DipNovel Chapter 111 Earth
Chapter 111 Earth
As they stepped out of the Imperial Headquarters, Lin Yun and Luo Feng both breathed a sigh of relief.
We've finally bought ownership of the Earth.
Three trillion Black Dragon Coins, equivalent to 3 billion Qianwu Coins, were transferred from their accounts. But both of them felt it was worth it—Earth was their home, their roots, and it was worth any amount of money.
"Now, Earth is legal private territory," Luo Feng said with a smile. "Anyone who wants to take over Earth will have to get past the Imperial laws first."
"That's not enough." Lin Yun shook his head. "Imperial laws can only protect honest people, not scoundrels. True space adventurers don't care about laws. Our own strength is Earth's true guarantee."
Luo Feng nodded, his smile fading.
"So, we need more manpower," Lin Yun said. "Let's go to the slave market."
The slave trading center in Qiulong City was still brightly lit at night.
The massive building resembles a crystal palace in the night, its transparent glass curtain walls reflecting the colorful neon lights. Two colossal sculptures at the entrance cast long shadows under the lights, like two silent guardians.
Lin Yun and Luo Feng entered the enormous building again. This time, their goal wasn't to tour it, but to make a purchase.
The hall was quieter than during the day, but there were still quite a few people trading. Intelligent beings of various races moved about, some haggling, some inspecting goods, and some signing contracts. A faint smell of disinfectant mingled with the unique body odor of each race in the air.
"Welcome, gentlemen!" A merchant in a black robe greeted them with a broad smile. His gaze swept over the two men, and when he saw the two silver-clad guards behind Luo Feng, a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes. Anyone who could afford to bring silver-clad guards was either extremely wealthy or powerful. And someone who could buy so many slaves at once was an even bigger customer.
"We need a batch of Star-level slaves," Lin Yun said bluntly, "Star-level ninth-tier mentalists and martial artists."
The businessman's eyes suddenly lit up, and his breathing became more rapid.
"Ninth-tier Hengxing?" His voice trembled slightly. "Gentlemen, how many do you want?"
"200 level-nine level spiritualists at the Eternal Star level," Lin Yun said. "200 level-nine level martial artists at the Eternal Star level."
The merchant's mouth gaped open, unable to close it for a long time. He had worked in the slave trading center for thirty years, and the largest order he had ever received was only for a few dozen Constant-level slaves. Four hundred Constant-level ninth-tier slaves—this was the largest order he had ever received in his life.
"Sir, are you...are you sure?" The businessman swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
"Confirmed," Lin Yun said. "However, I need to inspect the goods."
"Of course! Of course!" the merchant exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement. "Please follow me!"
He led the two men deep into the slave market, where there was a huge exhibition hall, several thousand square meters in size. Hundreds of glass domes stood neatly arranged inside, each containing a humanoid creature. Lights projected from the ceiling illuminated each dome, leaving the slaves inside nowhere to hide.
"These are ninth-tier slaves of the Hengxing level," the merchant said proudly, pointing to the glass cases. "They were captured from various star systems, representing all races, and their quality is guaranteed. This batch is our best, originally intended for a major client, but that client cancelled the order at the last minute. You two gentlemen have arrived at just the right time."
Lin Yun and Luo Feng walked into the exhibition hall and carefully looked at each slave in the glass case.
Inside the first glass enclosure stood a tall, blue-skinned man with sharp eyes. He emanated the aura of a ninth-tier Star-level warrior, his entire being resembling a drawn sword. His muscles were clearly defined, a testament to his years of rigorous training. Though his eyes were seemingly numb, a flicker of unyielding spirit occasionally flashed within them.
Inside the second glass enclosure stood a woman with green skin, a slender figure, and delicate features. She emanated fluctuations of spiritual power, causing the surrounding space to slightly distort. Her hair was silver-white, cascading down to her waist like a waterfall under moonlight. Her eyes were amber, empty and blank, but Lin Yun could sense that her spiritual power was extremely strong, even surpassing that of some peak-level martial artists.
The third, the fourth, the fifth...
Lin Yun looked at each slave one by one, using his mental power to sense the strength and condition of each one. His mental power had reached the eighth level of the Hengxing stage, making his perception extremely sharp. He could sense that these slaves were indeed all at the ninth level of the Hengxing stage, possessing formidable strength, but their eyes were mostly filled with numbness and despair.
Some people bowed their heads, as if they had accepted their fate. Some closed their eyes, as if escaping reality. Some stared blankly ahead, as if they had lost their souls. And some others had a fleeting glint of resentment and anger in their eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by the chip's oppressive force.
"This batch of goods is good." Lin Yun nodded. "I'll take both the 200 Spiritual Masters and the 200 Martial Artists." A level 9 Spiritual Master is worth 15 billion Black Dragon Coins, and a Martial Artist is worth 5 billion each. This deal will bring in 4 trillion Black Dragon Coins, which is 4 billion Qianwu Coins.
The merchant was overjoyed and quickly arranged for people to prepare for the handover. He waved his hand, and more than a dozen staff members immediately began to work, preparing the transfer procedures for the slaves and the handover of chip permissions.
Just then, the merchant hesitated for a moment, then said, "Sir, since you've made such a large purchase, according to our shop's rules, we can give you a batch of low-ranking slaves as a gift. What do you think…?"
"A gift?" Luo Feng's interest was piqued. "What kind of gift?"
"1000 level-one martial artists and 1000 level-one mentalists," the merchant said. "Although their levels are a bit low, they are still level-one. They're not bad for showing off or as cannon fodder. These low-level slaves were captured from various battlefields. Although their strength is not high, their numbers are numerous, and they are all very obedient."
Lin Yun and Luo Feng exchanged a glance. A single first-tier martial artist at the Hengxing level only costs 100 million Black Dragon Coins, and even 1000 of them would only amount to 10 billion Black Dragon Coins. A Spiritual Master would only cost 30 billion Black Dragon Coins. All together, it's less than a fraction of the total cost of this deal; the merchant was very generous with the money.
"Okay," Lin Yun said, "Take them all with you."
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!" The businessman bowed repeatedly, so excited that he didn't even bother to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"By the way, you need to send two more spaceships," Lin Yun said. "Class C will do, enough to hold all these people. Ideally, they should have living facilities, since the basic needs of slaves need to be met during long voyages."
"Okay...okay, no problem," the businessman said hurriedly. "Send two more Class C transport ships, each capable of carrying 1000 people, with basic living facilities inside—sleeping pods, a restaurant, a toilet, and a medical room, everything you need." Ordinary Class C ships aren't expensive, usually costing only a few billion Black Dragon Coins. The Class C ship that Babata modified from Black Dragon Mountain was a luxury item made entirely of metal, costing only a little over 10 billion Black Dragon Coins.
"Deal!" Lin Yun said. The two ships could just hold all the slaves, plus their own Black Dragon spaceship, making a total of three ships.
"Okay! Please wait a moment, sir, I'll arrange it right away!"
The transaction is complete.
Another 40 billion Qianwu coins were transferred from Lin Yun's account. Adding to this the 30 billion Qianwu coins used to purchase ownership of Earth, the 30 billion Qianwu coins used to purchase cultivation resources, the over 40 billion Qianwu coins from the Moyun Vine, and the over 180 billion Qianwu coins from the Golden Horned Beast's refining metals and secret techniques…
Of the 350 billion Qianwu coins, less than 30 billion remained after spending.
"Money disappears so fast," Luo Feng said with a wry smile, looking at the shrinking numbers in his account with a pained expression.
"It's worth it," Lin Yun said. "With these slaves, Earth's defenses will be greatly enhanced. Adding the two of us, we'll have over 400 ninth-tier Star-level fighters. Even if a cosmic-level powerhouse comes, we'll have a fighting chance."
Luo Feng nodded, a determined glint in his eyes.
Two hundred level-nine Rank-Eternal Spiritual Masters, two hundred level-nine Rank-Eternal Warriors, plus one thousand level-one Rank-Eternal Warriors and one Thousand thousand level-one Rank-Eternal Spiritual Masters—this force would be considered a small army even within the Black Dragon Mountain Empire. And in remote star systems devoid of cosmic-level powerhouses, this force would be enough to intimidate most adventurers.
"Moreover, this is just the beginning," Lin Yun added. "Once we have more money, we can buy more slaves, and even recruit cosmic-level powerhouses directly. Earth's defenses must be built up step by step."
Luo Feng nodded in agreement.
Three days later, everything was ready.
Two Class C transport ships were docked in the airport of Qiulong City, making a total of three ships, including the Black Dragon ship that Lin Yun and Luo Feng had arrived in. The three ships were arranged in a triangle, gleaming in the sunlight, attracting the attention of pedestrians in the airport.
More than two thousand slaves were sent onto the transport ship in batches. They were all equipped with control chips. With just a thought from Lin Yun or Luo Feng, they could be killed instantly. This was provided by the slave traders to ensure the slaves' obedience. Although Lin Yun disliked this kind of thing, he had no better way to deal with it.
"Let's go," Lin Yun ordered.
Three spaceships took off simultaneously, leaving Qiulong Star and heading towards Earth. Blue flames shot from their tails, leaving three bright trails in the night sky before gradually disappearing into the stars.
Nine days later, on Earth.
Hongning Base City, headquarters of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy.
Hong stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the sky outside. His brow furrowed slightly, a vague unease creeping into his heart. Lin Yun and Luo Feng had been away from Earth for over ten days. Although they had said before their departure that they would visit nearby civilized planets, Hong remained somewhat worried. The universe was fraught with unknown dangers, and this was the first time these two young people had left Earth; what if something happened to them…?
"Brother Hong, something's up!" Thor's voice came through the communicator, tinged with tension. "Radar has detected three unidentified spaceships approaching Earth! They're moving very fast and are huge!"
Hong's pupils contracted sharply.
"Three ships?"
"Yes! Three! They're huge, bigger than any spaceship we've ever seen!" Thor's voice held a hint of tension. "What do we do? Should we sound the alarm?"
Hong was silent for a moment, then said, "Notify all councilors to enter a state of high alert. You and I will go check the situation first."
"good!"
The two flew out of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy headquarters, hovering at an altitude of ten thousand meters, gazing at the distant horizon. The night breeze brushed their cheeks, carrying the coolness of early autumn. Behind them, dozens of fighter jets were taking off urgently, and on the ground, missile silos were activated, and laser defense systems were on standby.
Soon, three enormous spaceships came into view.
The spaceships were silver-white, with sleek designs, resembling giant birds in flight. They slowly pierced the atmosphere, heading towards Hongning Base City. Pale blue flames spewed from the bottom of the spaceships, leaving four long contrails in the air. Sunlight shone on the spaceships' hulls, reflecting a dazzling light.
Hong placed his hand on his gun, and Thor raised his battle sword. Both men raised their auras to the limit, ready to strike at any moment.
Just then, Hong's communicator rang.
"Master, it's me." Lin Yun's voice came through the communicator, tinged with a smile. "Don't be nervous, we're back."
Hong paused for a moment, then let out a long breath and loosened his grip on the gun handle.
"You little rascal, you didn't even tell me you were coming back."
"I wanted to give you a surprise," Lin Yun said with a smile. "And what I brought back this time will definitely surprise you."
Three spaceships slowly landed on the plaza of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy headquarters. The landing gears of the spaceships landed steadily on the ground with a dull thud. The hatches opened, and Lin Yun and Luo Feng stepped out.
Hong and Thor went to meet them.
"How was it? How was the trip?" Thor asked impatiently, his eyes scanning Lin Yun and Luo Feng, trying to see what good things they had brought back.
"We've gained quite a bit," Lin Yun said with a smile. "However, you'll soon find out the biggest gain."
He turned around and waved at the spaceship.
The hatches swung open, and over two thousand slaves filed out of the spaceship, standing in neat rows on the plaza. They wore identical black combat suits and exuded a powerful aura. The entire group of over two thousand men produced not a sound, only the rhythmic thud of their footsteps and the rustling of their uniforms.
Hong and Thor's eyes widened, their mouths agape, unable to close for a long time.
"This...this is..." Thor's voice trembled. In all his years, he had never seen so many powerful people gathered together. The aura of each of them was stronger than his.
"200 ninth-tier psychic masters at the Eternal Star level." Lin Yun pointed to the first row, where people wore silver-white robes and emanated fluctuations of psychic power, causing the surrounding space to distort slightly. "200 ninth-tier martial artists at the Eternal Star level." He pointed to the second row, where people wore black armor, their muscles bulging, and their eyes sharp. "1000 first-tier martial artists and psychic masters at the Eternal Star level." He pointed to the ranks behind.
Hong and Thor gasped.
400 powerful cultivators at the ninth level of the Eternal Star Realm! 2000 powerful cultivators at the first level of the Eternal Star Realm! This power is countless times stronger than all the martial artists currently existing on Earth combined.
"You...you guys..." Hong's voice trembled slightly as he tried to remain calm. "How did you do that?"
"I bought it," Luo Feng said. "From the slave market, I bought it with money."
"How much did it cost?" Thor asked, his voice full of curiosity.
"40 billion Qianwu coins," Lin Yun said.
Hong and Lei Shen exchanged a glance, unsure what to say. 40 billion Qianwu coins—they didn't even know what Qianwu coins were, let alone how much 40 billion meant. But judging from Lin Yun and Luo Feng's expressions, this was an astronomical sum.
"Lin Yun, these people..." Hong's gaze fell on the more than 2000 slaves, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes, "Are they reliable?"
"Reliable," Lin Yun said truthfully. "They've all been implanted with chips; I can control them at any time."
Hong nodded.
Lin Yun took out a seed of the Moyun Vine and countless cultivation resources from his spatial ring and handed them to Hong and Lei Shen.
"These are seeds of the Moyun Vine," Lin Yun said. "They are a special plant from the universe that can recognize a master and grow into a powerful battle partner. Once recognized, they will merge into your body and grow alongside you."
Thor took the seed and examined it closely. The seed was small, only the size of a thumb, entirely emerald green, emitting a faint fluorescent glow. He could sense that the seed contained an immense amount of life energy, as if a dormant life was waiting to be awakened.
"Brother Hong, now I have a Moyun Vine too!" Thor said with a smile. He had been very envious when Hong got the Moyun Vine from Fog Island.
"There are also various resources here for cultivating the Cloud Vine," Lin Yun said. "If it can be cultivated to a perfect form with 36 vines at the Eternal Star level, its combat power can rival that of a peak Eternal Star level expert. Moreover, the Cloud Vine has extremely strong defensive capabilities, protecting its master from harm. In the universe, many powerful beings cultivate the Cloud Vine as an auxiliary combat partner."
Hong and Thor exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. Such a treasure would be priceless even in the universe, and Lin Yun had simply given it to them.
"Lin Yun, these... are too valuable," Hong said.
"Master, please don't stand on ceremony with me," Lin Yun said with a smile. "Earth is our common home, and protecting it is not your responsibility alone. Besides, these things are just a drop in the ocean for me."
Hong was silent for a moment, then nodded and carefully put the things away.
Lin Yun then took out two more anonymous consciousness-sensing helmets and handed them to Hong and Thor.
"This is a consciousness-sensing helmet that can connect to the virtual universe," Lin Yun said. "With it, you can enter the virtual universe network, learn about various information in the universe, and also cultivate and trade on it. In the virtual universe, there are countless powerful beings, countless secret techniques, and countless opportunities. You can find a cultivation path that suits you on it."
Hong took the helmet, a complex light flashing in his eyes.
"Virtual universe..." he murmured.
"Master, Thor, you two familiarize yourselves with each other first," Lin Yun said. "Once you're ready, we'll discuss the next steps together. Earth can't venture into space with just Luo Feng and me."
That evening, Lin Yun returned to his home in Mingyue Residential Area.
Moonlight spilled onto the villa's roof, bathing everything in a silvery glow. The osmanthus tree in the courtyard was in bloom, its golden petals swaying gently in the night breeze, releasing a delicate fragrance. In the distance, the spire of the Extreme Club gleamed in the moonlight, like a beacon guiding the way.
Grandpa Lin Guodong was already asleep. The living room light was still on, and a bowl of warm white fungus soup sat on the table. Lin Yunduan got up and took a sip; the temperature was just right.
He Lingruo was still practicing her spear in the training room. The Silver Moon Spear in her hand transformed into a streak of silver light, its shadows blurring and tearing through the air with a sharp, piercing sound. Her movements were as light as a swallow, her footsteps swift as she moved through the training room, each thrust precise and fierce.
Hearing the noise, she stopped what she was doing, turned around, and saw Lin Yun standing at the door. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.
"You're back?"
"You're back." Lin Yun walked over and took her hand. "Did you miss me?"
He Lingruo blushed slightly and turned her head away: "Who misses you?"
Lin Yun smiled but didn't expose her. He could feel her hands trembling slightly, and her heart beating a little faster.
"I brought you a gift." Lin Yun took out a spatial ring from his spatial ring and handed it to He Lingruo. The ring was silver-white, with a smooth, mirror-like surface that shimmered faintly under the light.
"What is this?" He Lingruo took the ring and examined it curiously.
"A spatial ring," Lin Yun said. "It has a large internal space and can store a lot of things. When you go out to train in the future, you won't have to carry big bags and small bags." Lin Yun originally had several spatial rings, and later obtained two more from Feng Sha and Di Sha in the battle of the Ice Plains. He sold one of them when he went out into the universe this time, and he still has several left.
He Lingruo put the ring on her finger and probed it with her spiritual power, sensing the enormous space—several hundred meters in length, width, and height, enough to hold an entire house. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.
"So big..."
"And another one." Lin Yun took out a set of Force armor and a Force spear, handing them to He Lingruo. The armor was silver-white, made of a soft yet tough material, and felt cool and smooth to the touch. The spear was entirely silver-white, with a sharp tip and fine patterns on its body, emitting a faint fluorescent glow.
"These are Tier 2 Force Armor and Tier 2 Force Spear, both of which are Star-level equipment," Lin Yun said. "Wearing them will greatly enhance your defense and attack power. The armor can withstand attacks from Star-level experts, and the spear can pierce the scales of Star-level ferocious beasts."
He Lingruo took the equipment, her fingers trembling slightly.
"Lin Yun, these things..."
"Don't thank me," Lin Yun interrupted her. "There's no need for thanks between us."
He Lingruo looked at him, her eyes slightly red. She nodded and carefully put away the equipment.
Late at night.
Lin Yun sat cross-legged in the cultivation room and took out a bottle of medicine from his spatial ring.
That was the Soul Elixir he bought in Dragon City—a potion specifically for restoring soul power. A 100-gram bottle cost a whopping 1000 million Qianwu coins. The potion was in a clear glass bottle; the liquid was pale blue and shimmered faintly under the light.
In the world of Panlong, his three consecutive ascensions to godhood and the three soul splits had significantly weakened his soul. All four souls needed time to recover, but natural recovery was far too slow. At the normal rate, it would take at least several years to fully recover. With the Soul Elixir, this speed would be greatly increased.
Lin Yun closed his eyes and switched his consciousness to the Panlong World.
Within the miniature plane, his four bodies simultaneously opened their eyes. His main body, his lightning-elemental god avatar, his fire-elemental god avatar, and his light-elemental god avatar—the four souls began to simultaneously absorb the power of the Soul Spirit Liquid. That cool power flowed among the four souls, forming a cycle, several times more efficient than absorbing it individually.
He could feel his soul rapidly recovering. The weakness was gradually fading, and his understanding of the laws was becoming clearer. The previously somewhat vague fluctuations of the laws were now clearly discernible. His previously sluggish thinking was now agile and flexible.
"At this rate, my soul should be fully restored in a month at most," Lin Yun thought to himself.
Once his soul recovers, he can continue to break through the other four elements—earth, water, wind, and darkness. At that time, he will have seven divine avatars, and he can obtain even more avatar slots in the Devouring Star World. Seven avatars, plus his main body, eight bodies cultivating simultaneously—what terrifying efficiency that would be!
He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the ocean of laws.
Within the miniature plane, the fluctuations of the seven elemental laws swirled around him, like a layer of multicolored halo. Lightning, fire, light, earth, water, wind, and darkness—the seven forces intertwined, forming a strange harmony.
Outside the membrane, spatial turbulence churned eternally, multicolored energies intertwined in the void, and spatial rifts appeared from time to time, devouring everything before quietly closing again.
Meanwhile, in another world, Luo Feng was also in the cultivation room, within his inner world, where the Golden Horned Beast began absorbing the metal combination.
The golden-horned behemoth's avatar opened its massive maw, swallowing piles of metal into its belly. Within its inner world, the metal was broken down, absorbed, and transformed, becoming nutrients for growth. The inner world slowly expanded, and the golden-horned behemoth's aura gradually rose.
At this rate, his Golden Horned Beast form will be able to break through to the cosmic level in just over a year.