Chapter 425

He snapped his fingers, and a set of tables and chairs appeared ahead, with steaming tea already placed upon them.

"Since that's the case, why not sit down and chat at leisure?"

243: Rule not to be disclosed; probing involving internal and external coordination

He poured Chen Ping a cup of tea.

Max himself took out a packet of unknown seeds and dropped them into his teacup.

Soon, Chen Ping saw Max's tea violently churning, like molten lava.

Max didn't even look, picked it up, and downed it in one gulp.

At the moment it entered his mouth, Chen Ping's body hair stood on end—he clearly felt an explosive shock detonating inside Max's mouth.

Only in moments like this could one sense that Max truly was not of the same species as them.

Max let out a satisfying burp, then turned his gaze to Chen Ping.

"Lord Chen Ping, what questions do you wish to ask?"

"Hmm, this is your payment."

Chen Ping took out a set of storage rings, each filled with abundant supplies and rare treasures.

Most of these were items acquired during the Wan Zu Trial, valuable anywhere they were taken.

Some were rare artifacts obtained from treasure chests awarded after completing the Wan Zu Trial.

"First question: you can tell me %%..."

"..."

Chen Ping stopped mid-sentence; the latter half of his phrase contained only one word: Wan Zu Trial.

He hadn't expected that even mentioning this word to Max was forbidden.

The instant he spoke it, an invisible force twisted his words, and Max instantly sat upright.

The Wan Zu Trial certainly wasn't a secret—after all, the Great Elves had known of it, and even the Shengling had conspired with the Titans to scheme against the Renzu.

Then why couldn't he say it to Max?

Or was it that only participating races could mention the Wan Zu Trial, while all outsiders were absolutely forbidden?

Or was the Wan Zu Trial granted the highest secrecy level during its active period?

Because of the actions of those bastards in the Central Zone, the Shijiediantang's power was triggered, causing the Wan Zu Trial to open prematurely.

Perhaps the Wan Zu Trial in other realms has not yet opened, so Max is barred from knowing its specifics.

After all, Max roams across countless worlds and is a famed trader throughout the Heavens and Myriad Worlds.

Chen Ping fell into thought; Max, due to what had just happened, did not interrupt him, silently pouring himself another cup of explosive tea.

Chen Ping now recalled Max's behavior in the Trial World—he had never once mentioned anything related to the Wan Zu Trial.

Given his relationship with Max, even if Max couldn't speak of it, he would have at least hinted.

So there must be a prohibition in place.

If so, rather than asking himself, it would be better to let Max speak freely.

Chen Ping believed Max knew far more than he did, so he pushed forward with a gesture—787 slid all the storage rings to Max's side.

"Tell me all intelligence concerning me."

"Delighted to serve."

Max nodded appreciatively at Chen Ping, pulled out his small notebook, and flipped to the corresponding page.

It was densely filled with entries; Max simply swept his hand across it and tore the page free.

Chen Ping took it and read the first line—it made his heart leap.

01: The Angelic Legion is investigating the truth behind the death of the Six-Winged Archangel Mi Dael, and has locked onto the First Realm's Wan Zu Trial World.

Six-Winged Archangel Mi Dael.

Chen Ping recalled the Great Archangel summoned by Lan Der—his soul had been utterly obliterated by the Annihilation Power of the Bai Hu Wei.

Dead beyond any chance of revival.

He had anticipated the outcome, but hadn't expected the Angelic Legion to react so swiftly.

Chen Ping remained silent and continued reading; the next entry detailed how the Wang Clan had made arrangements regarding his birthplace in the Human World.

The Wang Clan has been promoted to Baron Rank, allied with Duke Bern, and its power has expanded rapidly.

In essence, the Wang Clan is waiting for his return, ready to execute him with thunderous force and thereby solidify their status once and for all.

Chen Ping merely sneered; with his current strength, the mere Wang Clan could not crush him even if they tried.

That would be underestimating the aid the Wan Zu Trial has given the Renzu—and underestimating his own cultivation within the Trial World.

But Max listed this item second because he provided even more detailed clues.

The Wang Clan's power extends far beyond what meets the eye; there is a hidden thread behind it.

At a critical moment, the Wang Clan might summon a force far exceeding its overt strength—so the threat remains real.

After all, it is a Baron Rank territory, and a full year remains before Chen Ping exits; a year is ample time for others to prepare.

The Trial World's resources are limited; though some rare treasures from the Main World exist, development cannot rely solely on artifacts.

Especially since the enemies Chen Ping will face upon exiting are not limited to the Wang Clan alone.

The scum in the Central Zone will likely also target him.

He must, within the time remaining, attain strength capable of rivaling Main World Lord-level opponents.

If this thought were spoken aloud, others would surely laugh themselves to tears.

Apprentice Lord Trial!

What is an Apprentice Lord Trial? It is the final test to become a full-fledged Lord.

Only after the Lord Trial concludes does the true Lord's career begin.

Like a child in kindergarten, while children from the nearby elementary and middle schools want to beat him up.

No matter how much the child learns in kindergarten, he will still get beaten when he steps outside.

Unless he steps out carrying a gun.

So the question arises: can one acquire a gun within the Lord Trial World?

The Wan Zu Trial is taboo with Max; Chen Ping does not intend to press further on this now—he'll deal with it later.

He took out another pile of storage rings and laid them once more before Max, making Max's face light up with delight.

"I wish to know: while in the Lord Trial, is there any opportunity to participate in external activities?"

"Such as the dimensional trade auction, or visiting the Zhishidian, the Shijiediantang..."

The moment he asked, Max's expression turned subtle.

In an instant, he understood Chen Ping's intent, and inwardly admired the young man's decisiveness and audacity.

His visit here had carried a small agenda of his own.

For Max, the Zhishidian was his core concern; everything else served that purpose.

Though his first stop was Jiuzhou, upon arriving in the Trial World, he had already grasped its full situation.

Across the entire Trial World, Jiuzhou Ling had no rivals left.

Under these conditions, Chen Ping should have both time and capacity for deeper cooperation with him.

Thinking this, Max solemnly withdrew from his pocket an ancient, circular metal box.

When Chen Ping opened it, he found inside a virtual starry sky, stars twinkling, with a swirling nebula at its center.

As he gazed at the nebula, he felt as though he himself would be sucked into it.

Yet at that moment, within his bound Shenzhou World, the consciousness of Earth emitted a faint glow.

His awareness instantly returned to clarity; he looked up at Max, puzzled, and saw Max's face filled with shock.

Max was now on his feet, staring at Chen Ping in utter disbelief.

In that instant, he had clearly sensed a flash of World Power emanating from Chen Ping.

The purity of that World Power was beyond belief.

But what stunned him even more was the presence of nascent creation power within it.

With his vast experience and mysterious origins, Max immediately recognized the type of World Power.

Creation Power!

The only possible explanation for possessing Creation World Power was one:

He had opened and created a new world!

How many years had it been since a being in the multiverse created a new world?