Ecological Stream!

Tamu Star, the main administrative city.

Yang Zheng strode out of the Virtual Universe Company lobby with two guards in tow.

The most important first step in making contact with the wider universe was opening an account in the Virtual Universe. Only through that "miraculous" Virtual Universe could he communicate with countless races.

"Babata!"

After leaving the Virtual Universe Company, Yang Zheng called out to Babata in his mind, but received no response.

"Hey, Babata. Hey, hey..."

Yang Zheng's expression darkened. After opening his account, he had entered the Virtual Universe once, and Babata had gone in with him as his Virtual Universe assistant.

He had come out now.

But Babata had probably gone off to spend money on games. After all, the most important business of this space voyage was already finished. They only needed to wait thirty days before returning to Earth.

"Forget it!"

"You've been cooped up for too long, too!"

Yang Zheng shook his head. Ever since Hu Yanbo's death, Babata, as an intelligent life, had been unable to cultivate or go outside. There had been practically nothing to do except endure the tedium of playing alone...

Going fifty thousand years without losing one's mind was impressive enough to earn Yang Zheng's admiration.

With two Cosmic Level Third Order slave guards in tow, Yang Zheng wandered the streets, taking in their exotic sights.

Miniature ecological vehicles flowed through the streets like glowing streams, serving much the same purpose as Earth's subways and buses.

There was one difference, however.

These Ecological Stream vehicles had no designated starting points or final stops. Instead, they spread throughout the main administrative city, dividing it up like a dense spiderweb.

Hum...

Copying the pedestrians around him, Yang Zheng reached out and lightly touched the faintly glowing stream.

The next moment, a gentle force tugged at his body. It was not particularly strong; even an Apprentice Level cultivator or an ordinary person could break free.

He did not resist.

Yang Zheng let it pull him into a separate space. Before him appeared an overhead map of the entire city, along with a prompt asking him to select his destination.

"It's fast!"

Yang Zheng could clearly feel how fast the Ecological Stream moved, and it never stopped flowing. In those few seconds alone, he had already circled the entire city several times.

"To Qianling District!"

He quickly selected his destination on the overhead map. The next moment, Yang Zheng was drawn out of the space and appeared on a street in Qianling District.

Turning to look back, he saw the glowing Ecological Stream fade again. It would only become fully visible when a passenger touched it.

"This really is a convenient way to get around!"

Yang Zheng was very pleased with the Ecological Stream, but he also knew that this unusual form of transportation probably depended on the planet's unique giant-tree environment. It would not work on other planets.

"Qianling District. Time for a shopping spree!"

His starting funds, Universe Level slaves, the Stellar Defense System, and his Virtual Universe account were all taken care of. With the important business finished, he could start buying cultivation supplies.

"Pure Wood Liquid, suitable for improving Planetary Level physical fitness, with no aftereffects..."

"I'll take a hundred tonnes!"

"Heavenly Breath Beacon Smoke, which helps Planetary Level cultivators break through to Star Level."

"I'll take all of it!"

"A Tier 3 Telekinetic Weapon, the Azure Light Shuttle."

"I'll take it!"

"Two sets of the Tier 3 Force Battle Suit."

"I'll take both!"

"Blue Radiance Fruit, a Star Level cultivation resource."

"I'll take a hundred."

"..."

With money in his pocket, Yang Zheng went on a buying frenzy, eager to turn all his wealth into strength.

Time passed. Twenty days later.

The Stellar Defense System he had ordered arrived. Yang Zheng took time out of his cultivation to receive the shipment at the Ring Spaceport: a transport fleet of twenty-two ships, each ten thousand meters long.

Yang Zheng paid the remaining balance. The transport fleet was included as a gift, and Babata took control of it directly.

A few more days passed before the Universe Level slaves he had ordered finally arrived. There were two hundred in total: ninety at Universe Level 8 and one hundred and ten at the seventh order, plus the two third-order slaves he had bought earlier.

A total of 202 Universe Level slaves.

"Babata, set a course back to Earth."

Inside the Black Dragon Spaceship's command room, Yang Zheng gave the order in a relaxed mood. This trip had secured enough funds to begin his cultivation and the Universe Level slaves he needed. The crises posed by the Golden Horned Beast and the Nuolan Shan family could now be readily resolved.

Whoosh!

The Black Dragon Spaceship lifted off and left the Ring Spaceport. Behind it, the fleet of twenty-two transport ships departed as well, under Babata's control.

The Virtual Universe, the Killing Field.

On an endless grassland, Yang Zheng wore a white battle suit and wielded a battle blade, locked in a furious fight with another warrior in a white battle suit.

Their physical fitness, spiritual force, consciousness, weapons, and everything else were identical. What mattered now was who had more experience, and who could push further in battle.

Opponents could be configured in the Killing Field.

If he configured an opponent who surpassed him slightly in one particular aspect, that opponent could serve as a teacher. This was enormously beneficial to Yang Zheng's Cultivation Progress Bar.

The hardest part of using the progress bar was "lighting it up"-that crucial first step.

For secret techniques that were difficult to master, he could configure an opponent who had just grasped the basics, then fight that opponent repeatedly, constantly adjusting, learning, and observing.

As long as he could light up the progress bar, he had achieved his goal.

Slash!

At last, the battle shifted. A gleam of blade light swept across the world, cleaving the white-clad warrior in two.

[Shadowless Light and Shadow Basic Chapter] (100%)

Over the twenty-odd days of the return journey, he had remained in the Virtual Universe's Killing Field, using its opponents to hone his combat strength. Besides mastering the Shadowless Light and Shadow Basic Chapter blade technique, he had made other gains.

He had achieved minor mastery in all the Basic Nine Techniques of the Control Chapter, pushing the illuminated progress bar to 90%. Only when he achieved major mastery in all nine would the Basic Nine Techniques be fully mastered.

He had also made progress in other areas.

[Force Amplitude] (27%)

[Mental Power Amplitude] (20%)

[Movement Artistic Conception Level] (100%)

[Control Nine Techniques] (90%)

[Soul Seal Basic Chapter] (40%)

Basic Nine Techniques, minor mas-

-tery had greatly expanded Yang Zheng's spiritual force attacks. He could form an iron plate to smash enemies or fine needles to pierce them. These abilities completely encompassed his previous "Spirit Thorn."

"Now, the key is a domain!"

Yang Zheng assessed his current condition. As long as he comprehended the Light Domain, his strength could rise another level.

The Killing Field.

Don't let me down.

"Configure an opponent using my strength as the template. Give me someone who has just acquired the Light Domain."

The moment Yang Zheng finished speaking, his surroundings changed into a city that had lain abandoned for years. A white-clad figure holding a battle blade suddenly appeared atop a distant high-rise.

Hum...

A black domain spread out like the territory of a god, instantly enveloping everything within several hundred meters.