Universe overload

The humid air of the Jiang-Nan sector hung heavy with the scent of ozone and charred metal. Luo Feng stood atop the jagged remains of a skyscraper, his dark eyes scanning the horizon where the setting sun bled crimson over the ruins of a city reclaimed by nature and monsters. The wind whipped his hair back, tugging at the edges of his tactical suit, but his posture remained as still as a mountain.

Inside his mind, the silver-scaled demon Babata was currently screaming.

"You're being inefficient, Luo Feng! At this rate of soul-power refinement, you'll be a grandfather before you reach the Star Traveller level nine!" the artificial intelligence shrieked, his voice echoing in Luo Feng’s consciousness with the weight of a thousand digital bells.

Luo Feng sighed, the sound lost to the wind. "Babata, I’ve been practicing the 'Deity of the World' technique for eighteen hours straight. Even a spirit reader needs to breathe."

"Breath is for the weak! The master didn't build the Yun Mo Planet to have his successor lounge around like a lazy lizard," Babata grumbled, though his tone softened slightly. "Fine. But don't blame me when the next Golden Horned Beast-level threat shows up and you're still worried about your lunch break."

Luo Feng ignored the jab and looked down at his hand. With a flicker of his will, six soaring shuttles detached from the circular plate on his back. They danced through the air like silver fish in a stream, carving intricate patterns that blurred the line between physical movement and pure thought. Each blade was an extension of his soul, a lethal melody played on the strings of the universe.

As he practiced, a sharp silhouette appeared on a neighboring rooftop. It was Hong, the first hero of Earth, his black spear strapped to his back. Beside him stood Thunder God, his presence as volatile as a brewing storm.

"You're pushing yourself again," Hong said, his voice carrying clearly across the gap despite the wind.

Luo Feng retracted the blades, the silver shards clicking back into place with a rhythmic metallic snap. "I have to. The universe is much bigger than we thought, Hong. Earth is just a grain of sand in a desert filled with giants."

Thunder God chuckled, jumping across the hundred-meter gap with a casual grace that defied gravity. He landed silently on the crumbling concrete beside Luo Feng. "You’ve been spending too much time listening to that little demon in your head. Take a look at the world, Luo Feng. We’ve driven back the monster hordes. The survival bases are expanding. For the first time in decades, people are dreaming about more than just their next meal."

"That's exactly why I can't stop," Luo Feng replied, turning to face his comrades. "The quiet we have now is a gift, but it's a fragile one. Babata showed me the star maps. There are civilizations out there that could extinguish our sun on a whim."

Hong joined them, his expression somber. "He's right, Thunder. We are the three pillars of this world. If we crumble, or if we plateau, the ceiling for all of humanity stays where it is. We must become the sky."

The three strongest men on Earth stood in silence for a moment, a rare brotherhood forged in the fires of the Grand Nirvana. Below them, the lights of the base city began to flicker on, amber jewels against the encroaching dark.

"So," Thunder God said, breaking the tension with a grin. "Since you're so worried about the fate of the galaxy, I assume you've mastered the third layer of the Nine-Stage Thunder Blade?"

Luo Feng smirked. "I’ve moved past the Nine-Stage, brother. I'm working on something new."

"Is that a challenge?" Thunder God’s eyes sparked with literal electricity.

"It's a demonstration," Luo Feng countered.

In an instant, the atmosphere shifted. The air grew heavy with the weight of Luo Feng’s domain. A golden hue began to bleed into the surroundings, a field of energy that seemed to slow time itself.

Thunder God’s smile widened. He took a step back, his body blurring as he tapped into his own lightning domain. "Show me, then!"

Luo Feng didn't move his arms. Instead, he closed his eyes.

"Babata, synchronize the spatial coordinates," he whispered internally.

"Already ahead of you, kid! Don't embarrass me!"

The soaring shuttles didn't just fly this time; they vanished. To the naked eye, they simply ceased to exist, only to reappear a fraction of a second later, inches from Thunder God’s throat.

The second-strongest man on Earth roared, his spear appearing in his hand like a bolt of lightning. He parried the blades with a flurry of strikes that sounded like a machine gun, sparks flying as cold steel met spiritual energy.

"Fast!" Thunder God laughed, his hair standing on end. "But not fast enough!"

He lunged, his body becoming a streak of blue light. Luo Feng remained rooted to the spot. Just as the spear was about to make contact, Luo Feng’s figure shifted. He didn't jump or dodge; he seemed to simply occupy a different fold of space. The spear passed through a phantom image.

Hong, watching from the side, narrowed his eyes. "Spatial manipulation? At his level?"

"He's using the 'Space-Time' fragments from the Yun Mo Planet manual," Babata boasted in Luo Feng’s ear. "Though his execution is still as clumsy as a toddler trying to walk."

Luo Feng reappeared ten meters away, breathing slightly harder. "It's not perfect. The energy consumption is massive."

Thunder God lowered his spear, shaking his head in disbelief. "Massive or not, I couldn't touch you. You're moving into a realm we haven't even glimpsed yet, Luo Feng."

"We'll get there together," Luo Feng said, his gaze turning back to the stars. "I’ve been thinking about the trial at the ruins. The one the ancient civilizations left behind. There’s a gateway there. Babata says it leads to a neutral trading hub in the Silver Blue Empire."

The air went still. Even Thunder God stopped fidgeting.

"You want to leave?" Hong asked quietly.

"Not forever," Luo Feng said. "But Earth is a cradle. And you can't learn to fly if you never leave the nest. We need technology, we need heritage manuals, and we need to register Earth as a sovereign world before some interstellar scavenger stumbles upon us and claims us as slaves."

Hong looked at his hands, then at the city below. "The responsibility is heavy."

"It's the only way to ensure they stay safe," Luo Feng gestured to the distant lights, where his family, his wife Xu Xin, and millions of others lived. "I’ll go first. I’ll scout the way, establish a foothold, and then I’ll send for you."

"Why do you always get to have the fun?" Thunder God complained, though his eyes were filled with pride. "Fine. But you better bring back some of that cosmic liquor Babata keeps talking about. I’m tired of this rice wine."

Luo Feng laughed, the tension breaking. "I’ll see what I can do."

As the two older warriors departed to handle the administrative duties of the Dojo of Limits and the Thunder Dojo, Luo Feng remained on the roof. The stars were out now, millions of distant suns mocking the smallness of the world below.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Babata asked, his holographic form appearing as a small, caped imp on Luo Feng’s shoulder.

"I have to be," Luo Feng replied. "The Golden Horned Beast was just one creature. What happens if a fleet arrives? What happens if a Sector Lord decides he likes the look of our oceans?"

"Then we make sure you're strong enough to cut their fleet out of the sky," Babata said with a wicked grin. "But first, back to the 'Deity of the World' training. You missed a decimal point in your spirit distribution."

Luo Feng sighed, but he sat down in a cross-legged position. He closed his eyes, and the silver blades began their dance once more.

A few hours later, a soft footstep sounded behind him. He didn't need to open his eyes to know who it was. The scent of jasmine and the familiar rhythm of her heartbeat told him everything.

"You're leaving soon, aren't you?" Xu Xin asked, her voice soft but steady.

Luo Feng opened his eyes and stood up, turning to face his wife. He reached out, taking her hands in his. "How did you know?"

"You have that look in your eyes," she said, leaning her head against his chest. "The same look you had before you went into the sea to face the monsters. You're looking at something I can't see."

"I'm looking at a future where our children don't have to live behind walls," Luo Feng whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Where they can look at the sky and see a playground, not a threat."

Xu Xin pulled back slightly, looking up at him. "Promise me one thing, Luo Feng."

"Anything."

"Don't become so much of a god that you forget how to be a man," she said. "The stars are cold. Don't let them freeze your heart."

Luo Feng pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair. "I promise. Earth is my home. You are my home. No matter how far I go, the gravity of this place will always pull me back."

They stood there for a long time, two small figures against the backdrop of a vast, uncaring galaxy.

Deep in the recesses of his mind, Babata watched the scene and remained silent for once. He had seen thousands of geniuses rise and fall in the vast history of the Yun Mo Planet. Most had been consumed by their ambition, turning into cold, calculating masters of the universe. But as he looked at Luo Feng, he saw something different.

He saw a spark that didn't just burn for power, but for protection.

"Maybe," Babata whispered to himself, "the master chose the right one after all."

The next morning, the sun rose over a world that felt slightly different. The rumors of the "Space Trek" had begun to circulate among the high-ranking fighters. There was a sense of nervous energy in the air, a mixture of fear and exhilaration.

Luo Feng stood in front of the massive black disc of his ship, the *Mirage*. It was a relic of a dead civilization, polished and refitted with the best technology Earth and Babata could provide.

Hong and Thunder God were there to see him off, along with his parents and Xu Xin. There were no grand speeches, no hovering news crews. This was a private departure for a journey that would change the course of human history.

"Take care of them," Luo Feng said to Hong.

"With my life," Hong replied, clasping Luo Feng’s forearm.

Luo Feng turned to his family, giving his mother a final hug and nodding to his father. Finally, he looked at Xu Xin. He didn't say anything; he didn't have to. The resolve in his eyes said it all.

He stepped into the ship, the hydraulic ramp hissing shut behind him.

"Alright, Babata," Luo Feng said, taking the pilot's seat. The interface glowed to life, a complex web of light and data. "Take us out."

"Destination: The Black Dragon Mountain Empire!" Babata shouted, his voice filled with glee. "Hold on to your soul, kid. The universe is about to get a lot smaller!"

The *Mirage* didn't roar like a conventional rocket. It hummed, a low-frequency vibration that shook the very air. Then, with a flash of white light, it tore through the atmosphere, leaving a trail of ionized gas behind it.

Luo Feng watched through the viewscreen as the blue marble of Earth shrank rapidly. The vast oceans, the sprawling base cities, the ruins of the old world—all of it became a speck in the darkness.

"Initiating warp drive in five seconds," Babata announced. "Four... three... two... one..."

The stars outside the window stretched into long, brilliant lines of light. The ship jerked once, and then the silence of deep space took over.

Luo Feng leaned back in his chair, his hands steady on the controls. He was a son of Earth, a spirit reader, and a protector. But as the ship hurtled toward the unknown, he realized he was also something else.

He was a pioneer.

And the star river was waiting for his echo.