Gathering

Virtual Universe Network, Jiuyuan City, inside a restaurant.

"Jiang Yao!"

"Jiang Yao, you finally made it."

"Has the cultivation maniac finally emerged from seclusion?"

Following these shouts, a youth wearing crimson battle armor, with a small pig-like sprite sporting two pairs of wings sitting on his shoulder, pushed open the door and walked into the private room.

Jiang Yao greeted them with a smile: "Prose, Kuman, Gaichen, Duomeng, I just stepped out of the nutrient pod."

The red-haired youth Duomeng asked curiously: "Didn't you just come out of Yuluo Island yesterday? It's only been a day."

Jiang Yao nodded: "The life energy on Yuluo Island is extremely dense. In the 17 years I spent there, I reached Stellar Level 6, so exiting the nutrient pod was faster."

As soon as Jiang Yao left Yuluo Island, he used a D-grade nutrient pod to advance to Stellar Level 9.

Prose teased with feigned jealousy: "Stop showing off, we know you've been cultivating on Yuluo Island the whole time."

Of course, after saying this, Prose still felt a genuine touch of envy in his heart.

The youth standing before him, whom he had personally guided to Yanhe Planet, now held a status far exceeding his own.

Jiang Yao smiled without responding. Although he felt this was the compensation he deserved—after all, according to Meng Yi, Yinhu Island had paid out treasures worth over a hundred hunyuan this time—it was still better not to provoke others too much.

The more lively Duomeng said excitedly: "It's been a while since we all gathered together."

Although Jiang Yao had spent the last 17 years on Yuluo Island within the God Kingdom, he hadn't been completely cut off from the network. Their small circle often gathered in the Virtual Universe and stayed in frequent contact.

He, Prose, and Kuman were all fellow townsmen who had come to the main sect together. Of course, there were four other Stellar Level geniuses from the Yanhe Branch who had arrived at the same time, but none of them possessed a domain, so even if their Bloodline Divine Ability was formidable, they were not accepted into this circle.

Clearly, even among geniuses, different social strata were formed based on strength.

Gaichen also hailed from the Yanhe Branch, but he had been brought to the main sect while still at the Planetary Level. He was considered the number one genius of the Yanhe Branch before Kuman and also possessed a domain. Because they shared the same branch, Prose and the others were relatively close to him.

The lively red-haired youth Duomeng, however, was not a genius from their Yanhe Branch; he was born in the main sect and had even been taken as a disciple by a World Lord elder.

This main sect genius hadn't been courted by Prose and the others; rather, he had taken the initiative to approach and befriend Prose and Kuman.

As for the reason, both Prose and Kuman had admitted during private gatherings with Jiang Yao that he was the target of Duomeng's interest.

After all, although it wasn't public knowledge, the higher-ups and the small circles of geniuses preparing for the peak battles basically knew that a Lingtong Race genius had been granted permission to enter the most mysterious restricted area within the God Kingdom: Yuluo Island.

Various rumors about Jiang Yao—including that he possessed a domain at the Planetary Level, had awakened an unprecedented new Bloodline Divine Ability, had been intercepted and assassinated by Yinhu Island, and that his bloodline had collapsed under the strain—spread quickly.

Each piece of news made people curious. Even though the top geniuses from the main sect and its branches had full confidence in the upcoming selection battles, and many were unconvinced by Jiang Yao, believing he was just lucky, a vague consensus was acknowledged by most.

Even if Jiang Yao's potential might have been damaged by the collapse of his Bloodline Divine Ability, he was definitely the most watched rising star in the race; he simply lacked time. Aside from the fact that there wasn't enough time before the genius battle began, Jiang Yao was one of the most worthy potential stocks to invest in.

Duomeng was clearly a main sect disciple who was either acting on his own initiative or following his teacher's arrangements to invest in Jiang Yao early.

He had simply been quick-witted enough to successfully integrate himself into Jiang Yao's circle.

Duomeng asked curiously: "Jiang Yao, have you managed to regrow your Bloodline Divine Ability?"

Jiang Yao spread his hands: "I haven't had the time; I've been cultivating my domain on Yuluo Island the whole time."

The clan had indeed given him many treasures for nourishing his Bloodline Divine Ability, but to Jiang Yao, these were assets to be liquidated in the future. He had no intention of nourishing any bloodline ability; after all, he had to release the will of Bizhang to confront it from time to time, and anything else inside his body would become food for that will.

Only when his Xu Yuan Opening reached the second stage, allowing him to strengthen his control over the Desolate God's will, would he be able to continue pretending that the Desolate God was a Lingtong Race bloodline ability—or as Bajie put it, to cover his tracks.

Duomeng nodded, seeing that Jiang Yao hadn't given up on this selection, and asked casually: "I heard Yuluo Island is covered in Fish Scale Walls, which should be perfect for cultivating domains. What level has your domain reached?"

There were Fish Scale Walls on Lingshen Planet and the capital planets of the hundreds of star systems belonging to the main sect. They emitted strange rhythms that helped Universe Level or Domain Lord powerhouses cultivate their domains. Stellar Level geniuses like Duomeng who possessed domains also used these walls for cultivation.

Legend had it that these Fish Scale Walls all originated from Yuluo Island, so the island itself must be a holy land for cultivation.

Jiang Yao didn't intend to hide anything and replied directly: "Fourth level of the domain."

"What?!"

"Fourth level?"

"You're not joking, are you..."

Accompanied by the sound of bowls, plates, and cups clattering to the floor, the others looked at Jiang Yao in disbelief.

Duomeng said in shock: "You went from the first level to the fourth level in 17 years?"

It was no wonder he was surprised. Possessing a domain was only the beginning; improving a domain was incredibly difficult. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many Universe Level powerhouses who exhausted their ten-epoch lifespans without being able to cross into the Domain Lord realm.

Even the usually silent youth Gaichen could not suppress his astonishment.

Gaichen had shown amazing talent since the Planetary Level and had been brought to the main sect to cultivate. Over the years, he had no real attachment to the Yanhe Branch. The reason he was pulled into this circle by Prose was actually because of Jiang Yao.

For this genius who came from the same place as him and was surrounded by all sorts of legends, the shock and offense Gaichen felt were stronger than that of the main sect geniuses.

This didn't stem from any affection for the Yanhe Branch, but from his own pride as the long-standing "number one genius of the Yanhe Branch."

Although Gaichen's curiosity about Jiang Yao was stronger, he was also more unconvinced. After all, both inside and outside the circle, everyone acknowledged Jiang Yao as the most dazzling genius in the history of the Yanhe Branch, and even many main sect disciples who knew him would ask about Jiang Yao.

Prose and Kuman were more composed. After the initial shock, they quickly returned to calm. Kuman, who always had a cold, expressionless face, glanced sideways at Gaichen—who was still in shock and instinctively disbelieving—with a look full of sympathy.

After all, being hit by a reality check in person was a different matter than hearing rumors from others.

One gets used to these things after the first time.

Jiang Yao directly released his fourth-level domain and quickly retracted it, forcing Gaichen and Duomeng to accept the reality.

Duomeng muttered to himself, "I'm only at the fourth level of the Domain right now. My teacher even said that at my current cultivation speed, it's almost impossible to reach the sixth level in three hundred years. Just making it into the top ten thousand in the world sector of the Genius Competition qualifiers would be quite an achievement."

Jiang Yao did not continue to explain. In reality, he hadn't spent any time cultivating his Domain over the past seventeen years; it had simply risen to the fourth level naturally as his comprehension of the Origin Laws deepened.

While others struggled to cultivate their Domains to the eighth or ninth level before laboriously attempting to touch upon the obscure laws, Jiang Yao had completely reversed the process, letting his progress in law comprehension automatically drive the elevation of his Domain.

Such a phenomenon generally only occurred in special life forms naturally attuned to certain Origin Laws, such as the Mosha Race that Luo Feng had nurtured as a clone.

His current body, through the cultivation of the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God, was in the process of transforming into just such a special life form—specifically, one attuned to the Laws of Fire and Light.