Chapter 116: The Mysterious Key

"So that is how it works. Does this mean these items can all be collected at any branch of the Virtual Universe Network?" Lan Tian asked after hearing Bai's explanation, nodding his head.

"Of course. You can collect them at any branch office," Bai replied with a nod.

It made perfect sense. Universe cultivators frequently ventured across the cosmos; if they carried all their treasures with them, they risked losing everything to danger or foul play. Conversely, keeping them at home or in some secret location offered no guarantee of security. Thus, the private space feature of the Virtual Universe Network was born.

It is worth noting that anyone capable of owning a private space within the Virtual Universe Network—unless they inherited one—generally held a cultivation level no lower than the Universe Grade. At this level, one naturally possesses a great many treasures, some of immense value. If these items were constantly subject to theft or robbery, it would be a significant blow to the network's reputation. To maintain its prestige, the upper echelons of the human race established a Human Covenant to ensure the absolute security of these private spaces.

Since the introduction of this covenant, and with the immense power of the Virtual Universe Network as a guarantor, private spaces became the most popular vaults for universe cultivators. Aside from essential weapons or necessary consumables, cultivators usually stored their most important treasures in their private spaces, distributed across various branches of the network according to their accounts.

Retrieving items was equally convenient. Cultivators could use their own accounts—or authorized ones—to collect items from any branch. Even if the items were stored elsewhere, the financial and logistical resources of the Virtual Universe Network allowed them to retrieve and deliver the items to the user's specified location immediately. Furthermore, given the network's foundation, if any mishap befell the items before delivery, they would provide full compensation without any excuses.

"Alright, most of the items on your master's list are easy to understand. Even if some aren't useful, they can be sold for universe coins to buy other necessities. But what is this 'Qingcang Holy Land Red-Level Token'? What does it do?" Lan Tian asked, scrutinizing the item list. "And what about that 'Mysterious Key'? What on earth is that?"

"Talking about the Qingcang Holy Land takes us a bit far afield. In your current state, you aren't qualified to interact with a Holy Land; telling you wouldn't be of much use," Bai said, though it began to explain regardless.

"In the universe, human settlements are generally organized into universe nations, categorized as primary, intermediate, and advanced. You should already know this. As for Holy Lands, they are entities far superior to even advanced universe nations. Well... think of them as exclusive settlements for the elite," Bai explained.

"This Qingcang Holy Land is the one closest to the Yuanlan Empire. Years ago, while exploring a secret realm, my master luckily saved a severely injured successor of the Holy Land. Grateful for his life, the successor gifted him this Qingcang Holy Land Red-Level Token. Although the red-level token is the most basic rank among Holy Land tokens, its value is immense."

"The holder can, at most, summon an Immortal God-level powerhouse from the Holy Land to perform one task within their capability."

"It's a pity my master fell before he could ever use it..."

"Damn it! My master was kind-hearted. He didn't want to see the Yuanlan Empire suffer, so he fled toward the remote, opposite direction. If he had only had the chance to reach any Virtual Universe Network branch, he could have retrieved the token in an instant. If an Immortal God had intervened, my master wouldn't have fallen..." Bai said, filled with indignation.

"Wait, can't I use this Red-Level Token to summon an Immortal God from the Holy Land to wipe out the Yuanlan Empire? Wouldn't that avenge your master?" Lan Tian suddenly thought, his eyes lighting up with surprise.

"That won't work. If it were that simple, why would I have made you swear to wait until you are capable before seeking revenge?" Bai shook its head. "Once one reaches the level of an Immortal God, their life hierarchy changes entirely. Even a peak Sage-level cultivator has no power to resist an Immortal God."

"Moreover, the overarching policy of the human race is unity. While the higher-ups don't explicitly forbid internal strife, there are many constraints once you reach the Immortal God level. Without a direct vendetta, they cannot arbitrarily interfere in the affairs of a universe nation, and they certainly cannot just wipe out an emperor or a sovereign. If they did, even an Immortal God would face severe consequences."

"Therefore, this debt of blood must be repaid by you alone. Do not dream of shortcuts!"

"Fine... I suppose there really is no way to cheat the system. Never mind, I'll just wait until I have cultivated enough strength. There's no rush," Lan Tian said, feeling a bit deflated. He had hoped to use external force to avenge his master, but given the circumstances, he had to abandon the idea.

"Then what about this Mysterious Key? It feels so lazy—there's no description at all?"

"My master obtained this key from a secret realm called the Qingting Realm. This realm was famous as one of the few places in the nearby universe with abundant treasures and opportunities but relatively low danger. Countless cultivators went there to explore. However, for reasons unknown, shortly after my master entered, the Qingting Realm suddenly collapsed, dissolving into endless cosmic energy to nourish the universe. My master barely escaped at a great cost, and apart from this mysterious key, he returned empty-handed."

"To commemorate the collapsed realm, my master kept the key in his private space. Had you not mentioned it, I would have forgotten it existed."

"...Alright, I thought this key was truly mysterious! It turns out it's the kind of 'mysterious' where no one knows what it’s for," Lan Tian said, half-laughing.

"You're overthinking it! Treasures that even the Virtual Universe Network cannot identify are extremely rare. Since the network can't identify this key, it's either an ordinary key with no use, or a rare item containing a colossal secret!" Bai retorted habitually. In truth, even Bai believed it was just a useless key, so it didn't press the subject further.

"Alright, you have finished everything you need to cultivate, inherit, and understand. As for that life-saving technique, you are nowhere near strong enough to practice it, so don't even think about it for now. You have no enemies at the moment; just be careful."

"Now, hurry and conclude your seclusion. Lanque Star has no branch office. The nearest one is on Huidu Star, where the Huidu King—one of the Seven Kings—resides. Once you go out and greet the Lord of Lanque Star, you can teleport directly to Huidu Star."