the Apprentice-level, his Brain Domain Width was no larger than that of an ordinary warrior.
"I can't figure it out. No matter how I think about it, it makes no sense. Ahhh..."
Babata couldn't understand how Zhou Ze had become a Spiritual Psychic. After all, a Spiritual Psychic's Brain Domain Width had to be at least nine, and the greater the Brain Domain Width, the greater their potential.
"Forget it. He's already obtained the token of the Fallen Ink Star. As long as no one with a much greater Brain Domain Width than Luo Feng shows up, I'll choose Luo Feng. Then... heh heh..."
Babata couldn't help drooling. No matter how confident he was in his master, he had to admit that in the universe, a genius like Zhou Ze would have joined one of the Five Great Powers long ago.
His master wasn't as lucky as him, the great Demon Babata.
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