Chapter 80: The Opening of the World Within Worlds!

In the distance, a mountain range was shrouded in unending, wild winds. Above the peaks, heavy clouds gathered, with bolts of lightning weaving through the layers, as if thunder might descend at any moment. This world was called “The Realm of Thunder,” largely due to the terrifying power of the thunder that dominated it. The upper limit of its destructive force was not specified in any records. Regardless, for even a ninth-rank Stellar-class warrior, a single strike would leave no time to react; instant annihilation would follow.

Within the Wind and Thunder Gorge, not only was the thunder lethally powerful, but the raging winds were equally perilous. At the very heart of the mountain range, where the storms raged most fiercely, even the physical bodies of Universe-class warriors could not withstand it; in moments, all flesh would be stripped away by the winds, leaving certain death.

In the world of Domain Lords, almost everything contained immense amounts of primordial energy, unlike anything found on common planets. One of the items required for the apprentice mercenary examination, the “Windhorn Stone,” could only be found within this Wind and Thunder Gorge. The deeper one ventured, the more abundant the Windhorn Stones became.

Jiang Chen and his companions dared not delve into the depths; they remained on the outskirts, having found a cave in which to shelter. There, they extended their mental powers outside, employing the method of “waiting for the rabbit,” intercepting Windhorn Stones swept out by the wild winds. Even for a ninth-rank Stellar-class mental master, their mind force could only reach about a meter into the storm; any farther, and the primordial energy in the wind would overwhelm them.

The winds did not blow continuously; there were occasional lulls. Only when the wind howled was there any chance of Windhorn Stones being carried to the outer regions. This passive waiting, of course, was inefficient. With good fortune, one might obtain two or three stones in a day; with poor luck, days could pass without gain.

“Master, another Windhorn Stone,” Luo Feng’s servant said respectfully, handing him one.

Luo Feng’s face brightened, and he replied, “With this one, we now have all the items needed for our task. Once the wind dies down, we can quickly leave this area, return to Canglan Star, and submit our mission. Our assessment will be complete.”

Nearly two months had passed since their arrival in the Realm of Thunder, and finally, they had gathered all necessary items. Jiang Chen was calm, but Luo Feng, Hong, and Thor were far less powerful; despite Jiang Chen’s protection, their nerves were perpetually taut, leaving them utterly exhausted. Now, with the task finished, Luo Feng wanted nothing more than to leave the Realm of Thunder and find a safe place to rest. Hong and Thor were equally thrilled. This journey had broadened their horizons, and both believed the experience would smooth their future path of cultivation.

Their excited discussion forced Jiang Chen to pull his consciousness from the system library, returning to reality. Glancing at them, he spoke, “No. We will stay here.”

“Stay here?” Luo Feng asked, puzzled. “The task is done. What’s the point of staying? Even for combat training, the Wind and Thunder Gorge is no place for fighting enemies!”

Indeed, Wind and Thunder Gorge saw frequent skirmishes between teams participating in the assessment. When the wind paused, teams would clash and hunt each other. Waiting for the wind to bring out Windhorn Stones was purely luck-based; it was faster to ambush other teams and seize their stones. One might obtain several, or even more than ten, from a single group.

With Luo Feng's detector, they could always spot other teams early, and Jiang Chen’s insistence on avoiding conflict meant they had yet to engage any competitors. When they lacked task items, Jiang Chen refused to rob others, so Luo Feng couldn’t believe Jiang Chen now wanted to actively fight.

“I received word that a special treasure is about to emerge in the Realm of Thunder, right here in the Wind and Thunder Gorge. We’ll wait and see if we can encounter it,” Jiang Chen explained.

The trio were skeptical, but Jiang Chen offered no further explanation no matter how they pressed. Seeing this, they shelved their doubts and reluctantly agreed to wait with him.

—

Time passed swiftly, and nearly a month went by.

—

During this month, countless battles occurred within Wind and Thunder Gorge, but thanks to their superb detector, the group perfectly avoided all “enemies,” never coming into contact with anyone.

One day, as they were cultivating, suddenly—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A tremendous roar shook the entire Realm of Thunder. All assessment teams watched their surroundings in fear. Such an unexpected, large-scale tremor clearly meant something major had happened within the Realm.

“What’s happening?”

“Is the Realm of Thunder reaching its limit, about to collapse?”

“Are we going to die here?”

One after another, warriors cried out in alarm. Even Luo Feng, Hong, and Thor could not remain calm, speculating anxiously about the cause.

All around the Wind and Thunder Gorge, within a range of thousands of kilometers, the mountains began to collapse on a grand scale. Fortunately, as this violent shock swept through, the wild winds subsided, allowing teams to flee their caves.

Jiang Chen’s group followed suit, flying out and ascending into the air, staring in astonishment.

“Look over there!” Hong was the first to spot something amiss, pointing loudly.

Jiang Chen turned, witnessing a terrifying scene. The entire world seemed to be torn apart, revealing a pitch-black fissure. The crack rapidly grew, becoming nearly circular—a massive black hole. Its upper half hovered in the air; its lower half descended into the mountains, emitting a dreadful suction force that drew huge boulders into its depths.

Upon seeing this, Babata screamed frantically in Luo Feng’s mind.

“A world gate?! There’s a ‘world within a world’ inside the Realm of Thunder?!”

“We’ve struck gold! Luo Feng, you’re about to strike it rich!”

“The cost of creating a world within a world is immense, usually to hide precious treasures! If you can obtain them, the wealth is unimaginable!”

Babata’s voice echoed through Luo Feng’s consciousness, making him uncomfortable. Still, he caught the key point: “A world within a world?!”

—

Many warriors were undergoing their assessment in the Realm of Thunder; just around Wind and Thunder Gorge alone, there were tens of thousands of teams. Babata was not the only one who recognized the “world within a world.” Many reported the situation to their backers immediately. Some teams tried to be the first to rush into the world and seize its treasures, charging towards the entrance as soon as they recognized it.

Jiang Chen watched the entrance closely for a while before speaking. “The nearest team’s probe robot has returned—it seems the entrance is safe. We can go now.”

Luo Feng suddenly remembered something and whispered, “Chen, did you know there was a world within a world here?”

Hong and Thor looked at Jiang Chen as well, recalling that a month earlier, when they had gathered the required task items, Jiang Chen had ordered them to stay, claiming a treasure would soon emerge. Now, with the world within a world appearing, his words had come true.

“This isn’t the time for explanations. Just follow my lead. First, we enter the world, then find its treasures,” Jiang Chen replied, rising and flying toward the entrance.

Luo Feng and the others exchanged glances, then quickly soared after him.

—

News of the world within a world soon spread.

Within the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, the two sacred lands, four major organizations, and sixteen great families commanded immense power. Many Stellar-class warriors under their banners were participating in the assessment in the Realm of Thunder and received the news at once. After layers of reporting, some true “big shots” quickly learned of the event.

—

By tracing the origins of the Realm of Thunder, many deduced that the world within a world was created by the famed Domain Lord, Kab. Some who knew Kab could even estimate, based on his wealth, that the world must contain vast treasures.

That day, the entire Black Dragon Mountain Empire was shaken by the emergence of the world within a world. One after another, powerful figures mobilized their forces, heading for Canglan Star.

—

Inside the world within a world.

This was a silent realm, almost devoid of animals, dotted only with sparse vegetation, giving it a desolate air. Despite the many warriors who entered, the world was so vast that tens of thousands scattered within it were like drops in the ocean.

Jiang Chen and his companions quickly distanced themselves from others, choosing a direction and flying a thousand kilometers before slowing.

“From here, we’ll split up, but don’t go too far—keep within a few hundred kilometers of each other so we can support one another in case of danger,” Jiang Chen said, handing out detectors to Hong, Thor, and the others. “My detector isn’t as good as Luo Feng’s, its range is smaller, but it can still detect ‘Universe Crystals.’ Also, if you find stones with low energy content but traces of thunder within, collect them. These stones should be plentiful here.”

The original work offered little information on “Thunder Stones,” so Jiang Chen shared what he knew. In the world within a world, the true treasures could only be exchanged using Thunder Stones. Starting early meant establishing an advantage.

“Thunder Stones? What are those?” Thor wondered.

“The more Thunder Stones you collect, the greater your chance of obtaining treasures here. And don’t forget to gather Universe Crystals as well,” Jiang Chen paused, then continued, “I know a bit about this place; just do as I say. Universe Crystals belong to the finder, but Thunder Stones will be divided after we exchange them for treasures. Before that…”

He looked at Luo Feng and asked, “You mentioned before that you know an important figure from the Virtual Universe Company?”

“Yes, Ming Yu is an officer at the Black Dragon Mountain branch of the Virtual Universe Company. Babata says it’s a powerful, high-ranking position,” Luo Feng replied.

Jiang Chen’s willingness to seek the treasures here stemmed from knowing Luo Feng had befriended someone with real power in the Virtual Universe Company. Frankly, without some backing, ordinary warriors who obtained such treasures would find themselves showered with disaster, not fortune. Without strength or status, possessing great wealth inevitably drew the attention of stronger foes, leading to murder and theft.

“Contact him now, tell him about the world within a world. Even if we get treasures, we’ll need his protection to take them away safely,” Jiang Chen said, then added, “When you contact Ming Yu, be humble; tell him we’re willing to help him acquire the treasures here in exchange for his reward.”

“Just say so?” Hong immediately understood, grinning. “A verbal promise—whether we actually find treasures is up to us.”

Jiang Chen shook his head. “If we find a lot, we’ll have to share some. But for now, let’s focus on obtaining them first.”

After connecting to the Virtual Universe for a moment, Luo Feng opened his eyes and said, “I’ve contacted Lord Ming Yu. He said if we get the treasures, he’ll make sure we’re well rewarded and guarantees our safety.”

“Alright, then let’s split up. Remember: search for Universe Crystals, and don’t overlook Thunder Stones. The more time we waste, the less we gain,” Jiang Chen urged.

“Let’s split up and stay in touch.”

“Keep contact.”

“Good luck, everyone!”

The group quickly dispersed, but not too far—maintaining distances of several hundred kilometers for mutual support if attacked. Even Luo Feng’s two servants each took a detector from Jiang Chen to hunt for treasures.

Watching everyone leave, Jiang Chen softly said, “Jarvis, get to work!”

In the next instant, the space around Jiang Chen rippled. An enormous army of machines, all clad in metallic armor, appeared around him.

“Environmental parameters confirmed. Please confirm tasks,” Jarvis’s voice sounded in Jiang Chen’s mind.

Jiang Chen was silent for several seconds, then spoke: “Task one: mine Thunder Stones. Task two: mine Universe Crystals. Task three: have the combat units lie low, monitor other warriors’ movements, and await further orders.”

(End of chapter)