A massive shuttle-shaped spaceship hovered above Primal Chaos City, its hull gleaming with the distinctive iridescent sheen of advanced spatial alloys.
"Your Highness Han Jue, we're ready to depart whenever you are," an Immortal figure clad in flowing purple robes stood at the hatch, smiling with infectious enthusiasm. His voice carried genuine respect, appropriate for someone escorting a genius disciple of the Lord of Ice Peak.
This spaceship would carry Han Jue away from the Beginning Universe and back to the Original Universe, where time flowed at its normal pace and the vast cosmos waited with both opportunities and dangers.
Han Jue boarded the vessel with measured steps and took one final look at Primal Chaos City far below him. The ancient metropolis stretched across the chaotic landscape like a crystallization of countless eons of comprehension.
He had spent over a thousand years in Primal Chaos City!
By the distorted time flow of this incomplete universe, that translated to more than three decades in the Original Universe, yet here, he'd experienced every one of those thousand-plus years personally. The time differential was one of the Beginning Universe's greatest treasures, allowing cultivators to compress centuries of training into mere decades of external time.
This period had occupied a significant portion of Han Jue's life, and it was the one that filled him with the most profound emotion. Every street, every building, every observation of the Chaos Monument had been part of his transformation from promising genius to genuine powerhouse.
"Let's go," Han Jue said quietly, committing the sight to memory.
The hatch sealed with a pneumatic hiss, and the shuttle passed through the chaotic airflow barrier that protected the city. Within moments, they entered the cosmic corridor that connected the Beginning Universe to the Original Universe, a tunnel through dimensional layers that only the most powerful organizations could maintain.
After leaving Primal Chaos City, Han Jue's first priority was to help the Star-Eating Grass establish its Divine Kingdom.
With the Star-Eating Grass possessing a Divine Kingdom, Han Jue's travels would become dramatically easier. The ability to teleport through his subordinate's kingdom would grant him mobility that exceeded even many Immortal Kings, a strategic advantage that couldn't be overstated.
And so, under Rimuru's expert piloting, the Ice Wasteland spaceship navigated to a vast expanse of empty starry sky. This region lay distant from any inhabited cosmic kingdoms, with no planets harboring life within a million light-years in any direction. It was the perfect location to establish a Divine Kingdom without attracting unwanted attention or accidentally endangering civilizations.
With a single thought, the Star-Eating Grass manifested!
The massive plant-life instantly filled the surrounding space, its golden leaves unfurling like a constellation of suns. Each tendril was large enough to wrap around planets, and the creature's presence made the very fabric of space tremble with barely contained power.
"Star-Eating, begin," Han Jue commanded.
"Yes, Master," the Star-Eating Grass responded, its feminine voice ethereal yet carrying an edge of cold determination. After achieving Immortality, the plant had gained the ability to transmit telepathic communication, a mark of its elevated existence.
The golden leaves shook with visible excitement.
Rip!
Han Jue casually tore open a spatial rift with practiced ease, a feat that would have killed him mere years ago but now came as naturally as breathing. Carrying the Star-Eating Grass with him, he stepped through the tear and entered the interdimensional space that existed between normal reality and the void beyond.
Within this interdimensional space, endless fragments of reality drifted like debris from shattered worlds. Space itself had torn and reformed countless times here over billions of years, creating a layered environment of extraordinary danger and equally extraordinary opportunity.
This interdimensional realm was divided into thousands of layers, broadly categorized into three levels of depth, each exponentially more dangerous than the last.
The first layer consisted of space fragments, relatively stable pieces of broken dimensions that drifted through the shallows of interdimensional space.
The second layer housed the Divine Kingdoms. Immortal beings established their personal universes here, hidden among the spatial debris where they would remain undetected unless deliberately sought out.
The third layer contained the Space Torrent, rivers of pure dimensional energy that could erase even powerful Immortals if they lost their way within its currents.
Divine Kingdoms were all constructed within this interdimensional space for good reason. The most important consideration for choosing a Divine Kingdom's location was remoteness. It absolutely couldn't be placed in areas where powerful warriors frequently battled. Clashes between Universe Masters or even powerful Immortal Kings could tear space apart, and battles within the interdimensional space itself could easily lead to kingdoms being discovered and destroyed.
Therefore, Divine Kingdoms had to be hidden as deeply as possible within the second layer, far from any dimensional corridors or frequently traveled routes.
Although the Star-Eating Grass might not be able to help Han Jue significantly in combat right now, its offensive capabilities were still developing, he still cherished it deeply. The emotional bond they shared transcended mere utility.
Moreover, the Thousand Vine Star-Eating Grass possessed a glimmer of hope of reaching the level of Universe Venerable in the distant future. If it successfully broke through to that realm, it would be no weaker than a mid-level Universe Venerable immediately. With continued growth, achieving high-level Universe Venerable would be feasible, and it might even potentially reach the legendary status of Universe Overlord.
Such potential was worth nurturing.
The deeper one ventured into the spatial interlayer, the larger the dimensional debris became, but also the more dangerous the environment grew. Space itself became increasingly unstable and hostile to life.
At the extreme depths of the third layer, even powerful Immortal Kings could fall to spatial anomalies or predatory beings that made their homes in the chaos. The further one went, the greater the threat, but also the greater the concealment.
Han Jue, carrying the Star-Eating Grass, flew toward the moderate depths of the second layer. This flight covered a range of trillions of kilometers and took over ten days even at speeds that would have crossed galaxies in moments under normal circumstances.
In the distance, huge pieces of spatial debris danced through the interdimensional currents with no apparent pattern or destination. These fragments resembled enormous crystals, each one containing void space devoid of matter or energy, perfect foundations for Divine Kingdoms.
"Star-Eating, let's establish your kingdom here," Han Jue said, selecting a fragment of space approximately one billion kilometers in diameter. It was neither too large nor too small, perfectly sized for an Immortal-level Divine Kingdom with room for future expansion.
"Understood, Master." The Star-Eating Grass's voice carried anticipation.
The plant selected the designated spatial fragment and began projecting its inner world onto it. The two realities, the Star-Eating Grass's internal universe and the empty spatial fragment, began merging and blending like two drops of water flowing together.
"Boom!"
It was as if separate dimensions collided. The two worlds constantly merged and integrated, their fundamental laws interweaving and harmonizing. Gradually, from the empty fragment of space, a complete world began to emerge. This world solidified moment by moment, transitioning from ghostly translucence to solid reality.
Fusion success!
At this moment, the world within the Star-Eating Grass completely transferred out, and the Divine Kingdom was established!
Han Jue couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
With the initial construction completed, the Divine Kingdom had reached a diameter of tens of millions of kilometers, already surpassing the size of most solar systems.
After further refinement and consolidation, the diameter would expand to approximately one billion kilometers, which was the standard size for an Immortal King's Divine Kingdom.
However, the Star-Eating Grass's divine body was enormous, far larger than an ordinary human Immortal's body. The world within it had been proportionally vast, and consequently, the ultimate size of this Divine Kingdom would be much larger than average.
The Kingdom was already beginning to expand into the surrounding void spaces, claiming territory and establishing permanent dimensional anchors.
"Let's go," Han Jue said, nodding with approval.
With the Divine Kingdom established, they could depart from this remote region and return to civilization. Han Jue teleported through the newly created Kingdom's dimensional gateway, bringing them instantly back to the Ganwu Universe Country where his journey would continue.
Back on Earth, Han Jue was pleased to discover that development continued smoothly.
Thanks to the existence of the Cultivation Tower he'd arranged for his homeworld's protection and development, several promising talents had recently emerged, individuals capable of potentially entering even the Apocalyptic Secret Realm. Han Jue had personally recommended all of them, and the Virtual Universe Company had accepted each one as external members, granting them access to resources and training beyond what Earth alone could provide.
There was no need to worry about Earth's continued development! With the infrastructure he'd established and the protective measures in place, his homeworld would thrive even in his absence.
"Master, departing from Earth to the Hong Luo Secret Realm at the Ice Wasteland spacecraft's fastest speed of fifty times light speed will require approximately three years of travel time," Rimuru reported from the ship's control interface, his slime form rippling with calculation matrices.
Han Jue frowned at this news.
Three years? That was far too slow for his purposes.
It seemed he needed a faster means of transportation, something that could cross interstellar distances with the efficiency expected of a Lord of Ice Peak's personal disciple.
Speaking of transportation improvements, Han Jue suddenly remembered that he seemed to have a palace-type treasure waiting to be claimed, something he'd nearly forgotten about in the intensity of his Primal Chaos City training.
The Seven Flames Palace!
Han Jue wasn't entirely certain of the Seven Flames Palace's exact rank within the treasure hierarchy, but he knew that ordinary palace-level treasures were comparable in value to high-level melee weapons. Palace treasures served multiple functions, transportation, defense, and even as mobile bases for exploration or warfare.
To obtain this treasure, Han Jue only needed to break through to the World Master level before the Flame Phoenix King managed the same achievement. Given the circumstances, this should be a simple matter.
After all, if the Flame Phoenix King could have broken through to World Master, he would have done so countless years ago! The old bird had been stuck at Domain Lord peak for so long that advancement seemed all but impossible for him now.
Han Jue shook his head, dismissing these concerns for the moment. There would be time to claim the Seven Flames Palace after current priorities were addressed.
Instead, he opened the information packets his teacher and Third Senior Sister had compiled for him regarding the Hong Luo Secret Realm. The data files contained crucial intelligence that could mean the difference between success and death in that dangerous place.
The Hong Luo Secret Realm!
Located within the borders of the Ganwu Universe Country, it was a cosmic secret realm that had only appeared within the past few decades, practically yesterday by cosmic standards.
This relatively recent formation made it particularly dangerous. Unlike ancient secret realms that had been thoroughly explored and mapped, the Hong Luo Secret Realm remained mostly unknown, with new dangers and opportunities being discovered regularly.
The secret realm was extremely hazardous, posing genuine threats to the lives of World Masters despite their reality-warping powers. Treasures had already been retrieved from its depths, proof that the risks were matched by potential rewards.
According to the intelligence provided by the Lord of Ice Peak, the Hong Luo Secret Realm also contained opportunities specifically available to World Masters, opportunities related to obtaining additional clones.
Within the Hong Luo Secret Realm existed countless dangerous areas, categorized into five distinct levels based on their degree of danger:
Ordinary Level: Immortals could safely pass through these regions, but World Masters would face life-threatening danger. These were the "safest" areas of the realm, which was to say, merely extremely dangerous rather than instantly lethal.
Safe Level: These areas posed a slight threat to ordinary Immortal Kings but could be navigated with proper caution and preparation. World Masters entering these zones would almost certainly perish unless they possessed exceptional defensive treasures or unusual abilities.
Dangerous Level: Certain death for World Masters, no exceptions. Even Immortal Kings struggled in these regions and could only barely pass through with significant risk. Peak Immortal Kings could navigate these areas with relative confidence, though complacency could still prove fatal.
Desperate Level: Even Peak Immortal Kings faced genuine risk of death in these areas. Survival required either Universe Venerable-level power or extraordinary luck combined with supreme caution. Some Universe Venerables had reportedly suffered injuries in Desperate-level zones.
Death Level: Universe Venerables themselves faced mortal danger in these nightmare regions. Only Universe Overlords could safely navigate Death-level areas, and even they proceeded with healthy respect for the threats contained within.
Within the Hong Luo Secret Realm, explorers had discovered eleven confirmed Death-level dangerous areas and a staggering one hundred nineteen Desperate-level dangerous areas. These numbers demonstrated the absolutely treacherous nature of this secret realm!
But as the old saying went, danger and opportunity were twin siblings.
Where mortal peril existed, treasures of corresponding value often lay waiting for those brave or foolish enough to claim them.
Once, a Peak Immortal King had discovered an ordinary melee-type treasure in a Desperate-level dangerous area. News of this find had attracted a massive influx of adventurers hoping to replicate that success, turning the Hong Luo Secret Realm into one of the most popular, and most deadly, destinations in the Ganwu Universe Country.
For example, Han Jue's two senior martial brothers, Venerable Lan Song and Venerable Xingyu, had both entered the realm in search of treasures that suited their cultivation paths. Even beings of their exalted power considered the potential rewards worth the substantial risks.
As the Lord of Ice Peak had explained in her briefing, the method to obtain an additional clone required entering a specific Desperate-level dangerous area within the Hong Luo Secret Realm.
This location was a special sea region unlike anything found in normal space.
In this bizarre ocean, each individual drop of water possessed the mass and density of a star. Entering the sea meant bearing the pressure of countless planets simultaneously crushing down on one's body from every direction. The gravitational forces alone would instantly flatten ordinary Immortals into molecular paste.
It was a dangerous place that bordered on Death-level classification, one of the most extreme environments in the entire Hong Luo Secret Realm.
The opportunity to obtain a clone existed somewhere beneath the surface of this stellar sea, hidden in depths where the pressure increased to truly apocalyptic levels.
Han Jue studied the data with intense focus, his analytical mind already calculating approaches and contingencies. This would not be a simple retrieval mission.
But then again, nothing worthwhile ever was.