The Killing Field's main hall was a training ground for many of the elites singled out for special cultivation.
The Quiet Room, on the other hand, was a highly private space. Many powerful figures rented one for long periods, and its owners were generally at least Universe Level.
"Show me the way," Lu Yan'an said to the staff member ahead of him.
"Of course!" the staff member replied, then quickly led the way.
Lu Yan'an followed him up the spiral staircase in the Killing Field's main hall to the second floor. The first floor was an enormous, wide-open hall, while the second was a quiet, beautiful maze. Quiet Rooms were scattered throughout it, occupied by many Universe Level powerhouses, Domain Lords, and even World Lords.
"This is the place!" The staff member led Lu Yan'an to a door and knocked softly.
"Come in," a gentle voice called from inside.
As soon as the door opened, the staff member politely bowed to the owner of the Quiet Room. "Sir, I've brought your guest." Then he left at once, leaving only Lu Yan'an and Lord Shen, perched on his shoulder.
Inside the Quiet Room, a slender, effeminate man had already risen to his feet. His complexion was rather pale, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. He looked Lu Yan'an up and down, then invited him in. "Please, come in!"
Lu Yan'an accepted the invitation without hesitation and stepped inside.
The Quiet Room was brightly lit. Only then did Lu Yan'an get a good look at the effeminate man. On closer inspection, he realized that the owner seemed particularly interested in him and had been sizing him up ever since they first met. For a moment, neither said a word as they both considered how to begin.
"Greetings, sir." Lu Yan'an was the first to break the silence, speaking with a hint of respect.
After all, showing respect to the strong was a universally recognized courtesy in the universe. There was nothing wrong with making the first move; at least it would leave the other man nothing to criticize.
"I've been watching you for over a month," the effeminate man said with a smile.
Lu Yan'an looked flattered and slightly overwhelmed on the outside, but inwardly he grumbled, I've only been in the Duel Space for a week. Where did he get a month from?
The effeminate man had no idea that Lu Yan'an had earned a record of 700 wins and 0 losses in just one week. He casually made something up.
"I don't understand why you keep hanging around the Killing Field. Coming here now and then is fine, but staying here long-term is a waste of time!"
He looked at Lu Yan'an with a puzzled expression, as if he were genuinely confused.
Lu Yan'an didn't even want to keep up the act, but to achieve his goal, he played along. Frowning slightly, he asked in a puzzled tone, "A waste of time? What do you mean?"
Seeing that Lu Yan'an seemed to be taking the bait, a flicker of delight crossed the effeminate man's face, but he quickly concealed it. He continued with a question of his own. "Didn't your teacher tell you that the fastest way to evolve is to train in life-or-death situations?"
"I know a little about that," Lu Yan'an replied in a naïve tone.
He knew more than a little. He was one of the people in the entire universe who best understood the effects of life-or-death trials. Even City Lord Luo himself probably didn't know as much as Lu Yan'an about how many trials he had endured to earn his invincible reputation in the Universe Ocean. Even Hong and Thor, supporting characters in the original story, had gone through countless life-or-death ordeals during Earth's Great Nirvana Period, laying the foundation for their later development. But for now, Lu Yan'an could only play dumb.
"If you understand that, why are you still wasting time in the Killing Field?" the effeminate man asked, sounding exasperated.
"Aren't the battles in the Duel Space life-or-death trials too?" Lu Yan'an asked, sounding puzzled.
"No. That's completely wrong." The effeminate man smiled and shook his head with conviction. "It seems you either have no teacher, or your teacher is very mediocre."
"When faced with the threat of death, every cell in the body struggles by reflex, and even genetic material evolves at an accelerated rate! The terror of life-or-death situations pushes the body and even the soul into a state of evolution that cannot be achieved through human effort. In that state, people find it easier to gain insights, evolve, and improve their strength."
Lu Yan'an appeared rather dull in response to this explanation, but his thoughts were as clear as a mirror.
Of course he knew all this, but his situation was different from that of ordinary geniuses. His talent was so extraordinary that even Lord Shen, an Immortal, wouldn't risk sending him out to undergo life-or-death trials! If he died prematurely, it would be a loss for the entire Human Race. In his early days, he could comprehend laws as easily as eating and drinking, even without life-or-death trials. In his case, trials would make little difference.
But he couldn't say that. Without the ability to protect himself, he couldn't let outsiders learn about any of this. Otherwise, he'd only be asking for trouble!
Seeing that Lu Yan'an had been rendered speechless, the effeminate man stopped pressing the point and said instead,
"That's why I'm puzzled that you keep wasting time in the Killing Field. Coming here for a few days now and then counts as training, but battles in the Killing Field can't reproduce the life-or-death struggle, so they can't bring about evolution."
"Life-or-death adventures are a journey every powerhouse must take! Breaking through one deadly trial after another and surpassing yourself again and again—that's the path to becoming strong. But before that... I should remind you how important a solid physical foundation is."
Hearing this, Lu Yan'an thought, At last, the fox has shown his tail. He'll probably bring out the same pitch he used to persuade City Lord Luo and the others, then offer an S-Grade Bloodline Evolution Agent to recruit me.
"Have you heard of the Bloodline Evolution Agent?" the effeminate man asked with a smile.
When Lu Yan'an shook his head, he continued explaining.
"The Bloodline Evolution Agent is used to alter your bloodline. It's like improving your 'foundation' in one go. If your bloodline foundation is poor—for instance, if it's the ninth or tenth tier in the universe—using the agent properly can raise it to a 'mid-tier foundation' in one leap. That makes it much easier to 'build your skyscraper' later on. Understand?"
Sure enough, though he wasn't using the same lines as in the original story, his purpose was the same: to emphasize how important the Bloodline Evolution Agent would be to Lu Yan'an.
Meanwhile, Lord Shen was explaining bloodline tiers to Lu Yan'an through their mental link. Lu Yan'an already knew about them, but he didn't interrupt. He simply listened to Lord Shen's explanation, then asked the effeminate man,
"May I ask, sir, what would I have to pay to purchase this Bloodline Evolution Agent?" He finished by looking at the other man expectantly.
After hearing Lu Yan'an's question, the effeminate man didn't answer directly. Instead, he said,
"We've been talking for a while, but I don't think I've introduced myself yet. I'm Tian Chen, an external steward at the Virtual Universe Company's Black Dragon Mountain Branch, stationed in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire. You can call me Mr. Tian Chen or Lord Tian Chen."
Lu Yan'an bowed, then replied respectfully,
"Lord Tian Chen."
Tian Chen waved a hand to indicate that he needn't stand on ceremony, then continued,
"Didn't you just ask what the Bloodline Evolution Agent would cost? Let me tell you: it's a restricted item, and very few are available on the market. Even if you can find one, it'll cost a fortune! But you have another option: join the Virtual Universe Company. For our internal members, especially the elites, we can even provide the Evolution Agent for free."
"My Virtual Universe Company searches for talented elites across the many Universe Countries, and you truly are a rare genius!" Tian Chen said, gazing at Lu Yan'an with burning eyes. "I arranged for two people to fight you. One was a second-tier genius from our company, while the other was a Special Grade Elite."
As he spoke, Tian Chen pointed to a screen showing two battles. Lu Yan'an had a strong impression of one of them: his fight against the Crimson-robed Female Warrior.
"She's a Special Grade Elite of our Virtual Universe Company, while he's a second-tier elite." Tian Chen first pointed to the Crimson-robed Female Warrior, then to the other man, who looked rather ordinary.
"You defeated her and forced her to admit defeat! You even showed a higher level of domain mastery than she did. That alone is enough for the Virtual Universe Company to make you an exceptional offer!" Tian Chen said with a smile, pointing at the female warrior.
"Then may I ask, Lord Tian Chen, what obligations would I have if I joined the Virtual Universe Company?" Lu Yan'an asked politely.
"At first, when you're still weak, the company will be training you, so its rules will be strict. You'll have to obey the company's orders, train, and undergo life-or-death trials. But as your strength increases, your freedom will steadily expand. Universe Level, Domain Lord, World Lord—the stronger you are, the more freedom you'll have. You'll only need to take action when it matters."
Seeing how little interest Lu Yan'an seemed to have, Tian Chen quickly added, "Of course, those are the requirements for 'internal members.'"
"There are also 'external members.' They have more freedom, but far fewer benefits—not nearly as many as internal members. If you become an internal member, I'll give you an S-Grade Bloodline Evolution Agent outright! But as an external member, you'll have to pay for it yourself."
Tian Chen didn't say how much it would cost, and Lu Yan'an didn't ask. The two fell silent.
Just as Lu Yan'an was about to say he wanted to join as an external member, Tian Chen spoke first.
"From the look of you, you probably can't accept the strict rules for internal members and want to join as an external member, right?"
Lu Yan'an nodded. Tian Chen seemed to make up his mind, then said,
"How about we sign a wager?"
That immediately caught Lu Yan'an's interest.
"In about half a year, the Virtual Universe Company will hold a Star Level selection event open to the entire universe. If you can place well, I'll let you enjoy the resources of an internal member while remaining an external member. If you can't, you'll have to join the 'internal members' of the Virtual Universe Company. How does that sound?" Tian Chen said.
But Lu Yan'an wasn't focused on the wager at all. He was more interested in the Star Level selection event open to the entire universe that Tian Chen had mentioned. If nothing unexpected happened, it had to be the Genius Tournament, didn't it?
Before you continue