In the virtual space, Jiang Yao was still marveling at the power of the Nine Styles of Lanfeng while eagerly anticipating his next opponent.
To his surprise, the entire scene suddenly shattered. When he came to his senses, he was standing in the vast plaza before the Elder Council in Jiuyuan City, inside the Virtual Universe. The Lingtong Race geniuses around him were looking at him strangely.
Was that it?
Jiang Yao tried to suppress his disappointment at not having had his fill of battle.
"Jiang Yao!"
Duomeng hurried over, more excited than Jiang Yao had ever seen him. "What secret technique did you just use? You killed your opponent in the tenth round in a single blow! Why did you suddenly come out? Do you know that the best anyone else managed was to pass the sixth round?"
Prose, Kuman, and the others came over as well.
"Did you actually clear the whole thing?"
"You've been hiding a lot from us! Are you following the warrior path or the Controller path? I've heard that even many Domain Lord warriors in our race can't master that Heavenly Cage Domain Seal."
Jiang Yao scratched his head. He couldn't exactly tell them that he'd only discovered his potential along the warrior path during the battle.
"Jiang Yao!"
The voice belonged to the black-robed World Lord who had hosted the event. At some point, he had come out of the Elder Council.
Before the competition, the black-robed World Lord had radiated such a powerful pressure while explaining the rules that it had made everyone tremble. Now, however, he looked at Jiang Yao with a warm smile, leaving the geniuses in the plaza somewhat astonished.
"Come with me. The Ancestor wants to see you."
Jiang Yao wasn't surprised. He replied respectfully, "Yes, sir."
"No need to call me sir." The black-robed World Lord smiled. "Just call me Kasa."
The young man before him was already the Ancestor's personal disciple, with a status equal to that of a World Lord Elder. One could say he stood above everyone but the Ancestor himself. Add in his astonishing talent, and Kasa couldn't stop congratulating himself inwardly on his wisdom and decisiveness in investing early.
Behind Jiang Yao, Duomeng stood with his mouth agape, utterly dumbfounded.
He had never seen his teacher make that kind of expression.
As World Lord Kasa led Jiang Yao toward the Elder Council, he glanced at Duomeng but said nothing. Still, that was enough to snap Duomeng out of his stupor. He immediately understood what Kasa meant.
Duomeng laughed and threw an arm around Prose and Kuman. "The selection battle's over, and we're definitely not getting any prizes. Come on, I'll treat you to a feast. We don't need to worry about Jiang Yao—he's clearly a treasure in the Ancestor's eyes. Gaichen, you should come too."
Gaichen watched the three walk away with their arms around one another, his expression complicated. Around him, the other geniuses were still arguing over the move Jiang Yao had used to kill his opponent in the tenth round, and marveling at what they had seen. He sighed inwardly.
Before the selection battle, he had still wanted to compete with Jiang Yao. Now, that thought had vanished without a trace.
Like the other geniuses, even Bancha—who had been eliminated and remained gloomy ever since—looked much better now. The once most celebrated Stellar-level genius, who had reached the seventh level of Domain, had even joined the discussion of Jiang Yao's final move.
From today on, that young man would be someone they talked about, like Yanchen more than five hundred eras ago, rather than someone they measured themselves against.
Being born in the same era as such a monster was both a misfortune and, in truth, a blessing.
After Jiang Yao entered the Elder Council, World Lord Kasa left, giving the vast space within the Elder Council back to the pillar of the Lingtong Race and its peerless genius.
This was his first time meeting the ruler of Jiuyuan Holy Land, and the first time since arriving in this world that he had met an Immortal God.
The deepest impression this Immortal God left on him wasn't his weathered face, which seemed both youthful and middle-aged, but the boundless blue ocean that seemed to lie within his eyes.
"Jiang Yao pays his respects to the Ancestor."
Jiuyuan looked at Jiang Yao and laughed heartily. "Don't call me Ancestor. Call me teacher!"
Jiang Yao was taken aback, then understood. Bajie, who perched on his shoulder like a little sprite, immediately cried out in his mind, "Wonderful, wonderful! It was worth showing off your Origin Law. An Immortal God must have plenty of treasures. Since he's your teacher, hurry up and ask him for secret techniques, insights, or other teachings involving the four Origin Laws of wood, light, wind, and time."
Jiang Yao's Xu Yuan Space was still short of reaching the second level. He hadn't yet perfected the Origin Laws of wood, light, wind, and time.
Jiang Yao didn't put on any false airs. He knelt and bowed respectfully. "This disciple pays his respects to Teacher!"
Jiuyuan had him rise, then looked at his disciple with satisfaction. For a moment, he was reminded of Yanchen, from more than five hundred eras ago. Coming back to himself, he smiled and asked, "You've already crossed the threshold of the Origin Law of Fire?"
Though phrased as a question, his tone was certain.
Jiang Yao nodded. "Ever since my Domain awakened, I've been able to vaguely sense the fluctuations of the Origin Laws."
After all, normally one had to reach the eighth or ninth level of Domain before sensing the fluctuations of the Origin Laws. He needed a plausible explanation for how he'd crossed the threshold so early.
As for why he was so unusual, able to sense the fluctuations as soon as his Domain awakened, it was obviously because his Domain talent was exceptional. In any case, he wanted to avoid giving people reason to suspect he'd come across some fortuitous encounter, obtained some treasure, or possessed another life-form.
Jiuyuan nodded. He knew Jiang Yao was unusual. At the first level of Planetary Level, he had the willpower of someone at Stellar Level; and at Planetary Level, he had already developed a Domain. Neither was normal. Perhaps a Domain at Planetary Level was special? Or perhaps it had something to do with his willpower?
Whether it was his astonishingly strong willpower or the fact that he had a Domain at Planetary Level, both were exceedingly rare. There were too few examples. Even Jiuyuan, who had lived for countless ages, had heard of only a few cases, let alone figured out the pattern behind them.
But soon Jiuyuan put on a stern face, his smile fading. "What else are you keeping from me, you brat? Tell me everything! Were you treating the selection battle like your own personal performance?"
After Jiang Yao used the first style of the Nine Styles of Lanfeng to kill his opponent in the tenth round, Jiuyuan had immediately ordered the competition to end.
He had already shown his understanding of an Origin Law. What purpose was there in continuing the competition? This was a selection battle within the race, not the Peak Genius Tournament.
Jiang Yao hesitated. But since he'd need to get his new teacher to part with some of his resources later, he naturally needed to raise his standing in the man's eyes. He replied respectfully, "Besides the fluctuations of the Origin Law of Fire, my Domain can also sense the fluctuations of the Origin Law of Light."
"What do you mean?" Jiuyuan froze. "You can sense the fluctuations of the Origin Law of Light?"
Jiang Yao said clearly, "So, besides the Origin Law of Fire, this disciple has also crossed the threshold of the Origin Law of Light."
Jiuyuan stared at the young man before him, eyes wide, and was silent for a long time.
When he'd told Jiang Yao to reveal anything else he was hiding, he'd actually wanted to find out whether the boy had been practicing some other secret technique on Yulu Island.
More importantly, he suspected Jiang Yao might have been understating his Domain level. Maybe the boy had already reached the seventh or eighth level of Domain and had deliberately claimed it was only the fourth.
But he had never expected an answer like this.
I tell you to stop hiding things, and you really go and hide something huge from me?
Before you continue