Zhao Yun

"Your Highness Yin Congyang wins!"

"The victor is His Highness Yin Congyang!"

Yin Congyang looked at the Mysterious God Weapon scattered across the ground. A thought crossed his mind: his other incarnation still didn't have a decent weapon. The Mysterious God Weapon wasn't cheap, even in the universe, so he waved a hand and collected it.

The owner of the clear voice twitched the corner of his mouth. He'd been just a second too late, and his telekinetic force had come up empty. But he couldn't very well ask Yin Congyang to cough it up—claiming the spoils after killing an opponent was a universal custom among every race and species in the universe.

He privately cursed the Virtual Universe Company's prince for being such a piece of work. He hadn't wanted his opponents' weapons before, but the moment he saw something valuable, he snatched it up...

"The 128-to-64 matches are all complete. We'll proceed with the draw. In half an hour, the arenas will be merged into 32. All contestants may rest for half an hour," another majestic voice announced. "Of the 64 matches, two ended in mutual destruction, and one left a contestant dead and the other gravely wounded, unable to continue. As a result, three contestants will receive byes in the next round. Let's see which three are lucky enough to get them."

Yin Congyang sensed a faint pressure against his soul. It had lasted only an instant, but he was certain that the soul power of a World Lord had just swept over him. A thought crossed his mind. Is there something special about this year's Warrior Battle? Why are there two World Lords supervising the final hundred contestants?

"The draw is complete!"

A gigantic screen appeared in the sky, displaying the results of the draw.

Huh, I got a bye? Was I really lucky, or was the draw rigged?

Yin Congyang was lucky enough to receive a bye in the 64-to-32 round. Even he didn't know whether the two World Lords had interfered with the results.

It wasn't a bad thing either way, so he didn't dwell on it. He could use the opportunity to see whether any of the contestants had a surprise in store.

He glanced over all the livestream screens, then suddenly fixed his attention on the screen for Arena 17. Two Universe Level ninth-stage warriors were fighting there.

His gaze locked on a young man in a white combat suit. The man wielded a silver spear, and his technique was exceptionally powerful. His opponent unleashed all nine layers of his Domain, but the young man broke through it with his first thrust, knocked his opponent's War Blade away with the second, and pierced his head with the third.

With Yin Congyang's keen eye, he could tell at a glance that this was a spear master. His technique was simply exquisite. He had undoubtedly grasped part of the Law of Space; otherwise, his first thrust could never have broken through his opponent's Ninefold Domain.

Moreover, the young man didn't seem like a native of Gaishi Star. The style and technique of his spearwork were clearly different from those of the other Universe Level warriors Yin Congyang had encountered on Gaishi Star. They were more like the styles of the geniuses and elites from the Training Camp or the Core Layer.

He couldn't help growing interested. As far as he knew, he was the only contestant in this year's Warrior Battle from the Virtual Universe Company. If this expert also belonged to the Virtual Universe Company, there would be no reason to hide his identity.

However, these secret realms were open to the Universe Level Core Layer members of all Five Great Forces. This man was very likely a Universe Level Core Layer member of another force. The Virtual Universe Company wanted to temper its own Core Layer members, so it wouldn't hide their identities. But contestants from other forces wouldn't necessarily reveal that they were Core Layer members.

The Virtual Universe Company was, of course, confident that none of its people would be targeted by Gaishi Star powerhouses above the Universe Level. That was the confidence the company's backing gave them. But Core Layer members of other forces weren't covered by those protections. It was entirely possible that a mission rated Difficult for Virtual Universe Company members might be rated Dangerous or even Desperate for members of other forces.

If his guess was close to the truth, he had no idea which force this spear master belonged to, or what level he was at. If he happened to be equivalent to a Primal Secret Region Member of the Virtual Universe Company, then he would be an enormous challenge for Yin Congyang.

Of course, Yin Congyang was still quite confident in his own strength. His comprehension of the Laws aside, his physical qualities alone far exceeded those of an ordinary Universe Level ninth-stage warrior, to say nothing of his World Lord-level Soul Will, an ability beyond the limits of a Universe Level warrior.

In the 32-to-16 matches that followed, Yin Congyang didn't encounter the young man in white. He advanced to the top sixteen without incident.

He dispatched his opponents just as easily in the 16-to-8 and 8-to-4 matches.

At this point, he could already consider the mission complete. Fourth place would earn him 640 points, which, together with the points he already had, would be enough to exchange for growth treasures for both his other incarnations.

But how could he be satisfied with merely completing the mission? The more points, the better. If he could earn more, why give them up? Besides, there was an expert waiting for him.

He looked toward the young man in white. His instincts told him that the man was looking forward to facing him, too.

They didn't meet in the semifinals. After each defeated his opponent, the two of them were set to face off in the final.

"May I ask your name, and which force you represent? I'm Yin Congyang, a member of the Virtual Universe Company's End-of-the-World Region."

The final arena was 100 kilometers long and wide. The two stood at opposite ends as Yin Congyang sent his voice across with Origin Force.

"Haha... You guessed right," the young man in white laughed. "My name is Zhao Yun, and I'm from the Radiance Secret Realm of the Universe Mercenary Alliance, the equivalent of your Primordial Secret Realm!"

"I had no idea you were from the Radiance Secret Realm, Brother Zhao. Your spear technique is remarkable. It reminds me of an old friend of mine, though he likes to wear black..."

The old friend Yin Congyang meant was Hong. Hong's spear technique was formidable as well. He wondered what level Hong had reached by now—had he made it to the Universe Level?

"Is that so? I'll have to see your friend's spear technique for myself someday. Spears are the thing I love most, white clothes come second, and my battle beast, the Purple Dragon, comes third. That's why some people call me White-Clad Silver Spear Zhao Zilong!"

"...I'm actually pretty familiar with that name. No wonder you seemed so familiar to me, Brother Zhao." Yin Congyang couldn't help laughing wryly. "In my homeland's history, there was a War God known as 'White Horse, Silver Spear Zhao Zilong.' He was a mighty general. I'm honored to have the chance to test your spear technique today, Brother Zhao..."

"Wait!" The countdown in the projection overhead reached zero. Just as Yin Congyang was about to attack, Zhao Yun leveled his spear. "Though we belong to different forces, the Five Great Forces of humanity have always stood together. This match isn't taking place in the Virtual Universe, so there's no need for us to fight to the death. As far as I know, the minimum requirement for your Virtual Universe Company's Peerless Powerhouse mission is to make the top ten. You've already completed it. Points are nice, but you need to live long enough to spend them... You understand what I mean, right?"

Zhao Yun's words weren't pleasant, but Yin Congyang could hear the sincerity in his voice. Clearly, Zhao Yun considered himself a member of the Universe Mercenary Alliance's Radiance Secret Realm, equal in standing to the Virtual Universe Company's Primordial Secret Realm. He believed that a member of the End-of-the-World Region like Yin Congyang couldn't beat him, and he was worried that Yin Congyang might be too eager to win and resort to a mutually destructive move. If Zhao Yun couldn't pull his own strike in time and killed Yin Congyang in self-defense, he would only give the people of Gaishi Star a laugh.

Before, Yin Congyang had felt only a slight fondness for Zhao Yun because he seemed familiar. Now his regard for him grew considerably.

"Thank you for your kind concern, Brother Zhao!" Yin Congyang checked his momentum and spoke solemnly and clearly. "But anyone who wants to become a peerless powerhouse and reign supreme in the universe must face countless difficult challenges. If we retreat out of fear of death, what right will we have to climb to the summit of the strongest? Please don't hold back, Brother Zhao. Though I'm in the End-of-the-World Region, I'm confident I'm no weaker than anyone!"

Admiration showed on Zhao Yun's face. He laughed heartily. "Well said! I was being needlessly condescending. Today, we'll fight with everything we've got, then share a drink afterward... Come!"

With a roar, they shot toward each other like bolts of lightning.

The two World Lords from Gaishi Star who were supervising the match exchanged a glance and sighed inwardly. As expected of Core Layer members of the great forces. Their talent and potential are exceptional, and their breadth of mind is just as impressive. When will Gaishi Star produce a genius like them?

Both were close-combat warriors. One had peerless spear technique, the other exquisite axe technique. They were evenly matched.

In terms of comprehension of the Laws, Zhao Yun had spent a century laying his foundations in Chaos City and then trained for several hundred years more. His comprehension of the Law of Space and the Law of Water was considerably greater than Yin Congyang's. But Yin Congyang's comprehension of the other four Laws made up for that difference. The Five Elements Domain was tremendously powerful, and his physical qualities far surpassed Zhao Yun's. As a result, Yin Congyang had the upper hand at the start of the fight.

Yet Zhao Yun was worthy of being a member of the Radiance Secret Realm. His spear technique shifted between sweeping, forceful strikes and strange, unpredictable moves. His attacks were powerful and heavy, while his defense left no openings. Yin Congyang found it difficult to get a foothold against him.

"Haha, this is exhilarating!" Yin Congyang let out a long shout, and the Heaven-Opening Axe in his hands grew even more fierce.

Since comprehending the profound essence of the Law of Space, he hadn't encountered such a powerful opponent. Zhao Yun's spear put him under tremendous pressure, whether attacking or defending. When Zhao Yun attacked, the tip of his spear seemed to point like countless stars, its trajectory profound and unpredictable, forcing Yin Congyang onto the defensive.

Under such pressure, the profound essence of the Law of Space that Yin Congyang had comprehended gradually merged into his axe technique. His earlier solitary experimentation had left flaws that were immediately exposed in actual combat. Now, those flaws were gradually being corrected. His axe technique grew smoother and more flawless, and its power steadily increased.

Zhao Yun immediately felt the pressure mount. At last, he abandoned his remaining reservations, focused completely, and began treating Yin Congyang as a true life-or-death enemy.

They fought back and forth for over a hundred exchanges. Yin Congyang used every means at his disposal except for his Soul Attack secret technique: his Five Elements Domain, the Law of Five Elements, the Law of Space, and his physical strength, all pushed to their limits.

The longer they fought, the more alarmed Zhao Yun became. Yin Congyang's axe grew heavier with every strike. At first, there had been gaps between the moves, but now they were shrinking until they formed a vast net that enveloped him. His spear thrust and parried within it, but he still couldn't tear through the net. Instead, he seemed to be sinking deeper and deeper into it.

He knew that if things continued like this, he was certain to lose. He drew a deep breath and changed his spear technique. His thrusts slowed, but each one was earth-shattering, carrying astonishing force as he tried to break through the sweeping reach of Yin Congyang's axe technique.

Feeling the increasingly heavy force behind Zhao Yun's spear, Yin Congyang's eyes lit up. He changed his axe technique as well, meeting brute force with brute force, and power with power.

In this life-or-death clash, the Law of Space merged with his axe technique at an ever-increasing pace. When Yin Congyang had fully incorporated all the profound essence of the Law of Space he had comprehended during this period, a quantitative change finally brought about a qualitative one.

With a move called "Dragon Conquest of Ten Thousand Miles," he knocked Zhao Yun's spearpoint aside. The blade of his axe followed a profound trajectory and cleaved toward Zhao Yun's brow...