Rain Phase Mountain was divided into five regions: the Primordial Region, the Primordial Beginning Region, the Heaven and Earth Region, the Doomsday Region, and the Public Zone.
The five regions were roughly the same size, but their populations differed enormously.
"The Primordial Region has no more than 120 people."
"The Primordial Beginning Region has around a thousand."
"The Heaven and Earth Region has around ten thousand."
"But the Doomsday Region has tens of millions," said Ka Yu, the hawk-nosed middle-aged man. "By the way... members of the Primordial Region, Primordial Beginning Region, Heaven and Earth Region, and Doomsday Region aren't allowed to enter the other regions."
"Our Doomsday Region has the most people. The vast majority of the Core Layer's members live here. When the headquarters selects elite members to join the Core Layer, they're all placed in the Doomsday Region. Even outstanding World Lords who are recruited are assigned here!"
"Most of the people recruited through previous Genius Wars and Strongest Battles also end up in the Doomsday Region... That's why it has the largest population."
"The Doomsday Region has row upon row of high-rises, and each person gets an apartment."
"In the Heaven and Earth Region, everyone gets a villa."
"In the Primordial Beginning Region, you can have a grand cultivation ground and your own place to study. It's quite luxurious."
"The Primordial Region has no more than 120 people in all. Each person gets an extravagant estate with a diameter of over a thousand kilometers. The estate has all kinds of cultivation facilities, and Immortal Experts live there permanently as instructors. There are also plenty of servants to attend to them, and they can call in many sparring partners whenever they want."
Feng Hui couldn't help but marvel.
As expected, the Virtual Universe Company had deliberately arranged differences in every aspect of its Core Layer to motivate its members.
Doomsday Region members lived in tube buildings; Heaven and Earth Region members lived in villas; and Primordial Beginning Region members lived in estates.
As for the Primordial Region, each member lived in an extravagant estate over a thousand kilometers in diameter—practically an independent little kingdom. The estates had all kinds of cultivation facilities, and even Immortal Expert instructors were stationed there.
The four Secret Realms offered vastly different treatment according to rank, making it easier to motivate members of the lower realms to strive for a place in a higher one.
With Ka Yu guiding him, Feng Hui gained a general understanding of Rain Phase Mountain. Aside from the separate regions occupied by members of the Four Great Secret Realms, there was also a Public Zone. Members from all four regions could enter it. It was filled with shops, entertainment venues, and other places for the young geniuses to socialize, relax, and have fun.
Standing on a steep rock at the edge of Rain Phase Mountain, Ka Yu pointed toward an enormous island in the distance, shrouded in clouds. It was a hundred or even a thousand times larger than Rain Phase Mountain, with endless bolts of lightning encircling it.
"Look, that's Thunder Island, also known as Immortal Island. All of the company's Immortals generally live there in the Virtual Universe. Thunder Island is where the company's true powerhouses gather."
Ka Yu gazed at Thunder Island in the clouds, his eyes full of yearning.
Rain Phase Mountain brought together members of the Virtual Universe Company's Core Layer who were below the Immortal Level. The powerhouses above the Immortal Level lived on the far vaster Thunder Island.
It could be called a sacred place for the Human Race in the entire universe.
"Come on, I'll take you to the Doomsday Region," Ka Yu said with a smile.
"Even though we live in the worst tube buildings, we're still part of the Virtual Universe Company's Core Layer. We might be small, but we've got everything we need, including all the usual benefits."
"Out there, who knows how many people would kill for the chance to get in? A population of over ten million might sound like a lot, but spread across the Cosmic Kingdoms, it's not much."
"Of course, if you have what it takes, you must seize every opportunity to strive for a higher Secret Realm in the future!" Ka Yu said with feeling. "I've reached the limit of my potential. It'll be hard for me to advance to a higher Secret Realm. But you're only at the Stellar Level. The possibilities for you are endless."
"Even in the Doomsday Secret Realm, there are plenty of incredible opportunities. If you seize them, changing your fate against all odds isn't impossible. And even if you only make it to the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm, the benefits and treatment will be far better than they are here."
Feng Hui nodded. Of course, he knew how great the difference was between the Doomsday Secret Realm and the higher Secret Realms.
The resources and treatment assigned to members of the Doomsday Secret Realm and the Primordial Secret Realm were simply incomparable.
Although many powerful figures had emerged from the Doomsday Secret Realm, those in the better Secret Realms naturally had much brighter prospects, both in terms of the proportion who became powerful and how easy it was to get there.
Feng Hui followed Ka Yu through the bustling Public Zone of Rain Phase Mountain.
World Lords acknowledged by the Universe Origin Law were everywhere here.
Anyone among them would be a powerhouse capable of dominating an entire starfield out in the wider universe.
For example, the Blood Robe Tower Lord of the Blue Wave Empire, the archenemy who had annihilated Feng Hui's original family, was merely a World Lord acknowledged by the Universe Origin Law.
Yet in a superpower like the Virtual Universe Company, one of humanity's five great giants, even he would barely qualify to enter the Doomsday Secret Realm. Countless other World Lords were only Outer Members, still far from joining the Core Layer.
After they passed through the Public Zone,
the two of them walked along a wide blue-stone road, surrounded by many other people.
Soon, a huge, ancient-looking gate, carved entirely from some unknown purple wood, came into view.
The grain of the wood at the very top of the gate formed the words "Doomsday Region" in the Universal Language.
People streamed in and out of the entrance.
"Come on, let's go straight in."
Ka Yu looked at Feng Hui. "In the Primordial Region or the Primordial Beginning Region, there are staff members who handle the odd jobs and show you around. But with so many people in our Doomsday Region, don't expect anyone to guide you personally. You'll have to find your own place based on the notice you received in the Virtual Universe."
It really was a region with tens of millions of people. The roads were crowded, with groups of people everywhere.
"Which region and building number did your notice give you?" Ka Yu asked.
"Region 62, Building 768."
"That's this way. Follow me."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The two of them flew through the air.
"Here we are. This is the place." Ka Yu pointed at the building in front of them.
Feng Hui looked up. An old-fashioned high-rise stood before him.
"Feng Hui, I'll leave you here. Just go inside and find your room."
"By the way, there's something I need to remind you about. As a new member of the Doomsday Secret Realm, you'll receive a hundred free points from the company. Those points are crucial starting resources for your cultivation."
"Before you've figured out your path, I suggest you not rush to spend your points on precious items. With your current Stellar Level strength and limited experience, you might spend them on something you don't need—and regret it when it's too late."
Ka Yu's expression turned serious as he cautioned Feng Hui. "You can use some of them to buy secret techniques you need. The three-year journey to the company headquarters is the perfect time to cultivate them."
"Earning points later on is very difficult, and they're even more valuable than Hunyuan Units. There are many rare treasures and secret techniques in the universe that money can't buy, but you can exchange points for them! I wasted quite a few points because no one warned me. I regret it to this day."
"Understood. Thank you for the advice, Mr. Ka Yu," Feng Hui said sincerely. He knew that when Luo Feng first entered the Primordial Beginning Region in the original story, he'd spent all the ten thousand points the region gave him and nearly regretted it to death when he needed them later.
After entering the building, Feng Hui soon found his room upstairs. Inside was a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment.
There was a living room for entertaining guests, a bedroom, a study, and a cultivation room. Small as it was, it had everything.
"Not bad. This may be the worst tube building, but at least I'm a homeowner at the headquarters now," Feng Hui couldn't help saying with self-mockery.
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