"Don't rush. Let's watch this match first!"
Nuo Lanshan spoke in a low, hoarse voice.
He'd heard the name "Star" plenty of times these past few days. He was practically sick of it.
A little Star Level fighter had managed to maintain a perfect winning streak in a place like the Killing Field, where geniuses gathered. He clearly had some ability.
But Nuo Lanshan had seen plenty of so-called geniuses, and more than a few had died at his hands.
This time alone was a little different.
He looked at the young face projected on the screen—
Black hair and black eyes, with a cool expression and a hint of barely concealed arrogance.
For some reason, an inexplicable irritation suddenly welled up inside Nuo Lanshan.
The feeling came out of nowhere, as if he and Lin Yuan had some kind of grudge.
"For some reason, looking at that face always puts me in a bad mood."
Nuo Lanshan furrowed his brows slightly, tapping the window ledge with one finger.
If Lin Yuan could hear his thoughts right now, he would surely say: Of course you're in a bad mood. I wiped out your advance force, after all!
Meanwhile, inside the Battle Arena.
Yellow sand filled the sky. The gale whipped up grit that stung wherever it struck.
Lin Yuan stood quietly atop a dune in a black combat suit, holding a War Blade.
The system's notification flashed through his mind, but he paid it no attention. His gaze remained fixed on the figure a hundred meters ahead.
His opponent this time was a woman in white.
She was tall, her features veiled by a thin mist that revealed only a pair of eyes as cold as winter stars.
She held a slender silver rapier. She looked like a blade on the verge of leaving its sheath, its edge gleaming.
[Opponent Information: Codename "White Dew," Stellar Level One, Rating: Five Stars.]
"Stellar Level One?" Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes.
Among the countless opponents he had slain, Stellar Level One fighters didn't even rate. But he knew the woman before him was different.
Her keen perception of fluctuations in the laws, her seemingly effortless combat stance...
"A Special Grade Elite from the Virtual Universe Company?" Lin Yuan understood.
This wasn't just a match. It was also a "test" arranged by the higher-ups at the Virtual Universe Company.
They'd sent a specially chosen "carry," also known as a "win-streak ender," to test how much substance there was behind this sudden, self-taught genius.
If he lost, it would mean his potential was limited. If he won...
Lin Yuan didn't dwell on it.
He didn't care about any of that. He only knew that he had to win for the many rewards at stake!
"You're... Star?"
The white-clad swordswoman finally spoke. Her voice was clear, but devoid of emotion. She tightened her grip on her sword, its tip angled toward the ground, and a fierce sword intent instantly locked onto Lin Yuan.
"Yeah." Lin Yuan casually twirled his War Blade, the weapon slicing through the air with a shrill whistle. "I see you've got a perfect record too. In that case, let me leave you with a defeat you'll never forget."
"Arrogant."
The white-clad swordswoman frowned and said no more.
Boom!
The battle erupted in an instant.
She moved like a thunderbolt!
The woman in white vanished from where she stood, leaving behind only an afterimage too faint for the naked eye to catch.
In the next instant, she had crossed the hundred-meter gap and appeared beside Lin Yuan. Her silver rapier darted toward his throat like a striking snake!
Fast! Blindingly fast!
It was a thrust infused with the Law of Wind, so swift that it cleaved the air without making a sound.
And yet—
When the sword tip was less than three inches from Lin Yuan's throat, a pitch-black flash of blade appeared without warning.
Clang!!!
A deafening clash of metal rang across the wasteland.
Lin Yuan had drawn his blade at some point. His seemingly heavy War Blade had struck first, perfectly blocking the rapier's path.
"What?!" The white-clad swordswoman's pupils contracted.
Before she could change her move, a terrifying force surged along the blade, crashing toward her like an avalanche. It wasn't simply strength; it was the crushing momentum of a mountain collapsing on top of her!
Overwhelming force bore down on her!
The white-clad swordswoman's face darkened. Her palm split open, and the hand gripping her sword trembled violently against her will. The technique she'd prided herself on for redirecting force looked utterly helpless against his overwhelming strength.
Lin Yuan's strength was astonishing!
"Is that all you've got? Then I'll end this."
Lin Yuan's voice sounded beside her ear, like the whisper of the Death God.
The next moment, everything changed.
Vmmm—
The space within a thousand meters of Lin Yuan suddenly froze.
Countless golden points of light appeared out of nowhere, as if the stars had fallen from the heavens. The raging sandstorm halted at once, and the entire world seemed to slip into slow motion.
The white-clad swordswoman felt her body sink, as though she were carrying a colossal weight. Even her thoughts grew sluggish.
This was... a domain!
Everything was now under Lin Yuan's control.
"It's over."
Lin Yuan's gaze was cool as he slowly raised the War Blade in his hand.
As he moved, the countless golden lights around him began to gather frantically, forming blurry silhouettes behind him.
Each "Lin Yuan" was made of intensely condensed light, radiating a murderous intent that made one's heart tremble.
"Thousandfold Bodies!"
Then Lin Yuan softly spoke a single word, like a decree of judgment:
"Cut!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that one word, countless "light-and-shadow Lin Yuans" instantly transformed into streaks of light, surging toward the white-clad swordswoman from all sides.
Thousands upon thousands of threads of light intertwined.
Every beam that sliced through space was an astounding blade strike left behind by the Death God.
There were no screams, no spray of blood. Under the terrifying heat and cutting force, everything was annihilated in an instant.
The white-clad swordswoman's figure shattered like a bubble beneath the crisscrossing beams of light, disappearing completely from the Battle Arena.
[Victory!] [Current Win Streak: 938 matches.]
After leaving the Battle Arena, Lin Yuan didn't rush to depart.
The day's intense battles had left him somewhat tired, especially the final move, "Thousandfold Bodies," which consumed a great deal of Spiritual Force.
He decided to come back tomorrow and push for a thousand consecutive wins in one go.
The Killing Field's rest area was a huge open-air bar.
All kinds of strange-looking alien races gathered there. Lin Yuan found a secluded corner, ordered a strong drink from the "Black Dream Galaxy," and drank by himself.
Every now and then, someone recognized him and cast him a look of awe or curiosity. A few friends he'd made in the Killing Field raised their glasses to him from a distance.
Just then, a slight commotion rippled through the bar.
The noisy room seemed to quiet down a little.
Lin Yuan keenly sensed the unmistakable aura of a powerful fighter approaching him.
He set down his glass and lifted his eyes slightly.
A red-eyed alien with pointed ears was walking toward him at an unhurried pace. He wasn't deliberately releasing his pressure, but the bearing of someone long accustomed to high office made the surrounding fighters step aside.
Nuo Lanshan stopped at Lin Yuan's table and stood there, looking down at the young man.
He waited.
He waited for the young man to panic or stand up to greet him.
But all he got was a casual glance from Lin Yuan...
And a question delivered in a nonchalant tone:
"Can I help you?"
Lin Yuan knew, of course, that the person before him was Nuo Lanshan, the family Progenitor who had brought Earth a tremendous crisis in the original story.
But he felt no fear at all. If anything, he had an urge to laugh.
What a small world.
Nuo Lanshan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but soon relaxed again. Geniuses were bound to have a little attitude.
"Star. A very popular codename. My name is Nuo Lanshan."
Nuo Lanshan spoke calmly, with a hint of proud reserve. "I watched your battle just now, and I'm very impressed by your potential. Would you be interested in joining the Hundred Tiger Tower?"
The Hundred Tiger Tower was one of the Four Great Organizations, an absolute colossus. For an ordinary Star Level fighter, this was a chance to rise straight to the top.
"Not interested."
Lin Yuan answered without even thinking for a second, then lifted his glass and took another sip, as if the Universe Level powerhouse before him were nothing but air.
Several fighters passing by witnessed the scene. They drew in sharp breaths and exclaimed in astonishment.
"Oh my god, is that Lord 'Great Axe' Nuo Lanshan?"
"Is this kid crazy? He actually turned down Nuo Lanshan's offer—and so rudely, too?"
"What an incredibly high bar! That's the Hundred Tiger Tower!"
At the surrounding chatter, Nuo Lanshan's expression stiffened slightly, and a dark glint flashed in his eyes. This was the first time a junior at Star Level had publicly snubbed him.
But he was an old hand, and very good at hiding his feelings.
"Heh. It's only natural for a young man to have some pride."
Nuo Lanshan forced down his displeasure and squeezed out a stiff smile. He offered Lin Yuan a way out, his tone softening. "I understand if you don't like the restrictions of the Hundred Tiger Tower.
"How about this? You can become my personal disciple. If you take me as your master, I'll make sure you have all the resources you need. You'll surely reach the ninth tier of Universe Level one day!"
In his eyes, this was an enormous blessing. A ninth-tier Universe Level expert was the overlord of an entire galaxy!
Yet when Lin Yuan heard this, he seemed to find it hilarious.
He slowly set down his glass and stood up, meeting Nuo Lanshan's gaze. There wasn't the slightest trace of reverence in his eyes. Instead, they were full of... mockery?
"I mean, if you're going to make grand promises, at least make them good ones."
Lin Yuan took a sip of his drink and said coolly:
"Is ninth-tier Universe Level really that impressive?"
Silence.
A deathly silence.
The crowd, who had still been whispering moments before, fell completely quiet. Everyone stared wide-eyed at Lin Yuan as though he were insane.
What had he just said?
Was he mocking a ninth-tier Universe Level powerhouse?
Nuo Lanshan's smile froze completely. The red light in his eyes surged, and a terrifying killing intent that he could no longer suppress began to stir.
This young man didn't know what was good for him—
—
P.S. I'm working on the second chapter now.
Before you continue