Chu Sheng calmed his excitement.

’So, what’s next?’

’Did this upgrade only give me one new Skill?’

He continued to read, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

’No, there’s more.’

Below the Skills section was another category:

At the very bottom of the Skills section, a brand-new category had appeared—

[Domain].

’Now this is something new.’

In the past, both Gu Yuexi and the other powerful individuals he had encountered would mention the word "Domain" whenever they talked about reaching a High Grade.

It was said to be a standard ability for King Realm experts—a power that could only be mastered by those who had touched the world’s Origin.

’I can’t believe I’ve already unlocked the Domain section when I’m only at the Seventh-Grade.’

Chu Sheng took a closer look.

[Domain: Fire Domain (Minor Success), Mortal Realm (Prototype)]

’The Fire Domain?’

’Oh, right!’

His Realm Comprehension for the Fire Realm had reached the Origin Realm long ago. It was only due to the limitations of his grade that he couldn’t activate a Domain.

The system had said before that he could begin to unlock it at the Seventh-Grade.

And now, it had finally unlocked!

He opened the details.

[Fire Domain (Minor Success): Creates a Fire Domain where you are the sovereign of all flames. The range of the Domain is determined by the Host and limited by Mental Power. Within this Domain, the power of all Fire Element Skills is increased by 200%, the enemy’s Fire Element resistance is reduced by 50%, and you can freely manipulate the form of the flames within the Domain.]

’Hmm, predictably powerful.’

Chu Sheng nodded.

’This is a pure stat-check skill.’

’A 200% boost to damage, on top of weakening the enemy’s resistance... this means I’ll be practically invincible in a battle between fire-users.’

’From now on, if I run into another fire-wielder, I’ll just activate my Domain and put them in their place.’

Take that guy William, for example. If they were to fight again now...

Chu Sheng would only need to activate his Fire Domain, and the flames William was so proud of would become nothing more than a plaything in his grasp before they could even get close.

But as good as the Fire Domain was, Chu Sheng was even more excited about the other one—the Mortal Realm!

’This is Xiaobai’s Domain... or rather, a Domain created by a god.’

Brimming with anticipation, Chu Sheng opened the details.

[Mortal Realm (Prototype): A Domain prototype refined from the absorbed will of a Divine Level soul.]

[Effect: Creates an area of absolute law with a ten-meter radius centered on the Host.]

[Within this area, all living creatures will be forcibly stripped of their Extraordinary Power.]

[For those at or below the Emperor Realm, all Mental Power and Qi Blood Power will be completely sealed, reducing them to a mortal state.]

[Experts at the Emperor Realm and above will also be weakened to varying degrees.]

[Duration: 3 minutes.]

[Cooldown: 12 hours.]

’Holy moly! The effect is exactly the same as the Mortal Realm from the bottom of the sea!’

’This is... totally freaking insane!’

’Another Divine Technique!’

’No, wait, this *is* a Divine Technique!’

’Even as a prototype, it’s already this badass!’

’It can even turn King Realm experts into mortals?’

’What more is there to say? This is practically a short-term invincibility skill!’

’I’m soaring! This time I’m really taking off!’

...

After taking stock of the gains from his evolution, Chu Sheng stretched his limbs inside the cavern to get used to his explosive new strength, then decided it was time to leave.

After all, he had been here for seven days and seven nights. He had no idea what things were like outside.

’Besides, there’s Gu Yuexi. That woman talks tough, but she must be worried sick after not seeing me for several days.’

’Time to go, time to go.’

Chu Sheng transformed into a black streak of light, flying out along the cavern passage.

This abandoned Secret Realm wasn’t very large, and he soon saw the light of the exit.

Just as he flew out of the cave’s mouth.

Just then.

He suddenly caught sight of a figure in his peripheral vision.

A small figure was crouching by a large rock not far from the Secret Realm Exit.

It was a little girl who looked to be only six or seven years old.

Her long, brilliant golden hair shimmered in the sunlight like flowing gold.

She was wearing a somewhat dirty white dress and carrying an herb basket on her back that was bigger than she was, giving her a look that was both comical and adorable.

Right now, she was using a small stick to draw circles in the dirt, humming an unfamiliar nursery rhyme.

"Hm?"

Chu Sheng slowed his flight speed slightly.

’Why would a little girl be out here in the desolate wilderness, on the edge of a Secret Realm?’

’And yet...’

’For some reason...’

The moment Chu Sheng saw this little girl, a strange feeling welled up inside him for no reason.

’It was a feeling of...’

’Familiarity?’

’Closeness?’

’It was as if there were some invisible connection between them.’

The feeling came out of nowhere, making no sense at all.

’How strange.’

Chu Sheng hovered in mid-air, scratching his head in confusion.

’I, Lord Mosquito, am a true-blue Great Xia mosquito, born and bred.’

’Why would I feel a sense of kinship with a little foreign girl?’

Chu Sheng racked his brain, but he truly had no memory of her.

’It must be my imagination.’

’Ah, forget it. Who cares.’

’I, Lord Mosquito, have business worth millions per minute. I don’t have time to linger around some kid.’

Chu Sheng didn’t linger.

He just took one last, deep look at the little girl, committing the image of her back to memory.

Then, with a beat of his wings...

WHOOSH!

...he became an afterimage, streaking past over the little girl’s head.

The little girl, still drawing circles in the dirt, seemed to sense something.

She snapped her head up, her large, azure eyes gazing at the sky.

But there was nothing there except a few white clouds.

"Huh?"

The little girl tilted her head, confused.

’Just now... I thought I felt Little Stone’s presence.’

She touched her chest. It was empty. The little stone that had been with her for several years was gone.

’Must have been my imagination.’

The little girl shrugged, hoisted the heavy herb basket onto her back again, and limped toward the village down the mountain.

The setting sun stretched her small shadow long across the ground.

...

「High in the sky.」

Chu Sheng had already flown out of the Secret Realm’s range and was now above the clouds.

He got his bearings.

Newark City was to the east.

It was several thousand kilometers away.

’Time to unleash my real power.’

’Boundless Wings, activate!’

So, what was Chu Sheng’s maximum Instant Teleportation distance now?

The maximum teleportation distance of the [Boundless Wings] was determined by Mental Power. One point of Mental Power allowed for 10 meters of teleportation, and his current Mental Power was 1,010,800.

In other words, his maximum teleportation distance had reached a terrifying ten million meters!

Ten million meters is ten thousand kilometers! That’s roughly a quarter of the way around Blue Star’s equator.

The straight-line distance from Great Xia’s Kyoto to New York is just over ten thousand kilometers. In other words, if Chu Sheng wanted to, he could return to Great Xia in an instant!

’How badass is that?!’

FWOOSH~

In an instant, Chu Sheng vanished from the clouds and reappeared inside a manor.

"BZZ BZZ (Little Empress, I’m back!)"