The Damned Qin Ming

"Haha, Brother Fenglin, this Qin Ming is no simple character!" someone beside him laughed.

"His points are still skyrocketing, which means he's still hunting at high intensity right now. Everyone still alive at this stage is a tough nut to crack, yet he can keep harvesting points so efficiently—his strength absolutely cannot be underestimated. Judging by this momentum, passing the preliminaries is a sure thing."

"Naturally." Fenglin Yizhen straightened his back, a long-lost sense of pride welling up within him.

No matter where this Qin Ming came from, at this moment, he represented the face of the Windfall Empire. This sudden surprise was enough to let him hold his head high in this circle, at least for now.

At the same time, across the entire Windfall Empire, every organization and individual following the Genius Tournament's progress was stirred into a frenzy by the same name.

"Look! Someone broke into the top ten thousand! It's someone from our Windfall Empire!"

"Qin Ming... it's Qin Ming! In the Eighth World Sector, and his rank is still climbing!"

"Investigate! Immediately! Which family is this Qin Ming from? Which faction?"

Countless people across the empire were too excited to contain themselves.

The reason was simple: the Windfall Empire's performance in recent Genius Tournaments had been far too dismal. For multiple consecutive tournaments, no one had managed to break into the top ten thousand. That silence and disappointment had long weighed on every citizen of the empire.

Now, that layer of ice had finally been shattered!

The feeling was like, in Qin Ming's past life's memories, when the national football team, after a long slump, finally made it back into the World Cup.

It was the ecstasy of long-suppressed hope finally answered, the catharsis of shame washed away, a torrent of collective pride bursting forth all at once.

"We... our Windfall Empire finally has someone in the top ten thousand!"

Some raised their arms and shouted, some tightly embraced those beside them, and others, unable to hold back, wept tears of joy.

Above the membrane of the Eleventh World Sector, inside a lavishly decorated spaceship, the Emperor of the Kaluo Empire and his high ministers were watching the tournament.

"Your Majesty! Look, someone from our Windfall Empire has broken into the top ten thousand!" a minister said excitedly, pointing at the rankings.

"Oh?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow and casually tapped the screen beside him.

A light curtain unfolded, quickly locking onto the real-time rankings of the Eighth World Sector.

When he saw that name, the Emperor's pupils contracted slightly. "There really is one... Qin Ming? That name, Imperial We seems to recall it. That old fellow Qin Shanhai, doesn't he often boast to Imperial We about a remarkable junior in his clan named Qin Ming?"

"Your Majesty, could it be this very person?" a close minister beside him said in a low voice.

"There are countless people with the same name in the universe." The Emperor pondered briefly. "And you all should know how hard it is to break into the top ten thousand in a single world sector. Look, his rank has already risen to over three thousand, and his points are still climbing... With this momentum, securing a spot in the preliminaries is almost certain. Even if that old man Qin Shanhai returned to the Star realm, he might not achieve this result."

"Your Majesty, why not ask Qin Shanhai directly?"

"Hmm, reasonable."

Almost simultaneously, Qin Shanhai, still immersed in his ecstasy, received a dedicated communication request from the Kaluo Emperor.

The virtual image connected, and Qin Shanhai asked respectfully, "Your Majesty? May Imperial We ask what your orders are?"

"Shanhai." The Emperor's voice carried a smile. "That talented junior you always mention to Imperial We—is his name Qin Ming?"

Qin Shanhai understood instantly. This was a confirmation call. He straightened his back, a proud smile spreading across his face. "Reporting to Your Majesty, indeed. The Qin Ming who broke into the top ten thousand is this minister's descendant."

"Hahaha! Good, excellent!" The Kaluo Emperor laughed heartily, his tone full of approval. "Shanhai, you have rendered great service to the empire! Once the preliminaries are over, Imperial We will bestow a heavy reward!"

The call ended.

"Ancestor, was that... His Majesty the Kaluo Emperor?" Qin Feng, Qin Ming's father, said from the side, his voice a little tight.

"Correct." Qin Shanhai stroked his beard, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Now your son Qin Ming is the empire's most coveted prize. Once the preliminaries are over, olive branches from all sides will come pouring in. I estimate... even the Windfall Empire's royal family will personally bestow rewards."

Inside the single cabin of the ship, the members of the Qin Family all felt a shared pride—after all, that was their younger brother (brother, child).

Deep in the Eighth World Sector, Qin Ming knew nothing of the commotion he had caused in the outside world.

Even if he did, he would only smile faintly. This outcome had been foreseen the moment he decided to compete.

Top ten thousand?

That was merely the beginning.

According to the rules of the Genius Tournament, the top 1001 from each world sector would qualify for the preliminary selection. After that, they would have to participate in the arena battles, competing for the final nine hundred advancement slots.

Adding in the automatic qualification of each world sector's number one, a total of one thousand people would ultimately represent the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, heading to the pinnacle showdown among all the higher universe kingdoms.

Qin Ming had no intention of participating in that lengthy arena competition. With that time, he would rather let his clone in the Jin World comprehend another sliver of the laws.

His goal was clear and direct: seize first place in the Eighth World Sector.

"You're the one with the highest points in this city?" Qin Ming looked at the woman before him, whose features were so exquisite they seemed almost unreal.

She wore a form-fitting light purple battle suit that outlined her tall, perfect figure. Her silver hair cascaded like a river of stars down to her waist, and her eyes were a rare heterochromatic pair—the left like an amethyst crystal, the right like a blue diamond.

Her skin was pale to the point of near transparency, and a faint mental energy field seemed to shimmer around her, stirring the hearts of all who looked upon her.

"Qin Ming, right? I've heard of you." The woman's lips curled slightly, her voice ethereal and pleasant, yet carrying a hint of a mesmerizing rhythm.

"Lately, it seems you've been hunting only the strong."

"Yes." Qin Ming nodded calmly.

"Then coming after me, you've chosen the wrong opponent." The woman's eyes shifted lightly, a flowing light spinning within those heterochromatic pupils, her smile growing even more enchanting.

Qin Ming felt his mind waver for just a moment.

In that instant!

The woman moved!

"Indulge in my illusion."

Her voice drifted, her figure like smoke and mist, as a sharp sword light silently thrust toward Qin Ming's throat, so fast only a blur remained.

"Hm?"

Qin Ming stood still, blinking with slight confusion.

"Did you just... use an illusion technique? I thought you were just trying to seduce me."

His tone was natural, as if he genuinely hadn't felt a thing.

This wasn't Qin Ming deliberately showing off; it was simply that his soul was at the Domain Lord level, and a mere Star-level illusion couldn't shake it.

The woman's pupils contracted sharply.

"Next time, remember to practice your illusions a bit more."

Before the words faded.

A flash of sword light.

The woman's figure froze, and her headless body crumpled to the ground, her consciousness dissipating in the Eighth World Sector.