Chapter 104: The Terrifying Power of the "Enlightener"!
They had reached the outermost edge of the Ancient God World.
This region lay at the midsection of the spiral-shaped star system—the waistline area shown in yellow on the previous map.
Flying straight ahead through the starry sky would lead them into the territory where the Holy City and Royal Cities were located.
Flying diagonally upward would take them into the green region, while downward led to red and blood-red zones.
Though the spaceship provided by the Virtual Universe Company looked outdated, it was actually high-quality—comparable to a standard C9-class ship—and capable of faster-than-light travel.
However, space around them was littered with dust clouds, asteroids, and other debris, preventing both the ship and immortals from accelerating to light speed for space jumps.
Overall, the environment resembled the Outer Battlefield of the Seventh Domain.
Orianna piloted the ship at a steady speed of 100,000 kilometers per second toward their target destination. Jiang Zhe immersed himself in the virtual universe, studying the newly acquired fifth-tier mind-power weapon.
Because his stone orb resembled a celestial body, it was easier to use secret techniques recorded in Temporal Evolution. His combat effectiveness remained largely intact.
Meanwhile, he had been grinding through Mystic Crystal Nine Refinements Body Technique, finally reaching the "Second Refinement."
The energy armor covering his body had now reached D5-level hardness, greatly enhancing his speed, strength, and attack power.
One Day Later…
Orianna woke Jiang Zhe.
"Master, we are 29 hours from Tianwu City. This region is infested with space pirates, but our high-grade ship has kept them at bay so far."
"Shall we head directly to Tianwu City, or encounter some pirates first to gather intel?"
"Pirates, huh?" Jiang Zhe smirked. "That's a name I haven't heard in a long time."
"Anyone bold enough to raid near a satellite city of a Royal City must have some serious backing. Let's switch to a more 'tempting' cargo ship and go fishing."
The cunning duo swapped their vessel for a merchant fleet's standard freighter and continued their journey along the designated route.
Four hours later, they were surrounded by small pirate crafts, like space motorcycles. Beams from energy weapons bombarded their bulky ship.
A voice rang out via a force-transmission technique:
"Attention passengers—
You are surrounded by the 'Cosmic Stray Dogs'. This junk heap of a freighter won't survive a single strike from our boss. Stop immediately and pay a toll hefty enough to satisfy him. That's your only way out."
Alarms blared. The ship detected a high-energy signature—one belonging to a Universe-level expert who was gathering power.
Well, well.
A C-Class railgun powered by brute strength? One shot only costs two bowls of rice!
In the Ancient God World, cultivation ranks used different terms than the standard universal ones:
Universe-level = Hero
Domain Lord-level = Sanctuary
World Lord-level = Demi-God
Immortal-level = True God
"Master," Orianna reported, "There's one Universe-level (tier 1), two Stellar-level (tier 9), and 63 ordinary Stellar-levels outside."
Jiang Zhe raised an eyebrow. "That's a pretty big catch."
From his earlier intel, he knew each Royal City had 8,000 satellite cities. Domain Lords served as governors, and even a Universe-level expert was a major figure in those towns.
So why was this guy out here playing space bandit instead of enjoying life in his city?
"Die."
Jiang Zhe's voice thundered out from the ship, crashing into the pirates' ears like a lightning strike.
Weaker Stellar-level pirates died instantly, their souls shattered.
Even the Universe-level leader "Stray Dog" Hayden was stunned. His mind-force weapon lost its charge as his psychic energy was scattered.
By the time he came to his senses, Hayden was pale with panic.
Crap. We messed with a monster.
Zzzap!
A blinding lightning field burst before his eyes. It wasn't just powerful—it dwarfed any domain he had ever seen. Arcing lightning snakes instantly turned his crew to ash.
"S-Spare me!"
He shouted and transmitted his plea telepathically, desperately clinging to life.
Fortunately, the lightning domain vanished as quickly as it came. Only Hayden survived, drenched in cold sweat.
"Come aboard," came the telepathic command.
He dared not hesitate, tidied himself, and flew into the freighter.
Inside the ship's main hall, Hayden finally saw the master of that terrifying domain.
To his shock, it was a young man—muscular, bronze-skinned, dressed in beast-hide, exuding immense power. A blood-red banner-like mark glowed between his brows, radiating law-energy waves.
"A warrior from the War God Tribe? How could such a strong one emerge from such a backwater clan?"
The mark on Jiang Zhe's forehead was actually a recognition of his mastery over lightning laws—but he kept it hidden under the symbol of the Conqueror to avoid attracting too much attention.
Standing beside him was a cold, elegant maid. Hayden could sense that her aura surpassed even the city lord of Tianwu—she was a Domain Lord!
Hayden immediately knelt and bowed his head, smashing a dent into the B-grade metal floor.
"Silence! Introduce yourself."
Trembling, Hayden confessed everything.
He was the brother-in-law of Tianwu City's Tax Minister. His brother-in-law provided him with lists of under-defended merchant fleets. He raided them, taking 30% of the loot and giving the rest to his brother-in-law.
Occasionally, he'd rob at random—like today. And clearly, he'd kicked the wrong hornet's nest.
"Good. That connection may be useful to me. From now on, you'll work for me.
Of course, if you refuse… well, there's no reason for you to exist."
Hayden's body shook. He looked up joyfully.
"Y-You mean it? I can serve you? I'm willing, my lord!"
Jiang Zhe nodded with a satisfied smile.
"You've got the background and you're clever. I like that."
"Just one thing: I don't treat subordinates with sentiment. I deal in transactions. You take my money, you get the job done. Understood?"
Hayden was overjoyed.
My brother-in-law takes 70% of my earnings. This guy pays and protects? What a great boss!
"Yes, my lord! If I fail after taking your money, I'll bring you my head in shame!"
"Good." Jiang Zhe smiled. "Let me give you a taste of what it means to work for me—so you'll be loyal."
Hayden knelt again, trying to express loyalty, but Jiang Zhe raised a hand.
"Want to master a domain?"
Hayden's eyes widened.
"Y-You mean… a domain? You can help me understand one?!"
Jiang Zhe gave a confident smile. He removed a one-meter-long staff from his back and pulled off the black cloth.
It was a luxurious umbrella, its canopy made of gems that dazzled Hayden's eyes.
"Look closely," Jiang Zhe whispered, voice hypnotic. "Your chance lies within this umbrella."
Hayden dropped all mental defenses. His gaze went blank, captivated by the radiant light from the Primordial Umbrella.
This was "The Enlightener", a talent technique of Jiang Zhe's Luminous Avatar:
A gift of knowledge that seems simple and profound, turning the recipient into a zealous follower.
To put it bluntly—he poured his knowledge into their minds, twisted their will, and brainwashed them into becoming fanatical, loyal hounds.
Never underestimate the power of belief.
Jiang Zhe had tested it extensively—it was more insidious than soul-binding and nearly impossible to detect.
"I understand now… This is what a domain feels like."
Hayden muttered as he fused mind-force, vitality, willpower, and physical strength together.
Zzzap!
Arcs of electricity crackled in the air—his very own lightning domain.
"Thank you, my lord, for enlightening me. To bask in your glory is my greatest honor."
The pirate was now serene and wise-eyed, the thuggish look wiped from his face.
He hadn't changed on the outside—but inside, he had been completely rewritten.
Terrifying.
"Just act as you used to."
At Jiang Zhe's command, Hayden reverted to his usual fierce self—like nothing had happened.
"Hayden, tell me—how do I obtain the 'Thirty Royal Cities Hero Emblem'?"
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