Farewell in space, a first glimpse of the mysteries

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Outer space above Earth.

In the dark, silent void of space, there was no air and no sound. Only a sky full of stars gave off a faint light, vast and desolate.

Qin Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, floating quietly in the void. Dressed in casual clothes, he looked remarkably carefree amid the endless reaches of space. No energy fluctuated around him, yet he seemed to have become one with the entire void. The frigid currents of space swept past him, but he did not budge an inch.

Behind him stood Luo Feng, his posture respectful and his eyes full of anticipation and nervousness as he stared fixedly at the familiar blue planet before him-Earth.

That planet was his home, the place where he had lived and grown up since childhood. It held all his memories and everything he cared about.

Seen from space, Earth looked like a brilliant blue gemstone suspended in the endless void. Its azure oceans, emerald-green land, and white clouds were clearly visible, exceptionally beautiful.

Looking at his home, Luo Feng felt a deep reluctance to leave, but even stronger was his anticipation for the future.

He took a deep breath and suppressed his reluctance. Turning to Qin Yuan, he could not help asking, a trace of curiosity and unease in his voice, "Teacher, what exactly is the Universe Ocean? Besides the opportunities and dangers you mentioned before, is there anything else we need to watch out for?"

This was his first time truly leaving Earth and venturing into the starry expanse. He was full of curiosity about the Universe Ocean, where he was about to go, as well as a trace of unease about the unknown.

Qin Yuan slowly turned to Luo Feng, his gaze calm and his voice patient as he once again explained the mysteries of the Universe Ocean in detail, clearing up his doubts. "The Universe Ocean is the truly boundless world beyond the Primal Universe.

"No matter how vast the Primal Universe we inhabit may be, it has its boundaries and is constrained by the Universe Origin Law. The growth and cultivation of its experts are subject to certain limits. The Universe Ocean, on the other hand, has no boundaries and no established laws to constrain it. It is a world of utter chaos and freedom.

"There, the most primordial and violent chaos currents fill the air. These currents contain the Chaos Law and can corrode all things and wear away the soul. Without sufficient strength or a defensive Supreme Treasure, even the slightest contact will cause enormous damage to both body and soul.

"Moreover, space and time are in disorder in the Universe Ocean. Spatial and temporal turbulence, cosmic vortices, and fallen stars can be found everywhere, as can countless powerful chaos beasts and ancient remnant races. They are powerful and savage, roaming the Universe Ocean year-round and hunting down every living being that enters it. Danger is everywhere."

Qin Yuan's words made Luo Feng's heart tighten, giving him a deeper understanding of the Universe Ocean's dangers. His earlier unease turned to determination.

The greater the danger, the greater the opportunity!

"By the same token, however, the opportunities in the Universe Ocean are far beyond anything the Primal Universe can offer." Qin Yuan changed tack and continued, "Over countless epochs, innumerable top experts have trained, fought great battles, and fallen in the Universe Ocean, leaving behind countless inheritances and Supreme Treasures.

"Inheritance sites left by ancient God Kings, the wreckage of True Gods' Miniature Universes, top-grade divine materials born in chaos, supreme treasures that nourish the soul, all manner of lost ultimate secret arts... With strength and luck, one can obtain heaven-defying opportunities in the Universe Ocean and ascend to the heavens in a single bound.

"Moreover, once experts of the Primal Universe break through to become True Gods, the Universe Origin rejects them, and they can no longer remain in the Primal Universe for long. Thus, the Universe Ocean is the only destination and stage for experts at the True God level and above.

"There, you can meet top experts from the myriad heavens and worlds, from countless universes. You can witness cultivation systems and the mysteries of laws far beyond those of the Primal Universe. Both your horizons and your strength will expand as never before."

Luo Feng listened, his emotions surging like a torrent. It was as though a stream of burning magma roiled through his chest.

The Universe Ocean-a boundless sea of stars where chaos churned, a wild land without the protection of Origin Laws, where strength alone was law. As Qin Yuan described it, the place was fraught with unpredictable perils. Tides of chaos could swallow stars, giant chaos beasts could tear True Gods apart, and forbidden regions where time flowed at strange speeds could reduce intruders to nothingness before they even realized it. Yet those very dangers set Luo Feng's blood ablaze.

He understood.

The secret realms, ruins, and trial grounds that Earth's martial artists flocked to like ducks were no more than a drop in the ocean before the Universe Ocean. No matter how large the training ground at the Dojo of Limits in Yi'an District was, it could not be larger than a realm of chaos; no matter how precious the natural treasures of the Primal Universe were, they could not be more precious than a Soul Crystal tempered for hundreds of millions of epochs in the Universe Ocean. That was where a true expert belonged! That was the stage where he, Luo Feng, should train and grow!

Luo Feng's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as though two searing flames burned deep within them. His hands clenched involuntarily, his knuckles turning white with the force. For three years, he had sweated in that little training ground in Yi'an District, honing his punching power, tempering his telekinetic power, and studying the laws day after day. He had been like a young eagle trapped at the bottom of a well, desperately beating its wings but never able to reach the true sky. Now, his teacher had lifted the stone slab from the well's mouth, letting him see the vastness of the heavens for the first time.

It felt like a drowning man finally breaking the surface and drawing his first breath, like a prisoner stepping out of his cage for the first time after years of confinement. Luo Feng could even hear his heart pounding in his chest, every beat a longing for the sea of stars.

But he did not let his excitement cloud his mind. Luo Feng took a deep breath and slowly suppressed his surging emotions. This was a skill he had learned from countless brushes with death over the past three years: he could be excited, but he could not let his reason slip out of control. He raised his head again, the blazing light in his eyes dimming somewhat, replaced by a calm curiosity.

"Teacher," he asked, his voice slightly hoarse from his earlier surge of emotion, "what sort of people will we meet in the Universe Ocean? Besides those unfamiliar experts, are there other people we know?"

Qin Yuan was using a crystal ball to set their course. At the question, his fingers paused slightly.

He turned his head and, instead of answering immediately, gave Luo Feng a long look. There was much in that look that Luo Feng could not understand-it was like remembrance, like reflection, and also as though he were looking through Luo Feng at someone else, another youth just as young and high-spirited. The corners of Qin Yuan's mouth slowly rose in a meaningful, inscrutable smile. It held a trace of teasing, a trace of anticipation, and an elusive depth.

"The Universe Ocean is vast and endless." Qin Yuan looked away, returning his gaze to the chaos currents churning beyond the porthole. His voice was leisurely, as though he were telling an ancient story. "There, you will meet all kinds of people. Some will show you what true strength is, some will show you what true malice is, and others will make you look at yourself anew."

He paused, his tone growing more solemn. "Some of them will be friends who fight at our side in the future. When your life hangs by a thread, they will stand in front of you without regard for their own lives, and when you are lost and struggling, they will mercilessly berate you until you come to your senses. In the Universe Ocean, friends like that are more precious than Supreme Treasures."

"And some," Qin Yuan's voice deepened slightly, a cold, sharp glint flashing in his eyes, "will be enemies who oppose us and will not rest until one side is dead. The Universe Ocean has no rules; the strong prey on the weak, and that is the only law. There, a treasure, an opportunity, or even a single word can spark a feud that ends only in death. Remember, in the Universe Ocean, mercy to your enemies is cruelty to yourself."

Luo Feng silently engraved those words in his heart. He could tell that his teacher was not merely reciting book learning, but passing on experience bought with life and death.

At that point, Qin Yuan suddenly stopped. He turned to face Luo Feng, his gaze settling directly on his disciple's face, his eyes holding a trace of meaning that Luo Feng could not decipher at all.

"Besides them," Qin Yuan said slowly, as though weighing every word before he spoke it, "there is one person who will surely astonish you when you meet him. You may even find it utterly unexpected."

Luo Feng froze.

"Who?" he asked instinctively, his brow furrowing slightly as he rapidly searched his mind for everyone he knew. Someone from Earth? Impossible. None of Earth's martial artists are even at the Universe Level, so how could they appear in the Universe Ocean? Someone from the dojo's upper ranks? That's impossible too. Though those people are quite strong, they're still nowhere near qualified to enter the Universe Ocean. Could it be someone Teacher knew in the past?

Qin Yuan did not answer. He merely shook his head, the mysterious smile on his lips deepening.

"It wouldn't be any fun if I told you now." Qin Yuan turned away and placed his hand back on the crystal ball, his voice tinged with an almost imperceptible note of reflection. "When the time comes, you'll naturally find out. I guarantee your expression will be quite a sight the moment you see him."

Luo Feng opened his mouth, wanting to press further, but when he saw his teacher's expression, which said "no need to ask," he forcibly swallowed his words. He had followed Qin Yuan for three years and knew his teacher's temperament better than anyone. If Qin Yuan did not want to say something, he could wear his lips out asking and still not get a single word.

Even so, a seed of curiosity had been planted in Luo Feng's heart. What old acquaintance will I meet in the Universe Ocean? Or rather, is there someone I know without even knowing it myself?

He pondered for a long time without coming up with an answer, so he could only shake his head and put the question aside for now. His teacher had said he would find out when the time came, anyway. All he had to do was wait patiently.