"Wei Wen, Luo Feng, no matter what kind of opportunity led to your breakthrough, the fact that you've both reached the Planetary Level is a huge win—not just for you two, but for all of humanity."
Hong spoke with quiet sincerity. He wasn't exaggerating. As the leader of the Dojo of Limits and a staunch defender of Earth, he genuinely hoped that more powerful warriors would rise to protect humanity from monsters and alien forces.
"Come on, tell us—how did you break through?" Thunder God grinned. Unlike Hong, he wasn't as guarded. His questions were straightforward, his smile relaxed.
"I was exploring the Australian wilderness and got lucky. Found some treasures. That's what allowed us to step into Planetary Level," Wei Wen said steadily, offering just enough to satisfy without revealing too much.
But both Hong and Thunder God had seen enough to read between the lines. They exchanged a look.
Mu Ya Crystal.
That kind of sudden breakthrough, especially to Planetary Level, wasn't something ordinary treasures could grant. But Mu Ya Crystals—those were different. Extremely rare, extraterrestrial in origin, and invaluable for breaking through bottlenecks in cultivation or psychic power development.
Mu Ya Crystals weren't native to Earth. If Wei Wen had acquired some, it likely meant he'd found ruins belonging to an ancient alien civilization. The Australian continent, vast and perilous, had always been a candidate for hidden relics, but Earth's global monitoring network had combed it extensively. Nothing had surfaced.
Even so, neither Hong nor Thunder God pressed him. They wanted to know more, badly. But they weren't the type to rob someone of their secrets—or their fortune. They had their own pride.
Wei Wen noticed the restraint and breathed easier. That was how the novels had described them—powerful, yes, but principled.
Had they chosen force over reason, Wei Wen wasn't confident he could fend them off. But if they'd taken that route, it would've been deeply disappointing. It would've signaled that the timeline was already diverging too far from the original narrative.
Of course, Wei Wen was the butterfly flapping its wings. Disruptions were inevitable. Still, he had to be careful about tipping the balance too soon.
Then something clicked.
Luo Feng had just reached Planetary Level. If they went to Fog Island now, Luo Feng might be able to obtain the Yun Mo Planet inheritance far earlier than in the original story.
Hong's tone shifted to formal again. "Wei Wen, Luo Feng—now that you've stepped into Planetary Level, you're qualified to know the truth."
He began explaining humanity's situation: the looming threat of alien civilizations, the cosmic hierarchy of strength, the fragile protection Earth enjoyed thanks to secrecy and isolation.
Wei Wen already knew all of it. Still, he played along, nodding with wide eyes, giving the right reactions—though perhaps a little too exaggerated. Hong seemed to notice and cut the briefing short.
"You've both met Inspector Wang, so you already know: anyone who surpasses the God of War stage—that is, breaks into the Planetary Level—is eligible to serve as an Inspector of the Dojo of Limits," Hong said.
"Inspectors hold authority second only to me. So I ask—are you willing to serve as our sixth and seventh Inspectors?"
Wei Wen and Luo Feng didn't hesitate.
"No problem," they said.
Luo Feng had always intended to step into the light eventually. And for Wei Wen, the position would open doors. Influence. Legitimacy. Freedom to act.
"We'll make the announcement public soon. I'll personally confer your titles in an official ceremony," Hong said.
Thunder God laughed. "Future students at the Elite Training Camp will be calling you Councilor Luo. Inspector Luo!"
Hong grinned. "So—any reason to stay at the training camp anymore?"
"None at all," Wei Wen said.
Their reason for hiding had vanished. No more need for camouflage. Out in the open, they'd have more maneuverability.
Hong nodded thoughtfully. "We'll choose a global broadcast date. It should be something symbolic. Maybe December 18th or 22nd?"
"January 18th," Luo Feng cut in.
Hong smiled. "That works too. But don't get complacent. Planetary Level isn't the end. Stage Two, Stage Three—they're just steps along the way."
"Understood." Wei Wen and Luo Feng responded in unison.
They did understand.
In the vastness of the universe, Planetary Level was barely the threshold to be considered an individual of standing. A basic entry point into civilization.
Below that? You weren't even treated as a sentient being. At Stage Nine of the basic training path—still in the Apprentice ranks—you had no legal protection. You weren't recognized as a "person" by galactic law. You could be killed or enslaved with no consequences.
And even among humans, the unity didn't mean equality. Power still defined status.
Earth's only real safeguard was that, before dying, Master Hu Yanbo of Yun Mo Planet had used a spatial concealment technique to erase Earth's coordinates from the galactic maps. That's why, for now, no alien forces had found them.
But it wouldn't last.
Wei Wen knew that soon, cosmic calamities would descend—the Golden-Horned Beast, interstellar invaders. Time was short.
If Luo Feng could obtain the Yun Mo Planet inheritance ahead of schedule, everything would change.
But Wei Wen remembered: when Luo Feng first explored Fog Island, Babata—the AI steward of Yun Mo Planet—hadn't pulled him in immediately.
That meant Luo Feng's latent talent hadn't stood out enough on its own.
But if Wei Wen and Luo Feng went together, and perhaps brought others as a smokescreen, Babata might identify Luo Feng as the strongest Psycher on Earth.
Back in the original timeline, Babata had once said he chose Luo Feng during the Mu Ya Crystal Feast because he was the "best among poor choices."
So why not stack the deck early?
Wei Wen turned to the two Masters. His tone was open, honest.
"Hall Masters, even if I didn't tell you, I'm sure you'd eventually figure it out. I did indeed find a ruin during my expedition."
He looked at them both.
"So how about it? The four of us—shall we explore it together?"
Hong and Thunder God both perked up. Their eyes brightened. They hadn't known the exact location Wei Wen had explored, but now they did.
This wasn't a small offer.
Of course, they didn't realize that Wei Wen's real purpose was to use them—to trigger events, to protect Luo Feng's rise, and to push forward the Yun Mo inheritance arc.
Not that they'd mind. Even the chance of a Mu Ya Crystal feast, or the slimmest path toward entering Yun Mo Planet themselves, was well worth it.
And for Wei Wen?
It was a calculated win.