The Fantasy Ocean Plane roared with primal fury. Black waves surged tens of meters high, crashing against the cliff face again and again with thunderous force. Each impact sent spray high into the air, the mist obscuring the horizon where a distant island emerged like a phantom from the darkness.
Han Jue gazed across the turbulent waters, his pale blue Six Eyes perceiving far more than mere physical distance. The Fantasy Ocean contained twenty-one islands total, each one progressively more challenging than the last.
The testing ground shared similarities with the Tongtian Bridge in structure, but its purpose differed fundamentally. Where the bridge measured comprehension of the fundamental laws, the Fantasy Ocean tested something more primal and essential, willpower and consciousness strength.
Will was like a general commanding armies.
Consciousness represented the soldiers who carried out those commands.
Consciousness strength depended on multiple factors: mental power, neural capacity, soul refinement. The stronger one's cultivation, the more formidable their consciousness became. A World Master, for instance, could effortlessly obliterate a Planetary or Stellar-level being with pure soul pressure alone. Even if that World Master possessed only ordinary willpower, their sheer consciousness advantage would prove overwhelming.
After receiving the Lord of the Mirage Sea's inheritance, Han Jue's consciousness had reached Domain Lord level. Thirty years of intensive cultivation in Primal Chaos City had honed it further, elevating him to peak Domain Lord consciousness, barely touching the threshold of a first-level World Master's mental strength.
As for willpower itself?
Han Jue's will had been tempered through countless trials, reaching extraordinarily high levels through both inherited techniques and personal experience.
Mental state cultivation divided into three fundamental levels, with no inherent superiority between the paths. Within the first level alone, encompassing states like Mirror Mind and Blade Heart, Han Jue had delved exceptionally deep, achieving a degree of mastery that few Universe-level cultivators could claim.
His form blurred as he activated his movement technique, appearing on the first island in the span between heartbeats.
With unwavering belief in himself, his willpower manifested like an invisible sword, instantly shattering the illusion attempting to ensnare his consciousness!
In the distance, a white speck emerged against the black sea's endless expanse. The second island awaited.
Deep within the Fantasy Ocean's innermost sanctum, at the edge of the twenty-first and final island, an elderly man sat in meditative stillness. His black scale armor gleamed beneath a flowing golden robe, and his presence radiated the authority of someone who'd administered this testing ground for countless epochs.
This ancient guardian served as the Fantasy Ocean's manager, overseeing every test and recording every result with clinical precision.
At this moment, however, his usual composure faltered slightly as he regarded a visitor with obvious respect bordering on reverence.
"Venerable Lianyi," the old man in black scale armor acknowledged with a deep bow, his voice carrying genuine deference.
"Continue with your duties," Venerable Lianyi said with a dismissive wave, her tone casual yet carrying unmistakable authority. "I'm simply here to observe my junior brother's progress through the challenge."
"Of course, Venerable." The guardian lowered his head further, though his mind churned with curiosity.
This Han Jue is Venerable Lianyi's junior brother? Then that means...
The old man didn't dare complete that line of speculation. Those who'd reached his level of power and lived as long as he had survived by knowing when not to pry into the affairs of beings far above their station. He focused instead on monitoring Han Jue's advancement through the islands.
What he witnessed left him genuinely astonished.
"At merely Universe level, and without even using nutrient solution to artificially boost his consciousness, he's already reached the ninth island?" The guardian couldn't entirely suppress his amazement. "Many peak World Masters struggle to advance this far, yet his consciousness barely reaches World Master threshold..."
Venerable Lianyi watched from her elevated position, nodding with subtle satisfaction. Her aqua-blue hair caught the strange ambient light of this dimensional plane, and her expression revealed quiet pride.
As expected of the Earthling lineage, a race renowned throughout the cosmos for exceptional mental state cultivation. A civilization created by one of the universe's most powerful beings.
Combined with Han Jue's peak bloodline directly bestowed by the Original Universe consciousness itself, his only significant weakness remained his relatively underdeveloped divine body strength. In virtually every other aspect, he stood among the absolute elite of his generation.
"Eleventh island, cleared!" the guardian announced, his voice carrying obvious excitement despite his best efforts at professional detachment.
"Twelfth island, cleared!"
"Thirteenth..." The old man paused, his expression flickering with disappointment. "Failed. It's regrettable his consciousness strength isn't quite sufficient yet, otherwise he could have advanced several more islands."
"Indeed," Venerable Lianyi agreed, though her tone suggested this outcome exceeded her expectations rather than fell short of them.
Consciousness strength could be improved relatively easily through various treasures, specialized training, and natural cultivation advancement. The truly difficult elements to develop were willpower and mental state, intangible qualities that required genuine trials and transformative experiences rather than mere resource investment.
Fortunately, Han Jue excelled in both areas. At this stage of his development, he already surpassed Luo Feng's mental state considerably, though Venerable Lianyi understood that comparison might change dramatically in the future.
Luo Feng's true transformation would come during his time inheriting the legendary Star Tower's secrets, an opportunity that would fundamentally reshape his consciousness and willpower in ways few cultivators ever experienced.
Passing through twelve consecutive islands earned Han Jue a substantial reward of 409,500 points, deposited directly into his account!
Combined with his previous reserves, he now possessed well over a million points, an enviable fortune that meant he wouldn't need to worry about resource scarcity for quite some time.
Qianwu Universe Nation, Black Dragon Mountain Star Region.
As a supreme pinnacle flying palace treasure, the Ice and Snow Temple's speed naturally surpassed that of F- and G-class spacecraft by several orders of magnitude. Under Venerable Lianyi's expert piloting, the journey from the Beginning Universe to the Original Universe and then to Earth's location required remarkably little time.
With a Universe Overlord personally escorting him, the trip proceeded without incident. No alien forces dared attempt interception, and no cosmic hazards threatened their passage.
Soon, a vibrant blue planet appeared in the viewing portal, its familiar continents and swirling cloud patterns triggering a wave of emotion Han Jue hadn't expected.
Earth!
"Senior Sister, what's this surprise you mentioned earlier?" Han Jue asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.
"Just look," Venerable Lianyi replied with an enigmatic smile, storing the Ice and Snow Temple with a casual gesture.
In the distance, resting on the moon's cratered surface, another palace materialized into visibility as the cloaking formations dissipated. The structure resembled the Ice and Snow Temple in fundamental design, yet its coloration differed dramatically, golden radiance rather than crystalline white.
A figure emerged from the golden palace's entrance. At first glance, the form appeared nearly identical to Venerable Lianyi herself, possessing the same striking features and commanding presence. However, closer inspection revealed subtle differences: this version's skin bore intricate golden patterns that seemed to pulse with barely contained power, and her eyes glowed with a golden hue that radiated lethal intent. Her entire being exuded a murderous aura refined through countless battlefields.
"A clone?" Han Jue asked, though he'd already deduced the answer.
"Correct," Venerable Lianyi confirmed with a nod, her expression pleased that he'd understood so quickly. "Earth's importance to humanity's future cannot be overstated. The leadership determined that a Universe Overlord must be stationed here permanently, and I applied for this position."
She gestured toward her golden-skinned duplicate with obvious pride. "This is my primary combat clone. It possesses high-level treasured weapons and armor, as well as the top-tier flying palace you see behind it, the Gilded Temple. This body specializes purely in killing, and when unleashed at full power, its combat effectiveness matches that of a top Universe Overlord."
Venerable Lianyi's tone grew more serious, though warmth remained in her eyes as she regarded her youngest martial brother. "From this moment forward, I'll be stationed on Earth to protect it. You needn't worry about its safety ever again."
"Thank you, Senior Sister!" Han Jue said with genuine gratitude, bowing deeply despite their location in open space.
For a Universe Overlord, possessing a clone wasn't particularly unusual, most beings at that level cultivated multiple bodies to maximize their strategic versatility and survival potential. However, Venerable Lianyi's willingness to station her primary combat clone on Earth represented an extraordinary commitment!
This decision meant she would be bound to this location for an extended period, potentially centuries or even millennia. Such dedication limited her ability to explore dangerous cosmic secret realms, pursue personal advancement opportunities, or engage in the kind of high-risk, high-reward adventures that Universe Overlords typically pursued.
"It's perfectly fine," Venerable Lianyi assured him with a dismissive wave, her smile genuine and unforced. "I haven't explored cosmic secret realms in quite some time anyway. The environment on your Earth is actually quite pleasant, far more comfortable than most cultivation grounds I've visited. I plan to cultivate here peacefully for a while. Who knows? Perhaps this change of scenery will even help me achieve some breakthrough I've been struggling with."
She gestured toward the blue planet below with obvious anticipation. "Now then, let's go and see what changes the Virtual Universe Company has implemented on your homeworld."
With another casual movement of her hand, Venerable Lianyi's power gently enveloped Han Jue, teleporting them both directly to Earth's surface.
Jiangnan Base City!
After so many years, thirty years in Primal Chaos City, which translated to a full century in the Original Universe's time flow, Han Jue finally returned to this familiar place.
The city had changed in some ways, with new architecture rising in certain districts and technological improvements evident throughout the infrastructure. Yet fundamentally, it remained recognizably the same location where he'd spent his early years as a warrior, before his life had transformed so dramatically.
Inside the Han family manor, Han Hesheng and Han Hechang waited with barely contained anticipation.
Ding dong!
The doorbell's chime rang through the manor's entrance hall. Han Hesheng immediately rushed to open the door, his movements displaying none of the dignified restraint he typically maintained.
Standing at the threshold, Han Jue smiled warmly at his father.
"Little Han," Han Hesheng's voice trembled with emotion, carrying a weight of feeling he couldn't entirely suppress. Though his face remained remarkably unchanged thanks to his warrior-level constitution, something in his eyes made Han Jue suddenly perceive how the century of separation had affected him on a deeper level.
"Father, I'm home," Han Jue said gently, helping Han Hesheng steady himself and guiding him back inside.
He nodded respectfully to Han Hechang, who stood waiting in the living room, then helped both men settle onto the comfortable sofas.
"A hundred years," Han Hechang sighed heavily, his expression distant as he contemplated the vast gulf of time. "In the universe beyond Earth, time truly is the least valuable commodity. It passes like water through one's fingers."
He shook off the melancholy with visible effort, his characteristic pragmatism reasserting itself. A slight smile crossed his features as he regarded his nephew with obvious affection mixed with teasing curiosity. "I didn't expect that we'd both become centenarians now. Little Han, I heard you returned this time specifically to... produce an heir?"
"It's called continuing the bloodline, Uncle," Han Jue corrected with gentle amusement, though he couldn't entirely suppress a slight flush of embarrassment at the directness of the question.
Han Hechang laughed at his nephew's discomfort before his expression grew more businesslike. "Now then, let me brief you on Earth's current population distribution. When we arranged the migration under the Virtual Universe Company's directives, you'd entrusted these administrative matters to me. The council members, the speakers, and I worked together to manage the relocation as fairly and smoothly as possible."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming more detailed and precise. "The people who remain are primarily Chinese citizens who couldn't bear to leave their ancestral homeland. There's a higher proportion of elderly individuals, as you might expect, but among the younger generations, most of the warriors and scientific elite chose to stay. The emotional connection to Earth proved stronger than the material incentives offered elsewhere."
Han Hechang paused, a slightly sardonic smile crossing his features. "As for citizens from other nations... well, when they heard that everyone would be allocated extensive land holdings and receive various substantial benefits from the relocation program, the vast majority eagerly departed. National sentiment and cultural attachment proved far less compelling than economic opportunity."
Han Jue nodded with understanding, unsurprised by this outcome.
Among Earth's diverse populations, the truly valuable and emotionally committed individuals had always been concentrated among the Chinese. The cultural emphasis on ancestral connections, homeland preservation, and long-term thinking created bonds that transcended mere material calculation.
The Chinese possessed the deepest research traditions in mental state cultivation, and throughout their long history, many individuals had achieved states of consciousness comparable to Hong's remarkable level, some had even surpassed it. This wasn't coincidence, but rather the fruit of millennia of philosophical development and introspective practice.
People from other nations certainly included individuals with extraordinary talent for consciousness cultivation, but compared to the Chinese population's overall depth and breadth of mental state mastery, they remained statistically far less common.
This represented one of Earth's greatest treasures, a concentrated population of individuals naturally inclined toward the very consciousness cultivation that the Fantasy Ocean tested and that countless powerful beings throughout the cosmos struggled to develop.
Han Jue felt quietly satisfied that these particular individuals had chosen to remain. Their presence would ensure Earth's continued production of talents with exceptional willpower and mental states, perpetuating the unique advantages that Sitting Mountain Guest's modifications had granted to this world.
The foundation for his bloodline's sacred birthplace couldn't have been better prepared.
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