"All right, Yan'an, that's enough for now with your Planetary Level training!"
In the Killing Field, Lord Shen patted Lu Yan'an on the shoulder and spoke with a satisfied expression.
It couldn't be more pleased with Lu Yan'an's achievements. Even among Star Level and Universe Level geniuses, only a small number could comprehend the laws at such a pace. In a sense, Lu Yan'an's talent was the very pinnacle among all Planetary Levels! He had even managed to revise Lord Shen's understanding of the limits of Planetary Level talent, despite Lord Shen being an Immortal Expert!
"When it comes to the laws, you've basically reached the limit of what a Planetary Level can achieve. What you're lacking now is accumulated energy and combat experience. Tsk, once you shore up those two weaknesses, your martial training will be flawless!" Lord Shen was so particular that such praise from him showed just how satisfied he was.
"Once you break through to Star Level and undergo special training as an Illusionist, you'll be able to embark perfectly on the great path of the Illusion Martial Artist!"
Even someone as terrifyingly talented as Lu Yan'an had yet to truly set foot on the path of the Illusion Martial Artist. That showed just how difficult and great a path to power it was!
"As for energy, I can accumulate it slowly over time. But I thought I already had plenty of combat experience? After all, I've been fighting in the Killing Space for a whole year!" Lu Yan'an recalled the grueling life he had led over the past year, sounding rather confused.
"Ugh, what nonsense are you talking about?" Lord Shen rolled his eyes cutely, looking at him with exasperation.
"You call your fights in the Killing Space combat experience?"
"Fighting in the Virtual Universe—especially the custom-match mode in the Killing Space—can help with martial training. But honestly, it's nothing more than a relatively advanced game!"
"Do you really expect playing a game to improve your combat experience?" Lord Shen bluntly pointed out Lu Yan'an's mistaken understanding of the Killing Space.
Hearing Lord Shen's reply, Lu Yan'an saw the point. That was true: all his battles in the Virtual Universe had been fake. No matter how realistic its system simulations were, they could never give someone the true thrill of life-or-death combat!
"So I have to go on an adventure in the universe?"
Cosmic adventures were a perilous road paved with blood and fire, but for Lu Yan'an, who had only just entered the universe, it was a dead end! At his current Planetary Level, he could only be an "adventurer." He couldn't even qualify as a "Universe Trainee Mercenary," since only those who had broken through to Star Level were eligible to take the test and try to earn that title.
The "adventurers" in the universe were basically cannon fodder on the road of adventure! Everyone knew cannon fodder had no rights! So unless he had no other choice, Lu Yan'an didn't want to take that path—it offered far too little reward for far too much risk!
"What are you thinking?" Lord Shen immediately stopped Lu Yan'an from pursuing the ridiculous idea of going on a cosmic adventure.
"As one of the lowest beings in the universe at Planetary Level, don't waste your life thinking about something so foolish!" Lord Shen was unusually angry.
"Go on an adventure in the universe and become cannon fodder, then die on the spot within two days because you're caught in the shock waves of a battle between two Universe Level 'experts'? What on earth are you thinking?" Perhaps he was too angry, because Lord Shen fired off a string of questions.
"Uh..." Lu Yan'an was at a loss for words.
"But what am I supposed to do?" Unable to think of a better solution, Lu Yan'an could only put his hopes in Lord Shen, hoping it would offer some valuable, constructive advice.
"I can provide the resources you need until you reach Star Level Nine, so you're not short on resources! And you can gain the combat experience you lack through the Virtual Universe!" Perhaps not wanting Lu Yan'an to come up with any more absurd ideas, Lord Shen got straight to the point.
"But didn't you say the Killing Field can't give you the thrill of life-or-death combat? Can it still improve your combat experience?"
"I said playing custom matches in the Killing Space wouldn't give you combat experience. I didn't say the Killing Field couldn't. You need to understand the difference." Looking at Lu Yan'an's bewildered face, Lord Shen explained helplessly.
"The Killing Space you've been using is a great place to train. It helps users master secret techniques, weapons, and so on. A small number of people can even make major breakthroughs in this single-player mode!" As he spoke, Lord Shen looked at Lu Yan'an, making his meaning clear.
He continued, "If you want to improve your combat experience, the place you should go isn't the Killing Space, but the Duel Space!"
"The Duel Space?" Lu Yan'an had some impression of the name. In the original story, the Earth Trio seemed to have fought ranked matches in the Duel Space. In the end, they had caught the eye of the Immortal Expert Man Luo and joined the external division of the Virtual Universe Company's Black Dragon Mountain Branch.
"That's right, the Duel Space." Lord Shen nodded solemnly and began to explain.
"The Killing Space you've been using is designed for one person. You can set up all kinds of opponents there, making it the ideal training ground. The Duel Space is different: it's where martial artists fight each other! There, you'll encounter all sorts of opponents and greatly broaden your combat experience."
As he spoke, Lord Shen led Lu Yan'an to a counter in the Killing Field. A screen appeared above it, displaying information about a large number of opponents and their strength. To fight one, he had to send a challenge and have the other person accept.
"The naming system in this Duel Space is ridiculous. This person calls himself 'Invincible,' but he's won only a single-digit number of matches and lost over a thousand! Seriously? Is this for real? So you can just pick any name you want?" Lord Shen launched into a running stream of complaints. Hearing him, Lu Yan'an looked at the screen in front of Lord Shen, and nearly burst out laughing at the information displayed.
"So you'd better think carefully before choosing a name. One careless choice and the whole universe will laugh at you. Look at this poor kid—he's probably regretting it like crazy by now," Lord Shen warned.
"Sure, sure..." Lu Yan'an quietly humored Lord Shen as he slowly typed the two characters "Wushuang" onto the screen in front of him.
"According to the Duel Space rules, I can only challenge opponents at my own level for now!" Lu Yan'an skipped straight past opponents rated "None" through "Five Stars" and looked at those rated "Six Stars," "Seven Stars," and so on. The highest rating in the system was nine stars, reserved for the absolute strongest at their level.
"Let's start with a Six-Star opponent and see how good he is." Lu Yan'an formally issued a challenge. It was his first time challenging an opponent of the same level and rank.
A second passed, then a minute. Before long, ten minutes had gone by, and there was no response from the other side.
"What's going on?" Lord Shen asked, seeing Lu Yan'an standing stupidly in front of the screen.
"I challenged a Planetary Level Nine opponent with a Six-Star rating, but he completely ignored me. The system just told me to choose another opponent in the same tier." Lu Yan'an was dumbfounded too and replied helplessly.
"That's not surprising. You're a newcomer, after all, and your rating is 'None,'" Lord Shen consoled him. "Think about it: if you were a powerful fighter, you'd check the challenger's rating too, so you wouldn't waste your time. Let's start from the beginning. That'll be more reliable!"
"Then let's get started!" Lu Yan'an didn't dwell on it. They'd fight eventually, so it didn't matter.
He lowered his head and tapped at the screen for a while. The challenge was soon sent, and this time the response came quickly.
"Your challenge has been accepted. You are now being transported to the Duel Space!" The Virtual Universe System's notification appeared on the screen, and the next moment Lu Yan'an was transported to the Duel Space.
In a vast desert stood a black, dark-gold arena, about ten kilometers long and wide.
A huge blue, bald man stood on the arena with a long spear strapped to his back, laughing arrogantly. "Wushuang? A mere newcomer dares to choose a name like that? Tsk, looks like life's been too easy for you, and you came here to learn just how vast the universe is! I love training up clueless newcomers who don't know their place. Hahaha!"
Nickname: Spear Demon. 20 wins, 1 loss.
A young man in plain-colored battle clothes, with no weapon in his hands, appeared out of thin air on the arena.
"Spear Demon? You're my first opponent in the Decisive Battle Space. I'm grateful you accepted my challenge. But I don't like your name!" Lu Yan'an paused. "Still, to show my gratitude, I'll make sure you die without pain!"
"Oho, you've got quite the nerve!" Spear Demon sneered and took the long spear from his back. He lightly tapped the ground with his toes and charged at his opponent. His spear shot out like a dragon, sending a wave of pressure surging toward Lu Yan'an. At that moment, a bright light suddenly flared around Lu Yan'an. His Light Domain had quietly unfolded, completely blocking Spear Demon's view.
"A Domain?!" Spear Demon realized that the light around his opponent was blocking his sight, and felt the power of a domain suddenly spread through the world.
The next moment, he lost consciousness...
Wushuang's first battle: victory!
Before you continue