A Two-Leaf Ganwu Practitioner held a status in the Black Dragon Mountain Starfield comparable to an ordinary World Lord.
That was why Lu Qingshan could act without restraint.
Investigate?
Who would dare investigate?
If they actually uncovered any evidence, wouldn't they just be asking for trouble?
Throughout the Black Dragon Mountain Starfield, aside from the supreme Black Dragon Mountain God Lord, who would dare pass judgment on a distinguished Two-Leaf Ganwu Practitioner?
So-called rules had always been established only to bind the weak. From the moment Lu Qingshan entered the Ganwu Dojo, he had already transcended the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's system of rules.
Ten years flowed like a river of stars, passing in the blink of an eye...
Over those ten years, Lu Qingshan traveled through the vast sea of stars with his disciple Lei Ming, tempering him along the way.
Lei Ming had experienced no fewer than twenty life-and-death battles like the one on Illusory Color Star.
Every time, the opponents Lu Qingshan carefully selected for him were either notorious Star Pirates or desperadoes wanted by the various Universe Countries.
Their strength matched Lei Ming's, or was even somewhat greater.
Lei Ming had not gone undefeated.
Several times, danger had sprung up on every side, leaving his life hanging by a thread. Only Lu Qingshan's secret intervention had allowed him to escape with his life, but Lei Ming knew nothing of it.
Ten years of tempering had long since washed away the young Lei Ming's immaturity and recklessness. He had become composed and reserved, thinking matters through carefully and planning before he acted.
Effort eventually bore fruit. Over those ten years, Lei Ming had grown rapidly. His cultivation had climbed steadily from Star Level Sixth Stage to Stellar Level Seventh Stage, while his domain attainments had advanced by leaps and bounds, rising directly from a first-stage domain to his current third-stage domain!
His combat experience went without saying; it was already worlds apart from before. From Lu Qingshan's observations, if he faced those three fellows from Illusory Color Star again, he could easily finish them off without even using his domain.
Lu Qingshan's gains had been equally substantial.
Even so, cultivating laws remained an arduous struggle for him, with extremely slow progress.
Fortunately, he had a disciple who truly "did him proud."
Over those ten years, every major breakthrough in Lei Ming's domain had triggered Lu Qingshan's golden finger rebate. Thanks to this, his comprehension of the lightning origin law had risen from its initial 3% to 5% in one leap!
This depth of law comprehension already surpassed that of many World Lord powerhouses who had cultivated painstakingly for a million years.
Lu Qingshan had not wasted the remaining eight precious return opportunities. Seven of them had yielded seven priceless top-grade fourth-tier Force Weapons, with a combined value far exceeding one Hunyuan Unit!
The final remaining opportunity could still be held for more than half a year. Lu Qingshan planned to use it after reaching the Ganwu Dojo headquarters.
"Nasus, how much longer until we reach the Ganwu Continent?" Lu Qingshan's voice rang out in the ship's main control room.
Nasus's signature dog-headed image appeared on the ship's main screen and replied respectfully, "Master, estimated arrival at the Ganwu Continent is in one month and three days."
The Ganwu Continent was an immense landmass spanning dozens of light-years. The Ganwu Dojo headquarters stood in Ganwu City, at its very heart...
"Shall I submit a docking request in advance?"
"Go ahead." Lu Qingshan nodded.
The request was soon approved, and Lu Qingshan received permission for his ship to descend directly into Ganwu City's port.
"Nasus, have you finished compiling the smart panel data I requested?"
"Master, everything is ready." Nasus's figure faded, replaced by Lu Qingshan's detailed data panel:
Name: Lu Qingshan Age: approximately 90,000 universe years Strength: Domain Lord Level Second Stage Law comprehension: ninth-stage light domain, ninth-stage lightning domain, lightning origin law 5%, light origin law 0.00001%. Cultivation techniques: Nine Thunder Blades (seventh form)...[omitted]... Treasures: ...[omitted]...
As his comprehension of the lightning origin law deepened, Lu Qingshan's overall understanding of laws had risen like a boat on a rising tide. During those ten years of travel, he had actually brushed against the barest trace of the law of light naturally.
That hint of perception of the law of light was so faint it was almost negligible.
Looking back, his light domain had been the first he mastered, the signature ability that had led the way all along. He had never expected it to be left so far behind by the law of lightning in just a few short years.
Lu Qingshan glanced at his disciple Lei Ming, who was cultivating beside him with his eyes closed, and sighed inwardly. So this is how heaven-defying a golden finger is...
Without his golden finger, even if he had been fortunate enough to break through to Domain Lord, never mind the law of lightning-he probably would not even have reached the threshold of the law of light by now.
My talent... is still too poor in the end, Lu Qingshan thought. I need to find an opportunity to use that final return chance to improve my own talent.
Time slipped quietly by during their interstellar voyage.
A month later, the ship landed smoothly at Ganwu City's enormous interstellar port.
The hatch slid open silently.
A port worker in a standard uniform, with a steady aura, immediately approached. His manner was respectful without being servile. "Sir, your identity as a Two-Leaf Ganwu Practitioner has been verified. Under the regulations, your ship's docking fees are waived. Would you like transportation arranged?"
"No need. I'll stroll around on my own." Lu Qingshan waved a hand casually.
The worker had clearly seen all sorts of important figures. At his words, he said no more, bowed, and quickly withdrew.
Only after the worker had gone some distance did Lei Ming, standing beside him, finally lower his voice and say, "Teacher... isn't Ganwu City a little too outrageous? Even a port worker is Universe Level."
Universe Level! In a low-tier Universe Country, that was enough to establish a major power, yet here, such a person was merely an ordinary port worker.
Lu Qingshan chuckled and patted his disciple's shoulder. "This is Ganwu City, after all, the heart of the Ganwu Universe Country's countless galaxies. Powerhouses gather here like clouds. How could some little backwater compare? Stop acting like a country bumpkin. Don't embarrass me."
"Rest assured, Teacher!" Lei Ming immediately straightened his back and said solemnly, "Once we enter the city, I'll watch my words and actions and keep a low profile. I definitely won't cause you any trouble."
"Haha!" Lu Qingshan laughed heartily. "There's no need for that. Once you formally join the Ganwu Dojo, the opportunities you should fight for, the resources you should seize, and the qualification to enter the Ganwu Mystic Region... you mustn't hold back on any of them! Cultivation is like rowing against the current. If you don't compete, how can you outdo anyone else?"
As first-time visitors to Ganwu City, both received temporary city virtual IDs, allowing them to communicate within the city without connecting to the Virtual Universe Network every time.
Ganwu City had strict rules and its own system of operation.
All private fighting was strictly forbidden here, and violators would be severely punished by the enforcers. Disputes could be settled through duels in the arena, or the enforcers could be asked to administer justice.
Apart from Immortal Gods, no one was permitted to fly freely outside private grounds within the city. After all, far too many powerhouses gathered here. Without restrictions, everything would become a pot of boiling chaos in an instant.
The closer one came to the Universe Country's seat of power, the harsher the rules became. Any action that might anger the great Ganwu Country Lord would bring unimaginable, all-engulfing disaster.
Upon entering Ganwu City proper, even the well-traveled Lu Qingshan was deeply shaken by the sight before him.
Compared with this place, Qiu Long Star, which he had once considered incomparably prosperous and which held an exalted position among hundreds of galaxies, was as shabby as a rural market.
An unimaginably prosperous scene stretched as far as the eye could see.
Buildings towered into the clouds, and the streets were wide enough for giant beasts to walk abreast. Even the metallic paving stones were made of D-grade material. Still more stunning were the islands floating in the sky.
The streets teemed with pedestrians of all different races. Hundred-meter giants, diminutive dwarfs, people with horns on their heads or scales covering their bodies-all were perfectly ordinary humans here.
There were plenty of powerhouses. Along the way, Lu Qingshan saw several Universe Levels, as well as Domain Lords who flashed past in a hurry.
Lu Qingshan had not seen any of the still more powerful World Lords or Immortal Gods, but if he stayed here a few more days, the chances of spotting such powerhouses would not be small.
Master and disciple wandered through the city, and before they knew it, half a day had passed.
Lu Qingshan had Nasus look up nearby shops where he could sell Force Weapons, then selected one with good reviews and walked inside.
(End of chapter)