The Virtual Universe, the Killing Field, the Killing Space.
Bulieni hovered beside Luo Zhiyuan and waved a hand. A Virtual Warrior appeared in front of them.
"Luo, we'll test your soul defense technique first today. Get ready. I'll have the Virtual Warrior attack you with Mental Shock, starting with a Stellar Level One Illusionist."
Luo Zhiyuan sat cross-legged, alert and watchful, his eyes fixed on the Virtual Warrior.
"Begin!"
An invisible Mental Shock surged toward Luo Zhiyuan's Consciousness Ocean. He remained expressionless. The three mountains in his Consciousness Ocean didn't budge, and he withstood the Stellar Level One Illusionist's Mental Shock almost without feeling a thing.
Luo Zhiyuan glanced at Bulieni. "Again!"
With a wave of his hand, another Virtual Warrior appeared and unleashed an invisible Mental Shock at Luo Zhiyuan.
"Again. I'm still fine."
"Again. I can take it."
"Again! One of the Nine Mountains has only just been shattered."
"Again! All three mountains have shattered, but I can still hold on!"
Luo Zhiyuan's eyes reddened as he shouted hoarsely at Bulieni.
"Ugh!"
Supporting himself on both hands, his knuckles white, head bowed, sweat covering his forehead and his whole body trembling, Luo Zhiyuan bared his teeth and said, "Again...! I... want... to see... my... limit!"
Bulieni looked at Luo Zhiyuan's stubborn determination and silently nodded. He summoned another Virtual Warrior.
The invisible Mental Shock crashed over Luo Zhiyuan like a towering wave, swallowing him whole.
Luo Zhiyuan's cross-legged body suddenly stiffened. He stopped trembling, his eyes staring blankly ahead. The Virtual Warrior had completed its task and vanished. After it disappeared, Luo Zhiyuan slumped to the ground. A moment later, his figure disappeared too, and he exited the Killing Space.
Clutching his head, which was still buzzing, Luo Zhiyuan entered the Killing Space again and plopped down on the ground.
"Bulieni, what level was that last Virtual Warrior? Did I withstand its Mental Shock?"
Bulieni flew over Luo Zhiyuan's head and sat down cross-legged, bracing himself with his hands behind him. "You did well, Luo. The last one was a Universe Level 7 Illusionist. You withstood its Mental Shock, but that was your limit."
"You withstood one attack without suffering a mental breakdown, but you still didn't completely resist it. In the end, you lost consciousness. There's no way you could withstand two consecutive Mental Shocks from him. A Universe Level 7 Illusionist has 1,200 times your Spiritual Force strength."
"With your Spiritual Force at Star Level Eight, your consciousness strength at Universe Level 8, and your Mental Power Amplitude at 900, you managed to withstand one full-power Mental Shock from a Universe Level 7 Illusionist. That's something to be proud of."
"Next, let's test how much you've improved in other areas over the past ten years."
Luo Zhiyuan nodded, shook Bulieni off his head, and stood up, ready to begin.
His Time Flow, Shattered Space, Light Wings, and Shadow Divine Weapon had all improved, even though his original body hadn't had time to practice the time secret technique and comprehend the Law of Time. His most remarkable progress, however, had been with the Divine Illusion Bead.
The first layer of the Divine Illusion Bead generally required World Lord Level consciousness strength and a Mental Power Amplitude of 70. With his Universe Level 8 consciousness strength and Mental Power Amplitude of 900, Luo Zhiyuan had completely mastered the first layer, which could double his consciousness strength.
Using the Divine Illusion Bead, Luo Zhiyuan could unleash a Mental Shock powerful enough to shatter the mind of an ordinary Universe Level Sixth Order Martial Artist. He could also perfectly defend against attacks from Universe Level 7 Illusionists, but he still couldn't resist Universe Level 8 Illusionists.
After leaving the Virtual Universe, Luo Zhiyuan asked, "Bulieni, should I keep training in the Time Chamber?"
"Not for now. I'd originally planned to take you straight to a Universe Secret Realm so you could experience one for yourself, but it turns out you have to become a Universe Mercenary with the Universe Mercenary Alliance before you can enter."
"So I've arranged the Universe Mercenary assessment for you. Once you become a Trainee Mercenary, we'll go out and explore. Heh."
Luo Zhiyuan knew of the Universe Mercenary Alliance. It was one of humanity's five major powers, and more than 99 percent of human powerhouses joined this loosely organized alliance to embark on life-and-death adventures.
"No problem. I want to see what this mercenary assessment is like too. I've heard that the Trainee Mercenary assessment takes place in a World Lord World. I wonder if the assessment site here has anything interesting."
Luo Zhiyuan took a C9-Class Spaceship to Qingyi City with a team of personal guards. He first went to the Universe First Bank branch, where he completed a transfer.
Before changing identities, Luo Zhiyuan had converted all the money in his account into bearer certificates. Each certificate could be exchanged for ten million Hunyuan, a service available only to five-star accounts.
Having grown accustomed to the privileges of a five-star account, he also wanted to make his current identity a five-star account. A single bearer certificate was exactly the minimum required to qualify.
Afterward, Luo Zhiyuan went to the Universe Mercenary Alliance branch. It was packed with people, but fortunately, he'd just upgraded to a five-star account, so he could register as an adventurer and apply for the Trainee Mercenary assessment without waiting in line.
Holding the so-called Adventure Card, Luo Zhiyuan left the Universe Mercenary Alliance branch. After boarding the spaceship, he headed straight for the Trainee Mercenary assessment site: Red Bat Planet.
The journey took more than seven days. During that time, he didn't train in the Time Chamber. Instead, he practiced in the Killing Field in the Virtual Universe. He wanted to master the second level of the Shadow Divine Weapon as soon as possible, and Bulieni could set up suitable opponents for him to spar against.
Upon arriving at Red Bat Planet, he took his guards to a desert cave. The Universe Level 9 guards frightened off the bystanders nearby. Once Luo Zhiyuan entered the cave, they stood silently outside and waited.
They had to wait there for three months. This Trainee Mercenary assessment required candidates to survive for three months inside a World Lord World. Anyone who came out alive afterward would pass.
Luo Zhiyuan entered the cave. Inside was a passageway more than five meters high and less than a hundred meters long. At its far end stood a set of double doors, guarded by a bald giant almost as tall as the passageway.
When the giant saw Luo Zhiyuan approach, he took out a scanner and swept it over him. After confirming that Luo Zhiyuan was an assessment candidate for the Trainee Mercenary rank, he grinned and handed him a round metal box, then opened the doors.
Beyond the doors was a mass of faintly glowing blue light. In a gleefully malicious tone, the giant said, "You're lucky to have made it to this assessment site, kid. There are ten assessment sites near Qingyu Planet. This one has the lowest pass rate: only 10 percent. The other assessment worlds usually have pass rates around 30 percent."
"Heh, I haven't seen anyone come out in a while. This is the Illusion World. Once you've survived inside for three months, this box will activate and guide you out. If you make it out alive, you'll be a Trainee Mercenary. Hope I see you again."
Luo Zhiyuan said nothing. He walked straight into the mass of light beyond the doors.
As soon as he entered the Illusion World, Luo Zhiyuan was randomly transported into a lush forest. The light was extremely dim, almost completely blocked by the towering trees.
He glanced around, then flew to the top of a tree and looked out over the forest. Beyond its edge was an expanse of pitch-black nothingness. He couldn't see anything.
On the way to Red Bat Planet, Luo Zhiyuan had already read the basic information about the place. This World Lord World had been created long ago by a World Lord Illusionist to train his Universe Warriors. Its defining feature was the shifting blend of illusion and reality, while the surrounding environment changed randomly and without any pattern.
The World Lord World was also home to many Star Level monsters and a small number of Universe Level monsters capable of using Soul Secret Techniques. The moment they spotted outsiders, they would attack with those techniques.
Many assessment candidates were attacked by these monsters. Some died without even knowing what had happened; others were turned into puppets or slaves and lost their freedom, forced to wander the world alongside the monsters.
Some were simply bewitched by the illusions here, lost their minds, and fell asleep forever in this world.
Luo Zhiyuan found no monsters at all in the forest, so he floated cross-legged above the treetops and stared into space, bored.
"Bulieni, this World Lord World doesn't seem all that interesting. From the information we found, it might be deadly for people without soul defense techniques, but it doesn't seem like a threat to me, does it?"
"That's about right. It's only an assessment for Trainee Mercenaries. How hard could it be? This was never my destination. We're just going through the motions and getting your admission ticket. The important part is where we're going next!"
Luo Zhiyuan pursed his lips and sighed. "Well, looks like I'll just have to waste three months here. I can't go into the Time Chamber inside the World Ring, either. The surveillance system here might detect me."
"Bulieni, let's go to the Killing Field. I think I can keep some awareness here while training in the Virtual Universe. I want to keep practicing the second level of the Shadow Divine Weapon and try to master it completely within these three months."
Bulieni answered casually, "Sure. With your consciousness strength now, you'll be fine. If you ask me, you might as well stay in one place and not move at all. The surrounding environment could change at any time whether you move or not."
Luo Zhiyuan smiled and replied, "Good point. Let's do that. Even if a Universe Level monster suddenly appears, Xingxing can help fend it off, right, Xingxing?"
"That's right! Don't worry, Master. Xingxing is already Universe Level 9. Leave it to me!"
For Xingxing, who had grown up soaking in Secret Realm Spirit Marrow, his intelligence was now no different from a human's. So he could handle keeping watch.
PS: Darn, I noticed a plot hole from earlier: all that money would've gone down the drain when I destroyed the identity. That was a lot of cash, and I couldn't bear to lose it, so I brought it back. Heh.
Also, I made a book cover. The ones the system came up with felt too childish, so I made one myself in Photoshop. It'll do, I guess.
Before you continue