Nine Peaks Immortal was so excited that his body trembled slightly. If Qin Zhao could become King Lanchen's disciple, the credit for recommending him would be magnified countless times!
The silver-robed Domain Lord and the geniuses looked at Qin Zhao with immense envy, even a trace of jealousy. This meant that from this moment on, Qin Zhao's status would undergo a world-shaking change. He would no longer be an ordinary genius trainee, but the personal disciple of a King-level Immortal—someone whose standing rivaled or even surpassed that of some ordinary Immortals.
Qin Zhao was also shaken to the core, a tremendous joy surging through him. He knew what it meant to receive guidance from a King-level Immortal. It was the surest step on the road to becoming a powerhouse! It was countless times more precious than any secret-realm resources or any Virtual Universe courses!
Without the slightest hesitation, Qin Zhao stepped forward, dropped to his knees, and performed the most solemn Universal Disciple Worship Ceremony. He bowed respectfully. "Your disciple, Qin Zhao, pays respects to you, Master!"
His voice was clear and firm, filled with utmost sincerity.
"Good. Good." A distinct smile appeared on King Lanchen's face, lending his ancient features a rare warmth. He raised his right hand slightly, and an irresistible yet gentle force lifted Qin Zhao to his feet. "From today onward, you are the ninth personal disciple under my tutelage, and the only one among my current disciples who has yet to become Immortal."
His gaze swept over Nine Peaks Immortal and the silver-robed Domain Lord. "Now that matters here are settled, I'll take Qin Zhao with me. The secret-realm system will update the relevant information."
"Yes, Lord King Lanchen!" Nine Peaks Immortal and the silver-robed Domain Lord hurriedly bowed and answered.
King Lanchen nodded slightly and said no more. He gave a light sweep of his sleeve, and a flash of ochre light instantly enveloped him and Qin Zhao. The next moment, the two seemed to merge into the earth and vanished from the plaza without a sound. The oppressive weight that had enveloped Heaven and Earth also faded away.
It was not until long after King Lanchen had taken Qin Zhao away that the stifling sensation finally disappeared from the plaza. Everyone seemed to regain the ability to breathe. Yet the shock in their hearts lingered.
Everyone knew that a new prodigy had emerged in the Noah Secret Realm—and his starting point was a height countless geniuses could never reach in their lifetimes: the personal disciple of a King-level powerhouse!
Elsewhere, King Lanchen took Qin Zhao with him, not by Divine Kingdom Teleportation, but by traversing space in a way Qin Zhao couldn't understand.
The starry sky around them seemed to make way, folding before their steps. Each stride carried them a distance that would take an ordinary Immortal a long time to cross by flight. This exquisite mastery over space left Qin Zhao, who had only just touched the threshold of First Line Flow, dazzled and filled him with even greater reverence for his new master.
A moment later, the surroundings settled.
Qin Zhao found himself in an endless void. Before him stood a divine palace so towering that words could not describe it. The entire palace was a dusky gold, as if it had been forged from the cores of stars across an entire star region. It radiated an ancient, vast, Eternal aura. Endless nebulae surrounded it, slowly revolving. Within them, planets teeming with life could be glimpsed, rising and sinking. It was as if the palace itself were a miniature universe.
Merely looking at the palace made Qin Zhao's soul tremble, and an awe rooted in the instincts of life welled up within him. The feeling was completely different from when he had faced King Lanchen. King Lanchen was powerful and unfathomable, but the palace—and the aura faintly emanating from within—was... supreme! It was as if it were the embodiment of the laws governing the vast territory spanning billions of light-years across the entire Noah Universe Country!
"This is the Kingdom Lord's palace," King Lanchen said beside him, his tone carrying a note of solemnity. "When you meet the Kingdom Lord shortly, be sure to show him the proper respect."
"Yes, Master." Qin Zhao took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.
King Lanchen nodded slightly and led Qin Zhao forward. In a single step, they crossed the endless nebulae and appeared directly at the palace's enormous entrance. There were no guards, but Qin Zhao could sense an intangible, yet powerful, wave of Insubstantial Divine Power sweeping over them. It paused on King Lanchen for an instant, then silently withdrew.
The interior of the palace was even more boundless, as if it were a world of its own. Colossal pillars carved with scenes of countless races and beings paying homage supported the endless dome. The floor was smooth as a mirror, reflecting the brilliant Star River that appeared to exist beneath the dome. At the far end of the palace lay a hazy expanse of Chaos Qi Flow. Within it, the indistinct outline of a towering figure could be seen.
The figure was not especially large, yet he seemed to be the heart of the entire palace and even of this expanse of void. He sat casually on an ordinary stone chair, his face obscured by the Chaos Qi Flow. Only his eyes were clear, as though they held the birth and death of the universe and the turning of time and space. He looked over calmly.
That gaze alone made Qin Zhao feel as if everything about him had been seen through—from his body and soul to every possible sliver of his past and future.
"Teacher." King Lanchen respectfully saluted the towering figure, his voice filled with heartfelt reverence.
"Lanchen, it's rare for you to bring a youngster to see me." A gentle voice rang out, seeming to resound directly in the depths of Qin Zhao's soul. It soothed all his tension and unease, yet carried an unquestionable authority.
"I wouldn't dare disturb your meditation without good reason." King Lanchen was deferential. "I've come today because I recently took on a new personal disciple, and I wanted to bring him to pay his respects to you."
As he spoke, he gestured for Qin Zhao to step forward.
Qin Zhao immediately went up and respectfully saluted as custom required. "Your grand-disciple, Qin Zhao, pays respects to the Kingdom Lord!"
"Rise," the Noah Kingdom Lord said, his voice still gentle. "Lanchen has always been discerning. If he chose you as his personal disciple, you must have something special about you. Hmm... Star Level, initiated in the Law of Earth, and you've also entered the Law of Space. You're a native, too. No wonder Lanchen chose you as his disciple."
"To have achieved so much as a native makes it all the more remarkable. Lanchen, you've taken on a fine disciple." The Noah Kingdom Lord's gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, easily seeing through Qin Zhao's background.
"Thank you for your praise, Teacher." A faint smile appeared on King Lanchen's face as well.
"The Universe Peak Genius Battle will begin in less than twenty years." The Noah Kingdom Lord's gaze returned to Qin Zhao, a note of expectation in his voice. "Qin Zhao, now that you've joined Lanchen's line, you represent its honor. I'll set you a goal: place in the top ten in the overall ranking of the entire universe in this Genius Tournament. Are you confident?"
The top ten in the entire universe! The Human Race had 1,008 Universe Countries, and there were as many Star Level geniuses as grains of sand in the Ganges. To place in the top ten meant being among the very best in an entire Universe Country, a super-genius qualified to be admitted by the Virtual Universe Company into the Primordial Beginning Secret Realm!
The pressure was immense, but a blazing fighting spirit ignited in Qin Zhao's eyes. He took a deep breath and raised his head. "I'll do everything in my power and live up to the expectations of you and my Master, Kingdom Lord!"
"Top ten is only the baseline." A hint of amusement seemed to enter the Noah Kingdom Lord's voice. "With your foundation of having reached the threshold of two Laws, if you train diligently over the next twenty years and receive Lanchen's careful guidance, even aiming for first place isn't impossible! If you make the top ten, you'll earn a place in the Virtual Universe Company's Primordial Beginning Secret Realm. If you come in first, your starting point will be the Original Secret Realm! The Primordial Beginning Secret Realm and the Original Secret Realm are the true core training grounds of the Human Race. Their resources far surpass those of my Noah Secret Realm."
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