Earth, the Pacific Ocean, deep beneath the waters several hundred kilometers from the Hawaiian Islands.
Cold and dark!
No one knew that an elliptical Black Giant Egg, roughly twelve meters in diameter, had come from the stars and lain on the ocean floor for more than a year.
The mysterious Black Giant Egg trembled slightly. Weeds and mud gradually slid off its surface, revealing a strange appearance marked with golden patterns.
Amid a strange humming sound, cracks appeared across the egg's surface. Then, with several heavy cracking sounds, a strange, pitch-black life-form covered in mucus emerged from the shell...
After Fog Island, the whole world settled into calm.
Those who had seized or luckily obtained Muya Crystals were all striving to improve their strength.
The major powers had obtained Beast Emperor corpses for the first time, and were conducting all kinds of experiments.
Zhou Ze and Luo Feng had received the Fallen Ink Star Inheritance and spent every day immersed in cultivation.
Meanwhile, Hong and Thunder God, the world's number one and number two, were in a wilderness area somewhere in West Asia.
They looked a little disheveled, but still carried themselves with style. The surrounding ground was riddled with countless holes and spiderweb-like cracks, and the forests within a radius of more than ten kilometers had been almost completely destroyed.
"Haha, Brother Hong, this is the first time I've beaten you since you comprehended a domain. How do you feel? A little disappointed? I'm the world's number one now! Hahaha!"
Thunder God laughed heartily.
Ever since he'd comprehended a domain under Zhou Ze's guidance, he'd been looking forward to this day.
To be safe, while practicing how to control his domain, he'd also asked Zhou Ze for advice on Force Emission from time to time. Once he felt he had a decent chance, he'd come challenge Hong.
And now, after challenging Hong just moments ago, he'd beaten him.
Hong's expression remained impassive. There was not a trace of disappointment at his defeat; instead, a faint smile appeared on his face. "Unfortunately, you've only just claimed first place, and now you're back in second."
Thunder God was taken aback. "What?"
Before Thunder God could make sense of it, the aura around Hong surged to a new level.
Thunder God clicked his tongue. "Brother Hong, don't tell me you've broken through to the Second Layer Domain..."
Hong replied calmly, "Can't you see? Want to try again?"
Thunder God was eager to give it a go. "Come on, let me see the power of the second layer!"
"Clang, clang~"
Hong and Thunder God's next bout began in an instant. They turned into streaks of afterimages, darting through the air and colliding again and again...
Before long, the dust settled.
Hong had reclaimed the title of the world's number one.
Thunder God showed no disappointment. On the contrary, he looked a little excited. After all, he was used to being number two; suddenly becoming number one had felt rather strange.
"Brother Hong, the second layer of your domain really is a whole lot stronger than the first. And you're much better than me at using your domain!" Thunder God said with a smile.
"Mm," Hong replied calmly.
After a brief silence, Hong furrowed his brow. "Thunder God, you've sensed it too, haven't you?"
For once, Thunder God looked grave. He held his chin and said, "Of course. I wonder what's going to happen..."
"Let's just hope it isn't aliens. Hahaha..."
By the end, Thunder God was laughing again.
As the two men who had reached the pinnacle of mental cultivation, they had long since attained Unity of Heaven and Man. Put simply, this state meant that "heaven and earth lived alongside me, and all things were one with me."
Its greatest benefit, besides allowing them to maintain the best possible state of mind at all times, was that it helped them seek good fortune and avoid disaster.
"No matter what happens, all we can do now is improve our strength as quickly as possible," Hong said calmly.
"Mm!" Thunder God nodded seriously.
Then Thunder God added, "Brother Hong, you could ask Zhou Ze to coach you. He really knows how to teach."
"I don't know how much Force Emission he's using now, but it's definitely far beyond mine. It's ridiculous!"
Hong replied coolly, "Cultivation ultimately depends on yourself. He's already shown us the way. The rest is up to our own comprehension and effort."
What Hong said was the truth: in the end, everyone had to rely on themselves.
Thunder God, however, had his own way of thinking. With his Childlike Heart, he simply felt that Zhou Ze could help him improve more effectively, so he often asked him for advice.
He never felt awkward or embarrassed about doing so just because Zhou Ze was weaker than him, while he was much stronger.
Elsewhere, Zhou Ze also felt a suffocating pressure inside, as if he were about to face a crisis that would bring the sky crashing down.
"The Golden-Horned Giant Beast has been born..."
Zhou Ze's expression remained blank. Ever since his memories of his previous life had awakened, and he'd learned that this was the Swallowed Star World, he had placed particular importance on cultivating his state of mind.
During the Great Nirvana, countless trials between life and death had brought his state of mind to the first level: seeing one's true nature. After he'd nearly died, that state of mind had shattered.
Then his cheat had activated, and his state of mind had broken before it was rebuilt, advancing to the second level: Unity of Heaven and Man. At this level, ordinary people would see him as something beyond the mortal realm. He also possessed Hong and Thunder God's ability to seek good fortune and avoid disaster.
Zhou Ze's experiences had been no less difficult than Hong and Thunder God's. In some ways, his aptitude was quite ordinary compared with theirs: even after countless brushes with death, he'd still been unable to improve.
Fortune and misfortune were intertwined. Those torments had further tempered his mind. Later, after combining with Luo Feng's comprehension, his state of mind had already begun to advance toward the third level.
Especially after he'd coached Hong and Thunder God, his comprehension had increased once again. He often used their exchanges as an excuse to "secretly" coach them, gaining insights into their states of mind in the process. This had even put him one step ahead of Hong.
Of course, cultivating one's state of mind was different from other forms of cultivation. Without enough experience, brushes with death, and trials, even if one gained those insights, they would be like water without a source—never truly one's own.
"Teacher, I'm here..." Luo Feng spotted Zhou Ze on the rooftop and flew straight up to him.
As soon as he arrived, Luo Feng asked eagerly, "Teacher, besides my daily training, I've spent this whole time studying ancient texts. But cultivating my state of mind still feels so elusive. I don't know where to begin."
Babata popped out too, looking exasperated and huffy. "Luo Feng, I don't understand why you care so much about cultivating your state of mind. It's just something ordinary people came up with. Apart from helping you keep your composure, it does nothing for cultivation. Delving into it so deeply is a complete waste of time!"
"And you, Zhou Ze! If cultivating the state of mind were useful, there wouldn't have been a single warrior in the history of Huaxia! Can you stop leading the inheritor of the Fallen Ink Star astray?"
Luo Feng didn't respond to Babata. The more attention he paid to her, the more worked up she got, so it was better to ignore her. Zhou Ze ignored Babata too, as if he and Luo Feng had set up a private chat channel just for the two of them.
"Luo Feng... If one day Earth faced destruction, and protecting Earth and humanity depended on you staking your future as the price, what would you choose?"
Zhou Ze didn't answer Luo Feng's question.
Before you continue