At Fatty's words, everyone wore a strange expression.
They looked at Cao Ya, then at the fragments strewn across the ground. Even that enormous chunk of Meteorite Jade had become a toy in Cao Ya's hands.
Cao Ya was still absorbed in studying the Meteorite Jade.
The wondrous things in the world of The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles, such as Meteorite Jade and the Qinling Sacred Tree, interested him most.
Perhaps they could offer some inspiration for his cultivation.
Now that he had it in hand to study, he had yet to achieve any major results, but a preliminary examination had more or less confirmed that Meteorite Jade was a cosmic marvel filled with a peculiar energy.
Exactly what that energy was still required further study. But he had all the time in the world, and he could certainly collect the Meteorite Jade from every location, then cut it all open to study it.
He had to get some results out of it, one way or another.
There was also the Qinling Sacred Tree. Cao Ya decided he would have to find time to make a trip there later.
That sacred tree's powers were equally unusual, no less remarkable than those of Meteorite Jade.
Just as Fatty had predicted, when A Ning, Chen Pi A Si, and the others finally reached the bottom of the Rift Valley after enduring untold hardships, they all stood dumbfounded at the sight of the shattered Bronze Gate and the empty cavern.
Chen Pi A Si was still alive, but all three of his men had died.
Chen Pi A Si expressed regret over splitting off from Cao Ya's group. Unfortunately, it was too late.
Wu Sansheng was injured. He had only just managed to rally his spirits, yet this scene left him dumbfounded too.
What was going on?
Only after Wu Xie and Fatty explained did everyone understand what had happened.
Their account left the group reeling. They looked Cao Ya up and down dubiously, muttering under their breath, "Is this guy really Superman? Or did that bunch fool us?"
A Ning stopped her men from testing him. Things had already come to this; talking any more was pointless. They were better off figuring out how to explain themselves when they returned.
Another reason was the indescribable fear Cao Ya stirred in her.
He seemed like a savage beast from the primordial wilds. Even though he paid no attention to the world outside and only studied the little object in his hands, he still radiated a deadly menace to those around him.
Since she had not witnessed Cao Ya displaying his overwhelming might, A Ning thought that feeling might have been mistaken.
But as she had said, everything was gone. Offending this group now simply was not worth it.
These people were all heavyweights in the tomb-raiding trade. Who knew whether they might work together later?
They returned to the surface through the fissures in the rock, then went their separate ways. A Ning took her team and left immediately.
Wu Sansheng and Chen Pi A Si joined Cao Ya's group.
Of everyone in the group, only Wu Sansheng had not personally witnessed Cao Ya's power. He harbored doubts, but seeing how firmly everyone else believed, he said nothing more.
Whatever the case, Cao Ya was clearly an extraordinary man. It could not hurt to be on good terms with him.
On their way down the mountain, while spending the night at a Border Outpost, Cao Ya entered System Space.
Only his consciousness entered. His body was actually still asleep in the outpost.
A fierce blizzard raged outside, while the group slept soundly within.
Before his consciousness entered System Space, Cao Ya had not bothered setting up any traps. He was not remotely afraid that Chen Pi A Si or anyone else might intend to kill him.
With his physical toughness, never mind the fact that they no longer had a single gun-even if they had guns, those would be useless.
Inside System Space.
There were still ten of them. No newcomers appeared this time.
That made sense. How could newcomers possibly appear so often?
The ten Cao Yas joined hands in a circle and exchanged memories.
The Cao Ya from The Return of the Condor Heroes looked at the Cao Ya from The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles and said with a smile:
"I'm very pleased with the way you handle things. Who cares what organization they belong to? Just bulldoze right through them all."
At those words, the Cao Yas from The Masters of This World, Global Martial Arts, Naruto, and Mysterious Revival all rolled their eyes.
For fuck's sake, of course you could do whatever you wanted in a low-martial world. Try that in a high-martial world. One wrong move and you'd be done for.
Especially in a colossal world like The Masters of This World. Whenever its Cao Ya brought it up... sigh. He hardly even wanted to mention it.
The Cao Ya from Dragon Raja asked:
"What are you planning to do next?"
The Cao Ya from The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles smiled.
"Keep bulldozing through, of course. The chunk of Meteorite Jade in the Queen Mother of the West's Kingdom in Serpent Marsh Ghost City seems to be the biggest. I absolutely have to get my hands on it. This chunk from Changbai Mountain is still a little too small. There's a lot I can't figure out."
"There isn't much I can do, but I ought to contribute something, at least."
The Cao Yas nodded. Whatever world they were in, whether its power ceiling was high or low, their drive to keep working was more or less the same.
No! There was one exception!
The Cao Ya from Detective Conan was lounging lazily. When he noticed the odd looks everyone was giving him, he immediately jolted to his senses and said with a sheepish laugh:
"Don't look at me. My world doesn't have supernatural powers, and its technology is only average. It's not like the Three-Body World. Speaking of which, do you think someone from a high-tech world like that will turn up later?"
It was a clumsy change of subject.
The other Cao Yas were helpless. They all worked hard, but this Cao Ya from the world of Detective Conan never listened, no matter what they said. He was like a salted fish.
The Cao Ya from Global Martial Arts suddenly frowned.
"In the world of The Masters of This World, have Meng Qi and the others already been drawn into Six Reincarnation Space?"
The Cao Ya from The Masters of This World looked grave.
"Yes. I observed Meng Qi while pretending it was just a casual glance. His cultivation really does match what it would be after entering Six Reincarnation Space. And the young Daoist from the Profound Heaven Sect died."
Understanding dawned on the Cao Ya from Dragon Raja.
"You mean that narrow-minded Daoist from the Profound Heaven Sect who went after Meng Qi?"
"Yes."
The Cao Ya from The Masters of This World nodded, then suddenly sighed.
"The Profound Heaven Sect won't let the matter go. All the bickering in the monastery has been getting on my nerves, so I've simply been avoiding the whole thing."
"I don't even know what they're arguing about. Give it a few decades and they'll all be dead. Then there won't be any more arguing."
The Cao Ya from Naruto offered some reassurance.
"Don't worry. We should have newcomers joining us before too long. What if one of them turns out to be a big shot?"
As he spoke, the Cao Ya from Naruto began to laugh.
"Then I can throw my weight around too. Bring the Akatsuki under my control, steamroll the Ninja World, abolish all those daimyo and nobles, and establish a new, unified nation. That'll put us in a better position to deal with the Otsutsuki when they arrive."
The Cao Ya from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils smiled. In the world of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, he was unifying the land, establishing a new nation, spreading martial arts, and instituting reforms and new laws, so that everyone could become a dragon.
He even had a premonition that after some years, perhaps a few decades, the world of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils might begin to ascend to a higher tier.
Would it go from a low-martial world to a mid-martial one?
The Cao Ya from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils sighed with emotion, then asked the Cao Ya from Mysterious Revival:
"Headquarters is about to select its captains, and you're one of the candidates. How confident are you of securing a captain's position? In your world, since you've joined the official organization, becoming a captain means greater authority, more secrets you'll be privy to, and more resources you can mobilize. You should still do everything you can to get that position."
"Only after becoming a leader did I realize just how powerful a nation truly is."
Before you continue