Chapter 287

The Second Universe Net, the Supreme Conference Space of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

"... That concludes the Mountain and Sea Realm's development plan for the coming period."

Lin Qing sat at the highest seat in the conference hall, looking down at the representatives from each region of the Mountain and Sea Realm, and said: "Concentrate primary resources on the top-tier elites among the Void Beings; ensure a cohort of elite warriors reaching the peak of the Fifteenth Layer is cultivated before the Civilizational War arrives, and invest as much as possible in grassroots cultivation."

"Chairperson."

A young woman with black hair and mixed heritage rose to her feet and bowed respectfully: "If we execute your proposed plan, the consumption of treasure resources will reach an unimaginable scale—by value, even ten Seven-Colored Divine Artifacts would fall far short."

"No problem," Lin Qing said casually. "The resources required for this cultivation plan aren't high-end, nor are they irreplaceable within the Void Sea; as long as we have Five-Colored Divine Artifacts, we can exchange them with other civilizations. I'll secure enough Five-Colored Divine Artifacts soon."

He was now the Five-Colored Divine Core, capable of forging Five-Colored Divine Artifacts. Though the materials needed were rare, if one wished to acquire them, they could almost always be bought.

Then use the Five-Colored Divine Artifacts to exchange for cultivation-secret resources.

For anyone else, the success rate of forging Divine Artifacts would be far lower—even if skilled, they'd be lucky to turn a profit.

But his forging skill was so high that the success rate for single-color Divine Artifacts approached 100%, and even for Five-Colored Divine Artifacts, it remained around 8%, and that was only due to bad luck.

Yet even this success rate was terrifyingly high, making treasure acquisition effortless.

"Still, acquiring such a vast quantity of treasure resources is indeed troublesome."

Lin Qing pondered for a moment, then said: "Then let's do this—I'll personally send letters to the rulers of civilizations that regularly trade with the Mountain and Sea Realm, saving you some trouble."

The mixed-heritage woman exhaled in relief and immediately bowed respectfully: "Then we're in your debt, Chairperson."

Lin Qing waved his hand and added: "Also, the 'Hall of Talents' plan proposed at the first Supreme Conference can now be implemented in detail."

He looked toward Yi Leina Duo, seated not far below, and said: "Yi Leina Duo, this plan was proposed and overseen by you—but... I think the criteria can still be adjusted. A Tenth-Level talent isn't mandatory, but comprehension, temperament, and willpower must be raised one tier above the original standard."

Yi Leina Duo paused, then asked: "What about resource allocation?"

"Better to have none than to settle for less—naturally, cultivate them under the best possible conditions," Lin Qing smiled. "If their talent power is insufficient, it doesn't matter—as long as their comprehension and willpower are strong enough, I can personally enhance their power. Ideally, we should cultivate a Star God to serve as my successor as Master of this Realm."

Upon hearing this, the many representatives below erupted in stunned murmurs, unable to hide their shock as they stared at him.

"Your successor?"

"Chairperson, the Mountain and Sea Realm has only entered the Void Sea for over ten thousand years, and you're a newly ascended Void Sovereign—you'll likely lead us for hundreds of millions of years, and perhaps even reach the level of the Three Ancestors. Do you really need a successor yet?"

"This... is far too soon, Chairperson."

One by one, influential council members couldn't help but speak up.

The Master of a Realm is invincible in his homeland, yet still dies every 38 million years during the Yu Xingyuan invasion—so naturally, he prepares a successor in advance.

But this Chairperson, Lin Qing, had already earned great renown in the Void Sea; his deeds were known throughout the Void Sea, and he had become the sole, revered leader of the Mountain and Sea Realm's people.

To reach this position in merely ten thousand years, many believed this civilization's master would one day become a figure as unimaginable as the Three Ancestors.

Yet this my lord was already preparing a successor so early?

Had something happened?

Instantly, Lin Qing's words caused many representatives in the Supreme Conference to grow anxious and unsettled.

"Don't worry."

Lin Qing said calmly: "It's merely a plan I can't yet disclose to you. The Mountain and Sea Realm won't suffer any harm—even if a successor is chosen to replace me, I will remain the Master of the Mountain and Sea Realm."

Though the representatives didn't fully understand what he meant by remaining Master even after a successor was chosen, since Lin Qing said so, they felt considerably reassured.

Yi Leina Duo murmured softly: "A Star God demands extremely high standards—it may take an unknown length of time to cultivate even one."

"It's fine—just do your best," Lin Qing said. "Focus on comprehension and willpower. I can assist with power, bloodline genes, and secret arts—I won't make it too difficult."

Yi Leina Duo gave a slight nod.

Lin Qing swept his gaze across the room and said: "Meeting dismissed."

The Void Tomb.

"Your Highness Su, please look—these are all the treasures I acquired from the Fallen Kings' Ruins this time."

Lin Qing looked at the woman in black robes, Your Highness Su, and said: "Do you see any issues?"

"Not bad," Your Highness Su glanced casually and said. "But for you, the most useful item is this Light King's Token—it grants you the chance to reincarnate into the Fallen King Realm."

"Oh?" Lin Qing asked, puzzled.

"That Light King indeed owed the Master of the Heavenly Mechanism City a favor—and he repaid it by helping you."

Your Highness Su looked at him. "What? Did you think reincarnating into a Level-Three Civilization was simple?"

Lin Qing froze slightly.

He had indeed thought so—wasn't it just a word from the Light King?

"Level-Three Civilization—also called Transcendent Civilization—is another universe separate from the true universe, even beyond the direct projection of the Yu Xingyuan Will."

Your Highness Su said: "Thus, although Level-Three Civilizations are attacked by the Yu Xingyuan, they are free from the 38-million-year Yu Xingyuan invasions. As long as the civilization endures, its Void Beings are nearly immortal."

Lin Qing asked, puzzled: "The Yu Xingyuan Demons destroy everything, but they also reduce the number of immortals, easing the universe's burden, right?"

"The universe's burden?"

Your Highness Su looked at him. "Balance exists in all things. Level-Three Civilizations have their own methods to limit immortals and reduce the burden. The birth of Yu Xingyuan Demons isn't merely to ease the universe's burden."

She shook her head slightly. "But the Primordial Realm today is far weaker than in the past and no longer possesses the means of Level-Three Civilizations. That you can reincarnate into the Fallen King Realm is indeed a great blessing—just reincarnating into a Level-Three Civilization is a fortune countless Transcendents would beg for. Even the Three Holy Sect Ancestors of your Void Sea would leap at such an opportunity."

"Oh?" Lin Qing was curious. "Just because Level-Three Civilizations grant immortality?"

Your Highness Su said: "To reincarnate into a Level-Three Civilization is to be born transcendent. The Light King helping you reincarnate into the Fallen King Realm is equivalent to forcibly breaking the chains of the true universe, aiding your transcendence—the cost is immense."

She sighed. "I never expected you to possess such talent in the realm of future rules. A peak-level expert like the Light King could rule a city even in the Primordial Realm. He must believe your talent can reach the level of representing the Primordial Realm—otherwise, he wouldn't have treated you this way."

"Oh?" Lin Qing pondered.

"Of course..."

Your Highness Su suddenly spoke with a hint of mockery: "Though the Light King helped you, I advise you not to think of clinging to him. He surely knows the reason for the Primordial Realm's fall—and he'd likely want to keep as far away from you as possible, avoiding any connection."

"The reason for the Primordial Realm's fall?" Lin Qing asked. "Why?"

"Need I ask? It's the Yu Xingyuan," Your Highness Su replied. "Our human race was the primary ally of the Void Divine Clan. The Primordial Realm was once deeply favored by the Void Divine Clan. Across the entire universe, only the Yu Xingyuan Demon Clan possessed such capability."

Lin Qing suddenly understood, then asked curiously: "I've heard that the Primordial Realm, the Immortal Realm, and the Abyssal Realm—these three human civilizations—are all semi-divine-level civilizations?"

Prince Su nodded slightly and said: "Divine-level civilizations are fourth-tier civilizations; the Void Gods and the Yu Xingyuan Demons both are. My Primordial Realm, along with the Immortal Realm and the Abyssal Realm, are half a step inferior."

"So that's how it is…" Lin Qing asked again, puzzled: "Then how did the Holy Land evolve into a third-tier civilization?"

"It's extremely difficult," Prince Su shook her head. "You don't need to think about it now. Just remember one thing."

She looked at Lin Qing and said slowly: "Once you transcend the universe, you are no longer its subject—you become its neighbor—and only then do you truly qualify to cooperate with the Void Gods."

"Cooperate with the Void Gods?" Lin Qing was confused. "What about the Cosmic Battlefield? Aren't the Void Gods recruiting people to go there? Isn't that cooperation?"

Prince Su shook her head. "Even if you go to the Cosmic Battlefield, you're merely a consumable they've brought in—to exhaust the Yu Xingyuan Demons. Do you really think the Void Gods care?"

Lin Qing suddenly understood, then said: "But I've heard the Void Gods' treasury holds many rare treasures?"

"It does," Prince Su said casually. "But for you, the truly useful items—ones you can't find anywhere else—are few."

She glanced at Lin Qing and warned: "If you ever get the chance, I advise you to exchange for fifth-generation or higher Void God bloodline—or cultivate rare materials for your Core Artifact, or seek rare treasures to cultivate the Supreme Secret Art."

Lin Qing nodded thoughtfully.

He said no more, immediately turning toward the cultivation chamber, ready to begin digesting the benefits of his visit to the Kings' Hall.

…

Inside the cultivation chamber, a boundless expanse of pure white earth.

Lin Qing sat cross-legged upon the earth, recalling in his mind the tens of millions of years of life he had simulated in the Kings' Ruins.

Though it was a simulated future, to him it was no different from having lived those tens of millions of years in reality.

"I wonder… when simulating the future, would the perfect-tier combined divine art I created using complete spatial laws actually work in the real world?"

A thought flashed through Lin Qing's mind; he immediately began integrating complete spatial laws into the perfect-tier combined divine art, patiently attempting it.

After all, the mystery of the perfect-tier combined divine art subtly aligned with certain hidden laws of the universe's operation, which was why it was so powerful.

And what he experienced in the Kings' Ruins were merely simulated futures—who knew if they would hold true?

Perhaps it was only Guang Wang's simulation—mere appearance without substance?

But if it were real…

Lin Qing silently closed his eyes, carefully recalling the divine art's conception from the simulated future.

Not long after—

He slowly opened his eyes, disbelievingly summoned Nishengzhe, and stared at the divine art already recorded within Nishengzhe, his heart surging with excitement and awe.

"It… it's real!"

Lin Qing could hardly believe it. "Can a simulated future truly become real? Was everything I experienced real?"

In this moment, he finally understood just how astonishing the benefit of Guang Wang's trial had been for him!

In this moment, he began to grasp the unimaginable power of a third-tier civilization like Guang Wang!

"The perfect-tier combined divine art I created using complete spatial laws… are they all real?"

Lin Qing couldn't help but take a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his shock. "So if I pre-emptively claim it, I can immediately master this most perfect spatial law divine art?"

Divine arts infused with spatial laws.

Even an ordinary divine art, if created, would be enough to dominate the Void Sea and become a supreme power among Void Lords—perhaps even attain the rank of Void God!

And now he had created, within the simulated future, a perfect-tier combined divine art infused with spatial laws!

Even a Void Lord with the most ordinary gene index, even without a single artifact, would still possess at least Yu Xingyuan Layer Nineteen's power—and have absolute certainty of achieving a Void God rank outside of Chaos Godhood.

And what about him?

His gene index is dozens of times higher than an ordinary Void Lord's; he possesses primordial-level secret arts transcending the universe; he owns a set-type Chaos Artifact!

"Chaos Child?"

Lin Qing murmured, "In the simulated future, I already had the power of a Chaos Child; now I'm not far behind…"

In the simulated future timeline, he had confirmed the power of the six Chaos Children of this era.

Aside from the Chaos Child originating from the Immortal Realm, the other five Chaos Children's power levels were nearly identical—even the weakest was slightly weaker than he was now.

Compared to those five Chaos Children, his main disadvantage lay in artifacts.

Their gene indices were either lower than his or slightly higher, but the key difference was that his set-type Chaos Artifact was not a personally forged exclusive Core Artifact, while those five Chaos Children all possessed exclusive Core Artifacts.

Exclusive Core Artifacts of Star Gods unleash power several times—or even more—stronger than other artifacts.

Exactly how much stronger depends on fortune.

But…

Regardless, Lin Qing now, aside from his Divine Core not yet upgraded to Chaos color, had reached the same power level as those five Chaos Children.

That is, the highest tier beneath the three Holy Land Founders!

"If the tens of millions of years of simulated experience were real, I could use this moment to lay early groundwork…"

Lin Qing took a deep breath. "I might still have a chance to surpass that peerless prodigy from the Immortal Realm—and even avoid the threat of the Yu Xingyuan Monarch entirely…"

(End of Chapter)