Original Secret Realm

The next morning.

7,300 geniuses, including Lin Yan and Luo Feng, gathered in the Central Plaza, quietly waiting for the start of the arena duel.

Suddenly--

An invisible aura enveloped the entire Central Plaza, causing the 7,300 human geniuses present to involuntarily submit. Everyone looked up and saw that familiar figure appear in mid-air.

Even if this is Virtual Universe Network, containing only his consciousness, and not even releasing his own pressure.

Even just the sheer nobility at the level of consciousness, the pervasive aura of nature, was enough to make their souls tremble.

He wore a seemingly ordinary but actually mysterious blue battle robe, had purple scales on his head, and always had a faint smile on his face, but no one dared to meet his gaze when he looked around.

"Venerable One!"

1008 powerful immortals simultaneously bowed respectfully.

This startled all 7,300 geniuses, who followed suit and respectfully bowed, saying, "Your Excellency!"

Universe Venerable!

An existence beyond immortality!

Having fully mastered the power of the higher laws of space or time, he is comparable to the Universe Country Lord!

"The trial is over. First of all, congratulations to the 1st to 100th place participants. You have obtained the qualification to enter the Core Layer of the Virtual Universe Company! Now, anyone who is unwilling can speak up. Our Virtual Universe Company will never force anyone." The voice of the Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man was ethereal and echoed in everyone's ears and minds.

Silence!

No one spoke.

Having come this far, who would say they wouldn't want to join?

That would be defying the heavens!

"Good." The Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man nodded in satisfaction. "From 101st to 7300th, these 7200 trial participants, based on your performance in the Trial Space, the Virtual Universe System has automatically arranged arena battles for you. Those who win three consecutive battles will receive a spot, and those who lose will be eliminated."

With 7,200 people, half were eliminated in a single battle, and after three consecutive battles, only 900 people remained.

These words aroused doubt among many of the geniuses and elites below.

"Winning three consecutive battles to get a spot? If two strong people meet, isn't one of them necessarily eliminated?" Luo Feng thought to himself. This situation had happened before in the Ganwu Universe Country when he met Rong Jun.

Luo Feng's idea... was also the idea of many geniuses and elites present.

"The arrangement of the Virtual Universe System is absolutely optimal, without a doubt!" the Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man said slowly. "Now, 7200 trial participants, go and engage in arena battles!"

"Boom!"

The Central Plaza trembled slightly, and 7,200 of the original group of geniuses were suddenly teleported away, leaving only 100 human elites.

"There are seats over there, you can watch the live stream there first."

The Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man pointed into the distance, and suddenly 100 large chairs and some tables appeared in a corner of the Central Plaza. The tables were laden with wine and food, and the Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man himself sat somewhere in the area of 1008 powerful immortals.

Lin Yan and the others sat down. They were among the top 100 in the trial and did not need to be screened; they were already confirmed to enter the Core Layer the Virtual Universe Company.

3,600 giant screens appeared around the Central Plaza, each broadcasting a battle that was about to begin.

Soon!

On 3600 screens, the battles began almost simultaneously! The arena battles for 900 spots officially commenced!

The winners advance, the losers are eliminated.

In ring duels, life and death can be decided in an instant, and a typical duel is quite short.

One after another, unparalleled geniuses fell!

In less than five minutes, 3,600 people were eliminated.

Half an hour later, after resting and getting ready, we began the second round.

Of the 3,600 geniuses, half have fallen again, while the other half continue onward.

In half an hour, the third round will begin.

These 1,800 exceptional geniuses are all incredibly eager, and they are only one step away from final victory... However, only one person from each arena can enter the Core Layer of the Virtual Universe Company, while the other must be eliminated.

Among these 7,200 people, there are quite a few who are truly capable of competing with the 100 exceptional geniuses who are watching.

However, only one person has the ability to break into the top 20.

That was the Haoshen Race member "Phantom Demon" Galesi.

"We won."

"In the three battles, in the first and World War II, Illusion Demon Galesi stood there without moving, and his opponent fell instantly. In the third battle... although his opponent barely managed to withstand the Soul Attack the first time, he still fell the second time." Luo Feng sat next to Lin Yan, his brows slightly furrowed.

Three wins in a row!

"This Phantom Demon is terrifying," the Wildman Youth said in a low voice.

Luo Feng stared intently at the screen. "A simple Soul Attack isn't usually too terrifying, but if it's combined with 'illusion techniques,' it becomes terrifying. These illusion techniques can trap people in a dreamlike state without them even realizing it. Such terrifying illusionists... are the natural enemy of martial artists!"

"Hmm." Savage Rong Jun nodded slightly.

Luo Feng, who has studied the two secret techniques "Soul Seal" and "Tower of Void", has reached an extremely high level of control over mental power and has a very strong defense. He is quite confident in resisting the Illusion Demon Galesi.

However, most martial artists can gather their mental energy and strengthen their will. They might be able to withstand the impact of mental energy, but when faced with illusions, many martial artists fall for them.

Lin Yan sat beside them, listening to their conversation and looking at the Tall and Thin Man in Black Robe on the screen. He became quite interested, wondering if this "Phantom Demon" could rival him in terms of illusionary skills.

His greatest strength is naturally in the area of Mental Master Controller, which is where he has spent the most time. However, in other areas, based on his solid foundation and profound Law Comprehension, he is equally capable of doing well.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

Suddenly, 900 figures appeared in the Central Plaza. Most of these 900 human geniuses and elites looked excited. Yes, after three rounds of elimination, out of 7,200 people, 900 of them succeeded.

Take this step.

The situation in the Universe Country and in the Core Layer of the Virtual Universe Company is completely different!

Lin Yan and 100 others stood up and went over to gather. The 1,000 geniuses and elites gathered together, and these 1,000 people were the final selections.

Congratulations!

The ethereal voice entered the minds of a thousand people, and the man in the blue battle robe and scale armor reappeared in front of them.

"You are the 1,000 most outstanding individuals from the 1,008 Universe Country Cosmic Human Race of the human race in this year's Genius Battle. Our Virtual Universe Company will also do its best to cultivate you. If anyone doesn't want to join the Virtual Universe Company, they can say so now."

Silence. No one uttered a sound.

"Very good."

"However, you should understand that competition exists forever in the universe, and there is competition everywhere. It is impossible for you 1,000 people to receive the same treatment and training resources. Even my Virtual Universe Company would not dare to waste such precious resources." The Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man smiled and said, "Let me make an announcement."

"Among these 1000 people, the 101st to 1000th will receive a bonus of 10 Hun Yuan Unit, the opportunity to enter the Initial Universe for enlightenment, and the opportunity to join the core of my Virtual Universe Company, the 'Doomsday Secret Realm'."

"Those ranked 11th to 100th will receive a bonus of 100 Hun Yuan Unit, the opportunity to enter the Initial Universe for enlightenment, and the opportunity to join the core of my Virtual Universe Company, 'Heaven and Earth Secret Realm'."

"Third to tenth place winners will receive a prize of 1,000 Hun Yuan Unit, the opportunity to enter the Initial Universe for enlightenment, and the opportunity to join the core of my Virtual Universe Company, the 'Primordial Beginning Secret Realm'."

"The first and second place winners will receive a prize of 10,000 Hun Yuan Unit, the opportunity to enter the Initial Universe for enlightenment, and the opportunity to join the core of my Virtual Universe Company, the 'Original Secret Realm'."

"Normally, the 'Original Secret Realm' only admits one person per session. However, your session is of an exceptionally high standard, so after discussion, the top management of the Virtual Universe Company has granted you two spots to enter the 'Original Secret Realm'."

Silence.

Most of the thousand peerless geniuses were somewhat puzzled, wondering what the Four Great Secret Realms —the "Doomsday Secret Realm," the "Heaven and Earth Secret Realm," the "Primordial Beginning Secret Realm," and the "Original Secret Realm"—truly meant. However, everyone could understand what they were hearing...

Clearly, "Original Secret Realm" is one of the best places among them.

But if there are only two spots...

Instantly, everyone's attention was focused on Lin Yan and Bolan.

The gap between them is so large that they simply don't have the qualifications or ability to compete.

At this moment—

The Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man paused upon seeing their reaction, his eyes, like those of an ancient god-king, fixed on them.

"However, I don't need to tell you who will be the top two this year, you should all know."

The smile on the face of the Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man disappeared, "Your performance this year can be considered the best in hundreds of thousands of epochs. Perhaps some of you are strong enough to compete for first place and enter the Original Secret Realm in previous years."

"But!"

"Here, you will learn your first lesson: opportunities will not always wait for you; you will need to have the strength to seize them, to fight for them, and to grab them."

"If you can't grasp it, you need to acknowledge your weakness and then strive to become stronger."

Some of them looked thoughtful.

The competition in this Peak Genius Battle is inherently brutal. Countless geniuses from the 1008 Universe Nations have been eliminated round after round, and only now have the final 1000 been selected.

Opportunity will not be given to those who are not prepared.

"Of course, this is just the beginning."

The voice of the Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man was ethereal and far-reaching, echoing in everyone's mind. "After you join the company, you will face even more brutal challenges. Each one will threaten your life, but it will also bring you greater opportunities. Only those who forge ahead against the current are qualified to become strong."

"The capable rise, the mediocre fall."

"Those you look up to now can look up to you in the future. We never lack miracles, nor do we lack opportunities for advancement, because... we are the Virtual Universe Company, the pillar of humanity, and the most powerful force in the universe!"

His words were calm, yet they gave the many geniuses present a unique shock.

We are never short of miracles.

Because...

We are Virtual Universe Company!

"The final battle in the arena will begin tomorrow to determine the final rankings," the Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man said gently. "The rules for the final battle have already been sent to each of you, so you can all rest well today."

Boom!

After the Azure-Robed Purple-Scaled Man finished speaking, he disappeared. Only then did the 1008 powerful immortals begin to talk.

"The Original Secret Realm has actually absorbed two this year!"

"It seems that the Virtual Universe Company also feels that those two little guys, 'Lin Yan' and 'Bolan,' are qualified to enter the Original Secret Realm, and it would be a pity if they were included in the Primordial Beginning Secret Realm."

"They are truly outstanding."

"The other little guys are simply not qualified to compete."

"Actually, it's fine. Even if Virtual Universe Company is generous and gives them 3 spots, what if others can cross 3 levels of the Tongtian Bridge while you can't even cross 1 level? This kind of jealousy and resentment will devour your soul. The road to the top never allows for luck."

While the immortals were discussing, Lin Yan and the other 1,000 people were looking down at the screens on their wrists, where they had already received the rules of the final battle.

The rules are as follows:

In the three rounds of elimination that just concluded, 900 geniuses were selected. Of these 900 who finally secured a spot, the Virtual Universe System selected the top 100 based on their performance in the Trial Space and the three rounds of elimination: Galesi, Carpenter, Lasha, Lei Shi, Utvisk...

These 100 people will engage in one-on-one battles with the top 100 people in the Trial Space who first obtained a spot!

The 100 victors are qualified to enter the 'Heaven and Earth Secret Realm'. The remaining 900 will all enter the 'Doomsday Secret Realm'.

Of the 100 winners, the top 20 are selected based on the Virtual Universe System's assessment. These 20 then engage in one-on-one battles to determine the final ten.

The top ten are qualified to enter the 'Primordial Beginning Secret Realm'.

The top two from the top ten will be selected to enter the 'Original Secret Realm'.

A detailed match list is attached.

This rule is based on the selection process of the Virtual Universe System, which selects only 100 people from the 900. The other 800 people are not even qualified to participate in the next round of competition and all belong to the "Doomsday Secret Realm".

How could this be?

"They won't even give us the qualification for the final battle?"

"That's outrageous!"

"This... this is too much trust in the Virtual Universe System."

In the Central Plaza, the peerless geniuses who had been excluded were in an uproar. They weren't even given a chance to show their strength!

"I'm 100% confident I can break into the top 100, or even the top 20! Why, why are you excluding me just because of the Virtual Universe System? I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this!!" A young man, over five meters tall, with a vertical eye between his eyebrows, shouted angrily with a ferocious expression.

"That's not fair!"

"Let's really fight it out. Whoever loses will be eliminated. That's the only fair way. Otherwise, we won't accept it!" Immediately, more than ten young people from various Universe Country shouted in unison.

"Shut up!"

What are you doing?

"Shut up, all of you!"

Many of the 1008 powerful immortals in the distance roared angrily, and at the same time, their terrifying Consciousness Pressure spread out, directly pressing down on the 800 young geniuses from various races. Their faces turned pale, their bodies trembled slightly, their legs shook, and they all knelt on the ground, unable to resist.

Boom...

1008 powerful immortals appeared in front of a group of geniuses, looking down at the group of people kneeling and prostrating.

"I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this!!!" Among the kneeling crowd, the three-eyed youth braced himself on the ground with his arms twisted and bulging like earthworms, and roared with his head held high.

"Idiot!"

Did he not hear what the Venerable One said earlier?

Among the 1008 powerful immortals, the Giant in Scale Armor glanced coldly at the three-eyed youth.

At this moment, a majestic and ethereal voice rang out. "If you have any objections to the rules of the final battle of the Virtual Universe System, you may choose not to join my Virtual Universe Company. My Virtual Universe Company will not force anyone to participate."

The sound echoed between heaven and earth, causing the 800 geniuses lying on the ground to change their expressions.

Their faces were filled with disbelief. They all thought of themselves as the chosen ones and believed that if they rebelled together, even the Virtual Universe Company would have to take their opinions seriously.

But I didn't expect this kind of response.

It's practically saying—

Come if you want, or get lost.

"How foolish!" Among the 1008 immortals, one powerful immortal with flowing black hair looked at the 800 kneeling people and said coldly, "Do you think you little guys can change the rules of the final battle made by the higher-ups of the Virtual Universe Company? How arrogant!"

"If it were that little guy Lin Yan offering his opinion, it might be taken seriously. Because he demonstrated his strength and potential by passing all seven Trial Tower, he has long been recognized as Primal Secret Region Member Original Secret Realm!"

An old man with his head covered in silver scales and shrouded in a white robe looked at the kneeling group of geniuses. "As for you, you are only on the outermost layer of the Core Layer, yet you dare to say you are not convinced?"

"The Virtual Universe Company holds a Peak Genius Battle every ten thousand years, as well as a Cosmic level Strongest Battle! Genius? Who in the company's Core Layer isn't a genius?"

The 1008 immortals, with indifferent expressions, often caused such farces in the Genius Battle. But why would the highest level set such a rule?

Even if you play a few more rounds, it won't take more than half a day.

These geniuses are indeed extremely talented, but most of them are incredibly arrogant and have eccentric tempers. If they don't temper their arrogance on the road to the top, it will only lead to their deaths.

This rule is meant to make them realize their own limitations and forget their past glories; within the Core Layer the Virtual Universe Company, they are not special in any way.

Lin Yan simply watched this scene in silence. Even within the Core Layer of the Virtual Universe Company, there was a world of difference in status. The natural law of survival of the fittest never fails to apply.

So...

One must never become a weakling.

He didn't look at it for long before turning and leaving. Tomorrow would be the end of the Genius Battle.

He was determined to obtain the Original Secret Realm, but this was only the first step.

The road is difficult and long.