Chapter Ninety-Nine: Second-Class Citizens

“Enough talk for now. While the aftershocks of the spatial disturbance still linger and the locator can’t send signals, quickly put away the Blaze Divine Armor!” Bai urged hastily. “We still need to stay on Lanque Star for a while. We can’t reveal our position yet. Once the Yuanlan Empire seals off Lanque Star, you won’t escape even if you sprout wings!”

Hearing this, Blue Sky fully understood the consequences of exposure and hurriedly retracted the Blaze Divine Armor, transforming it into a ring worn on his hand.

Once the armor was stowed away, Blue Sky, hovering in the air, suddenly dropped. After regaining his composure, he adjusted the mental energy’s force on his body and steadied himself, landing firmly on the ground.

After stretching out a bit, Blue Sky roughly estimated the gravity on Lanque Star—it was over ten times that of Earth. Were it not for his extremely robust physique, adapting here would have been difficult.

In this entirely new environment, Blue Sky excitedly extended his mental energy to scan the surroundings. Before he could act, a beast’s roar echoed nearby. Looking toward the sound, he saw beside an ancient tree a strange-looking beast about the size of a car, resembling a giant lizard. Its dorsal fins flared as it prepared to attack.

Startled, Blue Sky instinctively formed a giant palm of mental energy and struck the beast fiercely. The next moment, the creature was crushed under overwhelming force, reduced to a heap of flesh.

“Whew... I thought it would be some terrifying monster, but it just looks scary and is actually quite fragile,” Blue Sky sighed in relief. “Makes sense though—Bai scanned the environment earlier without any warnings. This creature must just be a minor nuisance.”

“What minor nuisance! I was careless. Let’s get out of here!” Bai exclaimed, upon seeing the beast’s appearance. “That’s just a juvenile Earth Dragon Beast. An adult one must be nearby. Adults usually reach the power level of a high-grade planet. Even with your Blaze Divine Armor on, you’re no match. We need to run!”

Blue Sky’s heart jumped. To be cautious, he dared not fly but fled on foot. After running for several hundred kilometers, an enraged, murderous roar resonated behind him. Feeling uneasy, he patted his chest and, heeding Bai’s advice, hurriedly concealed himself in a cave, suppressing all his energy.

Soon, he sensed an overwhelmingly powerful aura sweeping the skies above, cold sweat breaking out.

This was far too dangerous!

Thankfully, Bai’s timely warning and his recently learned skill of energy concealment helped him evade the Earth Dragon Beast’s pursuit. Otherwise, on his very first step into the cosmos, before even starting to explore, he might have become an alien monster’s meal.

After about an hour, when the surroundings had calmed completely, Blue Sky cautiously emerged, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

He was still too weak. A single alien beast had forced him into a humiliating retreat. He didn’t even dare to face it. His once unshakable confidence from Earth was instantly shattered.

“Realize your weakness now, huh? I estimate the territory of that Earth Dragon Beast spans thousands of kilometers around here. Don’t linger; leave immediately,” Bai warned again. “I checked earlier—the mountain range is in the northern part of Lanque Star, about eight thousand kilometers from the nearest city. Your priority now is to reach that city quickly and enter seclusion to break through to the Star Radiance level!”

“Hmm... First, I need to apply for an identity for you. Wait a moment while I connect to the Virtual Cosmos Network and apply for one on your behalf.” Bai suddenly emitted a beam of light, scanning Blue Sky’s entire body, then said.

“Uh... By identity, do you mean something like an ID card on Earth?” Blue Sky asked curiously.

“Exactly, but not as strict as Earth’s ID cards. After all, the Yuanlan Empire is vast with an uncountable population. Only cosmic cultivators or their descendants can apply for identities in the Virtual Cosmos Network. Ordinary people have no qualifications. So, it’s also a measure of one’s social standing,” Bai explained while submitting the application.

“But I’m not a cosmic cultivator yet. How can I apply for an identity?” Blue Sky puzzled. “Are you logging into your owner’s account to apply for me?”

“Of course! Otherwise, how could a little guy like you who hasn’t even reached the Star Radiance level apply?” Bai said matter-of-factly.

“Wait a minute. Didn’t you say I need to reach Star Radiance and have cosmic star energy before logging into the Virtual Cosmos Network to inherit your owner’s wealth? How can you log in now? If you can log in directly, why not let me inherit earlier?” Blue Sky snapped back, suddenly alert.

“Yes, I said you have to reach Star Radiance to log in yourself, but I never said I can’t log in,” Bai replied with a condescending smile. “Earth is too remote; the network signal is poor, making it hard for me to log in. Also, Earth’s location can’t be revealed. Even if I log in, it’s meaningless, so I never mentioned it. Besides, I can only access a subsidiary account of my owner to perform some tasks. You’ll only inherit the main account after reaching Star Radiance and receiving my authorization.”

“...Alright,” Blue Sky felt relieved after Bai’s explanation.

“Now that we’re on Lanque Star, the Virtual Cosmos Network signal is much stronger. Naturally, I must log in to secure you an identity. Otherwise, with your current strength, entering the city might attract human traffickers who could sell you into slavery!” Bai said again.

“...The universe is so chaotic? People can be kidnapped and enslaved so easily? No legal protection?” Blue Sky was shocked.

“Exactly. The universe is harsh—might makes right. If you’re strong, you can do anything; if weak, you’re just prey,” Bai nodded. “Of course, there are laws, but they protect only citizens with identities. Those without identities have no legal protection.”

“So identity is vital. The higher your status, the more respect you receive, and fewer dare to harm you.”

“Hmm, after not logging in for tens of thousands of years, the network efficiency has improved a lot. The identity application succeeded!” Bai’s face brightened with a smile. “Not bad—second-class citizen. Slightly better than the lowest first-class citizen. For your strength, that’s enough.”

“Wait... I have another question. If you logged into your owner’s account, doesn’t that expose you?” Blue Sky’s expression suddenly changed as he asked.

...