191: Thor who arrived late, and the overfed warrior.

Penglai Island, eastern sea area.

Huge waves crashed against the reefs, stirring up thousands of piles of snow.

Hundreds of heavily armed Dragon Shield Bureau members had set up a cordon around the perimeter.

However, only a handful of people stood in the absolute core area.

Su Wanqing stared at the tactical watch on her wrist.

Every tick of the second hand felt like a pluck on her nerves.

Five minutes left.

"Still no contact?"

Zhao Ya asked, standing beside her.

Su Wanqing lowered her wrist and shook her head.

"All signals are lost."

She glanced at the sea surface; where a certain figure should have appeared, only a few seagulls were circling now.

Over the past twenty days, she had used all her authority to search for Lin Yuan's whereabouts.

All to no avail.

"Hiccup—"

A wine-scented burp broke the anxious silence.

Lü Changfeng was half-lying on a large rock, still holding his shabby wine gourd.

However, the wine gourd felt light today; he shook it several times before a single drop of wine liquid came out.

"What's the rush."

Lü Changfeng stuck out his tongue, licked up the drop of wine, and looked unsatisfied.

"That kid is like a cockroach; he's got a tough life."

Although he said this, the hand gripping his sword hilt had never loosened.

"Tough life?"

A sneer came from nearby.

Wei Qing stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I think he was scared witless and found a rat hole to hide in."

Behind him stood three other figures.

A giant man, two and a half meters tall with bronze-colored skin, was chewing on a high-strength alloy steel plate, crunching loudly as if eating a biscuit.

That was "Vajra" from the Northwest Branch, who possessed the ability to devour metal and strengthen himself.

Another figure was completely shrouded in a black robe, and the surrounding light inexplicably dimmed near him.

"Shadow Fiend" from the Southwest Branch, whose ability was the extremely bizarre manipulation of shadows.

Finally, there was a girl who looked only fifteen or sixteen, holding a ragdoll bear and boredly blowing bubble gum.

But no one dared to underestimate her.

She was a monster parachuted in by the Capital Headquarters, codenamed "Zero," and her ability was energy nullification.

These four people standing together were a terrifying deterrent in themselves.

"Three minutes left."

Wei Qing raised his head and glanced at the sky.

"It seems your 'Thunder God' intends to remain a coward until the end."

He turned around, his gaze resting on Lü Changfeng.

"Is this the person you spoke highly of?"

"Without even the courage to face a challenge, how can this trash be worthy of entering the Thunder Sea?"

Zhao Ya abruptly stepped forward, her longsword drawing half an inch from its sheath.

"Wei Qing, shut your mouth."

"What? Want to fight?"

Wei Qing smiled.

"Perfect. I didn't get enough last time. I don't mind warming up with you guys before entering the Secret Realm."

Just as the tension between the two sides reached a breaking point.

Boom—!!!

The sea surface suddenly exploded.

Not because someone emerged.

But because the door had opened.

A purple rift tore open above the previously calm sea surface.

Violent thunder poured down like a waterfall, turning the sea area for ten miles around into a pool of thunderous plasma.

The terrifying pressure made everyone present catch their breath.

The Thunder Sea Mystic Realm has opened.

"Time's up."

Wei Qing withdrew his Aura, ignoring Zhao Ya and the others.

"Go."

Without the slightest hesitation.

Wei Qing took a step, reversed gravity, and charged directly into the purple rift.

Immediately following.

The giant man chewing metal roared, his body shimmering with golden light, and strode into the rift.

The Black-Robed Person turned into a shadow and slid across the sea surface into the rift.

The girl blowing bubble gum clutched the ragdoll bear tighter, and although she appeared to walk slowly, she vanished into the rift entrance in the blink of an eye.

All four Seed contestants had entered.

Only the people from Penglai remained, standing on the shore, watching the rift slowly close.

"That bastard..."

Su Wanqing looked at the empty entrance, and a feeling of loss she had never experienced before welled up in her heart.

Is he really not coming?

That guy who, even when facing certain death, would first ask, "How much?"

Is he really scared?

Lü Changfeng tilted his head back and turned the empty wine gourd upside down.

It truly was empty of wine.

He sighed and hung the wine gourd back on his waist.

"It seems this jar of fine wine has been saved."

...At the same time.

Guixu outskirts, Sword Tomb.

There was no concept of time here.

Only eternal black mist and that ancient, unchanging broken sword.

In the ruins beneath the broken sword.

A figure wrapped in a golden thunder cocoon had been sitting there for twenty full days.

During these twenty days.

The gigantic broken sword, which originally possessed world-shaking prestige, now appeared somewhat... dim?

Crack.

A crisp sound emerged from the thunder cocoon.

Following immediately.

Crack, crack.

Cracks spread across the surface.

Boom!

The golden thunder cocoon exploded.

A shirtless figure stood up from the golden light.

Lin Yuan stretched.

Crackling sounds emanated from him.

Golden light flowed over his skin, and every muscle contained explosive power.

"Awesome!"

Lin Yuan roared.

His voice was like a massive bell, shaking the surrounding scrap metal.

"I'm just a little hungry."

He rubbed his stomach.

After twenty days of only absorbing electricity, his mouth felt incredibly bland.

"Wait, my staff!"

Lin Yuan remembered the thunderfall battle staff that had accompanied him in the lightning storm for twenty days.

He looked down.

He saw that the black iron staff originally stuck in front of him was now encased in a layer of metallic charred shell, looking like a fire poker.

"No way?"

Lin Yuan's heart sank.

"Did it get a stomach ache? Indigestion?"

He reached out and flicked the charred shell.

The next second.

Vroom—!!!

The charred shell shattered.

A beam of golden light shot into the sky, piercing the black mist overhead.

A brand new weapon floated before Lin Yuan.

It was no longer a staff.

But a sword.

A longsword, entirely dark gold, about four feet long, with the blade covered in golden thunder patterns.

The hilt and blade were seamless, exuding extreme sharpness and dominance.

Simply by floating there, the surrounding space was being torn open with fine cracks.

"Holy cow..."

Lin Yuan reached out and grasped the hilt.

A feeling of deep connection arose spontaneously.

As if the sword were an extension of his arm.

"Since it evolved after consuming so much Geng Metal Divine Thunder..."

Lin Yuan casually executed a sword flourish.

Sizzle.

The air was sliced open, leaving a lingering golden trace.

"From now on, I'll call you—[God Slicer]."

Simple and brutal.

It matched his taste.

Just as Lin Yuan was reveling in the joy of his new equipment.

A dry cough came from the shadows nearby.

"Ahem."

Zhao Polu walked out from behind the broken sword.

He looked even older than he had twenty days ago, perhaps even a bit... weak?

He glanced at the gigantic broken sword overhead, which was noticeably "thinner," and then at the new sword in Lin Yuan's hand that was still crackling with electricity.

The ghost fire in his eye sockets trembled.

"Are you full?"

Zhao Polu's voice carried a hint of gritted teeth.

"Full, very full."

Lin Yuan was in high spirits and slung the [God Slicer] onto his back (although it had no sheath, the thing seemed to magnetically adhere to his back).

"Thank you, Senior, for the hospitality. This buffet tasted great. Next time I have a chance, I'll bring two bottles of good wine to visit you."

"Scram."

Zhao Polu pointed toward the way Lin Yuan had come.

Lin Yuan chuckled, not taking offense.

He raised his wrist and looked at the watch that had long since stopped working.

"It's broken."

He slapped his forehead.

He estimated the time in his mind.

Twenty days.

Today is the day the Thunder Sea Mystic Realm opens!

"Oh no, oh no!"

Lin Yuan's expression changed drastically.

He didn't bother exchanging banter with Zhao Polu.

"Senior, see you later!"

Boom!

Thunder wings unfolded behind him.

Lin Yuan bent his knees slightly and pushed off forcefully.

Bang!

The mountain of steel corpses beneath his feet directly collapsed in a large section.

He turned into a streak of light, breaking the sound barrier.

Flying toward Penglai.