Bloody and Beautiful

Virtual Universe, Gulun Sacred Island, lakeside villa.

"Jiang Luo, you're finally online. Your younger brother—"

Wu He's words abruptly stopped. He stared wide-eyed at Jiang Luo, who had appeared inside the house. "You've broken through to Star Level?"

Jiang Luo made no attempt to conceal his Star Level ninth-tier Origin Energy aura.

On Gulun Sacred Island, the system molded everyone's body to the peak of the major level they had reached in the real world.

Star Level geniuses had Star Level ninth-tier bodies on the island, while Universe Level geniuses had Universe Level ninth-tier bodies.

Before condensing a Life Core, it was difficult to fully suppress the aura of one's genetic Origin Energy.

"Jiang Luo!" Wu He's face flushed red with anger. "Are you crazy?! As soon as you break through to Star Level and log in to the Virtual Universe, the Sacred Hall will immediately recognize you as a Star Level member of the Hall of Myriad Laws!

"Soon, they'll order you to attempt the Myriad Laws River. You can stay in the Ancient Wheel Sacred Hall only if you pass the seventh level. If you fail, they'll revoke your membership.

"Do you know what'll happen once you're expelled from the Sacred Hall? Without its protection, Obsidian Company will surely get your citizen records. You won't be able to escape their tracking no matter where you hide—"

A majestic voice suddenly boomed through the sky, cutting off Wu He's scolding. "Planetary Level member Jiang Luo has been detected breaking through to Star Level. Please proceed to the Hall of Myriad Laws immediately to undergo the test!"

Wu He's face went pale.

Jiang Luo smiled warmly at Wu He. "Don't worry. I'm not an idiot. I know what I'm doing."

Wu He froze. He watched Jiang Luo leave the villa, his expression doubtful. "Could that kid really be confident he can pass the seventh level?

"No, that can't be right. A little over a month ago, his Water-Fire Domain had only reached the third level... Even with a Domain technique, he could at most hold his own against someone with a fifth-level Domain."

The gap between a fifth-level Domain and a seventh-level one was enormous.

Then he remembered the bizarre, powerful 'move' Jiang Luo had used on Luo Planet.

Despite being only Planetary Level, Jiang Luo had managed to gather energy on the level of a Universe Level powerhouse.

Wu He had always suspected that Jiang Luo had been taught by another powerful expert, or had inherited the legacy of some supreme powerhouse.

Especially since Jiang Luo had left him behind and traveled the universe alone ten years ago.

Wu He murmured, "If that guy really can pass the seventh level of the Myriad Laws River, then his talent... is truly astonishing."

The voice that had boomed through the sky also drew the attention of many geniuses in the villas near the Hall of Myriad Laws.

"That lucky guy who was only Planetary Level joined the Sacred Hall just ten years ago, right? And he actually dares to break through to Star Level?"

"Smart Brain, pull up the footage. I refuse to believe someone could raise their Domain from the first level to the seventh in just ten years!"

"Heh, we're about to witness another unlucky fool get kicked out of the Sacred Hall."

Bu Li flew into the Hall of Myriad Laws with a dark expression.

The armored elder stationed in the hall looked at Bu Li with an odd expression. "You can't blame me for this. The Sacred Hall's rules were personally established by the ruler. If you want to blame someone, blame that reckless kid.

"But with Jiang Luo's talent, he'll definitely be able to rejoin the Sacred Hall before long."

Bu Li snorted. He understood the reasoning, of course, but he was still somewhat displeased with Jiang Luo.

The armored elder chuckled and waved his hand, summoning a virtual screen. It showed Jiang Luo entering the Myriad Laws River.

"Heh, if you ask me, this kid must have a good reason for daring to break through to Star Level. He should have a decent chance of passing the seventh level."

The Myriad Laws River wound through nine bends and eighteen curves.

At every bend stood a gatekeeper dressed in white.

Jiang Luo stepped across the surface of the river, his figure as ethereal as mist. In the blink of an eye, he had silently arrived at the first level.

The Rainwater Sutra was a complete sword art that also included movement techniques.

The white-robed gatekeeper said coolly, "Your Highness may choose your opponent."

Without hesitation, Jiang Luo replied, "A martial artist who cultivates sword techniques. Hmm... use the number one technique on the Technique Ranking List, Star River Sword Prison!"

After crossing the threshold of the Law of Water and breaking through to Star Level, he had spent over half a month cultivating the Rainwater Sutra. He had more or less mastered its basics.

He had come to challenge the Myriad Laws River because he wanted to test the results of his ten years of cultivating the Dripping Water Sutra and the Rainwater Sutra against skilled swordsmen.

In an instant, a third-tier sword-shaped Origin Force weapon, identical to the one in Jiang Luo's hand, appeared in the white-robed man's grasp.

At the same time, a first-level water-element Domain spread out around him.

"Die!" The white-robed man swept forward, scattering specks of starlight.

Holding his sword, Jiang Luo strolled toward him at an unhurried pace.

Suddenly, he seemed to transform into a droplet of rain and leaped into the air.

Whoosh, whoosh—

The white-robed man's neck was slashed through, cleanly separating his head from his body.

Jiang Luo remained calm and continued upstream.

An opponent with only a first-level Domain wasn't worth much effort.

On an island at the source of the Myriad Laws River, the armored elder took a sip of wine. "Heh, that kid's swordsmanship really is exquisite. You were right earlier—there must be a powerful expert personally teaching him."

Bu Li looked thoughtful, as if he had guessed something.

Jiang Luo swept through the Myriad Laws River, clearing one level after another.

Boom!

A water lotus and a fire lotus bloomed, overlapping and spinning like millstones as they relentlessly strangled the gatekeeper at the fifth level.

Jiang Luo calmly finished him off with a single sword strike.

"He passed the fifth level?" A Sacred Hall genius watching the footage of Jiang Luo's challenge on the screen couldn't help exclaiming.

That meant that with the boost from his Domain technique, his combined dual Domains could truly match—or even overpower—an opponent of the same level with a fifth-level Domain!

A little while later, when Jiang Luo struggled through the sixth level, even Bu Li and the armored elder, both World Lords, grew serious.

"This sword art is equally strong on offense and defense. It even forms its own Domain with countless sword beams. It already has the makings of a Controller wielding a high-grade mental-force weapon. How can a martial artist achieve this through swordsmanship alone?" The armored elder couldn't help rising to his feet.

Bu Li was astonished as well. "This sword art may not be a higher grade than Star River Sword Prison, but it takes a different path and has its own mysteries. I've never seen swordsmanship like this."

"Still, he probably won't pass the seventh level." The armored elder sounded regretful. "He's not only a swordsmanship genius, but a combat genius as well! Combining two third-level Domains to narrowly defeat a sixth-level gatekeeper is already remarkable!"

Jiang Luo reached the seventh level of the Myriad Laws River.

The opponent at the seventh level was far stronger than the sixth-level gatekeeper. With the boost of a seventh-level Domain, his Star River Sword Prison made him as strong as a normal Star Level fighter with an eighth-level Domain!

Clearly, simply using the sword techniques of the Rainwater Sutra together with the Water-Fire Lotus wouldn't give Jiang Luo any chance of turning the tide.

Jiang Luo's mind stirred, and he invoked the Water Origin Law!

At that moment, he seemed to transform into a raindrop, playing and chasing after the other droplets. Countless raindrops linked together, forming a thread.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~~"

Every raindrop around Jiang Luo turned into a fine strand of rain. The crystalline strands gleamed like threads, breathtakingly beautiful.

Each strand was like the sharpest knife, yet also like a strand carved from the most precious, translucent jade.

The ninth move of the Dripping Water Sutra, 'Dripping Water Pierces Stone,' had only just crossed the threshold of the Water Origin Law.

Only the Rainwater Sutra, which Ji Ning had created as a continuation, could bring the power of the Law of Water fully into play!

Droplets joined together, and strands of rain formed threads!

The ethereal threads of rain swept past the horrified gatekeeper—bloody and beautiful.

"The Origin Law?"

Bu Li and the armored elder stared in stunned disbelief.