Domain

Ji Yun followed the red-robed white man to a villa.

"Councilor Ji, this residence in Hongning Base City has been specially prepared for you by the dojo. Your belongings are inside, and only people you authorize can enter." The white man bowed, then left.

Ji Yun pressed his finger to the security panel, opened the door, and walked inside.

There were only a handful of houses in this neighborhood. Ji Yun guessed the dojo had provided them for Beyond War God-level experts, making it easier to protect their families.

Troops and members of the Dojo Special Action Group were stationed all around the villas. The action group captains were all War God-level, more than capable of protecting the councilors' families.

"My things?"

Ji Yun entered the house. The first thing he saw was a sealed silver metal case sitting in the living room.

He walked over and ran his finger across the fingerprint scanner.

On top of the case lay an inventory. Ji Yun opened it and couldn't help smiling. "The descriptions are pretty detailed. The Black God Set, the spear, the manuals—they're all explained in detail."

"Let's take a closer look at this Black God Set."

The Black God Set would automatically seep through the skin and absorb blood as soon as it was worn. After absorbing some blood, it would undergo certain changes, molding itself perfectly to the wearer's body. It would become like a second skin, and could be changed at will.

There was also a passage written beneath the description.

According to Limit Dojo regulations... those who receive a Black God Set as a reward must go to the Ancient Civilization Ruins once the designated period has passed and obtain another Black God Set. They must then sell it to the Limit Dojo.

"Oh? I have to go to those ruins myself to get one?"

Ji Yun opened the wooden box and picked up the wrapped Black God Set. It was rolled up in white plastic, with foam secured around both ends.

"It's a ring."

"If I hadn't read the instructions, I'd never have guessed this little thing was the Black God Set." Ji Yun examined the ring with interest. Black God Sets came in all kinds of forms. They could appear as a ring, a vest, a hat, a pair of pants, or even a necklace.

But there was no difference between them. No matter what form they took, they could change at the wearer's will once worn.

"The Black God Set." Ji Yun picked up the ring between his fingers and took a deep breath. Then... he slipped the black ring onto his right hand.

Why not his left? He still had to wear his wedding ring there.

Ji Yun held his breath and waited quietly for something to happen.

About thirty seconds later, he felt a faint sting on the part covered by the ring—his finger. His skin had been pierced, and blood steadily flowed into the ring.

But the blood was only a tiny trickle, nothing compared to the powerful vitality within Ji Yun.

After about ten minutes, the ring stopped absorbing his blood.

At a thought, the ring changed. Black light swiftly spread out, instantly extending to cover his entire right arm. Some of it even detached and leaped over to cover his left arm, then spread across his whole body, reaching his feet, legs, neck, and face.

"Whew."

Ji Yun let out a breath and walked over to the mirror, looking at his reflection clad in black.

"How amazing. It's hard to imagine that such a tiny ring could turn into a full suit of armor."

"The Black God Set can even change shape!"

As Ji Yun thought about it, the clothes on his body changed as well.

He tried on a suit, a trench coat, a robe, and even armor. He also changed the Black God Set into a dark teal robe, though the color was so deep that the green barely showed.

"This is the look I'll stick with from now on," Ji Yun said with satisfaction.

Seven days later, Hongning Base City.

Ji Yun sat cross-legged on the rooftop, seemingly deep in contemplation.

At last, he opened his eyes, a puzzled look in them.

"The Dojo Master said a domain means being able to fully control everything around you, to command your environment. But I can only control some of the wind around me. Other things, like steel and various materials, I can sense, but I can't control them at all."

Hong could only control the light around him, too. The light could be bent, and Hong didn't know what kind of domain he had mastered. Martial Artists were indeed invincible within their domains, which was why Hong had come to that understanding.

"Could it be related to my special ability?" Ji Yun leaped down from the rooftop and marked out a circle with a radius of one hundred meters around him.

"I'll use my special ability inside this circle and see if it helps."

With that, Ji Yun flashed into the middle of the circle. His illusory figure began flickering around inside it. He was nearly impossible to spot; all that could be seen was his indistinct form and faint afterimages.

Several hours passed, and Ji Yun continued to flicker around within the area.

"Whew."

Ji Yun suddenly stopped, motionless, as if deep in thought.

"No, this isn't it. Flickering around aimlessly might give me some inspiration, but I can't grasp it. It's basically a waste of time."

"The special abilities of other councilors either make flames rise from their bodies, turn them into light, or let them unleash ice attacks. Maybe my special ability isn't Phantom Body at all. It could be that it greatly increases my speed, creating the illusion of a phantom."

Ji Yun stroked his chin. "What is it, then?"

"A domain is an extension of one's conception. And I've been close to the wind since I was a child."

Ji Yun seemed to have caught onto a detail.

"The wind? Wind... wind?" His eyes grew brighter and brighter, and his body began to move as well. But instead of moving around inside the small circle, he sought out places where the air currents were especially strong.

"My conception! It's about the wind—the Conception of Wind. My Spear Path is an expression of my true self, but it reached this level by joining with the wind. The wind! That's my special ability."

Ji Yun followed the rushing wind, flickering from one place to another. Ordinary people couldn't see his movements at all. Only powerful Martial Artists like Hong could catch a faint afterimage.

"I feel like I've become one with the wind, moving along with it. No, it's more like I've taken control of the wind. When I focus my thoughts, the wind changes direction, too. Then I can merge with it and appear somewhere else!"

"Control the environment around me?"

At a thought from Ji Yun, the wind under his control began to gather, then disperse, then gather again. Finally, it formed a tornado, then a gale.

Under Ji Yun's precise control, the wind constantly shifted objects around him. And as he released his powerful Genetic Origin Energy, it even changed their shapes.

An alloy lamp post was swept up by the wind and spun through the air. Ji Yun used his powerful Origin Energy to alter its shape until it turned to dust and vanished.

Ji Yun continued to grow accustomed to the sensation, delving deeper into it.

Before long, he naturally rose into the air, surrounded by teal energy.

He could even sense this strange teal energy clearly with his soul. After Ji Yun had grasped these things, his psychic power, Origin Force, will, and body had naturally reached a state of perfect harmony. His different powers had even begun to fuse together. The resulting teal energy could control the space around him.

In an instant, a hazy teal domain spread around Ji Yun.

"Is this... a domain?"

Ji Yun opened his eyes, hovering in midair. At a thought, a field of teal mist spread around him.

Within that area, Ji Yun felt like a true god. He could control everything. Even Councilor-level experts would be greatly suppressed inside it.

"Does this count as a domain?" Ji Yun murmured to himself.

"Talking about it won't help. I should go ask the Dojo Master."

Limit Dojo headquarters.

Inside a training room aboard the spaceship, Ji Yun stood facing Hong, the black-haired man.

An indistinct field surrounded each of them, their domains faintly colliding as though each were trying to engulf the other.

As Ji Yun and Hong drew closer, their two fields finally overlapped.

"This really is a domain!" Hong said in disbelief. "Within your field, I can feel my speed, hearing, and other senses being heavily suppressed. It's as if the air itself is holding me back."

"You really are a genius." Hong still looked incredulous. A rapid improvement in physical strength would have been one thing, but for Ji Yun's level of understanding to advance this quickly was simply demoralizing.

"If Thor sees this, won't he be beside himself?" Hong stopped nearby and laughed. "I've talked to Thor about domains more than once over the years, but he's still stuck at a vague understanding of them. Yet you, not even twenty years old, have already figured them out."

"Dojo Master..." Ji Yun couldn't help saying, "I was just lucky, I guess. Every time, I happen to gain some insight."

"Don't call me Dojo Master anymore." Hong smiled. "With your domain, you're easily the third strongest person on Earth! I'm first, since I have a domain. Thor is second; he has the best body and the highest level of physical cultivation, at Planetary Level Seven. You're third!"

"I'm sure the other Martial Artists haven't even reached Planetary Level Four. That means you could completely suppress them. You might even be able to handle a whole group of them."

"You're already the third strongest person on Earth. Don't call me Dojo Master. Unless you think I'm too old, call me Brother Hong."

"Brother Hong?" Ji Yun was taken aback.

"Call the leader of Earth and the world's strongest man, Hong, 'Brother Hong'?"

"Don't hesitate," Hong said with a laugh. "A strong person's lifespan increases as they advance. A powerful Star Level Martial Artist can live for ten thousand years. How much difference can our few years of age make?"

"Then... Brother Hong!" Ji Yun steadied himself and addressed him with a touch of respect.

He truly admired Hong.

During the Great Nirvana, Hong had risked his life to fight for humanity. After becoming the strongest person on Earth, he hadn't grown arrogant or complacent. Instead, he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to fighting for Earth's future. He was truly worthy of admiration!

"A-Yun, I'll call you that, too," Hong said with a delighted smile.

Clearly, having such a talented Martial Artist rise so quickly would make Earth safer in the future, and that made Hong very happy.

"Sure, Brother Hong."

"I'll get that shameless Thor over here so he can see what a genius from my Limit Dojo looks like." Hong burst out laughing.

Inside the Limit Dojo headquarters.

A bald monk dressed in a white robe paced around Ji Yun without stopping.

"Little Yun, show your domain to your big brother and let me have a look," the bald monk urged.

A teal domain spread out, instantly surrounding the monk. Within it, he felt tremendous pressure, and both his movement speed and perception dropped by more than one level.

"Damn, it really is a domain!" The bald man swore. "Good grief, is the difference between people really this huge? I've been working at it for so many years and only just started to get a feel for it. But you, kid, figured it out after hearing one explanation?"

"Haha." Ji Yun gave an awkward laugh. "What can I say? I'm a genius. You'll just have to accept it."

"Get out of here with that." The bald monk glared at him. "If Brother Hong counts as your older brother, then I count as your older brother too—your second brother. Now hurry up and tell your big brother how you figured out your domain. I want to use it as a reference. It'll give me another path to explore."

"Yes." Ji Yun answered at once. He sat down cross-legged and began explaining how he had grasped his domain. Hong listened closely beside them, comparing it with his own domain.

"At the time, I felt..."