novelTele Chapter 126 Arrival at Qiulong Star
Chapter 126 Arrival at Qiulong Star
The ice and snow of Bailan Star receded into the distance outside the porthole, turning into a patch of white light before finally disappearing into the vast sea of stars. The Black Dragon spaceship glided silently through the dark universe, its tail spewing pale blue flames, heading towards Qiulong Star.
Lin Yun leaned back in his chair, gazing at the starry sky outside the window through the panoramic simulation, toying with the unused bottle of Bloodline Evolution Agent in his hand. The pale blue liquid glowed faintly within the bottle, emitting a delicate luminescence. He planned to leave this potion for He Lingruo; her life gene level was still quite low, and the effects should be very noticeable if she took it.
"Lin Yun, what exactly is the cosmic mercenary assessment like?" Thor sat opposite him, his eyes full of anticipation and curiosity.
"I don't know." Lin Yun put the potion into his spatial ring. "But Lord Mingyu is right. The fastest way to evolve is through life-and-death trials. Mercenary assessments are just right."
"I've looked up some information." Luo Feng opened his virtual screen, which displayed dense text: "The Cosmic Mercenary Assessment takes place on Qiulong Star, and a large number of test-takers participate every year. The assessment content is not fixed; sometimes it involves hunting ferocious beasts, sometimes exploring ruins, and sometimes it's team combat. But one thing is common—the mortality rate is very high, reportedly exceeding 30%."
"Thirty percent?" Thor gasped.
"Thirty percent is just an average," Luo Feng continued. "In some years, the mortality rate can even reach fifty percent. Moreover, during the assessment, participants not only face dangers from ferocious beasts and the environment, but also from other test-takers. To complete the mission, murder and robbery are commonplace."
Hong was silent for a moment, then said, "Isn't this exactly what we need?"
Lin Yun nodded. Hong was right; the greater the danger, the greater the reward. Only in the face of life and death can one break through their limits.
"Qiulong Star, Luo Feng and I have been there before," Lin Yun said. "It's a prosperous planet in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, with thriving commerce and a constant flow of people. The mercenary headquarters is located there. Thor, Brother Hong, this is your first time there, so you can look around."
"Finally, I'll get to see some of the most amazing planets in the universe." Thor rubbed his hands together, his face full of anticipation.
Hong didn't speak, but a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes.
The spaceship traveled through the universe for seven days before finally arriving at Qiulong Star.
Qiulong Star is a gigantic planet, several times larger than Earth. From space, its surface appears pale blue, surrounded by white clouds. Countless man-made celestial bodies orbit around the planet—space stations, satellites, spaceships… densely packed, like a honeycomb. Spaceships occasionally flash by, some dozens of times larger than the Black Dragon spaceship, others small and exquisite.
"We've arrived." Luo Feng stood up and looked down at the familiar planet through the porthole.
The spaceship slowly entered the orbit of the Qilong Star and landed at a spaceport as guided.
The airport was vast, stretching as far as the eye could see. The silvery-white metallic surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting human figures. Countless spaceships were docked here, large and small, round and square, in all sorts of shapes. The owners of these spaceships were equally bizarre—some resembled humans, except their skin was blue; some had two heads; some were covered in scales; and some were simply a mass of liquid.
"Wow, it's huge!" Thor's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before him.
"Let's go," Lin Yun said. "Let's go register at the mercenary headquarters first."
The streets of Qiulong City were wide and clean, lined with rows of buildings of various styles. Lin Yun and Luo Feng had been here before and were quite familiar with the place. Lei Shen and Hong looked around with curiosity in their eyes.
"That's the weapon shop over there, the potion shop over there, the materials shop over there..." Lin Yun introduced as they walked. "Qiulong City is the commercial center of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire; it has everything. After you register, I can show you around."
"Let's get down to business first," Hong said.
The mercenary headquarters, located in the heart of Dragon City, is a massive black building shaped like a soaring eagle. Above the main entrance, the words "Cosmic Mercenary Alliance" are written in a powerful, forceful script, exuding an air of authority. On either side of the entrance stands a colossal sculpture, depicting legendary cosmic powerhouses, lifelike and radiating a subtle but palpable aura of power.
The hall was bustling with people. Intelligent beings of various races came and went; some were queuing to register, some were receiving tasks, and some were turning in tasks in exchange for rewards.
Lin Yun and his companions arrived at the registration window, behind which sat a middle-aged man with blue skin. He wore a badge of a mercenary from a one-star universe on his chest, indicating that he himself was a mercenary who had experienced life-and-death trials.
"I'm signing up for the mercenary assessment," Lin Yun said in the universal language.
"Four people, forming a team?" the middle-aged man asked.
"right."
The middle-aged man made a few moves on the computer and then said, "Four people, the team registration fee is four thousand Black Dragon Coins."
Lin Yun paid. The middle-aged man handed them four forms.
"Fill in your basic information, then go to the testing room next door to test your cultivation level."
The four filled out the forms and went into the adjacent testing room. The testing room wasn't large, but it contained several instruments. Lin Yun placed his hand on one of the instruments, which displayed his cultivation level—Level 9 of the Hengxing Star Realm. Luo Feng was also at Level 9 of the Hengxing Star Realm, Lei Shen at Level 7, and Hong Hengxing at Level 6.
The staff recorded the data and then said, "Your cultivation levels all meet the assessment requirements. The assessment venue is—the Light and Mist Realm."
"The Realm of Light and Storms?" Thor asked. "What kind of place is that?"
"An independent world ruled by a realm master," the staff member said. "Created by a realm master, it has existed for hundreds of millions of years. It is teeming with ferocious beasts and has a complex environment. The assessment task is simple—enter the Guanglan Realm, hunt ferocious beasts, and collect enough materials. Each type of ferocious beast material corresponds to a different number of points. Accumulate 1000 points to pass. There is no time limit; you can leave whenever you have enough points."
"Is it that simple?" Thor asked.
"Easy?" The staff member chuckled. "Less than half of those who take the test each year pass. Countless others fail. You'll see once you're inside."
He took out a metal box, opened it, and inside were four palm-sized badges.
"This is a teleportation badge," the staff member said. "Crushing the badge will teleport you out of the Lightstorm Realm. Remember, it can only be used in safe areas. If you crush it during combat, you might be torn apart by spatial turbulence. Additionally, the badge also has a location function, allowing you to find each other."
Lin Yun took the badges and distributed them to Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen.
"The entrance to the Radiant Realm is in the teleportation hall of Dragon City," the staff member said. "You can enter at any time. Good luck."
The four walked out of the mercenary headquarters, and Thor let out a long sigh of relief.
"It's finally about to begin." His eyes were full of excitement.
"No rush," Lin Yun said. "We've just arrived on Qiulong Star, let's explore first and get familiar with the environment. We can enter the Guanglan Realm tomorrow."
"That's fine," Hong said.
The four of them strolled around Dragon City. Lin Yun and Luo Feng had been there before and were quite familiar with the place, so they led Thor and Hong to a few decent shops. Thor bought a new battle sword, and Hong bought some recovery potions. Lin Yun bought several manuals on the laws of various elements; although they were expensive, he bought them anyway.
"These manuals are helpful to my cultivation," Lin Yun explained.
"Haven't you already comprehended the laws?" Thor asked, puzzled.
"I've grasped it, but I still need to delve deeper," Lin Yun said. "There's no end to understanding the laws; the deeper you go, the stronger you become."
In the evening, the four of them had dinner at a restaurant and then checked into a hotel.
The inn wasn't large, but it was very clean. Each room had a private training room equipped with basic training facilities. The room cost 100 Black Dragon Coins per day, which was nothing to them at their current level.
Lin Yun sat cross-legged in the cultivation room, closed his eyes, and immersed his consciousness in the ocean of laws.
"The Radiant Realm..." he murmured, "A world ruled by a realm master. I wonder what it's like inside."
In the original story, Luo Feng and his group went to a world of thunder, but the time has long passed, so their assessment location has changed this time.
"We'll find out tomorrow." Lin Yun opened his eyes and walked to the window.
Outside the window, the night view of Qiulong Star was beautiful. Neon lights flickered, spaceships crisscrossed the sky, and people came and went on the streets. In the distance, the mercenary headquarters stood majestically in the night, like a silent guardian.
Lin Yun stood by the window, looking at the scenery outside, feeling exceptionally calm.
Tomorrow, a new journey will begin.
The next morning, the four of them got up early and headed to the teleportation hall.
The Teleportation Hall is located in the northern district of Dragon City. It is a massive circular building constructed entirely of black boulders. At the center of the building is a teleportation array with a diameter of one hundred meters, its runes emitting a ghostly blue light. The runes are extremely complex, woven from countless fine lines, containing the mysteries of the laws of space.
"Is this the teleportation array leading to the Light and Storm Realm?" Thor looked at it curiously.
"Yes." A staff member in a black uniform walked over. "Are you here to participate in the mercenary assessment?"
"Yes," Lin Yun said.
"Once inside, you'll be randomly teleported to a location within the Lightstorm Realm," the staff member said. "Your badges have a location tracking function, allowing you to find each other. Remember, the Lightstorm Realm is fraught with danger, not just from ferocious beasts, but also from other trial participants. Some will stop at nothing to complete their missions. Murder and robbery are commonplace here, and no one will hold them accountable."
"Understood," Lin Yun said.
The four stepped into the teleportation array. A blue light enveloped them, and space began to distort. Lin Yun's vision went black for a moment, then brightened again.
He found himself standing on a desolate piece of land.
The sky was hazy, not with dark clouds, but with a rainbow-colored mist. This mist flowed slowly through the air, refracting various colors and enveloping the entire world in a dreamlike glow. In the distance, the rolling mountains appeared and disappeared in the mist, their surfaces displaying an unusual bluish-purple hue, as if eroded by some force.
Two intense energies permeate the air—wind and light. The wind here is incredibly active, with gentle breezes, gales, and hurricanes alternating in different areas. Some places are calm, while others are swept by fierce winds, with wind speeds as sharp as blades. The light is equally intense; sunlight does not travel in straight lines but is constantly refracted and reflected, forming countless light curtains. Some light curtains act like mirrors, reflecting distant scenes; others act like lenses, focusing light into deadly beams.
Lin Yun took a deep breath, sensing the fluctuations of the two laws in this world. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes—the fluctuations of the wind and light laws in this world were so clear as to be almost tangible, dozens of times stronger than those outside.
"I see," Lin Yun murmured. "This world is practically paradise for those who cultivate the laws of wind and light."
His spiritual power spread in all directions, covering an area of several kilometers in radius. In this world, his range of perception was at least 30% larger than in other places.
"Find Luo Feng and the others first." Lin Yun looked down at the badge, which had three points of light scattered dozens of kilometers away.
He transformed into a streak of light and flew toward the nearest point of light.