Guiding the "Newbie" Luo Feng? A Ticket to the Universe Level!

The rain had stopped, though no one knew when.

The dark clouds dispersed, and a cold, full moon hung once more above the treetops, casting a clear radiance that illuminated the devastated valley.

Lin Yuan stood before the mountain-like carcass of the Black Scale Beast.

After a long while, he exhaled a long, heavy breath.

"It's over."

Lin Yuan stepped forward, his gait light, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

With that said, his gaze sharpened, returning to his usual calm and capable demeanor.

"The mission issued by this system is actually quite humane."

Lin Yuan gave a self-deprecating smile, then flipped his wrist, and the S-grade Blood Shadow Blade that had accompanied him for so long appeared in his hand.

Although this blade hadn't been able to pierce the soft armor of the Black Scale Beast's throat earlier, it was more than enough for dissecting a corpse.

After all, once a monster dies, its muscles lose their vitality, and its defensive capabilities drop significantly.

Screech—

The blade slid through the gaps between the scales, producing a teeth-grinding friction.

"Now this is the good stuff."

Lin Yuan skillfully peeled away the basin-sized black scales one by one.

These were scales from a creature nearing King-level; if used to craft combat suits, the defensive power would be absolutely astonishing.

There were also the fragments of the sharp claws shredded by the Heaven Wheel Guard; even though they were broken, they remained top-tier alloy materials.

In this era, materials from High-level Lord monsters were hard currency, always in short supply on the market.

The value of this single Black Scale Beast was at least several billion Huaxia Credits!

This was also the primary source of income for God of War-level powerhouses.

Just as Lin Yuan finished stowing the most valuable materials from the heart area into his backpack—

Ding!

That familiar, emotionless, synthesized mechanical voice rang out abruptly in his mind.

[Mission "Liquidate Everything" completed!]

[Distributing rewards: Force Weapon · Shadow Devourer (Battle Blade), Secret Technique Shadow Kill.]

"Hm?"

The movement of Lin Yuan's hand paused, a flash of brilliance crossing his eyes.

The next second, he felt his right hand sink.

The S-grade Blood Shadow Blade he had been holding was automatically retracted into the system space, replaced by a battle blade that was pitch-black and possessed an ancient, slender design.

The moment the blade was in his hand, Lin Yuan's pupils constricted sharply.

Heavy!

It was far too heavy!

With his current physical constitution at the peak of a High-level God of War, his single-arm strength was well over hundreds of thousands of kilograms.

Yet, holding this blade, he actually felt a sense of "heaviness." This weight was at least ten times that of a standard S-grade battle blade!

By the moonlight, Lin Yuan carefully examined the battle blade named Shadow Devourer.

The blade was not purely black, but a deep, dark hue that seemed to swallow light itself.

On the edge, dark golden secret patterns flowed faintly, flickering like a heartbeat. A cold, murderous aura, as if from the deep reaches of the universe, seeped through the hilt and straight into his palm.

At the same time, a massive stream of information surged into his mind.

"Shadow Devourer, forged from the rare 'Dark Star Gold' found in the depths of the universe; indestructible, and possesses extremely high conductivity for Force and spiritual telekinesis.

Trait: Devour (Can absorb trace amounts of light and energy, concealing the blade's trajectory)."

"What a blade!"

Lin Yuan couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Just by touching it, he could clearly feel that this Shadow Devourer was countless times stronger than the S-grade blade he had used before. In its presence, that S-grade blade felt as fragile as a plastic toy.

"If I had this blade just now..."

Lin Yuan swung it casually.

Hum!

There was no piercing sound of air being torn; the blade sliced through the air as if cutting into water, silent and traceless, even distorting the surrounding light for a fleeting moment.

"If I had been holding this earlier, the Black Scale Beast's armor wouldn't have been any different from paper; I could have slaughtered it with my eyes closed..."

Lin Yuan shook his head, feeling both shocked and somewhat amused.

The arrival of the system had kept his cultivation realm stagnant, yet his actual combat power had leaped across an entire dimension.

Is this the joy of being a "cheater"?

"Strongest Path System... truly top-tier."

Lin Yuan stroked the cold blade, yet his heart did not swell with arrogance because of it.

He knew very well that external objects were, in the end, just external objects. No matter how good the equipment provided by the system was, if his own strength was insufficient, it would be like a child carrying gold through a bustling market—a path to certain death.

Besides...

"The newbie benefits are being handed out so frequently, I can't help but feel it's a trap."

Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes and looked up at the deep night sky.

He did not believe that the subsequent tasks would remain this simple forever.

It was just like playing a game; the monsters in the newbie village were always easy to fight, and the gear was easy to loot, but once you stepped out of the newbie village...

Just as his thoughts were drifting—

Ding!

The system's voice rang out again, as if to confirm his suspicions, or perhaps as if it were impatient to push him forward.

[Task: Observe the current newcomer of the "Elite Training Camp," Luo Feng, and provide him with a piece of guidance without leaving a trace.]

[Reward: Universe-level Genetic Energy Cultivation Method Nine Star Transformations.]

[Commentary: A true powerhouse must not only be strong themselves but also know how to judge the situation. Go and see that young man favored by the will of Earth; perhaps you will have unexpected gains.]

Looking at the pale blue text floating on his retina, the corner of Lin Yuan's mouth couldn't help but twitch violently.

"This system... is it always this temperamental?"

"Or is there really a 'newbie protection period,' and it's so afraid I'll be beaten to death due to lack of strength that it keeps stuffing benefits into my hands?"

First, it gifted him a divine weapon, and now it's handing over a top-tier cultivation technique?

Nine Star Transformations!

Although he had only seen the name, the mere words "Universe-level" were enough to drive any martial artist on Earth insane.

One had to know that the most top-tier guiding technique on Earth currently was the Five Hearts Toward Heaven cultivation method, and its efficiency was outrageously low.

And this Nine Star Transformations, just by the name, sounded like the kind of treasure that could make a person shed their mortal skin and change their bones!

"Whatever."

Lin Yuan took a deep breath and cast those chaotic thoughts to the back of his mind.

"This is a ready-made genetic energy cultivation method; it's countless times stronger than 'Five Hearts Toward Heaven'."

"I'm currently stuck at the peak of the Advanced Warlord level. If I want to quickly break through to the Planetary level, this trip... I have to go!"

Only by becoming a Planetary-level powerhouse could one truly step over the threshold of cosmic cultivation and have a foothold in the infinitely magnificent universe.

"It just so happens that as the newly appointed 'Honorary Inspector' of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, it's very convenient for me to enter and exit the Elite Training Camp."

Lin Yuan rubbed his chin, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

"Come to think of it, I was once a student there myself..."

Thinking of this, Lin Yuan couldn't help but sigh.

"Round and round... I still can't avoid Luo Feng."

"Since fate has led me here, I shall go and meet this future 'City Lord Luo'."

Having decided, Lin Yuan no longer lingered.

Hum!

Nine silver moon blades appeared out of thin air and quickly combined into a perfect disc beneath his feet.

Lin Yuan stepped onto it, his figure turning into a streak of light. He instantly pierced through the night sky after the rain, galloping toward the north, and disappeared into the distant horizon in the blink of an eye.

Only that massive monster carcass remained, lying quietly in the valley, telling the tale of everything that had happened tonight.

Three days later.

Hongning Base City, global headquarters of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.

No matter how many times one visited this magnificent city, which had been transformed from the wreckage of a giant spaceship, it always evoked a sense of awe from the depths of one's heart.

A giant black dragon statue coiled above the headquarters' gate, its pair of dragon eyes overlooking the masses, exuding endless majesty.

The Elite Training Camp, a place hailed as the "Warlord Preparatory Camp," was located in the very core area of the headquarters.

It was currently noon, and the sun was bright.

A young man wearing a black casual combat suit, with a long black blade strapped to his back, was walking leisurely toward the imposing gate of the training camp.

"Stop! This is a restricted military zone; unauthorized personnel are forbidden from entering!"

Two fully armed guards, exuding the aura of Warlord-level experts, immediately stepped forward to block the young man's path...