The Third Divine Master

"Esteemed World Master of Guixu, on behalf of the Virtual Universe Company's Rong Bing Branch, I welcome you home. Army Master Manlin has prepared a few small gifts for you and hopes you will accept them!"

"Army Master Guixu, I am Taltan of the Giant Axe Battle Arena's Rongbing Empire Branch. Army Master Yanpo extends his sincere welcome!"

"Esteemed World Master of Guixu..."

For the Domain Lords and World Lords of the Rongbing Empire who had come to welcome Li Che, this was destined to be a day they would never forget.

For the first time, they saw the powerful World Lords from the branches of the Five Major Powers bow their normally proud heads and respectfully salute the first prince of their Rongbing Empire.

In their eyes, these World Lords, all acknowledged by the origin laws, were the true upper echelon of the Five Major Powers in the Rongbing Empire. The resources and authority they commanded were beyond imagination, yet their gazes were filled with reverence as they looked at Li Che.

Even the formidable World Lord from the Virtual Universe Company, ranked first among the Rongbing Empire's ten strongest World Lords, was as deferential as a raw recruit before Li Che.

Clearly, they regarded Li Che as an existence on the level of an Undying Deity!

Li Che, however, took it all for granted. He responded casually, as though these powerful World Lords who wielded immense influence in the Rongbing Empire really were mere nobodies.

And that was indeed the truth. On the Extraterrestrial Battlefield, the vast majority of these World Lords acknowledged by the lower origin laws would only have been rated as Elite World Lord Warriors. Li Che had casually killed more opponents of that caliber than he could count.

Only after the World Lords from the Five Major Powers had departed did he turn around and nod slightly to the two Undying Deities, Rong Bing and Qi Yao, saying with a soft laugh:

"Sorry for the trouble, Divine Masters. I had intended to keep a low profile. I never expected you to arrange such a grand reception."

At his words, the normally discreet and mysterious Divine Master Qiyao shook her head.

"In terms of combat strength, you are no different from the third Divine Master of our Rongbing Empire. Naturally, the empire's upper echelon must be informed of something this important."

Li Che could hardly argue. His current status was indeed no different from that of an Undying Deity, and what an Undying meant to an empire of an intermediate civilization needed no explanation.

Unlike the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, which lay on the fringes of the Ganwu Great Star Zone, their region was in the heart of the entire great star zone. Nations of intermediate civilizations were densely concentrated here, and wars sometimes broke out between them.

After all, Undying Deities had interests of their own. Not every Undying was willing to risk their life on the Extraterrestrial Battlefield. Some focused on running their own nations, inevitably leading to conflicts of interest.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, Li Che swept his gaze over the Domain Lords and World Master Level experts bowing deeply below, feeling a little wistful.

More than fifty thousand years ago, when Li Che had still been an obscure member of the Rong Bing imperial family, the names of these Domain Lords and World Lords had been renowned. They had seemed as invincible as gods.

But looking back now, they were ultimately just ordinary World Lords struggling to make their way in nations of intermediate civilizations.

Most of these Domain Lords and World Lords had barely comprehended a first-level domain at the universe level before advancing to Domain Lord. Then, as Domain Lords, they had barely grasped a trace of the lower Origin Laws before finally advancing to World Lord.

This was no isolated phenomenon, but the norm among the powerful figures of the universe's great universe countries and nations of intermediate civilizations.

"It has been many years, Teacher Goruchi."

Suddenly, Li Che spotted a familiar, aged figure. It was an elderly ape-man with a withered frame and gray-white fur covering his body. A dark brown Origin Laws mark lay between his brows, radiating the weighty, expansive might of the law.

The ape-man World Lord Goruchi was a veteran World Master Level expert acknowledged by the earth origin law. He had joined their Rongbing Empire several hundred eras ago, and when Li Che had first risen to prominence more than fifty thousand years earlier, this World Lord had been his teacher in the earth origin law.

"It has indeed been many years. I am delighted. I never imagined I would have the chance to teach a genius like you, Your Highness."

The elderly ape-man smiled at his words. As Li Che's teacher during his Planetary Level and Stellar Level days, he had provided considerable help in the early stages of his cultivation.

Afterward, Li Che greeted several other World Lords and Domain Lords affiliated with the Rongbing Holy Land, experts of the Holy Land who had once offered him guidance and kindness.

After all, he had once been the first prince of the Rongbing Empire. He had spent most of the first hundred-odd years of his life in the Holy Land's divine kingdom and held considerable affection for the place.

Only after a long while did Li Che finally finish exchanging pleasantries with the empire's upper echelon. Side by side with the Rongbing and Qiyao Divine Masters, he descended toward the Imperial Capital Star below.

"Divine Master, how are my parents doing now?"

On the way, Li Che asked the Divine Master Rongbing about the parents of his current body. He had lived with them throughout the first ten-odd years of his life. It would have been a lie to say he felt nothing for them.

"With the resources you provided, your mother has now reached the eighth stage of the universe level. She is currently serving as a universe-level instructor at the Ganwu Dojo."

The Divine Master Rongbing had naturally taken good care of the parents of a genius like Li Che. At his question, she said,

"As for your father, he was an expert who placed among the top two hundred thousand in the Ganwu Universe Country's Peak Powerhouses Battle back then. He has now become a Domain Lord and is training the Planetary Level and Stellar Level youngsters in the Holy Land."

Li Che nodded.

"You can visit your father in the Holy Land soon. He is very busy right now, overseeing the training of this generation's youngsters before they enter the Peak Genius Battle," the Divine Master Rongbing said with a smile.

"The Peak Genius Battle?" Li Che was slightly taken aback.

"Yes. The next Peak Genius Battle is being hosted by the Giant Axe Battle Arena. It should begin within about fifty years." A smile also appeared on the Divine Master Qiyao's face.

Only then did Li Che ask his quantum computer assistant, Bai Yue, to look it up. Sure enough, there had recently been news circulating in the universe about a Peak Genius Battle hosted by the Giant Axe Battle Arena.

Since his birth, the Peak Genius Battle, held once every five thousand years, had already taken place ten times. After becoming a Domain Lord, Li Che had unconsciously begun ignoring such news.

"Our Holy Land has produced a few promising youngsters for this Genius Battle. The most outstanding among them has comprehended a seventh-level domain, nearly at the eighth level, while still at the stellar level. He is currently training with the others in Rong Bing's divine kingdom, and we will need the World Master of Guixu to offer him some guidance."

The Divine Master Qiyao spoke with a warm smile.

For a nation of an intermediate civilization, a genius who comprehended even a trace of the Origin Laws at the Stellar Level was utterly unimaginable. Someone who comprehended an advanced domain was already an exceptionally gifted genius.

"Understood. I will give that young genius some guidance if I get the chance," Li Che said with a nod.