Chapter 53: The Crisis of the Future

"At most, a year from now—perhaps even sooner—a major crisis will erupt on Earth," Jiang Chen began, cutting straight to the point. "I've made many preparations for this crisis, but I can't guarantee I'll be able to resolve it. If I can't, then the responsibility will fall to you."

"What kind of crisis is it? Why does it seem like no one else knows about it?" Luo Feng asked, frowning.

Since leaving the No. 9 Ruins, Luo Feng had met quite a few people, but except for Jiang Chen, none had shown any sign of anxiety about an impending catastrophe.

"A terrifying monster is about to be born, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. You’ve inherited the legacy from the ruins, so you should know that above the rank of 'War God' is 'Planetary.' The monster in question is beyond even planetary level—it’s 'Stellar' class," Jiang Chen said, giving only a brief explanation.

The birth of the Golden-Horned Beast was set for four days later, somewhere in the ocean near Hawaii. But that expanse of water was vast; finding a single egg was nearly impossible.

Jiang Chen had deployed countless deep-sea probes, but after more than six months, none had found anything resembling the Golden-Horned Beast's egg. For a cosmic beast of such magnitude, even an egg could disguise itself so well that Earth’s technology would never detect it. It was possible that Jiang Chen’s probes had passed by the egg countless times, mistaking it for a mere stone.

Changing the subject, Jiang Chen continued, "I built this base to confront that monster, to create a powerful weapon of war. But I'm not certain I can defeat it. If I fail, then Earth's hope rests on you."

"Me?" Luo Feng was stunned.

Although he had received the legacy from the No. 9 Ruins, at present Luo Feng was only a peak War God, not even planetary level. To ask him to face a stellar-class monster? Was this some kind of joke?

Luo Feng immediately frowned and said, "A stellar-class monster is about to emerge? Where did you get this information? The most powerful monsters on Earth are just those few Emperor-class beasts—and one was killed by our museum’s director. Is some beast emperor in the ocean about to break through?"

"No, it’s not from Earth. It’s coming from the universe. You don’t need to ask further—I assure you it’s true. And right now, I’m the only one on Earth who knows," Jiang Chen replied.

Jiang Chen offered no further explanation. "You’re the only one who survived the death trial in the No. 9 Ruins, and only you have a chance to obtain the true legacy of that power. If you succeed, your strength could increase rapidly, and you might be able to face the monster."

Luo Feng’s brow furrowed as he looked at Jiang Chen.

After a long silence, Luo Feng asked gravely, "Are you sure you’re not joking with me?"

"Would I joke about something like this?" Jiang Chen countered.

Luo Feng stared at Jiang Chen for a moment, as if trying to judge the truth of his words.

After a pause, Luo Feng nodded and asked, "What do I need to do?"

"Here," Jiang Chen tapped a few times on his wristband, and a projected map appeared before them both. "Mist Island in Australia—you’ve been there," Jiang Chen said, pointing to a location on the map. "There’s a powerful legacy here. I want you to try to obtain it. But before you acquire the legacy, you must pretend you know nothing about it. Otherwise, you might die there."

He paused, then continued, "Once you’ve obtained the legacy, you’ll have at most one year to grow stronger. Within that year, no matter what method you use, you must reach stellar level."

"This..." Luo Feng’s eyes widened in confusion. "How do you know all this? And if there’s such a powerful legacy, why not take it yourself? Why must you send me?"

Jiang Chen certainly wouldn’t admit he didn’t want to spend time with Babata, fearing his secrets would be discovered. Instead, he offered a convenient excuse: "It’s best suited for pure spiritual masters and warriors. I’ve chosen the path of technology, so it’s not meant for me. You are the most suitable candidate."

With the system in his possession, Jiang Chen truly had little interest in Huyanbo’s legacy, save for Huyanbo’s inheritance—a fortune measured in primordial units, enormous even for the immortal. But whether Luo Feng or Jiang Chen received it didn’t matter, given their relationship; should Jiang Chen ever need to borrow it, Luo Feng would surely oblige.

Luo Feng didn’t dwell on these thoughts, remaining puzzled as to how Jiang Chen knew so much.

"If it’s not urgent, I’d like to go home first and see my family," Luo Feng said at last. "After all… what you’ve told me sounds quite dangerous. I’m afraid if something happens..."

"You’ve learned how to break through to planetary level in the No. 9 Ruins, haven’t you? Go home, break through first, and then set out as soon as possible," Jiang Chen said, pointing to a fighter jet outside the base. "That jet is yours now. It’s much faster than your Extreme Martial Hall’s King-class fighters—you’ll be home in under an hour."

"Alright." Luo Feng was decisive, wasting no time as he flew to the jet and left swiftly.

Watching Luo Feng depart, a strange light flashed in Jiang Chen’s eyes. "Two-pronged preparations. Let’s hope the outcome isn’t worse than in the original story. Also, I’d better notify Hong, so he doesn’t bother Luo Feng..."

Perhaps thanks to Jiang Chen’s increasingly formidable influence, Hong was easy to persuade. When Jiang Chen requested to ‘borrow’ Luo Feng for a while, Hong agreed readily.

Though he was curious about the situation in the No. 9 Ruins, there was no need to meet Luo Feng in person—a single email with the information would suffice.

For such a small favor, Hong was happy to oblige Jiang Chen.

"With Luo Feng’s side settled, it’s time to accelerate my own development. I haven’t decided yet what kind of super weapon to build, but combining technology and alchemy requires extraordinary materials. Besides monster materials from Earth, I recall there’s a batch of special metals on Mars..."

An idea flashed through Jiang Chen’s mind. He summoned Jarvis and asked, "Jarvis, how’s the progress on the spaceship construction? When will it be finished?"

"Master, it’ll be ready before the New Year!" Jarvis replied. "Master, should I adjust its priority?"

The spaceship was already top priority in the current task list. Jiang Chen shook his head. "No need to adjust—just finish it as soon as possible."