Thunder God clicked his tongue in frustration, the reality of the situation settling over him like a heavy blanket. Han Jue had already broken through to Planetary level before even officially joining the elite training camp, and the implications of that achievement were staggering.
Though reluctance gnawed at him, Thunder God couldn't deny the truth staring him in the face: he was no longer Han Jue's opponent. Not anymore.
Han Jue had become Earth's second strongest warrior, both in name and in undeniable reality.
"Let's go, Founder," Han Jue said, his tone casual despite the magnitude of what had just transpired.
The ruins had been completely absorbed into the Ice Wasteland spacecraft, leaving nothing behind but pristine Antarctic ice and the memory of what had stood here for millions of years.
Thunder God suddenly remembered the original purpose of his journey to this frozen wasteland. Hadn't he come here to rescue Inspector Jiang Hao?
But Jiang Hao was already dead, his body cooling on the ice. There was nothing left to save, no miracle to perform. The man had paid the ultimate price for entering those ruins unprepared.
Watching Han Jue's back as the young warrior walked ahead with confident strides, Thunder God's mind churned with new possibilities, new strategies for humanity's future.
"Boy, do you want to become an inspector?" Thunder God asked suddenly, a strange smile crossing his features.
While Jiang Hao's sacrifice represented a tremendous loss for humanity's warrior forces, they now had someone even more talented, someone who might hold the key to ending this chaotic era of monster domination!
Thunder God could barely contain his anticipation at imagining Hong's expression when he learned about this development.
"Inspector? Isn't that just being your errand boy?" Han Jue replied with obvious skepticism. "How about we fight in open combat instead, and you give me your position as Thunder Dojo Founder?"
"Alright," Thunder God agreed without hesitation, his response so immediate it surprised even himself.
What good was being a Founder, really? The position came with endless administrative headaches, political maneuvering, and bureaucratic nonsense. It was far less enjoyable than focusing on personal cultivation and pursuing greater strength!
Han Jue paused mid-step, caught off-guard by the ready acceptance. Then understanding dawned, and he recognized Thunder God's genuine feelings about the burdensome role.
"Never mind, you should remain Founder," Han Jue said after brief consideration. "How about I aim for the Speaker position instead?"
"That's no problem at all," Thunder God said with obvious enthusiasm. "Aside from Hong, I don't think anyone on Earth can match you now. When we return, I'll take you to the War God Palace and announce this to the council."
His smile took on a distinctly predatory edge. "If anyone disagrees with the decision, we'll simply gather them together and give them a thorough beating. Many of those War Gods have engaged in shady dealings behind the scenes anyway. I've been wanting an excuse to deal with them for a while."
"Alright, wait here. I'll be back shortly!" Han Jue said, nodding his agreement before his figure suddenly shot upward, disappearing into the sky.
The next moment, he materialized above the nearby ocean, hovering effortlessly over the churning Antarctic waters.
"King-level monsters?"
Han Jue's enhanced perception swept downward, immediately detecting a swarm of Planetary-level creatures gathered in the deep Antarctic sea. His Six Eyes analyzed their strength levels with clinical precision.
The strongest among them, a massive lobster-like creature, barely registered at Planetary Level Two. Pathetically weak by his current standards.
Wave!
Upon reaching Planetary level, a warrior's body undergoes fundamental transformation. Every movement can trigger natural disasters when sufficient power is applied. Han Jue's special ability, awakened alongside his breakthrough, was pure water manipulation, enhancing his innate comprehension of water's fundamental laws and creating perfect resonance with the element itself.
In the ocean, this was his domain, his home territory where his combat power multiplied exponentially.
With a single sword strike, Han Jue split the sea's surface. Water surged continuously, building upon itself with unstoppable momentum.
This couldn't be called mere waves, this was a tsunami given form and directed will.
The King-level monsters dwelling in the Antarctic depths were swept ashore by the artificial current, helpless as lambs before slaughter. Han Jue became the butcher wielding his sickle, and they trembled before his overwhelming power, unable to mount any meaningful resistance.
The giant lobster attempted to fight back, its massive claws snapping toward Han Jue with enough force to crush steel. He severed its head with a casual strike, revealing the tender white flesh within. One couldn't help but wonder how delicious a lobster raised in Antarctica's pristine waters might taste.
With methodical efficiency, Han Jue tore through the King-level monsters like they were weeds by the roadside, easily uprooted, casually discarded, completely beneath his notice.
"So ruthless?" Thunder God materialized nearby, having followed at a more sedate pace. He swallowed hard, genuine awe flickering across his features.
While Thunder God could certainly slay these King-level monsters, it wouldn't be this effortless, this casual. The difference in their capabilities had never been more apparent.
Then a thought struck him, and his eyes lit up with sudden inspiration.
It was well-known that Earth possessed two supreme Monster Kings hidden in the ocean depths. Fearing the combined might of Hong and Thunder God, these ancient creatures dared not surface to challenge humanity's strongholds.
But Han Jue wielded water-based abilities, and the ocean served as his home territory, amplifying his already formidable power.
If Hong, Thunder God, and Han Jue joined forces, could the three of them defeat those two supreme Monster Kings that had plagued humanity for decades?
"Bang!"
Han Jue casually hurled the massive lobster carcass toward Thunder God, the creature's body landing with earth-shaking impact that made the veteran warrior stumble backward.
"Come on, Founder. I'll treat you to some King-level monster meat," Han Jue said with an easy smile, as if he hadn't just performed a feat that would normally require an entire military operation.
Aboard Thunder God's fighter craft, the two warriors quickly returned to Leiwu Base City, the aircraft cutting through the sky with impressive speed.
Although the ruins had vanished completely, Antarctica remained the Thunder Dojo's designated wilderness survival training ground, and the location still required protection and monitoring. Therefore, the portly inspector remained behind to handle follow-up matters and secure the perimeter.
"Let's go see Hong first!" Thunder God said, unable to contain his eagerness.
He couldn't wait to witness Hong's surprised expression when he learned about this development.
Soon, they arrived at the Extreme Martial Arts School's global headquarters.
Inside the massive ancient spaceship, roughly ten thousand meters in length and serving as the organization's command center, Hong waited in one of the dimly lit conference chambers.
Thunder God had mentioned having a surprise for him, but had been frustratingly vague about the details, maintaining an air of mystery that was quite unlike his normally straightforward demeanor.
"Brother Hong!" Thunder God called out from a distance, his smile wide and genuine.
Hong, the black-clad founder of the Extreme Martial Arts School, nodded slightly in acknowledgment. But his sharp gaze immediately shifted to Han Jue, also dressed in black, standing just behind Thunder God.
The more Hong observed, the more alarmed he became.
It had been barely twenty days since their last meeting. How could Han Jue's strength have become so utterly unfathomable in such a short period?
"Planetary-level Domain mastery?" Rimuru's voice echoed in Han Jue's mind, audible only to him. "This Hong is a genuine cosmic-level genius with the potential to reach Realm Master level in the future. Perhaps even higher, if he survives long enough."
Unlike Babata's situation on Meteorite Star, where Yun Mo Xing's master had established numerous monitoring stations and backup systems before his death, the Lord of the Ice Wasteland had perished almost immediately after Rimuru arrived on Earth with his previous master. No elaborate preparations had been made, no contingency plans established. It wasn't until Rimuru developed true self-awareness decades later that he'd even considered leaving Earth to find a worthy successor.
"Is this the surprise you mentioned?" Hong finally spoke, his voice carrying a note of carefully controlled curiosity.
"What do you think?" Thunder God laughed with obvious satisfaction. "Han Jue inherited the legacy of an ancient alien civilization and has already reached Planetary Level Four!"
"A legacy?"
Hong moved with blinding speed, appearing directly before Han Jue in an instant. His eyes burned with barely contained anticipation, recognizing immediately what such an inheritance might mean for Earth's future.
Han Jue didn't disappoint him. Reaching into his World Ring, he withdrew several carefully selected items.
"Founder, and Brother Hong, these are for you both."
Han Jue produced his offerings with practiced ease: a sword and a spear, both respectable second-rank Force weapons that would serve Planetary-level warriors well. Some fundamental martial arts manuals, including the crucial defensive force-generation techniques that Earth's warrior community had been lacking. Also included were tutorials on the Universal Language and comprehensive guides to common cosmic knowledge.
Han Jue had already mastered the Universal Language during his return journey, his enhanced learning abilities making the process remarkably swift. While Thunder God and Hong lacked his extraordinary capabilities, learning wouldn't prove too difficult for warriors of their caliber.
"Some of the core inheritance contents I cannot share," Han Jue explained with an apologetic smile. "They're specifically tailored to my abilities and wouldn't be suitable for your cultivation paths."
Hong accepted the manual and flipped through several pages, his experienced eyes immediately recognizing the immense value contained within even these "basic" techniques. His expression grew solemn with understanding.
"Thank you very much," Hong said, his voice carrying genuine gratitude. "I have some resources as well. Please, see if there's anything you need."
Hong waved his hand, and a massive holographic projection materialized in the dim chamber. The screen displayed an extensive catalog of items, weapons, equipment, training resources, and rare materials accumulated over decades.
"Han Jue, that Sky Shuttle is a third-rank Spirit Reader weapon," Rimuru's voice provided commentary in his mind. "Excellent quality for your current level. And that gravity chamber, you should definitely acquire it. The technology is quite sophisticated."
Han Jue wasn't surprised that Rimuru could access and analyze the projection. The AI's capabilities extended far beyond what most people could imagine.
"Brother Hong, I'd like the Sky Shuttle and that ancient civilization gravity chamber," Han Jue said, his selections made quickly. "Also, some Spirits of Plants and Trees and additional Dragon Blood, if you have supplies available."
"No problem whatsoever," Hong agreed without hesitation. Compared to the knowledge Han Jue had freely shared, information that could revolutionize Earth's entire warrior cultivation system, these material goods were trivial by comparison.
"Hey kid, there's a generational hierarchy to consider!" Thunder God protested when he heard Han Jue's casual address. "You can't just call Hong 'brother' like we're all equals!"
"Founder, that's where you're mistaken," Han Jue replied with patient amusement. "In the wider universe, lifespans often extend for hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years. How can a mere few decades of age difference be considered a generation gap?"
He spread his hands in a gesture of reasonableness. "Look, we're all Planetary-level warriors now, essentially equals in standing. So why don't I call you both 'Brother Lei' and 'Brother Hong'?"
Thunder God felt something was fundamentally wrong with this logic, but for a moment, he couldn't quite articulate why Han Jue's reasoning seemed to make perfect sense.
Hong simply smiled, clearly unbothered by such formalities. In truth, what did titles matter when they stood at the threshold of joining the wider cosmic community?
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