Are You That Free?

"Master, please have some tea!"

In a magnificent palace, Biluo sat expressionlessly in the grand chair of honor, watching the two women kneeling before her as she calmly accepted the teacup from Jiang Fang.

"Gulp, gulp."

After she finished the entire cup of tea, Chen Qing, standing below, exchanged a glance with Original Ancestor beside him. Original Ancestor hurriedly turned his head away.

Chen Qing suddenly felt as if the cup in his hands wasn't tea, but a Fire God Source Crystal!

It had come to this, so Chen Qing could only brace himself and take the empty teacup from Palace Master Biluo.

But when he noticed the other cup sitting nearby in that 0.00001 second, Palace Master Biluo's eyes narrowed slightly, and every hair on Chen Qing's body stood on end!

An Overlord's thoughts moved incredibly fast. How could she make the same mistake twice? In an instant, she'd learned everything through the Virtual Universe.

As Chen Qing endured the ordeal in reality and bore the special attention of Palace Master Biluo, he bent over and carefully brought the tea to Yao Rao.

"Master, please have some tea!"

"Gulp, gulp."

The apprenticeship ceremony was over quickly, and all three women left. Chen Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I remember the records about your Earth. You only need to take a sip."

Chen Qing had barely settled into his seat when Original Ancestor's calm voice carried a hint of amusement.

"Then why didn't you remind me?"

"I thought you would!"

Chen Qing imagined it and couldn't help shivering again. No wonder she was an Overlord—she was far calmer than he was. Besides, what could possibly go wrong with something virtual?

But why had those gulping sounds been so funny?

"Oh, right. I have to get back to work. If you have nothing else to do, hurry up and cultivate!"

Before he could even finish speaking, Original Ancestor vanished without a trace. Chen Qing's cup paused in midair. Am I that free?

Chen Qing went into seclusion. After he became her disciple, Palace Master Biluo quickly made plans for both women.

Taking their special circumstances into account, their top priority was now to break through to World Lord. With honey to help, however, it had taken just over five months to accumulate enough energy at Domain Lord Level.

Combined with their genes, they'd progressed even faster than Luo Feng had while soaking in Nutrient Solution!

But the days that followed were anything but easy. To break through to World Lord, the Palace Master ordered them into seclusion, and she also periodically explained the laws to them in the Virtual Universe.

If their progress fell even a little short, she didn't need to scold or hit them. One glare from those silver eyes was enough to leave the two women trembling like quails. They lost all interest in everything but cultivation.

With nothing left to do but brood, Chen Qing could only begin cultivating on his own. He'd already mastered the essence of water, thunder, and wood. It was time to put in some serious effort.

Chen Qing had everything ready, but didn't begin cultivating right away. Instead, as he calmed his mind, he tried to focus inward and keep his thoughts still. Over the years, he'd grown fond of sensing that primordial fluctuation, as if the universe itself were breathing.

Although the Green Lotus had yet to be born, his past experience helped Chen Qing quickly enter that serene, ethereal state.

He didn't deliberately try to comprehend the laws. He simply sensed the fluctuations in silence.

So this was wind, too. Fire was quite mischievous, but also so passionate...

Chen Qing seemed to glimpse different laws, or different aspects of the laws. Then again, perhaps he hadn't seen anything at all.

He remained still for ten years. When Chen Qing awoke, it felt as though he'd merely taken a nap, and his body felt lighter.

"So that's what fire is like..."

"Awake," Chen Qing picked up the secret manual he'd set aside and resumed his normal cultivation. Every movement felt familiar, and he even came up with new ideas about the manual.

When he immersed himself in the laws' essence again, he didn't encounter any bottlenecks. Even when he came across something he didn't understand, he only had to look up to "see" the answer. He quickly found what he was looking for.

Chen Qing began to understand that he'd found another path in cultivation: Heart Imprint Heaven and Earth—or perhaps returning to the Green Lotus's nature.

He would quiet his heart and keep his mind empty, using it to reflect heaven and earth. Just as a World Lord resonated with and connected to the Origin Land, he would connect through his heart.

The calmer his heart, the clearer heaven and earth became. The laws were no longer like trying to scoop up the moon's reflection in water. The deeper his understanding of the laws, the more he could wield them with a single thought.

"Why does this feel like One Thought Void?" Chen Qing scratched his head. It wasn't a bad thing, at least. His will had clearly grown stronger.

If he couldn't figure it out, there was no point dwelling on it. Chen Qing smiled and turned back to the secret manual.

At Nine Star Bay, Chen Qing hadn't been here for a long time. After the Virtual Company's qualification round, everyone had finally found time to celebrate Luo Feng.

Hong and Thor were still in the Initial Universe and rarely saw each other. The qualification round had nothing to do with them, either.

"Fourth Brother, I really envy you. Your whole family's tucked away in a secret realm, and the environment's no worse than the Initial Universe!"

Hearing the laughter of the three women upstairs, Luo Feng couldn't help sighing.

Chen Qing glanced at Luo Feng. Once he was sure there was no hidden meaning behind his words, he silently lowered his head. Envy what? Even a monk wasn't as devoted as I am. I'm practically turning into a block of wood.

Decades had passed. Chen Qing wasn't the sort to shut himself away in permanent seclusion, but Jiang Fang and Yao Rao were. It was just like the endless homework before the college entrance exams.

They'd finally broken through to World Lord, and Chen Qing had seized the chance to come out under the pretext of celebrating. Only then had Biluo let them go.

"Alas, it's a long story. Third Brother, you've been in the Xueluo World for so long. I imagine you've gained a lot!"

At the mention of his gains, Luo Feng smiled. He'd now passed the eighth level of the Heavenly Bridge, exceeding his goal.

He'd also collected over ten thousand Blood Luo Crystals. It was a shame Fourth Brother couldn't use them, while Big Brother and Second Brother could get their own, so there was no need to give them any.

"You can tell just by looking at his eyes. No need to say a word!"

Thor held a bottle of wine and teased him from the side. "Third Brother's a real force to be reckoned with now. Everyone else falls, but you're swimming against the current. The public forums are buzzing about you!"

"Second Brother, you're exaggerating. But if you get the chance, Big Brother and Second Brother should definitely visit the Xueluo World!"

"Really?"

Hong replied softly. He exchanged a glance with Thor, then nodded seriously.

Chen Qing didn't discourage them. Their gains probably wouldn't match Luo Feng's, but becoming Blood Warriors shouldn't be a problem. That would still double their strength.

Speaking of the Virtual Company's missions, Luo Feng would soon be heading to Demon Sound Mountain. Chen Qing wondered if he'd get any farther this time.

But without extra Golden Soul Fruits, he probably wouldn't go much farther than in the original story. After all, it wasn't about Body Amplitude.

At the thought of Body Amplitude, a glimmer flashed through Chen Qing's eyes. If exerting force was about internal control, then amplitude was resonance with the body from the outside!

He'd spent years sensing the universe's fluctuations, and had also studied the Basics. He couldn't be mistaken about this.

People in the universe relied on treasures to alter their bodies and make them adapt to these fluctuations. It was undeniably extravagant.

And the results were only so-so, usually around fifty or sixty times. There was still plenty of room for improvement.

He could even optimize his body's genes. There was no reason he couldn't do the same here. He'd spent decades comprehending the laws; it was time to try a change of pace. But first, he'd have a taste of something more substantial!

Three months. Decades had passed, yet only three months had gone by. Satisfied, Chen Qing arrived at his private plane, ready to pay a visit to the lonely old man.

Before even a minute had passed, Original Ancestor had already taken a seat in front of him. But before Chen Qing could speak, Palace Master Biluo stormed in beside them.

"Are you that free?"