The inner world of the treasured 'Ice-Erosion Longbow' expanded dramatically, from a diameter of ninety million kilometers to nine hundred million kilometers in an instant!
The waters of the Star Flow Sea tumbled into the center of Han Jue's inner world, filling the vast emptiness with liquid starlight.
"Innate Secret Technique, Avatar! Nurture!"
Endless cosmic power surged frantically toward the Star Flow Sea waters now condensed at the core of his entire inner world. The waters instantly dissipated like morning mist, leaving only the most fundamental life essence, which became enveloped by boundless cosmic energy in a swirling vortex of creation.
A massive golden sphere materialized in the sky above the inner world, a gestational cocoon containing the forming clone.
The Lord of Star Flow.
That would be the title the Lord of Star Flow planned to adopt. As a being who stood at the pinnacle of the universe, possessing a divine body of such vast proportions that it encompassed an entire stellar sea, it wasn't an exaggeration to call himself a Lord of the Universe.
The Lord of Star Flow had gifted Han Jue a special fruit, a treasure of immeasurable rarity. After consuming it, Han Jue gained the ability to nurture avatars, a gift bestowed upon him directly by the primordial universe itself.
Unlike the three previous World Masters who had unconsciously given birth to ordinary special life form clones under the Lord of Star Flow's direct control, this time Han Jue was fully conscious throughout the entire process.
Watching the clone's development, observing as the pronucleus formed and the fundamental genetic structure took shape, Han Jue couldn't help but feel profound wonder at the miracle unfolding before him.
With a clone, he would no longer need to worry about permanent death!
Han Jue didn't yet know what secret innate abilities this Star Flow Sea clone possessed. The Lord of Star Flow hadn't elaborated on that particular detail, preferring to let Han Jue discover the capabilities himself once the gestation period completed.
'Senior Sister has also come to this Hong Luo Secret Realm?' Han Jue thought, his mind wandering to other concerns. 'It takes nearly a thousand years to fully develop a Star Flow Sea clone. I can't just sit here and wait idly.'
As if sensing Han Jue's restless thoughts, the Lord of Star Flow called out.
"Boy, I have three treasures here. Choose one."
Han Jue opened his eyes and saw the Lord of Star Flow standing before him, holding three distinctly different treasures in his massive aqueous hands.
"I found these scattered throughout the secret realm when I was bored and exploring," the giant explained with what might have been amusement. "They're useless to me in my current state. You've lost your weapon during the trial, haven't you? I don't have any swords in my collection, unfortunately. Take your pick from these three."
The casual way the Lord of Star Flow spoke to Han Jue, as if addressing a favored child, demonstrated that he truly did treat Han Jue with genuine affection. The gesture touched Han Jue deeply.
Three treasures lay before him.
A longbow crafted from ice-blue material that seemed to shimmer with frozen starlight.
A pair of heavy hammers that radiated overwhelming weight despite their stillness.
A folding fan etched with intricate water-pattern designs.
They were all ordinary treasures, each worth approximately one treasure point in the Virtual Universe Company's exchange system. The pair of heavy hammers might be worth slightly more due to their exceptional quality.
"Senior Star Flow, I'll take the longbow," Han Jue said after a moment's consideration.
The heavy hammers didn't suit his combat style at all, and while the fan possessed elegance, it didn't resonate with his techniques. However, the longbow harmonized with the fundamental principles of both water and space, it would serve as a temporary weapon until he could acquire something better suited to his path.
"Good choice," the Lord of Star Flow nodded, carefully putting away the other two treasures. "I'm ready to leave this place now. Would you like me to escort you outside the secret realm?"
"Thank you, Senior, but that's not necessary," Han Jue replied respectfully. "I still want to gain some practical experience within this secret realm before departing."
"Very well, be careful then." The Lord of Star Flow's voice carried genuine concern. "There are three individuals located in these specific regions", he transmitted spatial coordinates directly into Han Jue's consciousness, "who possess power comparable to mine. They're not as easy to talk to as I am, so avoid provoking them unnecessarily."
"Furthermore, there are several beings who qualify as Universe Overlords scattered throughout the realm. You should avoid direct confrontation with them as well. If you encounter serious trouble and need to intimidate potential enemies, you can always mention that you've created my clone. The reputation of Star Flow should provide some deterrent effect."
The information transfer complete, the Lord of Star Flow prepared his departure.
Whoosh!
The Star Flow Sea vanished!
The Lord of Star Flow departed with his ferocious beast companion, leaving the underwater hall suddenly empty and silent.
Han Jue boarded the Ice Wasteland spaceship, his mind already turning toward his next objective. It was time to check on his senior sister and the others.
He'd heard they were attempting to rescue Brother Lan Song from some predicament?
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Hong Luo Secret Realm...
Venerable Lianyi gripped his greatsword tightly as he charged directly into the Poisonous Swamp, a deadly region that had claimed the lives of countless Immortals over the eons.
Immediately upon entering, he spotted Venerable Lan Song trapped deep within the toxic waters, along with two other figures: Venerable Nine Swords and the guardian Kandeli.
"Let's finish this quickly," Venerable Lianyi nodded at them, his expression grim and focused.
"Domain-type treasure: Meteoric Heart Realm!"
Venerable Lianyi raised his hand, and beneath the coverage of the Meteoric Heart Realm, countless venomous serpents dwelling within the swamp died instantly, their divine bodies crushed by the overwhelming suppression of the domain treasure.
Venerable Lan Song seized the opportunity to swing his battle axe with devastating force. Together with Venerable Nine Swords and Kandeli, the four Universe Venerables carved a bloody path through the remaining creatures, fighting their way relentlessly toward the location of the Dragon Mother's lair.
The Dragon Mother was merely a Primary Universe Venerable, significantly weaker than the ferocious beast Han Jue had fought under the Lord of Star Flow's test. Facing a Universe Overlord and three high-level Universe Venerables simultaneously, the creature had no chance of survival once its true form was exposed.
Soon, with the combined efforts of all four, the Dragon Mother fell.
"Have you really been trapped here for so long?" Venerable Lianyi asked helplessly, shaking his head at his junior brother. "If you had simply sent word to the Virtual Universe Company earlier requesting assistance, wouldn't you have killed this creature epochs ago?"
Venerable Lan Song scratched his head and smiled with embarrassed innocence, choosing not to explain his stubborn desire to handle the situation independently.
"Go search the Mother Dragon's lair," Venerable Lianyi ordered, not wanting to waste more words on the matter. "See if there's anything valuable inside."
Venerable Lan Song nodded and walked into the cavernous den that had served as the Dragon Mother's home.
This Hong Luo Secret Realm had produced many precious treasures and even a handful of supreme treasures over the countless eons of its existence. Most of these items were located in the most dangerous areas, occupied by powerful creatures. While such beings might not actively use the treasures themselves, they instinctively hoarded them like dragons guarding their gold.
Venerable Lianyi didn't have to wait long before Venerable Lan Song emerged from the lair.
"A top-level melee treasure," Venerable Lan Song reported, shaking his head with disappointment. "It's of little actual use to any of us."
For cultivators of their level, Universe Venerables and Universe Overlords, they only pursued supreme treasures with genuine value. Precious treasures were what they truly desired to achieve their goals of immortal advancement.
Even top-level domain treasures held limited appeal for beings at their stage of cultivation.
"Indeed, it's relatively useless," Venerable Lianyi agreed. "Let's go check on how Venerable Xingyu is faring. Perhaps he's discovered something more valuable."
He then turned his attention to Venerable Nine Swords and Kandeli, asking politely, "As for you two, do you plan to accompany us further, or would you prefer to depart and pursue your own objectives?"
Venerable Xingyu was currently engaged in battle within the Demon Dragon Cliff, a dangerous and potentially lethal region adjacent to the Poisonous Swamp.
There resided a Demon Dragon, a special life form at the level of a Primary Universe Venerable. This creature was far more formidable than the Dragon Mother they'd just slain. Although Venerable Xingyu possessed mid-level Universe Venerable strength, he wasn't confident he could defeat such an opponent in single combat.
Even before Venerable Lan Song had accidentally strayed into the Poisonous Swamp and become trapped, Venerable Xingyu had already been locked in prolonged combat with the Demon Dragon.
"Then let's travel together and investigate," Venerable Nine Swords and Kandeli exchanged glances before the former smiled. "We had no specific purpose entering this secret realm anyway. We'll explore whatever we encounter along the way. Finding treasures would certainly be ideal, but if not, the experience itself has value."
"Wait." Venerable Lianyi's expression suddenly shifted, his brow furrowing with sudden concern.
"What's wrong?" Venerable Lan Song asked, immediately alert.
"Junior brother..." Venerable Lianyi looked up toward the distant void, his perception extending far beyond normal sight. "We're in danger."
"What kind of danger?" Venerable Nine Swords asked, surprise flickering across his features.
Even Venerable Nine Swords, the host of the Virtual Universe Company's peak genius battles and a being of considerable power, showed genuine concern at Venerable Lianyi's ominous warning.
"It's Han Jue," Venerable Lianyi said quietly.
Meanwhile, in another region of the Hong Luo Secret Realm...
Ordinary treasure: Ice-Erosion Longbow!
This bow possessed three secret patterns etched into its surface. It could shoot arrows without requiring physical ammunition, it would naturally condense cosmic energy to form special projectiles. Alternatively, it could consume the user's own divine power to dramatically increase its destructive potential.
Han Jue possessed no divine power yet, remaining at World Master level. Unless he borrowed divine power from his Star-Eating Grass to activate the bow's full capabilities, he could only rely on the weapon's ability to condense cosmic energy.
The power of arrows shot by condensing cosmic energy equaled only one-tenth of what the bow could achieve when fueled by divine power.
However, as an ordinary treasure, even operating at reduced efficiency, it remained far superior to the Ice Sword he'd previously wielded.
Holding this Ice-Erosion Longbow, Han Jue's combat power wouldn't increase dramatically, but at least it wouldn't be diminished by the loss of his previous weapon.
Han Jue took the bow and experimented with it several times, feeling the weight and balance. He felt like he could cosplay as the legendary archer Houyi shooting down the ten suns from ancient mythology.
The power of each arrow could theoretically pierce through an entire star!
"Wait... I was just joking when I said I wanted to cosplay Houyi. What's going on here?!"
Han Jue stared in mounting horror at the massive cluster of 'suns' now running rampant directly ahead of him, his desire to cry overwhelming but no tears coming forth.
Death-level dangerous location: The Star Belt!
Hundreds of stellar-mass entities, each radiating heat equivalent to an actual sun, roamed chaotically through this region of space, their gravitational fields creating deadly tidal forces that could tear apart unprepared cultivators.
"Senior Sister, save me!" Han Jue transmitted desperately through his communication device, hoping she was close enough to respond.
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
☆☆☆
-> 50 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/AshenMoon
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you