"What is it?" Thunder God looked at Hong's stunned expression, feeling equally puzzled.
"Besides Old Wang, there are actually two other Planetary-level powerhouses in this elite training camp... and they're stronger than him," Hong uttered, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Two more Planetary-level powerhouses?" Thunder God was also taken aback. "This is your Extreme Martial Hall's elite training camp. Brother Hong, you mean you weren't even aware of them?"
However, as they approached the camp, Thunder God's own formidable perception immediately detected the presence of two powerful Planetary-level entities nearby.
'Interesting.' Despite their immense surprise, both Hong and Thunder God remained outwardly composed. After all, they held absolute confidence in their own strength. Even if inexplicable second or third-level Planetary realm warrior had appeared on Earth, they were certain none could surpass them.
Their real puzzlement was: 'When did these two unfamiliar Planetary-level experts appear?'
Progress at the Planetary level was notoriously slow. The fact that the highest level among other Planetary warriors was only the third level was proof enough; typically, it required at least a decade of arduous cultivation just to advance one level within the Planetary stage.
Logically, once a Planetary-level powerhouse emerged, or even reached the second or third level, some trace or record of their existence would inevitably surface over the years.
Moreover, just how many Gods of War and Planetary-level warriors were there on the entire Earth? Regardless of the number, almost all had been recruited into the God of War Palace, and such information was meticulously documented.
Yet, Hong and Thunder God had never encountered any data on the auras of these two unfamiliar Planetary-level individuals.
Therefore, even if they didn't view second or third-tier Planetary warriors as a threat, they couldn't help but feel deep curiosity about these two mysterious figures.
'Jiangnan Pavilion?'
Hong was very familiar with this place; it was the residence for students from Jiangnan Base City.
Through his auxiliary AI, he retrieved the information of the elite training camp's occupants and found a total of four individuals listed there.
Shi Jiang, Zhao Ruo... While their talents were decent, they were only striving to reach the God of War level before their lifespan limits. So, these two Planetary-level beings must be Wei Wen and Luo Feng!
Because the emergence of Planetary-level presences was so sudden, Hong hadn't immediately linked the two elite trainees with Planetary-level powerhouses. But the moment he laid eyes on Wei Wen and Luo Feng, realization struck instantly.
A flicker of astonishment crossed Hong's face; he clearly hadn't expected the mysterious experts to be these two.
When Wei Wen and Luo Feng saw the two figures appearing at Jiangnan Pavilion, they immediately recognized them as Hong and Thunder God, the two strongest beings on Earth.
"You two... are really Wei Wen and Luo Feng?" A thought occurred to Hong, and he looked over in renewed surprise.
It wasn't as if Hong had never met Wei Wen and Luo Feng before; he had encountered them both prior to their entry into the elite training camp. Although their performances had been outstanding, breaking through to the second and third levels of Planetary in just a few months was simply unimaginable.
"Naturally. Wei Wen (Luo Feng), a student of the Extreme Martial Hall Elite Training Camp, pays respects to the Hall Master and Thunder God," Wei Wen and Luo Feng nodded in acknowledgment.
"Brother Hong, are they really Wei Wen and Luo Feng, students from our elite training camp?" Thunder God wore a bewildered expression.
His expression was odd. Since when had the standards of the Extreme Martial Hall's elite training camp become so exaggerated that its students were all Planetary-level experts?
Of course, his impression of Luo Feng might not be deep, but he was quite familiar with information about Wei Wen. After all, it was Wei Wen who had optimized the Nine Stage Thunder Blade, allowing Thunder God himself to advance further in its power, now having reached the Twelvefold Thunder Blade.
However, that was Wei Wen's state from over two months ago. His current level was far beyond Thunder God's, having achieved a Nineteenfold Thunder Blade with 14 times amplification power.
As for the amplitude of Wei Wen's spiritual power, it had far surpassed that power level. Currently, there were several light spheres within Wei Wen's sea of consciousness and dantian core.
Upon reaching the third level of Planetary, there would be three miniature planets in both his sea of consciousness and dantian. By this progression, until each possessed nine miniature planets, he would be at the ninth level of Planetary.
Regarding domains, Wei Wen hadn't made significant progress over the past few months, but he had gained two additional domains: Water and Fire. Apart from swordsmanship, he was now most adept at a peerless Water technique. After his past failure in a certain path, Wei Wen had easily deduced the Way of Water to a dominant level, a feat that would make many despair.
Thus, Wei Wen's Water Domain had now become a dual domain.
If Hong, at the sixth level of Planetary, were to engage in a domain confrontation with Wei Wen, they would likely be on par.
Therefore, with the discerning eyes of Hong and Thunder God, they could see that Wei Wen's strength was definitely not as simple as a newly advanced third-level Planetary. He even gave them a profoundly mysterious and completely unfathomable feeling.
"Wei Wen, Luo Feng, you are no longer at the newly-advanced first level of Planetary. When did you break through to the Planetary stage?" Hong was also greatly surprised, but his temperament was such that he wouldn't show it overtly.
"Approximately a few months ago," Wei Wen and Luo Feng replied simply.
Hong and Thunder God exchanged a glance, endless shock swirling in their eyes.
"At eighteen years old, to effortlessly reach the second and third levels of Planetary... it seems you two are anything but ordinary," Hong said with a faint smile.
Both Hong and Thunder God were aware of Wei Wen and Luo Feng's backgrounds. They came from ordinary origins and didn't appear to be individuals who had inherited any ancestral treasures. Yet, these ordinary youths had suddenly displayed extraordinary talent one day, easily reaching the Planetary level.
Either they were truly monstrous geniuses, or they had encountered some tremendous opportunity.
Hong's mind raced as he simultaneously issued orders to his auxiliary AI to re-investigate all information on Wei Wen and Luo Feng, including every detail of their movements and routes.
Due to Hong's personal command, the auxiliary AI swiftly gathered all their information with the highest efficiency and transmitted it to him.
'The point of greatest suspicion lies with the Australian continent. That time Wei Wen was injured... Unfortunately, there are no detailed records...' Hong analyzed silently.
Wei Wen and Luo Feng's current progression rate was so fast, abnormally so, indicating they likely gained their opportunities in Australia.
However, everyone had their own secrets—some they wouldn't even share with close relatives—so Hong had no intention of forcing Wei Wen to divulge anything.
Just like in the novel, when Luo Feng, at the God of War level, killed the Planetary-level Li Yao who wore a Black God set, Hong did not force Luo Feng to explain.
What concerned Hong most was not being surpassed by the younger generation. Rather, his greatest worry was that one day, Earth might be discovered by powerful cosmic civilizations and forces, which would spell disaster! At that time, whether Earth's people would be exterminated by alien adventurers or enslaved and sold, the outcome would be equally bleak.
After all, fair treatment required corresponding strength.
Therefore, the more astonishing Wei Wen and Luo Feng's performances were, the more pleased Hong and Thunder God felt, as if they had identified the right individuals. Because if Earth had more geniuses like Wei Wen and Luo Feng, they could afford to relax more.
As the saying goes, it is lonely at the top. Hong and Thunder God had long been without rivals and had deeply felt the solitude of invincibility. This sense made everything seem mundane, a feeling they disliked.
But now, witnessing the vigorous rise of Wei Wen and Luo Feng, Hong felt genuine anticipation from the bottom of his heart. In their pursuit of their own peaks, they now had formidable future competitors on the horizon.
"Wei Wen, Luo Feng, regardless of what opportunities you obtained, your ability to break through to the Planetary level proves your potential. This is also a stroke of fortune for humanity as a whole."
Hong's words were sincere, spoken from a genuine desire to see more powerful individuals emerge among humans to protect them from monsters and extraterrestrial threats.
"Wei Wen, Luo Feng, tell us, how did you break through to the Planetary level?" Unlike Hong's deeper concerns, the Thunder God wore a carefree smile as he asked.
"I undertook an adventure on the Australian continent earlier and chanced upon some treasures. It was by utilizing those that we managed to successfully advance to the Planetary level..." Wei Wen explained decisively.
To break through to the Planetary level was no small feat; ordinary treasures were insufficient. Based on their knowledge of such resources, Hong and the Thunder God suddenly thought of the same thing simultaneously.
The two exchanged a glance, a shared suspicion instantly forming in their minds—'Mu Ya Crystal!'
For any Planetary-level powerhouse, Mu Ya Crystal was immensely useful. However, Mu Ya Crystal was not a treasure native to Earth. Could there be undiscovered ruins of an ancient civilization on the Australian continent?
Yet, Earth's major powers currently monitored the planet closely and had conducted thorough searches. No new ancient civilization ruins had been found.
Seeing that Wei Wen and Luo Feng seemed reluctant to elaborate further, although Hong and the Thunder God were burning with curiosity, they felt it inappropriate to press the matter. After all, everyone had their own secrets, especially concerning a great opportunity like Mu Ya Crystal. If they themselves had discovered such ruins, they would have excavated them discreetly and certainly wouldn't welcome probing questions.
After a moment of silence, Hong and the Thunder God suppressed their thoughts and steered the conversation back to their original purpose for coming.
Wei Wen felt a wave of relief upon seeing that Hong and the Thunder God had no intention of interrogating them further. It seemed the portrayal of their characters in the novel was accurate. Fortunately, their mindsets and principles were extraordinary. Despite feeling tempted, they restrained their desires and did not resort to coercion.
If Hong and the Thunder God had truly succumbed to temptation and acted against them, Wei Wen might not have been a match, but he would have been profoundly disappointed.
Wei Wen might even have wondered if there were deviations from the novel. In fact, deviations were to be expected; his very presence was bound to create a butterfly effect.
Thinking of this, a realization struck Wei Wen. Luo Feng had already reached the Planetary level. If he took Luo Feng to the Misty Island now, Luo Feng might be able to obtain the inheritance of the Falling Star ahead of schedule.
"Wei Wen, Luo Feng, now that you are Planetary-level experts, you are qualified to learn about many matters..." Hong began solemnly.
He proceeded to explain to Wei Wen and Luo Feng the current predicament facing humanity and the threats from aliens in the cosmos... Wei Wen was already aware of all this, but he cooperated, feigning various expressions of shock.
Perhaps because Wei Wen's acting was a bit too forced, Hong didn't elaborate further.
"Wei Wen, Luo Feng, you've both met Inspector Wang. You should also know that upon becoming a powerhouse surpassing the God of War level—that is, a Planetary-level expert—one can directly serve as an Inspector of the Extreme Martial Hall HQ," Hong said after a moment's pause. "The position of Inspector holds high status, with authority within the Extreme Martial Hall second only to mine. I wonder if you would be willing to serve as the sixth and seventh Inspectors of our Extreme Martial Hall School?"
"No problem," Wei Wen and Luo Feng agreed after brief consideration.
After all, Luo Feng had already planned to reveal his strength and marry his beloved. As for Wei Wen, the status of Inspector would make certain tasks easier.
"Good. Soon, our Extreme Martial Hall will publicly announce a date. Your identities as Inspectors will be revealed to the world, and I will personally confer the positions upon you!" Hong continued.
"From then on, when the trainees in the elite training camp see you, they'll address you as Inspector Luo and Inspector Wei!" the Thunder God said with a laugh.
"Speaking of trainees, do you two still plan to remain in the training camp?" Hong asked with a slight smile.
"That won't be necessary," Wei Wen shook his head slightly.
Their previous stay in the training camp was to avoid exposing their strength and causing complications. Now that their strength was revealed and no trouble ensued, there was naturally no need to stay. More freedom was preferable.
"Good." Hong nodded thoughtfully. "The appointment of the sixth and seventh Inspectors of our Extreme Martial Hall must be announced to the world, so we naturally need to choose a significant date. Let me think... December 12th and January 1st are both auspicious days. You can choose, preferably the same day."
"January 1st," Luo Feng said promptly.
"No problem. However, you have just reached the Planetary level. You must understand that the first, second, and third stages of Planetary level are merely the beginning, not the end," Hong said gravely. "You must not slack off in your cultivation from now on."
"Understood," Wei Wen and Luo Feng nodded.
They certainly understood... The so-called Inspector or Councilor level was merely the Planetary level, a stage that barely allowed one to scrape by in the vast universe.
Only upon reaching the Star level could one be considered a true warrior or spiritual master, qualifying to become a formal citizen of a cosmic civilization state and barely enjoying some basic rights.
On some orderly planets, such individuals wouldn't be killed arbitrarily or captured and sold as slaves. Even worse was the Apprentice level ninth stage, which held no basic human rights in the universe and could hardly be considered human.
This illustrated that in the vast, boundless cosmos, the law of the jungle and hierarchical power were the naked and most universal truths. Even within the relatively united human race, internal unity was not absolute.
Fortunately, before his death, Hu Yanbo, the master of the Falling Star, used a secret method to obscure Earth's spatial coordinates in the dark universe. This was why, after Hu Yanbo's demise, Earth had remained undiscovered by space adventurers for so many years, allowing it to maintain its current fragile peace.
But Wei Wen also knew this state wouldn't last forever. In the near future, crises involving the Golden Horned Beast and space adventurers would arrive. In short, the sooner Luo Feng obtained the inheritance of the Falling Star, the better it would be for Wei Wen's plans.
However, Wei Wen also recalled that when Luo Feng first entered the Misty Island in the novel, he was detected by Babata but wasn't immediately drawn into the Falling Star. This indicated Luo Feng's talent hadn't fully captured Babata's attention at that time.
But if Wei Wen and Luo Feng went there now, bringing along more powerful individuals, and Babata discovered that Luo Feng was already the most promising spiritual master on Earth, Babata would surely pull Luo Feng into the Falling Star. After all, Babata later mentioned that the reason he chose Luo Feng after the Mu Ya Crystal feast was his desire to select the best candidate possible.
"Hall Master, Thunder God, even if I don't tell you now, you'll likely find out about the source of my opportunity sooner or later." Wei Wen's tone was calm, his gaze clear. "In that case, I won't hide it. I did discover some ruins there. How about the four of us embark on an exploration together?"
"Oh?" The eyes of Hong and the Thunder God instantly lit up, smiles appearing on their faces.
Hong had previously only known Wei Wen went to the Australian continent, not the exact location. Now, with Wei Wen's direct explanation, both he and the Thunder God were stirred with excitement.
Of course, if they knew Wei Wen's invitation partly stemmed from a desire to utilize their presence, they might have mixed feelings. Regardless, this was beneficial for Hong and the Thunder God. Perhaps they, too, could gain early access to the Falling Star? At the very least, they might obtain a substantial amount of Mu Ya Crystal from a feast similar to the novel.
Therefore, Wei Wen's approach was undoubtedly a win-win situation.
…
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