Striking It Rich and Shen Xing's Gift

Shen Xing thought for a moment and replied, "It's alright. Since they want to know, it's fine to tell them. I also have some things I'd like to ask you."

"Director Zhang, do you know anything about other dimensions?"

Upon hearing this question, a look of doubt appeared in the eyes of everyone in the hall.

Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes and asked curiously, "Other planes... It seems you've already made contact with the beings of other worlds?"

"Hmm." Shen Xing nodded and said, "On the sixth level, I encountered quite a few lords from other planes. They were all very powerful, and they looked just like us, human too."

Zhang Yu fell into a brief silence, seemingly considering how to begin.

After a moment, he swept his gaze over the crowd. "Just as you all thought, besides our Blue Star, there are many different worlds."

"They have independent Civilization, different ethnic cultures, and development paths."

"But there is one thing in common: humans exist in most planes, and they can also log into the Land of Mist with their consciousness and become lords."

"Some worlds entered the Land of Mist many years earlier than us, and have accumulated far greater resources, even giving rise to many Masters, Grandmaster, and beings beyond the Grandmaster level."

"High-ranking officials in various countries have been aware of their existence for many years, but for various reasons, they pose no immediate threat to us."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent once again.

Qin Lang, Xu Jiayi, and the others were completely bewildered and confused.

Clearly, this statement contains a lot of information, and they need time to process it.

Shen Xing realized something and continued to ask, "They don't pose a threat to us yet, which means they might become a threat to us later?"

Chapter 196: A Sudden Fortune, Shen Xing's Gift

Zhang Yu glanced at Shen Xing, nodded appreciatively, and then explained.

"You're right. We'll likely make contact with these lords from other worlds later on, in the Land of Mist or some special areas."

"Over the years, we have been studying the Land of Mist and have discovered many secrets and underlying patterns."

"Regarding these different worlds, we have discovered a rather interesting phenomenon, which is referred to in academia as the 'Sponge World'."

Hearing this strange name, everyone became even more confused.

Knowing they didn't understand, Zhang Yu smiled and explained, "Sponge World, as the name suggests, is a world that's like a giant sponge, with countless holes inside."

"We live within these individual holes, each hole being an independent dimension."

These holes vary in size and are blocked by a thick barrier, making it impossible for them to contact each other under normal circumstances.

"However, many years ago, a problem occurred inside one of the largest holes, causing a large amount of unknown material to leak out."

"These unknown substances not only invaded the hole it was in, but are also spreading to other holes."

"The barriers on the sponge are eroded by these substances, and then they swallow these worlds whole."

"As time went by, more and more holes were swallowed up and merged with the largest hole."

"This hole is the Land of Mist."

After hearing this, everyone's faces showed a variety of complex expressions.

There was shock, reflection, and a hint of fear.

Qin Lang frowned and analyzed in a low voice, "In other words, our world is also being eroded by this mist, and in the future, it will merge with the Land of Mist."

"And those monsters that appeared in the real world before were omens."

"Because the world's barrier has been eroded, creating holes, the mist energy has leaked out, allowing those monsters to escape?"

Zhang Yu glanced at the big guy with some surprise, seemingly not expecting that this seemingly strong but simple-minded man was actually quite intelligent.

"That's right." He nodded.

Shen Xing and the others had a look of sudden realization on their faces, and they could finally understand the essence of the fog invasion.

However, many mysteries remain.

For example, why can they enter the Land of Mist and become lords? What is the underlying principle?

What will happen when the Land of Mist completely engulf Blue Star and merge with it?

And what exactly is this fog, and why is it eroding the world's defenses?

All of these things involve some very deep secrets, which even Zhang Yu probably cannot answer.

"The powerful figures of all nations know that merging with the Land of Mist is inevitable."

Zhang Yu spoke again, his voice even more serious. "When that time comes, once we lose the protection of the world's barriers, billions of humans on Blue Star will be completely exposed to all sorts of unknown dangers."

"At that time, we will not only face the threat of monsters in the mist, but also threats from other worlds."

"So we've been making all sorts of preparations to ensure we have enough strength before that day comes."

"Including you, you must also become stronger as soon as possible and have the means to protect yourselves."

Everyone frowned slightly, and the atmosphere in the hall became a bit more serious.

Shen Xing was silent for a moment, then said, "In that case, I'll share the information about entering the hidden level as well."

He recounted his experience on the sixth level of the Lotus Pond Secret Realm, as well as the entry requirements, in detail.

This includes the requirement to break the chains in order to obtain the loot.

"I see..."

After he finished speaking, Zhang Yu's face showed a look of realization. "Not only do you have to survive to the end on the fifth floor, but you also have to kill more than 20 Overlord Rank creatures to enter the hidden level. That's really demanding."

Even knowing these conditions, there are probably very few people in the world who could meet them.

Others agreed, marveling that the threshold was indeed ridiculously high.

"Shen Xing, do you want to release this information publicly, or keep it only known to a few of us?"

Zhang Yu asked, "If you choose to go public, the bureau can apply for a substantial contribution point reward for you, or it might come from other funding from higher authorities."

"However, this requires a certain approval time."

Shen Xing thought for a moment and replied, "Let's make it public. If there are similar events next time, let's see if we can get a few more lords into our Heavenly Star Nation."

"Good."

Zhang Yu nodded, signaling Jiang Rong beside him to write down the matter and report it.

Then, he changed the subject and continued, "Besides that, there's a second thing, which you all probably already know."

"I want to acquire your 'Rain and Dew Essence'."

No one was surprised by this, since the other party had already mentioned it last night.

Qin Lang and Xu Jiayi subconsciously looked at Shen Xing, waiting for him to make a decision.

Shen Xing hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Do we want all the essence we have?"

"Yes, I want them all, and that's not enough."

Zhang Yu nodded and said in a deep voice, "To be honest, we acquired these essences to replenish Elder Wang's life force."

"He lost a significant portion of his lifespan due to an accident a few years ago, and he doesn't have many years left."

"Don't let Elder Wang's appearance fool you; he's actually only just over fifty this year."

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Shen Xing's and the others' eyes.

In fact, they had long sensed that Elder Wang's aura was excessively aged.

After all, even a Common Tier Three Expert Rank powerhouse has a lifespan of at least three or four hundred years.

He clearly didn't look like someone who had lived for hundreds of years.

"No problem." Qin Lang was the first to agree, "I originally planned to sell these essences, so it's even better since they're useful to Elder Wang."

Yu Feifei and Xu Jiayi both expressed their willingness to sell.

Seeing that they all agreed, the members of the Anomaly Handling Bureau exchanged glances and genuine smiles appeared on their faces.

"Okay, okay."

Zhang Yu said "good" several times in a row, and said in a deep voice, "Then, according to the market price, I will purchase it for you with three million contribution points."

Elder Wang also stood up and bowed deeply to them. "Wang Kun thanks you all for your help!"

Everyone felt a little embarrassed by his formal demeanor, and Qin Lang quickly went over to help him up.

Before long, the four of them transferred all eight drops of [Rain and Dew Essence] from the Land of Mist and handed them to Director Zhang.

Jiang Rong stood to the side holding a tablet and quickly operated it a few times.

A few seconds later, a text message was sent to everyone's phones.

[Your account has received a transfer of 6,000,000 contribution points. Current balance: 6,189,240 points...]

At this moment, Shen Xing and Qin Lang exchanged a glance, and genuine smiles appeared on their faces.

Six million contribution points translate to a whopping 6 billion Heavenly Star Coin, making it arguably the largest sum of money they've ever acquired.

Even Yu Feifei seemed very excited.

This money will significantly boost their overall strength, allowing them to purchase a considerable amount of Tier Three advancement materials and Lord's Heart, making it possible for them to break through to the Expert Rank.

"I'm rich! I'm rich!" Qin Lang exclaimed excitedly. "If my old man knew I made 6 billion today, he'd be ecstatic."

"Oh no, I'm richer than him now, so I'll be the boss at home from now on!"

"If that old man ever dares to curse me again, I'll kick him out the door, hahaha!"

Everyone fell silent.

Who, upon becoming wealthy, would immediately think of seizing the head of the household and kicking their own father out?

Even Jiang Rong and Zhou Zheng shook their heads with a wry smile.

"Alright, now that the matter is settled, we won't bother you any longer."

Zhang Yu sat up from the sofa, and the others followed suit, preparing to leave.

Just then, Shen Xing suddenly called out, "Director Zhang, wait a moment."

Zhang Yu paused, turned around, and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Shen Xing was silent for a moment, then asked, "Given Elder Wang's current physical condition, how many more Rain and Dew Essence will it take for him to fully recover?"

Everyone was taken aback when they heard the question.

"We don't actually know how many there are."

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment before replying, "The main reason I'm acquiring these essences from you is to replenish his life force so he can try to break through to the Master Realm."

"Elder Wang has sufficient background knowledge, and all the conditions have been met."

"However, due to insufficient vitality, I have never dared to attempt a breakthrough."

Everyone was surprised upon hearing this.

Elder Wang usually seems unassuming, but I never expected him to be a peak high school senior, half-step college level expert!