Mist Island was still shrouded in thick fog, but the oppressive sense of dread had faded considerably with the fall of the Tentacle Beast Emperor.
In its place came an even more feverish, more greedy atmosphere.
The aircraft of the various factions hovered in midair, their hatches flung open as figures leaped into the unfathomably deep underground cavern like dumplings dropping into a pot.
It was a shortcut to wealth and power, but also an abyss leading to death.
Lin Yuan stood on the shore, watching the scene. He sighed with feeling. "The nations fighting and slaughtering one another... This is the true law of the jungle."
He murmured softly, a strange light flickering in his eyes. "It's more interesting when no one holds back, isn't it?"
Just then, the familiar mechanical voice rang out in his mind, interrupting his thoughts.
[ Ding! ]
[Mission "The Emperor's Fall" completed!]
[Issuing rewards now!]
[Reward One: Controller Divine Weapon—"Sun God Weapon"!]
[Reward Two: Space Law affinity +10%!]
As the system's voice faded, a strange warmth surged through his body, as though every cell were cheering with delight.
Lin Yuan could clearly feel the space around him becoming more "familiar." The spatial fluctuations that had once been obscure and difficult to understand were now crystal clear.
What surprised him even more was that deep within his sea of consciousness, a long shuttle-shaped weapon, dark gold all over and radiating an ancient, mysterious aura, floated silently.
The Sun God Weapon!
It was a level above the Yan Shen Armament Luo Feng had obtained in the original story—a weapon of slaughter made specifically for Controllers!
"Now that's a good weapon!"
The smile on Lin Yuan's face widened.
With this weapon and his increased affinity for the Space Law, his combat power would make another qualitative leap.
"If the system assigns me another mission to deal with those two old Beast Emperors at the bottom of the ocean, I'd be more than happy to make the trip..."
He looked forward to it in secret.
After all, every mission meant a leap in strength. He had to treasure his time on Earth, since there was no guarantee things would be this easy once he entered the universe.
However, the system didn't issue another mission.
"So be it. Missions always come at the right time. There's no need to rush."
Lin Yuan gathered his thoughts and looked toward a nearby spot.
A figure dressed in black stood there, watching him in silence.
It was Hong.
In the eyes of this Earth's strongest fighter, deep as the starry sky, a rare glimmer of... shock had appeared.
Even Hong had only managed to suppress the Tentacle Beast Emperor. Killing it would have been next to impossible. Yet Lin Yuan's performance in the battle just now had been dazzling.
His unruffled composure, the terrifying force behind every blade strike, each seemingly powerful enough to cleave a mountain—he had even forced the Tentacle Beast Emperor to flee in a panic...
"He's already far stronger than Thunder God."
Hong assessed him in silence. "If we fought to the death, could I... defeat him as he is now?"
The thought startled even Hong. But he was a man of unwavering resolve. He quickly cast aside the distraction and regained his usual calm.
"Lin Yuan, Luo Feng, and you three, come over."
Hong's voice reached them clearly through an Origin Force transmission.
Soon, Lin Yuan, Luo Feng, and Hong's three personal guards gathered beside him.
"All the factions have already made their moves. The Extreme Martial Arts Hall can't fall behind."
Hong swept his gaze over them and spoke gravely. "There are tremendous opportunities beneath Mist Island, but they come with tremendous dangers. Head underground at once. If any treasures appear, or if you encounter trouble you can't handle, report it through your communicators immediately."
"Yes!"
They answered in unison.
"Move out!"
At Hong's command, several figures instantly became streaks of light. They split into groups and charged toward the fissures leading underground.
The underground river wound through the darkness.
Lin Yuan chose not to team up with anyone. He preferred to act alone. Having someone beside him would only hold him back and make it inconvenient to use many of his trump cards.
He raced down a broad underground fissure, his Spiritual Force spreading in all directions like a tide as he searched for that unique energy fluctuation.
He knew exactly what he wanted.
Muya Crystals!
These crystals contained pure life energy. At his current stage, they were practically a cheat code for leveling up. They could rapidly improve a warrior's strength and were also the best nourishment for Star Vine.
"Since I'm here, I'm going to take as much as I can! I won't pass up even the legacy left behind by Falling Ink Star."
Lin Yuan made up his mind.
Quite a few monsters lurked in the underground river. Some were even Lord-level or King-level.
But to Lin Yuan as he was now, the monsters that had once forced him to be cautious were nothing more than ants he could crush with a casual gesture.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Several invisible blades of mental force flashed past. The aquatic monsters that had tried to ambush him were cut in half, their blood staining the water red.
Lin Yuan didn't even glance at them as he continued deeper.
At last, after descending a full two thousand meters, he caught a strange, milky fragrance drifting from a crevice between the rocks up ahead.
"Found it!"
Lin Yuan's eyes lit up.
A fist-sized, milky-white crystal floated silently in midair, gleaming with an alluring light.
Below it lay the corpses of several monsters. Their bodies were swollen, apparently because they had greedily eaten the Muya Crystal but couldn't digest its enormous energy, causing them to burst.
"My first Muya Crystal. Mine!"
Lin Yuan moved, about to shoot toward the crystal.
But—
Just as his hand was about to touch it, a sharp mental-force attack shot from the shadows to his side!
Boom!
A huge boulder was blasted loose and slammed into Lin Yuan's path.
Lin Yuan stopped abruptly, making an impossible right-angle turn in midair to evade the falling rock. He hovered there and stared coldly toward the direction of the attack.
"Met a thorny one already?" Lin Yuan glanced over.
Then a voice tinged with arrogance and greed came from the darkness:
"The treasures beneath Mist Island belong to me, the Fourth Speaker—Atkin!"
As the voice fell, three figures slowly emerged.
The man at the front was tall, with a head of golden hair and a sinister gaze. He was none other than Atkin, the global Fifth Speaker!
Two familiar faces followed behind him.
One was a long-haired man with a fleshy face. That was Yan Hai.
The other was a gaunt man with a cold expression. That was Heru.
"Atkin?"
At the name, Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of coldness flashing in them.
He hadn't expected this particular group.
In the original story, during the Golden Horned Beast crisis, Atkin had refused to sacrifice himself. That was understandable—everyone had the right to choose whether to live.
But afterward, the three of them formed the so-called Tycoon Alliance. They divided up Earth's resources and persecuted the descendants of heroes like Luo Feng. They even went after Luo Feng's family!
There was only one way to describe them: worse than beasts.
"Fancy meeting you here."
Lin Yuan sneered inwardly. He'd only meant to grab a Muya Crystal, but now...
When Lin Yuan didn't respond, Atkin assumed he was frightened and spoke again, his tone playful.
"Look who it is—the big shot who follows Hong around. What was your name again... Lin Yuan, right?"
He looked Lin Yuan up and down, his eyes full of disdain. "Hong may think highly of you, and he may even have let you watch and learn while we hunted a Beast Emperor... But if you think you can compete with us for this treasure, you'd better think again!"
Atkin had absolute confidence in their lineup.
He was the Fifth Speaker. Though Yan Hai ranked a little lower, he was still a veteran councilor. Heru was an exceptionally rare Planetary Level Spiritual Force user, with strange and unpredictable methods.
The three of them together would give even Thunder God a serious headache. And that was before you considered the greenhorn in front of them, who'd only risen through the ranks thanks to Hong.
"If you know what's good for you, get lost! I'll let you off this once, for Hong's sake," Yan Hai sneered in agreement, his hand resting on the War Blade at his waist.
Heru stared at Lin Yuan with a sinister expression, his Spiritual Force poised to strike at any moment.
Taking care of one Lin Yuan would be easy, wouldn't it?
Looking at the three men, so pleased with themselves, Lin Yuan couldn't help laughing.
"The Fifth Speaker, making quite a show of himself."
He gave a slight shake of his head, then lifted his gaze. His eyes sharpened like blades, and a terrifying aura burst from him!
"But somehow, no one on Earth can take what belongs to me."
Lin Yuan raised a finger and beckoned to the three men, his tone calm yet domineering.
"Since you're so confident, then... come at me together!"
Better to act today than wait for another time. He'd give them a little taste of the shock his life genes could deliver!
Before you continue