The Golden-Horned Giant Beast is Born!

Deep within the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of kilometers from the Hawaiian Islands.

Cold, dark!

No one knew that a pitch-black giant egg, roughly twelve meters in diameter, had fallen from the stars and rested on the seabed for over a year.

This mysterious black giant egg trembled faintly, the weeds and mud on its surface gradually sliding off, revealing a strange exterior marked with golden patterns.

Accompanied by a strange buzzing sound, cracks appeared on the surface of the black giant egg, and then, with a few heavy cracking noises, a pitch-black, slime-covered strange lifeform emerged from the shell...

After Fog Island, the entire world fell into calm.

Those who had seized or luckily obtained Muya Crystals were all frantically improving their strength.

The major nations, having obtained the corpse of a Beast Emperor for the first time, were also conducting various experiments.

Zhou Ze and Luo Feng, having received the inheritance of Fallen Ink Star, immersed themselves in cultivation every day.

Meanwhile, as the number one and number two figures in the world, Hong and Thunder God were currently in a wilderness zone somewhere in West Asia.

At this moment, they were somewhat disheveled, yet still retained their dignity. The surrounding ground was riddled with dense, massive holes and cracks like a spiderweb, and the forest within a dozen kilometers was nearly completely destroyed.

"Haha, Brother Hong, this is the first time I've beaten you since you comprehended your domain. How about it, feeling a little lost? I'm the number one in the world now, hahaha!"

Thunder God laughed heartily.

Ever since he comprehended his domain under Zhou Ze's guidance, he had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

To be safe, while practicing controlling his domain, he also frequently asked Zhou Ze for advice on force exertion. Only when he felt he had some grasp did he challenge Hong.

Sure enough, he had just fought Hong and won.

Hong's expression remained indifferent, without a trace of defeat's disappointment. Instead, he revealed a faint smile: "Too bad, you've just ascended to number one, and now you'll have to settle for second again."

Thunder God was stunned: "What?"

Before Thunder God could understand, he saw Hong's aura rise to an even higher level.

Thunder God clicked his tongue in surprise: "Brother Hong, you didn't just break through to the Second Layer Domain, did you..."

Hong said flatly: "Don't you see? Want to try again?"

Thunder God said eagerly: "Come on, let me see the power of the Second Layer Domain!"

"Clang~"

Hong and Thunder God's rematch began in an instant. Both turned into streaks of afterimages, shuttling and colliding through the air...

Soon, the dust settled.

Hong reclaimed the throne of the world's number one.

Thunder God showed no disappointment on his face, but rather some excitement. After all, he was used to being the second; suddenly becoming the first felt strangely uncomfortable.

"Brother Hong, the Second Layer Domain is indeed far stronger than the first, and your use of the domain is much more refined than mine!" Thunder God laughed.

"Mm." Hong replied flatly.

The two were silent for a moment. Hong frowned slightly: "Thunder God, you should have sensed it too, right?"

Thunder God rarely showed a serious expression, rubbing his chin: "Of course. I just don't know what will happen in the future..."

"As long as it's not aliens showing up, haha..."

Thunder God laughed heartily again as he finished speaking.

As masters of mental cultivation, the two had long reached the realm of "Unity of Heaven and Man." Simply put, this state means "Heaven and earth are born together with me, and all things are one with me."

Its greatest effect, besides maintaining the best mindset at all times, was another crucial function: the ability to gravitate toward fortune and avoid disaster.

"No matter what happens, all we can do now is improve our strength as quickly as possible." Hong's expression was calm.

"Mm!" Thunder God nodded seriously.

Speaking of this, Thunder God added: "Brother Hong, you could go ask Zhou Ze for guidance. He really has a knack for teaching."

"I don't know how much force he can exert now, but it's definitely much higher than mine. It's just ridiculous!"

Hong said coldly: "Cultivation ultimately depends on oneself. He has already pointed us in the right direction; the rest requires our own insight and effort."

Hong's words were actually the truth—people ultimately rely on themselves.

But Thunder God had his own thoughts. With his childlike heart, he simply felt that Zhou Ze could help him improve better, so he often sought his advice.

He never felt embarrassed or awkward just because Zhou Ze was weaker while he was much stronger.

On the other side, Zhou Ze also sensed a suffocating feeling within, as if facing a crisis where the sky was about to collapse.

"The Golden-Horned Giant Beast has emerged..."

Zhou Ze's expression was blank. Ever since awakening his past life memories and knowing this was the Devouring Starry Sky world, he had placed special emphasis on mental cultivation.

Through countless life-and-death trials during the Great Nirvana, his mind had reached the first level of "Seeing One's True Nature." Then, on the brink of death, his mind shattered.

After that, his cheat activated. His mind broke and then rebuilt, breaking through to the second level of "Unity of Heaven and Man." At this level, to ordinary people, he no longer seemed mortal. He also possessed the same ability as Hong and Thunder God to gravitate toward fortune and avoid disaster.

Zhou Ze's experiences were no simpler than Hong's or Thunder God's. In some ways, compared to Hong and Thunder God, his talent was quite ordinary. He had gone through countless life-and-death situations without any improvement.

Fortune and misfortune intertwine—this torment tempered his mind further. Later, after stacking Luo Feng's comprehension, his mental state advanced toward the third level.

Especially after guiding Hong and Thunder God, his comprehension surged again. He often "secretly" guided them through exchanges, gleaning their insights into the mental state, allowing him to surpass even Hong in this regard.

Of course, mental cultivation was unlike other practices. Without sufficient experience—life and death, trials—even if one obtained those insights, they were like water without a source, never truly one's own.

"Teacher, I'm here..." Luo Feng saw Zhou Ze on the rooftop and flew straight up.

As soon as he arrived, Luo Feng couldn't help asking, "Teacher, aside from my daily training, I've been studying ancient texts, but I still find mental cultivation too elusive. I don't know where to start."

Babata jumped out, looking frustrated and furious: "Luo Feng, I don't understand why you place so much importance on mental cultivation. These are things some mortals dreamed up. Aside from some effect on mindset, they're utterly useless for cultivation. Obsessing over them is a waste of time!"

"And you, Zhou Ze! If mental cultivation were useful, there wouldn't be a single martial artist in all of Chinese history! Can you stop leading my Fallen Ink Star disciple astray?"

Luo Feng ignored Babata, knowing that engaging her only made her worse. Zhou Ze likewise ignored Babata, as if he and Luo Feng had established a private chat channel for just the two of them.

"Luo Feng... if one day Earth faced destruction, and it required you to stake your future to protect the planet and humanity, how would you choose?"

Zhou Ze did not answer Luo Feng's question.