Resolving Earth's Crisis

Ming Yu nodded with satisfaction. Then he showed them some of the rules for becoming external members of the Virtual Universe Company and directly approved their applications online.

He asked Hong and the other two for their bank account numbers and transferred one hundred million Ganwu Coins to each of them.

Finally, he said to Yin Congyang, "The Elite Training Camp requires an application, but you'll certainly be accepted. You'll still need to report according to the camp's schedule, though. The next intake will be in about three months. I'll give you two months to take care of your other affairs and get ready. This time, you'll be leaving your home planet for at least several hundred, maybe even a thousand years... Give me an address in the real world, and I'll arrange for a spaceship to pick you up in two months."

Then he said to Luo Feng and the others, "I'll have someone deliver your Bloodline Evolution Agents. The cost will be deducted automatically, so you'll need to leave me an address in the real world as well."

They gave Ming Yu their address on Bailan Planet. Yin Congyang would also board the spaceship Ming Yu arranged on Bailan Planet in two months.

Earth, Limit Dojo Headquarters.

"Congyang, don't worry. I'll pay you back the three hundred million Ganwu Coins soon," Luo Feng said with a smile. Once his Earthling body evolved to Planetary Level Seven, he'd be able to claim Hu Yanbo's first inheritance, which should be quite substantial. With the Green Wave Marrow and the Bloodline Evolution Agent that was on its way, Luo Feng was confident he could complete his evolution in the shortest possible time.

"No rush. Didn't Ming Yu say you had a hundred years to pay it back? And there's no interest," Yin Congyang said with a smile. "In another two months, I'll be living the good life..."

They all laughed.

"I'll work hard over the next few days and get to Planetary Level Nine as soon as I can," Hong said. "Once the Bloodline Evolution Agents arrive, we can see if we can break through straight to Star Level. Then we'll be able to take the Universe Trainee Mercenary Assessment."

"Right! I've been looking forward to adventuring in the universe for ages," Thunder God said excitedly. "This is the life I've always wanted!"

"Let's work hard together," Luo Feng called out, sounding a little overdramatic.

A few days later, they received the Bloodline Evolution Agents Ming Yu had sent to Bailan Planet. Yin Congyang's agent, however, would only be issued after he arrived at the Elite Training Camp. It was an SS-Type, after all, and Ming Yu didn't have one on hand.

After using the Bloodline Evolution Agents, they each advanced by one level, just as they had hoped. Hong and Thunder God both broke through to Star Level One. Luo Feng's Earthling body advanced to Planetary Level Seven, while his Spiritual Force reached Star Level One.

Unable to wait, Luo Feng went alone to nearby Biyan Planet and claimed Hu Yanbo's first inheritance: ten billion Ganwu Coins.

He transferred five hundred million Ganwu Coins each to Hong and Thunder God, and one billion to Yin Congyang. But Yin Congyang didn't rush to pay Ming Yu back after receiving the money. He'd told Ming Yu just a few days ago that he didn't have enough money and had to borrow from him. If he paid it back right away, anyone would find that a little suspicious.

After that, they returned to Earth. Hong and Thunder God had just broken through to Star Level, so they needed to stabilize their realms and get used to their new power.

Before long, November 23 arrived.

At Yin Congyang's invitation, the four of them met at Luo Feng's castle in Yangzhou City.

7:30 a.m.

"Beep—beep—beep—"

Suddenly, the Planet Defense System blared a piercing alarm. Babata's urgent voice rang out in Luo Feng's mind. "Luo Feng, the Planet Defense System has sounded an alarm! A spaceship has been detected in the Solar System, heading for Earth..."

Luo Feng was alarmed. He immediately called out to his brothers. "Brother Hong, Brother Lei, Congyang, get over here! Something's happened..."

The four quickly gathered and examined the spaceship the Planet Defense System had detected entering the Solar System. Hong calmly asked, "How long until it reaches Earth?"

"An estimated two hours," Babata replied at once.

Yin Congyang asked, "Can you detect their strength?"

"According to the Planet Defense System, their spaceship is C3-class. It can't detect the strength of the people aboard, but the lowest estimate is Star Level," Babata replied, looking at the system. "What should we do, Luo Feng?"

"We can't let them reach Earth," Luo Feng said coldly. "We'll take a spaceship to intercept them. Bring all the Star Level slaves. As long as they don't have anyone at Universe Level, we still have a chance."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Thunder God said urgently. "Call the Star Level slaves. We leave now."

Luo Feng immediately summoned all the Star Level slaves. They boarded the Black Dragon Spaceship and took off from Earth.

The Black Dragon Spaceship sped through space. In just over half an hour, it had detected the other spaceship, which had likewise detected the Black Dragon Spaceship.

The two spaceships flew toward each other, rapidly closing the distance.

An idea occurred to Yin Congyang. He had Babata slow the Black Dragon Spaceship to a stop, then said to the others, "I'll go out first. When they see that I'm only at Planetary Level, they should stop and try to capture me alive so they can find out what's going on. Once their spaceship stops, Luo Feng, send out the Star Level slaves. That way, we can wipe them all out."

"Good. Let's do it," Luo Feng and the others agreed.

At the same time, aboard Buluo Nolan Mountain's spaceship, the intelligent optical computer Atuka reported, "Captain, the spaceship ahead has stopped. A human has exited the vessel. The optical computer has detected that he is at Planetary Level Two."

"Oh? Just a Planetary Level Two, and he dares to block our way?" He cautiously instructed the intelligent optical computer, "What class is their spaceship? Can you tell if there are other humans aboard? Can we go around it?"

"Reporting, Captain: the other spaceship is an old Black Dragon Mountain X81 model. It has an interference device, so we can't detect whether there are other life forms aboard. At our current speed and distance from it, going around would require us to slow down and make a sharp maneuver, and we could easily be intercepted."

"Then slow down. We'll stop too and see what they have to say."

"Yes, Captain."

The Nolan Mountain Family's spaceship slowly stopped ten kilometers from the Black Dragon Spaceship. In space, ten kilometers was an extremely short distance.

Yin Congyang sent his Origin Force vibrating and shouted in Universe Common Language, "Who are you? How dare you trespass on a life planet under the command of Three Axe Mountain?"

Ming Yu greatly admired Yin Congyang. In their later conversations, he had told Yin Congyang that he was one of the senior members of Three Axe Mountain and that he could invoke the organization's name if he ever needed help.

"Three Axe Mountain?" Buluo Nolan Mountain asked warily. "Isn't this the Void Region of the Milky Way Galaxy? Could Three Axe Mountain have found the coordinates of this wormhole long ago? Then why isn't it on the star map? We should test the waters first. If it really is Three Axe Mountain, why would a Planetary Level Two be the one driving us off?"

He flew out of the hatch and smiled at Yin Congyang. "We're a Universe Adventurer team. We entered an uncharted wormhole and ended up in this Void Region. According to an old star map, there are two life planets in this region. Finding a life planet in the universe means finding a fortune, so we were heading toward the nearer one... May I ask your name, sir? Which lord under Three Axe Mountain do you serve?"

"I'm not someone you need to know," Yin Congyang said coldly. "We serve Lord Ming Yu of Three Axe Mountain..." At the same time, he secretly sent Luo Feng a message. "Attack!"

Boom!

More than ten Star Level fighters flew out of the Black Dragon Spaceship. At their head were three Spiritual Masters at Star Level Seven, charging straight at Buluo Nolan Mountain.

Buluo Nolan Mountain was horrified and hurriedly tried to get back to his spaceship. But in space, ten kilometers was far too short a distance. He had intended to capture Yin Congyang, a Planetary Level Two, alive, which was why he'd ordered the optical computer to stop the spaceship just ten kilometers from the Black Dragon Spaceship. That way, he could close in on Yin Congyang quickly, while still having time to react if Yin Congyang had a powerful weapon. Now, his own plan had backfired.

Once their speed burst into action, the Star Level Seven Spiritual Masters shot through space with little resistance and reached the ship in an instant.

"Capture them alive if possible," Yin Congyang called out. "Kill anyone who resists!"

"We surrender." Everyone aboard except Buluo Nolan Mountain was at most Star Level Two, and they all chose to surrender. In the end, Buluo surrendered as well.

Before doing so, however, he sent an email through the Virtual Universe to his family's patriarch, stating that he had been captured by men under Ming Yu of Three Axe Mountain.

Yin Congyang gave him a cold look. He had invoked Ming Yu's name specifically so Buluo would send that message. That way, there would be nothing suspicious when he contacted Ming Yu later.

He ordered the slaves to destroy the captives' wristbands, then used soul-searching techniques on them. Meanwhile, Luo Feng had Babata break into the spaceship's intelligent system. What they learned left them all stunned.

"You're saying there are two more warships on the way, with dozens of Star Level Nine fighters?" Luo Feng's face turned ashen. "They'll reach Earth in three months? The Nolan Mountain Family!"

The four exchanged glances. They all knew they were in serious trouble.

Yin Congyang thought for a moment, then said to Hong, Thunder God, and Luo Feng, "There are two ways to deal with this. First, Luo Feng can use the star map in this ship's system to go to the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, buy Earth, and become its Earth Lord. Then no one will dare openly make trouble. Second, I can call in the favor Ming Yu promised me and ask him to contact Nolan Mountain directly and force him to recall the warships."

The other three all agreed. Luo Feng boarded the Black Dragon Spaceship and hurried toward the nearest planet in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, Biyan Planet.

Yin Congyang thought it over, then logged into the Virtual Universe and requested a call with Ming Yu.

The call connected quickly.

"Lord Ming Yu." Yin Congyang bowed respectfully.

"Yin Congyang, there are still a few days until the two-month mark. Couldn't you wait?" Ming Yu said with a chuckle. "The spaceship's all arranged. If you want to leave early, that can be arranged too."

"Lord Ming Yu, I contacted you today because something urgent has come up," Yin Congyang said with a wry smile. "I may need to call in the favor you promised me..."

"Hmm." Ming Yu sounded puzzled. "What happened?"

Yin Congyang explained the whole situation to him. "This morning, the Planet Defense System we bought earlier sounded an alarm. A spaceship had entered my home star system, so we flew over to intercept it. That's when we found out they were from the Nolan Mountain Family. After capturing and interrogating them, we learned that the family had two more warships on the way, carrying several hundred Star Level fighters and over ten thousand Planetary Level fighters. They intend to invade our planet. I gave them Lord Ming Yu's name, but they didn't believe me... Luo Feng is about to become our planet's lord. I'd like to ask you to intervene and make the Nolan Mountain Family leave..."

Ming Yu pondered for a moment, then looked at Yin Congyang. "Are you sure you want to use the favor I promised you for this? Once Luo Feng becomes the lord of your planet, I don't think the Nolan Mountain people will dare make trouble..."

Yin Congyang replied firmly, "I'm sure. You're right, Lord Ming Yu, but there are tens of billions of our people on the planet. I can't take that risk!"

Ming Yu gave him a long look, then nodded. "All right. I'll get the Nolan Mountain Family's contact information from Hundred Tiger Tower and call him myself. I'll get back to you!"

Yin Congyang thanked him gratefully. "Thank you, sir!"

Ten minutes later, Ming Yu sent a call request, and Yin Congyang answered immediately.

"Congyang," Ming Yu said with a beaming smile, "I've already contacted Nolan Mountain directly. I warned him that your planet is under the command of my Three Axe Mountain. If he dares send anyone again, I'll go to his door myself... Hahaha! He was so frightened that he ordered the two warships to turn back right in front of me. As for the few youngsters you captured, you can do whatever you like with them. Satisfied?"

"Very satisfied," Yin Congyang said, letting out a long breath as he bowed again. "Thank you, sir."

"Good. I'm glad you're satisfied," Ming Yu said with a smile. "Then I'll consider my promise fulfilled. Don't forget yours!"

"Rest assured, Lord Ming Yu!"