During the period when Rowan, Hong, and the Thunder God ventured into the universe, massive quantities of resources had already begun flowing into Earth, allowing even ordinary people to benefit from strength enhancement.
Thanks to the widespread use of Violet Light Dew, the physical constitution of most civilians underwent noticeable transformation. By the age of fifteen, stepping onto the path of martial cultivation had become dozens of times easier than before.
As a result, more and more people were able to train seriously and pursue the path of warriors.
At this rate, in another fifty or sixty years, nearly every ordinary person on Earth would qualify as a warrior.
By that time, the natural lifespan of ordinary humans would already be nearing its end.
Compared to humanity's original plan to add one hundred Planetary-level warriors within fifty years, this progress was far ahead of schedule, overwhelmingly so.
All of it was made possible by the combined efforts of Hong, the Thunder God, and Rowan.
This time, they had supplied Earth with an unprecedented amount of cultivation resources.
The primary financial burden was borne by Rowan.
He purchased massive quantities of cultivation materials directly from the universe. And now, he had allocated yet another batch.
But this time was different.
This time, Rowan personally convened the meeting.
Which meant one thing.
The resources about to be distributed were far superior to anything before.
"Third Elder," Jia Yi asked carefully, a trace of excitement flashing in his eyes, "is there anything you require our assistance with?"
Among the five leaders, Jia Yi shared the closest relationship with Rowan.
The others stared at Rowan with undisguised anticipation, all hoping for greater support.
They understood the truth clearly.
Earth's current situation was far from ideal.
To be blunt, Earth was pitifully weak.
All five major powers possessed consciousness helmets and access to the Virtual Universe. They had seen firsthand how vast and terrifying the universe truly was.
In that boundless expanse, Earth was not even a grain of sand.
Their strongest fighters barely reached Stellar Level. Against Universe Level, Domain Lords, or World Lords, they would be crushed effortlessly.
That was why the five powers had reached an unprecedented level of unity.
No internal conflict.
No competition.
Only one goal remained.
To nurture the next generation.
To ensure humanity could stand on its own in the universe.
They had already adopted a new strategy. Identifying elite candidates and cultivating them intensively.
As a result, countless geniuses had successfully broken through to Planetary Level.
Rowan did not bother with suspense.
"I will provide you with three hundred thousand Muya Crystals."
The room exploded.
"Three hundred thousand?!"
Every leader stood up in shock.
Three hundred thousand Muya Crystals.
Enough to create three hundred thousand Planetary-level warriors.
Or at least one thousand Stellar-level fighters.
Rowan could hear their breathing turn ragged.
At present, Earth only possessed five thousand Muya Crystals in total, acquired by Hong and distributed evenly among the five powers.
They treated each crystal as priceless.
Only those with outstanding merit or extraordinary talent were permitted to consume one.
Yet Rowan was now offering three hundred thousand in a single stroke.
The cost alone was staggering.
Although Earth had begun trading some of its unique assets in the universe, the profits were minimal.
In several years, they had earned less than five billion Silverblue Credits.
And that money had to be spent on advanced equipment to enhance cultivation.
As well as Black God armor.
Even the lowest-tier Black God armor cost two hundred million Silverblue Credits.
Since inheriting the Meteorite Star legacy, the ancient ruins were completely exhausted. No new Black God armor could be obtained.
They had managed to purchase only fifty sets, each nation relying on its own funding.
Cultivation resources like Muya Crystals and Violet Light Dew were supplied by Rowan and the others.
Everything else had to be purchased with their own limited funds.
Earth had already sent one hundred Planetary-level warriors into the universe.
Within just a few years, more than thirty had fallen.
Twenty were missing.
Eleven could not endure the cruelty of the universe and returned, crushed by despair.
The remaining few continued to struggle, but Planetary Level was insignificant in the wider universe.
Progress was slow. Painfully slow.
Only Rowan, Hong, and the Thunder God continued to shine, just as they had on Earth.
This offer of three hundred thousand Muya Crystals was nothing short of salvation.
"Third Elder, thank you," Jia Yi said sincerely, standing and offering a formal salute.
The other four leaders followed.
"Enough," Rowan said calmly. "Huaxia will take one hundred thousand. The remaining two hundred thousand will be divided equally."
Jia Yi's eyes lit up.
One hundred thousand.
It was an unimaginable boon.
The other leaders exchanged glances but said nothing.
Rowan favored his homeland. That was only natural.
And even with the remaining share, each of them would receive tens of thousands of Muya Crystals.
That alone was a miracle.
Rowan informed them that the crystals would arrive within two days.
The leaders were so excited they wished tomorrow would come immediately.
Rowan said nothing further and withdrew from the War God Hall.
The next day.
Rowan summoned Tie Nanhe and handed him five spatial rings.
He instructed him to deliver them to the five powers.
The red and blue ring contained one hundred and fifty thousand Muya Crystals and was to be delivered to Jia Yi.
This batch included fifty thousand crystals from Rowan's personal reserves, obtained from an interdimensional relic.
Muya Crystals were of little use to him now.
While they still contained immense cosmic energy, Rowan was deliberately suppressing his cultivation.
If he accidentally broke through to Universe Level now, he would be disqualified from the Virtual Universe Genius Battle.
That would be a catastrophic loss.
Tie Nanhe executed the order immediately.
With everything settled, Rowan returned to his own affairs.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
Only three days remained before the arena battles began.
That day, Rowan hovered above the western coastline, suspended over the sea.
He focused intently on sensing the fire element.
Or rather, the near absence of it.
As his comprehension of the Fire Law deepened, he realized his progress had slowed.
It was time for the Chaos Stele.
Until then, he could only rely on the most grueling method.
Comprehending fire where fire scarcely existed.
The ocean was saturated with water element energy.
Fire was almost nonexistent.
Yet if he could still perceive it here, his understanding would sharpen dramatically.
As Rowan immersed himself in meditation, a figure rushed toward him at high speed.
It was Browning.
"Rowan! Rowan! Come home, now!"
Browning's face was overflowing with excitement.
"What happened?" Rowan asked, confused.
"Stop asking questions and come back!" Browning grabbed his arm and dragged him away before he could continue cultivating.
They shot back toward Bright Moon Residential Zone at full speed.
Rowan was completely bewildered.
What was going on?
"Can work wait until tonight? I still need to train during the day," Rowan complained. "I know you're eager, but give me some breathing room."
He thought Browning was planning something outrageous again.
Recently, Browning had been relentless.
With a Stellar-level physique, five days and nights were nothing.
Even Rowan felt the strain.
"What are you thinking about?" Browning snapped, blushing slightly, and twisted his side hard.
Rowan winced in pain.
Damn it.
He was dragged into the house.
Inside, Venina and Isabella sat on the couch, radiant with joy.
"Three people?" Rowan muttered.
This looked exhausting already.
Venina and Isabella rolled their eyes.
Browning sighed. "You're about to be a father. Can you act like one?"
"What?"
Rowan froze.
His mind went blank.
He released his spiritual perception.
There it was.
Two tiny lives, stirring with radiant vitality.
"I… my wives, you're incredible!"
Rowan was overwhelmed with joy.
Years together.
And finally, children.
He laughed openly.
Venina and Isabella panicked as he lifted them both up.
"Put us down! Be careful of the children!"
Venina, already a mother once before, was extremely cautious.
Isabella was no different.
"My children won't be that fragile," Rowan said proudly.
Still, he gently placed them down.
Unnoticed, he infused a trace of Mind Stone energy into the unborn lives.
Even a single wisp would transform their constitutions completely.
They spent the rest of the day discussing the children's future.
Rowan even considered using the Time Stone to accelerate the birth.
"Rowan, should we get married early?" Browning suggested carefully.
Rowan hesitated.
But Venina and Isabella held his hands together.
"We're not in a hurry," they said softly. "You're about to enter the second stage of the Genius Battle. Focus on that. Do your best. After it's over, we'll get married."
Their understanding moved him deeply.
Three days was simply not enough to arrange a wedding.
Soon enough, the day arrived.
Rowan, Hong, and the Thunder God gathered at the base, donned their consciousness helmets, and entered the Virtual Universe Company.
They arrived directly at the competition venue.
The atmosphere was explosive.
The first stage had concluded, drawing massive attention.
Out of one hundred world regions, one hundred thousand contestants advanced to the reincarnation rounds.
In the virtual plaza, the elite stood in orderly formations, one hundred groups in total.
Rowan stood in the twenty-seventh group.
Hostile gazes surrounded him.
He ignored them.
Then, a figure appeared at the center of the plaza.
Over two meters tall.
Humanoid in form.
Cracked patterns spread across its face like fractured stone.
Its presence was overwhelming.
Though everyone's bodies were locked at peak Stellar Ninth Rank, that being radiated an aura like a blade cleaving the heavens.
The arena fell silent.