Killing Field

Seeing that beautiful azure planet again, the four of them couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with excitement. Though they had spent less than a month in the universe, they felt like travelers returning home after a long journey, and their sense of belonging to Earth had never been stronger.

After returning to Earth, they each went home. Yin Congyang accompanied Hong to the headquarters of the Limit Dojo.

Having witnessed both the splendor and cruelty of the universe, they all longed to become stronger. In the days that followed, they used the Green Wave Marrow to improve their strength with everything they had.

Luo Feng used the money he had left to buy a plot of land in Nine Star Bay on Black Dragon Mountain Island. He had several wooden houses built to his liking, and the others all set their login locations there. Whenever they entered the Virtual Universe, they would appear in Nine Star Bay. Luo Feng's, Hong's, and Thunder God's families could also log in there using Consciousness Sensing Helmets. Luo Hua, meanwhile, seemed to have discovered an entirely new world. Although he didn't have much money, that didn't stop him from analyzing and learning about the many financial investments available in the universe. Once he had some capital, he could start investing.

At Yin Congyang's suggestion, Luo Feng bought a Planetary Defense System ahead of time to protect Earth from every direction. They disguised and concealed every ruin they could detect.

He also had Babata remove all information on the internet that might be related to the Golden Horned Behemoth. With Babata's abilities, it was easy to erase everything without leaving a trace.

These were all precautions Yin Congyang had taken against the Nolan Mountain Family's approaching exploration team. But they wouldn't be enough to decisively dispel the family's interest in Earth, so Yin Congyang decided to visit the Killing Field and see if he could attract Man Luo's attention as he had in the original story.

If the plan went well, Yin Congyang could try out one of his ideas.

After all their hard work training during this period, combined with the effects of the Green Wave Marrow, Yin Congyang successfully advanced to Planetary Level Two. Hong and Thunder God each advanced by one level as well.

Yin Congyang told Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder God what he had learned about the Killing Field. The three of them were very interested, and all entered the Killing Field.

"...So this is the Killing Field?" The four of them entered it together in the Virtual Universe. It was an enormous hall, as large as a city.

Looking at the enormous "blood drop" backdrop in the hall, Thunder God couldn't help exclaiming, "What a spectacle!"

"Of course it is. This place costs a fortune. Ordinary people can't afford it," Hong said.

Yin Congyang smiled. "There's another place in the Killing Field where it costs only a tenth as much as the Killing Space, and it's even more interesting..."

Thunder God was delighted. "Tell me, what is it?"

"In the Killing Space, you can set your own opponent. You can choose any kind of opponent you want. So why is it so expensive?" Yin Congyang gave Thunder God a knowing wink, earning an eye-roll from him. "Because the Killing Space serves as a teacher. Brother Lei, for example, could set an opponent with Domain Second Layer in the Domain of Thunder and extremely rich experience using it. After clashing with them again and again, wouldn't you find it easier to comprehend Domain Second Layer?"

Thunder God nodded repeatedly. Yin Congyang continued, "So the high cost of the Killing Space makes sense. The place I mentioned is called Battle Space. You can't choose your opponent; instead, you duel in the Virtual Universe against another real-life martial artist or Spiritual Master. That's why it costs less. Once your rating is high enough, you can even charge an entry fee. You might not only stop spending money, but actually make some... I suggest we alternate between the two. For example, first duel against real opponents in Battle Space, then go to the Killing Space once we've gained some insights. That should help us improve faster..."

The three of them all thought it was a good idea. They went to the counter to link their bank accounts, chose their respective aliases, and began issuing challenges.

"What name did you choose?" Thunder God asked Yin Congyang.

"Lumberjack." Yin Congyang asked in return, "What about you?"

"Martial God..."

"Uh... distinctive. That's your style." Yin Congyang turned to Luo Feng and Hong beside him. "What about you, Brother Hong and Luo Feng?"

"Killer."

"Madman."

The four of them sat in a corner of the Killing Field's hall, screens appearing in front of them. The screens displayed information about a large number of opponents and their strength. To fight, they had to send a challenge and wait for the other party to accept before they would be assigned a Battle Space.

Yin Congyang knew that he had no record in the Killing Field yet, so he could only challenge opponents of the same level. And since his rating was zero, opponents with high ratings were unlikely to accept. So he simply challenged a Planetary Level Two opponent with a one-star rating. His opponent accepted soon after, and he vanished from the hall with a "whoosh," entering the Battle Space. He didn't remind the other three. It was good for them to hit a few snags; some things had to be experienced firsthand. Being constantly reminded wouldn't increase their experience.

Hong, Thunder God, and Luo Feng looked at one another.

"Why did From Yang find someone to accept so quickly?" Thunder God said helplessly. "I challenged a six-star opponent, but there's been no response. They're ignoring me..."

"Same here. I challenged a seven-star opponent, but they didn't respond at all..." Luo Feng said helplessly. "What about you, Brother Hong?"

Hong blinked. "I challenged a Planetary Level Nine, nine-star opponent. I felt like I could fight him, but... my challenge was rejected outright. The system said that a nine-star fighter could set restrictions, and that only opponents with at least seven stars could challenge him."

Only then did the three of them understand. Since their ratings were "zero," they would have to raise their own ratings before challenging highly rated opponents. So they lowered their standards and started building up their ratings.

Inside the Battle Space.

Atop a mountain tens of thousands of meters high, the summit had been sheared flat and turned into a metal arena ten kilometers long and ten kilometers wide.

Yin Congyang's first opponent was a Planetary Level Two martial artist with the alias Heavy Sword. He was a burly man nearly three meters tall, carrying a two-handed greatsword. His record was 55 wins and 44 losses.

As soon as they met, the burly martial artist took out his greatsword. "Lumberjack, your record is 0 wins and 0 losses, so you must be a rookie. Good. You're my hundredth opponent. As my hundredth opponent, I'll make sure you die quickly..."

That was right. Yin Congyang had chosen the alias "Lumberjack" for the Battle Space to commemorate his former career as a lumberjack.

Yin Congyang didn't reply. He took out the second-tier Force Weapon provided by the Battle Space, the Heaven-Opening Axe, and charged toward his opponent like lightning.

Heavy Sword scoffed and charged at Yin Congyang at high speed. Just as they were about to collide, Yin Congyang twisted his body and stepped into an intricate footwork, slipping to his opponent's side. The Heaven-Opening Axe struck his neck at a bizarre angle.

"Shhk—"

His opponent's head was cleaved off and sent flying. Blood gushed several meters into the air from his neck like a fountain. His body fell to the ground like a tree that had been chopped down, and his severed head lay nearby, eyes wide with terror.

Lumberjack, 1 win, 0 losses.

"Clang—"

He cleaved his opponent's telekinetic weapon apart with one strike, then burst forward and appeared in front of him, swinging his axe down...

Lumberjack, 2 wins, 0 losses.

..."Pfft—" He cleaved through the Force Battle Suit his opponent was wearing with one strike...

Lumberjack, 3 wins, 0 losses. Rating: one star.

"Good. Three consecutive wins earned me one star. Let's keep going..."

Yin Congyang's stamina was almost limitless, and his soul was exceptionally powerful. In the Virtual Universe, he barely felt tired.

Fights in the Battle Space were usually very quick, and it was possible to fight more than a hundred battles a day. Opponents with low ratings could hardly put any pressure on Yin Congyang, of course, which meant they didn't offer much training.

In the Virtual Universe, a Planetary Level fighter with a Domain was considered a top genius, but such fighters were generally at least Planetary Level Seven. There wasn't a single Planetary Level Two fighter with a Domain.

So Yin Congyang began challenging Planetary Level Two opponents of every star rating, and his winning streak continued.

Five days later.

Yin Congyang's rating had risen to eight stars, but he still hadn't encountered an opponent who could force him to use his Domain. He continued challenging others.

Seven days later, Yin Congyang's rating rose to nine stars. His record was 803 wins and 0 losses.

Looking at his nine-star rating, Yin Congyang tried challenging a Planetary Level Three opponent. The system approved it, and his winning streak continued.

Ten days later, Yin Congyang challenged a Planetary Level Five opponent, fighting above his level. He finally used his Domain, and his winning streak continued.

Fifteen days later, Yin Congyang challenged a seven-star Planetary Level Nine opponent. He used both the Domain of Gold and Water and won.

Record: 1,677 wins, 0 losses.