A Year

Ji Yun strode into the alloy corridor, and the alloy hatch behind him slowly closed.

The mirror-like entrance was now dim and lifeless. The black, twisting currents of air that had been there when he first arrived had also vanished.

Ji Yun spoke to his armguard. "Connect to the intelligence system."

The Auxiliary Optical Computer suddenly lit up. Points of light gathered in the air, forming the Bald Crystal Being from before.

"Sir."

As an intelligent system, the Bald Crystal Being obviously had a memory.

"Looks like you found the second base of Falling Ink Star on Earth," the Bald Crystal Being sighed. "The intelligence at that base is two levels higher than mine. She's the most advanced intelligence on Earth. Since she granted you access, you can naturally connect to my system."

"Mm." Ji Yun nodded. "I'm here because of Luo Feng."

"That Earthling, Luo Feng, triggered the death trial. He'll be able to leave if he passes within three years." The Bald Crystal Being smiled. "The trial was set by the Master of Yunmo Star. It isn't up to the intelligence system, so I'm afraid I have no authority to release him."

Ji Yun thought for a moment. "Then tell me his condition and his chances of passing."

The Bald Crystal Being smiled. "Luo Feng's Brain Domain Width is 21. That makes him a genius even among Psychic Masters. It's only a matter of time before he passes the trial—one year at the earliest, two at the latest."

"Good. I understand."

Having gotten his answer, Ji Yun turned and left. The Bald Crystal Being also disconnected from Ji Yun's Auxiliary Optical Computer and returned to Ruins No. 9.

"Open the door," Ji Yun sent a message to the staff outside.

"Xin, Yun said Luo Feng will be out in one year at the earliest, two at the latest."

As soon as Ji Yun got home, he told Luo Yue the news. Luo Yue then passed along this news—which was neither good nor bad—to Xu Xin.

"One year?" Xu Xin's voice on the phone sounded very downcast.

"Xiao Yue, don't try to comfort me. Tell me the truth: what did Councilor Ji Yun say?"

"No, Yun really did say that." Luo Yue hurriedly replied. "Yun, come talk to Xin."

Ji Yun came out of the kitchen, still wiping egg white off his hands.

"Is that Xu Xin?" Ji Yun leaned toward the Communication Watch.

"It's me, Councilor Ji." Xu Xin's voice grew a little urgent. She sounded as if the slightest hint of bad news from Ji Yun might make her faint.

"Xu Xin, don't be nervous. I'll tell you the truth."

"Luo Feng is undergoing a trial. If he passes, he'll be out in one year at the earliest, two at the latest. He'll definitely make it out, so just wait with peace of mind."

Ji Yun didn't dare tell Xu Xin that Luo Feng's trial was a death trial. It sounded difficult enough to pass just from the name, and failing meant death. He had no idea how Xu Xin would react if he told her that.

"Really?" Xu Xin still sounded a little unsure on the other end of the phone.

"Just wait with peace of mind." Ji Yun nodded at Luo Yue, then turned and went back into the kitchen.

"Yun wouldn't say that if it weren't true. Don't worry, Xin," Luo Yue continued reassuring Xu Xin.

Before long, a loud bang came from the kitchen.

Ji Yun had blown up the kitchen.

At the headquarters of the Limit Dojo.

Hong had an Ancient Civilization Gravity Room, but it was only for the Inspectors of the Limit Dojo. They didn't know much about the universe and had no particularly fast way to absorb energy, so they didn't use the Gravity Room very often.

Ji Yun was different!

With more than a hundred Wood Bud Crystals in hand, Ji Yun could improve his strength very quickly. Given enough time, it wouldn't be impossible for him to reach Star Level.

Since graduating, Ji Yun hadn't used this training room to cultivate. The Ancient Civilization Gravity Room could reach 1,000 times Earth's gravity. As far as Ji Yun knew, the muscles and bones of a Planetary Level 1 warrior could withstand 1,000 times Earth's gravity! The reason they couldn't handle it was that their internal organs and meridians hadn't been trained. Those weaker parts of the body also reduced the efficiency with which it absorbed energy.

Taking a deep breath, Ji Yun switched on the Ancient Civilization Gravity Room.

He started at 100 times gravity.

The moment it turned on, Ji Yun felt as though a boulder had been placed on top of him. It was heavy, but bearable.

"Then 200, 300..." Ji Yun murmured.

When the gravity reached 600 times, Ji Yun immediately felt as though he were trapped beneath a mountain. His bones and muscles were fine, but his meridians seemed to be under tremendous pressure, and his blood no longer flowed smoothly.

"I'll get used to 600 times first." Ji Yun exhaled. Sweat began to pour from his body, dripping onto the floor.

Before long, more than ten days had passed.

Ji Yun had completely adapted to 1,000 times gravity. Scanning the Ancient Civilization Gravity Room, he learned that 1,000 times was not its upper limit. Based on his calculations, a Planetary Level 1 warrior could train under 1,000 to 2,000 times gravity, while this Ancient Civilization Gravity Room could reach an astonishing 8,999 times.

However, reaching that level required sufficient energy. The electricity they used on Earth obviously couldn't power it to that extent. Perhaps the spacecraft contained some other energy source that could run the Gravity Room at full capacity.

Inside the Gravity Room.

Barefoot and wearing loose beach shorts, Ji Yun practiced a few fist and foot techniques.

He had found these techniques in some old texts from before the Great Nirvana. After practicing them, he discovered that they helped soothe the restless state of mind that came with his cultivation.

The philosophies behind some of the moves, like those in Taiji Fist, also brought about many changes in his state of mind. The changes weren't dramatic; they happened gradually and almost imperceptibly. Ji Yun only felt that he was becoming calmer without losing his warmth toward others.

Whenever Ji Yun finished using the Gravity Room, he returned to his residence and absorbed a Wood Bud Crystal. Once its energy had been completely absorbed, he would return to the Gravity Room to train.

Half a year later.

Ji Yun entered the Gravity Room.

"Set the gravity to 3,600 times," he said to the Auxiliary Optical Computer.

In an instant, the Auxiliary Optical Computer connected to the Ancient Civilization Gravity Room, and 3,600 times gravity pressed down on Ji Yun.

After half a year of training, aided by the absorption of a large number of Wood Bud Crystals, Ji Yun's physical strength had nearly reached Planetary Level 4. On Earth, only Hong, Thor, a few monsters in secluded cultivation, and the Beast Emperors could reach Planetary Level 4.

The 3,600 times gravity wasn't enough to keep Ji Yun from moving.

Ji Yun extended his consciousness into the virtual space.

"Welcome back, Councilor Ji Yun." The virtual space's clear electronic voice rang out.

Ji Yun walked across the silver-white ground to the Trial Tower where the students of the Elite Training Camp took their tests. On the black stone pillar to the left of the Trial Tower, his level appeared.

Name: Ji Yun

Gender: Male

Identity: War God Palace Councilor

Trial Tower Level: 5.9

Only Hong in the entire world had reached the sixth level. Even Thor couldn't do it!

The reason was that Hong had a domain. Although Thor's strength and Force Application Technique were slightly better than Hong's, Hong's domain made him invincible among Planetary Level warriors.

"My force application has improved. I have even greater control over my body now."

Ji Yun stretched and entered the Trial Tower. "I hope I can reach the sixth level today."

A year passed in the blink of an eye.

Ji Yun returned home every other day, spent a day in Jiangnan Base City, then went back to his residence in Hongning Base City.

Ji Yun used the Ancient Civilization Gravity Room almost twice every three days, and he kept increasing the gravity.

Over the past half year, the gravity Ji Yun could withstand had reached 4,900 times, and his physical strength was on the verge of breaking through to Planetary Level 5. In other words, Ji Yun was now a Planetary Level 4 powerhouse. On Earth, aside from Hong, he dared to take on Thor.

Thanks to what he had gained in Kunlun and Ruins No. 9, Ji Yun had brought his level of force application to a respectable standard. And unlike Thor, who had worked it out on his own, Ji Yun had followed the right path.

Thor's Nine-Layered Thunder Blade was something he had developed himself based on a few things he'd learned. Compared with the complete Planetary Level cultivation secret art Ji Yun had obtained, Thor had gone badly astray.

It was no exaggeration to say that Ji Yun was now the person on Earth who made the best use of his body.

Ji Yun had once wanted to give these manuals to Hong and Thor, but when he tried to record them, the Auxiliary Optical Computer automatically displayed a message: "Non-members of Falling Ink Star are forbidden from sharing these teachings." Deeply indebted to Falling Ink Star, Ji Yun had no choice but to give up.

During this time, Ji Yun had drawn on what he had learned to create a manual called Flowing Light. Based on his own experience, Flowing Light pointed toward Planetary Level and the domain in everything from force application to the comprehension of intent.

Ji Yun's understanding of domains was still crude, which made the manual somewhat unclear. Even so, Flowing Light was an ultimate manual on the same level as World Destroyer and Nine-Layered Thunder Blade.

But what Ji Yun had gained most from wasn't his physical progress. It was the Cloud-Touching Vine.

The Cloud-Touching Vine had automatically devoured twelve Spirit Source Fruits at birth. Its foundation was in no way inferior to that of plants cultivated with some of the most precious fruits, and its quality and starting point were both high. The Spirit Source Fruit was inferior to the Lanke Fruit, the universe's most suitable fruit for nurturing life, in terms of total energy and life force. But when it came to how well it suited plants, the Spirit Source Fruit surpassed the Lanke Fruit.

The Cloud-Touching Vine had changed enormously. Over the past year, Ji Yun had constantly communicated with it, making it deeply attached to him. He also knew exactly how much energy it could absorb.

In just one year, Ji Yun's Cloud-Touching Vine had reached Planetary Level 5. The Spirit Source Fruit was simply an exceptionally suitable fruit for plant life. However, as its level rose, its energy requirements grew, and the Spirit Source Fruit was indeed no longer enough. But for now,

with the Planetary Level 5 Cloud-Touching Vine backing him up, Ji Yun wasn't afraid of even a Planetary Level powerhouse as strong as Hong, despite being only Planetary Level 4 himself.

In the Wilderness Zone outside Jiangnan Base City.

Ji Yun and Luo Yue lived in an ordinary apartment complex, not at a martial arts training facility, so Ji Yun had never trained at home.

As human Martial Artists hunted them down, the higher-level monsters around Jiangnan Base City had disappeared. Even seeing a few Monster Generals was enough to cause a stir.

Ji Yun hovered in midair.

Suddenly, blood-red armor spread over him, covering his Tier 3 Force Battle Suit.

Ji Yun turned his hand over, and a long spear with golden patterns appeared in his grasp. He gave it a light swing.

A tornado suddenly swept across the land, and the ground began to tremble. From the outside, it looked as though a whirlwind had appeared out of nowhere and was circling in place without moving much.

The Auxiliary Optical Computer lit up.

"It's me." Ji Yun answered the call.

"Luo Feng is out?" Ji Yun nodded.

"Good. I'll head over now."

With that, the blood-red armor faded away, revealing his dark cyan robe. Ji Yun flipped his hand, returning the long spear to his space wristband, then streaked toward Ruins No. 9.

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