Under the watchful eyes of 1,008 Universe Countries, the preliminary round of the Universe-Level Warrior Tournament, hosted by the Virtual Universe Company, finally came to an end.
No outsider could know how many people had been disappointed or how many had been spurred on to work harder, but each World Zone had produced a batch of exceptionally talented geniuses.
There was no need to say much about the hundred geniuses who had taken first place in their respective World Zones. From that moment on, they had embarked on the path to the peak of their lives.
Although they might not pass the Virtual Universe Company's selection, they had stood out among countless Universe Level geniuses. There was no doubt they had bright futures ahead of them.
The few lucky ones who passed the Virtual Universe Company's selection needed no further mention.
As for the geniuses who failed to make it through, the factions and powerful figures in the Meteor Universe Kingdom surely wouldn't mind gaining another outstanding successor.
It was a sure-fire, profitable deal, and the influential leaders with a keen eye wouldn't miss such an opportunity. After all, those who stood at the pinnacle were bound to be sharp-minded.
At that moment, the three Immortal Gods at the Meteor Sacred Land, including Marquis Fire Spirit, were in high spirits.
Aside from the unexpected gain of Huang Wuye and his two companions, the Meteor Universe Kingdom had also produced three promising young talents who were all capable of joining the Virtual Universe Company.
One of them was Ye Wuhen, who was already a member of the Meteor Sacred Land.
Although he held a special status and had an official position in the Meteor Legion, there was no denying that he was a member of the Meteor Sacred Land.
Of the other two, one was a powerful illusionist and spiritual force user, while the other was a warrior with a deep understanding of the Wind Origin Law.
One man and one woman. Although they were not as good as Ye Wuhen, making it into the top thousand would be easy for them.
It was fair to say that this was a day of celebration, though no one could say how many people were shedding bitter tears.
At least Huang Wuye and his three companions were in good spirits. They were gathered in a private room at the Meteor Sacred Land, one reserved for serving geniuses.
Once the staff had laid out the food and wine, they began to chat.
The four raised their glasses and clinked them together, celebrating their strong start.
They had been lucky in the preliminary round, each taking first place in their respective World Zone and thereby avoiding the arena battles.
Although Huang Xue and the other two were not as strong as Huang Wuye, they still measured up well against the other Universe Level warriors in the Meteor Universe Kingdom.
Ye Wuhen, for one, had been cultivating for a long time. His talent was considerable, and his comprehension of the Law of Light was profound.
After becoming an apprentice, his King Rank teacher's guidance had helped him rapidly turn his deep reserves into real strength. His progress in the Law of Light had been astonishing, and he was now second only to Huang Wuye.
As for Huang Xue and Huang Hu, their life genes were each five times stronger than those of an ordinary human, so their Law Comprehension was naturally impressive.
Their elders were powerful, and when Huang Wuye's strength had rapidly advanced over the past few years, they had asked those elders for many precious resources to boost their Law Comprehension.
They had also spent over a century cultivating in a special world belonging to their clan. If their secret techniques had kept pace, they might have surpassed Ye Wuhen by now.
That's right, the two of them had cheated—with a time cheat.
As Huang Wuye's progress grew faster and faster, they had felt the pressure. He was about to leave for the Virtual Universe Company again, and they had grown up together, so naturally they refused to fall behind.
So they had spent some precious opportunities to enter a special small world and cultivate there.
That small world not only accelerated cultivation, but also offered opportunities to improve one's Law Comprehension.
Their elders had paid a considerable price to get them into that world.
After sharing a meal of food and wine, the four were all in good spirits.
"We still have some time. Let's cultivate hard and try to secure good rankings."
Huang Wuye glanced at the three and spoke.
He wasn't surprised that Huang Xue and Huang Hu had made it through. He had heard about their situation, after all. He and Huang Hu were close, and Huang Xue told him everything.
Ye Wuhen, on the other hand, had surprised him a little. It seemed the man was no ordinary talent, but Huang Wuye didn't dwell on it. Everyone had a few secrets, didn't they?
Huang Xue and the others nodded. Then they said their goodbyes and left. The battles, which had lasted half a year, had been far more taxing for them than for Huang Wuye. They needed to go back, get some rest, and take stock of what they had gained.
They had gained a lot from so many battles and needed to organize their insights while they still had time.
Watching the three leave, Huang Wuye smiled. It felt good to have companions by his side.
After his reflection, he opened his contacts and sent Marquis Fire Spirit a message. He had received the man's contact information earlier.
Meanwhile, Marquis Fire Spirit was in the middle of a conversation when he received Huang Wuye's message. Not daring to delay, he immediately set off.
Huang Wuye didn't have to wait long before Marquis Fire Spirit appeared.
"Your Highness!"
"Sorry for the trouble, Marquis Fire Spirit. Now that the Strongest Battle is over, I have some free time. It's about time I paid my respects to His Majesty, the Meteor Kingdom Lord. Could I trouble you to introduce me?"
There was no helping it. Huang Wuye had heard of his nominal father's teacher for a long time.
But he had been born too recently. He had never met the Meteor Kingdom Lord and had no way to contact him, so he had to find someone to show him the way.
Marquis Fire Spirit was the perfect choice.
"Haha, I'm the one at fault. I should have given you the Kingdom Lord's contact information earlier."
Marquis Fire Spirit laughed heartily. He hadn't thought of that, but it was a good thing. He had been hoping for a chance to get to know this monstrously talented prince better, and now that chance had fallen right into his lap.
"Your Highness, follow me." He was secretly delighted. Then he led the way, flying up into the sky.
Before long, Marquis Fire Spirit brought Huang Wuye to a spacecraft. Seeing Huang Wuye's confusion, he explained, "His Majesty usually isn't on Meteor Star. He prefers quiet and spends most of his time cultivating in a nearby secret realm, so we'll have to take a spacecraft there."
Huang Wuye understood. So that was how it was. He followed Marquis Fire Spirit aboard.
As the spacecraft set off, the Meteor Sacred Land vanished from sight.
The ship's simulation system automatically recreated the view outside, and a magnificent river of stars came into view.
"Your Highness, our Meteor Universe Kingdom is named after Meteor Star. The surrounding area is filled with countless uninhabited stars. These stars are constantly being born and destroyed, hence the name."
Marquis Fire Spirit explained, noticing Huang Wuye gazing at the view.
Huang Wuye nodded and thanked Marquis Fire Spirit before turning his gaze back to the countless stars around them.
Watching the stars be born and die, he was struck with awe. Under an immeasurable force, star after star was driven to destruction, only to be born anew.
There was a strange mystery within it. Huang Wuye became absorbed in the sight, and then Law fluctuations spread from him as he began to imitate that strange undulation.
He sank into a peculiar state of comprehension. Seeing this, Marquis Fire Spirit stopped bothering him, and silence settled over the spacecraft.
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