Ethan tried to channel his mental power into the ring. The instant his consciousness touched it, his awareness plunged into an immense void.
A vast space stretched out before him—twenty kilometers long, twenty wide, ten tall. He was momentarily overwhelmed by the scale. Within this boundless expanse, countless treasures lay stacked and scattered in orderly chaos. Some items were so alien that Ethan couldn’t even guess their purpose.
But one thing was clear: if he harnessed these resources, he could raise an army large enough to shake the world itself.
Martial artists depended on resources to grow stronger. Not everyone was an anomaly like him, progressing at monstrous speed. Without external aids, even the most talented cultivators would crawl forward at a turtle’s pace.
Rows upon rows of weapons pulsed with lethal energy, emitting a pressure so oppressive it made his heart pound. There were natural treasures of unimaginable potency—even entire spaces sealed inside crystalline objects, quietly waiting to be opened.
A savage joy filled Ethan’s chest. He turned to Po and demanded, "You said the knights I saw outside can be used. Are they automated robots or piloted manually?"
Po’s face appeared, beaming with pride. "They’re manual. Martial artists can control them directly. But with me around, I can operate them all at once—piece of cake."
Then Po seemed to recall something important. "Use this communicator instead," he said, flicking his fingers. A sleek, black device materialized in Ethan’s hand. "It’s far more advanced than yours. I can project myself through it and stay by your side."
Ethan nodded. He swept his gaze across the massive armored figures standing in the distance—four towering knights with colored plating, each more menacing than the last. They looked like something out of a nightmare, one of them resembling a Decepticon from an old sci-fi flick. He raised his hand. With a thought, the four colossi rose from the ground, floating silently, then shot toward him and vanished into the ring.
He turned back to Po. "All right—now the real question. How does one advance to the Planetary Realm?"
Po grew solemn. "Every martial artist forms an elemental core within their body. Once you reach the peak of the Emperor Realm, you must begin comprehending your elemental laws. When you grasp one percent of your element’s law, your core transforms into an inner planet, and you step into the Planetary Realm."
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Comprehend the law...? You mean like those novels—staring at water to understand the Law of Water, or feeling the breeze to grasp the Law of Wind?"
"That’s the idea," Po said. "It sounds fanciful, but it works. However, you don’t have to waste time.
Inside this ring, there are nine Law Stones. They are also gift from the master. If you hold the stone of your element, you’ll perceive its law directly. After that, it’s up to your own comprehension."
A rush of relief flickered through Ethan’s chest. "So the problem is almost solved..."
But he wasn’t finished. "If someone has multiple elements, do they need to comprehend all of them? Or just one?"
Po said with a calm expression like a sage. "They must master every law corresponding to the elements inside their core."
Ethan’s brows drew together. "That must be very tough, right?"
"It’s difficult," Po agreed, "but also immensely rewarding."
Ethan tilted his head. " I heard that having different elements can give you more options to use but not strength. Do you mean those benefits? "
Po shook his head,"This theory is only applicable until emperor realm. Not after that."
Ethan said, "Explain"
"Say someone has an Emperor core eighty centimeters in diameter, and they’re purely a fire element cultivator. Comprehending 1% of the Law of Fire will expand their core into an inner planet one hundred times larger—around eighty meters. That size determines their might in the Planetary Realm. But if they have two elements and master both laws, their inner planet becomes one hundred and sixty meters."
Ethan felt something in his chest go still. "So...the more laws you grasp, the more powerful your inner world becomes?"
"Exactly," Po said, voice grave.
Ethan’s gaze burned with ambition. "Then is it possible to comprehend laws outside your innate elements?"
Po hesitated, as if weighing whether to answer. At last he nodded. "Yes. The elements in your core only make the connection easier. But rare prodigies have grasped laws unaligned with their elements. They are as scarce as phoenix feathers."
A chill of exultation rippled through Ethan. With infinite comprehension... who the hell would only master three, huh? I’ll master all nine.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Are there any other laws except the nine elemental laws—like space or time?"
Po flinched, his eyes widening. "How...how did you know?"
Ethan smirked faintly. "Just a guess."
"There are," Po said heavily. "Space and Time are Supreme Laws. So are Fate and Karma. They lie far beyond the basic elements."
Ethan’s pulse quickened. "Now we’re talking."
He leaned closer. "Are there stones to help comprehend those?"
Po shook his head, almost regretfully. "No. Supreme Laws must be sensed by the cultivator alone. Perhaps there are artifacts that can aid comprehension, but I’ve never seen them."
"That’s fine," Ethan said, voice coldly resolute.
"This information is enough. Let’s go."
Po vanished into the communicator.
When Ethan stepped out of the secret realm, Dragon and Leon were waiting, their faces strained with tension. At the sight of him, they looked almost relieved—but their wariness never fully eased.
Ethan nodded curtly. "President. Vice President. We have much to discuss."
Then, without warning, he raised his hand. Fifty towering statues—each as immovable as a mountain—quivered and slowly rose into the sky. They drifted across the plaza like dark omens, then disappeared into the ring.
The two leaders stood paralyzed, staring in mute disbelief.
Dragon’s lips moved soundlessly. "He...he can move them..."
Leon swallowed. "Spirit Master? This monster is also a spirit master? Does the universe play fairly ever?"
Dragon murmured, "Yes... We have more to talk about than I ever imagined."
Ethan finished sealing the knights away. He turned, "President, we’ll speak in the morning. I’m exhausted."
Dragon could only nod.
A room was prepared for Ethan in the Martial Hall. Before he allowed himself to sleep, he called his family. He talked to his mom,his dad and Rose. He said he would come home tomorrow. Then he cut the phone.
Alexander immediately left home. Today he asked the vice president about Ethan’s where about,but he answered very vaguely. He didn’t tell this to Ethan’s parents.
But he was in deep tension. What if they did something to him out of jelousy? He didn’t dare to think further. But now that Ethan called, he could sit still in the home.
Ethan’s call broke the dam of tension that had been eating at him from within.
He went directly to the alliance and talked to him personally.
"Grandfather. I’m all right," Ethan said quietly.
"We’ll talk tomorrow. You should stay here tonight and attend the meeting."
Alexander nodded.Another room was arranged for him.
Ethan’s entering to the secret realm was highly confidential news,so only Dragon and Leon knew about that.
In the Dawn, he opened his status panel:
[Master: Ethan Hunt
Physique: 1.45232 billion
Spirit: 1.45232 billion
Talent: Infinite Comprehension]
(46 days remaining)
He felt it instantly. Now that his spirit attribute surpassed a billion, his perception transcended anything he’d known.
Ethan spread his mental domain—and it did not stop. It expanded outward, flooding the Martial Hall, the city, the mountains. The entire planet fell under his gaze, his mental domain covered the entire planet in a sphere.
He could see down to the molecular level. Every vibration, every heartbeat, every flicker of energy.
Then his focus shifted to the oceans.
What he saw there made his heart go cold.
Beneath the waves, a vast army waited. Countless monsters, innumerable as grains of sand. King-level beasts by the tens of thousands. Emperor-level creatures at least ten thousands.
And in the heart of it all, a blank space the size of a city—utterly opaque to his mind.
His mental energy couldn’t penetrate that area.
A shiver ran down his spine.
The Ocean Emperor is there. Blocking my perception...
Ethan’s jaw clenched. We don’t have time.
He left the chamber in silence and strode into the council room. Dragon and Leon were speaking with Alexander.
Ethan didn’t bother with pleasantries. His voice was low and absolute:
"President. Humanity is on the edge of extinction."
They looked up sharply as he recounted everything—the secret realm, the ruins, the Galactic Lord, the hidden inheritance, the ocean’s monstrous horde.
By the time he finished, the room was silent as a tomb.
Alexander stared at him, pale. Two truths detonated in his mind like nuclear blasts—Ethan was now in the King Realm, and the world itself was about to fall.
Dragon, usually so composed, looked sick. He felt the dread bloom in his chest—yesterday’s attack on the city hadn’t been random. It had been a test. A probe.
If Ethan’s estimation was correct, they had three days at most before the first wave began.
Three days to avert annihilation.
Dragon’s fist slammed onto the table, shattering it into splinters.
Ethan ignored the wreckage and contacted Po mentally. What are the strength levels of those knights and the four grand knights?
Po’s voice echoed coldly. "The fifty knights each have Emperor Realm Six power. The four grand knights are peak Emperor—each comparable to that Leon fellow, though not to Dragon."
Ethan nodded, his mind already racing. "Send me the structural manuals for those knights."
He faced Dragon. "President, I have a plan. Gather fifteen hundred Grandmasters—Spirit Masters if possible. Train them to pilot Nova Sentinels. I’ll handle the rest. Do we have monster cores of King level and higher?"
Dragon nodded.
Ethan turned to Alexander. "Grandfather, call my dad. Bring him to the Science Lab. He’ll work with the scientists to screen Grandmasters for piloting aptitude."
He was already imagining it: not creating—but replicating—the knights. Five hundred of them.
Fifteen hundred pilots, three per Sentinel.
Time pressed against him like a vice.
"President," Ethan said, voice like a blade, "I need a secured area the size of a football field—and every monster core above King Realm you can spare."
Dragon met his eyes. In that moment, they both understood: humanity was in a race against oblivion.