Cangwu Star

He remained seated inside the spaceship, the endless starfield visible through the porthole.

After leaving the Initial Universe, he piloted the ship directly toward the nearest Icefield Transport Station—Cangwu Star.

Cangwu Star was one of the Eight Logistics Bases within human territory and a fixed transport point for the Cosmic Army.

A vast number of Cosmic Army troops were continuously dispatched from here to the Outer Domain Battlefield, so its importance was self-evident.

After two months of travel, Qian Yu finally arrived at Cangwu Star.

"Here we are. So this is Cangwu Star?"

Inside the F9-Class Cosmic Ship, Qian Yu gazed into the distance at the enormous planet ahead.

Cangwu Star was an artificial planet, itself an Aerial Fortress.

With a diameter exceeding a million kilometers and incredibly advanced technology, even a Universe Venerable would find it no easy task to breach it by force.

Qian Yu's spaceship swiftly flew into Cangwu Star and, under guidance, landed on the ship parking platform.

The hatch opened, and he stepped out, casually storing the ship into his World Ring.

Not far away, a man in standard battle armor saw this and couldn't help but gasp softly.

"That's an F9-Class Cosmic Ship! A vessel like that is worth at least millions of Hunyuan Units!"

The man quickly approached, his demeanor becoming much more respectful.

"Hello, I'm a staff member here."

Qian Yu nodded.

The staff member looked at Qian Yu and felt a slight shock.

A Law Mark on his brow—this was a Realm Lord who had gained recognition from the laws.

A Realm Lord piloting an F9-Class Cosmic Ship—his background was likely significant.

Now, Qian Yu was no longer as sharp-edged as a thousand years ago; his aura had long been restrained, making him appear like an ordinary Realm Lord.

"I'm here to apply for entry into the Outer Domain Battlefield."

Qian Yu said calmly.

"Very well, sir."

The staff member quickly pointed in a direction.

"The Cosmic Army arrives in groups. Solo travelers all go along this passage to the assembly point. You see that glass passage over there? Walk to the end, and you'll arrive."

"Thank you."

Qian Yu looked in the direction indicated, and with a flicker, he was instantly hundreds of kilometers away.

In just two breaths, he reached the end of the passage.

At the end of the passage was a massive plaza, hundreds of kilometers in diameter.

At this moment, over ten thousand people had gathered here, but despite the large number, they still appeared sparse across such a vast area.

A seductive receptionist with a fluffy tail walked over, wearing a smile.

"Hello, please rest here for a while."

Qian Yu asked.

"When can I head to the Outer Domain Battlefield?"

"Sir."

The receptionist explained.

"Since travel to the Outer Domain Battlefield uses Divine Kingdom Teleportation, we usually need to wait until a certain number of people have gathered. But you're in luck—it should be soon."

Qian Yu nodded, then walked over to a bar counter, sat down, ordered a drink, and sipped it slowly.

Time ticked by.

One day.

Two days.

Three days.

After three days, the Realm Lords ready to depart finally numbered one hundred.

"Whoosh—"

The gate at the end of the passage slowly opened, and a loud voice echoed across the entire plaza.

"All Cosmic Level soldiers, gather here! Domain Lords, assemble here! All Realm Lord experts, come this way!"

The tens of thousands of solo soldiers were quickly sorted and moved toward their respective areas. Qian Yu set down his glass and rose to walk toward the Realm Lord area.

One hundred Realm Lords quickly gathered together, varied in form and differing in aura strength. Qian Yu stood among the crowd, his expression calm.

Just then, a chilling aura of killing intent approached from afar.

An Immortal God in blood-colored armor strode forward, his entire body wreathed in a thick, bloody aura—a killing intent accumulated through countless life-and-death battles. He stopped before the group, swept his gaze across the hundred Realm Lords, and spoke slowly.

"Warriors of the Realm Lords, you are about to head to the most glorious, yet also the most brutal, Outer Domain Battlefield."

His voice was low but reached every ear clearly.

"But you must understand—the military has its own rules. You cannot be as free as before. Before departure, you must undergo the traditional Authority Granting Ceremony."

As his words fell, a murmur rippled through the crowd.

A Realm Lord Warrior heading to the Outer Domain Battlefield for the first time couldn't help but ask.

"What is the Authority Granting Ceremony? What does it do?"

Qian Yu understood in his heart.

Having read the original work, he naturally knew this was a procedure to assess strength. The Virtual Universe would rate each Realm Lord based on their performance within it, and that rating would determine their status in the military.

The Immortal God continued his explanation: "The Authority Granting Ceremony determines your exact status in the military. The army is a place of strict hierarchy—subordinates must obey their superiors—so your authority and position must be clearly defined. And how is that decided? Through your strength."

He paused, scanning the crowd.

"Every one of you Realm Lords has certainly trained repeatedly in the Virtual Universe. The Virtual Universe Network will have rated your strength based on your performance."

"The ratings are divided into three levels—first, Ordinary Realm Lord Warrior; second, Elite Realm Lord Warrior; third, Realm Lord War General."

"Most Realm Lords are Ordinary Realm Lord Warriors. Those acknowledged by the fundamental laws barely count as Elite Realm Lord Warriors. And among a hundred Elite Realm Lord Warriors, usually only one becomes a Realm Lord War General."

He added a final reminder.

"If any of you worry that you've never displayed your full strength in the Virtual Universe, I'll give you time now to enter it. The Authority Granting Ceremony will begin shortly."

Among the crowd, several people immediately closed their eyes, their consciousness entering the Virtual Universe.

About half a minute later.

The Immortal God spoke.

"Everyone should be ready now. Come forward one by one to receive your authority grant."

He raised his arm, and the screen on his vambrace glowed with a faint blue light.

The first Realm Lord stepped forward.

The blue light enveloped him. After a moment, a mechanical voice rang out.

"Elite Realm Lord Warrior."

The second.

"Ordinary Realm Lord Warrior."

The third.

"Ordinary Realm Lord Warrior."

The fourth.

"Ordinary Realm Lord Warrior."

The fifth.

"Elite Realm Lord Warrior."

Voices rang out one after another. The proportion of Elite Realm Lord Warriors was roughly one-third, with the rest being Ordinary Realm Lord Warriors.

Soon, it was Qian Yu's turn.

He walked forward slowly and stood before the Immortal God.

The blue light descended upon him.

After a moment, the mechanical voice sounded—

"Realm Lord War General."

The entire scene erupted in uproar.

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on Qian Yu—some in surprise, some in envy, some in disbelief.

"A Realm Lord War General!"

"One actually came out of this batch!"

"Lucky break."

Even the Immortal God gave Qian Yu an extra glance, a hint of approval in his eyes.

"Not bad."

He said it flatly, then gestured for the next person to continue.

The Authority Granting Ceremony proceeded.

Those behind came forward one after another, but no new Realm Lord War General appeared.

Among the hundred Realm Lords, only Qian Yu was a Realm Lord War General.