Universe Peak Genius Battle, Begins!

Just as Qin Zhao was steadily refining the "Hundred Line Flow" movement technique within King Lanchen's Cultivation Plane in the Noah Secret Realm—

"Hum—"

An intangible, vast fluctuation instantly pierced the boundary between reality and the virtual, precisely transmitting to every corner of the human territory, to the consciousness of every living being connected to the Virtual Universe Network.

"It has begun." King Lanchen said softly.

Qin Zhao was startled. Before he could ask, the Virtual Universe Network access device on his wrist gave a slight vibration. At the same time, the prompt from his Auxiliary Light Computer rang directly in his mind: "Master, receiving the highest priority information pushed across all frequencies by the Virtual Universe Company—the Universe Human Peak Genius Battle has officially opened for registration!"

Almost simultaneously, Qin Zhao felt his consciousness gently tugged by a warm yet irresistible force. This was a reminder he had set up earlier, set to trigger the moment the Universe Peak Genius Battle registration announcement appeared. With a thought, his consciousness instantly connected to the Virtual Universe Network.

Virtual Universe, Noah Secret Realm Island.

It was night. The island was brightly lit, no different from usual. Yet, in the next moment—

The entire sky seemed to be suddenly covered by an invisible giant hand! A massive, indescribably huge black proclamation, its edges radiating a gentle yet majestic light, appeared out of nowhere, occupying the entire night sky of the Noah Secret Realm Island and even the corresponding virtual area of the entire Noah Star Sector!

The proclamation was pitch black, like the backdrop of the universe. On it were Universal Common Language characters emitting dazzling white light, each word like a star, radiating stirring brilliance and heat:

[Universe Human—Peak Genius Battle]

[Once Every Ten Thousand Years!]

[About to Be Held!]

[Jointly Organized by the Virtual Universe Company and All Universe Kingdoms!]

[Are you a genius? Can't find an opponent at the same level? Then join the "Peak Genius Battle"! Here, billions of geniuses from countless universe kingdoms across the entire universe will engage in fierce combat!]

[For details, please enter the "Virtual Universe Network" official website through your virtual assistant.]

The vast, magnificent information, accompanied by the visually stunning giant proclamation, instantly swept across the entire Noah Secret Realm Island, then spread to all star sectors under the Noah Universe Kingdom, and even to all 1008 universe kingdoms within the entire human territory!

"Heavens! It's the Peak Genius Battle!"

"A grand event held only twice every ten thousand years! This time it's the Virtual Universe Company's turn to host!"

"Billions of geniuses clashing! The greatest stage in the entire human race!"

"I heard the rewards for the top ranks are terrifyingly generous, and they can even become disciples of big shots from the Virtual Universe Company!"

"Hurry! Go to the official website and check the registration conditions!"

The entire Noah Secret Realm Island first fell into a dead silence of shock, then erupted into a thunderous uproar of discussion. Bars, plazas, training grounds... everywhere, everyone was talking about this sudden grand event. Not just the Noah Secret Realm Island—in the Virtual Universe, above every continent representing a universe kingdom and every island representing a medium-level civilization nation, this stirring proclamation appeared simultaneously.

Like a cosmic storm, the news spread to every corner of the human race overnight, thanks to the advanced nature of the Virtual Universe Network.

Noah Secret Realm, within the cultivation residence.

Qin Zhao's consciousness withdrew from the Virtual Universe. He slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. The faint shadow of frustration caused earlier by his willpower bottleneck had now been replaced by a surging battle intent. He looked at King Lanchen, who stood nearby with his hands behind his back.

"Teacher, registration has begun."

King Lanchen nodded slightly, a faint smile on his face. "Mm. After all this buildup, the curtain is finally about to rise. How do you feel?"

Qin Zhao took a deep breath, feeling the surging primal power within his body and the increasingly clear comprehension of laws in his consciousness space. He said in a deep voice, "A bit excited, a bit expectant. After all this bitter training, isn't it precisely to compete with geniuses from across the universe on a stage like this?"

"It's good to have that spirit." King Lanchen said approvingly. "The Virtual Universe Company's official website must be overcrowded by now. Go ahead and complete your registration. According to convention, the registration period lasts one month, giving all potential geniuses enough time to react."

"Yes, Teacher."

Qin Zhao nodded, and his consciousness connected to the Virtual Universe again. This time, he directly entered the official page of the Virtual Universe Company. Sure enough, the most central and prominent position on the entire page was already occupied by the special feature on the "Universe Human Peak Genius Battle." On the massive dynamic poster were fragmented yet stunning battle images of past geniuses clashing in previous genius battles, stirring the hearts of countless viewers.

Without any hesitation, he directly clicked the golden "Register" button.

The page jumped. A series of simple and clear information filling and confirmation processes followed. Name, nationality (Noah Universe Kingdom), cultivation level (Star Level, Ninth Order)... and most importantly, the binding of his Virtual Universe Network ID.

"Registration Successful!"

"Congratulations, Qin Zhao! You have successfully registered for this edition of the 'Universe Human Peak Genius Battle' hosted by the Virtual Universe Company. We wish you outstanding results!"

"For specific information on the battle format, rules, schedule, etc., please closely monitor official email notifications and website announcements."

Looking at the prompt on the screen, even with Qin Zhao's current state of mind, he couldn't help but feel a surge of heat flowing through his chest. With this step, he had officially set foot on this brilliant journey that gathered the elite Star Level geniuses of all humanity.

Withdrawing from the Virtual Universe, Qin Zhao said to King Lanchen, "Teacher, registration is complete."

"Good." King Lanchen looked at his disciple. "Registration is just the beginning. In this coming month, what you need to do is not blind training, but adjustment. Thoroughly digest the progress you've made during this period—the results of your body's force exertion, the Hundred Line Flow movement technique, and the Black Stone Prison secret technique! Also, adjust your willpower state to its peak. The Peak Genius Battle tests not only absolute strength but also on-the-spot condition, mental stability, and the seamless integration and application of all your abilities."

"Disciple understands." Qin Zhao nodded solemnly.

He had a thorough understanding of the Universe Peak Genius Battle. The upcoming battles would be life-and-death struggles against countless geniuses like himself, from different universe kingdoms, wielding all kinds of bizarre and powerful methods. Any flaw, no matter how small, could be magnified infinitely! What he needed to do now was to smooth out any possible flaws in himself!

In the following days, Qin Zhao indeed followed his teacher's advice. He did not forcefully try to break through the World Lord-level willpower barrier, nor did he indulge in deeper law comprehension. He spent most of his time on "integration" and "adaptation."

In the specially customized "Peak Genius Battle Simulation Platform" within the Virtual Universe (a permission King Lanchen had applied for on his behalf), he began attempting to perfectly integrate the 70x force exertion into the Hundred Line Flow movement technique and the Black Stone Prison.

He discovered that when extreme force control combined with the exquisite application of the Law of Space, his movement technique became even more unpredictable and elusive, with stronger explosive power. And when the powerful force exertion technique was applied to the condensation and suppression of the Black Stone Prison, the black stone phantom became more solid, and its binding force and Soul Assault power subtly increased.

Qin Zhao even began consciously attempting, during simulated battles, to draw upon the Earth God Clone's comprehension of the three Mysteries—"Earth Element," "Pulse of the Earth," and "Gravity Space." Although limited by his main body's realm, he could not fully unleash the might of a Midgod. Nevertheless, his far-above-average law affinity and understanding allowed him to wield the Law of Earth with greater ease, often giving rise to some ingenious variations.