Ten-Thousand-Year Willow Heart! Hong's Insight?

The atmosphere inside the fighter jet returning from Mist Island to Hongning Base City was exceptionally heavy and solemn.

It was already late at night when they arrived at the global headquarters of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.

Iceberg arranged a place for Lin Yuan to stay.

This cold man, who usually wore a golden mask and radiated an aura that kept others at a distance, now looked at Lin Yuan with a hint of imperceptible concern in his eyes beneath the mask.

"The Hall Master has not returned yet; you should go and rest first."

Iceberg's voice remained frigid, like two blocks of ice grinding against each other, as he led Lin Yuan to a quiet villa located in the core area of the headquarters.

"This is the highest-spec accommodation prepared for inspectors. Once the Hall Master returns, he will summon you immediately."

"Much obliged." Lin Yuan nodded slightly.

Iceberg took a deep look at him, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

As the door closed, Lin Yuan's tense nerves finally relaxed a little. Looking back at everything that happened today, a thought that had been brewing for a long time surfaced once again...

"I must make a breakthrough."

Lin Yuan clenched his fists, feeling the genetic energy within his body that had already accumulated to its limit, like a volcano on the verge of erupting.

"As soon as I cross that threshold and condense a miniature planet, my physical body will undergo a qualitative leap.

By then, combined with the Nine Star Transformations and my weapons, I will dare to face even an Emperor-level monster head-on!"

He waited in silence. The rewards from this mission would surely be the final straw that helped him soar to new heights.

Time slipped away, second by second, in this silent wait.

That night, Lin Yuan did not cultivate; he simply adjusted his breathing and state of mind, nourishing his essence, energy, and spirit to their peak.

The next day, early morning.

The first ray of sunlight had just pierced through the clouds, casting its light over the steel jungle of Hongning Base City, when the communicator on Lin Yuan's wrist vibrated.

There was only a short line of text:

[Come to the reception room immediately. --Hong]

Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he stood up instantly.

He tidied his clothes briefly and pushed the door open to step out.

He had been to this core area of the headquarters, located inside the giant spaceship, several times before and was already familiar with the path.

He arrived in front of a large door...

The door was not locked; it was left slightly ajar, as if waiting for his arrival.

Lin Yuan took a deep breath and pushed the door open to enter.

Upon entering, the light seemed to be swallowed instantly.

This was not because the lights were off, but because of the person sitting in the center of the room.

It was a man wearing a black training suit.

The world's number one powerhouse—Hong!

The room was empty, save for two meditation cushions.

"Sit."

Hong's voice rang out; it was not loud, yet it echoed directly in the depths of Lin Yuan's mind, carrying a metallic texture.

Lin Yuan showed no signs of restraint. He strode forward and sat cross-legged on the cushion opposite Hong. His back was straight, and his gaze met the eyes of this mythologized man with calm composure.

Hong studied Lin Yuan for a few seconds, and a trace of appreciation flashed in those eyes, which were as deep as the starry sky.

"You did well on this trip to Mist Island."

Hong spoke slowly, his tone indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Facing Fall, a veteran councilor, you handled the situation appropriately and secured the greatest benefits for us."

In such a chaotic situation, being able to snatch food from the tiger's mouth required not just strength, but also courage.

Hearing this, Lin Yuan's expression turned serious.

He did not boast of his achievements, nor did he offer hypocritical modesty.

He simply nodded slightly and uttered four words calmly:

"It was my duty!"

Simple, crisp, and powerful.

This was the character Hong admired most.

In this world where the strong reigned supreme, excessive modesty was merely hypocrisy; only strength and results were everything.

"A fine 'it was my duty'."

Hong nodded slightly, and a rare, faint smile appeared on his perpetually stern face.

"According to our previous agreement, you may take a 15% share of what was obtained on Mist Island. This is an astronomical figure that would make any councilor green with envy."

At this point, Hong changed the subject.

"However—I have taken the liberty of changing the rewards you are entitled to."

"Oh?"

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, waiting for what was to come.

Hong did not explain, merely reaching out to wave his hand gently through the void.

Hum!

A rich, almost tangible aura of life instantly flooded the entire pitch-black room.

A crystal, entirely emerald green and roughly the size of an egg, appeared out of thin air between the two of them.

Just by inhaling a wisp of the escaping aura, Lin Yuan felt every pore on his body relax, and the previously restless genetic energy within him instantly became docile and vibrant.

Lin Yuan's pupils contracted sharply, and he blurted out:

"Ten-Thousand-Year Willow Heart?!"

Among the spirits of vegetation, the Willow Heart was already precious, primarily used for recovery and vitality.

But a Ten-Thousand-Year Willow Heart was a legendary treasure!

It could not only bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh and bone, but it was also a supreme divine object for martial artists to break through their physical limits and evolve their genes.

"Precisely."

Hong nodded slightly, confirming Lin Yuan's guess. "In addition to this, there are ten Star Points."

A surge of immense surprise welled up in his heart, but Lin Yuan quickly calmed down. There is a reason for everything, and where there is a reason, there is often something strange—especially when it involved someone as rigid as Hong.

"Lin Yuan..."

Suddenly, Hong looked at Lin Yuan and said, "Lin Yuan, when I broke the rules to promote you to Inspector, it was because I valued your unique combat talent and calm mind."

"But to be honest, at that time, although your growth rate was fast, you were not irreplaceable."

Hong paused, his tone becoming meaningful. "Even a few months ago, that little guy named Luo Feng was already subtly surpassing you in the growth rate of his physical fitness and spiritual energy."

Lin Yuan's heart stirred; he had not expected Hong to keep track of such details.

"However..."

Hong's voice rose by a notch. "I did not expect that after only a month, you would seem like a completely different person."

"First, you single-handedly slaughtered the Phantom Cat Emperor in Europe, which had wiped out an entire elite God-of-War squad, and then on Mist Island, you suppressed the veteran councilor Fall with your own strength, forcing his faction to bow their heads!"

Hong stared at Lin Yuan, his gaze like a torch. "Martial artist techniques, spiritual master techniques—you have actually mastered them all, and both have reached an extremely high level of attainment!"

"Although I do not know what exactly happened to you in this short month, or what kind of fortuitous encounter you had..."

Having said this, Hong stopped.

The room fell into a brief, dead silence.

Lin Yuan's heartbeat accelerated slightly. The system on his body and the Nine Star Transformations were his greatest secrets. If Hong were to probe further, he would truly find it difficult to explain.

However, the next second, Hong withdrew that oppressive gaze, his tone turning gentle once more:

"But regardless, as fellow Earthlings, this is undoubtedly good news."

Hearing this, Lin Yuan felt a sense of realization, and his tense nerves completely relaxed.

Hong had seen his transformation; he had seen that he held secrets. But he had chosen not to ask.

The Earth is vast, and the universe even more so.

Ancient civilization ruins are countless; what powerhouse has ever grown strong without their own opportunities? As long as their heart is with humanity, and as long as they can add to the combat power of Earth, it is a good thing.

"Your spiritual energy has already crossed into the Planetary level, but your body is still one step away."

Hong pointed to the floating Ten-Thousand-Year Willow Heart. "For you now, no amount of wealth or ordinary spirits of vegetation are anything more than numbers."

"Only this Ten-Thousand-Year Willow Heart, with the vast life essence it contains, is enough to support you in completing your physical transformation in the shortest possible time and truly stepping into that realm!"

"Since you are already a sharp blade, I do not mind helping you hone it further, to make you even sharper!"

This was adding fuel to the fire!

Lin Yuan took a deep breath and reached out to snatch the Ten-Thousand-Year Willow Heart.

"Thank you, Dojo Master!" Lin Yuan then smiled. "As for those ten Star Points, I would like to exchange them for a Qiankun Fighter Jet. Liu He's one makes me quite envious~"

"Very well." Hong nodded. "Go. Next time we meet... I hope there will be more surprises."

Lin Yuan stood up, bowed solemnly, and then turned to stride away.

This time, his footsteps were firmer than when he had arrived.

Another long period of seclusion had arrived. And this time, when he pushed open that door again, he would certainly have a place among the peak powerhouses of this world!

As the heavy door slowly closed, darkness once again enveloped the reception room.

Hong remained sitting there cross-legged, like a statue from the dawn of time. His deep eyes seemed to pierce through the thick bulkhead, looking into the depths of the infinitely distant starry sky.

After a long while, a barely audible sigh echoed faintly in the darkness:

"Earth has suddenly gained two powerhouses with infinite possibilities."

"I only wonder if these two hopes will be enough for Earth to... survive the coming cosmic torrent."