Two days passed in what felt like mere moments.
The First Bank of the Universe's spaceship arrived at Qiongling Star, and Han Jue boarded along with the other participants.
The young people entering the Dry Sea Secret Realm for training were almost exclusively scions of prominent families, after all, the minimum tier required to purchase entry was a two-star account, which demanded ten billion Universe Coins in deposits. Such wealth remained far beyond the reach of ordinary citizens, even in the vast cosmos.
"An E9-class spaceship!" a familiar voice exclaimed nearby. "My father's entire fortune wouldn't be enough to afford even one-tenth of this vessel!"
Han Jue opened his eyes and glanced toward the sound.
Sure enough, Xie Peng had cornered another unfortunate victim, this time a stern-faced young man, and was chattering away with his usual boundless enthusiasm.
After all ten thousand seats in the spaceship's main hall filled with eager participants, the vessel officially departed from Qiongling Star's orbit, its advanced engines carrying them smoothly toward their destination.
The journey proceeded without incident for the first several hours.
Then a bald, dark-skinned, powerfully built man emerged from one of the ship's internal hatches, his appearance commanding immediate attention.
Murderous aura radiated from him like heat from molten metal. His eyes swept across the gathered youths with piercing intensity, and the noisy conversations filling the hall died instantly beneath that predatory gaze.
"He's a ninth-level Territory Lord," Rimuru whispered directly into Han Jue's consciousness. "His comprehension of the Origin Law of Gold is profound, not far from receiving recognition from the Law itself. Someone of his caliber must hold a high position within the First Bank's hierarchy."
Han Jue studied the man carefully, sensing the sharp, blade-like quality of his presence. Even without hostile intent, the Territory Lord's very existence felt dangerous.
Seeing the crowd properly silenced, the bald Territory Lord nodded with satisfaction before addressing them in a voice that carried effortlessly throughout the vast chamber.
"I'll briefly explain the precautions you must observe when entering the Dry Sea Secret Realm."
His gaze swept across the assembled youths, ensuring he held their complete attention.
"First, killing each other is strictly forbidden. We have specialized monitoring equipment throughout the secret realm, so don't attempt any clever tricks. The consequences will be severe."
"Of course," he continued, his expression softening slightly, "if you encounter genuine life-threatening danger, you may request rescue immediately. You have one free rescue opportunity. After that, additional rescues can be purchased with Universe Coins. Don't worry, our rescue protocols are worth every credit."
"You're permitted to bring slaves and plant-type lifeforms into the realm, but none may exceed Stellar Level Nine. If anyone achieves a breakthrough to the next major realm while inside, specialized personnel will escort them out immediately."
The Territory Lord's expression grew stern again. "Due to the secret realm's unique spatial properties, most technological weapons will cease functioning after entry. However, auxiliary equipment such as detectors and optical computers will continue operating normally."
"Starting from Qiongling Star, we will reach the Dry Sea Secret Realm in fifteen days. You may either rest in your assigned rooms or socialize in the lobby, but understand this clearly: using force aboard this spaceship is absolutely prohibited. Violators will be executed on the spot!"
His eyes hardened, and several youths visibly flinched under that merciless gaze.
"Finally, everything you acquire within the secret realm can be sold to the First Bank of the Universe. Specific pricing has been transmitted to your personal computers. Of course, you're welcome to keep your discoveries instead, no pressure either way."
With that stark warning delivered, the bald Territory Lord withdrew through the hatch, leaving the youths to process his words.
Gradually, conversations resumed as people dispersed toward their accommodations.
Han Jue joined the general flow, intending to return to his room for cultivation. The fifteen-day journey represented valuable training time that shouldn't be wasted.
"Brother Han Jue!"
Han Jue's steps faltered. A bad feeling.
Xie Peng approached with his characteristic enthusiasm, attempting to drape one arm across Han Jue's shoulders in a gesture of camaraderie.
Han Jue calmly sidestepped the contact.
Xie Peng froze mid-motion, momentarily confused by the dodge, but quickly recovered his cheerful demeanor.
"Brother Han Jue, have you finished your business?" Xie Peng asked with a bright smile. "Let me introduce you to Diaman, the Second Prince of the Cuimu Empire!"
The stern-faced man beside Xie Peng inclined his head slightly. "Hello," Diaman said, his tone reluctant but polite.
"Hello," Han Jue responded with a neutral nod.
The Cuimu Empire was a medium-level civilization equivalent to the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, though smaller, governing approximately six thousand star systems compared to Black Dragon Mountain's eight thousand. Its royal family commanded considerable resources and influence within this region of space.
"What do you say?" Xie Peng's eyes gleamed with excitement. "How about the three of us form a team? We could train together, watch each other's backs!"
"No," Han Jue declined immediately, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "My family wants me to train independently, to test my personal capabilities without relying on external assistance."
"Is that so..." Xie Peng's face fell slightly with disappointment, then he turned hopefully toward Diaman.
"I'm in the same situation," Diaman interjected quickly, his eyes brightening upon hearing Han Jue's excuse. "My father specifically ordered me to train solo."
Xie Peng scratched his head, clearly surprised that both of his 'good brothers' had rejected his well-intentioned proposal. But he accepted reality with good grace.
"Alright, I'll ask some of the others then."
Han Jue and Diaman both breathed subtle sighs of relief as Xie Peng departed in search of more cooperative teammates.
"You possess a Domain already, don't you?" Diaman asked suddenly, his voice quiet. "So why are you here?"
"You as well?" Han Jue responded with a slight smile.
They both commanded Water Domains, though Han Jue's mastery clearly surpassed Diaman's by a substantial margin.
Having already crossed the threshold into comprehending the fundamental Origin Law of Water, Han Jue possessed the deepest understanding of water-based laws among all ten thousand participants who had entered the secret realm. The difference between their levels of mastery was like comparing a shallow pond to the depths of an ocean.
Diaman's expression grew solemn. He could sense that Han Jue wielded a Water Domain, but the exact depth of his companion's strength remained frustratingly unclear, always a dangerous sign when evaluating potential opponents.
"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Diaman Lori Mohand." Diaman extended his hand formally, acknowledging Han Jue as a peer worthy of respect.
"Han Jue." Han Jue clasped the offered hand in a brief but genuine handshake.
After this cordial exchange, the two warriors returned to their respective rooms, each focused on their own cultivation during the journey ahead.
Fifteen days passed swiftly.
Han Jue still hadn't fully mastered the third form of the Ice Wasteland Sword Technique, the movements remained technically perfect, but achieving the ideal fusion of technique and law comprehension continued to elude him. However, his understanding of space's fundamental principles had deepened considerably during the intensive training sessions.
More significantly, he had completely mastered the first level of "Myriad Avatars," successfully creating three perfect duplicates of himself. His progress suggested that exploring the Dry Sea Secret Realm would allow him to advance through the second level, and perhaps even touch the threshold of the third.
Even if his progress plateaued after this training period, his current comprehension of both water and space's fundamental principles alone placed him firmly within the top hundred prospects for the upcoming Genius Battle, with realistic hopes of breaking into the top fifty. And that assessment didn't account for his extraordinary rate of improvement, which continued accelerating beyond normal expectations.
A faint smile played across Han Jue's lips as he calculated the remaining time. With nearly eight years left until the Genius Battle began in earnest, he might actually reach Ke Di's level of talent, the legendary genius who appeared once in a million epochs!
The thought was both thrilling and humbling. Ke Di had been the direct disciple of Chaos City Lord himself, a prodigy whose potential had threatened alien races enough that they'd orchestrated his assassination. If Han Jue could approach that level...
"Master, Luo Feng is attempting to contact you," Rimuru announced, his voice interrupting Han Jue's contemplation.
"Connect him," Han Jue ordered without hesitation.
"Han Jue!" Luo Feng's excited cry filled the communication channel the moment the connection established.
Through the visual display, Luo Feng floated above an ocean's surface, his expression brimming with barely contained triumph and anticipation.
Han Jue suspected he already knew what news had prompted this contact.
"Han Jue, I've successfully killed the Thunder Dragon Emperor!" Luo Feng announced proudly. "I was wondering about that 'great gift' you mentioned earlier..."
His tone grew tentative, hopeful but not wanting to seem greedy.
"When you killed the Thunder Dragon Emperor, did you notice an egg on the Pacific Ocean floor?" Han Jue asked directly, cutting through any unnecessary preamble.
"An egg?" Luo Feng blinked, momentarily confused. "No, I didn't see anything like that."
His expression shifted to curiosity. "What kind of egg are you talking about?"
"The egg of a Golden-Horned Beast," Han Jue replied simply, seeing no reason to conceal information that Luo Feng would discover eventually anyway.
"What's a Golden-Horned Beast?" Luo Feng asked, his confusion evident.
This time, Han Jue didn't elaborate.
"Ask Babata, he'll explain everything you need to know," Han Jue said with a slight smile. "As for my gift, it should have already arrived at your residence. You can check when you return."
He terminated the communication before Luo Feng could ask further questions.
The gift for Luo Feng was none other than the Black Dragon Mountain X81 spacecraft Han Jue had recently purchased, a vessel that, in the original timeline, would have eventually belonged to Luo Feng anyway through different circumstances. In a sense, Han Jue was simply returning possession to its rightful owner ahead of schedule.
After hearing about the Golden-Horned Beast egg's existence on Earth, Babata immediately understood the true magnitude of the "gift" Han Jue had mentioned earlier.
"With Gu, Han Jue's status and resources, it's definitely not just a simple spaceship!" Babata declared excitedly, his holographic form flickering with agitation.
After receiving extensive "training" from Rimuru during their previous interactions, Babata had developed an inexplicable trust in Han Jue's judgment and capabilities. The young warrior's knowledge and foresight consistently proved accurate in ways that defied normal explanation.
"Luo Feng, you must thank Han Jue properly for revealing this information to you!" Babata's voice carried unprecedented seriousness. "If you can successfully possess the Golden-Horned Beast's body, you'll definitely become a Universe Master in the future, possibly even achieve Immortality! This opportunity is worth more than planets!"
Luo Feng froze, his expression uncertain and conflicted.
"Possess its body? Does that mean I'd have to abandon my human form?" His thoughts immediately turned to personal concerns. "But Xu Xin and I don't have children yet..."
Babata practically exploded with frustration, his holographic form turning red with indignation.
"Do you understand the Golden-Horned Beast's talent? Its value is, Forget it, explaining to you would be pointless right now. Just listen: I'll find a way to ensure Xu Xin becomes pregnant before you undergo the possession!"
Luo Feng's face flushed crimson at the suggestion.
Xu Xin had only recently agreed to become his girlfriend. Wasn't this pace a bit too... aggressive?
Still, if Babata insisted the opportunity was genuinely this important...
"I understand," Luo Feng finally said, his voice filled with determination despite his embarrassment. "I'll trust your judgment on this."
Meanwhile, on the other side of known space, Han Jue had already boarded the specialized transport vessel and was entering the Dry Sea Secret Realm, ready to test his abilities against whatever challenges awaited within its mysterious depths.
The journey toward supremacy continued, one calculated step at a time.