After the hatch closed, the Smart Fighter Jet slowly rose into the air. At the same time, an electronic voice sounded within the cabin. "Chen Yuan, I am the fighter jet's intelligence. You may call me Primordial."
"If you need to go somewhere, simply say it aloud. I can understand the meaning of your words."
Chen Yuan nodded. "Then fly beyond the atmosphere first. I need to see Earth in its entirety."
"Command received. Destination: outer space." As the electronic voice finished speaking, the fighter jet's speed surged, shooting straight into space.
The fighter jet grew faster and faster. Before long, it broke through the atmosphere and arrived in outer space.
Without air resistance, the fighter jet continued accelerating. About ten minutes later, its body gradually came to a stop.
"Chen Yuan, the fighter jet is currently in Geosynchronous Orbit, forty thousand kilometers above the surface. From this position, you can view Earth in its entirety." The electronic voice informed him that they had arrived.
Chen Yuan came to the fighter jet's hatch and said to its intelligence, "Primordial, open the hatch. I need to take a look outside."
"Chen Yuan, your vital signs indicate that you are only Apprentice Level 7 and cannot survive in a vacuum." The fighter jet intelligence, Primordial, reminded him. "If you wish to walk through space with your physical body, it is recommended that you wait until you reach Planetary Level."
"I know." Chen Yuan nodded. With a thought, the Black God Set spread over his body, enveloping him completely except for his face.
Chen Yuan said to Primordial, "I will wrap my body in a Force Suit. With my current physical constitution, the oxygen in my body will be enough to last more than half an hour."
"Primordial, after half an hour, just reopen the hatch and let me back in."
"Understood." This time, the fighter jet intelligence did not stop him. Clearly, it believed Chen Yuan was capable of surviving in space. With a thunderous rumble, the inner door of the airlock opened.
Chen Yuan stepped into the airlock. At the same time, the Black God Set covered his entire face, leaving only a transparent viewport over his eyes.
With a boom, the hatch behind him closed. Before long, once the air pressure inside the airlock had dropped to zero, the hatch in front of him opened. Chen Yuan steadied himself and stepped outside.
The instant his foot left the hatch, a sensation of weightlessness washed over him. Chen Yuan knew that he had left the fighter jet's gravity system and entered weightless space.
With another thought, Chen Yuan controlled the Black God Set, extending a black rope from his back that coiled around the hatch's handrail like a swimming snake.
Only after doing all that did Chen Yuan turn his attention to the outside world.
At first glance, all he felt was darkness—bottomless, profound darkness. This abyss-like environment made one's scalp tingle and body tremble at a single look.
However, Chen Yuan merely glanced at the dark universe before shifting his gaze to the blue planet floating in the blackness.
Looking down on Earth from outer space gave one a breathtaking sense of beauty. The azure planet was like a dazzling pearl, gleaming brilliantly in the dark expanse.
This was the sigh that any Earthling would let out upon coming to space and looking back at their home planet.
Even someone as calm as Chen Yuan could not help but feel a faint ripple in his heart when facing the planet that had nurtured him.
But Chen Yuan quickly regained his composure. Through the viewport, he focused intently on Earth.
Half an hour later, the oxygen in his body was gradually depleted. Chen Yuan turned and entered the airlock, closing the outer hatch. Before long, the air pressure inside the airlock returned to normal.
Only then did Chen Yuan release the Black God Set's faceplate and take a deep breath of the less-than-fresh air.
As the inner hatch opened, Chen Yuan walked into the fighter jet. Primordial's electronic voice sounded beside his ear. "Welcome back safely, Chen Yuan."
"I'll probably stay here for two or three days." Chen Yuan said to the fighter jet intelligence, "Primordial, keep the fighter jet stationary in its orbit. I want to observe a complete rotation cycle of Earth."
"Understood. The fighter jet's orbit has been locked." Primordial replied. "For the next three days, you may observe Earth as you please. If your body needs energy, you may return to the cabin for food and water."
Thus, over the next three days, Chen Yuan would go outside the fighter jet whenever he had nothing to do and observe Earth. He only returned to the airlock to replenish himself when the oxygen in his body was about to run out.
After repeating this cycle for three days, Chen Yuan learned from the system that Earth's macro-level data had been fully collected.
Upon returning to the cabin, Chen Yuan said to the fighter jet intelligence, "Primordial, we can return to Earth now. The destinations for this trip are..."
Chen Yuan listed more than a hundred locations in one breath, all places with unique terrain. After he finished, Primordial replied, "Understood. The optimal route has been established. Based on a thirty-minute stop at each location, it is estimated that all locations can be visited within five days."
Once the route was planned, the fighter jet activated and shot toward Earth. About half an hour later, it reached the first location.
The fighter jet did not descend. Chen Yuan came outside the cabin and looked down at the scenery below.
This was a desert, part of Africa's Wilderness Zone—the former Sahara Desert region.
There was not much to see amid the endless yellow sands, but Chen Yuan kept looking down for the system's Data Collection. Meanwhile, the fighter jet continued speeding through the sky, taking him across more terrain.
Occasionally, some foolish flying Monsters attacked, but before they could get close, the fighter jet's built-in laser cannons dealt with them. Chen Yuan did not even turn his head as he continued observing the terrain.
Finally, half an hour later, the system notified him that the terrain data had been collected. Chen Yuan let out a breath of relief, returned to the cabin, and headed for the next location.
Five days later, Earth, the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Above the boundless white snowfield, a dark blue, saucer-shaped fighter jet flew swiftly past. Chen Yuan stood outside the cabin, the pitch-black set covering his body isolating him from the cold.
After receiving confirmation of success from the system, Chen Yuan finally relaxed. "It's finally all collected."
He then walked into the cabin and said to Primordial, "That's enough, Primordial. Thank you for your cooperation these past few days."
"Next, take me back to the Training Camp."
"It is my duty. You need not thank me." Primordial's electronic voice rang out. "Everything was at my master's command. If you wish to thank someone, you may thank my master."
"Of course." Chen Yuan smiled. Then the fighter jet rose into the air, reaching the thin outer atmosphere before flying toward the Training Camp at top speed.
Taking advantage of the time, Chen Yuan opened the panel and instructed the system, "Create an optimization task."
"Optimize the Hibernation Method. The optimization direction is a cultivation method suited to the Entering Stillness realm, using Earth as the meditation object. Its effect should be to enhance spiritual realm and consciousness strength. At the same time, abandon universal applicability and optimize it according to my personal circumstances."
Chen Yuan stated all the criteria in one breath, then looked at the panel.
"Optimization task established. Current optimization target: Hibernation Method: Crystal Meditation; optimization direction: a cultivation method after Entering Stillness, using Earth as the meditation core. The cultivation method's effects are to enhance consciousness and spiritual realm, abandoning universal applicability and optimizing according to the host's circumstances." "This optimization is expected to consume: 8 Kill Points. Create optimization task?"
Looking at the contents of the panel, Chen Yuan took a deep breath. He could finally optimize it. He hoped the optimized Meditation Method would be worthy of the eight days he had spent.
"Confirmed. Create the optimization task."
"Optimization task established. Estimated optimization time: 8 hours..." "Warning. An error has occurred in the optimization task. An additional 110 Kill Points are required. Add them?"
Chen Yuan was startled. This was the first time the Optimization System had made an error.
When he asked for the reason, the answer he received was that the optimized secret art was too powerful and had exceeded the rating range of Earth.
In other words, the Kill Points he had originally prepared were insufficient to support the system's optimization. He needed to add another 110 Kill Points before it could continue.
Seeing that this was the reason, Chen Yuan relaxed and chose to add the Kill Points.
Finally, after paying 118 Kill Points, the new optimization task was established.
"Optimization task established. Estimated optimization time: 72 hours."
"What level of secret art is this? It actually needs seventy-two hours to optimize." Chen Yuan stared blankly at the panel. Seventy-two hours meant a full three days.
After spending so much effort, I hope the optimized cultivation method will surprise me. Chen Yuan stared at the panel.
Everything would be decided three days later!
Before you continue