The 1000th Life-and-Death Battle

Mulan Planet.

This is a planet composed of 65% land and 35% ocean. Across the vast land, 95% of the area is covered by all sorts of bizarre plants, while the remaining 5% is occupied by a massive castle.

Deep within a hidden chamber beneath the castle.

A man sitting cross-legged on the ground frowned slightly, his teeth clenched, his expression twisted in pain.

I do not know how much time passed before he opened his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Failed again!" His voice was hoarse from long periods of silence, and his tone was filled with helplessness and self-mockery.

His name is Li Yilin, and he is a transmigrator.

Thirty thousand years ago, he transmigrated into Swallowed Star. At that time, the original owner, having just entered the Universe level, had already signed a contract with the Giant Axe Arena.

The reason the original owner signed the contract was that his home planet, Wunuo Star, had been discovered by cosmic adventurers, but he did not yet have enough money to buy his own home planet. To prevent his home planet from becoming a slave planet, where his compatriots would be turned into slaves and sold for generations without ever knowing freedom, he had no choice but to sign a contract with the Giant Axe Arena to initiate life-and-death battles.

If he were to die in a life-and-death battle, the planet would be incorporated into the empire or cosmic nation of that territory, and at the very least, it would not become a slave planet. If he survived 1,000 life-and-death battles, Wunuo Star would be registered under his name.

Unfortunately, just after the original owner signed the contract, his body was taken over by Li Yilin, who came from the 21st century.

Thirty thousand years have passed since the original owner signed the contract, and he has experienced 999 life-and-death battles. His strength has grown from the initial Universe level to his current Domain Lord level five, and the intensity of the life-and-death battles has become increasingly severe.

He has no master, no background, and because he has to participate in life-and-death battles from time to time, he has been unable to go out into the universe for training.

Fortunately, he has survived countless struggles between life and death, and the reason for everything lies in his system.

Yes, he has a system called the Sign-in System, though it seems a bit dead, as it still hasn't come to life yet.

Li Yilin glanced at the flickering number in the top right corner of his vision and sighed in his heart.

99.9%.

This is the update progress of the system.

Ever since the system gave him a beginner's gift pack when he first awakened his memories and signed in, it began updating. Thirty thousand years have passed, and it has finally updated to... 99.9%!

Faced with this update speed, which is slower than a snail, Li Yilin went from initial excitement to anticipation, and then to... helplessness!

He has never been so speechless in his life!

Now, he doesn't even dare to hope that this broken system will finish updating.

Rely on others and they run; rely on mountains and they crumble; rely on the system?

It's still somewhat useful!

"Ding!" His smart brain vibrated, signaling an incoming message. Li Yilin looked down and tapped on the smart brain. An email popped up; it was sent by the Giant Axe Arena.

"Respected Li Yilin... three months from now... the 1,000th life-and-death battle... will be held. The battle planet will be determined three days before the start of the life-and-death battle. Please be sure to remember to attend."

Carefully committing the time of the final battle to memory and setting a reminder on his smart brain, Li Yilin closed the message, though the helplessness on his face deepened.

"The 1,000th life-and-death battle, it's almost here!"

"I cannot afford to capsize in the gutter during this final life-and-death battle. There is still time; I will go into seclusion once more. It would be good to increase my proficiency in Thunder Dragon Fall by even a fraction." Clearing his mind, he calmed his heart, closed his eyes, and entered a state of cultivation.

The reward for the first sign-in after binding the Sign-in System was 1% of the Thunder Dragon bloodline. After his body fused with the Thunder Dragon bloodline, his original 1x gene level rose to 5x.

As for the beginner's gift pack, it contained two items: the first was two secret techniques, the cultivation technique Thunder Dragon Art and the combat technique Thunder Dragon Fall; the second was a Thunder Fruit.

The specific use of the Thunder Fruit is unclear, but only by consuming it can one gain the qualifications to cultivate the Thunder Dragon Art.

Li Yilin guessed that the Thunder Fruit should be similar to the "Inheritance Soul Seal" that Luo Feng absorbed in the original work, but the "Inheritance Soul Seal" could only change force, whereas the Thunder Fruit likely changed soul characteristics or body bloodline, allowing him to possess a trace of the Thunder Dragon's bloodline so he could begin cultivation.

He actually leaned toward the former, as the latter would conflict with the bloodline reward from the sign-in.

However, whether it was the 1% Thunder Dragon bloodline, the secret techniques, or the Thunder Fruit, they were the greatest contributors to his survival through 999 life-and-death battles.

They have played an irreplaceable role in his current achievements.

At the same time that Li Yilin received the email notification for the 1,000th life-and-death battle, countless people in the Virtual Universe also received similar notifications.

Virtual Universe.

"A Domain Lord level life-and-death battle? This Li Yilin actually has 999 wins. Doesn't that mean if he wins the final life-and-death battle in three months, our empire will have one more Domain Lord level Giant Axe Warrior?"

"A Domain Lord level Giant Axe Warrior is much rarer than a Universe level life-and-death battle. Such a grand event, I must go and join the fun!"

"The betting is open! I'm betting on Li Yilin this time. 999 wins, Domain Lord level five, level nine Lightning Domain. A veteran powerhouse of the Giant Axe Arena, such an opportunity is rare!"

"Vida isn't bad either, you know. Also a level nine domain, with 927 wins."

"The odds given by the Giant Axe Arena for Li Yilin are 1:1.27; for Vida, they are 1:1.56. It goes without saying who is stronger."

"I'm betting on Vida. I saw the ultimate light in Vida; his Light Domain is very pure, and it has a great impact on me."

"Li Yilin's Lightning Domain is extremely violent. Purple lightning covers dozens of miles, turning him into the embodiment of a lightning domain. It's simply too cool; I am willing to call him the God of Thunder!"

"Hahaha!"

On a desolate planet, gray and almost completely hidden in the pitch-black cosmic starry sky.

Li Yilin stood on a meteorite eroded into pits and bumps by cosmic hurricanes, holding a large black saber in his hand, his face showing neither joy nor sorrow.

"Whoosh!"

A black spear tore through the void, its terrifying speed creating a series of sonic booms in the air that sent shivers down one's spine!

The spear pointed straight at Li Yilin on the meteorite.

Seeing the spear appear at his side and reach him in the blink of an eye, Li Yilin's eyes narrowed. He bent his knees slightly and pushed off with his feet, darting away like a ghost while simultaneously flicking his broadsword back to deflect the incoming spear!

"Clang!"

With a metallic clash, the spear was knocked aside, vanishing back into the void in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the spear disappear, Li Yilin had no intention of pursuing it; instead, he landed on a rocky hill and stood his ground.

He was draining his opponent—draining the stamina of the person hiding in the darkness.

Releasing a large-scale domain consumes a massive amount of consciousness, energy, and stamina. When facing an opponent skilled in concealment, waiting for them to tire is the best strategy.

On the pitch-black, starless wasteland, Li Yilin held his sword in a reverse grip, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, his grip on the broadsword never loosening.

Despite his cautious vigilance, there was not a hint of tension on his face, only coldness—an extreme, chilling coldness.

One kilometer away in the void, Vida, whose entire body was completely hidden within his domain, gritted his teeth as he watched this scene.

Too cautious!

He couldn't find a single opening!

Virtual Universe.

Giant Axe Arena.

In the massive arena, the dense rows of seats surrounding the central clearing were packed with humans of all shapes and sizes. Most of them looked excited, their minds entirely focused on the battlefield in the center.

"Whoa! Li Yilin is too cautious; Vida's probing is completely useless."

"Vida, stop playing hide-and-seek and pierce your enemy with that golden spear in your hand!"

"Only Universe Coins won with blood are my favorites!"

"Thrilling!"

"Vida, who has comprehended the Light Domain, is no match for Li Yilin, who has comprehended the Lightning Domain in terms of speed. I can already see the Universe Coins floating into my arms!" A gambler who bet on Li Yilin's victory shouted excitedly with his arms wide open.

"Li Yilin's speed is as terrifying as his lightning; I suspect he has comprehended teleportation."

"Didn't Vida comprehend the Law of Light? Why is his speed not as good as Li Yilin's?" And the gap is so large!

"Why else? Their focus is different!" Just like how some who comprehend the Space Law are good at clones and illusions for attacks, while others are good at power or defense.

"Oh, Vida, you trash, go! What is he doing?"

"I want to see a slaughter; that would make my blood boil. This 'you slash me, I slash you' game is something only fledglings would do."

"I bet 10 million Universe Coins on Li Yilin at 1:1.27 odds. As long as he wins, it will bring me at least 2.7 million in profit, hahaha!"

"Vida, you trash, oh, my Universe Coins, my money! My brain must have short-circuited when I placed the bet. Why did I think he could pull off a desperate comeback?"

The crowd in the stands discussed their favorite contestants heatedly, either cursing loudly or praying for their bets to win.

In a private room on the third floor of the arena.

Aodeyu lay half-reclined on a sofa with his legs crossed, twirling two scantily clad bunny girls in his arms. The virtual projection before him displayed the life-and-death battle between Li Yilin and Vida.

"Master, Li Yilin is a Domain Lord and is about to earn the title of 'Giant Axe Warrior'." Behind Aodeyu, a slave named Seren, completely encased in black battle armor, said respectfully.

"Should we recall the people we have stationed on Wunuo Star?"

"No, we won't just keep them there; we need to send more men."

"Only we know about the D-grade metal mine on Wunuo Star. Given the rarity of that D-grade metal, a mere Domain Lord like Li Yilin, even with the title of 'Giant Axe Warrior', isn't worth us giving up, unless..."

"Unless he joins the core layer of the Giant Axe Arena!" Speaking of this, Aodeyu couldn't help but grit his teeth. "Damn it, how did this cowardly guy manage to cultivate to the Domain Lord level?"

For thirty thousand years, he never stepped a single foot off Mulan Planet unless it was for a life-and-death battle. And since Mulan Planet is under the supervision of the Giant Axe Arena, they never had a chance to strike at him.

Otherwise, why would it have come to this, leaving them in such a dilemma?

"Given Li Yilin's talent, if he joins the Giant Axe Arena, he will definitely enter the core layer and catch the eye of some important figures. If we strike in the shadows, there might be accidents," Seren reminded him.

"Moreover, Li Yilin values his home planet more than we imagined. The strange thing is that he hasn't returned to his home planet in nearly thirty thousand years; otherwise, our movements on Wunuo Star might not have remained hidden."

"Hmph."

Hearing his words, Aodeyu became even more furious. He tightened his grip, and the bunny girl in his arms trembled in pain, yet she dared not make a single sound.

He had cultivated for dozens of epochs, struggling and fawning, enduring every hardship imaginable, only to barely break through to the Domain Lord level. That brat, with neither background nor resources, had become a Domain Lord in just thirty thousand years simply by participating in life-and-death battles.

The universe is truly unfair!