Luo Feng's Decision

“I really don’t know,” Lei Shen shook his head. “I wanted to help Elder Brother, but he only mentioned a few things when he was troubled and we were drinking. After all, we’ve come a long way together; we’re not blood brothers, but we’re closer than that. Yet, when I pressed for more details, Elder Brother refused to say anything.” Luo Feng’s brows furrowed slightly. “I’ll find Elder Brother,” Luo Feng said, gently tapping the air in front of him. A screen appeared, and Luo Feng tapped it again, sending an email to Elder Brother. Moments later, Hong, dressed in simple black casual wear, walked in, a smile on his face. “You’re all here. Third Brother, why the urgent summons?” “Elder Brother, please sit,” Luo Feng said. Lei Shen also fixed his gaze on Hong. Hong observed their expressions, his brows furrowing slightly. As he sat down, he asked, “Third Brother, you know?” “Yes!” Luo Feng nodded, looking earnestly at Hong. “Elder Brother, are you serious about this?” “Yes,” Hong nodded, showing no trace of embarrassment. At Hong’s level, he saw through everything with clarity. “Haha, I never thought there’d actually be a woman in this universe capable of captivating Elder Brother. I’m truly curious to see what kind of magic she possesses,” Luo Feng said with a laugh. When Hong had nodded, everything became clear… it seemed Hong had genuinely fallen in love. As for why that woman attracted Hong, or how their feelings developed, Luo Feng naturally wouldn’t pry into such matters. “Is the trouble significant?” Luo Feng asked Elder Brother. “Somewhat,” Hong replied, a faint trace of worry in his eyes. “Elder Brother, tell me what family it is, and who the Immortal God behind them is?” Luo Feng looked at Hong. “Tell me the situation, and I’ll help you.” Hong looked at Luo Feng. Luo Feng also looked at Hong. “This time, I’ll have to trouble you, Third Brother,” Hong said, not refusing. The three of them were exceptional individuals, and even Luo Feng, with the weakest cultivation of the mind, had long reached a state where his heart was like a clear mirror, seeing through all illusions. Therefore, when it came to certain matters, they dispensed with formalities and were very direct. Moreover, they all understood each other’s thoughts. “The family is the Ji Clan, one of the three hundred princely families of the Ganwu Universe Nation. The girl’s name is Ji Qing,” Hong stated directly. Luo Feng nodded. He immediately tapped the air in front of him, and a screen appeared. Hong and Lei Shen, standing nearby, couldn’t help but look at the screen. “Search!” Luo Feng typed in a query for information on the ‘Ji Clan,’ one of the three hundred princely families of the Ganwu Universe Nation, ‘Immortal Gods,’ and ‘Ji Qing.’ With Luo Feng’s authority as a Primal Secret Region member, he could indeed access highly confidential data. *Whoosh!* The screen instantly filled with lines of intelligence data. “Huh, why can’t we see it?” Lei Shen asked, puzzled. “Some of the search results are classified, so you can’t see the information on this screen,” Luo Feng said with a smile. “This is a security setting of the Virtual Universe Network.” As he spoke, Luo Feng gently clicked on the topmost data entry. With a click, an article immediately appeared, compiled from Luo Feng’s search terms: ‘Ji Clan,’ ‘Immortal God,’ and ‘Ji Qing.’ “Oh?” Luo Feng couldn’t help but show a hint of surprise as he read. “What is it?” Lei Shen pressed, while a glimmer of anticipation appeared in Hong’s eyes. “This information isn’t highly restricted; I can tell you about it here in the Virtual Universe,” Luo Feng said with a smile. “As you both know, the Ganwu Universe Nation has over thirteen thousand star systems. The Immortal Gods under the Ganwu Nation Lord alone number in the tens of thousands. Many of these Immortal Gods, those with great achievements and formidable strength, are naturally ennobled as Marquises or Kings!” The titles of King and Marquis in a nation are not directly related to being a Marquis-level Immortal God or a King-level Immortal God. For instance, in some ‘elementary cosmic civilization nations,’ the strongest individual might only be at the Universe level, yet they still have emperors, princes, and dukes. Therefore, while the kings and marquises of smaller cosmic nations might not be particularly valuable, those of a universe nation are very powerful. However, the Kings and Marquises of organizations like the Virtual Universe Company and the Giant Axe Martial Arena are truly the most noble! For example, Zhenyan King is a King-level! Yet, he is far, far nobler than the Kings of the Ganwu Universe Nation! Only super-organizations of the caliber of the Virtual Universe Company and the Giant Axe Martial Arena are qualified to bestow the titles of ‘Marquis-level’ God and ‘King-level’ God! Moreover… almost no King-level Immortal Gods exist within the various universe nations. “The Ganwu Universe Nation has a total of 32 Kings and 268 Marquises, collectively known as the Three Hundred Princely Lords,” Luo Feng explained. “These Three Hundred Princely Lords wield immense power, standing as the elite among tens of thousands of Immortal Gods, and almost all of them are Marquis-level Immortals.” Hong and Lei Shen listened intently. “The Ji Clan’s territory is the ‘Snowy Frontier Star System.’ The clan’s progenitor, and the first patriarch of this ancient family, is named Ji Tianzang, and he was ennobled as ‘Yin Xue Marquis’,” Luo Feng continued. “Yin Xue Marquis Ji Tianzang is one of the Three Hundred Princely Lords, and one of the oldest and most trusted ministers to have served the Ganwu Nation Lord, highly valued by him.” As Luo Feng spoke, his brows furrowed. This Ji Clan was not to be trifled with, as they were backed by the Ganwu Nation Lord! Of course… the high and mighty Ganwu Nation Lord probably wouldn’t bother interfering in trivial matters of love. “That powerful?” Lei Shen muttered. “Yes,” Hong replied, relatively calm. “Ji Qing,” Luo Feng continued. “A Universe-level Ninth-tier, a rare and peerless genius from the Ji Clan in countless years, and currently a core member of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance.” “What!” Hong suddenly stood up. Lei Shen’s eyes widened, and his mouth hung open. After a long moment, he whispered, “My heavens!” Among the five great powers of the human race in the universe, the Virtual Universe Company and the Giant Axe Martial Arena are slightly stronger, while the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, Universe First Bank, and Cosmic River Bank are a bit weaker. But no matter what… all five are on par, and to be a core member of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, one absolutely has to be a super-genius! “To think it’s…” Hong’s expression was complex as he shook his head. He, Hong, hadn’t even entered the core of the Giant Axe Martial Arena yet, and he never expected the seemingly ordinary girl he loved to be a core member of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance. Among the five great powers, only the Virtual Universe Company and the Giant Axe Martial Arena hold genius battles. The other three powers cast a wide net, secretly recruiting geniuses, which is why the recruited talents aren’t widely known. … Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen, the three brothers from Earth, sat together. “I was too focused on appearances. Whether she’s a core member of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance or not has nothing to do with her feelings for me or mine for her,” Hong said, looking at Luo Feng. “Third Brother, you’ve seen the intelligence now… the Ji Clan is obstructing Ji Qing and me. Do you have a way to solve this problem?” “Yes,” Luo Feng nodded gently, without hesitation. “Thank you,” Hong said, gratitude in his eyes. Luo Feng smiled. “Elder Brother, you’ve always helped me all these years. Now it’s my turn to help you, so there’s no need for thanks.” When it came to cultivating the mind, Hong had never found it troublesome; he had always guided Luo Feng… “Haha…” Hong suddenly laughed. Deep down, Hong always remembered the first time he saw Luo Feng. He was probably older than Luo Feng’s grandfather, so he naturally felt a sense of care for a junior, like a younger brother. Hong did these things purely out of natural inclination, never expecting anything in return. … In Luo Feng’s manor in the Primal District of Yuxiang Mountain, Luo Feng sat silently at his desk. “Troubled?” Babata chuckled from his shoulder. “Feeling like things are getting complicated now?” “What trouble? Elder Brother hasn’t asked me for help once in all these years. Given his personality, if he’s asking for my help now… I have to step in, no matter what!” Luo Feng laughed. “Besides, this matter isn’t particularly difficult for me; it just requires a decision.” “A decision?” Babata asked, puzzled. “Yes.” “I currently have two ways to solve this problem,” Luo Feng explained. “The first is to ask my teacher, Zhenyan King, to intervene! With my teacher Zhenyan King’s status… even the Ganwu Nation Lord would have to show some respect, and Yin Xue Marquis certainly wouldn’t dare to be negligent. As long as the issue isn’t too big, my teacher merely making an appearance would resolve it.” However… Luo Feng didn’t want to trouble his teacher lightly. His teacher valued and protected him greatly, and he had never asked for his teacher’s help before. If he asked just once… Luo Feng believed his teacher wouldn’t refuse. But deep down, Luo Feng felt it was better not to bother his teacher unless there was absolutely no other way. “What’s the second way?” Babata pressed. “The second way is for me to break through to the Domain Lord level right now!” Luo Feng declared. “Once I break through to the Domain Lord level, the Virtual Universe Company will directly assign me as a high-ranking regional official, and I’ll be stationed in my home, the Ganwu Universe Nation. According to protocol… I would occupy one of the top positions in the Virtual Universe Company’s Ganwu Branch. As a bridge between the Ganwu Universe Nation and the Virtual Universe Company… once I hold such an important post, all those Immortal Gods and powerful figures in the Ganwu Universe Nation will have to show me respect! They’ll have to show respect to the Virtual Universe Company!” Luo Feng’s status was extremely high; he was a Primal Secret Region member. If a Primal Secret Region member was assigned to an external post, the official position would also be exceptionally high. This was because, within the Virtual Universe Company, a Primal Secret Region member’s status was comparable to a ‘Marquis-level Immortal.’ The assigned official position would naturally correspond to this, placing him in one of the highest positions in the Company’s Ganwu Universe Nation Branch. “You’re planning to break through?” Babata exclaimed. “Weren’t you going to clear the ‘Purgatory Abyss’ before breaking through?” “That’s why I’m thinking!” Luo Feng sat at his desk, frowning in thought. Actually, there was a third method… for Luo Feng to meet Yin Xue Marquis Ji Tianzang directly through the Virtual Universe. However, Luo Feng was, after all, just a Universe-level Primal Secret Region member. The probability of Primal Secret Region members perishing was extremely high; only a few could achieve immortality. Even if they did become Immortal, they were usually Marquis-level Immortals. King-level Immortals were rare. Ji Tianzang himself was a Marquis-level Immortal who had existed for billions of years, a highly valued old minister of the Ganwu Nation Lord. To him, Luo Feng was just a young sprout… a young sprout whose future was uncertain, and Luo Feng couldn’t influence him at all. So, at best, he would be received politely… but on truly crucial matters, he likely wouldn’t yield! “The third method is uncertain.” “The first method is the most reliable. My teacher, Zhenyan King, can associate with Universe Nation Lords and is a high-ranking official within the Virtual Universe Company. If he intervenes, Yin Xue Marquis wouldn’t dare to be negligent.” “The second method is for me to become a high-ranking regional official. At that point, I would wield great power, representing the Virtual Universe Company, and my words would naturally carry different weight!” Luo Feng frowned. “But the second method requires me to give up challenging the ‘Purgatory Abyss’.” “The Purgatory Abyss!” “The Labyrinth Star System definitely holds great secrets, I just haven’t found them yet. The Purgatory Abyss is ranked first, so its secrets must be even greater!” Suddenly, the incident with the werewolf Ke Luofu flashed through Luo Feng’s mind, and his expression subtly changed. Beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead; he realized he had unconsciously been influenced by greed again. During his previous six dangerous missions, he had surprisingly obtained a Purple Cloud Hundred-Vein Leaf. That’s why he had been unwilling to give up in the Labyrinth Star System. Fortunately, his Demon Killer Clan clone had been exploring, so even after dying a few times, he could still revive. “The Purgatory Abyss is ranked first. If I’m too overconfident, it might be the end of me,” Luo Feng took a deep breath. “Knowing when to retreat is important. Always pushing for the absolute limit… might not be a good thing.” “Besides, even if I complete the Purgatory Abyss mission, it’s only 1 million points. The Purple Cloud Hundred-Vein Leaf and the Ultimate Flame Void Gold I obtained earlier far exceed that.” “I’ll give it up!” “I’ll abandon the last Purgatory Abyss mission and prepare to break through to the Domain Lord level!” Luo Feng’s eyes lit up. He suddenly felt that sometimes, giving up was also a form of gain. … “Teacher!” Luo Feng stood before the screen, on which appeared his teacher, Zhenyan King. “What is it?” Zhenyan King asked, smiling at Luo Feng. “Teacher, I feel like I can break through to the Domain Lord level at any moment. Do you think it’s better for me to remain at the Universe level, or to advance to the Domain Lord level?” Luo Feng asked Zhenyan King. Although he had already made his decision, he still wanted to hear his teacher’s opinion. “Oh? You feel you can break through?” Zhenyan King showed a hint of joy, laughing heartily. “Why even ask? Of course, break through! In cultivation, be cautious when caution is due, and be courageous when courage is needed. Cultivation naturally means forging ahead bravely! Cut through all obstacles! What’s the point of staying at the Universe level for thousands of years, competing with juniors? Break into the Domain Lord level… then your competitors will be Domain Lord-level geniuses. The greater the pressure, the higher your fighting spirit will soar!” Luo Feng’s eyes lit up. “Go forth!” “You must have a heart that charges forward without hesitation! What’s more… the Sector Lord stage is when one makes the fastest progress in comprehending origin laws. You all are still just playing around. The true and most brutal struggles begin at the Sector Lord level,” Zhenyan King said, looking at Luo Feng. “You should have completed two ‘Desperate’ level missions by now, leaving you with one last ‘Desperate’ level mission opportunity? What does it matter if you skip one? If you lack points then… I, your teacher, will directly exchange them for you with money. The points from a single ‘Desperate’ level mission are not even worth mentioning to me.” Even at the highest exchange rate, 1 million points only represented 1 million mixed elemental units. An existence of Zhenyan King’s caliber truly wouldn’t care. Hadn’t Tian Yu King casually tossed out a piece of Ultimate Flame Void Gold? “A heart that charges forward without hesitation?” “Just playing around now?” Luo Feng was stunned internally, then smiled respectfully at his teacher on the screen. “Understood, Teacher. I will break through to the Domain Lord level immediately!” “Go!” “Go out and explore the wider world; that is the true realm of the strong. You won’t truly grow if you always remain under the protection of the Virtual Universe Company,” Zhenyan King laughed heartily from the screen. “Understood,” Luo Feng nodded.