The Plan

Iron-Horned Bulls were leisurely resting in the supermarket hall when suddenly one of them seemed to harbor immense hatred for its neighbor, ramming its head into the other bull's neck. Its iron horn sank deep into the flesh, and with a kick of its front hooves, it sent the victim flying. The injured bull let out two muffled groans before collapsing.

The Iron-Horned Bull leader immediately turned its head, roared, and charged over, knocking the attacking bull three or four meters away. It was about to discipline the troublemaker when four more bulls, eyes bloodshot, simultaneously charged the leader. Their horns struck the leader's body, but the Beast General-level bull's hide was too tough—several of the attackers' horns snapped instead.

The Beast General-level Iron-Horned Bull flew into a rage, kicking each attacker away with a single hoof, then charged forward, impaling them one by one with its horns.

Its eyes still red, it scanned the remaining bulls, daring any to challenge its position as leader...

Hidden in the shadows, Yin Congyang let out a soft breath and calculated silently, "At most, I can influence four Advanced Beast Soldiers at once right now. I wonder how it'd work on a Beast General..."

The first bull to attack its companion was naturally under Yin Congyang's illusion, made to believe its neighbor was from another herd encroaching on its territory. The four that later attacked the Beast General were likewise influenced by Yin Congyang's illusions, tricked into thinking the leader was an enemy chieftain stealing their turf, hence their desperate assault.

Yin Congyang withdrew his Spiritual Force, isolating his own mind, and directed all of it toward the Beast General-level Iron-Horned Bull.

After his Spiritual Force entered the Beast General's sea of consciousness using his self-devised method, Yin Congyang found its soul more condensed than a Beast Soldier's. The Spiritual Force felt noticeably suppressed within the sea of consciousness, making its manipulation far more strenuous.

Testing his rudimentary illusions on the Beast General and finding them ineffective, Yin Congyang compressed his Spiritual Force into a sharp spike and thrust it violently at the Beast General's soul. Piercing through a membrane-like barrier, the spike of Spiritual Force stabbed into the soul.

The Beast General-level Iron-Horned Bull's eyes bulged, its pupils cracking like glass shattering from the center. Slowly, it collapsed, its breath ceasing.

The remaining bulls were terrified by the sight. They glanced around frantically until one let out a low roar, turned, and bolted. The rest scattered in panic.

Yin Congyang ignored the fleeing bulls, clutching his head and breathing heavily. Two streams of blood dripped from his nostrils. He slumped weakly against the wall, his face deathly pale.

"I didn't expect the backlash to be this severe. Truly, my strength is still insufficient..."

The fluctuations in his dantian were actually quite potent in enhancing his body and soul, but the time was too short for a qualitative change. These fluctuations also provided strong protection; otherwise, Yin Congyang wouldn't just be dealing with a nosebleed—he might have suffered severe soul damage from the backlash, at best becoming a vegetable.

After over an hour, Yin Congyang finally recovered. He wiped the blood from his face and combat suit, reflecting, "I got a bit carried away. Though a monster's soul is likely far weaker than a human's at the same level, my Advanced Warrior-level Spiritual Force was already heavily suppressed in a Primary Beast General's sea of consciousness. Forcing an attack on its soul like that exceeded my current limits..."

Suppressing his mental fatigue, he found a mostly intact high-rise before dark, climbed to a middle floor, and quickly fashioned a safe room. Leaving a thread of Spiritual Force as a warning, he sighed, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate.

The omnipresent Cosmic Origin Energy was absorbed into Yin Congyang's body strand by strand. Part of it went directly into his sea of consciousness, where his Spiritual Force, like a starving man seeing a feast, accepted it all without hesitation. A wave of comfort emanated from his soul, and the quality of his Spiritual Force seemed to subtly improve.

That night, after finishing his cultivation, Yin Congyang replenished his water and food and silently planned his next steps.

First, improving his strength. The faint fluctuations in his dantian continuously delivered transformative energy, accelerating his cultivation to unprecedented speed. In the ten-plus days since his transmigration, he had risen from Primary Warrior to nearly Primary Warlord. As long as he persisted in steady cultivation, his physical fitness would keep improving, and his Spiritual Force would follow suit.

Second, techniques like axe skills and body movement—these were crucial for combat power and couldn't be neglected. Though his twenty years of practice in his past life, combined with genetic energy, had elevated his Conception to the Perfect Level—surpassing Specialized and Micro Levels—Yin Congyang knew this was merely a human classification on Earth, still at the foundational stage. The universe's hierarchy was Foundation, Conception, Domain, World. Each level brought astonishing boosts to combat power. For instance, Hong, with his Domain, was invincible even at the Planetary Level. Thus, he couldn't slacken in advancing his Conception.

Third, he needed to refine his Spiritual Force techniques as a Controller and Illusionist. Without cultivation manuals, he could only rely on self-exploration.

Fourth, he had to find a way to hitch a ride with Luo Feng into the cosmos. Only by leaving Earth and venturing into the starry sea could he unlock a magnificent life.

Yin Congyang had read parts of Swallowed Star's plot. He knew that at this time, Luo Feng was using the Golden Horned Behemoth's internal world to nurture his Earthling clone. Though Earth's situation seemed stable, Hong and Thunder God had fallen into slumber after burning their souls. The Limit Dojo and Thunder Dojo had lost their top combat power, their deterrence plummeting. Their control over subordinates had weakened, and the War God Palace couldn't open, leaving undercurrents churning.

In a few months, Planetary-Level figures like Fifth Councilor Atkin and Yan Hai, who had hidden during the battle with the Golden Horned Behemoth, would step into the spotlight. Atkin, through unscrupulous means, would seize control of the HR Alliance and shamelessly try to take treasures like Moya Crystals from the families of heroes. Such behavior was utterly despicable.

To hitch a ride with Luo Feng, he needed an excuse to make contact. Over the next few months, he would train hard. Even if he couldn't break through to the Planetary Level, he at least needed the strength of an Invincible War God to protect Luo Feng's family from those petty villains.

Yin Congyang also wanted to protect other heroes' families, but aside from Councilor Jia, the rest were abroad, and he had no means to leave the country yet. Councilor Jia, as a military bigshot, had his family protected by the state and military, and they hadn't left behind many treasures, so they likely wouldn't face much trouble. Luo Feng's family was different—everyone knew he had many Moya Crystals and other relics from ruins. How could those petty villains not covet them?

After long deliberation, he decided to take things step by step. First, improve his own strength. In a few days, he should reach Primary Warlord, allowing him to venture further into the wilderness, fight stronger monsters, and progress faster.

This cultivation plan had to be solo. He couldn't ask teammates to join him in more dangerous areas—without the means of a Spiritual Force master, survival alone was hard.

Captain Li Hesong had mentioned resting for a while, but leaving without a word didn't sit right. After thinking it over, he felt it better to inform them.

"Captain, and all you brothers:

Reading this, I hope you're well. First, let me apologize—I'm leaving the team. After months together, you've all treated me with great kindness, and I'm deeply grateful. You know my parents have passed, and now I have no ties left. My only wish is to slay more monsters to repay their grace.

Since becoming a martial artist, besides killing monsters, my sole desire is to grow stronger. This world is vast, and I want to see it all, but without power, I can't go far.

Life is like a journey. I only hope to press forward bravely, cutting through thorns on the path to strength. Thus, I've decided to train alone in the wilderness, forging a stronger self.

The mountains are high, the rivers long, and the road ahead is vast. If fate brings us together again, we'll share a drink and laughter. I wish you all ever greater strength, living as you desire. Your deep friendship and kindness I'll never forget. This is my farewell—no need to reply!

Your younger brother, Yin Congyang"

Letting out a long breath, he sent this message to the team group chat, then turned off notifications.