Lin Luo had not only grasped the essence of the Cosmic Origin’s power—the truth of the material world—but his spiritual realm had also transformed.

He decided to leave this temple at the heart of the Star Island Sea’s alternate universe and head to the surface world.

As for what he’d do there? Of course, to save the world… world… world… …the beautiful women on it!

As the God Emperor, he owned this starry temple, completely useless. What? Big house? This wasn’t Mystic City; this was the universe, where space was endless.

The only valuable facility was the Star Pool at the temple’s center.

Lin Luo stood by the pool, channeling secret techniques. Ripples spread across its surface, revealing scenes from the surface world.

This Star Island Sea universe differed from the original. Simply put, it had two parts: the endless starry sky above, and beneath it, the boundless ocean—the so-called surface world.

How vast this ocean was, no one knew. It stretched infinitely like the cosmos itself, dotted with countless wondrous continents and islands, each with unique environments.

Just as Lin Luo expected, this alternate world was indeed one of survival of the fittest, where strength reigned supreme. Countless tribes and races fought endlessly for survival, profit, and cultivation.

This was, quite simply, a battle-torn alternate world.

At that moment, the Star Pool revealed a female swordsman in red armor resembling a metallic bikini, her figure fit and shapely, battling several orcs.

"Good, well done! Hurry up… What’s with the stalemate? Just go for it, don’t chicken out, orcs!" Lin Luo unconsciously tapped the pool’s edge, as if pressing keys to fast-forward through the "scene." He’d seen this countless times in RPG games—the CG cutscene was coming soon!

Of course, Lin Luo wasn’t hoping for a bad ending. He was waiting for the girl to lose so he could swoop in and play the hero. It was a cliché, sure, but with zero dating experience, he couldn’t think of any other way to approach girls. He had to rely on what he knew.

However… this wasn’t a game; it was reality.

That female swordsman was far stronger than expected, actually driving off the orcs.

"With power like this, she must be at the Illusory Light Level…" Lin Luo praised her inwardly but felt a pang of disappointment. She didn’t need his help. Without an excuse, approaching her out of the blue… If he had that courage and skill, would he even be here?

He’d have been on a school trip with the class beauty long ago.

"Speaking of which… it should be summer vacation now, right? The World Cup must be over. I wonder if my favorite team, Argentina, won… Messi, don’t panic…"

Though Lin Luo was the God Emperor, stuck in the deepest starry void with only cosmic laws for company, it was incredibly boring. Remembering his otaku life on Earth, he felt a wave of nostalgia.

"Maybe I’m too focused on girls. If I could go back, I should use my power for my country—like joining China’s national football team to help them qualify for the World Cup… Oh no! No!"

A chill ran down Lin Luo’s spine. Even as the mighty God Emperor, this was one thing he probably couldn’t achieve.

"Enough of that. An adventure in an alternate world suits me better."

Having missed his chance with the red-armored swordswoman, Lin Luo continued observing other continents. Unfortunately, the Star Pool showed random locations. If he liked a spot, he could jump in to reach it—but he didn’t know how to return.

Ripples surged across the pool, revealing another scene.

There, a golden-haired queen in silver armor commanded city defenders, repelling a tide of demon invaders.

"Hmm… Ares Sulin. I’ve seen this queen twice now. A heroine from Akreu Continent in the middle of Star Island Sea. As ruler of the last human kingdom, she’s defended the capital against demons for seven years. Should I choose her?" Lin Luo had a soft spot for such bold, capable older sisters.

"But she seems protected by some Light God. Despite years of fighting, the capital isn’t in immediate danger…"

"Better keep looking… The lower world is vast. Once I go down, changing locations won’t be easy."

Just then, the Star Pool showed a dark dungeon. A brown-skinned succubus with an exceptionally curvaceous figure used magic to light the maze while emitting enchanting mist. She fought and retreated, barely holding off tomb-raiding paladins.

"This time, I’m on her side. Just because they’re demons doesn’t mean they can raid homes and steal stuff, right?"

Seeing the succubus in danger, Lin Luo was about to rescue her. But a dark ripple behind her revealed a skeleton in a wide cloak, radiating immense magical power! Now, it was the paladins who needed pity.

"Looks like I don’t need to step in again. This dungeon master can protect his subordinate just fine," Lin Luo shook his head.

Bored, Lin Luo flipped through scene after scene. Either the female adventurers were too strong, or they had powerful backers… He sighed, "Sigh… Who’d have thought that in the endless Star Island Sea, a suitable girl for me would be so hard to find? Am I really destined to be single forever in this starry temple?"

"Hm?"

As Lin Luo kept switching scenes, he caught a glimpse of a figure—graceful, gentle, and somehow familiar.

For some reason, his heart ached.

"Impossible?"

He hurriedly switched back to find that fleeting scene, but felt an invisible force interfering.

"…"

"No wonder…"

Lin Luo lowered his head, his long hair floating with rage. He roared, "Cosmic Origin! I know it’s you, old man, messing with me all along!"

At his anger, the entire starry temple trembled.

No wonder he couldn’t find a suitable girl. The Cosmic Origin had been meddling behind the scenes!

The old man couldn’t leave the core of the endless starry sky himself, so of course he wanted Lin Luo to keep him company. Besides, Lin Luo was so beautiful…

The thought sent a chill down his spine. "Cosmic Origin, don’t worry. I’m just going down for a walk. In your time scale, even if I have grandchildren, it’ll be just a blink for you…"

No response. The resistance remained.

Lin Luo had a flash of inspiration. "I—I’ll go to the lower world and bring back a pretty girl for you! Let her serve you, how about that?"

"…"

Still no response!

In desperation, Lin Luo sighed deeply, then shouted, "When I come back, I… I’ll cross-dress for you!"

"BOOM—"

A golden light erupted from the universe’s depths, spreading waves across the entire starry sky.

The obstructing force vanished!

"Damn it," a vein popped on Lin Luo’s forehead.

He hurriedly activated the Star Pool, frantically shifting scenes until he returned to that moment.

"Ah, it’s her! It really is her!?"