Here is Chapter 3 with grammar and flow corrected while preserving the original content:
The Thunderstorm Star—a silver-gray spaceship that had been traveling through space for half a month—finally broke through the endless thunderclouds and slowly landed on the planet's surface.
Not long after, in a lavishly decorated castle hall, Qi Yuan met the "master" who had purchased him for the first time.
The master was a young man in a luxurious robe, with a round face. Aside from a half-foot-long dark red horn on his forehead, his figure and facial features closely resembled that of a human from Earth.
However, this "master" wasn't particularly strong—only at the eighth level of the Planetary Stage. But the four black-armored guards standing behind him exuded such intense auras that Qi Yuan felt immense pressure.
Not daring to look too long, Qi Yuan quickly lowered his head and saluted.
> "I am Qi Yuan, paying my respects to my master."
"Oh? Your name is Qi Yuan?" The young man raised an eyebrow and muttered in a strange tone, "Damn, why does that name sound so much like that old man's?"
Qi Yuan noticed the sudden change in the master's expression and couldn't help but feel anxious, thinking he might've given something away.
Fortunately, the young man returned to normal the next second. He looked at Qi Yuan, smiled with maturity beyond his years, and nodded.
> "Haha. I heard you're a native of your planet? No guidance, no resources, and yet you reached the Star level using only patchwork cultivation techniques. Seems you've got talent."
Thanks to the armguard-like optical brain translator he'd been using, Qi Yuan understood the outsider's words clearly and responded respectfully:
> "Thank you for your praise, Master."
> "Hmm." The young man gave a slight hum, then gestured to a scaly-cheeked, robed middle-aged man beside him and said, "From now on, you'll join my personal guard. You'll follow Lao Wu—he'll give you the exclusive armor and cultivation technique of the guard."
> "Armor? Cultivation technique? There's actually such a great benefit?"
Qi Yuan was thrilled. He'd been worried about lacking a complete method to advance his training, but now, this problem had been solved effortlessly.
> "Thank you for the reward, Master!" he said with sincere gratitude.
> "Haha, don't worry. Follow me, and you'll never lack for cultivation techniques or resources!" the young man said proudly. "I like subordinates with potential. Even if they're slaves, I'm never stingy when it comes to nurturing talent!"
> "Of course," he added, changing his tone, "besides being my personal guard, you have another important task: manage your people well and get them to mine thunder crystals for me. As long as the output satisfies me, you'll be rewarded."
> "If any of them reach the Star level, they can also join the personal guard and enjoy the same benefits."
> "Master, rest assured. We will serve you loyally to the death!" Qi Yuan declared, suppressing his own true feelings.
> "Good." The horned youth nodded. "Go now. Listen to Lao Wu's arrangements."
> "Oh, and remember my name—Hugo Ortega!"
—
Outside the hall, Qi Yuan followed Lao Wu, boarding a small, disc-shaped spaceship.
Lao Wu had blue-gray skin and looked like an evil ghost from a novel, but his attitude was friendly—perhaps because both of them were part of the slave guard.
> "Your people have been assigned to Mine No. 5. I'll take you there to check it out and get them settled."
> "Generally, personal guards aren't burdened with many tasks. You can stay at Mine No. 5 or return to the castle to train—just make sure you show up when the master calls for you."
> "Understood," Qi Yuan replied, secretly relieved.
It was a far better situation than he'd feared. On the journey here, he had worried about being thrown into some battlefield as cannon fodder. But now, things didn't seem too bad.
As they flew, violent purple lightning crackled outside the porthole. Fierce winds—far beyond hurricane level—whipped up sand and gravel, battering the hull.
> "This is the environment of Thunderstorm Star," Lao Wu said casually. "You'll get used to it."
He handed Qi Yuan a silver ring.
> "This is a spatial ring. Use your spiritual imprint to open it. By regulation, personal guards receive a C2-grade alloy combat suit, a second-level Force weapon, and some cultivation materials. Everything's inside. The exclusive cultivation manual has also been sent to your optical brain—check it out later."
> "A spatial ring? Thank you, Master! Thank you, Lord Wu!"
Qi Yuan was overjoyed. He hadn't expected such generosity—cultivation methods, armor, weapons, and resources—all prepared for him.
Suddenly, he had a thought.
> "Lord Wu, can I only cultivate the master's techniques myself? Can I share them with my clansmen?"
> "No," Lao Wu answered firmly. "The techniques the master grants to his guards were obtained at great cost. They can be cultivated up to the peak of the Universe Stage and come with matching combat techniques. They cannot be passed on lightly."
> "Understood," Qi Yuan replied, a bit disappointed.
He'd hoped to return a high-level technique to his people through the system's feedback mechanism. But even secretly teaching them was impossible.
His people had been implanted with biochips. No matter what, they would prioritize the master's interests. Even if Qi Yuan was their ancestor, they would turn on him without hesitation.
> "Staying here isn't a long-term solution," he thought. "I'm restricted in every direction. I must grow stronger quickly using the system's return function—and then escape when the chance comes!"
Seeing his silence, Lao Wu misread the situation and offered comfort.
> "Don't worry. While you can't share the guard-exclusive techniques, I've got a bunch of planetary-level techniques. I'll send you some later."
> "Ah?" Qi Yuan quickly hid his thoughts and showed gratitude. "Thank you, Lord Wu!"
Their ship flew swiftly over thousands of kilometers, finally arriving at a deep canyon—tens of kilometers deep but only a hundred meters wide.
Here, the natural terrain shielded them from the lightning and winds. On the canyon walls were several dark cave entrances—newly dug mine shafts.
> "Mine No. 5 is a new thunder crystal mine. For now, only your people are working here," Lao Wu explained.
> "The master's requirement is a minimum annual output of three million tons."
> "Be careful—the veins are highly charged with lightning energy. Too much exposure can harm even planetary-level cultivators. Your people are more resistant, but they should still take turns and rest to avoid injuries that could affect the master's schedule."
> "I'll send all the key instructions to your optical brain. Contact me if anything comes up."
After touring the mines and receiving more guidance, Lao Wu boarded the ship and left.
Only then did Qi Yuan breathe a sigh of relief.
> "Phew, I finally cleared the first hurdle. Luckily, I wasn't thrown into some place where death was around every corner!"
As he watched the spaceship disappear over the canyon, his eyes lit up with determination.
> "For now, I'm safe. Next, it's time to test the system's return function!"