Rowan had full confidence that the Azure Sea Dragon King's future achievements would be extraordinary. After giving his final instructions, Rowan sent the Dragon King away together with Babata toward the Hongning Base, while the Dragon King himself returned to the Jiangnan Base. As for the Thunder God, he was destined to suffer in the days to come, though that would be a story for another time.
Hongning Base
After Rowan returned, he spent a brief, intimate moment with Yaorao. He knew he would soon devote himself entirely to cultivation and would not have much time to accompany her. Yaorao, blessed with talent and driven by determination, had already reached the Seventh Rank of the Planetary Level despite being only in her twenties. Such rapid progress made her a true prodigy among humanity.
Inside Yaorao's private villa, after their moment of passion, she rested in Rowan's arms, her breathing soft, her delicate features glowing with warmth and lingering tenderness.
"Rowan," she murmured, her eyes luminous and filled with affection, "you've seemed especially busy lately."
Rowan gently brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. She was older than him, yet she felt small and impossibly precious in his embrace.
"I have to leave Earth soon," Rowan replied quietly. "The world is too small for the power I need to reach. And Earth is still fragile. If I want to protect it, and protect you, I need to broaden my horizons. I have to step into the universe."
His words were simple, lacking flowery romance, yet to Yaorao, they were the sweetest vows she had ever heard.
Ever since she advanced to the Seventh Rank, Hong had told her many things about the vastness beyond Earth—about cosmic civilizations, dangers, and the unknown. The arrival of the Cosmic Beast had only confirmed their fears: if one could reach Earth, others could as well. Some might come with goodwill, but others might be cruel or ambitious, and Earth would be utterly defenseless.
Strength was everything.
"Then you must be careful out there," Yaorao whispered, gripping his hand tightly, her eyes full of worry.
Rowan kissed her forehead softly. Despite the temptation of her warmth, he pulled himself away from the gentle world she offered and headed off to find Hong and the Thunder God.
Hongning Base
Combat Arena
The arena spanned more than a thousand square meters, filled with varied and complex terrain designed for high-intensity training. At that moment, lightning danced through the air, light surged violently, and two opposing domains clashed with overwhelming ferocity.
Explosions thundered across the vast space. The arena trembled under their might, its reinforced walls splitting with web-like cracks. If Hong and the Thunder God had not held back, they might have reduced the entire arena to dust.
Rowan's arrival did not interrupt their battle.
"Thunder Ninefold Blade, Ninth Form!"
The Thunder God was engulfed in wild lightning, his entire body submerged within a raging sea of electricity. His presence surged skyward, unstoppable and fierce.
Hong responded with a roar, his spear spinning with astonishing force. "Spear Judgment. Annihilation!"
Their domains collided at full strength. Shockwaves erupted, tearing across the ground. Buildings around the arena crumbled as the destructive force spread outward.
"Impressive. Truly impressive. It's a pity neither of them are psychic wielders. Such talent would have been magnificent."
Babata floated nearby, clicking his tongue in admiration.
Two natives of a backwater world, and yet each had reached the level of legends through decades of perseverance. To achieve domains at the Planetary Level was already incredible. They were absolute monsters in terms of talent.
Their final attacks collided with a deafening roar. A sphere of black lightning erupted at the center of impact, expanding outward. Before the destructive force could annihilate everything in sight, a massive black barrier formed around the arena—Rowan's doing.
Using immense psychic strength, Rowan sealed the area within a one-kilometer-wide protective sphere. Without it, entire districts of the base might have been obliterated.
Inside the sphere, destructive power rampaged wildly. The walls—crafted from Tenth-Grade Croe Metal—were sliced open as if they were soft clay.
After more than thirty seconds, the energy finally dispersed. Rowan dissolved the barrier.
Everything inside had been reduced to ashes.
The Thunder God was covered in wounds, his body streaked with blood. A spear had pierced directly into his chest; if it had gone another centimeter, it would have pierced his heart.
Hong floated in midair, wrapped in the remnants of his Demon Cloud Vine. Several vine segments had been shredded in the explosion.
"I'm done, I surrender!" the Thunder God groaned, raising both hands weakly.
"I only managed because the vine protected me," Hong replied with a laugh. "Otherwise, I'd be in pieces."
When they noticed Rowan floating nearby, they exchanged awkward smiles.
Rowan crossed his arms. "Seeing me arrive made you two go all out, didn't it? You were counting on me to keep the explosions from wiping out the base."
Hong and the Thunder God chuckled sheepishly. They had indeed held back before Rowan arrived, but the moment they sensed him nearby, they unleashed their full power without hesitation. The fight had been exhilarating.
"But enough about that," Hong said. "Rowan, did you come looking for us for a reason?"
"Yes," Rowan answered. "I'm here to give you both secret techniques."
"Secret techniques?"
The two exchanged looks of disbelief.
Rowan continued calmly. "Earth has countless ancient relics. Most have been discovered, but one remained buried deep underground, beyond the reach of your scanning systems. I discovered it by chance and received its legacy."
He crafted the lie flawlessly, every sentence convincing despite being an invention.
"It was a crashed transport ship carrying priceless resources. I retrieved what I could before it self-destructed. I memorized a handful of cultivation techniques—enough to help myself and the two of you."
Hong and the Thunder God listened, their initial skepticism replaced by acceptance. Rowan's talent had always been unbelievable; this explanation made sense.
"You two, stay still. I'll insert the memory copies directly into your minds."
The techniques he chose for them were extraordinary—far beyond the ones they would have acquired in their original destinies. For Hong, he selected a genetic secret art. For the Thunder God, he provided a top-tier power-multiplying technique.
When the transfer completed, both men were stunned.
"A genetic secret art… I can't believe such a thing exists," Hong whispered, overwhelmed. The first page alone demanded rare resources simply to elevate his genetic tier from the bottom of humanity's ranks.
"Hong, humanity ranks tenth in genetics across the universe. We're weak. But there are ways to improve. I'll help you gather what you need." Rowan patted his shoulder.
Hong nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Rowan."
The Thunder God was trembling as he read the technique within his mind. "Hundreds of times my strength… This is insane. How can something like this exist?"
Rowan smiled. "Train well. I'll be leaving Earth soon to officially connect with the cosmic world. You two need to help guard the planet. Monitor the outer regions. If any visitors come, treat them cautiously. Some will not have kind intentions."
Both men nodded solemnly.
After final instructions, Rowan boarded the Black Dragon spacecraft with Babata and launched toward space.
Inside, Babata stared at Rowan, speechless. "What did you give them? Hundreds of times their strength? That's absurd!"
"Is it really?" Rowan replied coolly.
Babata opened his mouth again, then closed it. Arguing with Rowan was pointless. Whenever Rowan refused to explain something, he never budged. With a frustrated snort, Babata drifted to the corner of the cabin, choosing to sulk in silence.
And Rowan simply closed his eyes, his mind already focused on the universe that awaited him.