The Seventh Floor

"Ling Xuan is almost there, too. The final result is about to be decided."

The geniuses of the Yanshen Universe Kingdom and the Ganwu Universe Kingdom were locked in a confrontation on another 'battlefield.'

"Even if Yanshen finishes the Trial Tower first, it doesn't prove anything. The final outcome can only be determined when the two face off in the final showdown."

"Heh, they are facing the same opponents, both are masters of fire and space laws, and they use similar weapons like the halberd and the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear. You could say their paths are almost identical; the gap in their strength is already visible."

"That's not necessarily true. Yanmo might be holding back."

"And is Yanshen definitely giving it his all?"

Breaking into the seventh level, Cao Benqi's killing speed was finally affected, though only slightly.

Whether it was the Green Mantis or the even more powerful Blood Mantis, neither could withstand a single strike from him.

However, the speed at which the Zerg Mother Empress on the seventh level birthed Zerg warriors was significantly faster than in the previous six trial towers.

At the beginning, he could still barely keep up with the speed of Cao Benqi's slaughter.

At this moment, Ling Xuan was still locked in a struggle with those ten Starry Sky Beasts.

Although he could constantly strike the weak points of these Starry Sky Beasts, causing them to suffer continuous injuries, the power of the third stage of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade was not enough to deliver a fatal blow.

The recovery abilities of these giant beasts were terrifyingly strong; often, just as Ling Xuan was forced to hide in the void, they would immediately recover.

"Strong, too strong. Although there are only ten of these Starry Sky Beasts, each one is heaven-defying, far beyond what the previous levels' human-wave tactics and firepower could compare to. I could rely on sneak attacks to defeat opponents before, but now, I can't use sneak attacks to land a decisive blow."

Ling Xuan once again hid in the void, dodging an attack. The roar of the Starry Sky Beast Cang caused ripples to spread through the surrounding space.

"I need a stronger killing move, otherwise I'll have to use the Zhetian Method." Ling Xuan weighed his options. "I had already learned the second stage of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade before participating in the genius competition, and under the guidance of the Ganwu Kingdom Lord, I learned the third. While clearing the first layer of this seventh Trial Tower, my space law comprehension had a significant breakthrough. Let's see if I can execute the fourth stage of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade."

Ling Xuan closed his eyes, and in his mind, the techniques of the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade flowed continuously, constantly verifying themselves against his newly comprehended space laws.

Time ticked away, second by second.

One day later.

It can work!

Swish~

Ling Xuan's figure emerged from the void once more, appearing like a ghost behind the neck of the beast Cang.

At this moment, flames surged around his body, and the crimson-gold patterns on the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade flickered wildly, as if countless suns were burning within the blade.

His entire strength and comprehension of the laws poured into the blade like a tidal wave, and the fourth stage, Sun Piercing Slash, was unleashed with a roar.

The moment the blade light fell, the surrounding world instantly lost its color.

It was as if the light of the entire space had been absorbed by this strike, transforming into a pitch-black fissure that slashed down directly onto the beast Cang.

The beast Cang seemed to sense the threat of death and let out a heaven-shaking roar, its scales standing on end as it attempted to resist this fatal blow.

But in the face of this blade light that felt like the collapsing sky, its resistance appeared pale and powerless.

Where the blade light passed, the body of the beast Cang, which was as massive as a planet, was sliced like tofu by invisible threads, splitting into two halves without a sound.

Blood poured down like a red waterfall, staining the void for ten thousand miles.

"Roar~"

Another giant beast roared and charged at Ling Xuan, and Ling Xuan immediately retreated into the void again.

"It works." Ling Xuan felt a sense of relief as he looked at the beast he had completely slain.

He constantly shuttled through the void, then seized the opportunity to emerge and take down one Starry Sky Beast with a single strike.

One, two, three...

Soon, all ten Starry Sky Beasts were broken one by one.

As soon as he entered the seventh level, Ling Xuan had hidden himself in the void early on.

According to the Swallowing Method, to merge one's body with the void, one must comprehend the 'body-void fusion' branch of the three great mysteries of space laws—teleportation. This requires at least the comprehension of a Marquis-level expert.

To see through his spatial fluctuations and lock onto his exact position, one would need the law comprehension of a Marquis Immortal at the 15th level of the Heavenly Bridge.

The Trial Tower holds a status equal to the Primal Tongtian Mountain; as a key checkpoint for assessing Star Level geniuses, its significance is like that of the non-existent Star Level Primal Tongtian Mountain.

According to standard criteria, the Universe Level Primal Tongtian Mountain is at the 12th level, the Domain Lord Level is at the 16th level, and the World Lord Level reaches the 20th level.

Therefore, the law comprehension requirement for this Star Level Primal Tongtian Mountain is the 8th level of the Heavenly Bridge.

Considering that Star Level geniuses have not been nurtured by the five major powers, the difficulty or standard might be slightly lower, perhaps around the 7th level.

Although Ling Xuan's law comprehension was shallow, the Great Void Art he practiced was a supreme secret technique created by the Void Emperor.

This technique simplifies complex void laws, similar to a secret pattern map of an innate secret technique. It does not require the practitioner to fully understand the mysteries within; one only needs to follow the guidance of the secret pattern map to activate it. It significantly lowers the requirements for the practitioner, focusing on the idea that practice makes perfect.

At this moment, the Zerg army under the Zerg Mother Empress stood in battle formation, guarding the Empress tightly in the center.

The Zerg Mother Empress had a delicate figure; once Ling Xuan got close, a single blade strike would be enough to finish her.

In the previous levels of the Trial Tower, the opponents were all independent individuals, so he could pick them off one by one and carry out assassinations in secret.

But facing a Zerg army driven by the Zerg Mother Empress, which could be continuously replenished by the mother nest, if he were to just grind them down slowly, his speed of slaughter would likely be far slower than the mother nest's replenishment speed.

Only by capturing the leader first could he break the deadlock.

Ling Xuan concealed his presence, utilizing the Great Void Art to quietly sneak toward the location of the Zerg Mother Empress. His aura was completely hidden within the void, as if he had merged into the very fabric of this world.

Beneath the dome, the Zerg Mother Empress hovered in mid-air, her body radiating a soft, faint glow.

She possessed the near-perfect appearance of a human female, with skin as fair and translucent as the finest mutton-fat jade, exuding a subtle, warm luster.

Her deep, azure eyes seemed to contain an endless sea of stars, each flicker carrying an indescribable charm and mystery.

Her slender waist was barely a handful, wrapped in a golden ribbon shimmering with strange runes.

Six pale red butterfly wings fluttered gently behind her; thin as a cicada's wing yet exuding an aura of resilience, each beat sent ripples of soul energy, invisible to the naked eye, through the void.

Ling Xuan approached silently using the Great Void Art. Just as he was about to reveal himself and swing his blade, a Blood Mantis patrolling in the corner happened to sweep its gaze toward his position.

The Zerg share a collective field of vision, and this subtle discovery was instantly transmitted to the Mother Empress through the mental network.

The Mother Empress's beautiful face trembled slightly, her previously languid expression instantly turning vigilant.

"Hiss!" The Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear tore through the void, carrying immense power like a crimson meteor as it slashed toward the Zerg Mother Empress.

However, the Mother Empress reacted with lightning speed. Her red lips parted slightly, and a sharp cry rang out through the surroundings. Her azure pupils instantly dilated, transforming into two bottomless whirlpools.

Ling Xuan felt a powerful soul shock rush toward him, and his consciousness instantly plummeted into an ice cellar.

Deep within his soul, the Soul Suppressing Small Cauldron swayed, continuously emitting waves to block the intrusion of the Mother Empress's soul power.

Yet, how powerful was the soul attack of a Zerg Mother Empress? She was, after all, a top-tier soul master in the universe.

Combined with her superior comprehension of laws, this soul attack was pervasive; the third-level Soul Suppressing Cauldron could not fully defend against such an onslaught.

The surrounding scene distorted abruptly. The original golden dome transformed into a massive, spiked cocoon, each thorn dripping with eerie, ink-green liquid.

The ground beneath his feet turned into churning, scarlet blood, emitting a pungent, putrid stench. From all directions, countless compound eyes flickered with ghostly light, staring at him fixedly, sending a chill down his spine.

Even more horrifying, the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear in his hand had somehow turned into a wriggling, fleshy tentacle, each segment splitting open to reveal a jagged, tooth-filled mouth, biting back toward his arm.

In the distance, the Zerg Mother Empress crouched in the pool of blood in a bizarre posture, giggling like an innocent child. Her arms stretched out like rubber bands, sharp bone spurs growing from the tips, stabbing straight toward his heart.

The crisis in reality was equally lethal. Ling Xuan did not pull back his strike, but due to the influence of the illusion, the blow went wide, merely grazing the Mother Empress's delicate shoulder.

Wounded, the Mother Empress let out a sharp, piercing shriek. This cry acted as a signal for frenzy, and the Zerg warriors throughout the entire space instantly entered a state of madness.

"Break!" Facing the overwhelming, tidal wave of attacks from the Zerg Mother Empress, Ling Xuan instantly activated the Zhetian Method. Within his Dao Palace, the five great deities chanted ancient scriptures in unison.

After ten years of bitter cultivation, the accumulation of various resources, and the guidance of the Void Mirror Deity, Ling Xuan's Zhetian Method had reached the Xiantai First Heaven.

Amidst this sonorous chanting, Ling Xuan's Xiantai became clear and bright. Bursts of Great Dao celestial sounds formed a natural defense, blocking the Zerg Mother Empress's soul attack.

The soul attack launched by the Zerg Mother Empress surged forward like a turbulent black tide. However, the Dao sounds emanating from his Xiantai acted as if they were tangible, colliding head-on with the soul attack.

Under the impact of the Dao sounds, the tide of the soul attack melted away like snow meeting the scorching sun, dissipating into nothingness.

Ling Xuan forcibly broke free from the illusion. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he raised the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Spear and swung it with all his might at a Green Mantis lunging toward him.

The blade, wrapped in rolling heat waves like a divine weapon capable of splitting the heavens, cleaved the Green Mantis in two.

Ling Xuan's figure flickered, ripples of void spreading around him. Before the other Zerg warriors could strike, he submerged back into the void and vanished without a trace.

"Damn it, I forgot about the Zerg's shared vision." Ling Xuan pondered to himself while hidden in the void. "These Zerg warriors have surrounded the Mother Empress. With their 360-degree, blind-spot-free vision, getting close to her is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

He darted rapidly around the Zerg Mother Nest, attempting to find a flaw, but no matter which angle he approached from, dense gazes of the Zerg converged upon him.

"It seems I must reveal some of my trump cards today. The Great Void Art is already exposed, so showing a bit more won't hurt. I am determined to conquer this seventh level, and as for the first place in the genius tournament, who else could it be but me!" Ling Xuan gritted his teeth, his mind made up.

The path of the strong is one of constant progress; while it is sometimes wise to keep one's wealth hidden, appropriately demonstrating one's value can attract the attention of higher-ups and bring more resources to Ling Xuan.

As long as the Void Mirror remains unexposed, there is nothing on him worth coveting.

Ling Xuan stopped hiding. His Xiantai First Heaven cultivation erupted with full force. As his divine power and Genetic Origin Energy intertwined, his momentum surged violently.

PS: As mentioned before, the Zhetian Method can be used in the Virtual Universe. His Five Great Secret Realms are constructed using laws and Genetic Origin Energy, from which divine power is born. The path taken by the Void Emperor is considered the Great Dao of Void Origin, similar to the Water-Fire Origin of Jie Fanzhi from the original work, though weaker and modified by the cheat item, the Heart of the Martial God.

This book primarily uses the Swallowed Star world view and background; there is no need to worry about the original work being overshadowed.