Qianwu Secret Realm, Wind Thunder Island!

[Respected Mr. Lu Qingshan, Stars Investment Company, a subsidiary of the Universe Star River Bank, safeguards your assets. Our Ant Fund operates on a fifty-year cycle with an estimated return on investment of thirty percent, and has suffered no losses for fifty thousand consecutive years.] [Respected Mr. Lu Qingshan... Universe Peace Insurance...] [Respected...] Lu Qingshan scrolled through a dozen emails; practically all of them were advertisements of one sort or another, either trying to get him to invest or urging him to buy insurance... All of these companies were subsidiaries or partners of the Universe Star River Bank. They could not be called unreliable, but their advertising methods were rather bizarre. Lu Qingshan naturally had no spare money to invest. These seventeen Hunyuan units were liquid funds he needed on short notice. There was no telling when he might need to draw upon them, and he had even taken substantial risks to obtain them, so he kept them strictly as demand deposits in the bank. Only the two most important messages remained. He first opened the one sent by the Universe Star River Bank. "Respected Mr. Lu Qingshan, your account balance exceeds 10 Hunyuan units. Our bank has automatically upgraded you to a three-star user. Three-star users enjoy exclusive VIP services, and our bank has assigned you a dedicated account manager, Qingqing, whose Virtual Universe number is... "In addition, three-star users of our bank will gain qualification for the Qianwu Auction. The next auction will take place in two years, located in the Virtual Universe on the Qianwu Continent, at Floating City No. 108." Sure enough, maintaining an account balance of over ten Hunyuan units granted access to the Qianwu Auction. In the future, if he needed to purchase scarce resources, he could bid for them directly at the Qianwu Auction. Held once every three years, its frequency was remarkably high. The final message was from the Giant Axe Battle Arena, informing Lu Qingshan that he had attained Bronze VIP membership with the Giant Axe Battle Arena and was entitled to watch Cosmic Level Giant Axe Life-and-Death Battles free of charge. *** Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Treasure Pavilion. The World Master expert of eerie visage and indeterminate gender gazed at the Luoke God Water newly acquired inside the world ring. "Yes, it is Luoke God Water—a treasure even Eldest Brother yearns for..." "Eldest Brother's Cloud Contact Vine is still at the World Master Ninth Stage. With a large amount of Luoke God Water, it could likely advance to the Undying realm. By then, even among the Undying, Eldest Brother's strength would make him a formidable existence..." "And as Eldest Brother's only kin, once he becomes a powerhouse among the Undying, he will surely spare no effort in helping me break through to the Undying level..." The eerie man's expression turned cold and stern as he looked at the exquisite woman across from him. "Ruyan, do you know what status that man holds in the Qianwu Dojo, and what his name is?" "My lord, Ruyan does not know. During the transaction, Ruyan intended to inquire, but he was exceedingly vigilant and pressed to conclude the trade quickly. Fearing I would arouse his suspicions, Ruyan could only complete the exchange in haste." Ruyan kept her head lowered, her eyes filled with panic. "Mhm, you did well. A Domain Master who possesses Luoke God Water and is also a member of the Qianwu Dojo is indeed not someone whose identity can be investigated carelessly. When our Treasure Pavilion conducts business, reputation is of the utmost importance. Let this matter end here. You may withdraw." "Yes, my lord." Filled with trepidation, Ruyan walked out the door. Once she had left, a sharp, ruthless glint flashed through the eerie man's eyes. "Fool. Did you truly think your petty little schemes could be hidden from me? If violence were not forbidden in Qianwu City... hmph..." "Sally, investigate that Domain Master's identity and background with all our resources. He has visited our Treasure Pavilion twice, so surveillance footage must have been recorded. As long as he is in the Qianwu Dojo, tracking him down should be easy." "Understood, Master... I shall investigate for you shortly." "Not shortly—immediately! Right now!" The eerie man roared. *** The river of stars flowed onward, and in the blink of an eye, another month went by. Lu Qingshan received word that Her Highness from the Qianwu Secret Realm had returned from her trials. Accompanying Jimmy, he arrived at a secluded chamber within the Qianwu Dojo Headquarters. "Mentor Lu Qingshan, I have already sent you the dossier on the Secret Realm. The Qianwu Secret Realm is the very core of the Qianwu Universe Kingdom, home to many members of the imperial family. Therefore, once inside, you must abide by the rules and avoid offending anyone—especially the three Undying Deities who guard the realm. If you anger them, perhaps only the great Qianwu Country Master himself could spare your life!" Hearing Jimmy's solemn warning, Lu Qingshan nodded. "I have already reviewed the rules of the Secret Realm." "Good. Mentor Lu Qingshan, this is as far as I see you off. I hope the next time we meet, you will already be a Three-Leaf Qianwu Practitioner... Perhaps then we might even work together again." Jimmy activated a mechanism. Ripples suddenly appeared in the space before them, quickly smoothing out to reveal a gigantic, multicolored passage before their eyes. "This is the permanent passage connecting the Qianwu Secret Realm and the Qianwu Dojo Headquarters. You only need to step through to the other side to arrive automatically at the Qianwu Secret Realm." "The permanent passage at the Qianwu Dojo Headquarters leads only to Wind Thunder Island within the Qianwu Secret Realm, which is where the Star Level geniuses of the secret realm reside. That happens to be precisely your destination." "Once you arrive at Wind Thunder Island, someone there will naturally arrange everything for you. Just follow their instructions. Go on!" Under Jimmy's watchful gaze, Lu Qingshan stepped into the passage. His body was pulled forward irresistibly; offering no resistance, he soon disappeared into the multicolored portal. He had no idea how much time had passed. The sky before his eyes suddenly brightened, and Lu Qingshan found that he had appeared on a colossal island. This was... Lu Qingshan looked up. A massive mountain peak flickered with the radiance of lightning. "That's the Lightning Origin Law... and that cyan glow couldn't be the Wind Origin Law, could it? No wonder this place is called Wind Thunder Island." "It seems you've already noticed." At some point, a man clad in a cyan robe with two antennae on his head had appeared beside Lu Qingshan. Lu Qingshan noted a cyan insignia shimmering upon his forehead. That was the visible manifestation of being acknowledged by an origin law. "Greetings, my lord." Lu Qingshan cupped his hands in greeting, knowing this had to be the guide Jimmy had mentioned. "You must be Lu Qingshan. You're quite lucky to enter the Qianwu Secret Realm while only at the Domain Master realm. In the future, your chances of breaking through to World Master will be greatly improved." He pointed toward the mountain peak behind him. "Wind Thunder Mountain is a rare and precious place for comprehending the Wind and Lightning Origin Laws. Back in the day, I remained a World Master for a million years before gaining permission to enter here and finally earning the acknowledgment of the Wind Origin Law... Ah, I forgot to mention my name. I am Yang, an ordinary administrator of Wind Thunder Island." "Lord Yang." Lu Qingshan bowed politely. "There is no need to call me 'my lord.' Your post is acting special-class mentor, making us equals in rank. Just call me by my name, Yang... First, I will take you to where the mentors reside, and then I will lead you to Her Highness Ling Yu's residence."