In the distant void, shrouded in mist, a towering palace floated.
Space rippled and warped around it, while faint bands of light encircled the palace, as if the power of space were gathering there.
Though the void beyond the palace was silent, an ancient, majestic power seemed to permeate the air, inspiring awe.
This was Sky Erosion Palace.
Because this palace stood here, the many powerful beings of Blood Luo World had never dared to venture out, from the boundless ancient past to the present. They could only remain huddled within Blood Luo World.
The ninth floor of Sky Erosion Palace held only a single hall, vast and unobstructed.
The hall stretched tens of thousands of kilometers in both length and width, and stood tens of thousands of kilometers tall. Even an entire planet could have fit inside it.
At that moment, an incredible, mighty being stood there, gazing out at the boundless void beyond Sky Erosion Palace.
He wore a silver robe. On closer inspection, it seemed to shimmer with countless phantom images. Faint golden threads could be glimpsed across the fabric, but in the blink of an eye, the robe was silver once more. It seemed both real and unreal, impossible to see through.
He was like a divine king above the heavens, looking down upon the people of his Divine Kingdom.
He had reddish-brown hair, crystalline skin, black eyes, and a raised marking between his brows.
He was of ordinary height, yet even giants standing before him felt as though they faced the boundless world itself, and realized how small they were.
One man, yet he seemed more vast and magnificent than the void outside the palace.
He was the being who had single-handedly kept all of Blood Luo World in awe for countless ages, one of the three Top Universe Overlords of the Human Race... Sky Erosion Palace Lord!
On this day, a mysterious palace suddenly appeared in the misty void. It resembled a medieval castle, its surface seemingly covered in a thin layer of frost, and it radiated endless cold.
"Oh?" A hint of amusement seemed to tug at Sky Erosion Palace Lord's lips.
"You don't show up without a reason. You're the renowned Ice Universe Venerable. What brings you to Sky Erosion Palace?"
"Haha, can't I just come by to see you?"
The Black-Armored Silver-Horned Man flew out of the castle-like palace and headed straight for the ninth floor of Sky Erosion Palace.
The visitor was Ice Universe Venerable, who had overseen Feng Hui's Genius War.
An ancient High Venerable, and a member of the same branch of the Virtual Universe Company, Ice Universe Venerable had a good relationship with Sky Erosion Palace Lord, despite the considerable gap in their strength.
The two walked side by side into the reception hall on the ninth floor of Sky Erosion Palace and sat down across from each other.
Sky Erosion Palace Lord smiled at him. "Ice Universe, I know you too well. You wouldn't come here without a reason. So, what is it?"
"Haha, I'll get straight to the point."
Ice Universe Venerable smiled. "A new Cosmic Secret Realm has recently appeared. According to the Venerables who discovered it, it's an extremely high-grade one. Even Venerables could be in danger inside."
Cosmic Secret Realms were strange realms that arose naturally during the evolution of the vast universe.
Normally, the evolution of the universe might give rise to planets, stars, and the like... Yet, under special circumstances, strange Cosmic Secret Realms could also appear, some as vast as a galaxy or even larger.
Sky Erosion Palace Lord shook his head slightly. "You know I'm focused on cultivation right now, seeking a breakthrough to Universe Master. I'll pass on the excitement surrounding this Cosmic Secret Realm."
"Of course. I know you won't go." Ice Universe Venerable chuckled. "So, I actually came here to..."
"To borrow one of my treasures, right?" Sky Erosion Palace Lord gave him a sidelong glance.
Ice Universe Venerable's expression stiffened slightly.
He had indeed planned to borrow a Supreme Treasure... After all, the ones in the Cosmic Humans with Supreme Treasures were generally High Universe Venerables or even Universe Overlords.
There were only a handful of such powerful beings who were on good terms with him and had no plans to venture out in the near future.
And Sky Erosion Palace Lord, who owned many Supreme Treasures and had spent billions of years in seclusion without making a move, was clearly the best person to ask.
Seeing Ice Universe Venerable's expression, Sky Erosion Palace Lord laughed.
"Tell me, which treasure do you want to borrow?"
"I did come here to borrow a Supreme Treasure from you." Ice Universe Venerable hurriedly said, "You know I excel at close-quarters combat, so I'd like to borrow a Supreme Treasure Armor."
"With that Supreme Treasure Armor protecting me, I'll have a much better chance of finding treasures in the secret realm."
"Don't worry, I won't borrow it for free. Once I return from the Cosmic Secret Realm... I'll return the Supreme Treasure Armor right away and repay you with ten Heavy Treasures."
Sky Erosion Palace Lord waved a hand. "Do you think I'm short on Heavy Treasures? Just take it and use it however you like. Return it when you're done."
As he spoke, a cyan-blue battle armor, its surface shimmering with iridescent light and glazed like porcelain, flew toward Ice Universe Venerable.
"Haha, good. Since you're being so generous, Sky Erosion Palace Lord, I won't stand on ceremony."
"Don't worry, I'll return it as soon as I'm done. I, Ice Universe, would never do what Gan Wu did."
Ice Universe Venerable laughed and casually put away the cyan-blue armor.
With their business concluded, Sky Erosion Palace Lord and Ice Universe Venerable, two mighty beings, chatted casually.
After all, they hadn't seen each other in many years, and they were on good terms. Ice Universe Venerable couldn't just borrow the Supreme Treasure and leave.
Suddenly, Ice Universe Venerable's brows furrowed slightly.
"What's wrong?" Sky Erosion Palace Lord raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing important." Ice Universe Venerable smiled calmly.
"Among the latest batch of geniuses at our Virtual Universe Company, there's a young fellow named Feng Hui whom I helped. He just passed the third level of the Heavenly Bridge."
"The third level? Not bad." Sky Erosion Palace Lord praised him. "He's been in Chaos City for only a little over six years, and he's already passed the third level. Before he leaves, he should be able to pass the fourth at the very least, and may even have a chance at the fifth."
"Among the newcomers from the Genius War, very few pass the fourth level during their first thirty years in Chaos City."
"Right. I thought this batch was unimpressive, but a promising talent has unexpectedly emerged from the Doomsday Secret Realm."
Ice Universe Venerable smiled.
"That little fellow from the Ape Race, Guge, is also quite good. His foundation is solid, and he's progressing steadily."
"Those two young fellows are both quite outstanding. They might become your right-hand men someday," Sky Erosion Palace Lord said.
Ice Universe Venerable grinned.
After Ice Universe Venerable left.
"Feng Hui, that young fellow from the Doomsday Secret Realm... interesting," the mighty being murmured.
Everyone knew Sky Erosion Palace Lord was an incredibly ancient and powerful being, far stronger than any Universe Kingdom Master.
Few, however, knew that this mighty figure, whose name resounded throughout the Prime Universe and whose standing among the Human Race placed him in the top thirty, had also started out in the Doomsday Secret Realm.
That was an unimaginably long time ago. Back then, the Genius War had been held only a handful of times, and even the number of Cosmic Kingdoms was different from what it was now.
At the time, Sky Erosion Palace Lord had still been very young. In the Genius War he entered after joining the Virtual Universe Company, he had ranked far from the top and had only barely qualified for the Doomsday Secret Realm.
But he had advanced step by step. His progress had been slow, yet every step was solid.
Countless years passed. Most of the geniuses from his Genius War had died, and the few who had broken through to become Immortals had long since stagnated.
But he alone had continued to break through and advance, becoming an Immortal, then a Universe Venerable, and ultimately a Top Universe Overlord. He was only half a step away from becoming a Universe Master!
Sky Erosion Palace Lord was now a legend of the Human Race. He lived in seclusion at Sky Erosion Palace, kept Blood Luo World in awe, and focused on breaking through his bottleneck. He had not made a move in billions of years.
By now, few people knew about that past. The passage of time had buried too much, and he had gone from a young, inexperienced fellow to a pillar of the Human Race.
His conversation with Ice Universe Venerable had prompted him to take a rare interest in Feng Hui.
Looking at the vibrant Feng Hui now, Sky Erosion Palace Lord seemed to see his former self: just as spirited, just as full of youthful vigor.
And both of them had come from the Doomsday Secret Realm.
"Let's see..."
Before you continue