Applying Poison

"A plant lifeform with the power of a peak King-Level... Thunderlight Vine..."

It hissed in a low voice, its tone laced with unwillingness and trepidation.

It was itself a high-level King-Level Immortal, and by virtue of its unique innate talents and formidable divine body, it was considered a powerhouse even among high-level Kings.

Yet, facing a plant lifeform at the peak King-Level—one that excelled in binding and annihilation—it knew clearly that its odds of victory were abysmal! A single moment of carelessness could see it following in its younger brother's footsteps!

"Hmph!"

After a long silence, Tear-Chaser King let out a cold snort, suppressed to the extreme, its killing intent nearly solidifying.

"No matter what, Burning Space World Lord... you are a dead man!"

"I may not be able to kill you, but there are others who can! No matter the price, I will have you buried alongside my brother!"

It hesitated no longer, its consciousness rapidly connecting to the virtual world of the Monster Race.

The next moment, its consciousness appeared within a magnificent temple radiating an ancient, barbaric aura. This was one of the primary communication platforms for the powerhouses of the Monster Race.

Tear-Chaser King clicked directly onto a contact list marked with a special "Three-Eyed" symbol. The names on the list were few, but each one exuded a heart-stopping wave of power.

Its gaze locked onto one dark-gold name—a favor accumulated over long, arduous years, a debt owed by a terrifying existence.

As its consciousness coalesced, a message brimming with monstrous killing intent and a singular obsession for revenge, accompanied by a list of the staggering price it was willing to pay, was sent out.

"Shadow-Kill King..."

Tear-Chaser King silently repeated the name in its heart, a chilling light flickering in its blood-red vertical pupils.

"As long as you strike, that human genius will surely die! The wealth on his person and that Thunderlight Vine will be more than enough to compensate you for your efforts!"

With the message sent, Tear-Chaser King's consciousness stood silently in the virtual temple, awaiting a response.

It knew that against a target protected by a peak King-Level plant lifeform, only by enlisting an existence whose strength reached the peak King-Level or higher could success be guaranteed.

And "Shadow-Kill King" was precisely such a name, one that struck terror into the hearts of countless powerhouses.

Meanwhile, within the human race, at the Ninth Outer-Domain Battlefield, Barracks Base 073.

Lu Ming's Meteor Shuttle passed through the sensors without a sound, entering the vast base. He did not alert anyone, heading straight back to his private cultivation quarters.

"Whew—"

Inside the quiet room, Lu Ming let out a long breath. The baleful aura and exhaustion accumulated from hundreds of years of continuous slaughter only began to dissipate once he returned to a safe environment.

Yet, his eyes shimmered with excitement; the gains from this trial were immense.

"First, I shall tally the spoils, and then... it is time to upgrade Little Thunder."

He first inspected the legacies of the two Marquis-Level Immortals and the many other Immortals he had slain, sorting out the treasures and materials he had no use for.

"Connect to the Virtual Universe."

His consciousness instantly accessed the vast Virtual Universe network.

Lu Ming appeared directly within the manor he had purchased in the virtual world.

"Open the treasury."

A massive virtual screen appeared before him, listing the astronomical inventory of treasures available in the human race's treasury and the internal treasury of the Virtual Universe Company.

Lu Ming navigated the interface with practiced ease, filtering and searching.

"Thunderlight Vine, King-Level cultivation resources..."

Looking at the precious resources popping up on the screen, even with Lu Ming's current net worth, he couldn't help but click his tongue.

"Tsk tsk, Little Thunder, you really are a gold-devouring beast."

Lu Ming shook his head with a chuckle, though his eyes were filled with anticipation and doting affection.

He genuinely envied these special lifeforms, these plant lifeforms.

Unlike humans, who had to painstakingly comprehend laws and create secret techniques, as long as they had sufficient resources, their life levels could continuously leap forward, and their strength would naturally skyrocket!

Of course, the cost of these resources was enough to bankrupt the vast majority of King-Level Immortals, or even ordinary Venerables.

"Fortunately, I am not short on money."

Lu Ming's lips curled upward.

Having farmed for so long, he was quite wealthy.

"The perfect cultivation plan I originally prepared for Little Thunder was merely the foundation. Now, it is time to take it a step further."

His fingers tapped rapidly.

"Two hundred sets of the standard cultivation plan from early King-Level to peak King-Level, start with that!"

An astronomical price in points flashed on the screen, but Lu Ming didn't even blink as he confirmed the payment.

"After I sacrifice these resources later, the effect should undergo a qualitative change."

Lu Ming calculated in his heart.

"Little Thunder's genetic level has already been raised through previous cultivation to one hundred times—a level no Thunderlight Vine in the universe has ever reached! If I cultivate it again with these amplified resources, I wonder what level it will ultimately reach..."

Even Lu Ming himself could not be certain.

In the history of the universe, there had never been a Thunderlight Vine with a gene level reaching a hundredfold, let alone one cultivated using top-tier resources amplified through "Sacrifice."

This was an entirely uncharted path.

Perhaps... I can touch the threshold of that level?

A bold thought flashed through Lu Ming's mind, making his own heart skip a beat.

If Little Thunder could break through to the Venerable level, then in this Outer-Domain Battlefield, he could practically walk sideways!

However, this was merely a guess; Little Thunder's potential was beyond reproach, being an unprecedented hundredfold gene Thunderlight Vine.

The potential to break through to Venerable was certainly there, but it would likely not be as simple as breaking through to Immortal.

"No matter, I'll cultivate it first and see!"

Payment completed, the Virtual Universe Company operated with extreme efficiency, quickly sending a confirmation message that all resources would be delivered to Barracks Base 073 via a special channel in the shortest possible time, to be signed for by him personally.

Exiting the virtual universe, Lu Ming opened his eyes, a smile of anticipation on his face.

"Little Thunder, get ready. This time... we're playing for keeps!"

Deep within his internal world, that massive Thunderlight Vine, wreathed in purple-gold lightning, seemed to sense its master's intent; countless vines danced joyfully, emitting faint, pleasant sounds of thunder.

With Little Thunder's affairs handled, the next order of business was Lu Ming himself.

His weapons, armor, and battle blades were already strong enough; for the time being, he wouldn't be able to unleash the full power of anything better.

However, for the sake of survival, he still needed to make further preparations.

Femo Venom, three kilograms to start.

He knew the effects of this stuff all too well; in the original story, the birth of the name Blade River King owed half its credit to this substance.

Even a peak King-Level, once their divine body was touched by this, would be finished. Even an invincible King-Level would die if the dosage was high enough!

The only drawback was that it was a bit expensive.

Fortunately, he was not short on money. Once he bought it back and performed a Sacrifice, the Femo Venom, which was already heaven-defying, would be returned even stronger. Tsk tsk, it was unimaginable; perhaps even a Venerable's divine body wouldn't be able to withstand it!

Of course, poison was ultimately just poison; any venom had to pierce through defenses and strike the divine body to truly take effect.

If an ordinary powerhouse couldn't even break through their opponent's defense, let alone touch their divine body, then the poison was useless.

Lu Ming dared to buy it because he was confident that his current strength was sufficient.

Unfortunately, Lu Ming did not have a clone, and for the time being, he couldn't think of any way to obtain one.

He couldn't exactly go and possess a Golden Horned Beast.

He was also somewhat afraid that if he performed a possession, the system might disappear.

He would naturally plan for a clone, but at this moment, there was simply no opportunity.