"Hahaha..." Hong's laughter echoed over the islands, now ravaged by battle.
Just as in the original story had recorded, without Wang Yi's intervention, Hong quickly took action and successfully subdued Spiritual warriors.
Thor, having been a step behind, could only look on enviously.
Wang Yi smiled silently, while Luo Feng remained bewildered by everything happening around him.
By this time, many flying fighters had arrived around Kirishima, with nearly twenty individuals hovering in the air, though none dared to approach too closely. They were all in awe, watching Hong in action.
In this battle, Hong demonstrated his unparalleled strength, outclassing even planetary warriors, leaving all the onlookers—including planetary council members—feeling deeply unsettled.
Li Yao, having been caught up in the previous confrontation between Hong and Spiritual warrior , had met an unfortunate end, though no one seemed to care about his demise. Even the Polinas family war gods kept silent, their presence overshadowed.
All eyes were now fixed on the island. Though no one knew exactly what Treasure it was, its ability to stir such excitement in Hong—a man who rarely showed emotion—suggested that it was something extraordinary.
As Hong turned to leave, several others couldn't resist flying toward the island.
Having secured Spiritual Land, Hong was in a generous mood. The guard, Bingshan, had already gathered the majority of the island's v spiritual plant, so Hong didn't mind letting the other forces scavenge for whatever remained.
Although Hong didn't intervene, Bingshan remained on the island to continue searching for any lingering spirituals plant, and the island soon echoed with the sounds of fierce air blasts.
It was clear that the Extreme Martial Arts Hall would emerge as the greatest victor from the Kirishima affair.
With Hong showing such restraint, more people began flocking to the island, and Kirishima soon became lively.
Luo Feng, feeling eager, also prepared to explore.
At that moment, Wang Yi suggested, "Luo Feng, why don't we go down and take a look?"
"Sure," Luo Feng agreed immediately, excited to have his friend accompany him.
Hong and Thor, who had initially planned to leave, paused and exchanged a glance.
They decided to stay as well.
Luo Feng, unaware of Wang Yi's true strength, assumed his friend was merely a high-level God of War spiritual master, just like himself.
But Hong and Thor knew better. Wang Yi's strength was on a completely different level.
It was clear that the island still held many secrets.
Meanwhile, 10,000 meters below Kirishima, within a spaceship, Babata stirred with excitement.
"They're coming!" Babata exclaimed.
"So many people!"
"All that effort to toss out a single serrata seed was worth it!"
But then Babata noticed something unsettling and stood up in anger, his blood-red eyes widening.
"That brat again!"
Meanwhile, Wang Yi and Luo Feng were making their way underground.
Just moments earlier, Wang Yi had revealed part of the 'truth' to Luo Feng, confessing that he had already become a Stellar-level powerhouse.
Luo Feng was stunned by this revelation.
Wang Yi explained that he had gained this power after stumbling upon a treasure during a life-and-death adventure in Australia the previous August.
With Wang Yi's strength as proof, Luo Feng had no reason to doubt him.
Moreover, Wang Yi had no reason to lie.
The fact that Wang Yi had chosen to share such an important secret with him made Luo Feng feel deeply grateful. He considered Wang Yi a true brother, willing to share everything.
Wang Yi, however, remained calm, knowing full well that Babata had likely detected their presence. But after their previous encounter, Babata would be cautious about how to proceed.
After a brief search underground, Wang Yi suggested they split up, claiming that searching together was inefficient.
Luo Feng agreed. He realized that if they found the treasure together, dividing it might cause unnecessary complications. And besides, Wang Yi had already provided him with vital information about the Wooden crystel, so he felt confident searching on his own.
Before parting, Wang Yi advised Luo Feng to search deeper underground, as that would increase his chances of finding Wooden crystel. Luo Feng took the advice to heart.
"Luo Feng, I can only help you this far," Wang Yi thought as Luo Feng disappeared from view.
Elsewhere, Hong and Thor were also searching underground.
"Brother Hong, where do you think Wang Yi has taken Luo Feng?" the bald youth in white robes asked. "Aren't we just searching aimlessly here? Why don't we just ask Wang Yi?"
"It wouldn't be appropriate," Hong rejected the idea. "If Wang Yi wanted to tell us, he would have. The fact that he took Luo Feng alone likely means he wants to avoid us."
"Luo Feng is lucky to be favored by Wang Yi," Thor remarked, a hint of envy in his voice.
"Everyone has their own fate," Hong responded calmly. "It's not something we can force."
Thor then added, "Brother Hong, you were really lucky to get that Cloud Vine! I bet Wang Yi knew it was here all along but didn't mention it to me, despite all the times I treated him to drinks."
Meanwhile, other strong forces on Earth had also focused their attention on the underground after thoroughly searching the island's surface and lake.
"Huh?" Thor suddenly stopped, his expression shifting as he sniffed the air. "Brother Hong, do you smell something?"
Hong also paused, both of them turning in the same direction.
A faint, rice-like fragrance floated from that direction.
They glanced at each other.
Boom!
In an instant, their speed surged as they raced through the rock layers, breaking through to an underground river almost instantly.
In the darkness, a translucent white crystal hovered above the water, emitting a delicate fragrance.
"Wooden crystel!"
On the other side, Luo Feng also reached a corner excitedly and picked up two Wooden crystals from the ground.
"They're just like Wang Yi described!"
Luo Feng's heart raced. He knew that a single Wooden crystal was enough to help a God of War break through to a level beyond that in just a month.
"I, Luo Feng, will one day become an existence beyond the God of War," he thought, recalling his first encounter with such powerful figures at Lu Gang's funeral.
Now, he, too, was on the verge of becoming one of them!
"I better stash these away," Luo Feng carefully pocketed the two Wooden crystals.
His eyes then turned toward the deeper darkness, filled with anticipation.
If he could find two Wooden crystals here, how many more might he find deeper within?
People are greedy, and Luo Feng was no exception.
Unknowingly, he was drawing closer to the hidden spaceship where Babata awaited.
Within the ancient spaceship buried in the rock, Babata—taking the form of a cute little demon—sat on a virtual throne, watching Luo Feng's dot on the spaceship's scanners as it inched closer.
Babata's expression grew increasingly twisted with frustration.
"I, Babata, still have a chance!" Babata growled.
"This time, I won't make the same mistake!"
Poor Luo Feng... he had no idea what awaited him next.