"What? You've already reached the peak of Star Rank? Your Domain is at the ninth level, and you can even faintly sense the fluctuations of a Law? And now you're coming to me for money, saying you want to break through to Universe Level?!"
Babata, who was usually arrogant and looked down her nose at everyone, finally changed her expression. Her voice trembled slightly.
She flapped her pair of shimmering purple wings and darted up to Tang Ping, circling him from head to toe. Disbelief was written all over her young face.
Peak Star Rank, a maxed-out Domain... In the Virtual Universe, that was nothing extraordinary. Plenty of Star Rank fighters here had mastered higher Laws on par with those wielded by World Lord Rank powerhouses, such as Space Law.
But what kind of place was this? The Virtual Universe Company! One of the Six Peak Races' greatest powers, and one of the five most mysterious and powerful forces among humanity! It gathered the finest geniuses of the entire Human Race, peerless talents selected from across 1,008 High-level Universe Countries, each comparable to the Ganwu Universe Kingdom!
But those geniuses... at this age, did they have the kind of comprehension you did?
Her thoughts churned. The young man standing before her, barely over thirty, was a disciple she had casually taken on as an honorary student on Earth on a whim.
"Thirty... He's only thirty! If my master hadn't had those heaven-defying encounters back then, he might not even have been able to catch this kid's shadow..."
Babata fell silent for a moment, then gritted her teeth. "Wait! I'll arrange a few live-combat tests for you in the Killing Field. I want to see with my own eyes whether you're really as good as you say!"
Tang Ping looked troubled. "I... I've only fought the strongest Planetary Rank bosses in virtual games before. I've never actually fought anyone at Star Rank... Isn't going straight to the Killing Field a little... too soon?"
"Don't worry!" Babata patted her chest. "As long as you can show me the strength you claim to have, I won't care whether you win or lose! Besides..." She lowered her voice, making it sound tempting. "A single entry to the Killing Field costs several million Black Dragon Coins. You probably couldn't afford to go before, right? If you pass the test, you can come every day from now on! I'll cover it! Every last coin!"
She paused, a smug glint in her eyes. "Don't underestimate the Killing Field. It's one of the most incredible training grounds in the Virtual Universe. It can generate any opponent you want. You can even set your opponent to be slightly better than you in a Law Domain you haven't yet mastered, so you can accelerate your comprehension through life-or-death combat!"
Tang Ping's eyes lit up. At last, he nodded firmly. "All right! I'll give it a try!"
One day later.
The ten battles were over.
Record: nine wins, one loss. A 90% win rate!
In the final battle, his opponent was Luo Feng at the peak of his "Genius Tournament" a century ago—the peerless prodigy who had taken third place in the Universe's greatest human genius tournament as a Star Rank fighter and made his name across the Universe.
Tang Ping finally lost, but he held out for dozens of exchanges and forced "Luo Feng" to use Space Law to suppress him.
Babata's expression, however, was deeply conflicted.
She hovered in midair, her little face scrunched up as if she had eaten ten pounds of spoiled star-beast meat or been constipated for three days. She kept looking Tang Ping up and down, opening her mouth, but not saying a word.
It wasn't because Tang Ping was too weak.
In every battle, Tang Ping's approach had been downright bizarre.
As soon as the fight began, he spread his wings and shot backward, leaving the main battle zone altogether. Then he launched into a guerrilla-style hit-and-run strategy.
He was unbelievably fast, and his movements were so erratic that he seemed like a ghost. Even when his opponents used secret techniques to speed up, they couldn't so much as touch the hem of his clothes.
Even more absurdly, his will was unwavering. Ordinary illusions and mental interference barely affected him. Add the long-range suppression of his Telekinetic Weapon, and his damage output was as steady as a precision machine.
Ordinary opponents couldn't get close before he blasted them to death from afar.
Only when he faced Luo Feng's Space Law did the other fighter forcefully compress space with the power of the Law and teleport right up to him, finally breaking his rhythm. Even then, Tang Ping relied on exquisite techniques for redirecting force and defensive footwork to withstand more than ten attacks before finally losing.
"Th-this isn't a fight," Babata muttered at last. "It's just... obnoxious!"
Watching him had nearly made her sick. Every Star Rank opponent, strong or weak, got dragged into Tang Ping's strange rhythm: never engaging head-on, just keeping his distance and wearing them down.
And yet... he won.
After a long silence, only the faint whisper of the star-wind in the Virtual Universe remained in the ancestral hall. At last, Babata spoke, her voice unusually hesitant. "Xiao Ping... why do you always like fighting this way? Dodging around instead of facing your opponents head-on?"
Tang Ping heard her and let his lips curl into a faint, self-assured smile. "It's safer. You only get one life, so safety comes first."
"Safety comes first?" Babata stared at him, her little face full of astonishment. Then she murmured the words again, as if they had stirred some long-buried memory.
Damn... He might actually have a point.
Her heart jolted. If her old master had been this cautious, would he really have died?
As for her current master, Luo Feng, his astonishing talent, relentless hard work, and heaven-defying luck had brought him this far. But could his luck last forever?
In the end, no one could live on luck alone.
A moment later, she said slowly, "You came to see me... because you're preparing to break through to Universe Level?"
"Heh-heh." Tang Ping scratched his head, smiling sheepishly, then added without the slightest embarrassment, "The more, the better. When it comes to money, having more means I'll have a better chance of breaking through safely. That naturally makes it safer, right?"
Babata nearly choked. Her little face flushed red. "Y-you're breaking through, not buying groceries! And you want 'the more, the better'?"
She grumbled inwardly: Those genius disciples of Falling Ink Star would have shut themselves away for a few days and broken through in one go if they had foundations like yours. Silence fell again.
At last, Babata became serious. "I have a suggestion. Don't break through just yet."
"Recently, my master has stood out too much in the Virtual Universe, and he's already drawn the attention of several Alien Race forces. Now that you've emerged and shown such astonishing talent, if you break through to Universe Level, you'll likely be targeted immediately."
"Alien Races?" Tang Ping's pupils contracted.
"That's right." Babata nodded, her purple wings drawing in slightly. "They have all kinds of insidious methods: Soul Control, mental possession, memory theft... They'll use any dirty trick they can.
"If they control you and use you to get close to my master before trying to assassinate him... Even if the Virtual Universe conducts a full scan and purge before my master returns, who can say what secret techniques the Alien Races have? Maybe they could even evade detection."
She paused, her tone turning heavier. "Even if they can't kill my master, they might still kill you out of spite."
"So," Babata continued, "I suggest you lie low for a while.
"My master made several close friends in the Ganwu Universe Kingdom. They've all grown up in the Ganwu Secret Realm. I can recommend you for entry. There are even better instructors there, and the resources are far superior to what you have here. It would greatly benefit your future growth."
She changed tack. "But there's a condition: once you enter, you'll only receive the basic benefits. You'll have to earn and fight for everything else yourself. Some trials in the secret realm are even life-or-death. My master had to struggle on the brink of death again and again before he achieved what he has today."
"However..." she added, "it'll take a few months. I need to make the arrangements first. If you're not in a hurry, be patient and don't rush into your breakthrough."
Tang Ping's eyes suddenly lit up.
The Ganwu Secret Realm? Top instructors? A safe environment?
Wasn't this the cultivation sanctuary he had always dreamed of?
He had Proficiency Talent. Just give him enough time, and no matter how low his starting point, he would eventually wear away the stone with dripping water and ascend to the peak. If he could grow steadily somewhere relatively safe and rich in resources, it would be an opportunity sent from heaven!
As for "life-or-death trials" and "narrowly escaping death"?
He could simply skip them!
He had always believed: if he could get stronger while lying down, he would never risk his life standing up.
"Thank you, Lady Babata!" Tang Ping bowed deeply, his gratitude sincere.
He knew that although she was doing this to prepare for Falling Ink Star's future and honor her old master's memory, for him, it was a genuine opportunity.
Loyalty!
"But..." Tang Ping suddenly rubbed his hands together, putting on a flattering smile. "Lady Babata, my wife has also reached the peak of Star Rank, and her Water Domain is nearly at the second level. Do you think... you might... take her along too, while you're at it?"
"What?!" Babata's eyes flew wide open. Her little purple wings gave a sharp flap, like a space cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Y-you have a wife?!"
She pointed at Tang Ping, her voice shooting up an octave. "I'm the great Demon Babata! I used to dare curse at Immortal Gods, and now I have to look after you, a random honorary disciple I picked up, and your wife too?!"
She was so furious she spun around in the air, her wings flapping like a broken umbrella in a typhoon.
But for all her cursing, after a few laps she slowly came to a stop. She stared at Tang Ping's shameless expression, which practically said, "I'm sticking with you whether you like it or not," and finally heaved a long sigh.
"...Fine."
"I'll ask around for you."
"But let me make this clear first: if she doesn't have real ability, she'll be in danger even if she gets in. The secret realm doesn't support dead weight."
Tang Ping's face lit up. "Thank you, Lady Babata!"
Greatness needed no further explanation!
Babata rolled her eyes.
Before you continue