Admonishment

On Black Dragon Island, Nine Star Bay remained as beautiful as ever. It was Chen Qing's first time bringing the two women here, and none of them visited the Virtual Universe very often.

Without a property of their own, they had to appear at random spots on the streets each time, so Chen Qing naturally had little interest in coming.

Besides, he trained the two women in person, and they were the creators of the secret art. They rarely logged in either, only occasionally arranging opponents in the Killing Field to put it to the test.

When they reached Luo Feng's property, they saw three adjoining estates. The gate on the left stood open.

Apart from Thor, who wore a strange expression, Hong stood beside him, broad-shouldered, with his hands clasped behind his back.

Jiang Fang was fine, but Chen Qing could clearly feel Yao Rao trembling.

After all, Hong had rarely logged into the Virtual Universe since setting off on his travels, and even when he did, he seldom contacted his former subordinates.

"Master!"

At the sound of her trembling voice, Hong turned to Yao Rao. A pleased smile appeared on his face.

"Poor girl. To see an old friend on the path to pursuing the Dao is a wonderful thing!"

"Mm!"

Encouraged by Hong, Yao Rao gently took Chen Qing's arm, a shy look flickering across her face.

"Heh heh heh! Big brother, this kid's got something going for him after all. It's been years since I've seen Yao Rao make a face like that. What a rare sight!"

Hong was much more serious. After studying Chen Qing for a moment, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Good! I never thought our home planet would produce such a talent. We must drink to that!"

"Big brother, if you've got something good, bring it out already. Why are you still standing around in the wind?"

"You know what I have!"

Chen Qing wasn't much interested in drinking, and with ladies present, Thor didn't drink much either. They mostly listened as the others reminisced about the past and shared stories of the universe.

Chen Qing was happy to sit quietly and listen, but the two women—Yao Rao in particular—kept looking at him.

At first, he didn't think much of it. Eventually, even Thor caught on.

Only when they all looked toward him did Chen Qing realize that Yao Rao was thinking about the Nine Basic Forms.

But that wasn't surprising. Yao Rao still didn't know about genes, or that Hong had used the Bloodline Evolution Agent.

Chen Qing hesitated. The Nine Basic Forms meant little to him; they were something he'd come up with casually.

But they meant a great deal to Earth, and he didn't even want to discuss them much in the Virtual Universe.

Luo Feng was already in the public eye. As Hong's talent became more apparent and his fame grew, Earth would be exposed all the sooner.

Still, Hong and Thor were worthy of his trust. Whatever anyone else thought, the fact that they'd been willing to burn their souls and stand forth at the most dangerous moment earned them his respect.

The fact that they hadn't died was just hindsight from those who knew the future. History was full of people who'd become celebrated officials after dying alongside a young emperor.

"Master, do you think your hundred years of wandering have been worthwhile?"

Hong fell silent at the question. He glanced at Jiang Fang and Yao Rao, then answered.

"I've seen a great many dark things and people in the universe over the years. It's broadened my horizons and greatly helped me develop my state of mind."

"So the Time World Lord is using his life experience to temper your will as a strong fighter. Though I imagine he's surprised by how well you're doing."

"Indeed. Whatever else may be said, I'm confident in my state of mind."

The corners of Hong's mouth lifted slightly. "My teacher wants to pick up the pace. The next trial may be at the Martial Arena."

Chen Qing understood. The next adventure would bring Ji Qing onto the scene, after which Hong would rise step by step through the Martial Arena.

"Then what do you think of the will of the people in the universe?"

"Tch! What do you expect? They bully the weak and fear the strong. They either sink into hedonism or become cruel and violent! They're worse than an ordinary person from Earth."

Thor took a sip of wine and scoffed from the side.

Hong didn't answer, but his eyes narrowed. He'd spent all these years drifting through the universe; he was no longer the naive man he'd once been.

"Exactly. Most powerful fighters in the universe are like that. So it's not their problem."

"Chen, what are you trying to say? If they're not the problem, then we are?"

Hong's eyes flew open at Thor's words. "Second brother, watch what you say!"

Thor understood what Hong meant, and turned to stare at Chen Qing in a daze. Could it really be that he was the problem?

Chen Qing nodded slightly, ignoring the four stunned faces. Jiang Fang shook her head.

"No wonder you said Earth produces quite a few geniuses. I thought you were just worried people would envy them. And now there's the Nine Basic Forms, too!"

The two women exchanged a glance. This was a perfect fit for Earthlings!

Chen Qing raised his head toward the sky, feeling the warmth of the "sun" as if speaking to himself.

"Earth is so small. If we divide it up later, and fewer factions get a share, the outcome will naturally be different. If all else fails, it'd be better to keep it within the family.

"Those killers at the Martial Arena aren't as easy to deal with as people who run companies. It'll be incredibly difficult to get anything back from them later!"

Hong fell silent. Everyone understood what Chen Qing meant.

Torn between their path to power and their home, none of them spoke. They sat quietly, waiting, while each of the two women held one of Chen Qing's hands.

It didn't take long for Hong to relax.

"Actually, the two factions are much the same. Both make their way up from the outer ranks. In fact, my second brother and I are both Outer Members of the company."

Thor grinned happily. His big brother had never let him down.

Once everyone had calmed down, Chen Qing finally got to the reason he'd come.

"If you have no intention of going to the Martial Arena, Master, you might as well come back for a while. I have a genuine opportunity for a strong fighter here, but it can only be passed on in person."

"Oh..."

Hong's eyes lit up. He'd noticed the two women's expressions earlier, but hadn't wanted to pry.

"In that case, I'll come back first. It'll only take a few years. I'll make arrangements with my teacher."

"Really?" Thor jumped to his feet, delighted.

"Big brother, maybe we'll be able to go adventuring together again!"

Hong nodded lightly, his smile growing. All roads led to Rome, and if they were going to take risks, having reliable companions mattered.

"It's a shame our third brother doesn't know when he'll finish cultivating. Otherwise, we could put together an Earth Squad!"

Watching Thor's excitement, Chen Qing said nothing. He was still paying for his lack of experience. He'd have to send him in for some more training later.

For now, his attention was on the women beside him. It was clear these two had been tempted as well.

"We don't need to worry about our third brother, but we should find a way to let him know about these things."

Hong's words sobered Thor. Chen Qing clearly didn't want to discuss it in the Virtual Universe. The risk of being monitored might be small, but it was better to be careful.

"It's not impossible," Jiang Fang said hesitantly from the side.

"We can go through Xu Xin. A married couple has plenty of ways to pass information in private. With one side prepared and the other caught off guard, it should be quite safe."

Chen Qing's thoughts stirred. Since the Nine Basic Forms were meant to compensate Hong, there was no reason he couldn't invest in Luo Feng as well.

Besides, he could scramble the order and send them over in batches. Some methods took more time, but they were also more discreet.

He could use the Demon Slayer Clone to run an experiment, too, and see how Creation's power affected energy lifeforms.

After they finished discussing things, they split up. Thor was already in the estate and couldn't wait to seek out his big brother.

The two women went straight to the neighboring estate. Xu Xin happened to be free, and over the years, the women had grown quite close.

Thor's foundation and comprehension were no match for Yao Rao and Jiang Fang's. Perhaps because he'd burned his soul, he became more and more addicted to the training, and found it more and more satisfying.

He soon surpassed Yao Rao and Jiang Fang. When he learned that his genes could be improved by a hundred percent, he went to the Virtual Universe after every session to pester his big brother.

Five years later, Hong finally returned to Qiu Long Star aboard his teacher's ship. Delighted, Yao Rao treated Chen Qing to a special kind of service, and in her enthusiasm, even dragged Jiang Fang into it. They nearly broke the Ruyi that Chen Qing kept running, prompting the two women to call him a pervert. They had their fun squeezing him dry before finally letting him go.