Starry Sky Virtual Platform

As the light drew closer, Zhang Yang grew puzzled. What was that thing?

It clearly wasn't a meteorite. It looked more like a gift box!

There were no planets near Blue Star-or rather, they were too far away for Zhang Yang to sense.

The gift box was delivered precisely to Blue Star's vicinity. Zhang Yang caught it with his mind and pulled it straight into Blue Star.

It was an exquisite gift box. The instant Zhang Yang touched it, a stream of information flowed directly into his mind, clearing up his confusion.

This was a gift from the Cosmic Elders Council's office in the Local Interstellar Cloud!

Like a delivery back on Earth, it had been sent straight to Zhang Yang.

Why had they sent Zhang Yang a gift?

Because life had emerged on Blue Star, and its combat power ranked among the highest in the entire sector. This was a commendation from the Cosmic Elders Council!

He opened the gift box. Inside were two kinds of items: a medal and three cards.

Taking them in order, Zhang Yang picked up the medal first. It glittered gold, and the instant he touched it, light burst out in every direction, scanning the entire planet.

Scan successful. Coordinates confirmed!

Congratulations, Lord of Blue Star! You have placed 921st in the New Star Potential Showcase for the Local Interstellar Cloud region!

Please enter your name. A name can also be randomly generated.

Zhang Yang was somewhat speechless. "Zhang Yang!"

Binding successful! Beginning planetary data conversion!

Planet lord: Zhang Yang

Planet: Blue Star

Status: Peaceful

Level: LV.1 microstar (Planet diameter: 2,000 kilometers. Spend 2,000 energy points to upgrade to LV.2.)

Lifeforms: Wild beasts

Civilization level: 1

Destiny: None (The protagonist species of the planet has not been designated.)

Combat power: 8,471 (Estimated total combat power of all lifeforms on the planet! The combat power cap for a level 1 civilization is 10,000.)

Energy: 100 points (At LV.1, the planet can absorb 1 point of free cosmic energy every ten thousand years.)

Divine cards: 3

Wonders: None

Prayers: 1 (A planet lord can pray once every million years for a chance to receive a gift from the universe.)

Zhang Yang looked at the floating virtual panel. It felt rather like a system's data display.

"Blue Star has been integrated into the Starry Sky Virtual Platform. The host can form a virtual body on the platform and access functions such as chatting, trading, learning, dueling, and declaring war."

"The host planet's civilization is level 1, so you may only operate within the level 1 zone. Lord Zhang Yang, please keep up your efforts and achieve even greater victories!"

As the mechanical voice fell silent, Zhang Yang slowly digested the information he had just received.

So there was a virtual platform that connected the entire universe. He simply hadn't been qualified to enter before.

Looking at the data, he wondered, I ranked 921st in the entire Local Interstellar Cloud?

He had no idea how many participants there were or what civilizations existed. Perhaps he would only find out by logging into the virtual platform?

Zhang Yang picked up the three cards next, and delight immediately welled up within him!

F-Rank Energy Card (Open to receive 500 energy points.)

F-Rank Defense Card (Open to receive a planetary defensive shield that can block one attack with combat power below 10,000.)

F-Rank Skill Card (Grants one species on the planet an F-rank ability. Ability: Beast Taming.)

Beast Taming: An ancient skill that helps a species master beast-taming techniques and understand the language of beasts.

As he looked at the three cards, the clouds in the sky arranged themselves into a round, smiling face.

He opened the energy card first. His balance instantly became 600 points.

Then he opened the defense card. A faint layer of golden light covered Blue Star, capable of blocking one attack with combat power below 10,000.

Basically, it defended against small cosmic meteorites and radiation attacks. Zhang Yang felt it was like a chicken rib-too little meat to enjoy, yet a shame to throw away. Its rank was too low. Small threats needed no defense, while large ones couldn't be stopped.

The greatest surprise was this skill card: Beast Taming!

Once the human race is born, this card... heh heh!

Looking at the plants and animals on land, he decided not to accelerate time for now. He would check out the virtual platform first.

With a shift of his mind, the medal emitted a faint golden light. Zhang Yang felt as though his consciousness were being sucked away, but he didn't resist.

The next second, Zhang Yang appeared before a stretch of land. It was bustling, with creatures all around him.

Their forms varied wildly, manifesting in countless shapes. It felt as though he had entered a fantasy world.

There were beastfolk, lizards, snakefolk, ratfolk, skeletons, elves, undead, goblins, elemental folk...

Were these all forms condensed by the consciousnesses of planet lords?

Why did so many of them have "folk" tacked onto their names, yet there weren't any humans around?

The "folk" names were ones Zhang Yang had come up with himself, because these species had beast-shaped heads but human-shaped lower bodies.

Zhang Yang was puzzled, but he didn't dare ask. For his own manifested form, he chose a bull's head on a human body.

As he walked down the street, he could understand all the noisy chatter around him. Presumably, that was the platform's power at work.

Standing on the virtual platform, Zhang Yang felt rather lost. He slowly wandered off to one side, unsure what to do.

Just then, a voice came from behind him. "Lord Planet Lord, do you need a guide? Just 1 energy point!"

Zhang Yang turned to look. A ratfolk was gazing at him with a fawning expression.

Before he could speak, several more ratfolk darted out, scrambling to offer their services. "Let me serve you! I only charge 0.5 points!"

"0.3 for me!"

"I don't want any energy points!"

The surrounding ratfolk cast scornful looks at a beastman with a pig's head and a human body, then dispersed.

Looking at the fawning pig-headed beastman, Zhang Yang asked in confusion, "Aren't you planet lords?"

The beastman looked at Zhang Yang ingratiatingly. "We're all slaves of planet lords, responsible for earning energy points for them!"

Zhang Yang studied him curiously. "Then how did you know I was a planet lord?"

The beastman pointed at the golden six-pointed star medal on Zhang Yang's chest, and Zhang Yang understood.

He looked back at the beastman, who also wore a badge on his chest. His, however, was round and black, with the word "slave" written on it.

"Then why aren't you asking for payment?"

"I'm too stupid, and I eat a lot. You could buy my whole family, my lord. We're good workers! We just eat a little too much..."

Zhang Yang asked curiously, "What's the price?"

"My Lineage has 1,125 members in total. Just 5 energy points!"

"I'll consider it. Tell me about the virtual platform first!"

The pig-headed beastman said excitedly, "Thank you, my lord! I only need enough food to fill half my belly. I'm a hard worker!"

"You're in the Slave Trading Zone. The slave traders here are all servants of planet lords. Planet lords almost never come here in person."

"The slaves here are all specialty products from defeated planets. They can be bought and sold."

"I've heard the other side is the Planet Lord Trading Zone. We've never been there."

Just as Zhang Yang was about to speak, one of the Tiger-Head People walked over. At the sight of Zhang Yang's medal, he respectfully lowered his head and bowed.

Then he snarled viciously at the pig-headed beastman. "You useless wretch! Thousands of years of sales pitches, and you haven't earned so much as half an energy point! No need to keep pitching now. Your whole family has been bought!"

With a stunned expression on his face, the pig-headed man on the virtual platform slowly faded away.

Watching the scene before him, Zhang Yang felt a chill. He looked at the tiger-headed man and asked in an icy tone, "What's going on?"

One of the Tiger-Head People replied ingratiatingly, "Esteemed Planet Lord, this batch of pigfolk was just purchased. They've lost their status as merchandise, so naturally, they can no longer appear on the virtual platform as goods!"

"They're all cargo, myself included. We were defeated. We're all spoils of war belonging to our new planet lord. All we can do is make ourselves as valuable as possible and contribute what little strength we have to our lord!"

Zhang Yang's virtual body had no physical sensation, yet this place felt a little cold.