In the Virtual Universe, inside the rest hall of the Desolate God Clan's Universe Level regional battle arena.
Four figures sat around a dining table. Three of them had fiery red hair, making the blue-haired figure in the corner stand out.
They were Huang Wuye and his three companions. After several months apart, they had reunited in the battle arena.
By now, all four of them had reached Universe Level.
"Little Uncle, what task did the training camp assign you?" Huang Hu asked in his deep, booming voice. Huang Xue and Ye Wuhen turned to look as well, clearly curious.
Huang Wuye's mouth twitched. He spat out two cold words.
"Ranching."
"Ranching? You've got it easy. Unlike me, I got a task from the Giant Axe Martial Arena. I have to win ten thousand matches in a row at Universe Level. What about you, Huang Xue?"
Huang Hu glanced at Huang Wuye with envy, then turned the question toward Huang Xue.
"The ranching Huang Wuye mentioned must be the family's task of overseeing a ranching planet!
"That's much harder than your ten thousand consecutive wins at Universe Level. Your task is about as difficult as mine. I have to capture ten thousand Universe Level criminals within the Meteor Universe Kingdom."
Huang Xue wore a tight-fitting battle suit today, which accentuated her curvaceous figure even more. When she noticed everyone looking at her, she parted her red lips and spoke in a melodious voice.
Hearing Huang Xue's enchanting voice, Huang Wuye glanced at her in surprise.
How did Huang Xue know the details of ranching?
Seeing the puzzlement in Huang Wuye's eyes, Huang Xue smiled and explained:
"Surprised that I know? One of my elders is the guard responsible for taking you there. He heard we were friends, so he told me about it."
Huang Wuye understood. No wonder. He turned to Ye Wuhen, who was watching him expectantly, and said:
"Your application has been approved. You're already a genius under our faction, and you're exceptionally talented. With my father's recommendation too, it was approved right away."
"Haha, I still have you to thank, Wuye. Otherwise, I'd have had to wait a long time." Ye Wuhen was overjoyed. He'd asked Huang Wuye to apply on his behalf for core training. Without Huang Wuye's help, he would have had to wait another hundred years.
By then, Huang Hu and Huang Xue would have left him far behind—not to mention the freakish Huang Wuye. Naturally, he was thrilled.
"Since you're so happy, shouldn't we celebrate with a pot of good wine?" Huang Hu chimed in, seizing his chance.
"Sure. I'm in a good mood today. Let's drink until we drop!" Ye Wuhen agreed without hesitation.
After a hearty drinking session, the four turned to more serious matters.
"Now that Ye Wuhen has his approval, we should submit our applications to the Holy Land and enter early to begin our studies!" Huang Xue's cheeks were flushed, making her look even more alluring. She took a sip of wine and made the suggestion.
The others agreed, and they arranged to meet at the Holy Land, Desolate God Mountain.
Desolate God Mountain was the true heart of the Desolate God Clan. Rising eight light-years high, it was where the clan's powerful gathered.
Typically, members of the Desolate God Clan came to Desolate God Mountain once they reached World Lord Level. Countless powerful beings cultivated there.
Even talented Universe Level and Domain Lord Level geniuses could earn the right to cultivate on Desolate God Mountain. It held countless secret locations, as well as instructors dedicated to teaching geniuses.
Over the ages, some powerful beings had chosen disciples to inherit their legacies. In the universe, people with exceptional cultivation talent were rare, and those who could become Immortal Level powerhouses were rarer still.
Thus, to a powerful being, a gifted disciple could sometimes be no different from family—even more precious.
A powerful being might have countless descendants, but the companions who stayed by their side the longest and helped them most were often talented disciples who had grown strong.
So some powerful beings whose progress had slowed chose to teach the younger generation of their clan. Teaching others helped them reflect on their own cultivation, and could even spark new inspiration.
They also hoped to nurture an outstanding disciple who would grow powerful enough to support them. This was commonplace in the universe.
Of course, the four still had tasks to complete, so they couldn't travel to Desolate God Mountain in person. But they could go there to study through the Virtual Universe.
It was hard not to marvel at the wonders of the Virtual Universe.
After Huang Wuye had Dasheng submit the application, he immediately received a set of coordinates.
With a flash, he appeared before a towering sacred mountain.
Looking at the mountain soaring into the clouds, Huang Wuye was momentarily spellbound. He had seen many of the universe's wonders, yet he couldn't help marveling at such astonishing power.
"Boss, Desolate God Mountain has strict rules. Fighting is forbidden. Our destination this time is at the foot of the mountain." A golden ape perched on Huang Wuye's shoulder and reminded him.
Huang Wuye nodded, then followed Dasheng's directions to their destination.
Along the way, he learned the general layout of Desolate God Mountain.
Desolate God Mountain was divided into the foot, the middle slopes, and the summit.
The foot of the mountain was where those below World Lord Level and ordinary Immortals stayed. The middle slopes were occupied by powerful King-level Immortals and Venerables, while the summit was where the Universe Overlords resided.
Usually, no one was allowed to trespass without permission.
The foot of the mountain covered a vast area, measured in light-years. It contained many excellent cultivation sites, but the largest area was the residential district.
It offered every kind of entertainment imaginable. There was nothing you couldn't find—unless you hadn't thought of it.
The most eye-catching structures at the foot of the mountain were a cluster of connected palaces. Each bore an ancient air, and one could feel the passage of time in them.
Each palace covered tens of thousands of kilometers, with countless servants moving about inside. They were the residences of the Immortal Gods. Whether or not the god who lived there was present, a group of attendants was always on hand.
Over the endless years of an Immortal God's life, these attendants had been replaced again and again. Like fish living in a river, they went unnoticed.
After an unknown amount of time, Huang Wuye stopped in front of a building in a secluded spot. A plaque hung above the entrance, bearing three ancient characters: Peach Blossom Pavilion.
This was where Huang Wuye would live, and it would likely remain his home for a long time. Its previous owner had been his father, Huang Tian.
Huang Wuye entered Rain-Listening Pavilion. Before him stretched several hundred kilometers of greenery, with a grove of peach trees at its center. Huang Tian must have arranged it specially. A floral fragrance drifted over, relaxing Huang Wuye from head to toe. He entered the grove, where a pavilion stood in the middle, apparently prepared as his residence.
Crossing the green expanse, he came to a lake covering around five thousand kilometers. A massive training ground stood on the water, equipped with every kind of cultivation facility.
Yet the vast estate was deserted. Its former occupants must have left long ago.
Huang Wuye was quite pleased with that. He liked peace and quiet. Looking over the home where he would be staying for a long time, he was very satisfied.
Before you continue