Setting Out

When Guan Ning woke up, Hong said, "This manual helped me a great deal. I won't let you go unrewarded."

"That was Thor just now. This manual will be a huge help to him, so don't hold back when the time comes."

Guan Ning could only remain silent. He had no objections to Hong contacting Thor without asking him first. Once he had offered up the manual, what happened to it was no longer his decision.

About half an hour later, a disc-shaped fighter jet landed on the grass at the Elite Training Camp, beside Hong's triangular fighter jet.

"Whose fighter jet is that?"

"Judging by the emblem, it looks like the Thunder Martial Hall's Thor's fighter jet."

"What's he doing here?"

The trainees preparing for their trip began chattering when they saw it. Even the War God instructors and the three Patrol Envoys were curious.

Only Inspector Wang seemed lost in thought as he watched Thor step out of the fighter jet.

"Brother Hong, what's so important that you had to call me over?"

Guan Ning watched a bald young man walk in and plop down on the sofa without a care in the world. He was a little taken aback. He'd known from the original story that Thor was an easygoing man, but seeing it for himself was still surprising.

"Well, if it isn't the little guy known as one of the Twin Stars, Guan Ning?"

Thor gave Guan Ning a thoughtful look.

Hearing himself called a "little guy" and one of the "Twin Stars," Guan Ning's face darkened. I'll wring you dry. Just you wait.

"Take a look."

Hong said nothing more and tossed the black book to Thor.

Thor caught it, initially paying little attention. But the more he read, the more focused and serious he became. The carefree look on his face gave way to a grave expression.

"Flip, flip, flip..."

As the pages turned, Thor's hands began moving as well. Guan Ning's eyes lit up. He had gained some insight from watching Hong demonstrate the technique earlier, and now he had another chance to observe. He watched intently.

But this time, he couldn't grasp anything from it. He didn't know whether the problem was with him or because Thor's understanding wasn't deep enough.

"It's definitely because Thor's understanding isn't deep enough!"

Guan Ning made the declaration with absolute conviction. He refused to admit it was his own fault.

Thor's movements grew slower and slower, and every so often he stopped to think. His progress was slow, but he continued to move forward step by step.

"Crackle!"

A faint flicker of electricity filled the training room. Hong looked surprised, and Guan Ning was even more astonished.

The bald man in white, who had been sitting cross-legged, wore a calm expression. But faint arcs of electricity began to form around him. In moments, the entire training room was filled with the Lightning Domain, electrical snakes darting through the air.

The bald man in white opened his eyes. Faint lightning flickered in his gaze, and a smile touched his lips, as serene as that of a Buddha from Chinese legend.

"So this is a domain?" Thor rose to his feet, unable to believe he had mastered a domain just like that. The hurdle that had held him back for more than a decade had simply crumbled. Even with his state of mind, where heaven and man were one, it still felt unreal. He then looked down at the black book in his hands and asked, "Brother Hong, where did you get this manual?"

Hong pointed at Guan Ning, who was still reeling. After watching Hong and Thor make breakthrough after breakthrough, Guan Ning could barely take any more. This was a domain! Unlike everyone else on Earth, he knew exactly what a domain was. It was precisely because he understood how precious one was that he couldn't accept this.

I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it!

That was exactly how Guan Ning felt at the moment.

"Kid, this manual is a huge help to me. Whatever you want, just ask. Weapons, armor, manuals, treasures—if I can get my hands on it, I'll get it for you."

Thor was curious about where Guan Ning had gotten the manual, but he didn't pry. Everyone had their own secrets, after all, and he spoke with easy generosity.

Hearing Thor's offer, Guan Ning looked at him with a smile. "I don't want much. A Black God Suit, a Qiankun-Class Intelligent Fighter Jet, a Spirit of Vegetation that can improve my physical fitness, and a translated copy of the manual. I'd also like you to guide me—not just with the manual, but with domains too."

"That's all?" Thor looked incredulous—not because it was too much, but because it was too little.

Guan Ning nodded. He knew that compared with mastering a domain, those things were almost nothing. But apart from a few limited items, there was nothing Hong or Thor had that caught his eye.

After all, he was already as strong as an advanced-level War God. Once he took the Spirit of Vegetation, his strength would surely increase greatly. Even if he didn't reach Planetary Level, he wouldn't be far off.

"I want them now," Guan Ning said seriously.

"All right." Thor nodded, then turned to Hong with a grin. "Brother Hong, cover the cost for me for now."

Hong didn't answer. He looked at Guan Ning with a warm smile. "I can give you all of those things. There's no need to trouble Thor. Think about whether there's anything else you want."

Guan Ning thought it over, but couldn't think of anything he needed. "I can't think of anything right now. Can I tell you later if I come up with something, Instructor Lei?"

"Brother Hong, that's not very nice of you!" Thor teased Hong, then nodded. "Sure, I'll be waiting. By the way, just call me Thor from now on. 'Instructor Lei' sounds too formal."

"That manual explains the basics. I broke through after reading it too." Hong smiled.

"You broke through?" Thor exclaimed. "You monster! Was it your understanding or a domain?"

"A domain." After answering Thor, Hong turned to Guan Ning. "The things you asked for will be here soon. The Black God Suit and the Spirit of Vegetation are inside the Smart Fighter Jet."

Hong gave Guan Ning a password, the key to controlling the Smart Fighter Jet. Satisfied, Guan Ning left the building and returned to the lawn. Zhao Ruo and the others were curious about why he had gone to see the instructor, and couldn't help asking, "Xiao Ning, what did you want with the instructor?"

"Yeah, come on, tell us."

Seeing their eager faces, Guan Ning smiled. "Well... I'm not telling you."

"You little rascal! How dare you mess with us?"

When Guan Ning played coy, Zhao Ruo couldn't resist going after him, chasing him all over the place.

Meanwhile, Thor asked with a chuckle, "Brother Hong, do you think that kid's still holding out on us?"

Hong's tone was calm, as if he were above such concerns. "Even if he is, so what?"

Thor chuckled. "Fair enough."

Both of them had devoted themselves to humanity's resurgence. They wouldn't covet Guan Ning's possessions. If anything, they hoped he could grow strong enough to stand alongside them. Then things would be much easier.

After finally finding an excuse to slip away, Guan Ning arrived at a grassy clearing where a triangular fighter jet, dark blue with brown stripes, was parked.

The fighter jet had graceful contours and looked like a work of art. Its body was more than twenty meters long and over ten meters wide, giving it a sturdy, solid appearance.

After his identity was verified, Guan Ning entered the fighter jet. The interior was naturally luxurious, but his attention wasn't on that. It was fixed on a safe.

"The Black God Suit and the Spirit of Vegetation are inside."

Guan Ning's eyes burned with excitement. He opened the safe. Inside lay a black wristband—the Black God Suit. Once he bonded with it using his blood, it could cover his entire body and change shape at will.

There was also a fresh-looking peach, with an instruction booklet beside it. It was a Spirit of Vegetation called the Millennium Flat Peach, which could greatly improve one's physical fitness. The results varied from person to person, and it was only effective for those below Planetary Level.

After checking everything, he closed the safe. It wasn't the right time yet.

At Hongning Base City, the 184 trainees from the Elite Training Camp and the dozen or so War God instructors leading them boarded six buses and left the camp for the airport.

At nine that morning, nearly two hundred people boarded a passenger plane.

The plane left Hongning Base City and flew straight to the Australia Continent in Oceania.

At the airport, Jiang Fang watched the plane grow smaller in the distance. Her gaze turned vacant, as if she'd thought of something. Then she sent a message, looking forlorn.

In the middle of the cabin, three large screens faced different directions, each playing the same video.

"Now that everyone's finished lunch, let's get ready." A middle-aged Chinese man stood beside the screens and pointed to the video. "This is the Australia Continent as it is today. It has the greatest number and density of monsters in the world. Since the Australia Continent is isolated from the rest of the world's landmasses, its land monsters are also quite different from those on other continents."

"There are rat-like monsters and badger-like monsters, and many species differ from those found in Asia, Europe, and elsewhere."

"Before the Great Nirvana Period, the Australia Continent was already famous for its diverse and abundant animal life. After the Great Nirvana, it was home to an immense variety of monsters. Hybridization and mutation have also produced many extremely terrifying monsters. I'm sure most of you have already reviewed plenty of information before coming here."

"The great variety is one factor."

"Another is what the large numbers lead to... King-Level Monsters! If you run into one now, you're practically certain to die. So remember: don't go near places with a high concentration of monsters. And if there are many Lord-Level Monsters around, run as far away as you can."

The middle-aged Chinese man pointed at the screen. "These are some of the common monster packs and Lord-Level Monsters found on the Australia Continent. Take a good look!"

The video continued to play.

Many trainees watched intently.

"Senior Shi Jiang, Junior Luo Feng, Xiao Ning, how about we form a team when we get to the Australia Continent?" Zhao Ruo asked quietly.

Shi Jiang frowned slightly. With his strength, Zhao Ruo would be a burden.

"I'm going alone this time," Luo Feng said.

"Heh..." Guan Ning ignored them. He was staring at a message on his Communication Watch, grinning like an idiot. He hadn't expected to receive a message from Jiang Fang: "Have a safe trip!"

"What are you looking at? Why are you so happy?" Hearing him, Zhao Ruo turned and tried to sneak a peek. Luckily, Guan Ning reacted fast and shut off his watch in time.