The Genius Tournament Begins

When Ling Xuan left the secret realm, his harvest was substantial. Excluding the entire Spirit Essence Crystal Core, the value of the treasures and various materials he obtained, as estimated by Puff, was comparable to that of a powerful peak World Lord. Beyond that, he had unexpectedly acquired five precious Soul Nourishing Fruits.

Ling Xuan couldn't wait to consume one of the Soul Nourishing Fruits. However, with the enhancement of the Heart of the Martial God, he already possessed comprehension abilities far beyond the ordinary, and this fruit did not bring him any significant improvement.

Ling Xuan was not surprised by this, as the previous incident with the Spirit Essence Crystal Core had already given him a general understanding of the treasures within his own secret realm.

"I'll take them back for my eldest and second sisters; they need them more than I do."

"Puff, let's head back."

"Yes, Master." Little Puff obeyed the order, piloting the spaceship as they departed the Zhulong Secret Realm and returned to Manlong Planet.

When the Crimson Flame landed above the Ling Family estate on Manlong Planet, Ling Xue, who was cultivating outside the animal-hide tent, looked up in curiosity.

"Big sister, come look! A big shot has come to our home."

Ling Yue lifted the tent flap and hurried out to meet her, looking up as well.

This D9-Grade spaceship was the exclusive transport of elder-level figures on Manlong Planet. Since they were both elders and big shots, they had no choice but to come out and welcome them.

The cabin door opened, and Ling Xuan landed in front of his two sisters.

"Eldest sister, second sister, I'm back."

"Third brother? Is this your spaceship?" Ling Xue asked, excitedly circling Ling Xuan to get a better look.

"It was a gift from the Temple Envoy to make it easier for me to travel between Manlong Planet and the Zhulong Secret Realm. I go there to train sometimes," Ling Xuan explained.

"Wow, our little brother has really made it big!" Ling Xue shouted excitedly. Her personality was naturally lively, and the bond between the siblings had been incredibly close since childhood, so she naturally didn't stand on ceremony with Ling Xuan.

Ling Yue also smiled happily.

"Sisters, look at the good things I brought back for you."

Ling Xuan took out four Soul Nourishing Fruits and the Spirit Essence Crystal Core, handing them to the two women.

"What is this? Is it good to eat?" Ling Xue asked, looking at the Soul Nourishing Fruit, which emitted a faint, soul-soothing fragrance.

"Of course it's delicious."

The Soul Nourishing Fruit wasn't a Devil Fruit; very few treasures or spiritual fruits in the universe tasted bad.

"Whatever, I'll taste it first!" She grabbed one and took a bite. The moment the flesh touched her tongue, her entire body shuddered violently.

The parts of the secret techniques she had been cultivating that felt obscure suddenly became clear.

"What is this?"

"Is this a Soul Nourishing Fruit?" Ling Yue asked, as her auxiliary optical computer had already compiled the data.

"Five hundred billion universe coins for one?"

Ling Xue looked at the price on the virtual screen and then at the Soul Nourishing Fruit in her hand, which now had a large bite taken out of it.

"Ugh~ This one bite of mine is worth at least ten billion universe coins. Even if you sold me, it wouldn't be enough," Ling Xue wailed.

"More than that. Even if you added up Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, and three generations before them, it wouldn't even cover a fraction of it," Ling Yue continued, dealing another blow.

"It's over~" Ling Xue felt as if life had lost all meaning.

"Hahaha, it's not that bad. You still have a genius brother," Ling Xuan laughed, unable to suppress the corners of his mouth any longer.

"Third brother, where did you get this?" Ling Yue asked.

"Didn't I tell you? I often go to the Zhulong Secret Realm to train. This is what I brought back from there. It's of no use to me, so it's perfect to give two to each of my sisters."

Ling Yue tried to push Ling Xuan's hand back, and Ling Xue also wanted to return the fruit she had bitten into.

"Even if it's of no use to you, you could use it to trade for money to buy powerful secret techniques."

"Sisters, don't refuse. This fruit can't buy truly powerful secret techniques anyway, so you might as well consume them. The clan has already helped me with the matter of secret techniques." As he spoke, he showed off his Tier 5 Top-Grade Force Weapon.

"This was tailor-made for me by the clan."

"You're really giving them to us?" Ling Xue still found it hard to believe. Something worth fifty billion universe coins was just being eaten like this?

Would that be a bit too wasteful?

If Dad found out when he got back, would he beat his spendthrift daughter to death?

What about Mom?

A combined beating from both parents?

Ling Xue shuddered at the thought, but what was eaten could only be digested; it was too late to regret it now.

"Sisters, just eat them with peace of mind. I don't lack these things now, and there will be more and better things in the future. I don't want to reach the pinnacle of the universe only to look back and find that I don't have you by my side," Ling Xuan said.

Even the Great Emperors of the Zhetian Method, with their ten-thousand-year lifespans, felt the loneliness of the world, let alone in this Swallowed Star universe where life was eternal.

Under Ling Xuan's persistent persuasion, Ling Yue and Ling Xue finally accepted the Soul Nourishing Fruits.

The spaceship took off again. Ling Xuan stared at the clouds rushing past the porthole and muttered to himself, "Next is to continue cultivating the Zhetian Method. However, to cultivate the Hualong Realm quickly, I need the dragon energy from Dragon Marrow to assist me, and I don't have any Dragon Marrow."

As a method for rapid advancement, the Zhetian Method was an important pillar of his cultivation path, and cultivation of the Hualong Realm was imminent.

However, Dragon Marrow was not considered precious even in the relatively barren Zhetian world; in this vast and boundless universe, he would surely find a suitable substitute.

"Puff, first go to the Cosmic Galaxy Bank in Manlong City to open an account and sell off all our spoils," Ling Xuan ordered decisively.

The account opening process was unexpectedly smooth. Once Ling Xuan entrusted the sale of his spoils worth 10 Hunyuan units, he finally reached the threshold for a three-star client and obtained his own account.

Following this, he immediately had Puff search the Virtual Universe Network for cultivation treasures that could substitute for Dragon Marrow.

The search results were as he expected; he gathered all the substitutes for just over three million universe coins, which was cheaper than buying an E-grade nutrient cabin. This was mainly because almost everything Ling Xuan bought was raw material, incurring no processing fees.

Ten years of time passed in the blink of an eye.

During these ten years, Ling Xuan's life was disciplined and fulfilling.

By day, he focused on comprehending the Flame Laws, the Divine Bird Secret Pattern, and the accompanying secret techniques of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade in the temple; by night, he immersed himself in the dao essence of the Void Mirror, devotedly studying the Void Sutra and exploring the ultimate truths of the Great Dao within the obscure scriptures.

In his spare time, he would head to the Zhulong Secret Realm to "restock."

Although the Temple Envoy and the guardians of the Zhulong Secret Realm were well aware of this, they turned a blind eye.

After all, while the treasures in the Zhulong Secret Realm were the primary source of wealth for the Zhulong clan, Ling Xuan was the most outstanding genius within the clan, having crossed the threshold of the Flame Laws in his second year, making him fully worthy of these investments.

What's more, the resources he could take away were merely a drop in the bucket.

To avoid hindering the growth of this genius, they simply tacitly approved of his actions.

Over these ten years, Ling Xuan's cultivation achievements were remarkable.

In the second year, he successfully crossed the threshold of the Flame Laws and received personal guidance from Manlong Marquis, who also bestowed upon him the movement technique Youlong and the soul defense secret technique Soul Suppressing Cauldron, both related to the Space Laws; in the third year, by studying the Void Sutra, he grasped a trace of the Space Laws; by the fifth year, he officially stepped into the threshold of the Space Laws; by the ninth year, his Space Laws had been cultivated to the terrifying extent of being able to manifest hundreds of phantom bodies, his Youlong movement technique had reached the third stage, Dragon Battle in the Wild, and the Soul Suppressing Cauldron had also reached the third level, meaning it was virtually impossible for soul attacks at the star level to harm him.

His cultivation of the Zhetian Method proceeded step by step, advancing steadily without the slightest slack.

However, among the many cultivation methods, the practice of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade secret technique was the top priority.

This Fire God Absolute Domain Blade was comparable in value to the nine great divine weapons.

Although the types of weapons for martial artists were complex and lacked a definitive ranking like the few great divine weapons, it was undoubtedly a top-tier existence among grade-five force weapons.

Its accompanying secret techniques were also divided into nine stages, with each stage being a world of its own.

The first stage, "Flame Blade First Bloom":

It was quite difficult for a star-level martial artist to execute.

The practitioner must precisely control the combination of the force within their body and the power of the Flame Laws to unleash the true might of this move, which could be called invincible at the star level.

The second stage, "Burning Wave Horizontal Slash":

The moment the blade swept across, flames surged like waves, forming a hundred-meter-wide curtain of fire.

Wherever the fire curtain passed, the air twisted into charred black vortices, capable of both group suppression and melting an opponent's weapon with high temperatures.

When executed, the flames on the blade surged violently, sweeping toward the opponent like rolling sea waves.

Each wave of fire carried a powerful impact, not only burning the opponent's skin but also damaging their internal organs.

Taking the meaning of waves that never cease, the offensive was continuous and unending.

The third stage, "Blade Domain Whirlwind Kill": A universe-level powerhouse swings the blade while rotating, and the arcs traced by the blade transform into three phantom images.

The phantom images interweave into a net, which can be used to strangle opponents when attacking or form a defensive barrier when retreating, trapping enemies within the range of the blade's momentum to be slaughtered.

The fourth stage, "Sun Piercing Slash":

When the blade light falls, it is like the collapse of the firmament, capable of splitting mountains and seas; it can be called invincible within the universe level.

The fifth stage, "Space Rending Moon Slash": As the blade vibrates, it slashes out three arc-shaped blade energies at extreme speed.

Wherever the blade energy passes, the space ripples, and the wounds of those struck are like being repeatedly cut by invisible sharp blades, making them difficult to heal.

The sixth stage, "Imprisoning Dragon Binding Tiger": The blade momentum is continuous, and every slash connects with the previous one, forming a cage made of blade light.

If those trapped attempt to break out by force, they will collide with the impenetrable blade net and suffer dismemberment.

The seventh stage, "Falling Meteor Strike": A peak world lord leaps up with all their might and slams the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear down from above.

The moment it hits the ground, with the point of impact as the center, the ground within a radius of several thousand kilometers collapses, and the resulting shockwave can overturn all obstacles.

The eighth stage, "Myriad Phenomena Blade Return": Integrating all of one's strength and law comprehension into the blade move, thousands of blade shadows are slashed out in an instant.

These blade shadows appear chaotic but actually contain hidden trajectories, eventually converging into a single fatal strike that leaves the opponent with nowhere to hide.

The ninth stage, "God Slaying Strike": A strike executed with an attitude of returning to simplicity. This strike appears simple but contains the ultimate understanding of power and martial dao; wherever the blade light reaches, everything will be severed, and even immortal powerhouses must handle it with caution.

Over these ten years, Ling Xuan successfully mastered the second stage, Burning Wave Horizontal Slash.

On this day, Ling Xuan was honing his skills in the Killing Field when suddenly, the sky of the Virtual Universe shattered, and an incredibly huge black notice appeared out of thin air.

The edges of the notice radiated a mysterious light, and while the body was as black as ink, the characters on it shone with a dazzling white light, eye-catching and majestic.

"Humanity of the Universe—Peak Genius Tournament"

"Once every ten thousand years!"

"About to be held!"

"Jointly organized by the Giant Axe Martial Arena and all the universe nations!"

"Are you a genius? Can't find an opponent at the same level and rank? Then participate in the 'Peak Genius Tournament'! Here, countless geniuses from numerous universe nations across the entire universe will engage in fierce battles!"

"For details, please enter the official website of the 'Virtual Universe Network' via your virtual assistant to browse."

In the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, within the Virtual Universe continent where the Ganwu Secret Realm is located.

The greatest existence of the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, the Ganwu Kingdom Lord, is currently summoning all the star-level geniuses he has cultivated to give them instructions.

"Listen well, all of you. In this upcoming Genius Tournament, you must secure at least half of the top one thousand spots for the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, and at least one of you must rank in the top one thousand across the entire universe. Do not disgrace my Ganwu Universe Kingdom."

Below him, countless star-level geniuses trembled in fear, while others were filled with boundless ambition, feeling that the Kingdom Lord was making too much of a fuss—wasn't a top one thousand ranking something they could easily snatch?

Ling Xuan gazed at the leaderboard on the sky screen, his heart pounding violently, his eyes flashing with a burning radiance: "It's finally here!"

Manlong Marquis, who is responsible for guiding Ling Xuan, was also trembling with excitement. He clenched his fists and muttered to himself: "This generation, my Zhulong Clan is destined to shock the world!"

With Ling Xuan's astonishing strength, capable of manifesting hundreds of phantom bodies even at the star-level, he could almost certainly sit firmly in the top spot during this Genius Tournament, unless he encountered those top-tier, peerless geniuses that only appear once every tens of millions of eras.

But in this long river of time, how could one era simultaneously give birth to two such earth-shattering super geniuses?

The answer was clearly no.

"Register, tell that brat to register quickly, don't let this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity slip by!" Manlong Marquis was burning with anxiety, pacing back and forth in the Virtual Universe, his eyes fixed intently on the registration interface for the Genius Tournament, as if afraid of missing any key information.

This was a chance to become famous throughout the universe that had only arrived after trillions of eras; it could not be lost.

"Brat, what are you still dawdling for? Register now!" Manlong Marquis arrived in the Virtual Universe and rushed to Ling Xuan in a flurry. Seeing the kid still staring blankly at the sky screen, he immediately stepped forward, ready to register for him personally.

Ling Xuan smiled; he just wanted to see how fast the numbers would jump. "Puff, register for me. It is time for the entire universe to know my name."

"Yes, Master, let us shine brightly together in this universe!" Puff's voice also carried a hint of excitement. Her fingers danced rapidly across the virtual keyboard, and in an instant, she submitted Ling Xuan's information.

At this moment, the number of registered participants from the Ganwu Universe Kingdom had already surged like a tidal wave, breaking through 2 billion, and this number was continuing to climb at an astonishing speed, which showed the massive influence of the Genius Tournament across the entire universe.

"Kid, with your strength, securing a top ten spot in the Genius Tournament will be as easy as turning over your hand. If nothing goes wrong, reaching the very top won't be difficult either. But you must remember, you cannot be the slightest bit careless. This is a grand event watched by all humans in the universe; if you capsize in the gutter, you'll be making a fool of yourself in front of all humanity." Manlong Marquis looked solemn, earnestly admonishing Ling Xuan.

Ling Xuan puffed out his chest slightly and responded solemnly: "Don't worry, Ancestor. The Zhulong Clan only has brave warriors who die in battle; there are no reckless fools who take things lightly."

"Good, go. As long as you can take first place in the Genius Tournament, the clan will surely bestow upon you a rare treasure." Manlong Marquis nodded with satisfaction, the smile in his eyes growing deeper.

"Hmm?" Just then, Manlong Marquis seemed to receive some important news, his eyes instantly blooming with sharp brilliance. "Come with me, the Ancestor says he wants to personally guide you in the laws of fire and space."

Having said that, he grabbed Ling Xuan and initiated a teleportation within the Virtual Universe.

In an instant, a flash of light appeared, and the two of them appeared before a massive, imposing island shrouded in heavy clouds and mist.

"This is Tianzhou Island of the Giant Axe Martial Arena. All immortal powerhouses belonging to the Giant Axe Martial Arena have their residences in the Virtual Universe here. We don't have the qualifications to reach the Ancestor's location in the real world yet, but in this Virtual Universe, we can visit at any time." Manlong Marquis explained while leading Ling Xuan toward a temple at the foot of the mountain that had an ancient design and radiated a mysterious aura.

Arriving before the temple gates, they saw two vigorous and powerful universal common characters carved upon them—"Zhulong".

"When we go in to see the Ancestor, your words and actions must be extremely polite, understand?" Manlong Marquis warned again, his expression full of awe.

"Yes." Ling Xuan nodded vigorously, his heart filled with curiosity and respect for the Zhulong King, who had existed for countless eras and could be called a living fossil of humanity.

Manlong Marquis stood quietly in front of the temple gate for a moment.

A short while later, the temple gates slowly opened automatically, emitting a dull "creak."

The two of them, with hearts full of trepidation and excitement, stepped inside one after the other.

After walking along the long corridor for a short while, they saw the Zhulong King waiting quietly in a spacious hall.

The Zhulong King before them was a sturdy, red-haired old man, his red hair like burning flames, wild and flamboyant.

However, the aura around him was exceptionally restrained; one could not feel the terrifying pressure that a King-level powerhouse should possess, making him seem just like an ordinary neighborly old man.

It was a completely different style from his rugged appearance.

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