In the Meditation Room, sandalwood incense curled through the air, but a subtle tension hung over the room.
"Lin Yuan, you need to think this through."
"This is an 'SSS-grade' Bloodline Evolution Agent."
Ming Yu sat across from him. A rare look of surprise crossed his rugged face. The moment he had made his offer, Lin Yuan had turned him down.
There was no other reason.
An "SSS-grade" Bloodline Evolution Agent? For an ordinary cosmic genius, it was a priceless treasure worth risking their life for. But for Lin Yuan, no matter how he looked at it, the deal was a loss.
With the system at his side, what he needed most was the freedom to explore and the room to trigger missions.
Becoming a core member of the Virtual Universe Company would mean accepting extremely strict rules and closed-door training. It would be no different from building a cage around himself.
Besides, whatever reward the system casually gave him would be better than this so-called "SSS-grade" agent.
But directly rejecting a Domain Lord was clearly unwise.
"Lord Ming Yu, I'll always remember your kindness."
Lin Yuan bowed slightly, his voice brimming with confidence. "It's just that my ambitions don't end here. Soon, the grandest event for Cosmic Humans will take place—the Universe Genius Tournament."
Lin Yuan raised his head, his eyes blazing with astonishing brilliance. "I want to test myself there. If I can break into the top thousand in the entire universe and enter the Virtual Universe Company Headquarters directly, that's what I'm aiming for."
It was a flawless, tactful excuse.
I'm not joining the branch because I'm aiming for the headquarters!
At this, Ming Yu first froze, then his surprise gave way to deep admiration. He nodded slightly and looked at the young man before him with renewed scrutiny.
Indeed. How could a peerless talent who had displayed such terrifying dominance over his opponents in the Killing Field be content to remain in a small Black Dragon Mountain Branch?
The Black Dragon Mountain Empire couldn't hold back a genius like him!
Even the entire Ganwu Universe Kingdom might not be his final destination!
"That's the spirit!" Ming Yu pondered for a moment, lightly tapping his fingers against the tabletop. When he spoke again, his tone held a note of negotiation.
"Since you've set your sights on the Genius Battle, the red tape for internal members really would hold you back. In that case... why not join the 'external' branch of my Black Dragon Mountain Branch?"
"External?" Lin Yuan asked, slightly taken aback.
"That's right. External members have far more freedom. There are no mandatory garrison or training assignments, so you can prepare for the Genius Battle entirely at your own pace."
A smile tugged at Ming Yu's lips as he revealed the real bombshell. "And the 'SSS-grade' Bloodline Evolution Agent I promised you still stands. You'll get it all the same!"
Now it was Lin Yuan's turn to be surprised.
He didn't have to do anything and would still get an SSS-grade agent?
But with two lifetimes' worth of experience, Lin Yuan was keen enough to see through Ming Yu's little scheme in an instant.
This was an angel investment!
A genius worthy of an "SSS-grade" agent might not appear even once in countless eras in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire.
Rather than let the allocation go to waste, Ming Yu might as well invest it in Lin Yuan.
If Lin Yuan made a name for himself in the upcoming Universe Genius Tournament...
Then as the talent scout who had discovered and "cultivated" Lin Yuan, Ming Yu would surely receive unimaginable rewards from the Virtual Universe Company Headquarters!
A massive return on a small investment!
Once he understood that, Lin Yuan had no reason to refuse.
If he kept declining, he really would be slighting the Domain Lord.
"Since you think so highly of me, Lord Ming Yu, it would be ungrateful of me to refuse again. I'd be glad to join the external branch." Lin Yuan smiled and nodded.
"Good! That's more like it!" Ming Yu was delighted.
"From this moment on, you're one of my external members. If you run into any trouble in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire that you can't handle, contact me anytime through the Virtual Universe Network!"
"Yes, my lord."
With his goal achieved, Lin Yuan didn't linger. He rose at once, said his goodbyes, and left the Meditation Room.
In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.
Virtual Universe, Killing Field, Battle Arena.
In the vast wilderness arena, fierce winds howled.
Pfft!
A black Arc Light, cold to the extreme, flashed past. A fine head soared into the air, and the headless body toppled helplessly into a pool of blood.
[Battle over. Victory!]
The crisp system notification echoed through the Battle Arena.
Lin Yuan stood dressed in black, War Blade in hand, his eyes as cold as ice.
Across from him, the once-arrogant fighter with a nine-star rating had dissolved into specks of white light.
Today, the Star Demon King had returned at full strength. He'd surged ahead, leaving the nine-star fighters in the same-rank Battle Arena trembling in fear.
For a brief stretch, he'd even been unable to find anyone to match with!
As his opponent fell, Lin Yuan glanced at his record.
[Wins: 1000, Losses: 0]
"Finally done."
Lin Yuan let out a long breath. The coldness in his eyes vanished, replaced by barely contained excitement.
The wilderness scenery receded like a tide, and Lin Yuan's consciousness instantly withdrew from the Virtual Universe Network.
In the real world, aboard the Starship on Earth, Lin Yuan opened his eyes. Almost at the same instant, the long-awaited mechanical voice rang in his mind like celestial music!
[Mission "Killing Field: Thousand-Man Slayer" complete!] [Issuing mission rewards:] [1. Immortal Mechanical Puppet (Disabled)] [2. Secret Technique: God-Demon Unity Technique (Mental Power Amplitude)] [3. Life Fruit]
Whoosh!
Three items radiating strange energy suddenly appeared in the system inventory.
The Life Fruit needed no explanation. As long as a person had even a breath left, it could instantly restore them to full health and provide an immense amount of life energy.
But Lin Yuan's attention was entirely drawn to the first two rewards.
"System, explain what this 'Mechanical Puppet' is," Lin Yuan quickly asked in his mind.
The system's cold mechanical voice promptly answered:
[The Mechanical Puppet is made from F3-Grade Metal. It is currently at the Immortal Army Lord Level, but its energy has run dry, leaving it in a "disabled" state. To reactivate it, it needs—Universe Crystals.]
"Universe Crystals?" Lin Yuan murmured, then smiled. Getting his hands on those wouldn't be difficult. It seemed Immortal-Level combat strength was all but guaranteed now.
Suppressing his excitement, Lin Yuan turned his attention to the second reward.
"Tell me about the God-Demon Unity Technique."
Buzz—
A string of ancient, mysterious golden words appeared deep in Lin Yuan's mind.
[God-Demon Unity Technique: While cultivating, the voices of gods and demons will ring out in the sea of consciousness, as though countless gods and demons are chanting and roaring. Those with unwavering wills who can withstand the baptism of these voices may glimpse "beyond the limit" of Mental Power Amplitude!]
"Beyond the limit of Mental Power Amplitude?"
Lin Yuan's pupils contracted sharply.
In the world of Swallowed Star, whether it was bodily force or Mental Power Amplitude, a hundredfold was a universally recognized limit. Breaking through it was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
"This effect... it's remarkably similar to the 'Demon Sound Divine General Inheritance' Luo Feng received on Demon Mountain!" Lin Yuan murmured, his eyes blazing with astonishing brilliance.
For a spiritualist, Mental Power Amplitude was the foundation of everything! If he mastered the God-Demon Unity Technique, his combat strength would undergo an unimaginable transformation!
Just thinking about it made Lin Yuan feel as though his blood were about to boil. His motivation surged.
"Huu—"
Lin Yuan let out a long breath and stood up.
He had the treasures in hand. Now it was time to see what they could do.
He strode out of the cultivation room and headed straight to the Starship's main control room.
"Ika!" Lin Yuan called, his clear voice echoing through the control room.
"Ika is here! What can I do for you?" Above the console, a holographic projection appeared: a fairy girl with little wings on her back, blinking her wide eyes at Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan sat down in the command chair, his gaze passing through the porthole to the vast starry sky. An eager smile curved his lips.
"Start the ship. Set the coordinates. Destination—Mars!"
He wanted to test for himself just how tough the "skin" was on a Mechanical Puppet that even the system had labeled "Immortal Army Lord Level"!
P.S. I'm working on chapter two now!
Before you continue