182: Chapter 179 Absolute Trust (Final)

"Team up?" Fang Yu was slightly stunned.

He hadn't expected Zhuang Yiliu to suddenly extend an invitation.

"Mhm." Zhuang Yiliu nodded. "Venturing into the Primal Star alone is still too dangerous, and there isn't even a companion to help keep watch during rest. Therefore, it's best to team up."

"However, just as I can guess that you surely have some secrets you aren't willing to expose so quickly... I'm the same." Zhuang Yiliu smiled. "So, I thought that us teaming up together should be quite suitable."

Fang Yu smiled.

Indeed!

As Personal Disciples of a Starry Sky Martial Artist, they were under intense scrutiny. Countless people were watching them, and perhaps even some secret agents from alien civilizations were searching for their traces... Civilization competition was never limited to the Primal Star.

Therefore, many of their details were strictly confidential.

Locations for life-and-death tempering were never made public... The choice of teammates and partners had to be handled with extreme caution; they needed to be sufficiently strong and absolutely reliable.

Originally,

Fang Yu had planned to ask Senior Sister to help recommend a suitable Earth Martial Artist. If there truly were none, Fang Yu had even planned to venture out alone.

He hadn't expected Zhuang Yiliu to extend an invitation right before departure.

"You didn't ask me before." Fang Yu smiled.

"How would I know you'd become an Earth Martial Artist so quickly, and that your skill had even reached the Terrain Realm." Zhuang Yiliu said bluntly, "A gap in strength that's too large between teammates is not a good thing."

Fang Yu chuckled; Zhuang Yiliu's personality was still as direct as ever.

Fang Yu also understood that if he hadn't cleared the fifth floor of Yuanyi Tower today, Zhuang Yiliu would never have extended an invitation to him.

This wasn't looking down on him.

Just as Zhuang Yiliu had said, if the gap between teammates was too vast, the hunting targets chosen by the strong would be too powerful for the weak, making it extremely dangerous... The weak would also easily drag down the strong.

"I need to ask for Senior Sister's opinion. She is currently guiding me." Fang Yu said, "I'll give you a reply tomorrow."

"Alright."

"I'm also currently being guided by a Senior Sister." Zhuang Yiliu nodded. "Then let's talk about it tomorrow... Right, when are you returning to the province?"

"On the 6th, I will return directly to Wuling City." Fang Yu said, "What about you?"

Zhuang Yiliu, as a Personal Disciple of a Starry Sky Martial Artist, was now also an eight-star member of the Huguang branch of Xinghe Group, possessing the exact same permissions as Fang Yu.

"I'm returning to Xingsha City on the 7th." Zhuang Yiliu said, "We can't go back together. If we can team up, we can set off together for the Primal Star then."

"Good." Fang Yu naturally had no objections.

Within the Tianlan Realm.

Fang Yu returned to his personal space and found that Senior Sister Zhu Lingxuan was online, so he directly contacted her... Soon, Zhu Lingxuan accepted the invitation and came to Fang Yu's personal space.

"Senior Sister..." Fang Yu quickly explained the situation.

"Zhuang Yiliu wants to team up with you?" Zhu Lingxuan was first startled, then nodded. "That's true. The two of you cleared the fifth floor of Yuanyi Tower on the same day, and your skill levels are clearly close... But she has been an Earth Martial Artist for nearly half a year. I estimate her life level should be at level 44 or even higher."

"And since she is a Personal Disciple of the Chief, her Star Core should have been upgraded to at least Grade-2." Zhu Lingxuan speculated.

"Zhuang Yiliu is a Personal Disciple of Senior Ye Xinghe?" Shock filled Fang Yu's heart.

"Mhm." Zhu Lingxuan nodded. "Although I am not clear on confidential information like her Star Phase or Star Core... her Master is actually not a huge secret among First-Class Sky-Patrol Envoys."

Fang Yu suddenly understood.

To powerhouses of different levels, the definition of confidential was different.

Take the Earth Martial Artists of Huguang Province, for example; they only knew that Fang Yu and Zhuang Yiliu had become Personal Disciples of a Starry Sky Martial Artist... But specifically who they took as Master? That hadn't been made public.

Similarly,

at Zhu Lingxuan's level, they knew who Fang Yu and Zhuang Yiliu's Masters were, but things like Star Phases, Star Cores, Divine Abilities, and secret arts... were likewise unknown.

"Zhuang Yiliu turns out to be a Personal Disciple of Ye Xinghe."

"No wonder she could become an Innate Grade-1 Star Core so quickly." Fang Yu thought to himself. Of course, Fang Yu wasn't certain that everything Zhuang Yiliu said was completely true; many pieces of information had to be kept strictly confidential.

Just like now, Fang Yu hadn't disclosed Zhuang Yiliu's Cultivate information either.

...

"In terms of overall strength, Zhuang Yiliu should still be slightly stronger than you."

Zhu Lingxuan said, "Involving the Chief... I suggest you ask Master directly and invite Master to your personal space."

"Directly invite Master?" Fang Yu was stunned.

"Haven't you noticed that Master is always online?" Zhu Lingxuan couldn't help smiling. "Starry Sky Martial Artists completely no longer need sleep or rest, unless they sometimes need to go into secluded cultivation and devote themselves entirely... Otherwise, with their strength, separating a sliver of consciousness to stay in the Tianlan Realm is very effortless."

"Moreover, they have a higher-grade instrument called the 'micro-login device', which is only the size of a palm. A wisp of consciousness leaving the body can log in."

"Therefore, Starry Sky Martial Artists are online almost 24 hours a day."

Fang Yu suddenly understood.

So there were even micro-login devices to log into the Tianlan Realm? They were probably very expensive too.

Soon,

not long after Fang Yu sent a message to Master Qin Tuo,

"Senior Sister, Teacher has invited me to his personal space." Fang Yu suddenly said.

"Mhm, go ahead." Zhu Lingxuan nodded. "I'll leave first as well. Send me a message if anything comes up."

Whoosh~

Fang Yu accepted the invitation and felt the surrounding scene shift.

He was already situated atop a towering high mountain, facing a cliff of ten thousand fathoms, overlooking the vast and boundless world below. Standing beside the cliff was a figure in black clothes and red hair.

Standing sideways there, an intangible might had already shrouded the entire world.

"Master." Fang Yu bowed and saluted.

Qin Tuo turned slightly sideways, a smile between his brows as he looked at Fang Yu: "Not bad performance; you cleared the fifth floor of Yuanyi Tower in such a short time." Clearly, although the time was short, he already knew about Fang Yu's situation today.

"I've just stepped into the Terrain Realm level." Fang Yu said, "I am still very far from the Terrain Realm Peak... Compared to the other Senior brothers and Senior Sisters in the base who have cleared the fifth floor, the gap in strength is still huge."

"Mhm."

"You can be considered to have self-awareness." Qin Tuo nodded slightly. "Your growth rate is very fast, but in terms of absolute strength, you still lack quite a bit. Among Earth Martial Artists, you can only be considered decent; you must not be arrogant."

Fang Yu listened attentively.

"I have already messaged the Chief about the matter of you wanting to team up with Zhuang Yiliu. In principle, we agree." Qin Tuo said indifferently, "Since you asked me, it shows that you yourself are also willing."

"Yes." Fang Yu nodded.

"Mhm."

"Teaming up on the Primal Star requires absolute trust as teammates, and you also need to be transparent about each other's information. Therefore, some things need to be explained to you in advance." Qin Tuo said, "From now on, the information you know can only be known by yourself; you must not even tell your Senior Sister."

"Yes." Fang Yu instantly understood why Teacher hadn't called Senior Sister over.

"Zhuang Yiliu possesses the Super-grade Star Phase 'Rift Star Butterfly'." Qin Tuo dropped a bombshell right at the start.

Fang Yu was so shocked that his eyes widened.

Super-grade Star Phase?

This! What Master had said before was that the entire civilization had only Ye Xinghe with a Super-grade Star Phase... He hadn't expected Zhuang Yiliu to also have a Super-grade Star Phase. Fang Yu quickly calmed down.

No wonder Zhuang Yiliu was able to take Ye Xinghe as her Master.

"Awakening a Super-grade Star Phase has made her talent extremely high, not the least bit inferior to yours. As a Super-grade Star Phase holder, she possesses a hundred apertures and has also cultivated an extremely powerful Innate Divine Ability along with corresponding Star Power secret arts..." Qin Tuo quickly told Fang Yu the general situation about Zhuang Yiliu.

"Her life level has just been upgraded to level 44, and she is also an Innate Grade-1 Star Core."

"In terms of strength, she should be much stronger than you right now." Qin Tuo said, "When you reach the Primal Star, you must cooperate with each other... Zhuang Yiliu's intelligence, apart from you knowing it, must never be leaked to anyone else."

"Disciple will firmly remember this." Fang Yu nodded heavily.

Master's repeated admonitions were enough to show the importance of this matter.

"Alright, go ahead." Qin Tuo waved his hand. "In a few days, when you truly leave the Secret Realm Base, come to my manor to see me again."

Fang Yu nodded, and his figure dissipated.

Shortly after,

in another personal space within the Tianlan Realm,

"A hundred-aperture Upper Astral Constellation, Innate Grade-1 Star Core?" Zhuang Yiliu's face likewise showed a look of shock.

Fang Yu's true background also made it hard for her to believe.

"Mhm."

The voice of the figure in cyan robes was ethereal: "Disciple, although your Star Phase is strong, the Innate quality of your Star Core is inferior to Fang Yu's... Among the upper echelons of civilization, it is generally believed that among the current younger generation, the potential of you and Fang Yu is virtually identical, and Williams is even slightly inferior to you both."

Zhuang Yiliu couldn't help nodding.

She knew very well what an Innate Grade-1 Star Core meant.

"You and Fang Yu were originally friends as well. Since you've chosen to become teammates, you must try your best to trust each other." The figure in cyan robes said indifferently, "If he encounters danger, you must also save him as much as possible."

"Disciple understands, please rest assured, Master." Zhuang Yiliu said.

Soon after,

Zhuang Yiliu took her leave and departed from this space.

Whoosh~

countless lights and shadows intersected, forming the figure of a red-haired youth in this space.

"Chief." The figure of the red-haired youth slightly bowed.

"Qin Tuo, you've come." The voice of the figure in cyan robes was gentle.

"The potential of these two little fellows is so great... Venturing out hand-in-hand, if they encounter major danger, won't the risk be too high?" A trace of worry flashed in Qin Tuo's eyes.

"In life-and-death tempering, where is there any safety?"

"Venturing out separately, is that necessarily safe?" The figure in cyan robes said indifferently, "Their talent is good, but if they want to become a Starry Sky Martial Artist, how could it possibly be smooth sailing?"

Qin Tuo was left speechless.

"I know you have worries in your heart and care for your Disciple." The figure in cyan robes changed the topic: "Rest assured, I have my own arrangements; I will not just let nature take its course."

"Thank you, Chief." Qin Tuo's eyes lit up.

Although they were both Starry Sky Martial Artists, Qin Tuo had self-awareness; the Chief's strength far surpassed his own... Most importantly, the control of civilization was in the other's hands, and many special resources could only be mobilized by the Chief of civilization.

"Mhm."

"My agreement to let them team up and venture out also has deeper considerations." The figure in cyan robes said softly, "The next ten years will be eventful... Given their age and growth rate, they may need to step up as the leading figures of the younger generation for many matters."

"If they can achieve sharing life and death together,"

"when major events truly arrive in the future, it will benefit the entire civilization." the figure in cyan robes said.

Qin Tuo sighed inwardly; he hadn't thought so much previously.

He had to admit that the other's layout and thoughts were indeed far-reaching.

Time passed day by day.

After Fang Yu cultivated in the Secret Realm treasure land for another five days, in the blink of an eye, it was February 6th, which was also the day to leave the Secret Realm Base.