He raised the wine bowl and took a small sip; the large bowl nicely hid the awkwardness creeping over Wen Yu's face—call it empiricism, or call it a blind spot under the lamp.

After Tang Haofei talked about what happened in the previous life, Wen Yu naturally assumed that in this life the Origin Extraction Device would appear in the same place as before.

However, this isn't something that follows a script. The Demon Tribe can make the Origin Extraction Device appear wherever they want; it's an inherently uncertain event. Yet the moment Tang Haofei mentioned Mount Fuji in Japan, Wen Yu didn't question it at all.

A terrifying kind of inertia.

After briefly reflecting on his own approach, Wen Yu looked back at Bai.

"So, you came here for the Origin Extraction Device?"

"That's one reason."

Bai clinked cups with the hearty Zhang Shaojie beside him and replied noncommittally.

Bai didn't try to dodge with Wen Yu, openly revealing that he had certain selfish motives of his own—Bai was a Demon World's Doyen from the Universe of Immortals and Heroes' Demon Path; if he claimed to be some selfless, nation-saving Swordsman willing to risk his life to get rid of the Origin Extraction Device to save Earth, Wen Yu would be the first not to buy it.

Maybe he'd noticed the deep-seated wariness Wen Yu was hiding, or maybe he'd simply figured out a few key points. Bai put down his wine bowl and spoke slowly.

"When it comes to the Origin Extraction Device, I should have a relatively strong say, don't you think?"

Wen Yu nodded, acknowledging this.

"So why don't you hear out my opinions and views."

"Go on."

"The Origin Extraction Device appearing at Level 6 is a certainty. According to our research, there may be some limitation on its usage. In short, even in the Universe of Immortals and Heroes, the Origin Extraction Device only appeared once, and that was at Level 6."

"You're already aware of how dangerous this thing is. Dealing with the Origin Extraction Device in the Universe of Immortals and Heroes was simple; after all, we have an existing Cultivation System. But Earth is different. Everyone's at Level 6, and you don't have anyone with powers that are fundamentally superior. So you can estimate for yourself just how big a threat this thing is to Earth."

"Let me first explain the operating principle of the Origin Extraction Device—in appearance, it looks like a hollow pipe that's inserted into the Earth's nucleus, then massively extracts the Star's Origin Energy and delivers it back to the Demon Realm. But in reality, the device requires a very complicated set of preparatory installation steps."

"On one hand, when the Origin Extraction Device appears, a massive teleportation channel opens in the sky above the predetermined location. This teleportation channel completely connects the two realms, and the Origin Extraction Device uses it to transmit Origin Energy to the other world. In other words, the Origin Extraction Device needs a very wide-open space, and when it appears, it will make a big commotion."

"On the other hand, the Device's own defensive power isn't that strong—because of material constraints, the Origin Extraction Device itself isn't hard enough to break through a planet's crust. That means the Demon Tribe has to first open a passage to the Earth's nucleus. Mm, judging by your eyes you've obviously thought of something. Yes, this is a massive engineering project. From a certain perspective, Mount Fuji is indeed a decent choice; it's an active volcano, which to some extent reduces the amount of preliminary work needed by the Demon Tribe. But that's not a decisive factor."

Wen Yu nodded thoughtfully—given the power of professionists, if you concentrate enough manpower and resources, you can dig a direct channel to the depths of the earth in a short time. So Mount Fuji, or any active volcano for that matter, is just a convenience, not a necessity.

"The final point is about the Demon Tribe's tactical literacy. They're very good at using real and feigned moves; they play that game just as well. Back in the Universe of Immortals and Heroes, the Demon Tribe set up three main locations and eight backup locations. Until the very second the Origin Extraction Device appeared, no one knew where exactly it would show up. I came to the African Continent this time simply because I felt this place is an excellent choice from the Demon Tribe's perspective, so I came to scout things out."

"And then?"

"Hm? And then what?"

Hearing Wen Yu's words, Bai looked at him with a half-smile.

"I mean, once you determine where the Origin Extraction Device is, what are you going to do next? Let's be straightforward here and talk openly about your goal. Why exactly are you looking for the Origin Extraction Device? What do you want to do with it?"

What Bai had said earlier only laid out detailed intel on the Origin Extraction Device, but he hadn't mentioned his own goal at all.

And right now, Wen Yu was more interested in Bai's objective—or rather, in Bai as a person.

Bai shrugged and very neatly spat out a term.

"Boundary Cracking Device. On the surface, I'm here to find the place where the Origin Extraction Device will appear, but my real objective is this Boundary Cracking Device."

"Boundary Cracking Device?"

Wen Yu straightened up, waiting for Bai's further explanation.

"The teleportation gate used by the Origin Extraction Device isn't the same as a conventional Demon Realm's Gate. It's a channel that connects the two realms, not a one-way teleportation array formation like the Demon Realm's Gate."

"You're saying this Boundary Cracking Device can let professionists go to the Demon Realm?"

"Exactly!"

Bai said with a smile, "To open the teleportation gate used to transport the Origin Extraction Device, you need two Boundary Cracking Devices—one in the Demon Realm, one on Earth. Which means that wherever the Origin Extraction Device truly appears, there must be a Boundary Cracking Device. As long as we get our hands on that, we can take the initiative and go to the Demon Realm. That's my goal!"

"So? Little bro, want to pull a big job with your big brother here?"

Bai stared intently at Wen Yu, until he got the response he'd expected.

"Don't lump us together. You and I are not the same kind of people. If you want to go die, go by yourself. Don't drag me along."

The term "Boundary Cracking Device" was something Wen Yu was hearing for the first time. A passage leading to the Demon Realm—claiming he felt no temptation would be a lie. But appearing at a time like this, Wen Yu didn't even have to think before refusing Bai's invitation for a Demon Realm trip.

What a joke. There's no such thing as a Level Lock in the Demon Realm. Once he went there, if they were discovered, the only ending would be death. Wen Yu would have to be out of his mind to go to the Demon Realm with Bai to get himself killed.

Bai had long anticipated Wen Yu's reaction. Now that Wen Yu had rejected him, Bai's smile actually grew even brighter.

"Look, you need to find the Origin Extraction Device, and I need to find the Boundary Cracking Device. Our purposes differ, but our target is the same, so…"

Bai extended his right hand.

"I think this is the moment where we say 'happy cooperation,' don't you?"

Looking at the half-smiling Bai standing in front of him, Wen Yu was sure Bai was hiding some intel from him, but that had nothing to do with Wen Yu.

When it came to resolving the Origin Extraction Device issue, Wen Yu didn't have any selfish motives involved!

So Wen Yu likewise extended his hand and gripped Bai's right hand.

"Happy cooperation."