Terrifying Illusion Warrior Talent

On the Qiu Long Star estate, the five of them rarely had a chance to sit together and rest. Hong wore an unusually broad smile.

"Big brother, feeling relaxed, right? I'm already at the fourth stage now, two whole stages ahead of you. You can't bully me with your domain like before!"

"Hmph, I'm still your big brother!" Hong quickly composed his expression, turned to Chen Qing, and let out a sigh.

"With your level of insight and achievements, the race may not necessarily care about Earth! I don't know your reasons, but from now on, I'm your big brother. Don't shoulder things alone!"

"Exactly, exactly! But you'll have to rank as fourth, no wait, sixth—that suits you! Hahaha!"

"Stop!" Jiang Fang quickly cut in. "You guys go ahead and rank yourselves. We'll just call you Big Brother and Second Brother."

"Right. We've accepted Xu Xin as our little sister. We're not interested in your men's affairs!"

Yao Rao glared with her watery eyes, a plaintive voice slipping from her small lips.

"If we find out Luo Feng has wronged our sister, whose side will you take?"

As her words fell, Thor gave an awkward laugh and turned away. Hong opened his mouth but couldn't get a single sound out for a long time.

"Tell me. From now on, I'll definitely win in a fight!"

Chen Qing answered without any pressure. He had that much confidence—both in himself and in Luo Feng! He might as well reap some benefits here first; maybe he could unlock a new checkpoint.

Hong quickly took a sip of tea, seizing the chance to change the subject.

"Now that Second Brother and I have recovered our origins and lack no secret techniques, cultivation from here on will just follow the routine. But Fourth Brother, there's something you have to deal with!"

Looking at the four serious faces, Chen Qing was a bit bewildered. He glanced down at himself.

"Is there something wrong with me?"

Jiang Fang picked up Chen Qing's right hand and placed it on the table.

"You've comprehended profound blade techniques, but you've never killed anyone. How many times have you actually fought?"

"Youngster, you can protect us, right?" Yao Rao grabbed his other hand, deliberately pitching her voice high.

Chen Qing rolled his eyes and looked at his own hands. Maybe it was the influence of Green Lotus, but his interest in conflict seemed rather mild.

Thor patted Chen Qing on the shoulder, his teeth and the top of his head radiating a blinding light.

"Your eyes are too calm—no sharpness. And your experience and combat awareness—these are all big problems!"

"Exactly. In life-or-death struggles, these are the skills that keep you alive!"

Hong added from the side, "Let's go. To the Slaughter Arena."

In the training space of the Slaughter Arena, their physical attributes were capped at the apprentice level. Chen Qing and Hong stood facing each other, while the other three watched from the sidelines.

"Your secret technique is one you comprehended yourself. For experience and combat awareness, this is the best place. Here I come!"

The moment Hong's words fell, a spear shot straight at him. Chen Qing frowned, catching the stench of blood with his nose first. His long blade rippled like water as it intercepted the spear tip.

"No good!"

Chen Qing's Water Ripple was designed to help Jiang Fang comprehend the domain. When activated, it resonated both inside and outside his body, making him highly sensitive to external reactions! He flipped his wrist, sliding the blade edge to the other side of the spear tip, barely deflecting the true thrust. He turned with the motion, just managing to dodge the strike.

Hong withdrew his spear and stood still. "You felt it, right? Even though you sensed something was off, when you changed your move, your blade's momentum hadn't shifted yet, but you were still a beat too late."

Chen Qing nodded, closed his eyes, and recalled the moment. Hong's spear changes weren't the issue—his own blade could move as he pleased. The real problem was his prediction of the next step. He was only reacting passively, unable to seize control of the fight.

"Again!"

As time passed, the two fought on the platform for who knew how long. Thor kept letting out strange cries from above.

"You can't even take a feeding strike! Hit harder!"

"No, I can't take it anymore. Big brother, I'm coming too. Today, I'm going to take him down!"

Thor's speed was fast, his aura fierce, and with his tacit understanding with Hong, he locked Chen Qing's blade in place from the start.

The three of them had perfected their force output, all at the same power level, putting immense pressure on Chen Qing.

Water Ripple and Spirit Thunder began to mix, barely allowing him to hold his ground. But as Chen Qing's insights grew, the two techniques started to merge, slowly returning to their origin.

Chen Qing also began to realize that he couldn't channel his power effectively—or rather, these two secret techniques were more about assisting cultivation! Dealing with Thor was manageable, but Hong's spear always stirred fluctuations in his Origin Core, throwing him into disarray. Though it was only a ripple on the surface's halo, the Origin Core was suppressed by Green Lotus inside, meaning Hong's spear carried an influence on the soul!

"I'm done, I'm done!" After just a moment, Thor jumped off the platform in frustration. Hong also withdrew his spear.

"This feeling of wanting to hit you but not being able to is maddening. Your technique isn't a turtle's, so why does it feel like you've got a turtle shell!"

Chen Qing smiled smugly. The Creation Green Lotus not only aided in nurturing the Dao but was also said to ward off all techniques and repel all calamities.

He hadn't even scratched the surface yet—this was nothing.

Hong shook his head with a wry smile. "Maybe that's just Fourth Brother's style, like Third Brother's madness. I don't have a good solution either."

Yao Rao held Jiang Fang's hand, her dark eyes as if they wanted to devour Chen Qing.

"That's good—quietly be a handsome man!"

"That one's a gentleman like an orchid in an empty valley, though there's plenty of mischief in his belly."

"Hehehe, Sister's right!"

Ignoring the two women's teasing—there would be plenty of time to teach them—Chen Qing instead looked at Hong.

"Big Brother, don't you think your illusion talent, or rather your soul talent, is very strong?"

Hong, who was about to jump off the arena, paused mid-motion. After a moment's hesitation, he said slowly, "Originally, after comprehending the laws, I would add some insights to influence my opponent's sensory judgment. The effect was decent, but as for how far it goes, I can't say yet."

"The effect is excellent, but it's not sensory—it directly affects the soul. Combined with Big Brother's will, you'll definitely become a master of the soul in the future!"

Hong just smiled faintly at this. "Let's talk back home."

In the manor, Thor finally stopped talking, downed a cup of wine heavily, and sat off to the side, ignoring everyone.

Hong leisurely brewed tea, his movements slow and graceful with a unique charm. After taking a light sip, he spoke.

"The teacher agreed to let me join the Virtual Company, but not without conditions. Even though I have double the speed now and it's not difficult, I can't stay here forever."

"Big Brother, where are you planning to go? Want to go together?"

Thor perked up at this. Xu Xin was about to enter the Apocalypse Secret Realm, and he was still here rotting away.

"We're going too!"

Yao Rao and Jiang Fang exchanged glances. Chen Qing had spent most of his fortune using nutrient fluids to help the two reach the Star Level peak.

The Basic had also been ground up to the sixth form. Universe Level could be broken through at any time, but it was clear that progress was slowing down afterward.

Hong didn't have any specific demands; he just looked at Chen Qing. Chen Qing tapped his fingers.

"Big Sister and Second Sister's Nine Basic Forms have hit a bottleneck. The last three forms, especially the final one, either need to be sublimated in battle or worn down over time!"

"The same goes for the domain. But after breaking through, there's a hundred thousand years of lifespan. As long as I'm not soul-enslaved, I'll have enough time to become a high-ranking member of the Human Race!"

"Back then, I told my sisters I wanted companionship, not to keep them hidden away in a golden house!"

Chen Qing's gaze was serious as it moved across the two women's faces. Only after seeing smiles appear on their faces did he turn to Hong and say, "In a few days, I'll take them to take the Apprentice Mercenary exam. After that, we'll discuss going to a certain place!"