Preparations Before Advancing into the Universe

One year later...

"Report! The Blazing Squad, one hundred members, assembled and ready!"

"The Blazing Squad consists of the Martial Alliance's most elite martial artists, with every member possessing a combat power exceeding 2,000!"

"Report complete! Awaiting instructions from the Alliance Leader!"

The one reporting was Bu Chen. He wore a combat suit, looking heroic and spirited.

Watching the elite squad before him, Jiang Yun felt a surge of immense ambition. They were the vanguard for Earth's entry into the universe; the human race would undoubtedly leave a resounding name for itself among the stars.

After undergoing the Martial Alliance's most scientific training, supplemented by various recovery instruments and gravity chambers, the strength of the Martial Alliance had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation—a change known only to a select few.

Throughout this year, members of the Martial Alliance had endured hellish training, frequently hovering between life and death. Yet, they never retreated. Once they learned they would follow Jiang Yun into the universe, they trained with fanatical devotion; everyone possessed a heart set on expanding their horizons.

Venturing into the universe was a temptation no one could resist. Naturally, many were weeded out during this process, leaving behind only the cream of the crop, those with the most steadfast Martial Hearts.

Bu Chen, the strongest among them, had already reached a combat power of 8,000. While the Blazing Squad's strength might seem weak—even fodder-level in the vast universe—one must not forget the augmented martial technique passed down by Jiang Yun. Through Jiang Yun's constant refinement, the Jiang Fist had become highly stable, not only extending the duration of combat endurance but also significantly lowering the physical requirements.

This was equivalent to an enhanced version of the Kaioken. Jiang Yun had even incorporated the utilization of Vital Energy into it; once the Jiang Fist mode was activated, it would inadvertently absorb the ambient Vital Energy to sustain the user, which was why the Jiang Fist now consumed less than the Kaioken.

Jiang Yun had developed this specifically for the Martial Alliance. He didn't require them to understand the underlying principles; if he told them they needed to absorb Vital Energy, how would he explain it? How would he teach them to absorb it? They couldn't even sense the existence of Vital Energy, which Jiang Yun suspected was related to mental power.

Therefore, after Jiang Yun's specific modifications, activating the technique would inadvertently draw in Vital Energy. Even Jiang Yun's own Jiang Divine Body had become more refined; his body could absorb Vital Energy, and after activating the Jiang Divine Body, it would not only automatically absorb it but also allow him to actively draw it in.

For him, the burden was negligible, and the duration was incredibly long! He could even maintain the ten-fold mode for extended periods now. With the support of Vital Energy, he could almost achieve an endless cycle, as he could convert Vital Energy into Ki for combat, though it could not be converted directly into combat power.

However, that was worth researching further—though that was a matter for another time.

During this year of research, considering that everyone needed to engage in combat to gain experience, Jiang Yun contacted Dr. Brief to develop artificial intelligence. When he first described his vision for AI, Dr. Brief was astounded, marveling at how many ideas this child had and how truly ahead of his time he was.

Speaking of which, one had to mention the technology of the Dragon Ball World. Much like certain ninja worlds, the tech tree felt severely skewed. Here, even Dr. Gero could imbue robots with emotions, yet their computing power remained at the level of standard computers, failing to reach the threshold of true super-AI.

The technological level here was highly polarized; some aspects were incredibly advanced, while others were abysmal. One could find technology rivaling Iron Man, yet they still used primitive bombs, completely lacking the high-tech energy weapons one would expect.

Even energy weapons only appeared later, and their power was pitifully small, lacking any sense of world-destroying might.

But setting that aside, when Dr. Brief heard about using AI as a foundation to build a virtual network, he was even more shocked. By transmitting consciousness into a virtual network, Jiang Yun wanted to use it for life-and-death combat, where one wouldn't need to fear actual death in the virtual world.

Dr. Brief, however, thought of the extra time the virtual world provided, which was effectively an extension of human life, allowing more time for research.

Dr. Brief sighed, "Whoever thought of this is either a madman or a genius!"

Clearly, Jiang Yun was no madman; he was a genius.

After listening to Jiang Yun's explanation, Dr. Brief immediately dove into research. Although AI was complex, it was no more complex than space-time. If he could invent the Capsule Corp capsules, was this really a problem?

The virtual network required massive computing power and could only be maintained with the existence of AI, so the first step was to develop that.

AI was not difficult for Dr. Brief, and creating a device to guide human consciousness out was child's play. After a period of tireless effort, Dr. Brief soon invented them one by one.

About six months after the Martial Alliance began training, Dr. Brief had everything ready. He even tested the time-flow rate of the virtual network, but when he adjusted it to ten times, he discovered that the human consciousness became unstable.

This led to a situation where the physical body could not keep up with the consciousness.

"So, you mean that after being washed by the time-flow in the virtual network, the body and consciousness become mismatched?"

Jiang Yun felt a headache coming on. This was absolutely unacceptable!

"No, no, no! It's not that exaggerated. It's just that the body needs time to adapt to the consciousness. Besides, there's no need to keep it at ten-fold speed the entire time."

"This places a huge burden not only on the person but also on the AI. Based on my tests, the most suitable maximum multiplier for a person is five times."

"This has absolutely no impact on the human body," Dr. Brief explained slowly.

Jiang Yun's eyes lit up. Five times—that was enough to allow the Martial Alliance to develop rapidly. While it couldn't compare to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, it had the benefit of effectively extending one's lifespan.

Many ideas regarding martial arts could be tested in the virtual world, while reality could be used for training and verification.

He had originally intended to use this to help the Martial Alliance gain combat experience, but now, this virtual network seemed to have countless applications—it could even generate massive profits!

"Dr. Brief, how about we name this virtual network the 'Virtual Universe'?" Jiang Yun asked, looking at the doctor.

"Virtual Universe? A very fitting name. Who knows, this Virtual Universe might even become a sensation across the galaxy in the future!" Dr. Brief seemed quite satisfied with the name and said happily.

"Dr. Brief, I know it's difficult to accommodate the entire population of Earth, and the capital required is enormous, but we can set up a subscription model."

"If we charge just a little from every person on the globe, we would possess wealth that rivals nations—wealth even greater than that of Capsule Corp!"

Jiang Yun's voice seemed to carry a magical quality, drawing the listener in.

"We can build it into humanity's second world. With the Virtual Universe, human development will be unimaginably fast!"

"However, I know you aren't a man driven by greed, Doctor. Collecting funds is simply to ensure we achieve better development!"

"Of course, my goal is the peak of martial arts; income is secondary. The money earned can be used to assist in Earth's development."

Dr. Brief marveled at Jiang Yun's ideas. Just how many thoughts were packed into that head of his?

"Doctor, you know I am a martial artist. I hope you can help me design a combat module, a Matchmaking Mode, a Ranked Mode, and a Custom Room Mode."

"Even team-ups, multiplayer modes—of course, these could be included in the previous ones!"

Jiang Yun continued.

"You really have quite the imagination, kid!"

Dr. Brief marveled that Jiang Yun was truly born for martial arts; he could even play around with martial arts in ways no one had ever imagined.

No!

This young man would achieve great things no matter what he set his mind to.