A trace of longing appeared in Lu Ming's eyes.
"But treasures of this caliber are all rare gems in the universe, priceless and nearly impossible to find! Even with my current status and wealth, I don't even qualify to buy one. The Virtual Universe Company's treasury doesn't grant me access to treasures of this level."
I didn't have enough money or the required permissions!
That was reality.
"The only way is to raise my standing within the Human Race!"
Lu Ming's gaze sharpened.
"Once my standing is high enough, my permissions will naturally improve. Then I'll be able to access those truly top-tier treasures and qualify to buy them!"
"Then there's the matter of continuing to build my wealth! What I have now probably wouldn't even cover a fraction of the price of such a treasure. I'll have to keep 'farming'!"
His goal became clear.
Lu Ming set his top priority for the current stage.
"My first goal is to make a name for myself as a King-Level expert on the Outer-Domain Battlefield! Then, with King-Level strength and enough influence, I'll join the Hong Alliance!"
The Hong Alliance was a powerful coalition led by the Human Race and formed with many other races across the universe.
Joining the Hong Alliance meant not only status and recognition, but also access to broader platforms and resources!
"Once I join the Hong Alliance, my permissions will surely increase significantly, and I'll have more ways to build my wealth! Then it'll be much easier to buy a treasure for a clone or gather the resources Little Thunder needs to break through to Venerable!"
With that, Lu Ming no longer hesitated.
With a thought, the Meteor Shuttle quietly left Barracks Base 073. Like a ghost, it once more slipped into the vast and perilous depths of the Outer-Domain Battlefield.
This time, he would no longer keep a low profile.
He would carve out a fearsome reputation on this battlefield of countless races!
And pave the way for his future ascent to greater heights!
Inside the Meteor Shuttle's control room, Lu Ming brought up a detailed star map of the Ninth Outer-Domain Battlefield. His gaze swept across several regions marked as extremely dangerous.
"The Yungu Star Belt where I operated before was mostly inhabited by Marquis-Level experts, with few King-Level experts. It's no longer suitable for me."
Lu Ming tapped the map, and it quickly zoomed in.
"If I want to make a name for myself as a King-Level expert, I naturally need to go where King-Level experts gather!"
His gaze settled at last on a star region called the Myriad Skeleton Vortex.
The Myriad Skeleton Vortex was said to be one of the final battlefields of a shocking war in ancient times. Countless powerful experts had fallen there. Over the ages, the universe's natural forces had drawn together their divine bodies, weapons, and the wreckage of their spacecraft, forming a vast vortex-shaped structure thousands of light-years across.
Space there was extremely unstable, filled with chaotic energy storms and hidden spatial rifts. From time to time, treasures and inheritances left behind by ancient experts would even emerge, drawing countless King-Level Immortals to risk their lives, fight, and seek opportunities on the Ninth Outer-Domain Battlefield.
King-Level experts from the peak races—the Human Race, Monster Race, Machine Race, and Bug Race—as well as many subordinate races, prowled this vortex of death year-round like sharks scenting blood.
"The Myriad Skeleton Vortex... This is the place!"
A cold glint flashed in Lu Ming's eyes.
"Only the deaths of enough King-Level experts can forge a truly peerless reputation!"
If he wanted his King-Level title to resound across the Outer-Domain Battlefield and reach the ears of the Hong Alliance's upper echelons, there was no faster or more direct way than paving his path with the blood and lives of Alien Race King-Level experts!
He needed battle records—ones shocking enough to make an impact!
Killing Marquis-Level experts? He'd been doing that for centuries. Now his targets were King-Level experts!
Powerful Immortals who were pillars of their respective races!
"Little Thunder's strength now rivals that of an ordinary Venerable, and the Nirvana Stardust Venom can even threaten Venerables... As long as I don't run into one of those freakish Invincible Kings, I can unleash a storm of bloodshed in the Myriad Skeleton Vortex!"
Lu Ming was brimming with confidence.
And his own strength was just as formidable!
"Azure Kite, set a course for the core region of the Myriad Skeleton Vortex—the God-Burial Gobi!"
"Yes, Master!"
The Meteor Shuttle shuddered softly, accelerated to the speed of light in an instant, and entered Cosmic Shuttle, heading straight for the Myriad Skeleton Vortex, where powerful experts gathered and slaughter filled the land.
Lu Ming closed his eyes and adjusted his condition, his consciousness immersed in his insights into the Burning Universe Space-Splitting Slash.
Though Little Thunder was his greatest trump card, his own strength was just as important.
He wanted to push this supreme technique to a higher level through battle.
His Burning Universe Space-Splitting Slash had now reached the eighth stage, corresponding to Pinnacle King-Level!
It was already astonishingly powerful. Next, he would have to create a secret technique of his own.
That would still take a long time.
The Meteor Shuttle shuddered softly, accelerated to the speed of light in an instant, and entered Cosmic Shuttle, heading straight for the Myriad Skeleton Vortex, where powerful experts gathered and slaughter filled the land.
Lu Ming closed his eyes and adjusted his condition, his consciousness immersed in his insights into the Burning Universe Space-Splitting Slash.
Though Little Thunder was his greatest trump card, his own strength was just as important.
He wanted to push this supreme technique to a higher level through battle.
His Burning Universe Space-Splitting Slash had now reached the eighth stage, corresponding to Pinnacle King-Level!
It was already astonishingly powerful. Next, he would have to create a secret technique of his own.
That would still take a long time.
Several months later, the Meteor Shuttle silently slipped into the outskirts of the Myriad Skeleton Vortex. The chaotic energy currents and Space Fragments provided perfect cover.
"Azure Kite, activate the detector and begin scanning."
Lu Ming gave the order.
"Yes, Master."
Azure Kite quickly activated the Sky Patrol Eye, and invisible detection waves swept across a vast area around them.
A moment later, Azure Kite's voice sounded, edged with concern. "Master, according to the intelligence I've just accessed from the Outer-Domain Battlefield, as well as some public bounty notices I intercepted... For nearly a hundred years, someone has been using channels in the Monster Race camp to offer a high bounty for information on your exact location."
Lu Ming raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Who?"
"It's Tear-Chaser King of the Monster Race."
Azure Kite quickly pulled up the relevant information.
"He's a High King-Level Immortal. His true form is a Dark Nightmare Demon Snake, and he's infamous in the Monster Race camp."
"Tear-Chaser King?"
Lu Ming thought for a moment and recalled the intelligence he'd received after killing Nightmare Snake Marquis. The corners of his mouth curled into an amused smile.
"What does he want with me? I don't think we've had much to do with each other."
"Master, Nightmare Snake Marquis, whom you killed earlier, was Tear-Chaser King's younger brother."
Azure Kite added.
"I see."
Lu Ming understood, then chuckled.
"I killed the younger one, and now the older one's come looking for me. Fine. Since he's so eager to find me, I might as well send him off to join his brother and spare him the grief of missing him day and night."
His tone was calm, as if he were discussing something trivial.
"Azure Kite, mark the locations of Alien Race experts in the surrounding area."
Lu Ming instructed.
"Let's pick a few 'suitable' targets first."
The virtual screen lit up, clearly displaying the distribution of Alien Race experts within several light-years.
More than a dozen points represented King-Level experts, and there were dozens of Marquis-Level experts. The Monster Race accounted for a considerable portion of them.