Out in the World, You Need Connections

Ling Xuan knew this would decide the victor. He poured the last trace of Origin Force into his blade, and his Flame Domain blazed into solid form. Then he unleashed a deadly move he had learned from Flame Prison.

"Yanmo Burning Heaven!"

The two world-shattering forces collided. The entire Gobi battlefield was instantly carved with countless terrifying ravines. Half the surrounding sand was baked into glass by the flames' heat, while the other half turned into towering mountains.

The shockwave sent the newly formed mountain range crashing down in a cloud of dust. The vitrified half shattered into countless tiny fragments.

The violent energy fluctuations lasted a full minute before gradually subsiding.

When the dust settled, Ling Xuan was on one knee, his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear plunged deep into the ground.

Yan Lie's armor was covered in cracks, but he still stood as firm as a mountain. "Your potential is far greater than mine. I'm already the top genius in the Yanshan Legion. Our legion has three great Immortal Gods. If you join us, you can take one of them as your master and gain access to invaluable cultivation techniques and resources. Think it over once more. Join us."

Ling Xuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shook his head. The Zhulong clan had treated him well, and he belonged to them by blood. He could never betray his ancestors.

Besides, the Zhulong clan was far more powerful than this Yanshan Legion. Why would he be foolish enough to join some unfamiliar faction?

"I'll walk my own path!"

Yan Lie let out a soft sigh and tapped the ground with his War Blade. "You don't have to reject me right away. Give it some thought. This universe is far vaster than you imagine. Out in the world, talent and strength aren't all that matter—you need connections and backing, too. Without them, you'll struggle to take a single step.

"The Yanshan Legion's doors are always open to you. Here's my Virtual Universe number. Send me a message if you change your mind."

As soon as he finished speaking, a yellow-brown blade arc tore through the air. Ling Xuan raised his weapon to block it, but he was exhausted, and the attack pierced his defense.

Ding! Battle lost. Current record: 1,999 wins, 1 loss.

As the system notification sounded and Ling Xuan dissolved into motes of light, Yan Lie's quiet words still echoed in his ears. "I hope you'll be stronger the next time we meet."

After leaving the Virtual Universe, Ling Xuan eagerly pulled up the battle replay.

A life-or-death battle between evenly matched opponents was worth far more than he could have imagined.

During the fight, he had brought every insight he'd gained to bear. Only at the very end had a tiny flaw cost him the match against Yan Lie. Without a doubt, all his strengths and weaknesses had been laid bare.

Ling Xuan studied the ancient Flame Prison manual as he analyzed every detail of the battle, frame by frame and second by second.

"Here—the Origin Force was injected at least 0.3 seconds too late!" He suddenly slapped the table and pointed at the instant one of the techniques was executed. His voice was full of regret. "If I'd adjusted the flow of Origin Force in advance, that strike would've been powerful enough to tear through the gap in his defense."

When faced with the suppression of Yan Lie's domain, he should also have compressed his Flame Domain in time to counterattack. Instead, his excessive focus on maximizing its range had made him miss the opportunity.

He immersed himself in the review, going three days and nights without sleep. He replayed the battle video over a hundred times, filling the virtual screen with so many detailed notes on improvements that they looked like a spiderweb.

Only after three days did Ling Xuan enter the Virtual Universe again. He headed straight for the Killing Field.

"Set my opponent as Yan Lie, the Planetary Level martial artist I fought three days ago. Keep him at his strongest."

In an instant, space warped, and Yan Lie's burly figure appeared, wrapped in the pressure of his Earth Domain.

The giant War Blade in Yan Lie's hands quivered slightly. The yellow-brown glow flowing along its edge was exactly as Ling Xuan remembered, as if silently mocking his overconfidence.

As soon as the battle began, Ling Xuan put his improved tactics to use. His Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear became a streak of fiery red light, darting at Yan Lie's vitals from a tricky angle.

Yet every time his blade collided with Yan Lie's War Blade, the heavy recoil from his weapon reminded him of the vast gap between them in Genetic Origin Energy.

His attacks were fiercer than before, and he wielded his Flame Domain with greater finesse, but every swing of Yan Lie's blade carried such overwhelming force that it easily shattered his offense.

Again and again, Ling Xuan was sent flying, knocked down, and killed—then he reentered the Killing Field to continue challenging his opponent.

Little by little, he raised Yan Lie's level from the first rank of Planetary Level.

After the 703rd battle, Ling Xuan was certain that if he could narrow the gap between their Genetic Origin Energy to three ranks or less, he would have a sure chance of turning the tables. At a four-rank gap, his odds would be 70 percent; at five ranks, 50 percent. At six ranks, he could forget about it.

When he left the Virtual Universe, Ling Xuan's expression had returned to calm.

During that time, he had trained day and night. With the precious treasures he'd obtained during his Coming-of-Age Ceremony trial, he had finally broken through to the third rank of Planetary Level.

More importantly, he had fully assimilated his earlier insights into the Divine Bird Secret Pattern, reaching a whole new level of understanding of the Flame Domain.

"It's time to return to the Temple's secret chamber and study the Flame Domain again." Ling Xuan straightened his clothes and strode toward the Temple.

When he entered the Temple, a man in blue armor was respectfully presenting a token to the Temple Envoy with both hands.

The Temple Envoy casually took the token, examined it, then handed it back.

"Remember, World Lord Level cultivators may study for two thousand years. Go in."

The man in blue armor nodded respectfully, then entered the secret chamber of the Law of Water.

Only then did the Temple Envoy turn to Ling Xuan. His deep gaze seemed to see through every bit of his progress. "You've improved a lot this time, haven't you?"

Ling Xuan bowed respectfully, barely able to contain his excitement. "Thank you, senior! I gained a great deal."

As he spoke, he used his Optical Computer to send over the battle videos from the Duel Space and the Killing Field.

"Go in. I look forward to seeing you make even greater progress." The Temple Envoy raised a hand, and the secret chamber's door, carved with runes of the Law of Fire, slowly opened. A wave of scorching air rushed out.

Ling Xuan took a deep breath and entered the chamber.

The Temple Envoy sat in an ancient stone chair and pulled up the videos Ling Xuan had sent. His consciousness was far stronger than an ordinary person's, so he played them at maximum speed.

The intense battles flashed across the screen. He took in every clash between Ling Xuan and Yan Lie, every collision of their domains.

When the video paused on Ling Xuan's final conversation with Yan Lie, the Temple Envoy's lips curled into a meaningful smile. He murmured, "Out in the world, you need connections and backing? Interesting."

He opened his Virtual Universe contacts and found the one saved as "Third Elder." Then he sent over the unedited video of the final battle, without a word of explanation or a single change. He simply let the fight speak for itself.

It wasn't long before the other party replied. The message was just as brief, containing only four words: "I understand."

Seeing those words, the Temple Envoy understood. He smiled faintly, then logged out of the Virtual Universe Network.

Yan Lie: Damn, I'm really cracking up here!