In World Zone 66, time had just entered the early hours of the thirteenth day.
Only 592 contestants remained in World Zone 66, while some World Zones had already finished their matches.
At this point, the number of contestants across the entire world had plummeted to 592. Looking at the other World Zones, some had long since completed their preliminary selection rounds, while the rest had entered their final stages. Zhou Yuan was currently in a muddy swamp, engaged in a fierce battle with a group of Tide Thorn aliens.
The Tide Thorn were originally an inconspicuous ordinary race in the universe, but after repeated enhancements by the Virtual Universe, this batch of aliens had touched the threshold of both the Water Origin Law and the Space Origin Law.
Their bodies resembled giant octopuses. Their thorn-covered tentacles could cleave massive boulders apart at will, while the water they sprayed carried a bone-chilling cold capable of freezing the genetic energy of Universe Ninth Order powerhouses.
"Squelch—" The Breaking Mountain Blade in Zhou Yuan's hand came crashing down. Its earthen-yellow blade energy collided with the Tide Thorn's curtain of water, sending mist flying everywhere. These aliens were no longer comparable to those from the early stages. They were no longer opponents he could kill with a single strike; every one of them required precise blade techniques combined with suppression by the laws.
I can't use my ultimate move again. The virtual body recovers too slowly. Zhou Yuan calculated inwardly.
He had not stopped fighting since yesterday, and his genetic energy consumption had been enormous. If he rashly used a secret art, he might end up at a disadvantage should he encounter a powerful enemy afterward.
He could only restrain his aura and fight in the most energy-efficient manner possible. Every strike precisely targeted the Tide Thorn's vital points, while the heavy force of the Earth Origin Law gradually wore away their defenses.
The viewing area in outer space beyond World Zone 66 had long been packed with representatives from major factions and powerful spectators.
Everyone stared at the steadily decreasing number of contestants on the screen. They all knew this preliminary round was about to end, and the focus of their discussions had always been Zhou Yuan.
"God of Blades Zhou Yuan is seriously powerful. Everyone else is fleeing from the aliens, but he's the only one still actively hunting them!" a Universe Level mercenary said with admiration.
"Look at his movement technique. Those afterimages that occasionally appear—he has definitely cultivated the Myriad Transformations Secret Art! I wonder which level he has reached already." A member of an Immortal family pointed at the screen, his eyes shining.
"He comprehended the Earth Origin Law and the Space Origin Law, and his level of comprehension is even higher than mine. This kid's potential is simply unfathomable!" A World Lord level powerhouse stroked his chin, disbelief flashing through his eyes.
As time passed, the number on the screen continued to change:
510→509→508→507→506→505→504→503→502→501
The instant the number froze at 501, a dazzling pillar of light suddenly lit up the sky of World Zone 66.
All surviving contestants were wrapped in an invisible force and instantly teleported out of the elimination world.
"The preliminary round of World Zone 66 has ended!" A cold system notification sounded in the viewing area, announcing the official conclusion of this brutal battle royale involving nearly a million participants.
Zhou Yuan claimed first place in the World Zone with an absolute advantage. His points were a full three times higher than second place, a result that stunned every spectator.
Zhou Yuan only felt his vision blur. The next moment, he appeared high above Purple Zenith Continent. He had barely steadied himself when the virtual communicator on his wrist began vibrating wildly.
"Ding ding ding!" "Ding ding ding!" "Ding ding ding!" A flood of call requests poured in, and the number displayed on the screen jumped frantically.
"Master, 612 call requests have been received so far. Two more just arrived, making 614. The number is still rising!" Beibei's voice rang out in his consciousness.
"Block all communications." Zhou Yuan's head began to ache as he looked at the densely packed request list.
He knew these were all calls from major factions trying to recruit him. There was no need to pay attention to them now; his goal was to become a member of the Virtual Universe Company's Primal Secret Realm.
With that, Zhou Yuan directly severed his connection to the Virtual Universe, and his consciousness returned to reality.
"Hello, little fellow." The moment his consciousness returned, an unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded, giving Zhou Yuan a fright.
He abruptly raised his head and saw a middle-aged man in a purple robe standing in the center of the room. The man had handsome features and deep eyes, and an aura of unspoken authority radiated from him.
"Little fellow, I am Purple Zenith. You may call me the Purple Chen Nation Lord. Don't worry, I mean you no harm." The middle-aged man smiled gently at the wary Zhou Yuan.
"Greetings, Nation Lord!" Zhou Yuan was startled inwardly and quickly bowed.
He understood very well the weight carried by the Purple Chen Nation Lord—Universe Nation Lords were all high-level Venerable beings and held high status within the Human Race. A casual strike from one could kill countless versions of him, so Zhou Yuan had no choice but to take this seriously.
The Purple Chen Nation Lord waved a hand, indicating that Zhou Yuan need not stand on ceremony.
Then he got straight to the point. "Little fellow, you are very impressive. I came this time to take you to the Purple Zenith Secret Realm. Quite a few aliens have already set their sights on you. Although this is a base of the Universe Mercenary Alliance, the personnel here are too mixed, and it will be difficult to completely prevent alien assassinations."
He paused, his gaze falling upon Zhou Yuan with a hint of approval. "With your talent and potential, you are destined to take first place in this Powerhouse Battle. You are a genius rarely seen even across several million, or perhaps tens of millions, of Powerhouse Battles. You have a trace of the potential to reach my level. I cannot let the aliens assassinate you."
Zhou Yuan's heart stirred. The Purple Chen Nation Lord was indeed right. The aliens had never ceased their assassinations of geniuses. In the original novel, Luo Feng had been assassinated several times. It was perfectly normal for Zhou Yuan to be targeted after revealing his strength this time.
Moreover, the Purple Chen Nation Lord had personally come to fetch him, which represented the Nation Lord's regard for him. With the Purple Chen Nation Lord's protection, he could also avoid alien assassinations.
With that thought, Zhou Yuan bowed again, gratitude appearing on his face. "Thank you for your favor, Nation Lord! This junior is willing to follow you to the Purple Zenith Secret Realm."
The Purple Chen Nation Lord nodded in satisfaction, a trace of gratification flashing through his eyes. "Good. Then let us depart now."
Before his words had even faded, he raised a hand and waved. The power of space swept Zhou Yuan up, and Zhou Yuan only felt his body lighten before a gentle force enveloped him. The next moment, he appeared in the planetary region of the Sixth Continent.
The Purple Chen Nation Lord casually summoned an alien Immortal divine spirit from his World Ring. This alien Immortal divine spirit stood nearly ten meters tall, its entire body covered in dark golden scales.
"Use Divine Kingdom teleportation. We are going to the Purple Zenith Secret Realm." The Purple Chen Nation Lord's tone was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.
"As you command, Master." The alien Immortal divine spirit lowered his head respectfully, his voice hoarse like metal scraping against metal.
Hummm~~~
A hazy azure glow, like seawater, enveloped the surroundings. Within the light, Zhou Yuan and the Purple Chen Nation Lord could vaguely see the vast world at the end of the passage—it was this alien Immortal divine spirit's Divine Kingdom.
Whoosh!
The light abruptly contracted, and the three figures vanished from the starry sky of the Sixth Continent like shooting stars, leaving behind only a faint ripple of Divine Kingdom energy.