Soon, news that Chu Yuan had been accepted as a disciple by a Peak World Lord and joined the Virtual Universe Company spread throughout the Leinuo Family.
Sake held a lavish banquet in Reynolds City. All the higher-ups came to celebrate, and thirteen Universe Level experts lined up to congratulate him.
Wende, the second-generation patriarch, gave him a thumbs-up with an exaggerated expression. "Sake, that son of yours, Chu Yuan, is incredible! He's fucking amazing!"
Sake repeatedly cupped his hands and bowed. "You're too kind, Eldest Brother. You flatter him, you flatter him."
Lande, the third-generation patriarch, clapped Sake on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Sake, from now on, you're my second brother, and I'm your fifth brother. Here, let your fifth brother congratulate you."
As he spoke, he began bending down to bow.
Sake hurried to hold him up. "No, no, no, Second Brother! You mustn't! You really mustn't!"
Botate, the fourth-generation patriarch, walked over in tears, stamping his feet and beating his chest as he threw back his head and shouted, "Heaven has eyes! Heaven has eyes! Our Leinuo Family has finally produced a peerless genius!"
Sake hurried to comfort him. "Eldest Senior Brother, don't cry yourself sick! Take care of yourself. Oh, look at how you're crying..."
Kasi, the fifth-generation patriarch, rushed up and seized Sake's hands, his face flushed with excitement. "Sake, I could tell from the day Little Four was born that he was no creature destined to remain in a pond. Ask him whether he can take me as his disciple! I'll bow to him as my master."
Sake looked alarmed. "Third Brother, what are you saying? You're Little Four's third uncle!"
Kasi looked completely serious. "Little Four has already comprehended a domain. He's stronger than I am. Look, I've even prepared my apprenticeship gift."
After the fifth-generation patriarch came the seventh, the eighth, and all the way down to the fifteenth-generation patriarch.
That day, all of Reynolds City celebrated, with an endless succession of banquet tables.
The news soon spread, reaching the imperial family of the Purple Radiance Empire and all its major powers.
Within the Purple Radiance Empire, the Leinuo Family had already been second only to the imperial family. Now that it had produced a genius who had become a World Lord's disciple and joined the Virtual Universe Company, its prestige was unrivaled.
Every power sent lavish gifts to celebrate.
Chu Yuan knew nothing of this. He passed through a teleportation point and arrived on a floating island.
"So this is Stardust Island."
Chu Yuan appeared out of thin air on a street and looked around. People were everywhere.
In the distance stood villas and sprawling manors.
Stardust Island was the Virtual Universe Company's branch in the Black Dragon Mountain Starfield. Many of the branch's deacons, officials, and geniuses gathered here.
"You must be Chu Yuan? Welcome to Stardust Island."
An old man around four meters tall, with a single horn on his forehead, walked over and spoke with a smile.
"My respects, sir."
Chu Yuan bowed.
He did not recognize the old man, but he could guess that he was a guide, something like an administrator of Stardust Island.
"Just call me Ruofeng."
The old man's manner was kindly.
"Being able to come to Stardust Island proves that you have exceptional talent, that you're a rare genius."
As they walked, Ruofeng said, "But remember, don't become arrogant. Stardust Island gathers countless geniuses from the Black Dragon Mountain Starfield. Here, genius is the cheapest thing of all."
"Newcomers join every year, and old members are eliminated. I hope you'll be able to stay here."
Chu Yuan nodded. "I'll keep your teachings firmly in mind, Lord Ruofeng."
"No need to be so polite."
Ruofeng waved a hand. "I say this to every newcomer. Unfortunately, many of them fail to stay until the end."
"Come, I'll show you around Stardust Island."
"Do you see those manors?"
Ruofeng pointed at the sprawling manors in the distance. "The people living there are all World Lords. Remember not to approach rashly. If you anger a World Lord, the consequences will be hard to predict."
Chu Yuan nodded inwardly.
In the Black Dragon Mountain Starfield, World Lords were undoubtedly among those who stood at the very pinnacle.
Even World Lords who were merely branch members of the Virtual Universe Company had status comparable to Ordinary Immortals outside.
"Those villas are where the young geniuses live. You have one too. I'll take you there later."
After introducing the manors, Ruofeng introduced the villas.
Next to the villa district lay a series of plazas.
Ruofeng explained, "These plazas are where instructors give lectures. Most of those teaching Star Level and Universe Level students are Domain Lords. Sometimes World Lords come to lecture too. If you're interested, you can go listen anytime."
Chu Yuan asked, "There aren't any conditions for attending? Like completing some mission, meeting certain requirements, or paying points?"
Ruofeng smiled and shook his head. "No. The Virtual Universe Company has already paid the cost of the instructors' lectures for you."
"Here, you only need to think about one thing: cultivating hard to become stronger and drawing out as much of your potential as possible."
"As long as you display enough talent, powerful experts will take you as their disciples."
"You should know that an expert's public lectures and private instruction produce completely different results."
Of course Chu Yuan knew. Public lectures covered the basics; only private lessons taught the core material.
Walking and stopping along the way, the two arrived before two tall towers.
"These are the Trial Towers, and they're also the most important place on Stardust Island."
A trace of reverence showed in Ruofeng's eyes. "The two Trial Towers correspond to Star Level and Universe Level respectively. Each has ten floors."
"Star Level geniuses challenge the Star Level Trial Tower. As long as they clear the tenth layer, they can enter the Virtual Universe Company Headquarters directly and join the Apocalypse Secret Region!"
Boom!
Those words exploded like a thunderclap in Chu Yuan's ears.
Of course he knew what the Apocalypse Secret Region was. Although it was the worst of the Four Great Secret Realms, it was still part of the core.
In the universe's Genius Battle, countless trillions of warriors from the Universe Countries competed, yet after fighting their way to the end, only 900 could join the Apocalypse Secret Region.
Pick any one of them, and they would be a genius among geniuses.
Amid his excitement, Chu Yuan asked, "What kind of strength does it take to clear the tenth layer?"
Ruofeng glanced at Chu Yuan. He had heard the same question many times before.
Whenever he introduced the Trial Towers to newly arrived geniuses, every single one of them asked it.
"The first floor of the Trial Tower corresponds to a first-stage domain, and the ninth to a Ninefold Domain. To clear the tenth layer, you need a certain degree of comprehension of an Origin Law."
"Mind you, not just a superficial understanding or a foot over the threshold. You need comprehension of a certain depth."
Ruofeng explained with a serious expression.
Chu Yuan recalled how Luo Feng's group of geniuses had challenged the Heavenly Bridge after entering Chaos City. Aside from Bolan, not one of them had cleared its first floor.
Even if the tenth layer of this Trial Tower was not as difficult as the Heavenly Bridge's first floor, it was at least half as difficult.
"I'll definitely clear it!"
Chu Yuan gazed resolutely at the Trial Tower and clenched his fists.
Ruofeng admired Chu Yuan's high fighting spirit. Young geniuses needed that kind of drive to go farther.
He patted Chu Yuan on the shoulder and gave a teasing smile. "Just a reminder: it's already been 800,000 years since the last person cleared the tenth layer of the Trial Tower."
Chu Yuan snapped back to his senses. It really was extraordinarily difficult.
But the greater the difficulty, the greater the challenge.
There were still several thousand years until the Virtual Universe Company held its next Genius Battle. Chu Yuan could not wait that long.
If he wanted to enter the core, challenging the Trial Tower was his only path.
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