This isn't an ad—it's a recommendation for the treasure of a book, Swallowed Star: I'm Already a War God, and the System Finally Arrives?
"Ika."
Lin Yuan called softly in his mind. "Analyze the Star Vine's current strength and give me its exact stats."
As soon as he spoke, the optical computer on his wrist flashed faintly. A delicate fairy-like girl, only about the size of his palm and with translucent wings on her back, appeared as a hologram.
"Understood!" Ika nodded obediently and closed her big eyes.
In the next moment, countless streams of complex data flashed rapidly in her eyes. A moment later, Ika opened them again, her little face full of excitement and astonishment:
"Master, according to the most precise calculations, the Star Vine has officially reached Universe Level Third Order!"
"It now has the perfect number of 108 main vines. Each one can stretch to a terrifying length of four hundred kilometers!"
"Not only that, its cellular vitality and the toughness of its outer layer have both undergone a qualitative leap."
Ika pumped her little fists and reported excitedly, "The Star Vine could now take a direct hit from a D6-Grade Laser Cannon. At most, it would suffer a little damage to its outer layer. The attack definitely couldn't harm its core!"
"Universe Level Third Order... four hundred kilometers..."
Hearing those numbers, even Lin Yuan couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.
What did four hundred kilometers mean? Once fully unfurled, it would be like a Starry Sky Behemoth capable of blotting out the sky!
If its 108 main vines wove together into a defensive web, it would be an absolute fortress of war.
"Excellent!" Lin Yuan was very pleased.
With a Universe Level Third Order Star Vine as his trump card, he was confident he could maximize his gains on the upcoming trip to the Thunder World!
And if other factions joined forces to ambush him as he left the Thunder World, the Immortal Mechanical Puppet would be enough to make them tremble in fear.
With a thought, Lin Yuan drew the enormous Star Vine back into his body.
Then he connected to the Virtual Universe Network.
After searching the vast Virtual Universe for a while, Lin Yuan logged off.
"There's still some time before the Universe Mercenary Assessment officially begins." Lin Yuan rubbed his chin, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "I have plenty of time."
"I can use it to explore that mysterious God-Demon Unity Technique properly. And while I'm at it... I'll use the 'SSS-grade' Bloodline Evolution Agent Ming Yu sent me."
Before he knew it, the warrior who had once struggled to survive on Earth was rapidly closing in on the lofty Universe Level.
Time passed quickly amid tedious yet exhilarating cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, two months slipped by.
It had to be said: living alone on desolate, isolated Mars, cut off from all outside socializing and distractions, was a kind of bliss in its own right.
At least for Lin Yuan, he could feel the power within his body growing every day. That positive feedback brought him joy and gave him endless motivation to keep going.
Boom!
At one moment, a heart-stirring soul fluctuation erupted in the underground chamber on Mars.
Lin Yuan abruptly opened his eyes, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. He reflexively raised his right hand to his forehead, his head spinning as dizziness washed over him.
"Ugh... this God-Demon Unity Technique is no human cultivation method."
Lin Yuan grumbled. The technique might be described as a god and a demon chanting in unison, but in reality, it was just two lunatics fighting inside his mind!
But pain often came with tremendous rewards.
Lin Yuan forced down his dizziness, yet the corners of his mouth couldn't help lifting.
After two months of hellish torment, his Mental Power Amplitude had soared from 30 to a terrifying 50!
One had to know that in the vast universe, a Star Level Spiritual Reader with a Mental Power Amplitude of 30 was already an absolute top-tier genius in the Black Dragon Mountain Star Sector.
And 50—that was the kind of monstrous talent and comprehension that even Universe Country Lords would take notice of!
That wasn't all.
After absorbing the priceless "SSS-grade" Bloodline Evolution Agent, Lin Yuan's Gene Level had advanced across the board.
His warrior and Spiritual Reader cultivation had both smoothly reached Star Level Eighth Order!
"Everything's ready."
Lin Yuan stood up. His bones cracked like beans frying in a pan, and an aura as vast as the ocean flashed through the hall.
He called out:
"Setsuna, Baron, Yan Jin, Dia!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In less than half a second, four figures radiating powerful auras appeared before Lin Yuan like ghosts. They dropped to one knee, their expressions utterly respectful.
"Master, what are your orders?"
These four were Lin Yuan's most trusted subordinates, all Star Level Ninth Order slaves.
Lin Yuan glanced over them and said calmly:
"Get ready. We're going to Qiu Long Planet."
"Qiu Long Planet?!"
The four kneeling figures shuddered.
"M-Master, did... did we do something wrong?"
Baron, who was as burly as an iron tower, hurriedly kowtowed, his face filled with panic. "That's right! We've always been loyal to you, Master. We would never betray you!"
"Please tell us what we did wrong!" Setsuna and Yan Jin chimed in as well.
"???"
Lin Yuan stared at the four subordinates, who looked as if the sky were falling, and was at a loss for words.
It took a full three seconds for him to realize what was going on.
Qiu Long Planet had the largest slave market in the surrounding star sectors! Slaves could be bought and sold at any time, with their ownership changed simply by updating the highest authority in the Virtual Universe Network.
The four of them thought he was unhappy with them and planned to take them back to the slave market on Qiu Long Planet to sell them!
Smack!
Lin Yuan scolded them in exasperation. "You four idiots are wasting your talent by not writing novels with imaginations like that."
"I'm taking you to Qiu Long Planet to get you some decent gear! What on earth are you thinking?"
Lin Yuan shook his head.
He planned to take the four of them into the Thunder World with him.
It wasn't that he valued their Star Level Ninth Order combat strength. The Thunder World was full of Universe Crystals and precious Thunder Stones.
He was fine handling the fighting himself, but for the hard labor, he needed more people. Otherwise, he'd have wasted all those Black Dragon Coins.
Since he was taking them along to do the grunt work, he should at least get them some decent equipment. If they showed up looking shabby, it would reflect badly on him, Lin Yuan.
"E-Equipment?" The four exchanged looks, then broke into delighted smiles. "Thank you, Master!"
Ten days later, on Qiu Long Planet.
Five figures emerged from the entrance to the lavish Rare Treasure Shop and stepped onto the bustling street.
At the front was Lin Yuan, clad in black and carrying himself with an air of refined detachment.
Behind him, Dia, Baron, and the other two looked like country bumpkins who had just struck it rich, grinning from ear to ear.
Each of them carefully held a Mental Weapon or Origin Force Weapon radiating powerful fluctuations.
Every weapon was mid-grade, third-tier!
These were treasures that even ordinary Universe Level powerhouses would envy. Each one was worth hundreds of billions of Black Dragon Coins, on average.
"Master... this is far too valuable!"
Setsuna ran her fingers over the dark blue short blade in her hand, feeling as if she were dreaming.
"Enough. Stop looking like you've never seen anything before."
Without turning around, Lin Yuan waved a hand dismissively, unconcerned.
They were about to enter the Thunder World and make a fortune. Universe Crystals there were measured in "cubic blocks." Lin Yuan didn't consider this small expense worth worrying about.
"Come on. Let's head to the Universe Mercenary Alliance outpost and get our Adventure Cards."
After finishing the paperwork, Lin Yuan and his group boarded the specially modified Starship.
The ship transformed into a streak of light, tore through the atmosphere, and entered the Dark Universe.
Their destination was Canglan Planet, Thunder City!
Several days later, after a slight tremor, the Starship came to a steady stop in the enormous docking port of Thunder City on Canglan Planet.
The hatch opened, and Lin Yuan stepped down with his four fully armed subordinates, joining the bustling crowd.
Thunder City, the massive city named after the Thunder World, was already in a full-blown frenzy.
Adventurers clad in all sorts of battle armor, their auras fierce, could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys.
"Have you heard? This time, even the core disciples of the two lofty Holy Lands have come to train in the Thunder World!"
"That's not all! The Four Great Organizations and the sixteen families have all sent their elites. I bet the Thunder World's going to put on quite a show this time."
"I think I'll wait until they come out before going in!"
The noisy chatter around them kept reaching Lin Yuan's ears. Almost every conversation revolved around the mighty factions that held sway over the Black Dragon Mountain Star Sector.
Yet none of those fearsome names stirred the slightest ripple in Lin Yuan's eyes.
The two Holy Lands, the organizations, the family prodigies...
He didn't care about any of them.
He knew full well that in the Thunder World, once it opened, there would be only one true hunter: Lin Yuan.
Everyone else was destined to be a foil.
After passing through the bustling streets and completing the identity verification, the five soon arrived at a massive villa that occupied a vast area and was guarded by a formidable security force.
This was the entrance to the Thunder World.
A woman stood guard before the villa's gate. She wore Silver Battle Armor and had strikingly beautiful features, but her bearing was as cold as frost. Her gaze swept over Lin Yuan and the others like lightning.
She was Qiniya, a powerhouse from the Universe Mercenary Alliance stationed here.
"Want to enter the Thunder World?" Qiniya asked coldly, her voice carrying a note of warning.
"You're probably already aware of what the Thunder World is like. I'll warn you one last time: if you turn back now, it's not too late!"
Lin Yuan only smiled and stepped forward without hesitation. "We've made up our minds."
Qiniya studied Lin Yuan, apparently a little surprised by the composure of this Star Level Eighth Order youth.
She said no more, stepped aside, and pointed to a doorway nearby.
"Go through there, and you'll reach the Thunder World!"
Before you continue