The pressure wasn't an assault on the soul. It came from the instinctive awe inspired by an absolute difference in the level of life itself, like an ant gazing up at a mountain—vast and overwhelming, leaving no room for the slightest thought of resistance.
Every living being in the imperial capital, from busy commoners to martial artists in secluded cultivation, felt their hearts skip a beat. They stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky in alarm.
High above, the azure firmament rippled like water. The next moment, an enormous spaceship slowly "squeezed" out of the void, revealing its awe-inspiring hull!
The ship was streamlined and nearly ten thousand meters long, its hull a cold silver-gray. Countless intricate, enigmatic blue energy patterns were carved across its surface, slowly flowing like living things and radiating a heart-stirring energy fluctuation. At the most prominent point on the bow, an emblem woven from icy crystal patterns and a winding river gleamed brightly—the mark of the Glacier Sacred Land!
The colossal vessel did not fully pierce the atmosphere. Instead, it hovered steadily tens of thousands of meters above the ground, its shadow covering nearly half the imperial capital. A thick blue beam of light, more than ten meters across, descended from the ship's underside with pinpoint precision, like the gaze of a god, and landed on the spacious Central Plaza in front of the imperial palace.
The beam remained solid, containing a peaceful yet supremely imposing mental will. Its message rang clearly throughout the imperial capital and even the surrounding regions: "By order of the Glacier Sacred Land, I have come to receive the Core Student, Qin Zhao!"
The voice was not loud, yet it echoed across the entire planet.
"The ship sent to receive Qin Zhao has finally arrived!" Mu Han exclaimed excitedly from his seat in a quiet room deep within the imperial capital.
Elsewhere, Qin Zhao slowly rose to his feet. He felt the vast pressure descending from above, but his heart remained calm. Unlike Mu Han and the others, he knew this was merely the aura of a regular reception ship in the universe. Truly powerful beings didn't even need to come in person; a single thought from them could envelop entire stars.
Without another word, he blurred and appeared outside the quiet room. He glanced up at the Sacred Land's ship hovering in the sky, then lightly tapped his foot against the ground. He shot toward the enormous beam of light as a streak of earthy yellow, carrying the steady presence of a mountain.
The beam seemed to have a mind of its own. It trembled slightly as soon as Qin Zhao entered, then swiftly retracted. The energy patterns across the giant ship flared with light and rang with a low hum. The next moment, the hull seemed to melt into the void. It shot upward at a speed beyond the limits of the naked eye and vanished into the azure sky, as if it had never appeared.
Only the fading ripples of energy over the imperial capital's plaza, and the lingering shock and longing on the faces of countless onlookers, proved that the astonishing scene had been no illusion.
The reception beam carried Qin Zhao into a spacious, brightly lit transport cabin filled with a futuristic atmosphere. When the light faded, he found himself standing on solid ground, with several people already waiting inside.
At their head stood a middle-aged man in the Glacier Sacred Land's blue uniform armor. He had a resolute face and keen eyes like an eagle's. His aura was as unfathomable as a vast ocean—he was unmistakably a Domain Lord! Behind him stood four attendants in gray combat suits. Their auras were all tightly contained, and each was a Universe Level expert.
The Domain Lord in the lead looked Qin Zhao over, a trace of scrutiny flashing in his keen eyes before his expression quickly softened. He stepped forward with a formulaic smile. "Welcome aboard, Student Qin Zhao. I'm Claude, a Reception Envoy of the Glacier Sacred Land."
"Greetings, Lord Claude."
Qin Zhao greeted him without fawning or showing any disrespect. He could sense that Claude was no weaker than Snow, whom he had met in the Virtual Universe. The new achievement that had appeared on his panel soon confirmed it!
[Congratulations! You have faced the true form of a Highgod!] [Achievement unlocked: Face a Highgod!] [Reward: Soul Resistance +10%!]
[Name: Qin Zhao] [Talent: Earth Element (superior), Water-style (high), ...(lower than high omitted)] [Achievements: Saint Realm, Lowgod, Erudite, Praise of a Paragon, Face a Highgod] [Secret Technique: 128 Martial Arts Secret Techniques (mastery)] [Comprehension: Earth Element Laws (Earth Element 100%, Pulse of the Earth 15%)] [Items: None] [Buffs: Comprehension +30%, Soul Resistance +10%]
Claude is actually a Highgod according to the system? Isn't he a Domain Lord? And he's given me a buff to my soul resistance?
Qin Zhao had always assumed that Domain Lords corresponded to Paragon Highgods in the Coiling Dragon World. But the system had only identified Claude, a Domain Lord, as a Highgod. It seemed the requirements for being considered a Paragon must begin at Domain Lord Ninth Stage or beyond! A newly advanced Domain Lord might still belong to that rank, but there was an enormous gap between one and a Domain Lord Ninth Stage.
He hadn't expected this achievement to grant him resistance to soul attacks, either. Ten percent might not seem like much, but it was enough to weaken the power of a same-tier expert's Soul Attack by a full tenth! This buff would grow more terrifying in the later stages, making it a valuable long-term buff!
"No need for formalities." Claude waved a hand, his manner very amiable. "Supervisor Snow sent me to take you to the Ice Ripple Secret Realm. It's a long journey, and we'll need to make a Cosmic Shuttle. In the meantime, you can cultivate in your assigned quarters or enter the Virtual Universe. Come with me now to register your basic information."
Claude led Qin Zhao to a device beside the transport cabin. The process was simple: it scanned the characteristics of Qin Zhao's Genetic Force and the fluctuations of his Spiritual Force, then cross-checked them with the information registered in the Virtual Universe.
"Your information has been verified. Student Qin Zhao, your Core Student privileges are now active." Claude finished operating the device and nodded. "Your quarters are in Sector B, Room 17. The intelligent assistant will guide you there. Please don't wander around the ship without a special reason. I'll notify you when we reach the Ice Ripple Secret Realm."
"Yes. Thank you, Lord Claude," Qin Zhao replied.
A Universe Level attendant came forward and gestured for Qin Zhao to follow him. "Student Qin Zhao, this way, please."
Qin Zhao followed the attendant through several corridors as smooth as mirrors and stopped in front of a private cabin. The door slid open without a sound, revealing a simple room equipped with everything he needed. It had an ecological pod for resting, an interface connecting to the Virtual Universe, and even a small cultivation room.
"If you need anything, you can contact me through the intelligent assistant in your room," the Universe Level attendant said before bowing and leaving.
The cabin door closed, and Qin Zhao looked around his temporary quarters. He felt the ship vibrate slightly, followed by a strange sensation of weightlessness, but the vessel's artificial gravity system immediately counteracted it.
We've entered the Dark Universe already... Qin Zhao realized. He walked to the viewing window—though what it showed was simulated—and saw that the familiar starry sky had vanished, replaced by the bizarre sight of the Dark Universe, where countless streaks of light flew past.
He didn't waste any time. He connected directly to the Virtual Universe and used his K-77 account to enter the Killing Field. There was still a long time before they reached the Glacier Sacred Land, and he needed to make the most of every second to improve himself.
Before you continue