Online Game: Starting with an SSS-Level Plundering Talent

Sini and the others nodded in agreement. The Endless Desert had already become a part of John's World-in-Hand, and they weren't worried about any danger.

John's mind shifted, and he entered his World-in-Hand, arriving beneath The Tree of Life.

He had decided to refine the Dark Pearl and see what changes would occur.

"John, there's been quite a commotion these past few days. What have you been up to?" Gaka's voice came from above, emanating from The Tree of Life.

Three days ago, John had placed the four Dark City Lords and the entire Demon's Sky Formation into his World-in-Hand. Though it had taken place in the sea, the massive disturbance had also caught Gaka's attention.

John briefly explained the situation.

"Celestial Vault's son?" Gaka murmured softly, his tone heavy. "I think Chaos and Nine Phoenix's proposal is correct. You're not safe here. If Celestial Vault wants to kill you, your World-in-Hand won't be able to withstand it."

John thought about his past encounters and couldn't help but ask, "Is Celestial Vault an Emperor-level powerhouse too?"

"No," Gaka explained. "I remember he was at the peak of the Nine Stars, but his strength is not weaker than that of an Emperor. The reason the Celestial Vault organization hasn't developed in the past few thousand years is because Celestial Vault has been trapped in Dark City."

"Trapped in Dark City?" John was confused. "Was he sealed by someone?"

"No, it was his own doing." Gaka thought for a moment before continuing, "His cultivation method is unique. He grows stronger by devouring the powers of other Overseers. I, the former Skybroke, and the survivors in Underground City are all the remnants of those he devoured."

"Devouring the Overseers?" John furrowed his brow, not fully understanding.

To him, Dark City had only mastered the World-in-Hand of Skybroke, but how did they devour the powers of Overseers?

Gaka went on, "I've also heard of Black Raven. He had great talent and was highly valued by Celestial Vault. Now that you've killed him, Celestial Vault will stop at nothing to take revenge on you."

"It seems like this really is tricky," John thought for a moment. If Nine Phoenix and Chaos couldn't take down Dark City this time, he'd have to abandon it.

He turned to The Tree of Life and asked, "Senior, who do you think I should join?"

Both Nine Phoenix and Chaos had extended olive branches to him, and joining either one would inevitably make him enemies with the other.

These two were both Emperor-level powerhouses, and John didn't want to offend either of them.

Gaka casually replied, "Why join them? You've fused with World-in-Hand, and with your growth speed, you'll surpass even the Emperors in the future. To put it bluntly, you're on the same level as them right now. You're not joining them. Instead, have both of them give you a piece of territory and develop your own power."

"That…" John was speechless.

Gaka had once been an Emperor-level powerhouse, even a senior to both Nine Phoenix and Chaos. He wasn't afraid of either of them.

However, his strength was still too weak, and he ultimately had to show respect to the two of them.

However, Gaka had given him a reminder. Since he didn't want to offend either of the two, he could easily develop his own power at the intersection of their territories.

Even if they wanted to control him, once he became an Emperor— or even before that, once he reached the Nine-Star level— he was confident he could fight against Emperor-level powerhouses.

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior. I know what I should do now." John cupped his hands and bowed, having already formed an idea in his heart.

However, he decided to wait and see if Nine Phoenix and Chaos could heavily injure Celestial Vault.

Moreover, Gaka had mentioned that Celestial Vault was trapped in Dark City and couldn't escape, so perhaps he wouldn't be in any danger here.

John stopped dwelling on the matter. He moved aside, sat cross-legged, and took out the Dark Pearl.

The powerful darkness, the Heaven's laws, surged.

Gaka sensed it too and appeared somewhat puzzled, but didn't ask any more questions.

Everyone had their own secrets. Since John didn't speak of it, Gaka wouldn't pry.

John attempted to refine it.

A powerful force of law surrounded him. The moment he touched the Dark Pearl, it was absorbed instantly with no change at all.

"Huh, how do I refine this thing?" John looked at the pearl in his hand, confusion written all over his face.

He had already gained the Dark Rift talent, and his comprehension of the Darkness Heaven Law had reached 100%. He perfectly met the conditions to refine the Dark Pearl.

At this moment, Gaka's voice came from beside him: "Kid, this is the Dark Pearl. You need a divine-level talent, Dark Rift, and you must open an independent dark space in order to refine it."

"I see." John understood and then asked, "Senior, if I open an independent dark space, will it affect my World-in-Hand?"

"Huh? You don't happen to have the Dark Rift talent, do you?" Gaka asked, surprised.

John nodded.

"You really are full of surprises!" Gaka couldn't help but exclaim, then said, "The space opened by the Dark Rift is somewhat similar to World-in-Hand, and it can be integrated with your World-in-Hand. It will only benefit you, not harm you. If you can obtain the Dark World, I'll even give you another opportunity."

"Really?" John's eyes lit up, his expression full of excitement.

Gaka was an Emperor-level powerhouse, and his opportunities were certainly not ordinary.

For example, this Endless Desert was a gift from Gaka, allowing him to become a perfect integration of World-in-Hand with The Overseer.

He felt a sense of anticipation in his heart.

Gaka continued, "However, this opportunity comes with some dangers and complications. I'll tell you more when your strength reaches the Nine-Star level."

"Alright," John said, not in a hurry.

"Also, the space created by the Dark Rift is infused with dark Heaven's laws. These are different from the laws of your World-in-Hand. It's best to open it at the edge of your World-in-Hand," Gaka advised.

"I understand." John nodded, already coming up with a better solution in his mind.

His World-in-Hand would definitely continue to expand, and the edges would also be affected.

The most optimal location would be to choose somewhere in the air or underground.

The space created by the Dark Rift was an independent dark space, and the underground seemed the most suitable.

A thought crossed his mind, and with it, his three avatars fused. His aura became even stronger, and his control over World-in-Hand became more effortless.

Then, he activated Earth Evasion and quickly descended underground.

"Huh? Layering World-in-Hand—what an idea!" Gaka exclaimed, realizing John's intentions with surprise.

...

Soon, John reached the deepest part of the underground, at the edge of World-in-Hand.

"This is it," he murmured softly, ready to activate his Dark Rift talent.

"Open!" he shouted with a burst of power. A thunderous sound filled the air as spatial energy surged, tearing open a rift—this was the Dark Rift, a gateway to another space.

John's figure flickered, and he entered the rift.

The surroundings were vast and endless, filled with an overwhelming dark power.

This was the most basic form of dark power—not the laws of darkness, nor the powerful Darkness Heaven Law.

To convert it into the dark Heaven's laws, he would need to gradually condense and strengthen it.

John was not in a hurry. He took out the Dark Pearl and began the refining process.

Hum...

A continuous buzzing sound echoed as the Dark Pearl activated on its own, devouring the surrounding dark power and continuously releasing powerful Darkness Heaven's laws, stabilizing the space.

John sat cross-legged, feeling a connection and slowly beginning the refining process. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire

...

Meanwhile, in Dark City, at the central location, a gray mist shrouded the area, and strong dark Heaven's laws surged.

Hidden beneath the mist was a large, pitch-black castle.

A shadow suddenly appeared, heading straight for the castle.

Whoosh...

The sound of something cutting through the air echoed, followed by a barrage of countless black arrows shooting toward the figure, trapping it in place.

The shadow materialized—it was the Shadow King, disheveled and hurried. He quickly called out, "I have urgent matters to discuss with Lord Celestial Vault!"

The surrounding area was dead silent. After a while, the black arrows disappeared, and the heavy gates of the castle slowly opened.

Shadow King looked at the pitch-black, eerie castle and swallowed nervously. Still, he took large strides and walked inside.

Whoosh... Whoosh...

Torches suddenly lit up inside the castle, their cold, eerie flames flickering, sending shivers down one's spine.

Under the firelight, the castle was vast and empty, with only a massive black shadow hovering in mid-air. The shadow was covered in countless soft tubes, all connected to the entire castle.

Celestial Vault!

"Why have you come?" A cold voice echoed through the empty hall.

The shadow quickly knelt on the ground, suppressing the fear in his heart. Trembling, he said, "Lord Celestial Vault, the mission failed. Lord Black Raven may have encountered a mishap."

Boom!

A loud explosion rang out as the space trembled. A terrifying pressure surged through the air.

The Shadow King felt as though he were suffocating. Cold sweat poured from his forehead, but he dared not move a muscle.

"Say that again?" The cold voice seemed to resonate right in his ear, sending a buzzing pain through his head.

He swallowed hard, quickly recounting the events that had occurred at Fire Phoenix City.

"John..." Celestial Vault's voice was hoarse and ancient. His massive form shuddered slightly, and boundless dark power surged around him, as if it were on the brink of erupting.

Shadow King glanced at him cautiously and spoke carefully, "My lord, Fire Phoenix and Chaos seem to have conspired together. They were clearly prepared in advance. They plan to strike against Dark City as well. I urge you, my lord, to make preparations."

"Good." Celestial Vault's voice was calm, devoid of joy or sorrow, and carried no hint of emotional fluctuation.

"Shadow King, you've done well," he said淡淡, in a neutral tone.

Shadow King's face lit up with joy, thrilled by Celestial Vault's approval. However, the next words sent a chill through his body, making him break out in a cold sweat.

"Unfortunately, my son is dead. Why are you still alive?" Celestial Vault's form floated in the air, slowly descending to the ground.

Shadow King hastily said, "My lord, it was that John. Lord Black Raven was captured into World-in-Hand. I had no way of rescuing him."

"Is that so?" Celestial Vault's voice was as cold as ice. One of the soft tubes around him shot forward like a whip, coiling around Shadow King and giving him no chance to escape.

"Ah... My lord, please spare me!" His face turned pale as he quickly begged for mercy.

But the tube suddenly stabbed into his body, devouring his energy with wild abandon.

In an instant, his body shriveled, his flesh and internal power drained, and his life force vanished.

"How many years has it been, and someone dares openly provoke me? John? Nine Phoenix, Chaos—I'll make sure you all pay the price for my son's death!" A deep, guttural roar erupted from Celestial Vault. The tubes around his body suddenly burst apart, releasing a cloud of blood mist as immense power surged forth.