Invitation

"The Dusk-Yellow Art is truly difficult to cultivate!" Chen Beixun thought to himself, eyes closed.

The twelfth crystal in his mind was gradually taking shape!

Boom!

The crystal suddenly shattered!

The condensation of the twelfth crystal had failed!

"Hoo~" Chen Beixun let out a long breath. He seemed accustomed to this and felt no discouragement.

"Time to change locations for cultivation." Chen Beixun stood up, transformed into a stream of light, and flew into the sky, beginning to search for a suitable—or rather, a more pleasing—place to practice.

The sun hung high, radiating light upon the world.

In the northern continent of Dili Planet, amidst a strange complex of buildings resembling a megalithic stone circle at the heart of the Yelun Clan's territory, a cold and eerie white vapor rose. It curled upward like cooking smoke, eventually coalescing into a massive dark cloud in the sky that obscured the sun.

The people of the Yelun Clan were long accustomed to this and continued their lives as usual.

Chen Beixun rose from the floor paved with pitch-black stone slabs and looked up at the dark clouds extending toward the horizon. He held a small Ice Domain Crystal in his hand. Once he absorbed the final trace of energy from it, he tossed it aside and transformed into a white streak of light, shooting toward the sky.

"Flame Star Behemoth, what is the current situation?" Chen Beixun communicated directly with the Flame Star Behemoth through his soul.

The Flame Star Behemoth, slumbering deep within a star, lifted its head and responded, "I have reached the Universe level five."

Aside from cultivating, Chen Beixun spent his time in awkward conversations with Luoduo and the Flame Star Behemoth; it was incredibly dull.

A few days ago, he had managed to contact the Immortal spirit Li Di, who had already recommended him to become an internal member of the Virtual Universe Company. Unlike external members, internal members did not enjoy the same freedom and were subject to strict restrictions in many aspects.

Chen Beixun passed through layers of haze and flew toward a black spaceship. This ship had been a gift from Li Di; it was constructed entirely of D9-grade metal, sufficient for use for a very long time.

With a thought from Chen Beixun, the ship's hatch opened, and he flew inside.

The Ghostly World Lord Realm is about to open. As one of the few who escaped back then, many people must have been inquiring about me over the past few decades. I must make plans as soon as possible, Chen Beixun thought.

At the same time...

26.9 billion kilometers away from Demon Island Planet.

A 1,250-meter-long Mechanical Clan spaceship was traveling through the starry sky.

Inside the ship, Luote Tejie'er sat upright on a long bench, eyes closed in thought.

This Chen Beixun transformed into an internal member of the Virtual Universe Company in just a few days and even has connections with a powerful Marquis-level Immortal. Conventional methods will not work.

After all, Luote Tejie'er was an expatriate minister of the Virtual Universe Company; his every word and action represented the company. For one of their own to suppress another? That would only make them a laughingstock to other factions.

Luote Tejie'er furrowed his brows. He had long heard of the treasures within the Ghostly World Lord Realm, but all critical information was held by the Giant Axe Arena and the Universe Mercenary Alliance. Most of those who had emerged from the World Lord Realm back then had been poached by those two major powers.

One had to understand that those participating in the treasure hunt were merely representative organizations; for instance, the Luote Family represented the Virtual Universe Company. The major powers only observed and maintained order.

This Chen Beixun! Luote Tejie'er's eyes flashed like lightning. According to his original plan, Chen Beixun was merely a pathfinder for treasure hunting, a disposable sacrifice.

How on earth did you manage to latch onto a Marquis-level Immortal?

If I were a member of the Primal Secret Realm, I would have the authority to command him as I pleased.

But the qualification battles are still a thousand years away! Luote Tejie'er rubbed his forehead.

As one of the top experts in the Taichu Secret Realm, Luote Tejie'er naturally had a chance to compete for a spot in the Primal Secret Realm. But that was a matter for another day.

Time waits for no one. I can trade with him to exchange for useful intelligence. Given my status, I hope he knows what's good for him, Luote Tejie'er thought.

On a mountain peak on Dili Planet.

At this moment, Chen Beixun was bewildered by a sudden influx of a massive number of emails.

I've already received hundreds of emails. This is a huge problem! Chen Beixun tugged at his hair, not daring to delay his thinking for a moment; time was of the essence now.

There were eight emails of importance to him. The Giant Axe Arena had sent the most, totaling three, followed by the Universe Mercenary Alliance with two, and then the Virtual Universe Company, the Tianchen Empire, and the Luote Family.

The influence of the Luote Family was particularly vast; it could not be ignored.

Chen Beixun had no intention of going to the Ghostly World Lord Realm to seize treasures, but he possessed information about it. It was obvious what the major powers would do.

Caught between these major factions, Chen Beixun was swept up in this torrent. It was like being forced to mount a horse; he had to do it whether he wanted to or not.

Although it is limited to the Universe level, I cannot bring my Demon Island Vine inside, Chen Beixun felt a wave of bitterness. This was one of the primary reasons he did not want to go.

First, without the Demon Island Vine, his defensive and offensive capabilities would drop significantly.

Second, he was currently only at the Universe level six, and his comprehension of the origin laws was not high. The World Lord Realm was filled with Universe level nine experts, and even those with much higher comprehension of the origin laws.

Going meant facing immense danger. Not going? They wouldn't let him refuse. The major organizations had plenty of ways to force his hand!

If only I had a clone! Chen Beixun shook his head in frustration.

Beep—

Chen Beixun raised his arm to check it, a bitter expression appearing on his face as he chuckled, "It seems I have no choice but to go."

He split off a strand of consciousness to enter the Virtual Universe.

Virtual Universe, Tianchen Island.

Beneath a pavilion crafted from what looked like white jade, a man with a hooked nose, long beard, purple hair, and crimson eyes sat face-to-face with a black-haired man wearing a bitter smile.

"I can help you prepare a fifteen-man guard team, all of whom have yet to cross the threshold of the Laws."

"What do you think?" Li Di asked.

Chen Beixun pondered for a few breaths to organize his words. "What is the mission objective?"

Upon hearing this, Li Di stroked his long beard and spoke, "A secret technique. That secret technique looks like a small silver-gray cube."

What kind of secret technique could make the organization go to such great lengths? Chen Beixun felt as if ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his mind.

It wouldn't be the Twilight Art, would it?!

Chen Beixun pursed his lips, and after some thought, he spoke cautiously, "Just one secret technique?"

"Yes. This secret technique appeared only once in the World Lord world, and it nearly triggered an Immortal-level war."

"Alright, don't ask about things beyond that. Once you've considered it clearly, you can send me an email," Li Di said, then immediately logged out of the Virtual Universe.

Chen Beixun slammed his fist onto the stone table in front of him in frustration, cursing inwardly, "Damn it."

I need to organize the current situation. Chen Beixun thought to himself, his hand brushing his forehead and sweeping his hair back to the nape of his neck before scratching it a few times. He then called out, "Chunqiu, please help me gather intelligence on the major factions."

A snail appeared out of thin air in front of him and shouted, "Understood, Boss!"

It then vanished.

Seeing the other party leave, Chen Beixun fell into deep thought once more.

A secret technique that appeared?

It seems it isn't the Twilight Art. The Twilight Art was discovered in the space ring of a cosmic powerhouse killed by the Demon Island Vine.

Thinking of this, Chen Beixun let out a long sigh, and a few seconds later, he exited the Virtual Universe.

Dili Planet, still on that same mountain peak.

Chen Beixun rubbed his chin and said, "I need to prepare."

A few days later...

Dili Planet, still on that same mountain peak.

Yes, he just liked this place.

He stood at the summit, gazing into the distance as a streak of fiery red in the east devoured the dark blue sky, eventually forming an arc. The arc transitioned in color from the inside out. The armor on his body was no longer scarlet, replaced instead by black alloy armor.

"The World Lord world will open in a month."

Thinking of this, Chen Beixun could not help but feel a boundless sense of resentment.

The word "Calm" repeated in Chen Beixun's mind several times, and his gaze turned back to the horizon, where a ball of fire now hung in the east.

"Sigh, whether before or after transmigrating, I've never seen a sunrise with my own eyes." Chen Beixun could not help but feel a sense of loss.

It was rare to have the leisure and elegance to come to the mountaintop to watch the sunrise, but now he could only return.

"Next time, then," Chen Beixun said, then shrugged his shoulders and turned into a streak of light, departing.

28 days until the opening of the World Lord world.

Tianwen Planet, underground world, inside Qinggan Palace.

"Normally speaking, there is a high probability that this unknown secret technique will end up in an auction," Qishan said calmly.

"An auction?" Chen Beixun rubbed his chin, pondering the term in his mind. "Why do treasures always end up in auctions?"

"How is your training in the 'Starry Sky Tower' coming along?" Qishan asked.

"I'm still some distance away from the first level. Give me ten days or so," Chen Beixun said.

Qishan nodded and said, "Once you master the first level, dealing with ordinary illusion attacks will be a breeze."

"This trip is fraught with danger, so do not be careless!"

The 'Starry Sky Tower' in the Emperor Jing clan treasury was only an incomplete fragment; the full version was in Qishan's hands.

Beep-beep--!

Chen Beixun looked at his arm, somewhat puzzled. "What is it, Chunqiu?"

"Master! Someone has sent you the full list of organizations participating in the treasure hunt!"

"Ah!" Chen Beixun was somewhat surprised, then immediately projected it...