Crack! Crack! Pop… Pop…
Wei Wen's entire body convulsed under the strain. Bone, marrow, skin, meridians, and even internal organs—all of it transformed in an instant.
This shift was even more intense than the time his spiritual power broke through to the Planetary Grade. Why? Because this time, it wasn't just energy—this was genetic evolution. It rewrote the very fabric of his cells.
Compared to mental force reaching the Planetary Stage, the physical transformation caused by Genetic Force evolution was on a whole different level.
It felt like every cell in his body had shattered… then reconstructed itself from the ground up.
Now, with his body reborn, he could continue training all the way to the peak of the Ninth Planetary Layer—the highest stage before entering the next realm.
And with that breakthrough came something else.
Every Planetary Grade warrior, upon breaking through, awakens a unique innate ability—a trait that hints at their future affinity with the Laws of the Origin.
"I wonder what mine is…" Wei Wen muttered internally.
From this point on, he wasn't just stronger—he had a power, something personal.
For example, some warriors had Ice Affinity, like Hong's elite bodyguard, Ice Mountain. Others, like Hong himself, awakened a Light Affinity, and even developed a Light Domain.
Of course, these were merely Earth's categorizations. In the larger universe, all special abilities fall into one of eight core elemental affinities: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, and light.
Luo Feng's Adamantine Body, for instance, was a rare and powerful Metal Elemental Ability. It reinforced his bones, muscles, and cellular structure—boosting both attack and defense dramatically.
At the same cultivation level, warriors with reinforced bodies could punch harder and take more damage. The defensive boost alone, by channeling Genetic Force into muscle fibers and skin, could let someone endure attacks others couldn't dream of.
Though Luo Feng's Adamantine Body faded from focus later in the story, it was still an exceptional foundation.
As for Wei Wen—because of the uniqueness of his soul and physique—the universe's energy interacted differently with his body. The Genetic Force he cultivated wasn't the same as others. It was… sharper, more focused.
Given that, his special ability likely belonged to the Metal Element, too.
There's no hierarchy between the elemental types—metal wasn't better or worse than water or fire. What mattered was what kind of ability you awakened within that element.
Some were game-changers. Some were borderline useless.
But Wei Wen wasn't too concerned.
"Doesn't matter. I'll figure it out later."
Then suddenly—his expression froze.
Something stirred deep inside his Sea of Consciousness.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You've reached a threshold of power. System upgrading... 1%… 2%… 3%… 100%.][Upgrade complete. New function unlocked: Myriad Worlds. Additional binding slot granted.]
"New function?"
He stared at the system panel, surprised. To be honest, the system had barely done anything since he arrived. Aside from the occasional notification, it mostly stayed silent.
Up till now, he assumed he could only bind with Luo Feng.
But now… a second binding slot?
And this one wasn't limited to Swallowed Star. It was for people from other universes.
Myriad Worlds. The phrase echoed in his head.
It made sense, in a way. He had already transmigrated once—reborn into the Swallowed Star universe. So the system allowing access to other fictional worlds? Not that far-fetched.
He reached inward, sensing the shift inside his Sea of Consciousness—and there it was:
A Gate of Light, pulsing softly, anchored in his mind.
He could feel it. The other side connected to alternate universes—entirely different fictional worlds.
Curious, Wei Wen pushed his mind toward the gate. As he did, something clicked.
His memories sharpened. Novels he had skimmed before now came back with perfect clarity—especially The Desolate Era.
It wasn't just memory recall. It was like the system had restructured his perception—aligning it with the truth of the narrative.
"So… the next world is likely The Desolate Era."
He had hoped for an easier starting point. Some low-stakes world where he could flex his power, impress some people, and snowball from there.
But that hope vanished fast.
The Desolate Era wasn't a small world. In fact, if you compared danger levels, it was just as terrifying as the Infinite Origin Chaos Space in Swallowed Star.
Even just the Three Realms—the mortal world, the heavens, and the underworld—were on par with Swallowed Star's Primordial Universe.
And this was just the starting zone.
Still, he needed to test it.
So with a deep breath, Wei Wen projected his consciousness through the gate—
—and arrived in The Desolate Era.
But not with his physical body. This was more like a spiritual projection. A consciousness clone.
His Planetary-level strength didn't carry over directly. Here, it had been automatically adjusted—roughly equivalent to a first-stage Innate Qi Refiner, or a first-stage Innate Godfiend.
He wasn't sure how powerful that really made him in this world, but it certainly wasn't god-tier.
This also dashed his hope of being overpowered out of the gate.
No stomping small fries here.
He was in deep water now.
Still, he was cautious. He stayed alert to his original body's condition back in the Swallowed Star universe.
Fortunately, it was fine.
His physical self continued breathing, eating, and performing basic tasks via muscle memory—like sleepwalking. No one would notice anything off unless they really paid attention.
But any complex decision-making would require his consciousness to return.
Maybe in the future, if his soul grew stronger, he could split his mind—control both bodies at once. Kind of like how high-level beings enter the Virtual Universe with just a sliver of thought.
For now, though, his mental strength was too low.
That said, he could still observe his main body in real time. If anything happened—if he sensed danger—he could immediately pull his consciousness back.
This setup was safe, functional… and full of potential.
Now, standing in a brand-new universe, Wei Wen's eyes gleamed.
Time to see what The Desolate Era had in store.