Qi God Palace

The ancient, silent hall was vast and empty, with only the central stone disk clearly visible. One simply needed to place an item on the disk, and the Virtual Universe system would inspect and make a judgment. This was the easiest place Luo Feng could think of to identify treasures.

“Through the Virtual Universe Network, and based on my clearance, I’ve already identified most of the previously unrecognized metals. While rare, none of them would make Fan Nuo Fortress Lord go to such lengths. That leaves only the last three,” Luo Feng mused. His online investigations had left three metals unidentifiable.

Luo Feng suspected the true treasure lay among them.

With a flick of his hand, a sesame-sized crystal with a hint of green appeared in his palm. He gently placed it on the stone disk.

Buzz~~~~~

Azure threads rose from the stone disk, enveloping the green crystal and beginning a meticulous examination. After only a moment, a voice echoed: “One ‘Wood Ultimate Crystal.’ Offering it to the race will grant 18 Treasure Points. Luo Feng, do you wish to offer this treasure to the race?”

“Oh? It truly is a treasure,” Luo Feng said, a hint of surprise in his voice. “No wonder I couldn’t find any information on this metal online, even with my clearance. A mere sesame-sized particle is worth 18 Treasure Points. It seems… the stashes of the Universe Overlords and Universe Venerables I’ve killed indeed contained many treasures.”

“However, 18 Treasure Points alone… aren’t enough to make Fan Nuo Fortress Lord act.” Luo Feng shook his head inwardly. This wasn't it. He immediately reached out, and the sesame-sized crystal floated back into his palm, which he then stored in his World Ring.

He then flipped his hand again, and another metal appeared in his palm.

This was a black metal, about the size of a human head, with 360 perfectly smooth facets on its surface, so polished they could serve as mirrors. This was one of the three metals Luo Feng couldn't identify.

“Go.”

The black metal floated directly onto the stone disk.

Innumerable azure threads rose and enveloped the black metal stone…

“Hmm?” Luo Feng frowned. “This is taking a long time?” Even inspecting an Ultimate Treasure hadn't taken this long before.

After a moment, the gentle voice sounded again, reverberating through the entire hall: “One Qi Mirror Stone, a token of the Qi God Palace. Offering it to the race will grant 20 Ultimate Treasure Points. Luo Feng, do you wish to offer this treasure to the race?”

Luo Feng’s eyes instantly lit up!

20 Ultimate Treasure Points? More valuable than the Nine Xia River!

“This is it!”

Luo Feng stared in shock at the Qi Mirror Stone, and with a swift motion, he recalled it to his hand. His eyes gleamed as he gazed at the Qi Mirror Stone. “No wonder, no wonder Fan Nuo Fortress Lord went to such lengths, first deliberately exchanging metals with me. He was simply taking advantage of my inability to discern the secrets of this Qi Mirror Stone.”

“So, it’s the Qi Mirror Stone,” Luo Feng felt his blood boil.

…

Although Luo Feng hadn't been on the Original Stars for nearly 20,000 years, his consciousness occasionally entered the Virtual Universe during that time, so he was naturally aware of some of the most significant events that had occurred there.

In those nearly 20,000 years, if there was one event on the 10,081 Original Stars that most shocked all parties, it was the ‘Qi God Palace incident.’

Qi God Palace!

It drove all races in the universe to madness. Around the 600th year after the Original Star通道 (passage) opened, on Original Star No. 02892, the Universe Origin suddenly descended. The Law Origins of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Light, Time, and Space all simultaneously descended upon this Original Star.

The overwhelming pressure was immense, and for a time, the entire planet seemed to be trapped, making it difficult for any Universe Venerable or even Universe Overlord to move.

At the same time, a divine palace gradually emerged from the ground…

The process of its emergence lasted for nearly a century. During these hundred years, major cosmic powers dispatched their super-beings to the location. For a time, almost all those gathered around the divine palace were Universe Masters, and any Universe Overlords daring to approach were of ‘peak Universe Overlord’ strength.

After a century, the Qi God Palace fully emerged.

A black stele stood before the Qi God Palace, bearing ancient secret patterns. Any powerful being could understand its message at a glance. The message was very simple:

‘The Qi God Palace has emerged, and the stele has appeared. Once the stele dissipates, one or more Qi Mirror Stones will appear irregularly at certain times and locations across the 10,081 Original Stars! There are a total of 36 Qi Mirror Stones… Qi Mirror Stones resemble ordinary stones, but their emergence causes a commotion comparable to a high-tier Ultimate Treasure. When all 36 Qi Mirror Stones have appeared, the Qi God Palace will open. Only those possessing a Qi Mirror Stone may enter; any other powerful beings who trespass will be annihilated…’

A year later, the stele dissipated.

Then, various rumors began to spread, claiming that Qi Mirror Stones had appeared on certain Original Stars, leading to numerous conflicts. However, without knowing the exact time and location, it was a matter of luck. Even powerful beings found it difficult to obtain a Qi Mirror Stone!

This stele’s message had long since spread… and Luo Feng naturally knew about it.

…

“So it was the Qi Mirror Stone. I truly had a treasure in hand and didn’t recognize it,” Luo Feng thought, looking at the black crystal. “When a Qi Mirror Stone emerges, its aura and pressure are like that of a high-tier Ultimate Treasure. So, only by discovering it at the moment of its emergence would one know the special nature of this stone.”

A stone emerging with pressure comparable to a high-tier Ultimate Treasure.

Any powerful being would guess it was extraordinary.

But…

For someone like Luo Feng, who had killed other powerful beings and collected their treasures, even possessing this Qi Mirror Stone, he wouldn’t have recognized it at all.

“The descent of the Universe’s great Law Origins… the Qi God Palace seems to be the greatest treasure of this Original Star era,” Luo Feng mused. Original Stars typically open only once after an immeasurable period, and each opening lasts for only 1,000 epochs. During these 1,000 epochs, many high-tier treasures of the same level, such as top-tier Domain-type Ultimate Treasures, top-tier Soul Ultimate Treasures, top-tier Flying Palace Ultimate Treasures, and peak Weapon Ultimate Treasures, would appear.

However, they would be incomplete and appear scattered.

And throughout the entire 1,000 epochs of the Original Star’s opening, there would also be one most terrifying Ultimate Treasure, surpassing all others. This would typically be a ‘peak Domain-type Ultimate Treasure,’ ‘peak Flying Palace Ultimate Treasure,’ or ‘peak Soul Ultimate Treasure.’ Of course, they usually possess other functions as well.

Just like the ‘Robe Armor’ has some soul defense, the ‘Beast God Armor’ has both attack and defense, and the ‘Ultimate Treasure Star Tower’ has numerous functions such as soul defense, flying palace, suppression, and attack.

And the strongest Ultimate Treasure appearing during an Original Star opening usually also possesses several functions.

For example, a peak Soul Ultimate Treasure typically focuses on soul defense, and may even include partial Divine Body defense functions, or illusionary functions, and so on…

In short!

Peak Soul Ultimate Treasures are second only to Ultimate Treasures! And Ultimate Treasures are incredibly rare and hard to come by! Even the nine super-powers of the universe don’t all possess an ‘Ultimate Treasure.’ Therefore, peak Ultimate Treasures in the domain, soul, and flying palace categories… are already enough to drive all races in the universe to madness.

…

“The Original Stars open only once after an incredibly long period,” Luo Feng thought. “Every peak Soul Ultimate Treasure… or a treasure of comparable level, can be called a clan-guarding treasure! Once a powerful Universe Master obtains one, and combines it with other treasures, it becomes almost impossible for them to fall. Even if they encounter an Ultimate Treasure… if they can’t defeat it, they can at least escape.”

“No wonder!”

“No wonder Tianyang Venerable kept it hidden and dared not reveal it. After all, once revealed, this Qi Mirror Stone would naturally be used by the Mechanical Race’s Universe Masters. It would be good enough for him to get a high-tier Ultimate Treasure. But if he went in himself… one must know that a maximum of 36 individuals from the entire universe can enter, and they enter through different gates of the Qi God Palace, making survival entirely possible. Once they come out alive, the gains would be immense. Even if they fail—at most, they would just revive. But if they succeed…”

Luo Feng clearly understood the thoughts of Tianyang Venerable and Fan Nuo Fortress Lord.

Tianyang Venerable concealed the information.

Fan Nuo Fortress Lord also didn’t want to publicly reveal that Tianyang Venerable had the Qi Mirror Stone. Once revealed, Tianyang Venerable would probably obediently offer it to the race.

Tianyang Venerable also wouldn’t reveal Fan Nuo Fortress Lord’s secret. Once revealed, Fan Nuo Fortress Lord held an extremely high status… possessing three avatars, each comparable to a top-tier Universe Overlord! His status was almost on par with a Universe Master. Even if the Thorn Ring Alliance knew he had the Qi Mirror Stone, they couldn’t forcibly demand it.

If pushed too hard…

Fan Nuo Fortress Lord, a special life form, could completely leave the Thorn Ring Alliance and join another power.

…

Both had their own agendas. Tianyang Venerable wasn’t afraid of Fan Nuo Fortress Lord pursuing him, confident in his ability to escape. Fan Nuo Fortress Lord also harbored the idea of acquiring it himself. So, they dragged it out…

Who would have thought Luo Feng would intervene!

Tianyang Venerable was excellent at escaping, with his Domain-type Ultimate Treasure combined with high-tier Ultimate Armor and flowing light wings… even Luo Feng couldn’t catch him, finally killing him only with ‘I Am the Universe.’ Thus… this Qi Mirror Stone fell into Luo Feng’s hands.

…

“With the Qi Mirror Stone in hand, I also have the qualification to enter the Qi God Palace,” Luo Feng was incredibly excited. “Such an opportunity might only come once in countless epochs. Moreover, within a millennium, I will definitely reach the Universe Venerable level! Once I reach the Universe Venerable level, my Divine Body will become even stronger, my power greater… giving me more capital to contend for treasures.”

Luo Feng nodded inwardly.

At the same time, he also tested the third metal, a small piece worth 31 Treasure Points. While it surprised Luo Feng, he merely smiled. Immediately after, Luo Feng left Chaos City, left the Primal Universe… and returned to the Primal Universe.

…

Within the Thorn Ring Alliance Territory.

A life planet was incredibly prosperous. The spread of technology was potent; even if a civilization didn't primarily follow the path of technology, most life planets in the universe, especially those with inherently weaker genes, would utilize technology even more to create incredibly comfortable living environments.

Skyscrapers, flying cars, aerial docking platforms… were everywhere.

At the top of a skyscraper.

Fan Nuo Fortress Lord, transformed into his three-meter-tall Divine Body, sat in a chair, overlooking the city. As a special life form, he actually preferred worlds where ordinary, weaker life forms lived.

“Luo Feng?”

“Golden Horned Beast? This Qi Mirror Stone must have fallen into his hands. My operation failed, and he must be suspicious. I believe that with the Human Race’s intelligence system, they should be able to identify the Qi Mirror Stone…” Fan Nuo Fortress Lord frowned in thought.