Swallowed Star World.
Ganwu Universe Country, Black Dragon Mountain Starfield, Purple Radiance Empire, Water Dragon Planet.
It was a life-bearing planet roughly thirty-five thousand kilometers in diameter, named for the waters covering more than sixty percent of its surface and its abundant deposits of the B9 Grade metal dragon iron essence.
Thirty thousand meters above the surface, an interstellar port floated amid a sea of clouds.
Thousands upon thousands of interstellar transports and private spacecraft of all shapes shuttled through the port, coming and going.
As they took off and landed, their thunderous roar resounded through the heavens, displaying the prosperity of the interstellar age.
On Water Dragon Planet's Central Continent stood the planet's most prosperous main city-Dragon Abyss City.
At the very center of the city stood a magnificent palace, the residence of Water Dragon Planet's lord-Dragon Abyss Hall.
Inside a secluded cultivation chamber in the deepest part of Dragon Abyss Hall, Chu Yuan sat cross-legged in his battle armor, suspended half a meter above the floor.
His eyes were closed and his expression calm. As he circulated his genetic origin energy, masses of flame erupted from his body and danced wildly through the air.
A Wood Bud Crystal floated before him, and with each breath, Chu Yuan drew its energy into his body.
After absorbing the energy, the nine planets within his sea of consciousness abruptly spun faster. The gravitational fields between them strengthened continuously, faintly forming a subtle balance.
Suddenly, the nine planets shuddered violently, and a dazzling golden light erupted at their center.
Immediately afterward, a miniature star, blazing hot throughout and radiating endless light and heat, was born out of thin air!
The instant the star was born, genetic origin energy several times more powerful than that of Planetary Level Nine erupted from Chu Yuan, sweeping through the entire chamber.
He absorbed the final trace of energy from the Wood Bud Crystal. Within his sea of consciousness, the nine planets began orbiting the star in a regular pattern, fully forming a miniature stellar system!
"I finally broke through!"
Chu Yuan opened his eyes and clenched his fists, distinctly sensing the evolution of his level of life.
He had successfully broken through from Planetary Level Nine to Stellar Level One!
Breaking through from the Planetary Level to the Star Level was a tremendous leap in one's level of life.
The most fundamental change was lifespan.
His lifespan had increased from its original 1,000 years to years.
"Thirty years since I transmigrated here, and I've finally reached the Star Level."
There was a measure of emotion in Chu Yuan's voice.
Thirty years ago, he had transmigrated into the Swallowed Star World. He had not become an Earthling, and he did not even know whether humans had emerged on Earth yet.
He had become a direct descendant of the Leinuo Family in the Purple Radiance Empire, a low-tier Universe Country within the Black Dragon Mountain Starfield of Ganwu Universe Country.
The Leinuo Family was the second-largest power in the Purple Radiance Empire, second only to the imperial family, with fifteen Universe Level experts among its ranks.
Ancestor Leinuo, who had founded the family, was a Universe Level 9 Giant Axe Warrior with extraordinarily powerful combat strength.
Chu Yuan's father was also one of the family's Universe Level experts, possessing the strength of Universe Level 7.
As the biological son of a Universe Level expert, he held a distinguished status and had enjoyed uniquely favorable cultivation conditions since childhood.
But his talent was not particularly good. He had begun cultivating at three and taken a full twenty-seven years to reach the Star Level. His chances of reaching the Universe Level in this lifetime were slim.
Still, his father treated him quite well. Once he came of age, his father had transferred Water Dragon Planet directly into his name, making him a Planet Lord.
The status of Planet Lord might seem glamorous to outsiders, but Chu Yuan did not think it was anything particularly impressive.
After all, in the Swallowed Star World, experts were as numerous as the stars. A mere Planet Lord was hardly anyone important.
He merely ruled a population of a few tens of billions, with only a little over a thousand Planetary Level slaves under his command.
As for beautiful concubines, he had only a few hundred. He could not even remember their names and merely indulged himself occasionally.
After too many nights of music and revelry, life inevitably grew dull.
Chu Yuan had grown weary of these vulgar things. What he truly wanted was incomparably powerful strength.
He did not want to simply eat his fill and wait for death, muddling through ten thousand years of life.
He wanted to keep growing stronger, breaking through to the Universe Level, then even the Domain Lord Level and World Lord Level, ultimately becoming an Immortal Expert with an eternal lifespan.
Unfortunately, his talent could not bring his goals within reach.
"Forget it. All of that is too far off. I broke through to the Star Level today, so I have to celebrate properly."
"Which beauty's tablet should I turn over tonight? Should I choose that Light Crystal Race beauty or that Dream Cloud Race beauty? Or both together?"
"Too many girls. It's so hard to choose."
Chu Yuan had his personal AI, Feiluan, open the roster. Looking at the hundreds of girls available, he felt terribly troubled for a moment.
Just then, a crisp electronic voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
"Ding-"
[Detected that the host has successfully broken through to Stellar Level One, meeting system requirements. Infinite Fortuitous Encounter Exploration System activated.]
Chu Yuan shuddered, his expression stunned.
A system?
Was it the kind of system he was thinking of?
Or had his AI developed a bug?
"Feiluan, was that you speaking?"
Chu Yuan contacted his AI.
"No. What's wrong, Master?"
Feiluan looked at her master, her face full of question marks.
Chu Yuan could communicate with Feiluan through his consciousness, yet Feiluan had not heard the electronic voice just now. That meant the system could block Feiluan out.
So the system he had longed for day and night had really arrived?
Chu Yuan hurriedly addressed the system inwardly. "Almighty System, are you there?"
"I'm here."
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Chu Yuan leaped up in excitement, pumping his fists wildly.
Finally. It had finally arrived.
Thirty years. Thirty whole years.
Did you know how I spent these past thirty years?
You damn system, you finally came.
"System, what functions do you have?"
[Host, this system can explore fortuitous encounters around you and mark their precise locations.] [Ding. The system has detected that the host possesses the AI Feiluan. Taking over automatically. System upgrading... Upgrade complete.] [Hello, Master. Intelligent Life Feiluan is at your service.]
A little girl with wings appeared and gave Chu Yuan a faint smile.
Before Chu Yuan could react, the system had automatically merged with Feiluan and upgraded.
After the upgrade, the two had become one. The AI Feiluan had consequently evolved into intelligent life, making it more convenient to use without mixing them up.
"Feiluan, show me the fortuitous encounters around me."
Chu Yuan eagerly tried out the system's function.
"Yes, Master."
Feiluan's eyes shone as she projected a three-dimensional image of a planet.
Chu Yuan recognized it at a glance. It was his territory, Water Dragon Planet.
More than a thousand white points of light were marked on Water Dragon Planet. Three were 2-star fortuitous encounters, while all the rest were 1-star fortuitous encounters.
The locations of the three 2-star fortuitous encounters were precisely those of three dragon iron essence veins.
Feiluan explained beside him, "Fortuitous encounters range from 1-star to 9-star. A 1-star encounter corresponds to the Planetary Level, and a 2-star encounter corresponds to the Star Level. Following that pattern, a 9-star encounter corresponds to the strongest in the universe."
"Fortuitous encounters are also marked in different colors according to their danger. White means absolute safety, with a death rate of 0 when obtaining the encounter."
Chu Yuan nodded in understanding.
Water Dragon Planet was his territory, and everything on the planet was his property. That meant obtaining these fortuitous encounters would be effortless for him, and naturally safe.
Clearly, the most precious things on Water Dragon Planet were those three dragon iron essence veins. Dragon iron essence was a B9 Grade metal, placing it among Star Level fortuitous encounters.
"Feiluan, how large is your detection range? Is it limited to one planet?"
"Of course not."
Feiluan smiled. "At present, my detection range covers the territory of a mid-tier Universe Country."
Chu Yuan was shocked. "That large?!"
"Would you like me to display it?"
Chu Yuan nodded. "Display it immediately."
"All right!"
Feiluan's eyes shone again. With Water Dragon Planet as its point of origin, the three-dimensional projection began expanding and stretching outward at tremendous speed.
A stellar system, a small galaxy, a large galaxy, the Purple Radiance Empire-finally, it expanded to encompass the entire Black Dragon Mountain Starfield.
Countless planets densely filled this starfield, containing innumerable fortuitous encounters.
Among them, Chu Yuan saw 3-star, 4-star, 5-star, and even 6-star fortuitous encounters.
A 6-star fortuitous encounter meant an Immortal Level encounter, its value immeasurable.