Two Spots

"Brother Bing Lan." Ice Plains World Lord bowed slightly in greeting. Ice Ripple World Lord was not only the strongest in the Holy Land, with strength far surpassing his own, but also one of the most powerful World Lords in the entire Binglan Universe Kingdom. His status was highly esteemed.

"Are you hoping to take that young fellow Qin Zhao as your disciple?" Ice Ripple World Lord glanced at the battle projection, which had yet to close, and wore a faint smile.

"Precisely! This child has an extraordinary talent for the Law of Earth. I want to take him as my personal disciple and teach him carefully," Ice Plains World Lord said candidly. It was only natural. Qin Zhao was registered under Ice Plains Divine Realm, after all, and it was perfectly normal for him, the realm's master, to take one of its promising young talents as a disciple.

Ice Ripple World Lord gently shook his head. His tone was calm, though tinged with helplessness. "You're too late. This young fellow's battle record and potential have already caught the attention of the Patrol Envoy stationed at our Glacier Sacred Land on behalf of the Noah Secret Realm."

"The Noah Secret Realm?!" Ice mist churned violently around Ice Plains World Lord, clearly revealing his agitation. After all, the Noah Secret Realm was one of the most powerful forces in the entire Noah Universe Kingdom. Its standards and abundant resources were far beyond what a small force like the Glacier Sacred Land could match.

"How could this happen? Every time a genius appears in our Glacier Sacred Land, the Noah Secret Realm's Patrol Envoy comes sniffing around! If they keep snatching up all our promising talents, when will the Glacier Sacred Land ever produce a true Immortal Expert?" Ice Plains World Lord could only feel bitter and indignant.

"There's nothing we can do!" Ice Ripple World Lord was also rather helpless. "The Patrol Envoy has already issued instructions. The Noah Secret Realm has added this child to its recruitment list in advance. Once he breaks through to Star Level and adapts to his strength, the Noah Secret Realm will send a Special Envoy to escort him to the secret realm for special training, in preparation for the Universe Peak Genius Battle, which the Virtual Universe Company will hold in twenty years."

At the words "Universe Peak Genius Battle," Ice Plains World Lord finally fell silent. It was a grand event for the entire Human Race, hosted in turns by the Virtual Universe Company and the Giant Axe Coliseum—a stage where all the Star Level geniuses from across the Human Territory gathered.

The Noah Secret Realm's early interest meant its higher-ups had recognized Qin Zhao's potential. He might already have one foot in the Core Layer of the Virtual Universe Company. His future was beyond the reach of a World Lord from a low-level cosmic civilization kingdom like him to constrain or nurture.

"I understand." Ice Plains World Lord tamped down his indignation and displeasure, and his voice returned to normal. Competing with the Noah Secret Realm for a disciple? That would be sheer folly. The most he could do was offer Qin Zhao whatever help he could before the young man left, and forge a good connection with him.

"But you don't need to be disappointed! The Patrol Envoy has already promised me that he'll escort Qin Zhao to the Noah Secret Realm, but in return, he'll compensate our Ice Plains Holy Land with two World Lord slots to visit the Initial Universe! In recognition of your role in discovering Qin Zhao, I've decided to give you one of those slots!"

"A World Lord slot to visit the Initial Universe? For me?" Ice Plains World Lord's eyes lit up. "If that's the case, then I have nothing more to say! If the Noah Secret Realm wants him, they can have him! It's not as if we could compete with them anyway! Compensation is even better!"

It was no wonder Ice Plains World Lord had changed his tune so quickly. This was a chance to visit the Initial Universe and study its mysteries! With an opportunity like this, he was eighty percent certain he could break through to Immortality and achieve eternity! A slot to visit the Initial Universe was worth three to four Hunyuan Units. A World Lord's entire fortune was usually only around ten Hunyuan Units, while even a relatively weak Immortal Expert was worth no more than a thousand!

His own fortune was indeed considerable, but it was still nowhere near enough. Never mind his personal wealth—even if he sold the entire Glacier Sacred Land, he probably still couldn't scrape together ten thousand Hunyuan Units! This opportunity was a win for everyone. After all, as important as a disciple might be, what could matter more than his own breakthrough to Immortality?

"Two slots are fortunate indeed for our Glacier Sacred Land." Ice Ripple World Lord nodded slightly, and his figure slowly faded away. "Spend this time nurturing the young fellow, until the Special Envoy arrives."

Soon, silence returned to the great hall. Ice Plains World Lord gazed at Qin Zhao's figure in the projection for a long while, then sighed softly and withdrew the message he had been about to send, asking Qin Zhao to become his disciple.

Elsewhere, Qin Zhao had just completed his Star Level certification and moved into a new residence on the floating continent reserved for Star Level Core Members. He had no idea any of this was happening. He was immersed in the exhilaration of his rapidly surging strength and steadily improving Law Comprehension.

His new residence was a sprawling manor with a better cultivation environment. The basement was equipped with energy crystals specially designed to aid Star Level cultivation, providing purer cosmic energy. With the huge number of points he had won as a Ranking Battle champion and the monthly resource allowance for Star Level Core Members, Qin Zhao had thrown himself into cultivation without hesitation.

He devoted nearly all his time to comprehending the Law of Earth and the Law of Space.

At home, he often sat in meditation in his cultivation chamber, or visited the real Ten Thousand Mountain Wall. There, he merged his mind deeply with his Earth God Clone to comprehend the mysteries of the Pulse of the Earth and Gravity Space. With the combined boosts from his Longke Race bloodline and Star Level cultivation, his comprehension of the Law of Earth advanced far faster than before.

His Pulse of the Earth steadily approached one hundred percent. His comprehension of Gravity Space, which leaned toward the mysteries of gravity and resilience, also improved slowly but surely.

In the Virtual Universe, he thrived even more. Star Level Core Members had greater privileges and access to more advanced courses in the Law Transmission Pavilion. He frequently attended lectures on the Law of Earth and the Law of Space, given by Domain Lords and World Lords, and occasionally even by masters of divine realms.

When it came to the Law of Space, his main focus was Ten Thousand Line Flow. Having crossed the threshold of "First Line Flow," he needed to practice until he could form Phantom Bodies faster and keep them in existence longer, while beginning to advance toward "Nine Line Flow." The Virtual Universe's dedicated training spaces provided countless environments suited to practicing the Law of Space, such as the "Space Labyrinth" and "Folding Corridor," allowing him to experiment and improve to his heart's content.

At the same time, he hadn't neglected his practice of Shockwave and Earth Pulse Guard. As his comprehension of the mysteries of the Pulse of the Earth deepened and approached perfection, Shockwave grew ever more powerful and unpredictable. Meanwhile, Earth Pulse Guard was continuously refined through virtual battles against stronger opponents, growing ever more formidable in both defense and control of the surrounding environment.

Before long, the data on the Coiling Dragon Achievement System's panel was updating rapidly...

[Secret Techniques: 128 Martial Arts Secret Techniques (Perfect), Shockwave (Minor Achievement 1%), Earth Pulse Guard (Minor Achievement 1%), Ten Thousand Line Flow (Proficient 12%)]

[Comprehension: Earth-style Laws (Earth Element 100%, Pulse of the Earth 85%, Gravity Space 40%), Law of Space (Teleportation 1.1%)]

Time flew by amid cultivation that was both fulfilling and, by any measure, intense. Qin Zhao's strength changed visibly with each passing day. His Star Level One cultivation steadily consolidated with the resources he accumulated, advancing toward Star Level Two, while his comprehension of the Laws of Earth and Space grew increasingly profound.

He was like an insatiable sponge, greedily absorbing every bit of nourishment the Glacier Sacred Land could provide. He still knew nothing about the Noah Secret Realm or the Peak Genius Battle, but deep down, he had a premonition that his peaceful days of cultivation might not last much longer.