Time flew by. A year had passed since Qin Zhao broke through to Star Level, and he had spent the entire time cultivating in a Cultivation Residence in the Ice Ripple Secret Realm, near the Ten Thousand Mountain Wall and the Ice Blue Tributary.
Throughout that year, he had shut out all distractions and devoted himself entirely to Law Comprehension and honing his secret techniques. His Stellar Level One cultivation had long since stabilized, and he was steadily advancing toward the second level. His greatest progress, however, had been in the Origin Law of Space.
"Bzz—"
Inside the Virtual Universe, in the dedicated training space for the Law of Space—the Folding Corridor.
Countless winding, ever-shifting folds in space filled the void, forming a vast three-dimensional maze. At that moment, three solid figures darted through it at astonishing speed, their movements bizarre and unpredictable. They were Qin Zhao and his two Space Phantoms.
Every twist of his body seemed to meld him with the fluctuations of space, allowing him to slip effortlessly through the gaps between folds that appeared impossible to pass. The two Phantoms followed close behind. Though not as agile as his true body, they effectively disrupted the virtual opponent's lock-on and could take attacks in his place at crucial moments.
"Shing!"
An invisible blade of space appeared out of nowhere and slashed toward Qin Zhao's true body. His eyes narrowed. He and his two Phantoms shifted slightly at almost the same time. The blade skimmed past the edges of all three figures and struck the folds of space behind them, sending ripples spreading outward.
"Three Phantoms—that's well beyond the threshold for First Line Flow." Qin Zhao was quite satisfied with his progress over the past year. He had gone from just entering First Line Flow to being able to reliably create three Phantoms, for a total of four figures including his true body. His comprehension of the Teleportation profound mystery of the Law of Space had reached [Teleportation 3%], and his mastery of the Ten Thousand Line Flow secret technique had improved accordingly.
In reality, his Earth God Clone and true body had been comprehending the profound mysteries of the Law of Earth contained in the Ten Thousand Mountain Wall. [Pulse of the Earth 99%] was just one step away from reaching 100% perfection and fully fusing with [Earth Element]. Meanwhile, [Gravity Space] had slowly improved to 45%. As his comprehension of the core profound mysteries deepened, [Shockwave] and [Earth Pulse Guard] had both reached the "minor mastery" stage, making them much easier to use.
Just as Qin Zhao finished a round of virtual training and his consciousness returned to reality, he was about to take a short rest before resuming his study of the Ten Thousand Mountain Wall—
"Hm?"
He suddenly looked up.
Without warning, the sky above his residence, normally tinted pale blue by the Secret Realm's formation, seemed to have its color silently wiped away by an invisible hand, turning into a vast, pure darkness. It wasn't night. It was a void that seemed to devour even light.
An indescribable heaviness descended without a sound. It did not weigh on his body, but pressed directly upon his soul and will. Under that invisible pressure, the space around him seemed to thicken. Even the profound, heavy pulses of earth emanating from the Ten Thousand Mountain Wall weakened, while the burbling water of the Ice Blue Tributary abruptly fell silent.
Qin Zhao's pupils contracted, and every muscle in his body tensed. This presence was far more vast and unfathomable than what he had felt when facing Snow or Claude. It was as if he were facing not a living being, but an endless starry sky, a silent abyss of the universe.
Then, at the center of that darkness, a point of light appeared and quickly expanded into a hazy figure. The figure took a single step and silently appeared in the courtyard of Qin Zhao's Cultivation Residence, standing opposite him.
The newcomer wore plain gray battle armor. He was tall and well-proportioned, with an ordinary face, looking like any common warrior of the universe. But his eyes seemed to contain two swirling galaxies, so deep that one could lose oneself in them with a single glance. He leaked no energy and made no effort to release his pressure, yet he seemed to blend perfectly with the surrounding space, even faintly becoming its core. Qin Zhao understood at once: this was an Immortal—and no ordinary one.
"Qin Zhao." The gray-armored man spoke in an even voice, yet his words carried a strange penetrating power that rang directly in Qin Zhao's mind. "My name is Nine Peaks. I am the Patrol Envoy stationed at the Ice Ripple Universe Kingdom on behalf of the Noah Secret Realm."
The Noah Secret Realm! Qin Zhao's heart jolted.
He was familiar with the name. The Human Race had 1,008 High-level Universe Countries, and each had an official Secret Realm Holy Land directly under its authority. The Noah Secret Realm was one of these 1,008 official Secret Realm Holy Lands, and it was directly overseen by the Noah Kingdom Lord.
He immediately bowed respectfully. "Qin Zhao greets Lord Nine Peaks."
Nine Peaks Immortal gave a slight nod, seemingly unsurprised by Qin Zhao's reaction. His calm gaze swept over Qin Zhao, and countless streaks of light seemed to flash through those galaxy-like eyes.
"No need for formalities." Nine Peaks Immortal spoke calmly. "I came to inform you of something—you've been selected for early absorption into the Noah Secret Realm."
He spoke bluntly, without beating around the bush. "Your performance in the annual Ranking Battle at the Glacier Sacred Land was reported to the Secret Realm through the virtual network."
"Your talent for comprehending the Law of Earth is decent. More remarkable is that you crossed the threshold of the Law of Earth Origin while still at Planet Level." Nine Peaks Immortal continued in the same even tone, as if stating a simple fact. "That talent already exceeds the Noah Secret Realm's baseline for absorbing geniuses."
"The Noah Secret Realm is the strongest training ground in the Noah Universe Kingdom. Its resources, inheritances, and opponents are all beyond comparison with the Glacier Sacred Land. Once you enter, you'll be eligible to study the most advanced secret techniques of the Human Race and receive occasional guidance from Immortals—even the Kingdom Lord."
Nine Peaks Immortal was very direct, listing one by one the many advantages of joining the Noah Secret Realm. He was painting a rosy picture to stir Qin Zhao's desire to join.
He had little choice but to do so. According to his investigation, Qin Zhao had only joined the Glacier Sacred Land two years ago. Before that, he had been nothing more than a native genius, with little knowledge of the wider universe. If the Glacier Sacred Land managed to mislead him into wanting to stay, that would cause Nine Peaks trouble.
After all, for an organization as vast as the Noah Secret Realm, there were plenty of geniuses who had crossed the threshold of a lower-level law while still at Planet Level. If Qin Zhao were dead set on staying at the Glacier Sacred Land, the Noah Secret Realm's rules absolutely forbade forcing him.
But for someone like Nine Peaks, a Patrol Envoy for a Holy Land, discovering and recruiting a promising genius who had crossed the threshold of a lower-level law while still at Planet Level could bring enormous benefits. If Qin Zhao refused to cooperate, it would be Nine Peaks himself who lost out.
"Furthermore, in about twenty years!" Nine Peaks Immortal looked at Qin Zhao and enunciated each word. "The Universe Peak Genius Battle, hosted by the Virtual Universe Company, will begin. It's the ultimate arena, where countless Stellar Level prodigies from across the Human Territory will gather. If the Noah Secret Realm trains you, its primary goal will be to help you stand out in the Genius Tournament and win glory and resources for the Noah Universe Kingdom—and for the Secret Realm itself."
"The Universe Peak Genius Battle? So it's still about twenty years away?" Hearing the familiar name, Qin Zhao felt his blood stir. "I just don't know what point we're at in the timeline."
"What's your answer?" Nine Peaks Immortal asked. Though he phrased it as a question, his gaze remained calm and unreadable. Clearly, he didn't believe Qin Zhao would refuse after he had spelled everything out.
Suppressing his excitement, Qin Zhao bowed again without hesitation, his voice firm. "I'm grateful for your regard, my lord. I'm willing to go to the Noah Secret Realm!"
"Good." A faint smile flickered across Nine Peaks Immortal's face and vanished. "You have three days to settle everything at the Glacier Sacred Land. In three days, I'll come personally to take you to the Noah Secret Realm."
With that, Nine Peaks Immortal said nothing more. His figure blurred as quietly as it had appeared, merging into the surrounding space. The darkness enveloping the courtyard vanished in an instant, and the sky returned to the Secret Realm's pale blue. The pressure was gone as well, as if everything that had just happened were a dream.
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