Time trickled by slowly, Lu Yuan feeling slightly uneasy.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered running, but fleeing now seemed like the least wise choice. He wasn't sure who would find him first. Lu Yuan figured that instead of wasting energy on an escape attempt, he'd better organize his thoughts. He pondered how he should... well, explain things if a bigshot from Penglai arrived. As long as he could hold out until Yu Wentong arrived, the crisis would naturally be averted.

Just as Lu Yuan's mind raced, countless ideas flashing and fading—

Suddenly, the shadow of a Fly Shuttle appeared on the distant horizon.

Lu Yuan's pupil constricted slightly. A golden light flashed in his mind, and his Spiritual Power suddenly spread outwards.

After his intelligence Broke the Limit for the second time, the range of his Spiritual Power detection had greatly increased.

Lu Yuan hadn't known by how much it had increased before, but now he did—about ten kilometers.

It wasn't much better than what he could see with his naked eye at that distance.

Lu Yuan calmly watched the Fly Shuttle approach rapidly. His expression was as calm as still water, but his body instinctively tensed slightly.

He was prepared. If the person disembarking from the Fly Shuttle wasn't Yu Wentong, he would first try to stall for time. If he sensed anything was off, he would immediately enter the Demon state and flee...

Thinking of this, Lu Yuan couldn't help but reflect that he really did lack escape techniques. Speed had never been his strong suit, primarily because he hadn't needed to think about fleeing for a very long time. Back when his strength was low, he always considered an escape route for every encounter. As his power gradually increased, he'd grown accustomed to just bulldozing his way through. Perhaps he should look into whether any Ancient Evil God possessed powers related to speed when he got back...

While Lu Yuan was lost in thought, the Fly Shuttle had already arrived above Penglai's Martial Saint Island.

Lu Yuan slowly rose from his chair, quietly watching the Fly Shuttle hovering overhead.

He didn't use his Spiritual Power to probe inside the Fly Shuttle, as such an action would be impolite, regardless of whether the occupant was Yu Wentong or a dignitary from Penglai.

WHOOSH—

The Fly Shuttle's cabin door opened, and a figure emerged.

Lu Yuan's heart leaped into his throat...

However, in the next second—

"Uh..."

Lu Yuan stared at the stunning woman before him. She had voluminous wavy hair and wore a tight-fitting combat suit that showcased her perfect, curvaceous figure. He blurted out in astonishment, "Sister Xiao Rui?!"

Yes, it was the same Xiao Rui who had led Lu Yuan to meet Yu Wentong for the first time after the New Blood Trial.

Seeing Xiao Rui, Lu Yuan instantly understood, his eyes flickering. "I get it! Lord Tong held up the other party and sent you to get me out of here, right?"

Xiao Rui blinked at him, looking completely baffled. "Who? Who did Lord Tong hold up?"

Lu Yuan's expression tensed. "The one backing Penglai."

"You mean Lord Wu Hao..."

Xiao Rui shook her head. "Lord Wu Hao left Sum Country yesterday. As for Lord Tong... she's currently having dinner with someone."

"Uh..."

Lu Yuan was stunned.

Then he quickly realized... Yu Wentong was actually joking with him? Joking?! This was really... fantastic!

Lu Yuan's face instantly lit up. Yu Wentong was joking with him now! It looked like his favorability in Lord Tong's eyes was soaring. This meant his plan to ask Lord Tong to help clear his shopping cart had a great chance of success!

Lu Yuan mustered his courage, hesitated for a moment, then sent a "nudging" emoji to Yu Wentong.

His heart pounded. After a tense three-second wait, he finally received a "smirking" emoji from Yu Wentong in reply.

PHEW—

Lu Yuan heaved a long sigh of relief, a smile blooming on his face.

This matter was basically settled. A closer relationship with Lord Tong meant he was another step closer to achieving Merit freedom!

"I didn't expect Sister Xiao Rui to be in charge of Penglai matters."

Lu Yuan, in high spirits, greeted Xiao Rui.

Xiao Rui looked at him with a complex gaze and sighed softly. "Neither did I."

Xiao Rui had already processed her shock on the way here.

How long had it been since she last processed Lu Yuan's application to join Yellow Bear?

In such a short time, Lu Yuan had already reached this level of strength.

The assessment, "Born with Divine Blood, Six-Winged Flying Bear," truly wasn't an exaggeration.

If this trend continued, Lu Yuan would probably advance to Six-Winged status very soon.

"I heard you killed Heaven Lord Wu Chao. Heaven Lord Wu Chao was a figure who dominated an entire era! His strength rating within Yellow Bear was SSS!"

Xiao Rui said to Lu Yuan, her tone complex, "Before I read the details of the report, I thought one of the Supernovas had done it. Most members of Supernova have returned recently, and the timing matched up perfectly..."

"Supernova?!"

Lu Yuan caught an unfamiliar term in Xiao Rui's words and blinked.

Xiao Rui explained, "They're prodigies like you, cultivators of Extraterrestrial Martial Arts. These individuals usually undergo special training at the Extraterrestrial Base and sometimes coordinate operations with the Star God Group. Because every one of them is a super genius, one in ten million, they're called 'Supernova'—even brighter than stars!"

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered, but he didn't explain to Xiao Rui that he hadn't actually begun practicing the so-called Extraterrestrial Martial Arts yet.

"One-in-ten-million super geniuses... Does Extraterrestrial Martial Arts have very high talent requirements for its practitioners?" Lu Yuan asked.

Xiao Rui nodded. "Extremely high. I'm not sure of the specific conditions, but I know that when this legacy was first obtained, many, many people died just trying to get started... Everyone who can ultimately walk this path is a true child of fortune..."

As she spoke, Xiao Rui looked at Lu Yuan with eyes full of admiration and envy.

"People can die?!"

Lu Yuan's heart leaped. He had originally thought that the so-called Extraterrestrial Martial Arts were just difficult to practice; he never imagined that failure could lead to death. Viewed this way, was Yu Wentong deliberately holding back The Origin Heart Sutra from him as a form of protection? Yu Wentong had told him to first break through to the Grandmaster realm. Did that mean one of the criteria for practicing Extraterrestrial Martial Arts was to first condense the Light of Spirit?

Lu Yuan didn't know. He resolved to thoroughly discuss matters concerning Extraterrestrial Martial Arts with Yu Wentong later.

"...It's not just that they die; it's a form of death that even consciousness uploading cannot prevent. It's as if... the imprint of your very being is forcibly erased from the universe."

Xiao Rui continued with a solemn expression, "Of course, now that you've successfully cultivated it, this isn't something you need to worry about."

"Hehe..."

Lu Yuan could only offer an awkward smile.

"By the way," Lu Yuan suddenly thought of something and asked Xiao Rui, "why don't the Grandmasters of Penglai and Heaven Lord Wu Chao try to cultivate it?"

He had been to Penglai and read many of Wu Chao's notes. He knew how obsessed Wu Chao was with forging a new path beyond Pure Martial Grandmaster. He had even experimented with Evil Martial and Mecha. There was no reason he wouldn't have tried Extraterrestrial Martial Arts. Afraid of death? No, Wu Chao didn't seem like that type of person.

Xiao Rui pondered for a moment, then replied in a low voice, "In the past, the organization's upper echelons held numerous meetings to discuss whether to disclose the secret of Extraterrestrial Martial Arts to Penglai. But the proposal was rejected every time. These people from Penglai have lived for far too long; many of their mindsets have ossified, and many concepts they've inherited from the old era are completely incompatible with the present. If they were allowed to obtain this power, no one knows what kind of uncontrollable situations might arise..."

Lu Yuan nodded.

He was about to voice his agreement with Xiao Rui when her next words nearly made him choke.

"...Furthermore, I've heard that Extraterrestrial Martial Arts and Pure Martial Arts are two completely contradictory paths. The higher one's attainment in Pure Martial Arts, the more difficult it is to successfully cultivate Extraterrestrial Martial Arts. The organization once had several Pure Martial Grandmasters attempt it. Without exception, all of them failed. And their deaths were many times more gruesome than those of ordinary people..."

"What?!"

Lu Yuan was stunned.

"Please don't joke around, Sister Xiao Rui..."

Xiao Rui shook her head. "I'm not joking. This is all stuff I overheard Lord Tong mention offhandedly."

"Lord Tong said it..."

Lu Yuan's expression froze. Lord Tong said that the higher one's Pure Martial attainment, the higher the failure rate for cultivating Extraterrestrial Martial Arts. Pure Martial Grandmasters who try it are almost certain to die. But Lord Tong specifically told me to break through to Grandmaster first before even considering Extraterrestrial Martial Arts, didn't she? Does Lord Tong want me dead?!

For a moment, Lu Yuan couldn't tell who was telling the truth and who was lying. And Lord Tong—so beautiful, sweet-voiced, approachable, and generous... Just what kind of person was she, really?

"Are you alright?" Xiao Rui noticed the change in Lu Yuan's expression and couldn't help but ask.

"I'm fine." Lu Yuan shook his head, forcing a smile.

His mind was a chaotic mess, a bewildering tangle of thoughts. The only good news was that he still hadn't touched the so-called Extraterrestrial Martial Arts. So, regardless of whether this path held risks for him, he currently still had room to maneuver.

Lu Yuan took a light breath, temporarily calming himself, then changed the subject. "Sister Xiao Rui, you mentioned earlier that most members of the Supernova organization have recently returned. Is it because of the Legendary Level Secret Realm?"

Yu Wentong had mentioned this to him briefly before, and Lu Yuan had remembered it.

"Yes." Xiao Rui nodded. "Lord Wu Hao also left because of this matter."

As she spoke, she glanced at the time and replied, "If the timing is correct, the Legendary Level Secret Realm should have officially opened by now."

Already opened?!

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned, then asked with gleaming eyes, "Sister Xiao Rui, do you know which of the nine Legendary Level Secret Realms has opened this time?"

Xiao Rui answered.

"Ash Mountain! The place where the Phoenix was said to have undergone nirvana and rebirth in myths and legends."

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