King Lanchen

Qin Zhao had revealed that he had reached the threshold of both the Laws of Earth and Space. His crystal-clear Space Phantom was especially striking, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake. The ripples quickly swept across the entire plaza of Ark Hall, and the impact began spreading deeper into the Noah Secret Realm at an astonishing pace.

"Two laws at the threshold! And he's only Star Level!"

"He's reached the threshold in both Earth and Space... Among this generation of Star Level talents in the Noah Secret Realm, he's definitely in the top three—no, he's the one to watch!"

"Which faction is he from? I've never heard of him before!"

"I heard Lord Nine Peaks brought him back from some low-level universe civilization..."

Exclamations and discussion rose and fell around them. The geniuses who had been sizing Qin Zhao up as a rival now looked at him with little but shock, along with a hint of barely concealed envy and even awe. A Star Level fighter touching the threshold of an upper-level law marked a vast divide, signifying an entirely different level of potential. The silver-robed Domain Lord swiftly changed Qin Zhao's rating from "Special Lower" to "Special Upper," then immediately sent a report to his superiors through the Virtual Universe Network.

Nine Peaks Immortal stood to one side, his initial astonishment already replaced by barely contained delight. He'd thought he'd merely found a promising young talent, but it turned out he'd uncovered an uncut gem—no, a treasure that was already nearly finished! Reaching the threshold of two laws gave Qin Zhao the terrifying potential to break into the top ten, or even the top five, in the upcoming Universe Peak Genius Battle. Discovering him would earn Nine Peaks Immortal a handsome reward in the secret realm.

Yet the commotion did not last long.

Just as the silver-robed Domain Lord finished sending his report—

"Hmm—"

The entire plaza of Ark Hall—or rather, the flattened mountain peak and the vast surrounding space—suddenly seemed to freeze. Time had not stopped. Instead, everything had been subjected to a deeper kind of "fixation." The drifting mist of cosmic energy stopped moving. The energy fluctuations from the distant mountains seemed frozen. Even the expressions on the geniuses' faces and the Origin Force surging within their bodies fell into an eerie standstill.

An indescribable heaviness filled every inch of space. It was not simply weight. It was as if the "mass" of the entire starry sky, its countless stars, and the dust spanning billions of miles had been magnified without limit, pressing down on every living being's heart and soul. Under this aura, even thought grew sluggish and heavy.

Nine Peaks Immortal's expression changed abruptly. His delight vanished, replaced by utmost reverence and solemnity. He bowed slightly toward the empty sky.

The next instant, a speck of earthy-yellow light appeared without warning in front of the Realm Testing Stone at the center of the plaza. At first it was faint, like a spark, but in a flash it expanded and spread, transforming into a towering figure.

He was a man dressed in a simple yellow hemp robe. He was not especially tall, yet as he stood there, he seemed the very center of Heaven and Earth, the bedrock that supported all things. His features were plain and timeless, his eyes gentle, like a boulder weathered by billions of years, containing boundless age and stability. No astonishing energy radiated from him, but the feeling that he was perfectly one with the earth beneath his feet, the space around him, and the stars in the distance was more unsettling than any violent outpouring of energy.

He merely stood there, and the source of the force that had stilled space and weighed down all things became unmistakably clear.

"Greetings, King Lanchen!"

Nine Peaks Immortal bowed first, his voice filled with awe.

The silver-robed Domain Lord and all the young heirs from major powers in the Noah Universe Kingdom shuddered at the name. Their faces lit up with fervent admiration as they bowed in unison; some were so overcome that they dropped to one knee.

"Greetings, King Lanchen!"

Their voices joined into a wave of heartfelt reverence.

King Lanchen! The renowned King-level Immortal of the Noah Universe Kingdom! One of the most powerful beings under the kingdom lord, he was famous for his mastery of the two Origin Laws of Earth and Space and for his immense strength. He guarded Thick Earth Continent in the Noah Secret Realm alone, and was one of the few King-level powerhouses there!

It was also said that King Lanchen had once been a King-level figure in the Virtual Universe Company, but for reasons unknown, he had later followed Noah Kingdom Lord to the Noah Secret Realm. Because of that rumor, King Lanchen held an exceptionally exalted position throughout the entire Noah Secret Realm!

Qin Zhao bowed with the others, his heart stirred. A King-level Immortal! Even in Chaos City, such a being would be granted permanent residence! He hadn't expected that merely revealing his talent in the Law of Space would bring a King-level powerhouse down in person!

"Ding! Ding!" As King Lanchen appeared, rows of logs began popping up automatically on Qin Zhao's data panel.

[Congratulations! You have faced a Main God for the first time and remained unflinching under the Main God's pressure!]

[Achievement unlocked: Might of the Main God!]

[Reward: Soul resistance increased by 30%!]

[Name: Qin Zhao]

[Achievements: Saint Realm, Lowgod, Erudite, Paragon's Praise, Facing a Highgod, Might of the Main God]

[Secret Techniques: 128 Martial Arts Secret Techniques (Perfected), Shockwave (Minor Accomplishment 2%), Earth Pulse Guard (Minor Accomplishment 3%), Ten Thousand Line Flow (Proficient 18%)]

[Comprehension: Earth-style Laws (Earth Element 100%, Pulse of the Earth 85%, Gravity Space 40%), Law of Space (Teleportation 2.1%)]

[Buffs: Comprehension increased by 30%, Soul resistance increased by 40%]

"Tch! According to this system, are King-level powerhouses considered to be at the level of Main Gods?" Qin Zhao studied the updated data on the panel, lost in thought. "I wonder what level of Main God a King-level Immortal corresponds to?"

Meanwhile, King Lanchen's gaze swept slowly across the plaza before settling on Qin Zhao, who was bowing slightly. It seemed to pierce through flesh and blood, looking straight into the essence of his soul and seeing all his comprehension of the Law of Earth and the Law of Space.

"You're Qin Zhao?" King Lanchen asked. His voice was calm, yet had a peculiar magnetic quality.

"Yes, Lord King Lanchen." Qin Zhao answered respectfully, not daring to be in the slightest bit careless.

"Your mastery of the Earth Element is complete and profound. Your Pulse of the Earth is close to perfection. More remarkable still, your comprehension of the Origin Law of Space is already sufficient to condense three Phantoms," King Lanchen said slowly. Each sentence precisely described Qin Zhao's current level of comprehension. "You're truly exceptional!"

"You flatter me, my lord." Qin Zhao bowed slightly, remaining neither servile nor arrogant.

At that, the impassive look on King Lanchen's face seemed to soften with the faintest hint of approval. "Earth is the foundation of the universe, bearing all matter. Space is its framework, encompassing all things. To have reached such heights in both at Star Level is very good!"

He gave Qin Zhao another careful look, as if confirming something, then made his decision. His voice rang clearly across the entire plaza. "I, King Lanchen, have cultivated for countless years and gained some insight into the Laws of Earth and Space. Qin Zhao, are you willing to join my school and become my personal disciple?"

Boom!

At his words, the entire plaza fell into stunned silence, even more intense than when Qin Zhao had revealed his talent in two laws.

A personal disciple!

King Lanchen's personal disciple!

As a King-level Immortal, King Lanchen held a lofty position and had an exceptionally discerning eye. He hadn't personally taken on a disciple in a long time. Even his weakest disciple was an Immortal God! And now he was offering to take a mere Star Level youngster as his personal disciple? This was an enormous blessing!