Virtual World (2nd Update)

That tiny dragon didn’t have the pink, tender look of a newborn hatchling.

Its body was covered in tiny scales, with small dragon horns on its head and cicada-wing-thin wings on either side. It looked like a miniature version of an adult Immortal Dragon—adorable beyond measure.

The moment it was born, winds surged and clouds churned, thunder booming as though all of K’un-Lun were cheering for it.

That was the treatment reserved for a protagonist.

A gust of wind swept through, and Shou-Lao began to swell against it.

Wind followed the tiger, clouds followed the dragon. Shou-Lao’s body grew larger and larger, while more and more auspicious clouds gathered around it.

It flew several thousand meters into the sky, appearing and disappearing amid the clouds as its body continued to grow. It soon reached thirty meters in length, barely taking on the form and majesty of a divine dragon.

As the divine dragon emerged, the Kunlun People fell to their knees in worship.

Though the Jade Emperor and Lei Gong were K’un-Lun’s strongest, everyone knew that Shou-Lao was K’un-Lun’s true symbol.

Some elderly people who liked poring over ancient books in the library knew Shou-Lao well. They knew that it had likely grown to around five hundred years old by now.

A serpent became a jiaolong after five hundred years; a jiaolong became a dragon after a thousand; a dragon became a horned dragon after five hundred more years, and an Yinglong after another thousand.

Five-hundred-year-old Shou-Lao was almost no different in size from a jiaolong, but whether in physical strength or level of life, it was an Yinglong. Its true power was likely at the dragon level as well, close to that of a horned dragon.

Even in K’un-Lun, few people ever had the chance to see Shou-Lao. It was a genuine shut-in, never leaving the Sacred Mountain. It ate, slept, woke up, then ate again—more idle than a salted fish.

The main reason was that, as a mighty divine dragon, it had spent five hundred years without ever growing up. How embarrassing would it be to go out like that?

Now, it had finally regained part of its cultivation. Though it was still far from its peak, it was almost as strong as it had been before Wu Fengji killed it. In terms of cultivation alone, it had already surpassed the Jade Emperor and Lei Gong, once again becoming K’un-Lun’s strongest.

With strength like that, how could it bear not letting others know? What was the difference between wearing brocade clothes in the dark?

The Jade Emperor was fine watching the majestic Shou-Lao, but there was no way Lei Gong wasn’t envious.

He was the teacher of thousands and had always been proud and reserved. Even now, he could not bring himself to ask for help, leaving him in terrible inner turmoil.

Old Wang chuckled and waved his hand. The empty Well of Eternity Bottle flew over, and with a point of his finger, ten drops of Well of Eternity Water essence appeared and drifted before Lei Gong.

"I gained many insights from that battle years ago, yet I never properly thanked you. Master Lei Gong, please accept these."

Different people required different approaches.

Lei Gong was not the Jade Emperor. His skin was too thin; he had to be handled carefully.

Looking at the Well of Eternity Bottle before him, Lei Gong instinctively clenched his fists. His old face reddened slightly, and he could not speak.

There was no need for thanks.

Great kindness needed no words.

To a martial artist, giving away a treasure like this was truly an immense favor. It would save him at least a century of effort. This was no trivial matter.

The Jade Emperor watched Old Wang and Lei Gong with a smiling gaze, silently nodding.

Master Wang truly was a good man. No matter how he acted on the surface, deep down, he was still an exceptionally good person.

Lei Gong really should enter seclusion. Perhaps he would advance to Grandmaster within a few years. Then I’ll have to come out of seclusion and take control of everything.

Shou-Lao was far too unreliable. It had already vanished, just like before. It was probably off showing off again, making the people of China worship the divine dragon. How dull.

"Gentlemen, it’s time for me to go."

Old Wang rose and cupped his fists, then stepped through the void and left K’un-Lun.

The Jade Emperor sighed. "I wonder whether this is the right thing to do."

Breaking K’un-Lun’s traditions and allying with outside organizations had brought opportunities, but also challenges. Once they accepted the benefits, they had to shoulder the obligations. If Master Wang encountered a powerful enemy, these old bones of his would have to fight as well.

How many years had it been since he had fought seriously?

Three hundred? Five hundred?

His hands had grown rusty.

"What is meant to come will come."

Lei Gong looked up at the sky, lightning flashing in his eyes. "Heaven moves with vigor; a gentleman must strive without ceasing. A martial artist should forge ahead with courage. Jade Emperor, you have grown complacent. Master Wang is the role model for our generation!"

The Jade Emperor: "…"

Taking someone’s gift softened your hand; eating someone’s food softened your mouth. The old saying was right after all.

Lei Gong, Lei Gong, you’ve fallen just like that forty-something old maid from the Chen family!

After leaving K’un-Lun, Old Wang returned to the Azeroth Industries factory.

"Fitz, select suitable, reliable people and come with me."

Old Wang instructed, "Skye, have everyone going sign confidentiality agreements. The strictest kind."

Skye and Fitz hurriedly did as instructed.

This sort of thing took time.

Three days later, Old Wang sent Fitz and the other researchers to K’un-Lun, bringing them to the Ancestral Hall.

Looking at the outline of the spacecraft on the detector screen, Fitz trembled all over with excitement, barely able to speak properly. "B-Boss, th-this is… a spacecraft?"

"A crashed alien spacecraft. Its technology is highly advanced, and it even has a fully intact Warp Engine."

Old Wang patted Fitz on the shoulder. "Work hard. I have faith in you. Build a starship capable of faster-than-light travel and make Egghead drool!"

"Mm!" Fitz nodded heavily, filled with enthusiasm.

Right now, his eyes and heart contained only the spacecraft and the Warp Engine.

To hell with Azeroth Iron Soldiers. To hell with Simmons.

Only the Warp Engine was true love!

Old Wang smiled faintly.

Egghead was clutching the Light Speed Engine from the Pegasus Project and refused to take it out no matter what.

But that thing had actually been developed by the Kree scientist Mar-Vell specifically for the Cosmic Cube. Its technological level was high, but it could only be made with the Cosmic Cube, and it was far from easy to produce.

By comparison, K’un-Lun’s Warp Engine was an essential component for genuine interstellar travel. Its technology tree had not gone down the wrong path.

Egghead, Egghead, you never could have imagined this, could you?

A technological blockade was useless. Old Wang had plenty of ways around it!

Fitz clearly had no intention of leaving K’un-Lun, or even the Ancestral Hall. He was determined to finish the spacecraft and thoroughly understand it.

The designs for Azeroth Iron Soldiers No. 1 through No. 3 had already been completed. Their actual production did not require his attention, and there was no need for better models for the time being.

As for the Sky Carrier, development had been ongoing all along. It made no difference where it was done.

Besides, if they could master the Kunlun Spaceship’s technology, it would also help with the development of the Sky Carrier. It would definitely be better than S.H.I.E.L.D.’s.

Old Wang had complete confidence in Fitz.

Developing the Sky Carrier and the star carrier was a difficult task that would require a long time. Construction of the Afterlife Base and the K’un-Lun Base would proceed at the same time.

With all the necessary equipment and materials prepared, they could simply open a portal and send them over. This greatly saved manpower, resources, and time.

The Inhumans and Kunlun People would help as well.

Their physiques were far stronger than ordinary humans’. They worked exceptionally quickly and made the best laborers.

Naturally, construction of the bases would speed up as well.

The only side effect was that money was being spent faster too.

Fortunately, after Daredevil and the other two left K’un-Lun, they took those brainwashed Hydra destroyer personnel with them and continuously seized the secret assets of The Hand and Hydra. That was barely enough to keep things afloat.

But it still wasn’t enough.

Just then, good news came from Skye.

"Wang, the core program has been completed. We can begin building the virtual world!"