Small Secret Realm

Lu Ming did not stand on ceremony in the slightest.

The two traded toasts, and the "Star Tear Wine" that He Ya kept in his private collection packed quite a punch; after a few pots, even their Domain Lord-level physiques felt a sense of exhilaration.

"Tsk tsk, you old dog, your tolerance has really gone up since you broke through to Domain Lord!"

He Ya watched as Lu Ming downed another cup without changing his expression, his lips smacking in feigned heartache.

"This 'Star Tear Wine' of mine isn't cheap, you know. I've definitely taken a loss on you today!"

Lu Ming laughed heartily and was about to speak when the smart optical computer on He Ya's wrist suddenly emitted a soft but urgent chime.

He Ya glanced down at the message popping up on the screen, his brows arching slightly as a strange expression crossed his face.

Lu Ming drained the remaining wine in his cup and asked casually, "What is it? Looking at your face, is it good news or trouble?"

He Ya looked up, his eyes fixed on Lu Ming with a mixture of envy, speechlessness, and amusement. "Tell me, Lu Ming, did you use up ninety thousand years of accumulated luck all at once when you broke through to Domain Lord? This kind of blind luck is just ridiculous!"

Lu Ming was taken aback by his words. He set down his glass and asked in confusion, "What blind luck? Speak clearly."

He Ya turned the screen of his smart optical computer toward Lu Ming, which displayed a brief, encrypted message: "Just received an urgent transmission from Little San. He accidentally discovered a small cosmic secret realm on the edge of the Dark Cloud Star Belt! Judging by the energy fluctuations and the stability of the entrance, it looks like a brand-new, unexplored realm!"

He retracted his wrist and looked at Lu Ming, his tone tinged with emotion. "Tsk tsk, a small secret realm! Even if the risks are unknown, it means there could be treasures naturally birthed by the universe inside, or perhaps even ancient legacies! How many Domain Lords and World Lords break their heads trying to find an opportunity like this? And yet? Little San contacted me the moment he found it, and of course, he didn't leave you out. This realm appeared on the edge of your Qing Yang Empire's territory—if this isn't blind luck, what is?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming's heart stirred. He knew exactly what a cosmic secret realm signified.

It was synonymous with both opportunity and danger.

The value of an unexplored small secret realm could far exceed the two weapons and armor sets he had just sold!

Of course, it might also be worthless; it was just like opening a blind box.

Just then, the cold voice of Lu Ming's smart life, Azure Luan, echoed in his mind: "Master, an encrypted email has been received from 'Domain Lord Carlos,' marked as urgent."

Carlos was the "Little San" in He Ya's words, a lone Domain Lord who was on good terms with both Lu Ming and He Ya.

Lu Ming and He Ya exchanged a look, both seeing the same realization in the other's eyes.

Sure enough.

He Ya chuckled. "See? Speak of the devil. So, old Lu, are you interested in going to explore this realm together? Little San might be slippery, but he's reliable when it comes to things like this."

A sharp glint flashed in Lu Ming's eyes. He had been worrying about where to find precious items for his sacrifices, and this secret realm had practically delivered itself to his doorstep!

"Of course I'm interested."

A curve formed at the corner of Lu Ming's mouth.

"I've been in seclusion for so many years that my bones were starting to rust. It's the perfect time to stretch my limbs."

"Haha, good! Then I'll reply to Little San right now and count us both in!"

He Ya appeared quite excited.

"It seems you came to Horned Dragon Planet at just the right time! Let's go, we can talk more in detail at my place; Little San should have already sent over the preliminary survey data."

The two set down their cups, their figures flashed, and they left Lu Ming's palace, heading toward the Planet Lord's residence.

They arrived at a quiet room deep within He Ya's even more magnificent and luxurious mansion.

He Ya activated his optical computer and projected the encrypted data sent by Carlos.

There wasn't much data, mostly a few clips of footage and energy spectrum analyses.

The footage showed a deep, desolate asteroid belt where space was abnormally distorted, with a shimmering, water-like entrance about a hundred meters in diameter flickering in and out of existence.

The energy spectrum showed that the entrance was emitting chaotic but vibrant cosmic origin energy fluctuations, consistent with the characteristics of a newly born small secret realm.

"Looking at this energy level, the internal space of the realm shouldn't be too large. I estimate it's about the size of a star system."

He Ya analyzed.

"The energy properties are relatively mild, so my preliminary judgment is that the danger level might not be too high, but no one knows what it's actually like inside until we go in."

Carlos mentioned in his message that he had found the realm purely by accident; he had been tracking a group of space pirates and had only noticed the spatial anomaly after straying into that area.

After his initial probe confirmed the entrance was temporarily stable, he immediately locked down the news, notifying only a few trusted old friends, including Lu Ming and He Ya, as well as two other Domain Lords they often collaborated with.

"Besides us, Little San also called Man Ji and Shadow Shuttle."

He Ya added.

"They're all old partners we know inside and out, their strength is decent, and they know the rules."

Lu Ming nodded. He knew Man Ji and Shadow Shuttle as well; one was a Domain Lord with immense strength, and the other was a Universe-level rank 9 expert skilled in stealth and reconnaissance. Adding Carlos, himself, and He Ya, the configuration of this temporary squad was quite reasonable.

"No time to lose."

Lu Ming looked at the secret realm entrance in the projection and said decisively.

"We should set off immediately."

He Ya expressed his full agreement. "Exactly. When a cosmic secret realm emerges, it's like lighting a campfire in a dark forest. Even if we've shielded it for now, if too much time passes, the energy fluctuations will spread, and it will be hard to hide from powerful detection instruments or passing experts. We must get in and grab the benefits before anyone else finds out!"

In cosmic exploration, timing is often fleeting.

Once news of the secret realm leaked and attracted World Lord-level powerhouses or certain major factions, then Domain Lords like them would likely not even get to drink the soup.

"I am ready to depart at any time."

He Ya looked toward Lu Ming.

"Same here."

Lu Ming was concise and to the point.

He had just sold his treasures.

He had a significant amount of money on him that he hadn't yet had the chance to convert into resources.

But there was no time left now, and he remained quite confident in his current strength.

It was more than enough to handle this operation!

"Good! Then I will immediately contact Little San, Man Ji, and Shadow Shuttle, and arrange to meet at 'Ash Planet' on the outskirts of the Dark Cloud Star Belt!"

He Ya was decisive and swift, quickly sending out messages via his smart optical computer.

Soon, the others all replied to confirm they had received the message and would head to the rendezvous point as quickly as possible.

"Let's go, old Lu!"

He Ya stood up, his eyes flickering with a hint of excitement.

"Let's see what kind of harvest we can get this time!"

Lu Ming also stood up; beneath his calm expression, his heart was slightly stirred as well.

As his first operation since breaking through to the Domain Lord realm, it was only natural to feel a bit impatient.

Two streaks of light instantly shot out of the Lord's Mansion, flying straight toward the outer space of Horned Dragon Planet.

He Ya's ship was the "Silver Shuttle," a D6-grade vessel with a silver-gray body and sharp, aggressive lines, which was a notch faster than Lu Ming's "Azure Bird."

"Board my ship; it's faster."

He Ya invited him.

Lu Ming did not stand on ceremony; he stowed away his Azure Bird and entered the Silver Shuttle together with He Ya.

Hum—

The Silver Shuttle's engines emitted a low roar, instantly accelerating to the speed of light, diving into the dark universe, and speeding off in the direction of the Dark Cloud Star Belt.