Genius Against Genius

The spaceship cruised steadily through the border region of the Withered Skeleton Galaxy. Golden Horn's main body was immersed in the Origin Core space, frantically devouring metal, while Silver Horn sat in the cabin with his eyes closed, comprehending the secret patterns of "Beyond the Light-Year." The two bodies performed their respective tasks, sharing consciousness without interfering with one another.

To prevent another ambush like the last one, where someone had attacked directly from outside the spaceship, Silver Horn had planned to buy a high-end radar. But when he saw that the price started at over ten thousand cubic Cosmic Crystals, he could only silently close the page.

"Poor..."

Gritting his teeth, he settled for the next best thing and used C-grade alloy to construct a small cultivation chamber. It was ten meters square, just enough to accommodate his clone's training. Its walls were thick enough to withstand a frontal attack from a Universe level expert.

Eight hundred cubic Cosmic Crystals vanished in the blink of an eye.

Silver Horn stared at his account balance, his heart aching so badly he could barely breathe. His already impoverished household had just gotten even worse.

This only strengthened his resolve to go out and earn money.

The spaceship continued onward when the intelligent system's alert suddenly sounded:

"Three thousand kilometers to the left front, a friendly distress signal has been detected. Enemy: five Universe level Qiu Shi Race members, all in the early Universe level stage, first through third order."

Silver Horn opened his eyes, and a cold glint flashed through his vertical pupils.

"Full speed ahead. We're going to support them!"

Three thousand kilometers away, Xiong Kui was trapped in a desperate situation amid the void.

Several chips had already appeared on his broadsword. His Metal Domain was being jointly suppressed by two Universe level second-order Qiu Shi Race members, forcing him back step by step. Behind him, more than ten Stellar level soldiers had formed a desperate defensive line, barely holding off the other three Universe level first-order Qiu Shi Race members.

But three corpses had already fallen along the defensive line, and several others were severely wounded. Their blood had condensed into dark-red droplets in the weightless environment, floating through space.

"Hold the line!" Xiong Kui roared, driving back the enemy before him with a slash. But another Qiu Shi Race member immediately filled the gap, its claws carving three wounds so deep that bone showed across his chest.

The distress signal had been sent, but would nearby allies come?

Xiong Kui clenched his teeth, his eyes filled with unwillingness. He had fought on this battlefield for decades. Was he really going to die here today?

Just then, a silver-gray spaceship burst out from behind a cluster of meteors in the distance. Its hull was coated in camouflage, yet it glinted coldly beneath the sunlight.

Silver Horn did not hesitate. The hatch opened, and a silver-white figure shot out like lightning.

Without a word, he unleashed the full fifth layer of his domain. Spatial fluctuations within several hundred meters abruptly intensified. The expressions of the three Universe level Qiu Shi Race members besieging the Stellar level soldiers changed dramatically, and one of them immediately turned to meet Silver Horn.

"Another one here to die! A mere Stellar level—"

Before it could finish speaking, Silver Horn vanished from its sight.

The next instant, an icy dagger point plunged into its back, piercing precisely through its energy core.

The Qiu Shi Race member lowered its head and stared at the slowly widening wound in its chest, disbelief written all over its face.

"How is that possible—"

Before it could finish, its body turned into motes of light and dispersed into the void.

One strike. Instant kill.

Everyone on the battlefield froze.

"Fuck!" one Qiu Shi Race member blurted out. "That's a Demon Race genius! Retreat!"

"Trying to leave?" Silver Horn sneered. A hundred clones appeared at once, completely surrounding the remaining four Qiu Shi Race members. Every clone was terrifyingly real, even their auras identical. Daggers stabbed from every impossible angle.

The four Qiu Shi Race members fought back desperately, but Silver Horn's domain suppression made every step difficult for them. Their attacks only ever tore apart clones, while Silver Horn's true body dealt devastating blows with every strike.

In just ten breaths, the battle was over.

Not one of the four Universe level Qiu Shi Race members escaped.

Silver Horn expertly gathered the spoils into his spatial ring. This was all money. He had killed every one of them himself this time, so he would not have to share with anyone.

Xiong Kui and the surviving soldiers stared blankly at the wreckage floating in space, unable to recover for a long while.

What had they just witnessed? A Stellar level ninth-order Demon Race member had killed five Universe level opponents alone?

Was this really still a Stellar level?

Xiong Kui was the first to regain his senses. Dragging his injured body, he flew before Silver Horn and gave him a deep bow.

"Silver Horn, you saved my life again. You saved me last time, and you saved me this time too. No words can express my gratitude. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word."

Silver Horn waved his hand. "We're comrades. No need to be so polite. Your injuries aren't light. Hurry back."

Xiong Kui nodded, then lowered his voice. "By the way, the Qiu Shi Race has recently sent quite a few geniuses to the outskirts of the Withered Skeleton Galaxy to hunt our people. If you continue deeper in, be careful."

"Thanks for the warning."

Watching Xiong Kui's team return, Silver Horn withdrew his gaze and continued onward.

Two days later, the spaceship received another distress signal.

Silver Horn frowned slightly. The Qiu Shi Race's counterattack was even fiercer than he had imagined. They had actually sent so many experts to infiltrate the area.

The intelligent assistant reported the identities of those requesting aid: Scorpio, Frost Blade, and Shadow Stinger.

"Them?" Silver Horn was slightly startled and immediately ordered the ship to move at full speed.

The signal coordinates showed that the three were racing toward Exterminate Qiu Star, with a Qiu Shi Race member chasing behind them.

When Silver Horn arrived, he saw three bedraggled figures from afar. Part of Scorpio's tail had been severed, Frost Blade's left arm hung limp, and Shadow Stinger had a wound across his chest so deep that bone showed. The three fled desperately without looking back.

Yet there was only one pursuer behind them.

One Qiu Shi Race member had driven three Yellow-tier geniuses into such a miserable state?

Silver Horn narrowed his eyes and accelerated toward them.

When Scorpio saw someone approaching, there was first a flash of joy. But upon recognizing Silver Horn, Scorpio's expression changed drastically. "Silver Horn, run! This guy is ridiculously strong. He's clearly only Universe level first order, but his combat strength is at the level of fifth or sixth order!"

Silver Horn did not turn around. He merely left behind a calm sentence. "You go first. I'll test him myself."

"You..." Scorpio opened his mouth, but ultimately gritted his teeth and turned away. "Take care!"

Silver Horn floated in the void, sizing up the Qiu Shi Race member before him.

The opponent was not large, with dark-red scales and an arrogant, untamed gaze, as if everyone else were nothing more than ants.

Silver Horn raised an eyebrow slightly. "You're a genius of the Qiu Shi Race?"

"I'm Chi Yan, seventeenth on the Qiu Shi Race Genius Rankings." The youth raised his head. "What the hell are you supposed to be?"

Silver Horn almost laughed in anger.

He did not waste another word. His fifth-layer domain erupted at full force, and with a flash, he instantly appeared behind Chi Yan, stabbing his dagger straight at the back of Chi Yan's neck.

Chi Yan reacted with astonishing speed, twisting aside to evade. At the same time, he struck out with a claw. Blazing flames wrapped in domain power forced Silver Horn to teleport away.

Fire Domain, fourth layer, Universe level first order. His combat strength was roughly equal to that of a Universe level fifth-order fighter without a domain.

Silver Horn's heart tightened. This Chi Yan truly had the right to be arrogant.

The two fought dozens of exchanges in the void. Silver Horn relied on his spatial talent and a hundred clones to maneuver around him, while Chi Yan pressed forward step by step with the berserk attack power of his Fire Domain.

"For a Stellar level to reach this level, you're already quite impressive." Chi Yan drove Silver Horn back with a claw, ridicule curling at the corner of his mouth. "But this is as far as you go."

Silver Horn did not answer. Instead, he suddenly withdrew and retreated dozens of meters.

"Since that's the case," he said with a grin, "let's have a fair fight."

Chi Yan froze. "Fair?"

The next instant, a black figure appeared out of thin air in the void.