Nine Styles of Lanfeng

"What is this? A secret technique he created himself?"

"Probably. Does our race have a similar secret technique?"

"I don't remember Yuluo Island having any records of a similar Combat Secret Technique..."

At that moment, everyone in the Elder Council, from the Immortal Gods down to the Domain Lord elders, had become much calmer. After the shock of the Heavenly Cage Domain Seal, this sudden, unknown Combat Secret Technique that Jiang Yao seemed to have created himself was just one more thing to add to the pile. At any rate, the opponent in the seventh round definitely wouldn't be able to stop him.

Jiuyuan stopped watching Jiang Yao's fight against his eighth-round opponent and turned to ask Kasa, "What about the opponent in the tenth round?"

Kasa smiled wryly. "When I designed the opponent-matching rules, I never thought anyone could make it past the ninth round. So, starting with the tenth round, all the opponents have reached Star Level Nine and comprehended an Origin Law, though their Domain is still at the Fourth Layer."

An opponent with a Fourth-Level Domain who had also comprehended a law was probably something that could only be simulated in the Virtual Universe. After all, normally, even someone who had comprehended just a trace of an Origin Law would have a Domain at least at the Eighth Layer.

Jiuyuan smiled. "Then you'd better design the opponents for the eleventh and twelfth rounds, too. With the combat strength he's shown after mastering the Heavenly Cage Domain Seal, even an opponent who has comprehended a trace of a law might not be able to beat him. It seems only an opponent who has crossed the threshold of a law can stop him."

Kasa continued to smile wryly. "The eleventh-round opponent has crossed the threshold of the Origin Law of Earth. Surely that will be enough to stop him. After all, among the eight lower laws, the Origin Law of Earth is considered the strongest in defense."

Jiuyuan threw his head back and laughed, his voice full of delight.

All the elders turned to look at him, greatly astonished.

Jiuyuan swept his gaze across the elders below and declared in a spirited voice, "I've decided to take Jiang Yao as my disciple. He'll have the same status as a World Lord elder."

The World Lords and Domain Lords seated on the lower tiers exchanged glances, but could only remain silent.

The moment the young man on the screen had used the Heavenly Cage Domain Seal in battle, his being taken as a disciple by their Old Ancestor had already been a foregone conclusion.

Jiuyuan had taken many disciples over the years, but none had broken through to immortality. They had all eventually died when their lifespans ran out.

His previous disciple had been Yanchen, more than five hundred eras ago. But after Yanchen fell on the Outer-Region Battlefield, Jiuyuan had suffered a tremendous blow and never taken another disciple.

Meng Yi and Beiqiong, seated on the lower tiers, exchanged delighted glances. They had expected Jiang Yao to attract the Old Ancestor's attention during the selection battle. A Fourth-Level Domain alone was enough for the Lingtong Race to list him as the top seed in the Genius Tournament.

But they hadn't expected the Old Ancestor to take him directly as a disciple.

The previous one had been Yanchen, after all. Back then, Yanchen had only become Jiuyuan's disciple after displaying an Eighth-Layer Domain and a trace of comprehension of the Origin Law of Metal.

Jiang Yao had mastered the Heavenly Cage Domain Seal, and his combat strength at the same level surpassed Yanchen's. But since it had nothing to do with an Origin Law, it was still worth considerably less.

But Jiang Yao was only at the Fourth-Level Domain now. Everyone believed that once he reached the Eighth Layer and sensed the fluctuations of an Origin Law, he would undoubtedly prove to be a genius at comprehending laws.

If they really had a slot for the Youyuan Secret Realm, it would naturally belong to him.

While the elders of the Lingtong Race's Elder Council were congratulating Jiuyuan on gaining a new disciple, Jiang Yao had already swiftly passed the ninth round.

The eighth- and ninth-round opponents could no longer stir his desire to fight.

Jiang Yao eagerly awaited the stronger opponent in the tenth round. A powerful hunting instinct began to seep through his body, bit by bit.

A desire to hunt?

Jiang Yao suddenly came to his senses and grew wary. Bajie hadn't entered the Killing Field with him this time, so he was extremely cautious about anything related to Desolate God Bizhang.

Could it be a remnant of Bizhang's will, left behind when it altered his body?

No, this was the Virtual Universe Network, not the real world.

But Jiang Yao had already developed PTSD from Bizhang's will, so he stayed cautious. After the competition, he'd ask Bajie about it. No, better yet, he'd ask a Mental Master Controller. That would be safer.

After all, his situation was completely different from Luo Feng's. After taking over the Golden Horned Beast, Luo Feng had been influenced by it and developed a desire to kill.

The Golden Horned Beast had already been taken over by Luo Feng.

But Jiang Yao was still constantly at risk of being taken over by Desolate God Bizhang.

So the spectators in both the plaza and the Elder Council suddenly saw Jiang Yao enter the tenth round and resume controlling his telekinetic weapon, the Red Shadow Blade. He had returned to his fighting style as a Controller.

"What's he doing?"

"Isn't the martial artist in the tenth round supposed to be much stronger than the one in the seventh? Can he handle him without using the Heavenly Cage Domain Seal?"

"Does he think the tenth-round opponent will be much stronger than those in the first nine rounds and plan to give up right away?"

"Maybe he doesn't know the tenth-round opponent has comprehended a trace of an Origin Law. There's no way he can win without the Heavenly Cage Domain Seal."

"Have you forgotten how much strain using the Heavenly Cage Domain Seal puts on the body? He's only at the Star Level. His body can't compare to a Domain Lord's, or even a Universe-level warrior's. Maybe this little freak just can't keep going."

"I think you're the one who's forgotten. This is the Virtual Universe Network, not the real world."

Jiang Yao had no idea how many people outside were confused by his actions. As he looked at the opponent who had just appeared, he muttered to himself, "Besides me, there shouldn't... be anyone else who can make it through the first nine rounds, right?"

Starting with the seventh round, unless someone was as exceptionally talented as he was and could master a powerful martial Combat Secret Technique like the Heavenly Cage Domain Seal, a normal Star Level Nine warrior who hadn't comprehended an Origin Law definitely wouldn't stand a chance.

"Then I'll try this. I've never used it before."

Although Jiang Yao was wary of that powerful hunting instinct, his earlier desire to fight hadn't faded. He wanted to meet stronger opponents and keep battling.

The Fire Law secret art, the Nine Styles of Lanfeng, which he had found during the final stage on Yuluo Island, came to mind.

He had chosen the fourth-tier telekinetic weapon, the Red Shadow Blade, precisely because it was suited to this saber art.

The Red Shadow Blade, its body etched with crimson flame patterns, vanished into thin air.

Then his surging Fire Domain abruptly contracted, and a crimson comet appeared. It streaked through the void like a meteor, leaving behind a dazzling crimson trail.

The instant the fiery meteor appeared, everything within a hundred meters lost its color, as if swallowed by endless darkness. Only the meteor itself remained, streaking toward the opponent who had just appeared.

The moment Jiang Yao unleashed the first move of this secret art, he realized something was wrong. Its power exceeded his expectations.

Sure enough, the tenth-round opponent had no time to react before he was pierced through.

Inside the Elder Council, every elder, including the World Lords, sat in stunned silence.

Jiuyuan, the Immortal God seated in the center of the highest tier, abruptly stood up, disbelief written across his ancient features.

"The first move of the Nine Styles of Lanfeng, Crimson Flame Meteor..."

"An Origin Law!"

The selection battle's host, Kasa, murmured almost like he was groaning, "He's already crossed the threshold of the Origin Law of Fire!"

Secret arts weren't common in Jiuyuan Holy Land. Apart from those created by Jiuyuan himself and those seized on the Outer-Region Battlefield, every secret art had been created by a Peak World Lord who had earned the recognition of an Origin Law.

The elders were all quite familiar with every one of them.

The Nine Styles of Lanfeng was the most powerful secret art involving the Origin Law of Fire. Its first move had an extremely high threshold. Comprehending even a trace of an Origin Law wasn't enough; one had to cross the threshold of the Origin Law of Fire.

After their shock came overwhelming joy. Jiuyuan's laughter reverberated throughout the Elder Council, making the whole place rumble.

This wasn't a genius who might one day rival Yanchen.

This was a genius who far surpassed Yanchen—the greatest genius the Lingtong Race had ever seen! He had only recently obtained the Divine Envoy Inheritance Crystal, and now such an unparalleled genius had appeared. The Origin Will of the Original Universe was looking after the Lingtong Race!