The secret art "Natural Disaster"

"I'll arrange for you to venture into the Outer Domain Battlefield. Don't come back to see me until you reach Peak Marquis!"

Yang Hao paused after speaking, then tossed over a World Ring.

"I've had a set of equipment custom-made for you, along with a soul-type valuable treasure and some secret arts," Yang Hao said.

"Your talent may not be exceptional, but being only an army lord Immortal means you haven't come close to realizing its full potential. This isn't your limit."

"Go, Qian Ming. Don't disappoint your father." Yang Hao waved a hand and dismissed him.

"I won't disappoint you, Father!" A glimmer of determination appeared in Qian Ming's eyes.

Qian Ming's strength was currently only six or seven hundred times World Lord power. That was respectable among ordinary Immortals, but with a Venerable for a father, his cultivation was still far too low.

At a thousand times World Lord power, he could barely qualify as a Marquis. Reaching Peak Marquis, however, required nearly ten thousand times World Lord power.

In other words, Qian Ming would have to grow more than ten times stronger before he could return.

I've already done enough for Qian Ming, Yang Hao thought.

Like his disciple Huiyun, Qian Ming had custom-made secret arts, a combat equipment set worth nearly as much as a valuable treasure, and a soul-type valuable treasure to protect him.

"The Outer Domain Battlefield may be dangerous, but I've equipped them with combat sets that even King Rank experts don't possess. I hope they won't disappoint me."

After dealing with his disciple and the son he had inherited, he delegated the affairs of the Qian Wu Universe Country to his subordinates, found a secluded place, and began creating a secret art.

"For my new secret art, I need to create something at least at the Top Universe Overlord level to have any real combat strength. Improving it to the pinnacle or even ultimate level afterward will require not only countless years, but countless battles as well." Yang Hao did not aim unrealistically high.

Creating an Ultimate Secret Technique in one go was impossible in a short time. Now that the Primal Star had opened, there was no shortage of treasures.

If he spent countless years in secluded cultivation all at once, the Primal Star would have closed by the time he emerged. Missing an entire Primal Star era would be a joke.

"The Primal Star stays open for a thousand eras, and it has only just opened. I can spend five hundred eras in secluded cultivation at most..." Yang Hao worked through his plans.

He set that limit because Yang Hao could not afford to waste the constant opportunities for battle on the Primal Star. A secret art needed continuous combat to be perfected.

"Five hundred eras in seclusion, five hundred eras in battle. Let's begin!" Yang Hao closed his eyes and began reviewing everything from the beginning.

Creating a Universe Overlord-level secret art was naturally extraordinarily difficult.

Simply recalling how Qian Wu had created his Ultimate Secret Technique and drawing lessons from that experience took a great deal of time.

He took out the Tooth of Hunyu and studied the secret patterns on it. His new secret art would be tailored to the Tooth of Hunyu to achieve greater power.

Time flowed on, and a hundred eras passed in the blink of an eye.

"Progress is faster than I expected. Perhaps it's because my comprehension has improved." Yang Hao nodded to himself.

After a hundred eras, the secret art was halfway complete.

Rather than continuing to develop it, he sent a sliver of his consciousness into the Virtual Universe.

Reviewing Huiyun's and Qian Ming's performance over the past hundred eras, he found that they had done fairly well.

Although Huiyun had not broken through to become an Immortal, she had already killed Immortals in battle.

Fifty eras earlier, relying on her exceptionally powerful equipment set and an Ultimate Secret Technique she had created herself, she had even killed a Marquis-level Immortal, albeit only a High-level Marquis Immortal.

After all, she was no extraordinary genius. Killing a Marquis-level Immortal above her own realm was already an excellent achievement, even with a combat set comparable in value to a valuable treasure.

After spending sixty eras in the Outer Domain Battlefield, completing the military merit target set by the Virtual Universe, and creating her own World Lord Level Ultimate Secret Technique, Huiyun retired from the battlefield.

The World Lord Level was the stage at which one could comprehend laws most quickly. She could not waste that time, so after finding a secluded place, she began cultivating in seclusion.

This disciple of mine isn't exceptionally talented, but she has taken each step of her cultivation steadily. Once she becomes an Immortal, reaching King Rank should only be a matter of time, Yang Hao thought.

With his help, he could not guarantee that Huiyun would become a Venerable, but becoming a King Level Immortal was a certainty.

Qian Ming's performance was somewhat worse. Having spent so long taking things easy, he had performed poorly when he first arrived at the Outer Domain Battlefield. Without equipment good enough to protect him, he might have died several times over in those early days.

Fortunately, as time passed and he spent long enough on the Outer Domain Battlefield, he regained his feel for combat, and his strength began to improve slowly.

After a hundred eras, he was close to reaching High-level Marquis, with Immortal power approaching three thousand times World Lord power.

Since Qian Ming's talent was rather average, reaching King Rank through his own efforts was not particularly realistic.

Even with Yang Hao's help, he would need a great deal of time to become a King Level Immortal expert.

If Yang Hao followed Shi Huo Venerable's example and spoiled his son excessively, giving him treasures that even Venerable Level experts would covet to refine and absorb, he would only be harming him.

Growing stronger required more than external treasures; it also depended on one's own strength. A smith had to be strong himself to forge iron. Only by nurturing him steadily, one step at a time, would there be a chance of raising him to greater heights.

I can't give them high marks, or they might get arrogant. I can't give them low marks either, or they might get discouraged. So I'll give them middling marks, Yang Hao thought with a smile.

The Outer Domain Battlefield was extraordinarily dangerous. Surviving there for dozens of eras was already a respectable achievement.

"In that case, I have nothing to worry about. I'll finish creating my secret art first." Yang Hao withdrew that sliver of consciousness from the Virtual Universe and resumed developing his secret art.

Another hundred eras passed.

"Ha ha! My Top Universe Overlord-level secret art is complete!" Yang Hao laughed, his voice echoing throughout the void.

"I'll name this Top Universe Overlord-level secret art Natural Disaster. It has three moves, which I'll call Tsunami, Earthquake, and Volcano!"

In naming these three moves, Yang Hao hoped his secret art would be like the natural disasters he had known on Earth: astonishingly destructive, inspiring fear and dread.

"Although its ultimate power falls short of the Ultimate Secret Technique I used before, this art was created specifically for the Mixed Jade Fang, so it won't be much weaker. And I can keep improving it."

All in all, it had tremendous potential!

"Hmm, two hundred eras. More than two million years." Yang Hao sank into thought.

Sure enough, in the Swallowed Star universe, time was the least valuable thing of all.

Two hundred eras had only allowed him to scratch the surface of Natural Disaster. Reaching the level of an Ultimate Secret Technique would require countless battles and endless years.

"I'll strive to raise Natural Disaster to a pinnacle Universe Overlord secret art before the Primal Star closes!"

Yang Hao finished putting everything in order. Huiyun was still comprehending the Space Law. A World Lord Level cultivator had a lifespan of a thousand eras, and two hundred eras was only a fifth of that. There was no need to rush.

Qian Ming was still some distance from becoming a Peak Marquis Immortal. Given his talent, improving would only grow harder the further he advanced.

"My strength... is still far too weak. Building a force of my own will be a long, difficult road!" Yang Hao clenched his fist and spoke in a low voice.

Naturally, he was nurturing his disciple and Qian Ming to strengthen his own forces and gain greater influence in the future.

Even though he was known as the Qian Wu Country Lord, Yang Hao did not have absolute authority within the Qian Wu Universe Country.

"Hmph! The slave trade spanning more than a thousand Universe Countries is backed by a supreme expert. Once my strength reaches the Top Universe Overlord level..."

As the ruler of the Qian Wu Universe Country, he knew the slave trade had infiltrated every corner of his country.

An interstellar age, yet they were still conducting triangular trade as though it were the old colonial era? How ironic.

I'm feeling unwell today, so I'm only posting one chapter. I'll make up for it later.