Leaving Earth

Wang Yi boarded a sleek, black fighter jet and flew away from the global headquarters of the Extreme Martial Arts Gym.

A grim man dressed in black stood atop a spaceship, watching Wang Yi depart. He glanced down at a transparent, white crystal in his hand, which had a light, rice-like fragrance, deep in thought.

"This Wang Yi is becoming more and more mysterious... harder to read as time passes," he muttered to himself. "However, with this wooden crystal, I may finally be able to break through my long-standing bottleneck." Hong inhaled deeply.

Earlier, Wang Yi and Hong had engaged in a battle in a deserted wilderness outside Hongning Base City.

Naturally, Wang Yi had emerged victorious. Although they shared similar levels of mastery and domain control, Wang Yi's genetic level was three times that of Hong's. His mental strength, combined with techniques like Cloud Vine, Sky Lock, and secret methods from Meteor Star, left Hong no chance of winning.

Wang Yi had deliberately displayed his power before offering Hong the wooden crystal in exchange for a favor. He believed that his family would be safe in his absence, thanks to this arrangement.

Satisfied with the outcome, Wang Yi mentally reviewed his situation. There were no enemies threatening his life, so he was able to return to Jiangnan Base City in high spirits, leaving Hong to contemplate his defeat back at the headquarters.

In Jiangnan Base City, Yangzhou, within the Mingyue Community, Wang Yi's family resided in comfort. Despite having the means to relocate his parents to a more luxurious environment, Wang Yi chose to stay in the community for the sake of familiarity and sentiment. However, he bought out the neighboring five villas, converting them into his family's residence. He provided fair compensation to the displaced owners, who were relocated to other villas within the community.

Wang Yi also installed a security detail around his family. Six soul-servants, all God of War-level warriors on the verge of breaking through to planetary level, moved into the area. In addition, several Warlord-level fighters, handpicked by Wang Yi, bolstered the defense forces.

While his family members had taken the "Spiritual treasure of Trees," boosting their physical condition to God of War level, they lacked the talent of true warriors. Even with such enhancements, fewer than a third of them had the potential to reach planetary level status. To ensure their safety, Wang Yi stashed three remaining wooden crystals in secret locations, known only to his father, as a final precaution.

As Wang Yi prepared for his departure from Earth, he meticulously arranged every detail. He met with Luo Feng, who was training in Yangzhou, and asked him to look after his family. Wang Yi knew that Luo Feng's growth was progressing according to plan, and by March, he would likely enter the Extreme Martial Arts Elite Training Camp.

Wang Yi also left instructions for his father: if necessary, a wooden crystal could be given to Luo Feng to strengthen his position.

Late one night, the room was filled with an intimate warmth. Lin Youyu lay beside Wang Yi, her breathing still shallow, her flushed cheeks pressed against his muscular chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart.

Wang Yi gently stroked her smooth back, feeling reluctant but resolute. He knew it was time to take the next step in his journey.

On March 13, 2057, Wang Yi bid farewell to his family, his love, and his friends. Using the excuse of a retreat at the global headquarters of Extreme Martial Arts Club, he set out on his journey into the universe.

High above Jiangnan Base City, at an altitude of 10,000 meters, a sleek black, flying saucer-shaped spacecraft, more than 100 meters in diameter and bearing the emblem of a flying dragon, hovered silently.

Thanks to its signal-shielding system, no one on Earth had detected the craft's presence.

Inside the central control room, Wang Yi stood before the console, staring at a chubby, black-and-white figure on the screen.

"Bermuda, are you sure we can leave Earth, travel through the dark universe, and still return safely?" Wang Yi asked, voicing his biggest concern to his artificial intelligence.

"No problem, Master. The Meteorite Master only concealed the dark universe coordinates for Earth's starry sky, but that doesn't mean we can't travel to other places in the dark universe," replied Bermuda, the panda-like AI, raising a paw confidently. "I've recorded and corrected the spatial coordinates here and left a signal transmitter as a position marker. We can return without issue."

"Good." Wang Yi, not fully understanding the complexities of space travel, trusted Bermuda's assurances. His main concern was ensuring that he could return to Earth if needed.

"This time, I have just over two years before the Golden Horned Beast is born. After that, the Nolan Mountain family could locate Earth through a space wormhole. I need to grow stronger before then," Wang Yi resolved internally.

He planned to stay away from Earth for two years and didn't intend to venture too far from the Black Dragon Mountain Empire in his spacecraft.

"Bermuda, let's go," Wang Yi commanded.

"Yes, Master! Go, go, go!" Bermuda cheered, its excitement evident in its Earth-acquired language.

Wang Yi had spent time learning the universal language from the Black Dragon spaceship's database. Although not fully fluent, he could now communicate effectively.

"The universe... I'm finally coming for you," Wang Yi thought, a surge of excitement rising within him.

"Enable 100% location simulation."

In an instant, the control room around him transformed into a hazy atmosphere, with all the original seats, consoles, and flooring disappearing.

Wang Yi watched as the Black Dragon spaceship broke through Earth's atmosphere, leaving behind the vast, beautiful blue planet. The mysterious dark and endless expanse of the starry sky stretched before him, occasionally punctuated by distant planets and drifting asteroids.

"Master, where is our next destination?" Bermuda asked.

Wang Yi thought for a moment. In the original storyline, Luo Feng went to Mars and scavenged metal from an ancient base. However, Wang Yi lacked the spatial ring and the Golden Horned Beast clone necessary for such an endeavor.

"Let's stick to the original plan. Head for Qiulong Star," Wang Yi decided.

"Yes, Master," Bermuda confirmed.

With a ripple of space, the Black Dragon spaceship reached the speed of light, disappearing from the star field in an instant as it embarked on its first interstellar voyage.

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