Green Jade King

On the outskirts of Bauhinia Island, Chen Qing stared at the enormous green jade before him. Cursing the Young Ancestral God under his breath, he tightened his aura. He'd just been dumped right at someone's doorstep. Wasn't the Young Ancestral God worried he'd be recognized as a World Lord? Damn, what a mischievous brat.

"Green Jade King? A human?"

Ancestor Feicang's Venerable stared at Chen Qing with wide eyes, astonished. His aura kept rising: High King-Rank, Peak King-Rank, then Invincible King. When Chen Qing's aura remained unchanged, he finally drew his power back and received him in person. In all the countless years he'd worked here, this was the first time he'd received someone at the front door. How had this human calling himself Green Jade King gotten so lucky that an Ancestral God had personally arranged for him?

"Not bad. Come with me!"

Chen Qing—now the Green Jade King—was an ancient Immortal, a core member of the Virtual Company who had spent years cataloguing and reviewing records. He rarely socialized. Tens of millions of eras ago, when he'd barely been a Marquis-Rank, he'd joined an exploration of a secret realm to break through. Now he'd not only succeeded, but had also obtained a precious Inheritance Token. The Young Ancestral God had come across him while traveling, taken a liking to him, and casually brought him out of the secret realm. His story was simple, but checking it would be a hassle. After so long as an Ordinary Immortal, he probably had few acquaintances left. Besides, he'd only retained his identity as someone from the Ancestral God Secret Realm. Even if the Alien Race investigated him, they'd at most discover a hidden genius.

Once they reached the outskirts of Bauhinia Island, the jade-armored Venerable didn't linger. After setting up his palace, Chen Qing finally settled in. He took out the ring Giant Axe Founder had given him. "Whoa, there's quite a lot in here! Spirit Butterfly, sort it out."

"Yes, Master!"

After handing the ring to his AI, Chen Qing's mind stirred. At the bottom of the inner sea in his Internal World, a green stone shot upward. Once it reached the surface, it began to glow softly, soon illuminating the entire world. A Green Lotus slowly unfolded, and countless phantom roots extended from beneath its seedpod, plunging into the void and reaching toward some unknown place. A Jade Armor floated quietly inside the seedpod. It soon turned into a streak of green light, left his Internal World, and fitted itself to his body. "All right, now I feel safe again!"

The Cyan Jade Armor was a Peak God King Treasure, mainly for defense and concealment. Its defensive power went without saying—even in a Mini-Universe, that tiny amount of origin power couldn't wear through its outer layer. As for concealment, no one could tell he was a World Lord now. His entire body radiated divine power, and he had no Internal World. If Giant Axe hadn't known he was a World Lord, and if Chen Qing hadn't wanted to keep him and the Ancestral God from overthinking things—or been unfamiliar with the power of a word made law—he'd have put it on before leaving.

The Green Lotus Clone's clarity of the laws was no less than that of the Origin Land. He could focus on the laws and break through to Immortality first. If he still had time, he'd comprehend the six branches of the higher laws. He hadn't understood a single one yet, and fighting in this state would put him at a serious disadvantage. His main body would focus on studying attack techniques. His Origin Bead was no ordinary tough! Never mind the origin of his Perfect Gene; after all these years of immersion by the Green Lotus, even his Origin Core had undergone an unknown change.

"First, I'll register!"

In the Virtual World's private room, Little Yu had kept the marker here. It was a place for the Original Ancestor to get some air. "Senior, Palace Master, did you need me?"

The Original Ancestor gave the young man a complicated look. He hadn't expected to see hope again in something he'd given up on. "Looks like you haven't logged into the Glory World?"

"Glory World? I just came from the Beast God."

The Original Ancestor sighed and glanced at the silent Palace Master Biluo. Why had he thought to seek her out back then? "Then you're lucky. You got authorization so quickly; otherwise, you'd have had to wait."

"The Virtual Universe has a lot of information on God-Gifted Continents now. With your clearance, you can view it freely."

"Really? Let me take a look."

So the God-Gifted Continent was the very land where he'd stayed in the secret realm. It might've been unfinished, but its vast territory and abundant origin power were no illusion. He hadn't even explored its edges. What a pity the Primal Universe had been so impatient, forcing him to develop in a corner. It probably hadn't expected things to grow this big, either. In just a few days, a crowd of Kings and Venerables had gathered there. Most of the inheritors were waiting there now. After all, the strange phenomenon had only just passed, and something this unusual had happened again in the Ancestral God Secret Realm. It was only natural for everyone to connect the two.

"Giant Axe and Chaos say you shouldn't join the crowd, even if you have a treasure. It'll help shift everyone's attention."

After speaking, the Original Ancestor picked up his teacup. Lately, he'd found it more and more convenient than a wine cup. Chen Qing glanced at Biluo and picked up his own cup, following the Original Ancestor's lead. So the person who'd passed on the message was the woman beside him. He felt a little sorry for the Original Ancestor.

Back in the secret realm, Chen Qing returned once more. He took a shuttle-shaped Supreme Treasure from the ring: the Water Cloud Boat provided by the Human Race. It served as both a palace and a means of transportation, and was among the best of the ordinary-grade treasures.

"Spirit Butterfly, find a secluded place using the map. Guide me there."

"Yes, Master. According to your requirements, we'll head away from the God-Gifted Continent. We'll arrive in three months."

"Good. Let's go."

He still hadn't reached Immortality and couldn't use Divine Kingdom Teleportation, so his range of activity was limited. During the recent gestation in the Origin Land, Little Cloud had been inside a cocoon of light with him. Its gains had been greater than he'd imagined. Now that they'd come out, it was just the right time for it to break through and make up for his shortcomings.

Looking at the Cloud-Touching Vine, which had changed beyond recognition, Chen Qing saw that it was green all over, with starlight shimmering within. "Little Cloud, it's your turn!"

Chen Qing held out his hand. The Cloud-Touching Vine's tendrils brushed against his palm. Concern, fear, and a trace of excitement welled up inside him. He felt them even more strongly when he connected with the hearts of all living beings. He curled his index finger and gently stroked the shrunken tendril, sending out a peaceful, ethereal presence that soon calmed Little Cloud.

"Go on. Let your brilliance shine!"

Once it had calmed down, the Cloud-Touching Vine hesitated no longer. A flash of green light passed, and its 360 tendrils twisted together in the distance, forming a huge ball. Without using any resources, the ball began to pulse like a heart. The starlight joined together, and green skin began to fall from its surface. At first, the ball trembled each time a piece fell away. Then the pieces began dropping in clusters, and cries of pain echoed in his heart. Chen Qing watched quietly, his presence growing even more ethereal as he tried to soothe Little Cloud's spirit.

"Boom!"

As the origin power descended, Little Cloud began to cheer. Its wounded body quickly healed under the flow of origin power. Its 360 tendrils unfurled and visibly grew longer and larger, finally stopping at around 120 million kilometers.

"Master, I did it!"

Its soft voice rang in his heart. Unable to contain his joy, Chen Qing smiled. Little Cloud quickly wrapped around him, forming a thin film over the Cyan Jade Armor and concealing it.

Little Cloud seemed highly intelligent. Chen Qing felt satisfied as he assessed it. He estimated that Little Cloud could defeat a High King-Rank on its own and defend against attacks from a Peak King-Rank!

"Not bad. All that's left is to establish a God Kingdom, then rely on the Human Race's courier service. That'll make finding a wife much easier."