Those Who Grow Strong First Lead the Way for Those Who Follow! The "Mutual Aid Alliance"!

A few days later.

Luo Feng was recounting some amusing things Tong Sheng had mentioned about his time after taking up his post, and brought up Rong Jun. Tong Sheng had only mentioned him in passing, but Chen Yi took notice of the name.

Rong Jun...

Wasn't he the one with the greatest potential in this universe's Genius Battle, apart from Luo Feng? He would also become a Universe Master in the future.

He was no less gifted than Thunder God.

And in the early stages, Rong Jun improved even faster.

I should tell Tong Sheng to keep an eye on Rong Jun. If he can find any trace of him, that would be even better, Chen Yi thought...

Among those at lower cultivation levels, there weren't many targets worth raising remotely.

Rong Jun was one of them.

But for now, I still need to carry on with my plan. I should go find Hong and make suitable arrangements for him. Chen Yi left the palace.

In the chat channel in Chen Yi's mind was a secret technique that had just been put together.

[Secret technique: "Void Spirit Refining Technique - First Layer"]

[Description: Integrates one's mental state into an absolutely empty void, allowing one to experience meditation to the utmost. Within it, there is no perception, no time, and no space. It can be used to temper one's mental state and will... condensing them into a "Soul of Nothingness."]

[The Soul of Nothingness carries an innate talent for the law one is most adept with. As the Soul of Nothingness improves, the corresponding law talent also grows stronger.]

[Note: The higher one's "mental state talent" and "will talent," the better the effect. The greater the gap in talent, the greater the gap in effect.]

[Price: 320,000 points]

Ganwu Secret Realm.

Hong still lived on the outskirts of the palace complex. The weakest people in the Ganwu Secret Realm were generally at Star Level.

He had only cultivated for a short time.

And there were still six months until the "genius rating assessment."

He had yet to formally participate in a single rating assessment, nor did he receive the special cultivation treatment given to Chen Yi and Luo Feng.

Thus...

As an ordinary secret realm member, he could only live on the outermost edge of the palace complex.

His comprehension was quite good, and his talent for mental cultivation was even more astonishing. Though his weakness in law talent affected his cultivation progress, he had still advanced from the Domain Second Layer to the Third-Stage Domain in just ten months.

That was already quite astonishing.

As a result, an Undying who cultivated the Law of Light had also taken notice of him and given him a lesson for free. He was still some distance from the Fourth-Level Domain.

With the help of the "Star Torch Body-Burning Record," however, he could already unleash the Fourth-Level Domain.

It was just that...

At this level, taking part in the next Genius Battle would still be somewhat difficult. In Chen Yi's plans, there was another arrangement for Hong.

"I'll cultivate my mind and grow at my own pace."

At first, Hong had been somewhat envious of Chen Yi and Luo Feng. They were such geniuses, leaving everyone else in the dust... but on further thought, there was no point in being envious.

He would focus on cultivating his mind and his own cultivation.

[Ding. The host's mental state has been detected as stable, unaffected by his companions' rapid advancement. A mission is hereby issued.]

[Mission: Walk your own path of cultivation!]

[Description: There is no need to compare yourself with your companions. Walk the path best suited to you, cultivate your mind, cultivate, and grow stronger step by step. Now... please master a higher-level domain as soon as possible and distinguish yourself in the "genius rating assessment" six months from now.]

[Reward: 3,000 Contribution Points.]

"This mission..."

"Walk the path best suited to me, without comparing myself to my companions. The system means I don't need to follow Chen Yi and Luo Feng's example."

"There's no need to wait for the Genius Battle to begin. I just need to follow my own pace of cultivation?"

Hong understood what the system meant.

He had long since settled his mind and prepared to devote himself to cultivation, but... obtaining the Ganwu Secret Realm's "special-grade genius" title would not be easy.

If he only had six months...

"I'll go cultivate in the Killing Field."

"Hm?"

Just then, Hong's Auxiliary Optical Computer received a message.

"Chen Yi has come to see me. What could it be about?"

Hong was a little surprised. They didn't live very close to one another, and since he cultivated the Law of Light, he attended different lessons from Chen Yi and Luo Feng.

So unless something came up, they didn't get together every day.

"Could Chen Yi have come to give me a treasure?" Hong wondered. But then he smiled and said, "I'm overthinking again. Chen Yi has already helped me a great deal."

"Far more than I helped Chen Yi before."

"They're becoming more and more gifted. From now on, unless it's necessary, I shouldn't disturb them. For the road of cultivation ahead, I'll have to rely on myself, or... the system."

Hong went outside the palace and met Chen Yi.

The two went straight into the palace to talk.

"Chen Yi, what brings you here?" Hong asked curiously.

Chen Yi smiled and said, "Something good... would you like to join the organization I'm forming?"

"Your organization?" Hong asked curiously.

Chen Yi sat in a wooden chair, clasped both hands together, and said solemnly:

"My organization is called the 'Mutual Aid Alliance.'"

"As alliance leader, I'll collect the cultivation secret techniques and functional items that assist cultivation shared by all members, so everyone can share and use them. Major powers generally control their secret techniques and forbid them from being passed on to outsiders, but we can still obtain some that can be freely taught."

"And sometimes, a secret technique might suit someone else's talent but not one's own, so we can trade them and learn from one another."

"At a time like that, sharing the means of producing strength-no... information on secret techniques-has its value."

"And so, the alliance's purpose is:"

"'Those who grow strong first lead the way for those who follow, so that all can grow strong together'!"

Hong was taken aback. The essence of this alliance sounded meaningful.

But...

"What if someone keeps a secret technique to themselves and refuses to share it?" Hong raised a crucial question. He said calmly, "After all, everyone would be relying purely on talent this way. Those with lesser talent would surely want to hold on to their head start and might not be willing to share. And if everyone becomes an expert, some things, like one-use cultivation resources, still can't be shared."

"Everyone would have to compete for them, and once others grow stronger, it becomes harder to fight them for the resources."

"And if everyone is an expert, then wouldn't there be... no difference in status?"

"That's not important. We only need to keep the membership small. There are so many resources in the universe that, with only a few members, there will be more than enough. So... our alliance can even band together and take resources from others!" How could Chen Yi have failed to think of that?

"And if someone keeps refusing to cooperate, we'll kick them out, or even... kill them!"

"Right now, the alliance only has Luo Feng and me. Hong, would you like to join? I happen to have a secret technique suited to you."

Hong thought it over. He didn't like doing things that went against an agreement, and his cultivation had always focused on cultivating his mind.

If he agreed, he would certainly have to follow the rules.

Any treasures or secret techniques he obtained in the future would have to be shared.

Including the things the system gave him...

After thinking it over, Hong gave his answer:

"I'll join, but I reserve the right to leave the alliance, because I don't know who will join later. Still, I'm the weaker one right now, benefiting from the rest of you, so this seems a little unreasonable of me."

"So."

"I can promise that I'll share any secret techniques I obtain in the future with you, Chen Yi, and Luo Feng, even if I leave the alliance."

"No problem." After hearing him out, Chen Yi felt it wouldn't affect the greater plan, and so took out a secret technique Chen Yi had recently created.

The secret technique Chen Yi brought out.

Was naturally:

"Void Spirit Refining Technique - First Layer"!

A secret technique that could grant a "Soul of Nothingness" based on one's mental state and will talents, improving one's law talent.

A secret technique perfectly suited to all three of them: Chen Yi, Luo Feng, and Hong!