’It actually worked!’

Hu Qi thought to himself.

The sensation was incredibly strange. It was as if he had become the god of this miniature world.

He could observe the life within it at will, ruling over their fates.

This feeling of absolute control was satisfying, even intoxicating.

It was like a person building an aquarium to raise fish, or an ant farm to raise ants, watching the fish shuttle between the aquatic plants and coral, or the ants build their colony, unable to leave their designated area.

And the human stands outside, observing. When pleased, they might bestow some food and watch the creatures fight over it.

In this process, people feel a sense of ease and satisfaction.

This is because the desire to control and create living environments—a desire etched deep into human Genes, similar to the feeling of ’playing God’—has been fulfilled.

Hu Qi was no exception.

Though his form of life had changed, he was still himself.

He still possessed all the emotions of an ordinary person.

The ancients said that Immortals transcended the mortal world, unfettered by joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, love, hate, or vengeance.

Nor were they troubled by desires for fame and fortune, or the fears of aging, sickness, and death.

In Hu Qi’s view, that was pure nonsense.

The reasons people learn, improve, work, and better themselves...

...are all to satisfy their physical, material, and spiritual desires.

Without these desires, they would be more like robots than people.

How could Immortals, powerful beings that cultivated from a human state, possibly be pure-hearted and free of desire? Their desires were probably even stronger than any ordinary person’s.

But then again, on some level, he really could be considered a ’god’.

He was the one who had opened up this space, this Grotto Heaven, so he naturally had control over everything within it.

As for why he placed the island inside, it was because although what he created was called a Grotto Heaven, it was different from the legendary Pocket World Blessed Lands.

His was just an empty void, containing nothing.

At best, it was equivalent to a storage space, which wasn’t very useful to him.

So he changed his approach. If it had no land or life, he would just put some in from the real world.

This was the real reason he had someone build this ecological island.

This ecological island, which took decades to build, could simulate all sorts of weather, like sunshine, rain, and wind.

Coupled with its complete nuclear fusion technology, there were no concerns about its energy supply.

With all this, it was equivalent to a miniature world.

The number of Exotic Beasts and ordinary creatures within was enormous, enough to form a self-sustaining food chain.

It was essentially a pasture from which he could continuously harvest Modification Points.

This was his true purpose for doing all this.

Just then, Hu Qi turned his head, his gaze sweeping toward a distant spot.

He didn’t make any other moves, however.

After a single glance, he withdrew his gaze. With one step and a flash of light, his figure vanished.

...

"What... what was that? Could it be some new technology from the Federation?!"

At that moment, dozens of kilometers away, a white yacht floated dozens of meters above the sea, held aloft by a glowing white halo beneath it.

Below, massive waves churned and surged.

On the deck of the yacht, a topless young man in colorful shorts held a pair of binoculars, staring blankly at the scene.

Just moments ago, the clear sky had suddenly darkened. Then, the calm sea had erupted into monstrous waves. If he hadn’t reacted quickly, and if the yacht hadn’t been equipped with a flight module, it would have already sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

Hearing him, several young women in bikinis standing beside him collapsed to the deck, their legs weak with fear, unable to speak.

It was no wonder. The scene they had just witnessed was too outrageous—a colossal serpent swallowing a huge island in one bite, and a giant eye of lightning in the sky.

The intense, suffocating pressure brought a despair that made one’s entire body tremble.

It was far more shocking than any first-person virtual reality movie or game.

Quite a few people saw it, simply because the commotion was too massive.

Some were even live-streaming it or uploading edited clips, shocking an even wider audience.

As time passed, it attracted more and more attention.

Of course, some suspected it was some kind of virtual projection or special effect.

After all, modern special effects were practically indistinguishable from reality.

One had to understand, that island covered more than a million square kilometers.

It was even two or three times larger than some former island nations.

How could it possibly vanish into thin air?

However, to everyone’s surprise, when people who were closer went to investigate...

...the result was that the island was truly gone.

This news was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, sending ripples far and wide.

It was utterly astounding.

Quick-witted people instantly made the connection to the legends of Qi Dao Grandmasters and Refining God Venerables, those beyond the realm of the Martial Arts Families.

Could such powerful Secret Martial Artists really exist?

But some still insisted that the Federation had probably destroyed it as part of some experimental weapons test.

After all, that island was closed to the public, and even the nearby sea was usually a restricted area.

...

"You’re leaving this world?"

「Xia Federation, the Capital.」

Inside a bright and spacious conference room, six figures were seated.

Lei Bao, Wang Jing, Meng Ke, Xuanqing, Hu Qi, and an unfamiliar young man.

The one who spoke was Lei Bao.

He looked the same; a hundred years hadn’t had much effect on him.

The only difference was that his aura was much more restrained. He no longer exuded the oppressive presence of a Refining God Venerable and, at a glance, looked no different from an ordinary person.

The others were the same.

Refining God Venerables were stronger, and while they didn’t rely entirely on True Essence Power, they couldn’t draw on Void Power to replenish themselves either. Thus, they naturally had to restrain and seal their auras.

"That’s right."

Hu Qi nodded.

The reason he had remained on Earth Star for a century was, on one hand, to adapt to his increased strength, relax his mind, and let his power settle.

On the other hand, it was to accumulate enough Modification Points to have sufficient trump cards in case of any accidents in the Sea of Sumeru.

Now that his plan to bring the ecological island into his Grotto Heaven had succeeded, he no longer had any worries holding him back.

This time, he had gathered them for a final meeting to explain a few things before preparing to leave the Earth Star World.

Hu Qi’s gaze swept over everyone.

"I’ve called you here today, and saying goodbye is only a secondary reason. I also hope that after I’m gone, you will all look after the Shexin Sect as best you can."

At this point, he paused, not giving them a chance to speak. With a wave of his arm, points of light gathered from the void, condensing into five white, oval pearls that floated before them.

Seeing this, the others instantly turned their attention to the pearls, feeling the dense Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy contained within.

Looks of surprised suspicion appeared on their faces.

"The Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy in each of these pearls is enough to sustain a Refining God Venerable fighting at full power for half an hour. Consider it payment for your help," Hu Qi said faintly.

"This... we couldn’t possibly accept!"

At this, after a brief, feigned refusal, they all tucked the pearls away.

After all, in this era of depleted Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy, these items would allow them to use the power of a Refining God Venerable without restraint. Their value was self-evident.

No one doubted the authenticity of the pearls.

One had to remember that Hu Qi was a being capable of swallowing Mother Earth whole. His strength had likely already reached an unimaginable realm.

It was far beyond their ability to fathom.

"Sir, I would like to go with you. Might that be possible?"

Just then, a voice suddenly spoke up. Looking toward the source of the voice, they saw it was the unfamiliar young man. This young man was none other than Ouyang Shuokong.

In the first year after Mother Earth’s death, he had stepped into the Refining God Realm and, as a matter of course, became the Federation Speaker.

Ouyang Shuokong’s identity was no longer a secret to those present.

They all knew he was the creator of the Secret Martial Arts, the former Celestial Fate People.

However, with Mother Earth swallowed and the Black Blood Species gone, the dense fate that had once gathered around him had also completely dissipated over time.

Even so, his comprehension abilities were still terrifyingly high.

The Dharma Gate for extracting trace amounts of Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy from plants had been his creation.

Hu Qi’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had come here partly to see if anyone was willing to join him.

If they encountered some irresistible danger, they could help share the burden.

As the old saying goes, when you encounter a tiger in the wild, you don’t need to run faster than the tiger.

You just need to run faster than your companion.

This logic applied everywhere.

What the other man had just said was exactly what he’d been hoping for.

However, he didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he said, "Tell me your reasons."

"I have experienced the feeling of just quietly waiting for death to arrive. I don’t want to go through that a second time. I want to become stronger. Even if I die in the Sea of Sumeru, I will do so willingly!"

Ouyang Shuokong’s tone was low, his eyes resolute.

As he spoke, he stood up.

He clasped his hands and bowed to Hu Qi.

"I know that with my strength, entering the Sea of Sumeru means I’ll have a one-in-ten chance of survival. Therefore, I hope to go with you, Sir. As long as you help me, I am willing to recognize you as my master."

With that, his expression hardened, and he touched a finger to his forehead.

A wisp of white light, carrying the aura of his Divine Soul, was pulled out.

As the white light was extracted, the color instantly drained from his face, leaving it deathly pale.

Hu Qi gave him a deep look.

That point of light was the most fundamental brand of his Divine Soul.

By giving it to him, he was placing his very life in Hu Qi’s hands.

If Hu Qi were to destroy it, Ouyang Shuokong would die instantly, no matter where he was.

However, with Hu Qi’s power, he didn’t need such a method to kill him.

Ouyang Shuokong clearly understood this as well. This act was more of a gesture, a declaration of his stance.

Thinking of this, Hu Qi reached out and drew the point of light into his hand.

"Very well. You can come with me."

"Thank you, Sir!"

Hearing this, a smile broke out on Ouyang Shuokong’s pale face.

He knew he had made the right gamble.

To him, nothing was more important than long life. The reason he had made no moves for the past century was precisely to wait for this moment.

Staying in this world was no different from waiting to die.

Only by traveling to other worlds was there a slim chance of survival.

For the sake of longevity, he was willing to give up anything.

’What did recognizing someone as his master even matter?’