When Rowan returned to the Bright Moon District, he had barely stepped through the doorway before Babata appeared, floating in front of him with glowing violet eyes that brimmed with excitement.
"Rowan, have you really advanced your domain to the third layer already?"
The AI's eager stare made Rowan uncomfortable. "What's with that look?" he asked, frowning slightly. "You're acting creepy again."
But Babata wasn't letting go. He circled Rowan like a hawk, firing off questions faster than Rowan could respond. Finally, Rowan sighed and told the truth. "I understood the concept of the domain when I was still at the Planetary level. Right now, it's at the fifth layer."
He didn't mention, however, that he had already grasped the Law of Fire. That secret he intended to keep to himself.
Even so, Babata's reaction was explosive. The AI spun loops in the air, cheering like a madman. "Incredible! At the Star level, to have a fifth-layer domain Rowan, you're one in a million! No, one in ten million! Even across the vast universe, among all intelligent races, you'd rank among the highest elites!"
"Within the Black Dragon Empire alone," Babata continued proudly, "you could easily be in the top thousand of all young geniuses."
Standing nearby, Luo Feng or as Rowan sometimes called him, Raymond gawked. "Top thousand in the entire Black Dragon Empire?"
"Of course!" Babata replied. "And that's being conservative. The Empire spans countless galaxies, and the human race alone produces billions of warriors. Do you know how rare it is for someone at the Star level to comprehend a domain? Only Universe-level and Domain-lord-level beings usually perceive such things. For a Star-level warrior to do it, that's pure genius!"
He hovered excitedly, lecturing like a proud scholar. "And for one to achieve five layers in their domain? That's a miracle! Rowan could crush nearly any opponent below Domain-lord level. The power of a domain is immense it's like rewriting the rules of reality. When Rowan and Thunder God first fought on Earth, even the mighty Hong had not yet achieved such mastery. I never imagined Rowan would understand domains at the Planetary level. This is unheard of in all my centuries!"
Babata sighed with admiration. "Even my master, who roamed the cosmos for millions of years, never encountered someone like him. To reach five-layer mastery before becoming a Star, that's beyond rare it's legendary."
He continued to ramble, talking about how if one could also comprehend a Law, they would become a prodigy that even the mighty Ganwu Empire would fight to recruit.
Rowan poured himself a glass of wine and listened quietly, lounging on his sofa. Babata's excited voice filled the room like music, while Raymond sat cross-legged beside them, eyes wide and full of longing.
"If only I could understand a domain," Raymond muttered, clenching his fists. "If I had that power, I wouldn't be so helpless."
Though he had made enormous progress under Babata's guidance, Raymond still couldn't sense a domain. His strength now barely matched Thunder God's. Without his tier-three mental weapon, the Arc Blades, he wouldn't even come close.
He had fought Thunder God not long ago, scraping victory only through a narrow margin and sheer luck. Had Thunder God possessed a similar weapon, Raymond knew the result would have been reversed.
But a domain if he had that, everything would be different.
Rowan glanced at him, a faint smile curving his lips. He couldn't help but wonder what would become of Raymond without the Golden-Horned Beast that had once changed his fate?
In the original timeline, Raymond had fused with that beast's body, learning the Domain of Metal and later the Law of Gold. Without that creature, what path would he take now? What Law would he comprehend?
"Raymond," Rowan said suddenly, breaking the silence.
"Huh?" Raymond blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Yeah?"
"How's your progress on the soul-possession technique?"
"I've already learned it," Raymond replied quickly. "Babata made sure of it. Said it was essential training."
Rowan rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
The Golden-Horned Beast… as powerful as it was, keeping it under his control was wasteful. He didn't have time to nurture it, and without proper care, its potential would wither. Raymond, on the other hand, could make full use of it and perhaps fulfill the destiny he once had in another universe.
After a long silence, Rowan made his decision.
He would give the beast to Raymond.
He already had other plans for himself. His focus was on cultivating superior bloodlines those that transcended the limits of common cosmic beasts. Among the top ten peak races in the universe, the Golden-Horned Beasts only ranked seventh. The true apex was the Axe Giant Clan, descendants of the founder of the Great Axe Dojo. Their power, bloodline, and vitality far exceeded that of the Golden-Horned.
And above all others, the one bloodline Rowan desired most was the Nether Sea Bloodline a race whose divine bodies could stretch over hundreds of thousands of light-years. Even burning their divine essence, they could fight endlessly, regenerating faster than any being in existence. That was the kind of power Rowan sought for his next incarnation.
Compared to that, the Golden-Horned Beast simply wasn't worth his time.
Rowan stood and clapped Raymond on the shoulder. "Since you've mastered soul-possession," he said with a small smile, "I have a gift for you."
"A gift?" Raymond asked, startled. "What do you mean?"
Babata floated closer, eyes narrowing in curiosity. "What are you planning now?"
"You'll see," Rowan replied cryptically. "Let's go. The opportunity awaits."
Moments later, they were soaring through the upper atmosphere on Rowan's Arc Blade disc, its edges gleaming like molten silver as it sliced through the sky. The disc expanded nearly ten meters wide, carrying both men easily as they left Earth's orbit behind.
Their destination: Jupiter.
Moving at quadruple sonic velocity thanks to their psychic energy and the lack of air resistance, they reached the gas giant in less than half a day.
As they descended into the planet's swirling storms, Raymond stared in awe. "This is Jupiter? What an infernal place!"
The atmosphere raged with lightning storms and crushing pressure. Even a ninth-tier apprentice warrior would be vaporized instantly. Temperatures climbed past nine thousand degrees Celsius, yet Rowan and Raymond remained unscathed, protected by their black god battle armor.
Babata scanned the area, puzzled. "There's nothing here but storms and heat. What are we looking for?"
Rowan didn't answer. Instead, he stood still, eyes half-closed, sensing something deep beneath the surface.
Then he whispered, "Come out."
The air trembled.
The ground below them erupted in a thunderous explosion. From the molten crust of Jupiter, an enormous figure burst forth a beast so vast it dwarfed mountains. Its black scales gleamed with intricate golden runes that pulsed like molten veins.
The Golden-Horned Beast.
It roared, shaking the planet's atmosphere. The shockwave alone could have shattered continents.
Babata's eyes blazed with disbelief. "No way! You actually hid the Golden-Horned Beast here?"
Even Raymond froze, trembling under the pressure of the creature's gaze. A single look from those colossal golden eyes sent waves of primal fear through his body.
But then, to his astonishment, the beast lowered its massive head and nuzzled obediently against Rowan's side, like a loyal pet cat seeking its master's approval.
Raymond exhaled slowly. "Unbelievable… the sheer pressure of this thing is overwhelming."
Rowan stepped beside him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "This," he said quietly, "is your gift. I'll suppress its soul. You're going to take it."
Raymond's eyes went wide. "What? No! Rowan, are you insane? This creature's power why would you give it to me?"
Babata erupted instantly, his voice echoing through their minds. "You lunatic! Do you have any idea what you're giving away? The Golden-Horned Beast is a priceless cosmic bloodline! Even Domain Lords would kill for one! And you're just… giving it away?!"
But Rowan just smiled. "I told you. It doesn't suit me. I have other plans. Better ones."
He shrugged off Babata's protests and turned away, ignoring the AI's ranting.
The Golden-Horned Beast, however, sat silently beside him, its massive golden eyes filled with something almost human hurt, confusion, and a trace of sorrow.
It didn't resist. Bound by Rowan's soul imprint, it could neither disobey nor resent its master. And yet, in the depths of its beastly heart, it couldn't help but feel… abandoned.