Chapter 16 An Unexpected Gift

Looking at the large number of original gold beads and nuggets floating before him, Xu Jingming remained calm. After all, he possessed the silver paper, a treasure of immense value, and these original gold were merely icing on the cake.

"Brother Wu Ming, could it be that you find the gift I presented lacking?" Di Long Island Lord said with a smile.

"Not at all, not at all. It's quite the opposite, there's far too much! Since Island Lord has offered it, then I shall accept without any politeness," Xu Jingming said, as he collected all the original gold before him. This scene caused the eyes of many high-dimensional lifeforms present to twitch, and their hearts filled with envy and jealousy.

Even for someone of the Dean's strength, accumulating the wealth equivalent to a single drop of Abyss Motherblood was not an easy task. Even when they encountered large-scale mineral deposits, various forces would compete. Accumulating wealth was simply too difficult.

Now, a colossal fortune, roughly equivalent to 60 drops of Abyss Motherblood, was being collected by Xu Jingming. Who among those present wasn't green with envy?

"Di Long Island Lord is famously tyrannical and overbearing towards the half-step third realm experts in the surrounding territories. How could he be so friendly towards Wu Ming of Myriad Star Island?"

"A fortune of 60 drops of Abyss Motherblood, given away just like that?"

"Well, he became an Eternal realm expert only ten thousand years ago and was able to single-handedly defeat the Five Demon Star! This Wu Ming is indeed terrifying."

The high-dimensional lifeforms present each had their own thoughts, but none dared to speak up at this moment. They simply watched everything unfold.

Di Long Island Lord's smile was radiant, showing none of the legendary tyrannical and overbearing demeanor. He continued, "This time, I heard that a large-scale mineral deposit had appeared in the Original Gold Mountains, so I immediately rushed over. I originally thought it was just a trivial matter of mining, but who would have thought I'd run into you, Brother Wu Ming? It is indeed a rare surprise."

"Island Lord, you flatter me," Xu Jingming said.

"Not flattering at all. It is the fortune of our territory that a powerhouse like you, Brother Wu Ming, has emerged. As a member of this territory, I am naturally delighted. By the way, I plan to visit Featherfire City soon. I wonder if Brother Wu Ming would like to join me?" Di Long Island Lord asked, then added, "Brother Wu Ming should know of Featherfire City, right?"

"I do," Xu Jingming nodded. "I have an avatar that is about to arrive at Featherfire City, so I won't trouble Island Lord."

Di Long Island Lord nodded and smiled, "Very well. In the future, if Brother Wu Ming has any matters, just send a message to my Di Long Island. At least in the surrounding territories, I still have some influence."

"Thank you, Island Lord," Xu Jingming said, expressing his gratitude.

Di Long Island Lord nodded slightly, then steered his chariot and flew away from that spacetime, disappearing into the Original Gold Mountains region.

"Dean, let's go as well." Xu Jingming looked at the many high-dimensional lifeforms around him who seemed somewhat nervous. He then brought the Dean, Tower Master, and Island Lord into the Heart Realm, and left the area.

Inside the Heart Realm.

The Dean, Tower Master, and Island Lord couldn't help but ask.

"Jingming, why is this Di Long Island Lord treating you so kindly?" Space-Time Island Lord pressed.

"I don't know. This is the first time I've met him," Xu Jingming said.

"His tyranny and power are well-known. How could he be so friendly to you, Jingming..." Eternal Tower Master was also puzzled.

The Dean frowned and said, "Half-step third realm experts are able to observe timelines and peek into the past and future! So they know many secrets, even things you might not know, Jingming. They can discover them by glimpsing into the future."

Xu Jingming was stunned.

Could it be that they had discovered some secret of his?

What great secret did he have? If the secret of the silver paper were exposed, it would probably attract people seeking to snatch it away.

"It's likely due to some secret that he's being so friendly," the Dean reminded. "Di Long Island Lord is very tyrannical towards other half-step third realm experts. Even if you become a half-step third realm expert, he wouldn't have any reason to be so polite. Moreover, you haven't even broken through yet."

"I understand," Xu Jingming nodded. "If someone is being unusually solicitous, I naturally have to be wary. That's why I refused his invitation to go to Featherfire City with him."

From an unfamiliar powerhouse, politeness was one thing, but to inexplicably offer such a generous gift, Xu Jingming was naturally on guard.

60 drops of Abyss Motherblood was a vast fortune.

Even a third realm weapon, a common one, might only cost 30-50 drops. However, Xu Jingming needed a Heart Realm lineage third realm weapon, which would be much more expensive. Considering that he also needed to exchange for inheritances, Xu Jingming had no plans to purchase a 'third realm weapon' for the time being.

"It could indeed be a lure," Eternal Tower Master nodded. "Pretending to be friendly, inviting you to travel together, and then setting a trap."

"Don't worry, before I become a half-step third realm expert, I will maintain a sufficient distance from these half-step third realm experts," Xu Jingming said. "By the way, this original gold is worth so much, how should we divide it?"

"This was a gift from Di Long Island Lord to you," the Dean shook his head. "The original gold that we mined, we can divide equally. What Di Long Island Lord gifted you, naturally belongs to you personally."

"Yes, this is your reward," the Tower Master also said.

Space-Time Island Lord was also unwilling to take advantage.

Having cultivated for such a long time, their minds had been tempered time and time again. They would compete for mineral deposits, but they would not encroach upon the treasures of their own people.

"How about this," Xu Jingming said, understanding his companions' attitudes at a glance. He smiled and said, "I'll lend each of you 10 drops of Abyss Motherblood, and you can slowly repay me in the future."

The Dean thought for a moment and said, "After going to Featherfire City, let's see what third realm inheritances are available, and then decide. In fact, when exchanging for inheritances, one shouldn't be too greedy."

"It's possible that I might need to borrow two or three drops of Abyss Motherblood," Eternal Tower Master said with a smile. He would be willing to borrow two or three drops, because he could slowly accumulate enough to repay it, but he wouldn't want to borrow too much.

"Alright," Xu Jingming said. "Then shall we return now?"

"Let's go, back to Myriad Star Island," the Dean said with a smile. "This time's harvest has been great enough." Before Di Long Island Lord arrived, they had already mined quite a bit. Plus, with Xu Jingming willing to lend them some, they had a lot of wealth to work with.

Whoosh.

Thus, Xu Jingming and his group of four left the Original Gold Mountains in high spirits and returned to Myriad Star Island.

******

Inside Di Long Island, a secluded residence.

Di Long Island Lord sat alone on his throne, his eyes cold as he observed the timeline, watching one blurry future after another.

"The future that we, half-step third realm experts, can glimpse is limited," Di Long Island Lord muttered to himself. "And the future is full of too many variables, and the possibility of many things becoming reality is extremely low."

"But..."

"This Wu Ming?" Di Long Island Lord's expression turned solemn. "When I first saw him in the Original Gold Mountains, I immediately saw the scene of him killing the Five Demon Star avatar in the past, and then I took a look at his future."

"I continuously glimpsed three branches of his future."

"In every branch, he can become an invincible half-step third realm expert." Di Long Island Lord's eyes were solemn. "This is very unreasonable!"

"The future hasn't happened yet, so there should be variables. But this Wu Ming seems to be protected by an invisible force, and I can't see any possibility of stopping him at all." Di Long Island Lord pondered. "What is this invisible force?"

"Is it really talent?" Di Long Island Lord pondered. "Or is he being protected by a third realm existence?"

Why was he willing to leave his master and come to such a remote place as the Nanting 3609 territory? It was because staying by his master's side wasn't so easy.

Even with help, to be able to cultivate from a low-dimensional lifeform to a half-step third realm expert, Di Long Island Lord was already extremely outstanding among his master's relatives and friends. Some of the truly mediocre ones had no talent for the path of evolution at all.

"The reason why I hid in the Nanting territory is because my master's relatives and friends rely on my master's reputation to do whatever they want."

"Without enough mental will, true eternal life is a form of torture," Di Long Island Lord thought. "In the endless long lifespan, my master's relatives and friends' minds slowly decayed and became distorted... My master can grant them eternal life, but he can't grant them a strong mental will."

Di Long Island Lord thought to himself, "This Wu Ming, I vaguely feel that his talent is abnormally high. How long have I lived? By my master's side, in Featherfire City, and in many places, I have seen countless geniuses. But I have never seen anyone like Wu Ming."

"This kind of monster is either terrifying in himself, or the force behind him is terrifying. He cannot be made an enemy." Di Long Island Lord had only met him once, casually glanced at the future, and immediately offered half of the original gold.

He was afraid.

He was afraid of being hated by Wu Ming! Of inviting disaster in the future.

Everyone said he was tyrannical and overbearing, but there was nothing he could do. His strength was relatively mediocre among half-step third realm experts, and he didn't want to keep asking his master for things. So he naturally had to use his greatest weapon—his background!

Relying on his background, he was often able to get a good share when competing for treasures with other half-step third realm experts! As long as he didn't push too hard, the other half-step third realm experts would give him some face.

By getting a good share time and time again, he had accumulated such wealth and possessed so many treasures.

He had many treasures, and outsiders thought they were given to him by his master. But in reality, his master had only given him two treasures, and the rest he had accumulated himself.

"This kind of especially terrifying existence cannot be bullied," Di Long Island Lord thought. His tyranny and overbearingness were also directed at specific targets.

"Mu Jin." A voice sounded in Di Long Island Lord's mind.

"Master." Di Long Island Lord was startled and couldn't help but reveal a look of joy, and became extremely respectful. This voice was his greatest backer, and also the existence he admired the most.

"You've done well. You should avoid this Wu Ming, and it's best to keep your distance from him. The storm he stirs up may harm you," the voice said. "Even I can't quite see through him."

Di Long Island Lord's heart tightened. "Master, I understand."

...

In a vast and desolate land.

A towering figure sat there alone, looking at this world.

"Mu Jin, this child, was able to cultivate to the half-step third realm on his own. His mental will is extraordinary, so I don't need to worry about him." The towering figure's eyes were filled with deep sorrow. "But my dearest relatives..."

"They have lived for too long, and are no longer able to maintain their original intentions. Their minds have begun to decay and become distorted." The towering figure felt grief in his heart, but there was nothing he could do.

High-dimensional lifeforms of the Heart Realm lineage were very rare, because growth in the mental aspect was extremely difficult.

People like Xu Jingming had suffered a lot and spent over a thousand years to enter the realm of Heart Realm power.

"The loved ones I care about the most have minds that are decaying and distorting, and are becoming uncontrollable." The towering figure whispered, "What if I'm at the third realm? Am I still powerless?"

--

Today's update is a bit late.

May Day, I wish you all a happy holiday first. Tomato is also traveling with his family. After a day of rushing around, Tomato only has time to code at night. Tomato's updates will be a bit late for the next two or three days, please understand.