Chapter 56: Thunderglaze Source Essence
Nearly an hour passed before two triangular fighter jets arrived one after another, descending into the mountain valley where Jiang Zhe's spaceship was docked.
Looking at the brand-new interstellar ship below, both Hong and Thor felt uneasy, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Visitors from outer space?
After confirming Jiang Zhe's identity through video call from inside their fighters, their anxiety slightly eased.
Thankfully, Jiang Zhe had laid the groundwork two years earlier. Both Hong and Thor already knew he harbored many secrets. Only because of this did they grit their teeth and step into the spaceship.
Roughly two hours later, the two of them exited the spacecraft, now wearing faint smiles. Their expressions revealed not only a sense of relief, as if a burden had been lifted, but also a flicker of ambition.
They returned to their respective fighters and flew off together.
A consensus had been reached between the Jiang family and the two Earth Councillors: Earthlings were not yet ready to be exposed to the broader universe.
After all, across the entire planet, there were only a meager fifty or so Planet-level individuals who could barely be considered citizens of the universe.
(Jiang Zhe had only revealed to the two of them the existence of Stellar-level slaves.)
In their view, since Jiang Zhe's mysterious master had sealed the spatial coordinates around Earth, making the planet undetectable for tens of thousands of years, they might as well lie low and develop in peace.
During their conversation, Jiang Zhe informed them that between 2060 and 2070, a grand opportunity that would benefit all of humanity in the universe would arise.
He urged them both to train diligently and seize this once-in-an-era chance to ascend in power.
The Genius Competition was held every five thousand years. Anyone with half a brain could estimate when the next one was, so it wasn't really a secret in the universe.
Thus, Jiang Zhe had no reservations about announcing it publicly.
For the remainder of their time together, Jiang Zhe explained to the trio the principles of cultivation in the universe and key considerations for participating in the Genius Competition:
Focus on comprehension over raw energy accumulation.
How to master and cultivate a domain.
Above domains are laws. Learn how to use your domain as a stepping stone toward them.
Achieving domain mastery at the Stellar level was the ticket to even enter the Genius Competition. Without it, one would only embarrass themselves.
Those with domain control, who then touched upon even a lower-tier law, had a real shot at ranking high—and ranking meant resources and destiny-changing rewards.
Jiang Zhe's passionate lecture left all three men burning with excitement.
Even the usually solemn and elderly Grandfather Jiang stood tall, his eyes shining with the desire to challenge the universe's best geniuses.
After all, the old man wasn't even a hundred years old yet. In the Genius Competition, he'd actually be considered among the younger participants.
After Hong and Thor left, Jiang Zhe activated his spaceship again and flew his grandfather back to Lanling Base City.
He had sincerely hoped to guide Hong and Thor into breaking into the top 1000 of the competition, thereby qualifying to join Virtual Universe Corporation.
If Earth were to be exposed someday, and four of its top talents belonged to Virtual Universe Corp, even the Axe Battle Arena wouldn't have as much say over Earth's fate. That organization's influence paled compared to Virtual Universe Corp.
Earth might even have a shot at becoming a direct territory under Virtual Universe Corp's protection.
If Luo Feng eventually apprenticed under the City Lord of Chaos, Earthlings would likely face far less oppression.
---
As for himself?
Jiang Zhe shook his head.
He couldn't predict his own future, but he could lay down more safeguards. Even if he were to fall one day, he hoped the Jiang family—and Earth's lineage—could survive.
If Hong had been allowed to join the Axe Battle Arena, the planet might've ended up in the hands of those lawless maniacs who saw Earth as personal property.
The individuals that the Axe Battle Arena stationed on Earth were not exactly honorable—most were arrogant heirs of universe rulers, and some were even bold enough to plan assassinations against Luo Feng just to take control of Earth.
When it came to bullying Earthlings, no one did it worse than those bastards from the Axe Battle Arena.
Even Luo Feng's own son had once been thrown into solitary confinement. If that could happen to him, the Jiang family wouldn't escape unscathed either.
If Hong made it through the Illusion Sea and enjoyed the benefits of becoming a nominal disciple of the Arena's founder, all the resulting trouble for Earth would fall on Luo Feng's shoulders.
Damn it. When it came to dating, Hong had known how to play the fool, fearing his master's wrath.
But once he joined a major power, he didn't even bother pretending—he was ready to sell out his own people in exchange for luxury and status.
That's why Jiang Zhe couldn't risk letting Hong run wild. Better to send him to Virtual Universe Corp, where he could be watched and kept from causing trouble.
As long as they didn't expose their mental state and cultivation, Earthlings wouldn't stand out.
Even if all four of them ranked in the top 1000, it wouldn't raise alarms. Observers would simply think:
"The first two must have gotten lucky. The last two? Just average."
As long as either Luo Feng or Jiang Zhe broke through to Immortal, Earth would essentially be safe.
---
Back in his small courtyard, Jiang Zhe returned to seclusion, his face clouded with concern as he reflected:
"Among the nine profundities on the Time Law comprehension board—just mastering one guarantees entry into the top 1000. If I could master all nine, I might even surpass Brolan and take first place…"
"Sixteen years left. To reach what Luo Feng accomplished in thirty years in Chaos City—can I really pull it off?"
"Hell yeah! I believe I can!"
His worries vanished, replaced by vitality and confidence lighting up his youthful nineteen-year-old face.
He asked Oriana to store him inside the World Bracelet, and soon he appeared in the tower's top-floor hall.
Sitting cross-legged on the alloy floor, his Silver-Clad Clone opened its eyes, releasing a heavy black domain. Dark energy surged and roiled within it.
Jiang Zhe ignored the spatial compression and oppressive force within the domain. Instead, he immersed himself in it harmoniously, curiously observing this third type of domain he'd now encountered.
Of course, this was only possible because both Hong and his clone had weak domain control. If this had been a level-nine domain user, he wouldn't dare play around like this.
"Earth Domain, First Level? Not bad."
The two minds were in sync, so the Silver-Clad Clone didn't even need to speak—Jiang Zhe knew what it wanted.
"You want the flesh and blood of a dual-attribute special lifeform with Earth and Space properties? Buddy, if that thing has more than ten times gene base structure, it's not something we can even fantasize about right now."
"Let's aim lower—how about a Ridgeback Behemoth instead?"
"I'll check the auction house. If I can find Earth, Fire, or Water-type star-level beast tissue, and maybe even a copy of their inheritance memory—that would be amazing!"
"Dreaming? Damn right I am."
Jiang Zhe stretched lazily. "No point chasing pipe dreams."
"Master, everything is ready," Oriana reported as she walked over.
Above their heads, the ceiling retracted, revealing a staircase to the attic.
Oriana paused before continuing, "Master, if you ever feel bored, you can talk to me."
"You talking to yourself like that always makes me worry about your mental state."
"Huh? Haha~"
Jiang Zhe gave an awkward laugh and ignored her concern, flying up to the attic.
He raised the platform display case and, for the third time, took out the metal box.
Gazing at the Thunderglaze Source Mother inside, he licked his lips.
"Anna, can we open it?"
"Don't worry, Master. The Machine Clan provided the unlocking mechanism. Otherwise, we'd have to beg a Thunder-type World Lord to forcibly crack the Thunderglaze Source Mother open."
As she spoke, Oriana removed the object from the box. Pressed beneath it at the bottom of the container was a thumb-thick vial of special solution.
She applied a ring of silver ointment around the orb's seam.
To Jiang Zhe, the whole thing weirdly resembled cracking open a monkey's skull. He muttered "Forgive me" under his breath twice.
Thirty seconds later, with just a little effort, Oriana pried off a round lid segment.
Zzzzt—Zzzzt—!
Arcs of electricity crackled within the orb. A sharp, sour smell invaded Jiang Zhe's nose, so pungent it made him wonder whether the glowing, starlight-infused liquid inside was sulfuric acid.
"Master, you only need to drink one-tenth of this. That's the maximum your body can absorb, and also the dose that achieves peak effect."
(End of the Chapter)