The Man in the Black Mist

The Heavenly Fiend Palace, once the residence of the Heavenly Fiend World Lord.

Three figures had gathered in the hall. One of them was Tianmu, his expression fraught with anxiety.

"The barrier we set up has been broken. Xuan Ming has probably escaped!"

His voice was thick with barely concealed panic.

Another figure looked exactly like Xuanming Domain Lord. It was Keluolü in disguise.

He forced himself to stay calm and said in a low voice, "What's there to panic about? Even if he really has returned, the three of us can join forces. What do we have to fear?"

Despite his words, he felt no confidence at all.

Xuan Ming had put far too much pressure on them.

Back then, he had comprehended a domain at the Planet Realm and been personally taken on as a disciple by the Heavenly Fiend World Lord.

At the Star Realm, he had already been able to slay Universe Realm opponents despite their higher level. At the Universe Realm, he had entered the Giant Axe Arena of his own accord, won a thousand battles in a row, and earned the title of "Giant Axe Martial Artist."

When he reached the Domain Lord level, he had passed the Universe Mercenary Alliance's assessment and earned the title of Two-Star Mercenary.

Before leaving, the Heavenly Fiend World Lord had entrusted the entire Heavenly Fiend Planet to him.

With his absolute strength, Xuan Ming had silenced all dissent, established rules, and reached an agreement with the Universe Mercenary Alliance, attracting countless powerful figures to settle there.

Under his rule, the Heavenly Fiend Planet had grown more prosperous by the day.

By every measure, Xuan Ming had done everything to perfection.

Keluolü had once refused to accept that and challenged Xuan Ming to a direct fight.

At the time, Keluolü had been at the Domain Lord Ninth Stage, while Xuan Ming had only been at the Domain Lord Eighth Stage. He had thought he could at least avoid defeat, but in the end, he had suffered a crushing loss.

As for Tianmu, he was only at the Domain Lord Fifth Stage now and had never been regarded as a threat by Xuan Ming.

The last figure was shrouded in black mist, his form indistinct.

A low voice came from within the mist.

"He could have escaped the formation I set up only if he has broken through to World Lord or someone outside helped him break it."

"What's the point of discussing that now? Do you have any other way to deal with him?" Tianmu asked urgently.

Back then, although they had resented Xuan Ming, the disparity in strength had left them no choice but to endure it.

Only when this mysterious man in the black mist had appeared in secret and contacted the two of them to plot together had they found common cause. At last, they had used the formation to seal Xuan Ming away—but sealing him was all they could do.

Xuan Ming was too powerful.

Even with all three of them working together to set up the formation, they had been unable to take his life. They had been forced to settle for trapping him beneath Red Stone Mountain.

Now, though, the deadlock had been broken. Xuan Ming was finally about to return.

"Don't worry. Even if he has escaped now, he's still doomed!"

The man in the black mist spoke with absolute confidence.

Tianmu and Keluolü fell silent.

They even thought the man might have gone mad. Facing Xuan Ming at the height of his power, without a formation to help them, even the three of them together would only be crushed.

In the Red Stone Mountain world, a team taking the Apprentice Mercenary Assessment spotted the thousand-strong army from a distance. They immediately fled at full speed without looking back, not daring to approach.

"Big brother, do we really have to head back at such a leisurely pace?"

Bai Yuan looked at Xuan Ming, confused.

At that moment, the Domain Lord was leading Bai Yuan and the entire army toward the exit, taking his time. He looked completely composed, not the least bit hurried.

"There's no rush. It's good to let them make a few more preparations."

Xuan Ming smiled, then continued, "But that supervisor you mentioned—if I'm not mistaken, he's from the Puyuan Race. And among the Puyuan people I know, there's only one who fits."

"So you two go way back?"

Bai Yuan was rather surprised.

One was a powerful Domain Lord, while the other was merely a supervisor at the Universe Realm. Their status could hardly have been more different.

A hint of nostalgia flickered in Xuan Ming's eyes. He smiled and said, "His name is Pu Bang. We were as close as brothers when we were young. But later, my cultivation advanced too quickly, and our paths gradually diverged. We lost touch, but he's still my brother."

"I just never expected that fellow to come to the Heavenly Fiend Planet. I suppose I'd been away from the Virtual Universe for so long without sending him a message that he guessed something had happened to me."

When he had been trapped, the Smart Optical Computer he carried had already been destroyed. He had been unable to call for help through the Virtual Universe, or he would not have remained sealed away all this time.

Time passed slowly as they made their way onward.

Bai Yuan collected the ten pieces of Red Stone he needed along the way without any trouble.

After all, with over a thousand people following behind them, digging up Red Stone was hardly any effort.

At last, they reached the exit. Once everyone had left the Red Stone Mountain world, Bai Yuan immediately found a staff member from the Universe Mercenary Alliance stationed there and handed over the ten pieces of Red Stone.

Having completed the assessment, Bai Yuan officially became an Apprentice Mercenary of the Universe Mercenary Alliance.

But what truly made the staff member's expression change was the figure beside Bai Yuan.

"Lord X-Xuan Ming... what brings you here?"

"I had some free time, so I came out for a walk," Xuan Ming replied lightly, as if he had merely been out for a casual stroll.

"Let these people stay with you for now. I'll come back to collect them myself."

He clearly had no intention of bringing the army with him. After all, this was a battle between Domain Lords.

Besides, this place was under the jurisdiction of the Universe Mercenary Alliance. Who would dare cause trouble here unless they had a death wish?

"Big brother, be careful. They probably already know you've escaped. They may be setting a trap and waiting for you to walk into it," Bai Yuan warned urgently.

Xuan Ming shook his head. "I know. But Tianmu and Keluolü were the people closest to my master. I have to go."

How could he not know? He understood Tianmu and Keluolü's abilities better than anyone.

The two of them alone could never have set up a sealing formation like that.

There had to be another hand behind it.

But even knowing the path ahead might lead to a dead end, he still had to walk it.

Those two—one man and one demon—were his master's deepest concern. He couldn't stand by and do nothing.

Bai Yuan marveled inwardly at how loyal and magnanimous Xuan Ming was. Even after being sealed away for ten thousand years, he still wanted to repay resentment with kindness.

Yet in a universe like this, those who cared too much about loyalty often didn't get far.

Xuan Ming blurred and vanished from where he stood.

All Bai Yuan could do now was silently pray for him.

Just then, a faint ripple came from Bai Yuan's chest.

He reached out and felt a strange storage pendant. It clearly didn't belong to him.

"This is... Big brother Xuan Ming's storage treasure!"

He swept it with his telekinesis and saw treasures of every kind gleaming inside. The few Tier 4 Force Weapons and Telekinetic Weapons alone were worth a fortune.

There was also a D9-Class Spaceship parked within, and all kinds of other treasures piled high, in a bewildering variety.

Bai Yuan made a rough estimate. If sold, the treasures would be worth at least two hundred billion Universe Coins!

Xuan Ming had practically left him his entire fortune.

By rights, Bai Yuan had saved Xuan Ming from the seal, so it would have been perfectly reasonable for Xuan Ming to give him any amount in thanks.

But Xuan Ming's character and magnanimity won Bai Yuan's genuine admiration.

If Xuan Ming had offered him so many treasures face-to-face, Bai Yuan would definitely have refused.

Perhaps Xuan Ming had seen that coming. That was why he hadn't said anything outright, instead leaving his entire fortune in Bai Yuan's hands before he left.