Chapter 74: The Gravity Domain—I'm Here to Play at the Highest Level

"What’s going on?"
"Why am I on my knees?"
Fang Danan, nearing forty, felt crushed beneath three great mountains of pressure, his mind buzzing in confusion.
He had only ever witnessed this sort of technique from the leader of the Divine Descent Alliance.
It was the alliance’s innate combat skill: the Gravity Domain.
And now, in just five minutes, Zhang Chu had mastered it.
Fang Danan’s mind raced.
He began to suspect there was something wrong with his Talent Replicator.
No matter how bitter or difficult things became, he had never considered that Zhang Chu was cheating!
"Brother Zhang Chu," Fang Danan pleaded, "if I say I was forced, would you spare my life?"
Fang Danan was a two-star Dual Strength Warrior.
He’d clearly had the chance to kill Zhang Chu just moments before.
Yet, unexpectedly, Zhang Chu had turned the tables on him.
Under the suppressive force of doubled gravity,
Fang Danan had to muster all his strength just to try to move.
But if it came to a fight, he knew he was no match for Zhang Chu.
Only by begging for mercy could he hope to survive!
"I was forced to try to kill you too. Can you hand over your miserable life willingly?"
For safety’s sake, Zhang Chu also activated the nearby Gravity Suppressor that had fallen to the ground.
With double gravity bearing down on him,
Fang Danan was forced to his limits, blood trickling from all seven orifices as he struggled to hold on. "Brother Chu, I... I was wrong, I..."
"Live or die—it’s all up to fate."
Zhang Chu turned to leave, casually disabling the high-energy electric grid set up near the cave entrance to ward off starbeasts, and slashed Fang Danan’s arm for good measure.
Starbeasts loved nothing more than the scent of blood.
"Brother Chu, wait! I can tell you where the Divine Descent Alliance is hiding!"
This series of actions drove Fang Danan to the brink of madness.
If Zhang Chu had simply killed him with a sword, so be it.
But if the starbeasts got to him, not even his bones would be left!
His cries echoed for miles as Zhang Chu walked away.
Meanwhile,
on a nearby hill not far from the cavern,
Chen Long and Fan Dayong watched through binoculars as Fang Danan knelt on the ground, howling and weeping. "Old Fan, what’s up with Fang Danan? Did his father die or something? He’s bawling his eyes out in the starbeast tree hollow."
"That’s a Gravity Suppressor—an item banned by the Martial Regulation Bureau."
Fan Dayong peered through the binoculars, observing the device atop Fang Danan’s head.
"I’ve always hated that thing. He relies on his grandfather, the former Bureau Chief, and never gives us a second thought. Let him live or die as he pleases."
Hearing it was a banned item, Chen Long frowned.
"If he dies in the starbeast hollow, his grandfather will blame my dad and yours. We should probably help him."
"If we don’t, there’ll be nothing left of him but dust."
"But before we help, let’s get a few photos. That guy’s always putting on airs—this will teach him a lesson about using contraband."
Fan Dayong took out his phone and switched to hundred-megapixel mode, snapping pictures and videos.

Just then,
Chen Long noticed several starbeasts approaching.
"Damn it, nothing’s worse than having to save someone you despise with every fiber of your being."
With a flick of his right hand,
a butterfly-shaped throwing knife shot through the air.
Clang!
As four one-star starbeasts closed in, the Gravity Suppressor was knocked flying.
Chen Long and Fan Dayong didn’t linger—they vanished into the woods.
Three days in the starbeast tree hollows, the greatest fortune to be found was the Mind Power Pearl left by a spiritual cultivator. They had to make the most of their time.
Fang Danan, for his part, had no time to consider who had helped him.
He sprang to his feet, quickly forming a psychic defense shield in front of himself.
Bang!
Four starbeasts pounced, shattering the shield instantly.
At the critical moment,
a graceful figure appeared before Fang Danan.
A flash of sword light—
and the four starbeasts were slain on the spot.
"Su Mingyue? What are you doing here?"
Fang Danan was utterly stunned to see the newcomer.
He, a two-star Dual Strength Warrior, had been rescued by an alliance member he’d only met once—Su Mingyue.
"Where’s Zhang Chu?"
Su Mingyue ignored Fang Danan’s injuries and asked directly.
...

Meanwhile,
deep in the starbeast forest,
Zhang Chu stood before a four-hundred-year-old Celestial Pine, frantically accelerating its growth rings with his "Accelerated Domain" technique.
"Ding! Passive Devour activated."
"Detected: host has devoured a 1,000-year-old plant. Psychic power +20!"
"Detected: host meets requirements for two-star advancement. Upgrade now?"
At last!
Leaving the cave, Zhang Chu had headed straight for the starbeast forest.
After absorbing three Celestial Pines,
his psychic power finally reached 1,017!
"Upgrade!"
He found a towering tree, leapt into its branches, and began his advancement, wary of starbeast ambushes.
In the next moment, he felt his physical strength and psychic power surge.
With a thought, he brought up his status panel:
Name: Zhang Chu
Realm: Two Star
Power Level: 1,535 / 5,000
Martial Skills: Skyrocket Cannon (Two-Star Lower), Iron Mountain Shield (Two-Star Lower), Thirteen Flaming Swords (Two-Star Lower), Flash Silver (Two-Star Lower)
Psychic Power: 1,017 / 5,000

Psychic Martial Skill: Electric Vine Bind (Two-Star Lower)
Psychic Combat Skill: Accelerated Domain (Two-Star Lower)
Psychic Combat Skill: Gravity Domain (Double)
Staring at his stats, Zhang Chu was momentarily dazed.
No wonder the system had stopped prompting him to use psychic or physical power to enhance his skills.
After breaking through to Dual Strength Warrior,
it was as if the system itself had been supercharged.
As long as his cultivation increased, all corresponding martial and psychic combat skills would advance with him.
Even the Gravity Domain he’d just obtained had risen from single to double gravity.
Now that fortune had smiled upon him, Zhang Chu saw no need to hold back.
For the rest of the day,
he swept through a thirty-kilometer range of the starbeast forest, unleashing a killing spree.
"Slayed a two-star starbeast: Power +10, Psychic Power +10."
"Devoured a two-star beast core: Power +10."
"Accelerated Domain cooldown increased from ten to fifteen minutes."
Every ancient tree that caught Zhang Chu’s eye would be reduced to a withered husk within fifteen minutes.
Yet, this was the starbeast hollow, nourished by the grand arrays left by spiritual cultivators.
Even these dead trees would grow to majestic heights again in thirty years.
As dusk approached,
Zhang Chu sat calmly on a bare hillside,
produced a barbecue grill and solar cooker from his storage ring, and roasted a plump, juicy rabbit to improve his meal.
The aroma of the roasting meat drifted for miles, attracting the interest of many starbeasts.
Yet, within a kilometer radius, a powerful high-energy electric grid swiftly took form, keeping the starbeasts at bay.
As he flipped the rabbit, Zhang Chu once again brought up his status panel.
Power: 2,357 / 5,000
Psychic Power: 1,834 / 5,000
Seeing how far he still was from five thousand, Zhang Chu felt a pang of frustration.
He had only one day left.
To break through to three stars was almost impossible.
Unless... he found the Mind Power Pearl left by a spiritual cultivator.
"Brother Zhang Chu, we’re all here in the starbeast hollow for training; I didn’t expect you to be living so comfortably—roasting rabbits, no less!"
"How about letting us join the fun? Of course, we won’t eat for free; we’ll share some intel about the Mind Power Pearl left by the spiritual cultivator."
Just then, a hearty voice snapped Zhang Chu from his reverie.
He looked up to see Fan Dayong and Chen Long waving from outside the electric grid,
Chen Long practically drooling.
Ask and you shall receive!
Zhang Chu used the remote to open the electric grid and let them in.
Given their backgrounds, they might really know where to find the Mind Power Pearl!