On the second level of the Trial Tower, without using Pole True Intent as his trump card, Zhang Dong was ultimately unable to continue his heaven-defying feat.
The difficulty of each level of the Trial Tower seemed to increase only slightly, but once a real battle began, even the smallest difference could have an enormous impact. A hair's breadth could mean the difference between life and death.
After leaving the Trial Tower space, Zhang Dong's consciousness returned. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the towering figure of the Ganwu Kingdom Master standing before him.
"Kingdom Master." Zhang Dong bowed slightly in greeting.
"Your future is bright." The Ganwu Kingdom Master's voice was steady. Rarely, he added, "Your thirty years of comprehension in Chaos City will be crucial. Make sure you take full advantage of them."
The pure Law Comprehension Zhang Dong had displayed was not particularly outstanding across the vast universe. It was enough to make a King-level Immortal consider taking him as a disciple, and little more.
What truly made him a freakish talent was his astonishing rate of progress!
From an ordinary genius in Ganwu Secret Realm, he had risen to a level comparable to the Primordial Secret Realm. Then, as he fought in the Trial Tower, he had continued improving in every regard, until he was able to enter the Primal Realm.
That ability to undergo such a rapid transformation was his greatest asset.
Aside from Venerable Shayue, who had noticed him during the previous Genius Battle, other high-ranking members of the Virtual Universe Company were bound to have taken an interest in him as well.
They were all watching, eager to see whether this young man who had emerged from Ganwu Secret Realm could make further strides once he began cultivating in Chaos City.
If he had enough good fortune, perhaps even a mighty being like a Universe Master might take him as a disciple.
"Yes, Kingdom Master! I'll remember." Zhang Dong's heart surged with emotion. At last, he was about to leave the little pond that was Ganwu Secret Realm and enter the Virtual Universe Company's Core Layer.
The so-called princes of Ganwu Secret Realm might not have lagged far behind members of the Doomsday and Heaven and Earth Secret Realms during the Genius Battle. But the resources, guidance, and cultivation environments they received afterward were worlds apart.
All the secret techniques Zhang Dong had studied and cultivated had been created by the Thirteenth Divine General. Their value was only marginally greater than Huyan Bo's legacy.
And that was without even mentioning entering Chaos City, comprehending a Chaos Stele, and all the arrangements that would follow.
The longer time went on, the wider the gap would grow. The odds of a phoenix emerging from a bird's nest were simply too low. Those with real talent had already put in the effort to enter the Virtual Universe Company's Core Layer.
The Ganwu Kingdom Master said nothing more. He merely patted Zhang Dong on the shoulder and took him away from the plane.
"Oh? He really made it into the Primal Realm?" Venerable Shayue raised his eyebrows slightly when he received the report, a hint of surprise flashing through his eyes. "He does have some talent. The King-level Immortals in Chaos City might well want a disciple like him."
Judging by the level Zhang Dong had displayed, there had been almost no chance of him entering the Primal Realm. That meant he had made yet another leap in cultivation in a very short time.
Still, Venerable Shayue didn't take it to heart.
He was only a Cosmic Level. Venerable Shayue wasn't as enthusiastic about nurturing the younger generation as the Ganwu Kingdom Master was. So what if Zhang Dong became a King Rank Immortal someday?
Unless he could break through the Universe Level Original Tongtian Mountain, Venerable Shayue wouldn't pay him much attention.
Ganwu Secret Realm.
"Well?!"
"Which secret realm did you get into?!"
In the quiet room, the Thirteenth Divine General and the Seventh Divine General had been waiting anxiously for some time. The moment Zhang Dong's consciousness returned to his body, they both questioned him almost simultaneously.
Zhang Dong smiled. "I haven't let you or the Seventh Divine General down, Teacher. I think I made it into the Primal Realm."
"..."
"The Primal Realm?!"
The entire quiet room seemed to freeze. The Thirteenth Divine General's lips twitched involuntarily. Only after a long pause did he ask, "You made it into the Primal Realm?!"
The Primal Realm was the very heart of the Virtual Universe Company's Core Layer.
In the past, geniuses from the Universe Countries' secret realms or recruited through outside channels had almost no chance of entering the Primal Realm directly.
Even making it into the Primordial Secret Realm through the trial was considered an incredible achievement.
"Yes, Teacher." Zhang Dong modestly showed off. "I cultivated while fighting inside the Trial Tower, and my laws broke through naturally."
Hearing the words "naturally broke through," the two Divine Generals could only smile helplessly.
"Don't get too proud. You need to remember that there's always someone better, and there's always a greater height to reach." The Thirteenth Divine General grew serious. "The previous two Genius Battles produced a super genius."
"You're talking about the one from the Kahuns Race?"
The Seventh Divine General said softly, "He should be a Realm Lord in the Primal Realm now, right?"
After becoming a demigod, Zhang Dong's memory had become astonishingly powerful. He could even recall every detail from the original story. The Kahuns Race was King Zhenyan's race.
The person the two Divine Generals were talking about was most likely King Zhenyan.
The two of them took turns citing one example after another, all to make Zhang Dong realize that his current strength and talent were nothing special and that he needed to work harder.
Zhang Dong listened respectfully on the surface, but his mind remained clear and calm. He wasn't particularly bothered by their words.
He was a First-Class True Intent transcendent, a being guaranteed to reach the Fourth Heaven Realm Deity level.
Would Ke Di or the Erosion Fire Venerable dare claim they were guaranteed to become Cosmic Overlords?
Besides, he knew just how vast the world truly was. So what if he became a True Deity? Among the True Deities of the Primordial Universe's current Reincarnation Era, most had talents far inferior to Ziyue and Dongdi.
And Ziyue and Dongdi were no more than low-ranking Void True Deities on the Origin Continent.
Zhang Dong wouldn't let any of this affect his cultivation. He needed to be confident when the moment called for it. One shouldn't be blindly arrogant on the path of cultivation, but there was no need to be overly humble either.
Three days later.
"Wait here for a while. A ship will come to take you to the Initial Universe." The Thirteenth Divine General personally brought Zhang Dong through Divine Kingdom Teleportation to a location near the Virtual Universe Company Headquarters.
"All right."
Zhang Dong looked around curiously.
The Virtual Universe Company Headquarters was an enormous supercontinent, tens of light-years across!
It was impossible to imagine how it had been built. Before he crossed over, all the matter in the entire observable universe combined would have been nowhere near enough to match this continent.
There was a hint of worry in the Thirteenth Divine General's eyes. The number of Primal Realm Members was fixed, so Zhang Dong's arrival meant someone else would be kicked out.
Moreover, the timing of his arrival was rather significant.
The previous Secret Realm Qualification Battle had taken place recently. After spending thirty years in the Initial Universe, he would return to the Primordial Universe just in time to take part in the next one.
So Venerable Shayue's decision was to keep four Cosmic Level members in the Primal Realm for now, then return their number to three once the Qualification Battle began.
Cosmic Level members in the Primordial Secret Realm would fight tooth and nail to climb higher, while those in the Primal Realm would struggle to hold on to their current standing.
The competition would be fierce, especially for the older Cosmic Level members, whose foundations were exceptionally deep. Zhang Dong, after all, had only been cultivating for a short time.
"I hope my disciple can remain in the Primal Realm without trouble." The Thirteenth Divine General couldn't help him much, so he could only offer a silent prayer.
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