In the Virtual Universe, within a pitch-black space, there was only a circular metal platform 100 meters in diameter.
The next instant, Yu Duan's figure suddenly appeared on the platform.
"Please select your equipment!"
A cold mechanical voice rang out, and countless illusory projections appeared—various standard First-Order Force Weapons and First-Order Force Battle Suits.
Yu Duan raised a hand and pointed. A dazzling golden longsword landed in his palm, while a black Force Battle Suit instantly covered his body.
"Please set the battlefield environment..."
The assessment was fairly considerate; he could freely choose both his equipment and the battlefield environment.
Yu Duan set the gravity to match Light Source Planet and selected a plain as the environment.
The next instant, the virtual space changed completely. The dark space and metal platform became an endless, desolate grassland.
Buzz!
Illusory blue light gathered and formed a Planetary Level First-Order expert with a colorful crystal bald head.
"I will demonstrate my mastery of the 'First Layer Light Domain.' I hope you can defeat me!"
As the Crystal Man finished speaking, a standard War Blade identical to Yu Duan's appeared in his hand. Its defensive parameters were also adjusted to match those of a First-Order Force Battle Suit.
"Boom!"
Centered on the Crystal Man, a spherical black domain rapidly spread, instantly covering a radius of 100 meters and forming a Domain of No Light.
Though both domains were based on the laws of light, Yu Duan's domain leaned toward "light," while the Crystal Man's was a different variation of light: darkness.
"Whoosh!"
Brilliant radiance spread out from Yu Duan. Countless dazzling flecks of light, like innumerable stars at dawn, revolved around him, forming a wondrous sight like three miniature Vortex Galaxies.
"Bang!"
The two diametrically opposed Light Domains expanded in an instant. The dark zone spanning 100 meters was driven back by the light, as if day had suddenly broken and night had fled.
Clang!
A sharp sword cry rang out. Brilliant dawn light burst forth, and with the momentum of daybreak, it split the Crystal Man's body in two at the waist.
With a two-domain gap between them, the Crystal Man had almost no power to resist the blade in Yu Duan's hand.
The moment the battle ended, Yu Duan felt the energy he had spent on that full-powered strike instantly restored.
At the same time, another crystal-headed figure formed in midair opposite him.
"I will demonstrate my mastery of the Second Layer Light Domain. Be careful."
The Crystal Man's friendly warning rang out, followed by darkness so dense it seemed impossible to dispel.
Light and darkness intertwined once more, but this time the darkness did not steadily retreat as before.
The Domain of No Light, which had spread across a hundred meters, was compressed to one-tenth its size, yet managed to stabilize.
Right after, a dark, lightless blade flashed across the sky, slashing silently toward Yu Duan.
"Clang!"
The clash of metal rang out. Darkness swallowed the light, and Yu Duan's figure shot back hundreds of meters before stabilizing in midair.
The difference in strength was enormous!
The Crystal Man's Force Amplitude was at least twenty times over, far greater than Yu Duan's sevenfold Force Amplitude.
Moreover, the Crystal Man's swordsmanship was extremely refined, far beyond the Dawn Blade Yu Duan had created himself at Apprentice Level. It combined perfectly with the Crystal Man's own peak Second Layer Domain.
The Crystal Man lurking in the darkness gave Yu Duan no time to react. Countless blade images concealed within the Domain of No Light brought the Darkness Domain to its absolute limits!
When the difference in their domains wasn't great, Force Application Technique, battle experience, and other factors could determine the victor.
Of course, the most important factor was that the Crystal Man's swordsmanship was countless times more sophisticated than the technique Yu Duan had created himself.
"Bang!"
"Clang!"
"..."
In just the time it took to draw a breath, the two domains of light and darkness collided hundreds of times, and the battle instantly reached a fever pitch.
Terrifying waves of Origin Energy swept through the air as the two figures moved, carving a trench more than ten kilometers long and dozens of meters wide across the grassland.
I never thought I'd be challenged by someone above my level one day.
Ever since Yu Duan had been reborn in this world, he had always been a genius.
He had always been the one to defeat others above his level. Today was the first time someone had challenged him above theirs.
"Boom!"
Countless brilliant flecks of stardust collapsed in an instant. The sight was strikingly similar to the moment Yu Duan had broken through to Planetary Level and condensed a miniature planet—or, more accurately, it was the very same process being simulated.
After collapse came explosion!
At that moment, Yu Duan seemed to become a beam of light so dazzling it was beyond compare. His genetic Origin Energy surged to its absolute peak, perfectly condensed to a single point beneath his domain, then burst forth in an instant like the final flare of a massive star!
"Bang!"
The battle on the boundless grassland ended in an instant. Yu Duan knelt on the ground, clutching the through-and-through wound in his abdomen. It was serious, but not fatal to someone at Planetary Level.
Behind Yu Duan, the Crystal Man had been cleaved in two from the top of his head down. He began to fade away into glimmers of light.
As Yu Duan's injuries healed in the gray sky, a third crystal-headed figure formed.
"Planetary Level First-Order, Triple Domain. You're quite impressive."
The Crystal Man's gentle voice rang out. Immediately afterward, a peak Triple Domain of darkness spread, turning the sky into a vast night.
"My swordsmanship was created by an Immortal God. You have no shame in losing!"
A ghostly voice echoed from every direction in the darkness.
A pitch-black blade flashed across the sky, slashing toward Yu Duan.
"Bang!"
Yu Duan was sent flying again. This time, he didn't even have time to steady himself before a second blade slashed diagonally out of the darkness, accompanied by the endless Darkness Domain, shredding his figure.
The moment the battle ended, Yu Duan's figure re-formed.
Then he saw the Crystal Man bow slightly to him before vanishing on the spot.
Before Yu Duan could react, he felt an immense, searing heat sweep across Heaven and Earth.
The gray atmosphere above the grassland turned red in an instant. Blazing flames seemed to set the sky alight as a figure wreathed in fire appeared.
"Yu Duan, welcome to Beiming Divine Realm."
As the figure spoke, he landed on the grassland. In an instant, the land within tens of thousands of kilometers turned to scorched earth, while lakes of lava spread out from beneath his feet.
"My name is Yan Lun, a World Lord Level member of Beiming Sacred Land and the person in charge of the Chilian God branch of Beiming Divine Realm."
As he spoke, the terrifying aura receded, revealing a young man about five meters tall, his body covered in crimson scales.
On the young man's brow was a crimson mark resembling a miniature volcano, radiating a soul-searing pulse.
This was the first time Yu Duan had seen a World Master Level life-form. Even though it was only within the Virtual Universe, and even though the World Master Level expert had suppressed his aura, Yu Duan still felt an indescribable pressure.
This pressure came from the instinctive response of a lower life-form when faced with a higher life-form.
"Greetings, Lord Yan Lun!"
Yu Duan's expression turned solemn. He bowed slightly and paid his respects to the powerful World Master.
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