Luo Feng spread his spiritual force in every direction.
Almost instantly, he discovered a plant resembling a bottle gourd vine about one hundred metres to his left. It was only a little over two metres long.
Using his spiritual force to clear a path ahead, Luo Feng walked directly towards it.
“Luo Feng, this Cloud Vine will accompany you for the rest of your life,” Babata said with emotion. “Of course, I, the great demon Babata, will also stay with you for the rest of your life. Only when you die will I leave. According to my master’s instructions, I will only acknowledge you as my master on the day you become a Domain Lord.”
Babata’s voice echoed within Luo Feng’s sea of consciousness.
“Oh?”
Luo Feng immediately understood.
The three accounts left behind at the Universe Galaxy Bank would only become accessible when he reached Stellar level, Universe level, and Domain Lord level respectively.
The final account, containing the greatest fortune and countless treasures, would only be available after he became a Domain Lord.
Likewise, the intelligent lifeform Babata would only officially recognise him as his master once he reached that level.
Clearly…
Only after becoming a Domain Lord would his teacher consider him truly qualified.
After carefully placing the young Cloud Vine, which resembled a bottle gourd vine, into his backpack, Luo Feng shot upwards.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
Smashing through countless layers of rock over more than ten thousand metres underground in one breath, he burst through the lake’s surface and flew into the sky.
The heavens outside were a brilliant blue, with soft white clouds drifting like silk across the horizon.
Occasionally, enormous flying monsters passed overhead.
Standing high in the air, Luo Feng looked around with an excellent mood.
“Hm?”
Looking down at his communication watch, he noticed several missed calls.
He immediately called back.
“Hello, Luo Feng. What happened just now? I called you two or three times, but none of the calls went through.”
Liu He’s voice came through the communication watch.
Luo Feng paused.
At once, Babata’s voice sounded inside his sea of consciousness.
“Luo Feng, while you were inside the Yun Mo Planet spacecraft, all external signals were completely blocked.”
“That’s really strange.”
Liu He sounded puzzled.
Luo Feng quickly thought about how to answer.
Nowadays, communications covered practically every corner of Earth.
It was almost impossible for a call to fail completely.
“Oh, it was like this. My communication watch was almost out of power, so I switched it off for a while. I’ve just come back up from underground and am preparing to return. The intelligent fighter can recharge it, so I’ve turned it back on.”
Luo Feng quickly invented an excuse.
“Oh? Switched it off? Usually the system says, ‘The number you have dialled is switched off.’ Still, I suppose those voice prompts sometimes malfunction.”
Liu He did not pursue the matter.
“You said you’re heading back already? The rest of us are still searching underground.”
“I don’t think there’s anything left to find, so I gave up.”
Luo Feng smiled.
“Alright. We’ll keep exploring. Maybe we’ll find something.”
After saying that, Liu He ended the call.
“Find Mu Ya Crystals? They’ll never find another one.”
Babata chuckled inside Luo Feng’s consciousness.
Luo Feng immediately flew towards his intelligent fighter while remotely summoning it to him.
“You’re saying there aren’t any Mu Ya Crystals left?”
Luo Feng was surprised.
The intelligent fighter stopped above him like a bolt of lightning.
Its hatch slid open.
Luo Feng flew straight inside.
“Number One, take us home,” Luo Feng instructed.
“Of course there aren’t.”
Babata’s voice echoed in his mind.
“I deliberately threw those Mu Ya Crystals from the spacecraft’s entrance to the surface. My virtual energy body is maintained by the spacecraft’s energy supply, so it couldn’t leave the spacecraft. Back then, I scattered the Mu Ya Crystals only to attract Earth’s geniuses here so I could test the breadth of each person’s brain domain.”
“Test us?”
Luo Feng was startled.
“You tested us while we were searching for the Mu Ya Crystals?”
He remembered that the tests inside Ancient Civilisation Ruin Number Nine had taken quite a long time.
“You think I’m as inefficient as that relic’s inspection system?”
Babata sounded extremely pleased.
“Your Earth’s talent is really terrible. So many Planetary level experts and so many War Gods… yet the most gifted was you, with a brain domain breadth of twenty two. The second best was a War God with sixteen. Third place was that Planetary Level Two fellow with fifteen.”
“Sixteen?”
Luo Feng immediately asked.
“Who was it?”
The Fourth Speaker, East, had a brain domain breadth of fifteen, which didn’t surprise him.
But someone actually had sixteen.
“It was a young man from India’s branch of Earth,” Babata replied.
“India?”
Luo Feng nodded without asking further.
If it had been someone from China, perhaps he would have considered helping them.
As for someone from India, he would simply leave it to fate.
Besides, the man had already reached War God level and seemed to be doing quite well.
The intelligent fighter sped across the skies above Australia before rapidly heading towards Jiangnan Base City in Asia.
Inside the cabin.
“Luo Feng, the Cloud Vine is extremely loyal. Throughout its entire life, it only recognises one master. That’s also why, when my master was killed, his Cloud Vine died alongside him. Once a Cloud Vine has acknowledged its master, nobody else can use it. Therefore, the bonding process is extremely important. But before that, I’ll first upgrade your fighter’s intelligent system.”
“The fighter’s system?”
Luo Feng looked surprised.
Several buttons inside the intelligent fighter suddenly lit up.
Coloured lights flashed across the control panel so rapidly they dazzled the eyes.
About fifteen seconds later, everything returned to normal.
“Done.”
Babata said.
“Why did you modify the system?” Luo Feng asked.
“The primary authority over this intelligent fighter originally belonged to your Dojo of Limits leader, Hong. You only had secondary authority. That means, if he wished, he could monitor everything you did inside this fighter. He could even reclaim it whenever he wanted.”
Babata explained.
“Now that I’ve modified it, Hong won’t notice a thing. The fighter will now obey you first. Hong has become the secondary authority instead.”
Luo Feng was startled.
Then it immediately made sense.
If he were selling intelligent fighters himself, he would probably leave such a safeguard too.
“This young Cloud Vine is much better than the one Hong obtained before.”
Babata sighed.
“Back when humanity first produced powerful experts after the Great Nirvana, I threw out a Cloud Vine seed to attract them. That seed grew into the Cloud Vine Hong later found. It absorbed three Mu Ya Crystals. Meanwhile, I ground another two Mu Ya Crystals into powder and scattered them among the surrounding vegetation, creating what you call Spirit Plants.”
“Unfortunately…”
“Hong and his men quickly took away both the Cloud Vine and the Spirit Plants. So I had no choice but to raise one of your so called Emperor level monsters using Mu Ya Crystals to lure everyone back again. Then I scattered Mu Ya Crystals one after another, attracting countless human experts so I could choose the person with the highest brain domain breadth.”
Babata continued.
“I placed a small pile of Mu Ya Crystals near the spacecraft’s entrance and tossed them out a few at a time. Three of them were deliberately thrown beside you. Another eight were intentionally dropped not far from you.”
“But I had barely thrown any before everything was resolved.”
“Since I couldn’t leave the spacecraft, I used the ship’s own spiritual wave to enter your sea of consciousness and subtly influence you, guiding you towards where the fragment had landed so you would pick it up. Afterwards, I guided you to the spacecraft’s entrance.”
Luo Feng was dumbfounded.
Seriously?
Everything that had happened on Mist Island had been orchestrated by Babata from beginning to end.
The Spirit Plants.
The Cloud Vine.
The Emperor Beast.
The Mu Ya Crystals.
Luo Feng had once wondered why the Emperor Beast hadn’t gathered the remaining Mu Ya Crystals.
Now he finally knew.
They had only been scattered on the spot.
Even discovering the fragment and finding the spacecraft had all happened because Babata had quietly guided him.
“Spiritual waves? How could they guide me?”
Luo Feng asked urgently.
That ability sounded terrifying.
“It’s not nearly as powerful as you’re imagining.”
Babata explained.
“The influence is extremely weak. It only affects your subconscious. At that time, you were already wandering underground without any clear destination. I simply nudged your subconscious in a particular direction, so you gradually moved that way. But if I had tried to make you commit suicide, your conscious mind would have immediately rejected the idea. Do you think you would have obeyed?”
Luo Feng nodded.
That was true.
At the time, he had even been speaking with Xu Xin on the phone.
His mind had been perfectly clear.
“Enough of that. Let’s hurry and complete the Cloud Vine’s bonding.”
Babata urged.
“Cut your wrist. The Cloud Vine needs to drink a considerable amount of your blood.”
Cut his wrist?
For a Planetary level expert, that wasn’t particularly dangerous.
Although surprised, Luo Feng immediately sliced open his wrist.
Slash.
Holding it near the young Cloud Vine, fresh blood continuously flowed into the plant.
Thanks to his powerful cellular regeneration, the wound healed almost immediately.
Luo Feng had no choice but to cut it open again.
Whoosh.
A blood red fruit resembling a grape suddenly appeared out of nowhere and landed on the Cloud Vine.
The numerous vines instantly wrapped around it.
Crackle. Crackle. Crackle.
Streaks of crimson lightning began racing across the young Cloud Vine.
“What happened, Babata?”
Luo Feng quickly asked.
The fruit had obviously come from Babata.
Besides himself, only Babata’s crystal core contained storage space.
“This is the Cloud Vine’s initial cultivation.”
Babata explained.
“I never dared cultivate it before because once it became stronger, your strength wouldn’t have been enough to subdue it. So all these years I merely laid its foundation. Now that it’s recognising its master, this is the perfect time for its first cultivation.”
“It’s just like a human baby. Mother’s milk is extremely important. Likewise, what a Cloud Vine consumes during its first cultivation is equally important.”
“First, it must be a precious treasure. Second, it has to be something the young Cloud Vine can absorb.”
Babata continued.
“That fruit was specifically prepared by your teacher for this Cloud Vine. In terms of value, it’s even more expensive than your fragment.”
Luo Feng froze.
Babata had casually produced a fruit worth more than a fragment of Red Mixed Copper Essence.
Clearly…
Babata had his own private treasure reserve.
“Didn’t you say my teacher only left me those things?”
Luo Feng asked.
“He left you only those things. Everything inside my storage space is reserved for the Cloud Vine. Don’t even think about the treasures in my storage. I’ll raise you strictly according to my master’s plan.”
Inside the wristband’s storage space, Babata wore a smug expression.
As they spoke…
The Cloud Vine’s colour gradually changed from green to dark red.
Faint crimson patterns began flowing across its surface.
“You can put it away now. It can merge directly into your skin. That first cultivation used a fruit far too powerful. It’ll need a long time to digest it.”
Babata said.
Curiously, Luo Feng reached out and touched the Cloud Vine.
Instantly, their thoughts connected.
The Cloud Vine transmitted the method of controlling it directly into Luo Feng’s mind.
It was remarkably simple.
With a single thought, the Cloud Vine rapidly shrank until it resembled a whip only half a metre long.
Then it flowed directly into Luo Feng’s skin and disappeared.
It felt as though he were wearing a cool layer of clothing.
The sensation was wonderfully comfortable.
The Cloud Vine’s simple consciousness was also deeply attached to Luo Feng.
It regarded him almost like its parent.
To Luo Feng, the Cloud Vine felt just like a newborn child.
“This young Cloud Vine already had such an astonishing first cultivation. Right from the beginning, it’s far ahead of every other Cloud Vine. Once its first evolution is complete, it’ll become your assistant. By then, even the Black God Suit won’t be as useful.”
Babata sounded extremely pleased.
“I’d wager there aren’t many people in the entire Black Dragon Mountain Empire who could afford such an extravagant first cultivation.”
Luo Feng had already grown accustomed to Babata’s arrogance.
“Babata, if I use that blade fragment, what level of opponent can I defeat?”
Luo Feng finally asked the question that had been on his mind.
“You?”
Babata considered for a moment.
“At the moment, your use of spiritual force is still far too crude. Your application of the Red Mixed Copper Essence fragment is also extremely primitive. I’d estimate you can deal with an ordinary Planetary Level Six warrior. After all, it’s still a treasure that even Undying experts can barely damage.”
Inside the wristband’s storage space, the small black robed Babata shook his head confidently.
“But once you get home, I’ll begin passing on your teacher’s inheritance. After some intensive training, you’ll be able to defeat an ordinary Planetary Level Eight warrior. Even that fellow Thunder God, if he truly fought you to the death, probably wouldn’t be your match.”
Luo Feng was stunned.
The Thunder God?
“What’s so surprising?”
Babata snorted.
“Take a look at who I am. You’re the only successor of the Master of Yun Mo Planet. You’re using Red Mixed Copper Essence. Isn’t it perfectly normal to defeat someone seven or eight levels above you when they’re just following self taught methods?”
Babata sounded incomparably confident.
“Your teacher wasn’t merely an Undying expert. He was one of the strongest among the Undying.”
Luo Feng muttered silently to himself.
In the end…
He had still been killed by someone even more terrifying.
“Oh, Babata.”
Luo Feng suddenly asked.
“What exactly caused my teacher to be hunted down and killed?”
He was genuinely curious.
What kind of conflict could claim the life of someone who had once dominated the universe?
“You want to know?”
Babata asked.
“Yes.”
Luo Feng nodded repeatedly.
“If you want the answer, become an Undying first.”
Inside the wristband’s storage space, Babata’s pale little face revealed his trademark mischievous grin.
“An Undying…”
Luo Feng smiled helplessly.
That goal was unimaginably distant.
It would already take more than one hundred thousand years just to become a World Lord.
How much longer would becoming an Undying require?
Chinese civilisation itself had only existed for five thousand years.
Late that night, the deep blue triangular intelligent fighter arrived above Yangzhou City in Jiangnan Base City.
The lights inside Luo Feng’s home in Mingyue District were still on.
His younger brother, his mother, and the rest of his family were waiting outside the front gate.
Luo Feng had already called to say he would arrive soon.
“Dad, Mum. Look, the fighter.”
Luo Hua quickly pointed it out to his father in the wheelchair and his mother, who had been anxiously waiting.
“Xiaofeng’s back.”
His family all looked over excitedly.
The deep blue flying fighter slowly descended from the sky and landed on the grass less than one hundred metres from their home.
The hatch opened.
Dressed in black combat gear, Luo Feng stepped out and called enthusiastically,
“Dad, Mum!”