Chapter 2919

Brightness beckoned him with pleasant rhythm, like the coastal wave nudging a washed-up shipwreck. The 22-year-old boy slowly peered his heavy eyelids open, to be harassed by dazzling sunlight reflecting off a cascading waterfall. Involuntarily closing his eyes, diverting his gaze. Stiff rigidness informed him of his weakened state.

Turning his aching body, back toward the radiating assailant, revealed an unaccustomed, yet familiar, lavishly furnished sleeping room - or rather, sleeping lounge - brightly illuminated by an orange glow of dawning sun.

How long?

Finally awake, his memories enkindled, these are his first thoughts. He hadn't slept unconsciously in over a year, ignorant of his neglected awareness of time.

The sun was out, it should be daytime, but had it only been hours, or days, maybe years?

An annoyed scoff escaped his nostrils realising it wasn't even sunlight to begin with. It was artificial.

Consciousness overriding his autonomic nervous system worked miracles, as his withered body visibly revitalised. Knowing a Meditation Potion is within reach of a single button, assuming control and rearrange his metabolism from preservation to nourishment was a straightforward choice.

The tendons in his fingers lost their cutting tension, the small wrinkles in skin smoothened out, joints lubricated with every motion. Once sufficient strength returned to his limbs, did he push himself up from his extravagant-sized bed.

Dazed he observed the drained Nutrients Reservoir attached to his bed. Subsequently allow his gaze to scan across the ornate bedroom, digging for his latest memories.

The final memories were hazy, as if it had been an unreal dream.

With the thread of the mysterious youth, called the Scholar, becoming more powerful after obtaining each of the Seven Treasures, he had constructed his Superior Divine Body in a desperate attempt and transcended to a Tier 6 God.

Due to the unsurmountable gap between Mortals and God, the imminent defeat of the Scholar was set in stone and defeating him took little to no effort. After consuming its Ancient God's Soul Crystal, his soul had assimilated its accumulated experience, allowing him to exceed beyond Tier 6 Peak Concentration, also known as Mental Strength Grandmaster standard.

Xia Wuyuan told him about the main world God's Domain; a 4th dimensional world, only accessible to Mental Strength Grandmasters, allowing each to be joined by 60 half-step Mental Strength Grandmasters.

The God's Domain he knew was only a subworld obtained in the main world. This subworld, however, had no entry limit and functioned as valuable training simulation to develop Concentration.

While it didn't play a major role in the main world of God's Domain, it was valuable training tool to potentially develop another Mental Strength Grandmaster. Subworlds could invade and capture other subworld, as had happened during the latest update. Fortunately, the development of this subworld was only slightly ahead of Earth's subworld.

Phoenix Rain, Nine Dragons Emperor and Ku Rong, and many others of the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion's upper echelon had crossed from the subworld to the main world of God's Domain, due to a spatial glitch.

As Earth's God's Domain had only a single Mental Strength Grandmaster, there is a login limit of 60 players. A dozen additional players was a priceless increase.

The Green God Company enticed them with precious potions, elixirs and best location in the Upper Zone, convincing them to remain logged in.

The stragglers unanimously decided to remain in the main world of God's Domain. As executives of a mere super-first rated guild, they were only considered nothing less than vermin in the Upper Zone. Even without considering the wealth the Green God's Company had promised, due to their residence in the nourishing environment of the Upper Zone's core area, lifespan would triple just by passively remaining logged in. It was no doubt an easy decision to make.

For Phoenix Rain and the other to cross worlds wasn't unfathomable considering Gentle Snow and Aqua Rose had lost themselves in chaotic space, suffering 80 years in stomach-turning carnage and torment in the short span of a single week.

The disappearance of Zero Wing's Vice Guild Leaders and the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion members was simultaneously, and possibly related. The foreign subworld had never occurred in the ten years of his previous life; could the otherworldly players have been tempering with the spatial stability of Earth's subworld in preparation of their invasion?

Then everything was hazy and finally black, how did he even fall asleep?

Now he had risen shrivelled, awakened after who knows how long.

Forcibly growing his brain from Neutralizing Grandmaster to Mental Strength Grandmaster in few months, repeated attempts to forge a Superior Divine Body, constructed from countless Peak Grandmaster Arrays, while incorporating the Law of Destruction on top of that, there was bound a price to be paid.

But. What did it cost? How long had he been unconsciousness?

He rose from the bed and his feet sank in the comfortable fur carpets decorating the floor and the stress from anxiety subsided after seconds. Everything in the manor had mysterious beneficial side-effects, but how his curiosity may be starving, he couldn't afford a single thought.

Straggling on his final fumes into the kitchen he placed his hand on the display of a fridge-like vending machine.

Only a few seconds later a small crystalline flask was produced from the machine, containing a fluorescent red fluid, glistening with a galaxy of stars. Despite unaware of its content, from his experience, whatever the machine vomited out, it was all a beneficial tonic.

Chugging the contents in single gulp, a warm sensation circulated his body, similar to the swallowing a Soul Crystal, but a corporal sensation instead. As the contents diffused into his body and metabolic heat circulated through his veins, strength and concentration returned immediately. From looming death, to feeling better than ever before.

What is this wonderful potion?

Reunited with clear vision, he stared at the display, revealing the history of his past order.

"Dragon... Elixir?"

"Shi Feng! You're awake!" a stunningly beautiful women stormed anxiously into the kitchen. Due to becoming a Mental Strength Grandmaster, he had become the second most important person to the Green God Company and as he had conducted an order through their system, it naturally had alerted Xia Qingying's quantum watch.

She used to be the general manager of the base layer of the Upper Zone in Yuantian City, but due to her discovery of Shi Feng, a bonafide Mental Strength Grandmaster, she had been promoted to head manager of the city's entire Upper Zone.

Xia Qingying was 26 years old, four years older than Shi Feng, but the Upper Zone had preserved her appearance in her early twenties, this made her appear more like a slightly older sister. She was wearing a pair of tightly fitted suit trousers. On top, a white blouse, inconspicuously embroiled with an ornate pattern of golden thread. Her well-developed chest, tightly packed in a slightly outgrown black waistcoat.

However, only after a single step into the kitchen she froze, the blush on her cheeks gradually turning bright red. 'Not only has Shi Feng awoken...' flashed through her mind, but she shook her head to straighten out any inappropriate thoughts, causing her long groomed black hair and peerless conduct to falter.

"W-Why are you naked?!" She shouted, diverting her gaze, despite covering her eyes with her hand. "Get dressed! We didn't allocate a walk-in wardrobe to these mansions for you to, to... Nevermind!" after slamming the door shut. "Why aren't you dressed before seeing a lady! So inappropriate!"

How innocent his age of 22 may seem, in his 10 years of being the Guild Leader of Shadow, he had unsheathed himself before many women, there wasn't the slightest hint of change in his demeanour. "What are you talking about, you intruded into my mansion?"

"T-That doesn't matter!"

"Wait, tell me, how long have I been unconscious?"

"Get dressed, we'll talk afterwards." Xia Qingying quivered anxiously.

Shi Feng stretched his muscles and joints while returning to the wardrobe adjacent to his bedroom and dressed himself into the best available, a uniform worn by every inner disciple of the Green God Company. The fabric was made from the most exquisite cloth, a quality he had never seen. As soon as it slid over his skin, it provided many subtle side-effects; undoubtedly another of Green God Company's inventions.

Shi Feng returned to the kitchen and unlocked the door. "I'm dressed." He said in a neutral tone.

Still blushing, Xia Qingying carefully entered.

"So, spit it out, how long have I been unconscious?"

A slight frown emerged on Xia Qingying's forehead as she raised her eyebrows, unsure what to say to the grandmaster. She restored her disposition and revealed nothing else but the truth.

"You've been asleep for six hours." She said in her usual formal tone, yet her cheeks had still a burning blush.

"What?!"

Shi Feng was prepared for the worst; yet, the shocking news caught him off guard, causing him to shout out loud.

Six hours was the price to pay? Ridiculous.

Unlike God's Domain, the real world doesn't follow the rule of high risk, high reward; instead, it follows the principle of exchange; nobody would have it all. He isolated himself from any decisions causing distraction, such as family and relationships, to prevent himself from trailing off the path of God's Domain.

But perhaps this was in exchange for the effort of becoming a Mental Strength Grandmaster?

"Grandmaster Shi, are you alright? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing at all." Readjusting his doubtful daze to look at Xia Qingying "Why have you come looking for me?"

"Ah, yes!" she stammered, realising she had almost forgotten her initial purpose, "I've come to invite you to the Green God headquarters. Xia Wuyuan already explained you that only Mental Strength Grandmaster are able to enter the main world; however, we are planning to give you an introduction to the main world to allow you get you familiar before you can enter."

"Right, this has been bothering me. Where is this 4-dimensional device, and where should I enter the main world of God's Domain?"

"It's better if we show you." She said, exposing the curling edges of her lips.

"I would be troubling you, big sis Qingying." Shi Feng said as he walked toward her in preparation to leave.

Sis?

Her cheeks, still rosy tinged - yet to calm from flushing over palatable bareness - started to prickle and involuntarily blushed again.

"Ahem," she coughed and covered her mouth with her hand in the attempt to cover her blush, "You misunderstand, the Green God Company headquarters is located in our Mind Space System." She said behind her delicate hand before pointing with her other hand toward the Fearless Virtual Gaming Cabin.

Then she reached into her pocket of her waistcoat and handed a card made from a material similar to jade. Recognizing the card, Shi Feng immediately knew it was the access card to a Mind Space System. He had seen the cards countless times in his previous life, but its appearance was similar to the Secret Pavilion's black card, used to access their legacy training.

In his previous life, the Mind Space System was popular in the later stages of the game as the time flow could be accelerated up to ten times of the outside world, essentially extending someone's lifespan significantly.

Accepting the card and seeing to Xia Qingying's departure, he made his way toward his cabin and entered the jade card before logging into the Green God Company's Mind Space System.

...

Ye Feng has joined the system.

...

A man, appearing to be middle-aged, was seated one position away from the empty seat at the head of the long rectangular table. He interrupted his own speech as the holographic system message appeared in his display.

The kid is awake?

Like for everyone else seated at the table, the message instigated a brief silence over the room as its occupants respired with either anxiety or excitement.

...

Xia Qingying has joined the system.

...

At the system prompt, all eyes darted towards the empty seat at head of the table, now occupied by a beautiful woman dressed in exquisite clothing.

"Welcome, head manager Xia." Everyone said in unison.

Xia Qingying gave a nod, revealing an uncharacteristic grin as she scrolled down the system messages.

Turing her gaze toward the occupants, "I want thank everyone, executives, shareholders, , and others," giving a nod, which was almost a bow, toward a cyan haired youth leaning against the wall to her left, "for attending the meeting on such short notice."

"Head manager Xia, you may have been recently promoted to your position, but such sincere thankfulness for simply pressing a button and being present is very insulting to us and our other endeavours." Said the middle-aged man, sitting one seat to her right.

This was Xang Yuo, the previous head manager, demoted to general manager of the core area. He was obviously bitter for losing the seat to her.

"That's unfortunate, but I won't take my words back." She said with a subtle condescending tone, not being bothered by Xang Yuo's attempts to distract her.

Xang Yuo gritted his teeth in anger, but didn't continue to argue. If he would, he'd lose face to the other attendants of the meeting room.

"Today we will be joined by Shi Feng, the newly risen Mental Strength Grandmaster. As only we have been clearly informed about the main world's politics and involved into the strategic decisions concerning the main world's development, only we can properly introduce the new beacon of hope for Earth. We cannot have him enter the main world blindly."

After a few doubtful exchanges, the attendants around the table nodded in agreement. Except for a few, too proud, and still in denial of the newly risen Mental Strength Grandmaster. Each, a two- to three-hundred-year-old expert carrying the purest ancient bloodline, matchless among the myriad prodigy descendants whom had dared to challenge their position as family patriarch, midst their ancient martial artist families. Yet, today, this old geezer, Xia Wuyuan, seated direct to Xia Qingying's left, claims a 22-year-old boy, originating from an unknown backwater city in the outside world, had attained this ungraspable peak of the martial world which they had been desperately pining for.

Preposterous!

Seeing the subtle gestures of agreement in the demeanour of the majority of the attendants, Xia Qingying heaved a sigh of relief. If they had denied her very first preposition as head manager, her authority would have suffered in future decisions.

"Alright, that settles it. The assistants in the lobby have already been informed of our honoured guest, he should be arriving soon."

The meeting had been temporarily adjourned until Shi Feng had arrived. New arrivals in the Mind System would appear in the login hall on the ground level. Reaching the top would take some time, even by using the elevator.

She rose from her seat and strolled toward the three meter (9'8) tall French windows to her right, there she showered herself in the warm sunlight as she gazed across the horizon. The meeting was held on the 1000th storey of the skyscraper of Yuantian City's Upper Zone, a ridiculously tall construction impossible to be built in the outside due to earth's environmental forces.

The clouds, far below, stretching to the endless horizon, were pierced by another 59 identical skyscrapers, surrounding a gargantuan monolith in the centre. Each skyscraper was owned by a different Upper Zone, but all shared Green God Company's Mind Space System.

From her peripheral vision, Xia Qingying noticed Xia Wuyuan approaching, "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Depends"

"On what?"

"Whether you're right and he is in fact a Mental Strength Grandmaster."

"I am certainly. What makes you doubt a three-star mental strength master's judgement – my judgement?"

The corner of her mouth curled slightly and her complexion seemed to flush, most likely from excitement of meeting a Mental Strength Grandmaster, Xia Wuyuan assumed. The question lingered in the air, answered with a few seconds of silence, until her zealous expression had reverted to her usual serenity. "I've met him today; he doesn't seem any different from before."

Xia Qingying had never met a Mental Strength Grandmaster, but if the legends of the Green God Company founder are true, only the faintest trail of mental oppression would have left a deep impression, if not rendering her immobile.

Xia Wuyuan sighed "You're no longer a little kid, nor am I in the position to apprehend you for your lack of ability, but your lack of faith in the new Mental Grandmaster disturbs me." Turning his wrinkled face from her before strolling back to his seat.

Her doubtful gaze followed her old man as he departed, he had been doting her ever since she was a small girl, but this comment was by far the harshest thing he had said in decades, maybe ever.

For Mental Strength Grandmasters to be able to access to the main world, could be considered a godly ability. For Xia Wuyuan being offended for doubting a Mental Grandmaster was essentially the same as doubting his god, no wonder he took offence.

Two knocks sounded on the door of the meeting room, before they were opened by two assistants after a young man of 22- year-old entered.

"Shi Feng, thank you for joining us." Xia Qingying said in a cheery voice and beckoned him to take the seat at the other end of the long rectangular table. "Everyone, this is Shi Feng, the new Mental Strength Grandmaster."

Shi Feng, expression imbued in disbelief and doubt, peered into hostility radiating room. 'Am I supposed to be an honoured guest or their arch enemy?' he thought before releasing a chuckle.