Stone Pillar

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~

Emerald-green waves crashed against the crimson beach. Strange, penguin-like creatures let out "squeak-squawk" cries, flapping their short wings in a chaotic frenzy as they chased the receding tide in groups.

Two figures slowly appeared on the horizon.

"We've arrived." Chen Beixun was overjoyed, gazing out at the desolate and sorrowful beach.

The Hun-Jin Sea was the most dangerous of the three major regions.

"It's not far from the Thousand Blade Land." Chen Beixun let out a sigh of relief, then spoke up: "Pick up the pace, let's charge through!"

The Thousand Blade Land was, in fact, an island within the Hun-Jin Sea.

At the center of this massive island lay a crater with a diameter of 50,000 kilometers, occupying the vast majority of the Thousand Blade Land's surface area.

Standing prominently in the center of the crater was a 1,008-meter stone pillar, its surface covered in unknown inscriptions resembling hieroglyphs.

Surrounding the pillar were countless weapons—swords, blades, axes, and more—stuck into the ground as if some wild, ancient ritual had once taken place there.

"Thousand Blade Land." Chen Beixun stood at the edge of the crater, looking down.

Every move he made caused the fragile soil to crumble away in flakes of varying thickness.

Suddenly, several low, rumbling sounds drifted over, reminiscent of Buddhist chants.

This sound was named the "Ularos Sound," as the Ghostly World Lord's name was Ularos. In the Ghostly World Lord's homeland, "Ularos" represented "the unknown and the future."

Cosmic adventurers who remained within the range of the Ularos Sound for too long, if their willpower and consciousness were not strong enough, would be tormented until they lost their sanity and eventually their minds, dying right here in the Thousand Blade Land.

"This sound is so eerie!" Pavadode's brows furrowed into a deep frown, the impact of the Ularos Sound making him feel dizzy and lightheaded.

Chen Beixun walked over to Pavadode's side and patted his shoulder. "It's normal; it's always like this."

Huff— Pavadode let out a long breath, gradually adapting to the pressure.

Chen Beixun's eyes remained calm as he explained carefully.

"This sound has a unique discriminatory power. What a Star-level feels is different from what a Universe-level feels."

"The closer you get to the stone pillar, the stronger the impact of the Ularos Sound becomes."

Pavadode nodded, then remarked, "This sound seems to have a unique effect on tempering one's consciousness and willpower."

"Indeed." Chen Beixun nodded, his voice deep. "I intend to cultivate here for a period of time. The inscriptions on that stone pillar are of great help to my comprehension of the Earth Origin Law!"

When Pavadode heard that it was "of great help to the comprehension of the Earth Origin Law," he couldn't help but grin.

Heaven truly helps me!

The two soared into the sky, flying toward the stone pillar.

The deeper they went, the stronger the impact of the Ularos Sound became. They stopped at the 35,000-kilometer mark. This was one of the reasons the stone pillar hadn't been taken away; the main reason was that a powerful figure had forbidden anyone from touching it.

Once the treasure-hunting chaos in this World Lord World passed, it would inevitably be transformed into a secret training ground for elites.

"To reach the center, one must surely possess the consciousness of a World Lord." Chen Beixun sat cross-legged, eyes tightly shut, silently enduring the impact brought by the Ularos Sound.

The Ularos Sound pressed directly upon Chen Beixun's consciousness. Under such conditions, even thinking became difficult.

Beside him, Pavadode was breaking out in a cold sweat. He was busy calibrating a device, the purpose of which was to fly to the stone pillar and share the imagery back.

Although this method would involve significant errors and some profound patterns could not be transmitted, there was no other effective way.

"His willpower is incredibly strong!" Pavadode couldn't help but marvel.

Three hundred years of hardship and the unique cultivation method of the Twilight Art had caused Chen Beixun's willpower to far exceed that of other Universe-level powerhouses of the same rank.

In the path of soul cultivation, aptitude and talent alone were not enough. Consciousness and willpower were a crucial link, directly affecting the power of soul attacks.

The 7th day since entering the World Castle.

Chen Beixun pried open his eyelids, which felt as heavy as if they were being pulled by a thousand jun of force. His vision was veiled in a crimson hue.

"Pavadode!" Chen Beixun rasped, his voice hoarse.

"What... what is it!" Pavadode stood up immediately, reaching out with his large hands to help Chen Beixun up.

Chen Beixun's legs felt like they were filled with lead, making it difficult to move.

"It's... it's too hard!" Chen Beixun managed to spit out a few words. The impact of the Ularos Sound over the past seven days had pushed his willpower up a major tier! But the side effects were also obvious; the constant resistance against the Ularos Sound had left Chen Beixun physically and mentally exhausted.

Everything must have its limits. His willpower had indeed improved, but his physical fitness was still standing still.

Without Pavadode, Chen Beixun might have passed out right there.

"Little brother, don't push yourself so hard!" Pavadode hoisted Chen Beixun onto his back and left the crater.

Afterward, they found a random spot to rest and recuperate.

******

"How is your comprehension of the laws coming along?" Chen Beixun asked, though his voice was incredibly weak, as if he had just recovered from a severe illness.

Pavadode replied, "A massive improvement!"

Chen Beixun's face turned deathly pale as he squeezed out a smile and nodded, genuinely afraid that his head might actually fall off.

"Get some rest." Pavadode took a bottle of liquor from his spatial ring, tilted his head back, and drank it down with loud gulps before handing it to Chen Beixun, still looking unsatisfied.

Chen Beixun took it and downed a mouthful.

"Wow!" Chen Beixun immediately bared his teeth and groaned, "That's got a kick!"

In a flash, Chen Beixun turned bright red, looking like a roasted duck.

Pavadode chuckled with the look of someone whose trick had succeeded, "The Sixth Highness bestowed it upon me."

"The Sixth Highness?" Chen Beixun slumped onto the ground, muttering, "Not bad, you've got quite a few siblings."

The two rested for half a day before setting off again.

Their destination was the 'Slanted Axe Tower'. The 'Slanted Axe Tower' was located on a stretch of land, and because its shape resembled an axe cleaving into the ground, it earned the name 'Slanted Axe Tower'.

Seven days passed, and the major factions had finished carving out their spheres of influence.

Virtual Universe, Tianchen Island.

"The situation has stabilized now. There are a total of 17 organizations occupying the 'Slanted Axe Tower'." Li Di closed his eyes, contemplating in his mind.

Divided by occupied area: Win Pavilion controls 12% of the land, Axe Battle Star controls 11%... Longheng Star controls 2.54% of the land.

"Lie Yun, Ruan Feng," an Immortal with a bull's head and a bloated physique said, "What do you think of the current situation?"

"Heh, Sitonggu, oh Sitonggu!" The Immortal named Lie Yun chuckled and pointed at the projected simulation sandbox, "Look there, Axe Battle Star is closest to the central region. Once the treasure is unearthed, Axe Battle Star will inevitably be attacked from multiple sides."

Ruan Feng straightened his attire from the side and said in a deep voice, "I don't think so. When it comes to the strategy of befriending distant states while attacking neighbors, Axe Battle Star is using it most profoundly."

Ruan Feng tapped the stone armrest of his throne, leaned forward, and turned his face toward Sitonggu, saying, "Furthermore, the biggest threats, Win Pavilion and the Cosmic Bone Alliance, do not border Axe Battle Star!"

"And, what's more, the three parties are far apart from each other."

On a throne near the corner of the round table sat an Immortal who had just broken through his shackles. He was burly and broad-shouldered, with a pair of sharp, curved horns atop his head, looking much like a Violent Bear Immortal.

The Violent Bear Immortal's eyes were as small as cracks in a wall, and those little eyes were focused intently on the sandbox, appearing exceptionally serious.

"An Changheng's sister?" The Violent Bear Immortal's expression turned stagnant; he didn't know what he had recalled, but he tried his best to suppress a laugh.

"That guy An Changheng was too flashy on the outer-territorial battlefield and was chased by several alien Immortals. I heard he was so scared he even wet his diapers."

The Violent Bear Immortal rubbed his chin, "I hope you aren't as much of a clown as your sister—all talk, no skill, and loves to fight."

At the Slanted Axe Tower, within the territory occupied by the Lotte Family, An Changyan felt a sensation and sneezed.

"Strange." An Changyan rubbed her head, "Forget it, I won't think about it anymore."

"Chen Beixun said he had some plan to discuss, I should hurry over."

******

Slanted Axe Tower, within the territory occupied by the Lotte Family.

Chen Beixun, Pavadode, and An Changyan sat on the ground, discussing tactics and planning. Though it was said to be three people, it was really just two; An Changyan was merely sitting to the side...

Chen Beixun: "This is a bit too flashy."

An Changyan: "Yeah, yeah."

Pavadode: "Tactically speaking, this is the best method of infiltration."

An Changyan: "Yeah, yeah."

Chen Beixun: "Not good! We still need to scout a bit more before making a decision."

An Changyan: "Right, right."

Chen Beixun: "..."

Pavadode: "..."

"Your Highness," Pavadode wore an expression of not knowing what to do, then said in a deep voice, "How is your practice of the second form of the Yan God Weapon, the 'Sky-Piercing Strike', coming along?"

An Changyan seemed to catch the subtext; she was like 'Chiang Kai-shek', very fond of micromanagement. One could call her a 'Master of Micromanagement'.

"Why is it that whenever we talk about plans or tactics, you two ignore me?" An Changyan said, her face flushed red.

Chen Beixun stood up, straightened his back, and said, "Your Highness, the best arrangement you have ever made is... making no arrangements at all!"

"Me? Me?! Me!" An Changyan gritted her teeth in anger and said with a resentful tone, "I have read through various masterpieces on game theory in my early years..."

An Changyan opened her small mouth, and it was simply endless.

Read through 'masterpieces on game theory', right, Chen Beixun thought to himself while wiping cold sweat from his forehead. Of course, he didn't dare say it out loud; times were different now.

I really want to use the Demon Island Vine again to tease her, Chen Beixun sighed inwardly. It was truly a sight of melancholy, a sigh wasted on the empty air.

An Changyan had been lecturing for six hours straight, a torture session directed solely at Chen Beixun.

It's a good thing I muted the sound, Chen Beixun thought, sitting on the plush sofa and watching An Changyan, who was still rambling incessantly to his right.

Forget it, play by yourself. I'm heading to the Slaughter Arena. Chen Beixun closed his eyes, his consciousness diving into the Virtual Universe.

Slaughter Arena...

On a vast grassland.

Chen Beixun stared coldly at the man lying before him.

A layer of white frost had formed on the man's face, and white steam puffed continuously from his nostrils. By now, Chen Beixun had reduced him to a limbless torso.

"Are you... mocking me?" The man gasped his last breath.

"Not at all. I was just wondering how you managed to dodge that fatal strike of mine," Chen Beixun murmured.

Zzzzt—

The grassland vanished, replaced by a bustling, crowded plaza.

"After twenty-seven battles, the second stage of the Heng Divine Weapon, the 'Sky Slash Style', can finally be considered mastered." Chen Beixun looked at his personal win-loss data panel.

2451 Wins! 252 Losses!

Chen Beixun had certainly encountered his fair share of powerhouses.

In one particular battle, he had faced an opponent whose blade technique was exquisite beyond compare, with an absurdly high comprehension of the laws. Chen Beixun had barely had room to retaliate; he had been completely and utterly crushed!

One must eat a meal one bite at a time; try to swallow too much, and you will only choke.

Cultivation is the same.

Beep-beep—

"Why is An Changyan sending me a message at a time like this?" Chen Beixun raised his arm in confusion and read the message.

The other party wanted him to head to the Lotte Family to take care of some business.

He set off immediately.