Chapter 1

Slaughter, advance, slaughter again.

Qin Ming's figure darted through city after city in the Eighth World Sector. Wherever he went, the names at the top of the leaderboard vanished like an avalanche, dissolving into the leaping nourishment of his own ranking number.

His combat style was simple and efficient. Whether it was a genius who mastered a domain or one who touched upon the laws, none could last more than three rounds before him.

That seemingly ordinary longsword, with every swing, carried an indescribable weight and a sense of annihilation, as if it could sever laws and domains themselves.

His ranking surged wildly in turn.

Top thirty, top twenty, top ten...

Every leap in rank tugged at the nerves of countless spectators both inside and outside the world sector.

The name of the Windfall Empire, paired with "Qin Ming," echoed across every corner of the Ganwu Universe Kingdom with unprecedented frequency.

From initial shock and awe, to later numbness, and even reverence.

This "dark horse" from a remote star field was crushing every so-called seeded contender with the most brutal demeanor, charging toward the peak.

Finally, on the last day of the preliminaries, when Qin Ming's sword blade pierced through a giant who had also touched upon the fundamental laws—man and shield alike—the number on his wrist screen made its final, most decisive leap.

Participant: Qin Ming (Windfall Empire) Points: 2010, 2011, 1 Rank: 1

Eighth World Sector, first place.

The preliminaries had come to a close.

The teleportation light faded, and Qin Ming's figure appeared above the island belonging to the Windfall Empire within the Virtual Universe.

Beneath his feet was the familiar virtual streetscape, while his personal communication interface was now being swept by an unprecedented storm of information.

"Beep!" "Beep!" "Beep!"

The notification sounds came thick as a sudden downpour, with barely a gap between them.

"Master, you have 1,008 call requests... now it's 2,026, and the number is still climbing rapidly," the intelligent assistant's voice rang clearly in his ear.

Qin Ming glanced at the wildly jumping numbers, among which were exclusive marks from top forces across the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, and even some powerful figures he had only heard of by name.

"Block them all. No action for now," he said, his tone calm and unruffled.

"Set my communication status to 'Deep Seclusion' and route all messages to silent mode."

"Yes, Master." The intelligent assistant executed immediately.

Qin Ming lingered no longer. With a thought, his consciousness receded like an ebbing tide, withdrawing from the Virtual Universe.

Lanfeng Planet, the real world.

Inside his exclusive cultivation chamber, Qin Ming slowly opened his eyes.

The moment he pushed open the chamber door, several figures rushed eagerly before him.

"Ming'er!" "Third Brother!" "Little Brother!"

Father Qin Feng, mother Lin Wan, eldest sister Qin Lan, second brother Qin Shou, youngest sister Qin Xue, and at the rear, ancestor Qin Shanhai—his face struggling to maintain dignity but unable to hide the turmoil in his eyes—all gathered here.

"Ancestor, Mom and Dad, Big Sis, Second Brother, Little Sis." Qin Ming stood still, a genuine smile spreading across his face as he addressed each one.

Before he finished speaking, a soft little figure crashed into his arms like a cannonball.

"Third Brother! You're the best! First place! Number one in the whole universe!" Qin Xue hugged his neck with all her strength, her small face buried against his chest as she rubbed vigorously. Her voice trembled slightly with excitement, and her eyes sparkled with adoring stars.

At just six years old, little Qin Xue might not fully grasp what "world sector first" meant in the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, but she knew her third brother had done something incredible, and everyone was cheering for him.

Qin Ming laughed, steadying his sister, and gently ruffled her soft hair.

"Alright, Little Xue, you're choking your third brother."

"Third Brother, you're lying! I'm six years old this year, not a little kid anymore. How could I possibly choke you?" Qin Xue wrinkled her cute little nose in retort.

"Little Xue, get down now. Don't cling to your third brother." Mother Lin Wan stepped forward, her tone carrying a hint of scolding, but her eyes were already slightly red.

She reached out, as if wanting to touch her son's cheek to confirm this wasn't a dream, but her fingers stopped midair. In the end, she only gently smoothed Qin Ming's already neat collar.

A thousand words melted into the moist pride and joy in her eyes.

Father Qin Feng stood beside his wife, his usually stern face now brimming with a smile. He gave Qin Ming a heavy pat on the shoulder, the force making Qin Ming's frame sway slightly.

"Good lad! Well done! You've brought glory to the Qin family! Hahaha!"

Qin Lan and Qin Shou also crowded around.

Elder sister Qin Lan studied her younger brother carefully, as if seeing him for the first time, before finally letting out a light, emotional laugh.

"Really... you've surprised me so much I don't even know what to say."

Second brother Qin Shou, meanwhile, hooked an arm around Qin Ming's neck. Though his strength was far inferior to his younger brother's, he still put on the airs of an elder sibling, grinning as he said, "Nice one, Third! You've really made a name for yourself now! From now on, you've gotta look out for your second brother out there!"

Ancestor Qin Shanhai stood slightly behind, watching the warm, lively scene before him. The stern corners of his mouth finally lifted fully, revealing a rare smile filled with deep affection and unrestrained joy.

He said nothing, but the faintly trembling whiskers and the brilliant gleam flashing in his eyes spoke everything.

At this moment, on this small Lanfeng Planet, the purest, warmest joy and family affection filled the air.

The clamor of the outside world—the impending flood of overtures and schemes—seemed temporarily shut out by this cozy warmth.

His own family had cared for and looked after him since childhood, back when Qin Ming had yet to show any talent, rather than only reaching out after his rise.

For Qin Ming, this unreserved bond of kinship felt more real and satisfying than even the top ranking of the World Zone.

"By the way, Ming'er, you had it easy, just going straight into 'seclusion,' but you've kept this old ancestor busy." Qin Shanhai stroked his beard, his tone carrying a hint of helpless teasing.

"In just this short while, my communicator's been blown up. Everyone who's contacted me is a big shot I'd normally have to treat with great courtesy.

Emperor Kaluo's side goes without saying, but even the major holy lands and ancient families within the Windfall Empire, and even people from the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, have sent direct messages asking about you."

He looked at Qin Ming, his eyes holding both pride and a measure of caution in the face of immense pressure: "They're very curious about you."

"Ancestor, aside from formal contact from the Kaluo Empire, the Windfall Empire, and the Ganwu Universe Kingdom, there's no need to bother with other factions' inquiries for now," Qin Ming said calmly.

"Wouldn't that... offend people?" Qin Shanhai voiced his concern.

Unlike a sharp-edged genius like Qin Ming, he had operated within the Kaluo Empire for many years and understood the complexity of interpersonal networks and the balance of power.

Still, after all, he was only at the Universe level—his vision was still too narrow.