pertwk Page 191
Page 191
Silently, the purest cosmic energy within the secret realm began to boil and intertwine in the air.
A figure composed of holy radiance and dreamy pink clouds slowly coalesced and stood before Lin Hao.
This figure was not the empress's true form, but rather a projection of her will.
She was only a few meters tall, with a hazy yet perfect form, radiating a comforting maternal glow and an unparalleled majesty that controlled all things, a contradiction that was also harmoniously unified.
Her features are obscured, but anyone who looks directly into them will be captivated by her eyes, which are as deep as the cosmos and as pure as the very essence of life.
"Lin Hao."
The voice resonated deep within everyone's souls; it was the Empress's own voice, ethereal yet carrying a barely perceptible hint of compromise.
Lin Hao sat up slightly on the soft couch woven by Lianxing, his face still bearing that slightly roguish smile, his gaze taking in the empress's avatar with great interest.
"Your Majesty? You've finally shown yourself? This place is quite nice... I like it very much."
He wanted to see what kind of trouble this strongest being in the universe was up to.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but the Empress's figure seemed to sway almost imperceptibly.
"The universe is vast, and many talented people emerge. Your spatial teleportation and the methods you used to help Fei Ye break through have truly broadened my horizons."
Her voice remained calm, without the slightest hint of anger at being offended.
She didn't dwell on the details of Lin Hao's forced entry, as if the mind-blowing scene from just now had never happened.
Her gaze was completely fixed on Lin Hao.
"Hiyo's breakthrough is a miracle at the level of cosmic rules."
The Queen's voice carried a tone of inquiry and confirmation: "It confirms that your 'bond' with the Zerg is far deeper and more valuable than either of us previously understood."
"Your very existence is the 'strategic resource' that the Zerg crave most."
Upon hearing this, a hint of amusement flashed in Lin Hao's eyes, while the Lord of the Heart Lotus, Fei Ye, Yao Yue, and Lian Xing were all deeply shaken.
The supreme Empress actually defined him as a "strategic resource"?
How straightforward, and how much importance is attached to it!
"Oh? Strategic resources? Sounds valuable. But Your Majesty, I prefer practical deals. The get-rich-quick scheme won't work with me."
Lin Hao's smile deepened.
"of course."
The Queen's voice carried a faint smile, seemingly appreciating Lin Hao's directness. "The friendship of the Zerg has always been 'valuable.' In light of this pleasant 'reunion' and the birth of Venerable Scarlet Night, on behalf of the Zerg, I propose a formal, well-intentioned... strategic investment proposal to you."
"Firstly, the Zerg will unilaterally cease all joint suppression of the Humans and the Hong Alliance in all areas of conflict with the Demon Race and the Machine Race on the Primal Star and in all areas where such conflicts may occur in the future."
Her voice was calm, yet she announced a decision that could shake up the entire primordial universe!
The shackles that the three races on the original planet jointly set up for humanity were removed by the Zerg, who deliberately removed the most insidious pillar!
The Heart Lotus Queen's heart was bleeding, which meant that all her previous plans on the Primal Star had instantly vanished, and the interests of her race had been harmed.
But she dared not say more.
"Secondly, the Zerg are willing to be your eyes and ears."
The Queen continued, "We possess a vast and covert intelligence network among the demon race, the machine race, and even some forces within the cosmic sea. Regarding the movements of important targets you are concerned about, the coordinates of core secret locations, and intelligence on potential threats... we will provide the highest level of access based on the depth of our cooperation."
Intelligence sharing!
This is the most important strategic resource besides top-tier combat power!
The Zerg's intelligence network has always been among the most advanced in the original universe, and may even surpass some of the functions of the human virtual universe!
This promise carries immense weight.
"Thirdly, the Queen Mother's Source Nest and its affiliated resource vaults will be permanently granted you the highest level of access. You can use the core law pool here at any time for comprehension and cultivation, and extract most of the rare resources that the Zerg possesses, including but not limited to 'Tears of the Heart of Ten Thousand Realms,' 'Silk of Life's Dream,' 'Silent Soul Glass,' and other known highest-sequence materials. If you have a special need that the Zerg does not have in stock, we will use the full power of the race to search for and obtain it first."
Each of these three points hits Lin Hao's current or future core needs.
Yao Yue and Lian Xing were so excited they were almost trembling. This meant that as long as they could stay by Lin Hao's side, their future would be limitless!
The Lord of the Heart Lotus was completely numb.
Lin Hao didn't speak, but just quietly watched the empress's incarnation, his fingers lightly tapping on Fei Ye's smooth shoulder.
Silence fell once again within the small secret realm, with only the faint hum of the lingering tide of laws remaining.
The empress incarnate waited patiently.
She knew the other person was weighing the options.
Finally, Lin Hao smiled, a bright smile: "It sounds like I'll be living off your Zerg from now on? But the treatment of being a kept man sounds pretty good?"
He stood up, walked to the empress's avatar, tilted his head slightly, and his eyes gleamed with the shrewdness of a businessman: "But Your Majesty, shouldn't we calculate the return on investment more clearly? For example... I'm in a good mood right now, so could I get an advance on the payment? I'd like to have Senior Zuoshanke forge a supreme treasure of the domain type, which requires a few 'rare main materials.' Could you help me gather some of them? For example..."
He rattled off three or four names of rare materials that the mountain dwellers had mentioned, materials that almost only existed in legends.
The empress avatar paused for a moment, seemingly reviewing the information database, or perhaps weighing her options.
A few seconds later, she slowly spoke: "The 'Abyss Divine Soul Crystal' and the 'Stardust Boundary Core' are reserves in the Zerg treasury, which can be given to you directly. As for the other two... I will have someone scout their locations. As the Zerg's first 'angel investment,' is this sincerity sufficient?"
Lin Hao's smile widened, and he reached out as if to pat the Empress's shoulder, but was stopped by an invisible barrier of will. He said nonchalantly, "Haha, magnanimous! No wonder you're worthy of being an Empress! So straightforward! Well then, I'll take the job!"
He turned around, beckoned to Yao Yue and Lian Xing with his finger, and said in a relaxed tone as if he were ordering food: "What are you two standing there for? Fei Ye just ate a set meal, why don't you two get one? Even working people need motivation to have the energy to work!"
Yao Yue and Lian Xing's faces instantly lit up with a radiance brighter than the stars, and they immediately surrounded her, overjoyed.
As the Lord of the Heart Lotus watched helplessly as yet another "feast for creating gods" was about to begin, her rock-solid mindset as the Lord of the Universe, which believed in power and cunning, finally collapsed completely, shattering into pieces.
She struggled to close her eyes, trying to shrink herself into the shadows of the Source Nest's crystal wall, attempting to pretend she didn't exist...
The empress's incarnation's lips twitched slightly. She hadn't expected this kid to be so outgoing and unruly. She wasn't particularly interested in watching the scene live.
Having understood Lin Hao's attitude, he nodded in satisfaction and transformed back into scattered cosmic energy, like starlight.
After more than an era, Yao Yue and Lian Xing finally regained control of their destiny!
Lin Hao's negative emotions, which had just been soothed by Fei Ye, suddenly flared up with anger again due to the double happiness, the Lord of the Heart Lotus watching from afar, and the Empress's gaze that was secretly peeking from some unknown corner.
This won't do; we need to turn the tables and take the initiative.
So Lin Hao wrapped one arm around Yao Yue's waist and used the other hand to remove Lian Xing's earmuff and touch her ear. The skin on her ear was very nice and delicate, and the warmth emanating from it made him feel relaxed.
He then released Yao Yue and took Destiny to visit Lian Xing's home. He had only knocked a few times when Lian Xing, who had been waiting, eagerly opened the door.
It had been more than an epoch since I last visited Lianxing's home. When I went inside, I found that it was still the same familiar environment, and the interior had not changed at all.
Since it was a familiar place, there was nothing to be restrained about, and they started to have fun right there at Lianxing's house.
Having experienced the joy of freedom, they happily strolled along, stopping and starting, sometimes running and sometimes jumping, having a wonderful time.
Seeing that Lin Hao was completely uninhibited, treating her house like his own, and barging around like that, Lianxing had no good way to deal with him and could only scold him.
Meanwhile, Yao Yue, Lin Hao's accomplice, took the opportunity to wrap her arms around him in an attempt to break up the fight, but to no avail. Instead, Lin Hao's fate became even more unruly.
Lianxing frowned deeply, muttering complaints under her breath, expressing her dissatisfaction.
Fortunately, she had to consider the Buddha's feelings, even if she didn't care about the monk. Although her complaints were loud, she was kind-hearted and still doted on the mischievous fate.
Time ticked by, and Lianxing, driven to despair by her troublesome fate of constantly running around her house, clenched her teeth in anger, her body trembling.
Like the previous Fei Ye, she fell into a state of dazedness due to the impact of comprehending the laws.
Seeing that things were not going well, Lin Hao considerately let Lian Xing go and turned around to play with Yao Yue's unresolved issues again, while casually picking his ears.
As expected, the strength of a top-tier cosmic overlord is far beyond what two mere queens could contend with.
This time, Yao Yue rolled her eyes, secretly resenting Lian Xing for being useless. She lay down on the couch, muttering something under her breath.
……
"As expected, Fei Ye's breakthrough was just a coincidence of accumulated experience finally coming to fruition. It scared me to death..."
The self-deceiving whisper of "coincidence" from the Lord of the Heart Lotus has not yet faded.
"Uh……"
A gasp was abruptly cut off deep in her throat.
Boom—Rumble—!!!
The spatial laws aura, even more violent and magnificent than when Fei Ye broke through before, was like two intertwined and roaring cosmic-level energy tsunamis, ignoring all spatial barriers, and once again crashed down on the core of the Mother Queen's Source Nest!
This time, the target is Yao Yue and Lian Xing, who were just immersed in their understanding of "destiny" but are now both at the critical point of their divine transformation!
Two laws, no less powerful than Fei Ye's breakthrough, simultaneously triggered an even larger vortex of laws that instantly took shape. The pressure emanating from them caused Fei Ye to change color, subconsciously taking a step back, her beautiful eyes filled with pure amazement.
The spatial barriers of the entire secret realm groaned under the strain, as if they were about to be completely burst by the power of the primordial laws.
Source Nest, the outer meditation area.
The Zerg warriors, who had just calmed down, were once again slammed down by these two even more terrifying waves!
"No... that can't be!!!"
"My God! Another primordial law descending?! From the core direction!"
"Two! They are two vortexes representing the origin of spatial laws! This means that all three of them have broken through?!"
"This is insane! The entire universe has gone mad! This is no coincidence!!"
"Is the threshold to becoming a Venerable so easy to cross? How is that possible?!"
"What treasures did Her Majesty the Empress bestow upon those three?!"
Previously, the immortal queens were only in a state of envy, speculation, and awe; now, they were driven mad with envy and jealousy.
The deepest part of the Source Nest, the dimension where the core of that will resides.
If Fei Ye's success made her realize Lin Hao's value, it was a strategic shift driven by a refreshed understanding.
At this moment, the breakthroughs of both Yao Yue and Lian Xing were a complete shock to her cognitive system!
This ability is not accidental; it can be mass-produced!
The efficiency was so high that she felt a deep chill and... an uncontrollable ecstasy!
"Its value...is immeasurable!"
Countless calculations flashed through the core of the Empress's will. Her initial wariness and apprehension had long been crushed, replaced by an almost obsessive, fanatical determination: "We must be completely bound! At all costs!!"
The core secret service is located within the territory.