The battle began! Xuan Shang made the first move. He formed hand seals, and the deep-blue domain around him instantly surged, transforming into countless streams of water, supple yet dense like a mass of tentacles. They didn't attack Qin Zhao directly, but instead tried to coil around him, seep in, and dissolve any domain power that might appear. This was the strategy he had devised to counter Qin Zhao: use softness to overcome strength, and water's ability to embrace all things to oppose that strange domain of restraint.
However, Qin Zhao simply raised his hand again.
"Black Stone Prison."
The dark-yellow domain descended once more. This time, Xuan Shang felt unprecedented pressure. His Soft Water Domain, formed by solidifying the Origin Law of Water within his domain, should have been enough to neutralize tremendous impacts, much like Long Yun's method in the original story. But the instant it came into contact with the Black Stone Prison, it was as if it had met its natural enemy!
This wasn't a forceful impact. It was a terrifying, ever-shifting pressure pressing in from every direction, along with an even deeper vibration and distortion that acted directly on the very structure of the Law of Water! Under those strange fluctuations, his Origin Law of Water began to unravel and collapse on its own! An invisible force also burrowed into his mind, trying to disrupt his will and conjure an endless abyss to swallow him whole.
Xuan Shang's expression changed dramatically. He frantically circulated his laws in an attempt to steady his domain, while forcing himself to stay focused and keep his mind clear. He did manage to hold out longer than his previous opponents, enduring the Black Stone Prison for a full ten seconds! During that time, he tried all kinds of methods, even unleashing his trump-card attack technique: an Extreme Cold Water Arrow shot straight at Qin Zhao.
But after entering the Black Stone Prison, the arrow, which had gathered all his strength, slowed drastically, its trajectory warped and its power weakened layer by layer. By the time it reached Qin Zhao, all that remained was a faint chill, which Qin Zhao casually brushed away.
After ten seconds, Xuan Shang's soul defense finally cracked under the unceasing illusions and Pulse Impacts, and his consciousness blurred. In that instant of weakness, the Black Stone Prison's power erupted completely. He groaned, then closed his eyes in defeat as his body dissolved into light.
[Qin Zhao, victory! Points +1, current rank: 1st]
By defeating Xuan Shang, Qin Zhao officially claimed first place! Even a genius as powerful as Xuan Shang, who had already crossed the threshold of the Origin Law of Water, could only hold out for a few extra moments against the perfected Black Stone Prison.
In the Virtual Universe of the Noah Secret Realm, the final rankings for the Peak Ranking Battle were set. Qin Zhao's name shone at the top of the list. With a perfect record, and especially with his despair-inducing Black Stone Prison, he had claimed first place beyond all dispute.
The news caused a huge stir among the Star Level geniuses, and even reached the ears of some Immortals in the higher levels of the secret realm. Having reached the threshold of two laws and created such a powerful restraint-type secret technique, King Lanchen's personal disciple had displayed potential far beyond everyone's expectations.
Thick Earth Continent, King Lanchen's Divine Palace.
Qin Zhao stood respectfully below, awaiting his teacher's assessment. King Lanchen sat above him, a faint but unmistakable smile of satisfaction on his gentle, jade-like face.
"Not bad, my disciple." King Lanchen's voice brimmed with praise. "You did very well in this ranking battle. Your Black Stone Prison has begun to take shape. You've combined the strengths of your Law of Earth and Law of Space with the illusion techniques you've just begun to master quite cleverly. Among those at the Star Level, there are probably very few who could break this move head-on. With it, you should be able to place in the top three at the very least in the upcoming Universe Peak Genius Battle."
Unlike most Immortals, King Lanchen encouraged his disciples to create secret techniques best suited to themselves. Even if their current cultivation was still low, and their techniques were nowhere near as sophisticated as those casually devised by an ordinary Immortal or even a World Lord, creating their own techniques at least proved they had their own ideas about how to wield the laws. That was something nothing else could replace on the path to becoming strong!
Hearing his teacher praise the Black Stone Prison so highly, Qin Zhao couldn't help feeling pleased. He bowed and said, "I have you to thank for your guidance, Teacher. Otherwise, I'd probably still be stuck at the threshold of the illusion realm."
King Lanchen nodded slightly, then changed the subject. "However, you must not become complacent. The Universe Peak Genius Battle will bring together the Star Level prodigies of the entire Human Race across countless eras. Hidden talents abound, and their methods are endless. Your Black Stone Prison is powerful, but it isn't without flaws. Against opponents with exceptionally strong wills, extraordinary soul defenses, or special techniques, its effectiveness will be greatly reduced. When that happens, you'll still need other methods to defeat them."
Qin Zhao's expression turned solemn as he listened attentively. "I understand, Teacher."
King Lanchen's gaze was as sharp as a torch, as if he could see every current of power within Qin Zhao. "Your use of the laws, creation of secret techniques, and everything else are all first-rate. Your will and soul have also been tempered by the Thousand-Fold Illusion Heart Realm and are far beyond those of your peers. But your basic force application is an obvious weakness. For a martial artist like you, it's a weakness you really shouldn't have!"
"Basic force application?" Qin Zhao was slightly taken aback. He had indeed never made a point of tempering his force application techniques. The Shockwave, the Earth Pulse Guard, and even his self-created Black Stone Prison all focused more on using the laws and controlling his domain. His physical force application had mostly improved naturally as his cultivation advanced and through his daily training.
"Exactly." King Lanchen sounded somewhat displeased. "Your physical force application is around thirty-five times, by my estimate. That might be decent in an ordinary Universe Country, but in the Noah Secret Realm, and especially in the Peak Genius Battle, it's only middling at best. Many top geniuses have a force application multiplier of over fifty. Some Special Lifeforms and those with powerful bloodlines can even reach seventy or eighty times at the Star Level!"
"Your Law Comprehension, Mental Will, and even your secret techniques are undoubtedly top-tier! Yet your physical force application is dragging down your overall evaluation!"
"Force application is the most fundamental way to use the body's strength. A higher multiplier means greater speed, stronger bursts of power, and more precise control over energy. It's closely tied to everything, whether you're fighting in close quarters, using movement techniques, or activating secret techniques." King Lanchen patiently explained, "In your final battle with Xuan Shang, your Black Stone Prison completely suppressed him. But the force application you showed when brushing away his final water arrow was rather crude. You didn't fully neutralize its remaining power. Against a stronger attack, that would be a weakness."
Qin Zhao understood. Thinking it over carefully, he realized it was true. He relied more on the strength of his laws and secret techniques, and had somewhat neglected the most basic use of his physical strength.
"There are only a few months left before the Genius Tournament begins." King Lanchen looked at Qin Zhao, his tone turning serious. "For the next few months, I'll personally draw up a special training plan for you. Its main purpose will be to make up for your weak basic force application. Before the tournament begins, I want you to raise your force application multiplier to at least seventy times, bringing it up to the average level of a true genius martial artist!"
"Seventy times?!" Qin Zhao was shaken. Raising his basic physical force application by that much in just a few months seemed impossible to him. But his teacher wouldn't have said so unless he was confident, right?
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