In the distant Flame Dragon Universe Nation, inside a gigantic planet, a discussion about Zhou Yuan was unfolding in a palace built from volcanic rock.
Seated on the main throne of the palace was a boy who looked barely a dozen years old. He wore golden battle armor, and although his face was young and tender, his gaze was extraordinarily deep. He was Yan Lie, prince of the Flame Dragon Universe Nation and one of its seeded contestants in this Powerhouse Battle.
At that moment, he was looking at the giant bowing below and asked calmly, "Which opponents did you say pose a threat?"
The giant stood dozens of meters tall, his entire body covered in dark-red rock armor. He respectfully raised his head, and the projection device in his hand lit up. Three figures appeared in midair—Zhou Yuan in the middle, a cold-looking blond young man on the left, and a girl with Lightfeather growing from her back on the right.
"Your Highness, these three are the opponents whom the intelligence department has determined pose the greatest threat to you in this Powerhouse Battle." The giant pointed at Zhou Yuan in the middle, his tone solemn. "This Zhou Yuan in particular is a martial artist from the Purple Chen Universe Nation, known as the God of Blades. He took first place in the elimination round by an overwhelming margin, scoring more than three times as many points as the runner-up."
"According to the intelligence analysis, he excels in the Earth Origin Law and the Space Origin Law. His Earth Law has already reached the realm of 'Law Recognition,' and his attainments in the Space Law are unfathomable. Opponents of the same level can barely resist him. The intelligence department has determined that he is highly likely to win the championship of this Powerhouse Battle."
The giant pointed at the blond young man on the left. "This is Kien, from the Dark Prison Universe Nation, known as the God of Slaughter. He is a spirit reader, and his methods are extremely ruthless. Every alien and human contestant he encountered in the elimination round was slaughtered by him, leaving no survivors. He excels in the Metal Origin Law, has already touched the threshold of the Space Law, and controls his mind-force weapons with consummate skill."
Finally, he pointed at the Lightfeather girl on the right. "This is Shafir, from the Crystal Universe Nation, known as Lightfeather. She is also a spirit reader. The Lightfeather on her back is a mind-force weapon, and she is incredibly fast. She excels in the Light Origin Law and has already stepped onto the threshold of the Law of Time. She specializes in long-range attacks and restraining opponents."
Yan Lie looked at Zhou Yuan in the projection, his brows faintly furrowing. "Is this Zhou Yuan really that strong? They've already judged him capable of taking first place during the elimination round? How great is the gap between him and me?"
The giant pondered for a moment before answering cautiously. "Your Highness, according to the intelligence department's simulated deductions, Zhou Yuan's attainments in the Earth Origin Law are far above yours, and he also excels in the Space Origin Law. Judging only from the strength Zhou Yuan has revealed, I'm afraid you wouldn't last ten moves against him."
"All right, I understand. You may leave." The boy waved his hand, signaling for the giant to withdraw. "It looks like I'll have to befriend him properly in the future. We're both contestants in this edition of the Powerhouse Battle, so we have some connection. Befriending him should be convenient."
"Your subordinate obeys!" The giant responded respectfully before turning and leaving the palace.
The scene inside the palace was playing out in various universe nations. Even information about the young prince Yan Lie was spreading through the intelligence agencies of the various universe nations.
Following the Immortal servant of the Purple Chen Nation Lord, Zhou Yuan transformed into a streak of light and landed before a massive manor on the right side of the main hall. The manor covered more than a thousand square kilometers. A pale-purple protective formation surrounded its perimeter, and within it, one could vaguely see rolling mountains and murmuring streams, as though it were a miniature world.
A group of servants in uniform had already been waiting respectfully at the manor entrance. Leading them was a steady and composed World Lord level powerhouse.
"Your Highness, this is the residence the master arranged for you. The several manors beside it belong to the other princes, but they are currently serving or undergoing training in various parts of the universe nation and won't be returning for the time being." The Immortal servant pointed at the manor and introduced it respectfully to Zhou Yuan.
He then pointed toward the World Lord leading the group at the entrance. "This is the manor's steward, Qian Hong. From now on, you may directly give him any orders regarding your needs within the manor."
Qian Hong hurriedly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and spoke in a deep, powerful voice. "Your Highness, I am Qian Hong. From now on, I will be your exclusive steward and handle all the affairs of the manor for you."
"Your Highness, I shall take my leave first. The steward will explain the details of the manor to you." Seeing that the handover was complete, the Immortal servant bowed in farewell. He then transformed into a streak of azure light and vanished into the distant sky.
"Sorry for the trouble." Zhou Yuan nodded slightly as he watched the other party leave.
"Your Highness, please follow me inside." Qian Hong made an inviting gesture and led the way into the manor. Zhou Yuan followed behind, sweeping his gaze across the surroundings. Ancient trees towered throughout the garden, and the Origin Power was so dense that it had nearly condensed into a thin mist. A faint floral fragrance filled the air, and the scenery was pleasant.
As he walked, Qian Hong introduced the manor's buildings. He pointed toward a building not far away, constructed entirely from alloy and crystal, and said, "That is Your Highness's cultivation ground. It contains an extremely well-defended combat platform capable of withstanding battles between Immortal powerhouses, as well as an oversized nutrition chamber for Your Highness's use."
Zhou Yuan followed the direction he pointed. The building was imposing, and pale-purple formation light flickered at its summit. The energy fluctuations radiating from it alone were awe-inspiring.
"Not bad." Zhou Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
"This is your main villa, located at the center of the manor. It is equipped with an exclusive service team, so people will handle all your daily needs, including food and living arrangements." Qian Hong pointed toward an elegant, antique-looking villa deep within the manor. Gardens and an artificial lake surrounded it, giving the place a quiet and comfortable appearance.
"I'll go take a look first." Zhou Yuan's heart stirred, and he walked toward the villa. Qian Hong followed beside him, continuing to introduce the other facilities in the manor.
The two entered the villa. Its interior was simply and grandly decorated, exuding luxury without being ostentatious. After giving the place a rough look, Zhou Yuan said to Qian Hong, "You can go back for now. I need to enter secluded cultivation for a while. I'll contact you if anything comes up."
Upon hearing this, Qian Hong bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Highness."
"Yes, Your Highness." Qian Hong respectfully bowed again, slowly withdrew from the villa, and closed the main door behind him.
Zhou Yuan went straight to the lounge on the third floor, which had already been arranged as a small secluded-cultivation chamber. He sat cross-legged within the formation, closed his eyes, and began digesting the guidance the Purple Chen Nation Lord had given him earlier.
In his mind, the scenes of the Purple Chen Nation Lord explaining the laws replayed constantly. He reorganized and fused the various pieces of knowledge one by one.
Time quietly passed during cultivation. In the blink of an eye, a full twenty-nine days had passed since the end of the first-stage elimination round. On this day, Zhou Yuan was immersed in his comprehension of the laws when the virtual communicator on his wrist suddenly rang with an urgent alert.
He opened his eyes and checked the message, only then remembering that the second stage of the Purple Chen Universe Nation's Powerhouse Battle—the arena competition—would begin tomorrow. According to the rules, all 501 contestants who had survived in the world zones, along with the top 500 contestants by points among those who had been eliminated, had to attend the pre-match meeting held by the Virtual Universe Company to confirm the rules and groupings for the arena competition.
Zhou Yuan shook his head helplessly and could only interrupt his secluded cultivation for the time being. He stood up and stretched his limbs, feeling strength fill his entire body. His understanding of the laws had deepened by yet another degree.
"That's fine, too. I've been in seclusion for so long. It's a good time to go see how the arena competition is shaping up." Zhou Yuan muttered to himself.