Chapter 90: Universe Level – Chopping the Tree!
"Jiang Zhe, I've watched your footage from the Genius Battle. Come with me to the training grounds," said Lord Yin Ming bluntly as he strode into the estate.
Jiang Zhe quickly followed and greeted him, "Jiang Zhe greets Teacher Mobosang!"
"Hmm, polite—but don't call me teacher just yet," Mobosang replied without turning around. "Your seniority hasn't been determined. You might be my peer—or you might become my junior uncle. That all depends on your performance."
Peer status means being the disciple of a Universe King.
Junior uncle? That's disciple of a Universe Lord!
Based on Lord Yin Ming's words, Jiang Zhe made some mental deductions.
Still, the faction behind Yin Ming was clearly powerful.
Recruiting him before the Chaos Monument selection inside Chaos City? And arranging everything so neatly? Only a few factions within the Virtual Universe Company could pull that off.
"No matter what happens in the future, I'm learning from you now, so you are my teacher," Jiang Zhe insisted respectfully.
Mobosang paused for a brief moment, then continued walking. A rare smile crept onto his androgynous face. "Haha, I like your attitude. Hurry up—let's get to the training ground. I need to see your foundation and assess your law comprehension."
In the Training Ground—Simulated Starry Sky
Jiang Zhe had just demonstrated his strongest technique to Mobosang—Destructive Palm: Third Form – 'Calm Amidst the Storm'.
He awaited the evaluation.
Mobosang didn't mince words:
"Stiff. Barely usable."
"In the final Genius Battle match, you relied on lightning domain to stabilize 'Calm Amidst the Storm'. It's like building a skyscraper on an unstable foundation and propping it up with a stick. That Buran was too weak—he couldn't spot your flaw and got one-shotted."
"But... considering you're only at Star level rank 9 and forced the technique to take shape using sheer will, insight, and spirit—my final verdict is... flawless!"
Mobosang rubbed his bald head in puzzlement.
"Strange. Your higher-order law comprehension isn't deep, but your fundamentals are unexpectedly solid... Are you analyzing the essence of laws? That's a path only genius-level minds usually take. Who was your teacher? Most immortals wouldn't even know of that method."
Jiang Zhe nodded. "My teacher was Huyan Bo, an immortal just shy of the Universe King level. He passed away tens of thousands of years ago."
Apprenticed after his death? Taught by an AI? Even more unbelievable.
Mobosang was quietly baffled.
Soon, his AI assistant reported on Huyan Bo's records.
"Your teacher... he was something, but even he..." Mobosang trailed off, showing some tact out of respect for Jiang Zhe's loss.
Jiang Zhe understood. "Before he passed, my teacher killed a Mechanical Race immortal. My dual comprehension of lightning and time laws came entirely from that being's legacy—these three items, specifically."
Jiang Zhe summoned the virtual system to manifest two law insight tablets and a large device resembling a copier.
"Oh, now it makes sense. You're lucky." Mobosang nodded.
"Your understanding is on the right track. Keep practicing the same way for the next three years."
"Once you officially become a disciple in the Initial Universe, someone will guide you in comprehending even deeper mysteries."
Jiang Zhe asked, "Then what will you be teaching me, Teacher?"
"You use a spear—I specialize in spear techniques. That's why I'm assigned to guide you," Mobosang said with pride. "Through the spear, I'll help you grasp the essence of time and lightning laws—and how to merge them."
Jiang Zhe felt reassured. This method of cultivation suited him perfectly.
"You've already got the 'Shadow Monarch Spear Manual' from the Qianwu Emperor. It's an excellent foundation. Just keep practicing it."
"Additionally, I've brought you a technique called 'Cloud Thunder Secret Record'. You'll be learning this from me."
"Did you create this technique yourself, Teacher?" Jiang Zhe asked curiously.
"No. I studied it before—it's an excellent method. I'm actually a practitioner of illusion-based techniques, so my original methods aren't suitable for you."
"Master, the full version of 'Cloud Thunder Secret Record' costs 320,000 points. No discounts," reported his AI assistant Oriana.
Jiang Zhe quickly swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. With only 20,000 points to his name, he couldn't afford pride. He gratefully accepted the gift.
Which faction in the Virtual Universe Company values me this much?
Could this be comparable to how True Yan King treated Luo Feng?
Jiang Zhe couldn't figure out what he had done to deserve this attention.
August 3, 2071 (Hanxia Calendar)
Jiang Zhe officially began studying spear techniques under Lord Yin Ming (Mobosang), delving deeper into time and lightning laws, and began attempting to merge them.
March 24, 2072
Before setting off, Jiang Zhe entered his personal Thunder Prison Realm, a 9-km-cubed space filled with grade-B lightning treasures.
All of them had long been reduced to raw energy.
Now, this energy was finally exhausted—pushing Jiang Zhe to Universe Level.
The transformation began with his Origin Core.
"Rumble—"
Countless strands of chaotic mist fused into the land inside his body's world, causing it to expand—
from 90 kilometers wide...
to 1,000 kilometers!
Inside the Origin Core, nine miniature suns swelled until they exploded—forming nebulas, star clusters, dust clouds, and tiny planets. They spiraled into a grand galaxy with eight arms.
At its center—a black hole.
This black hole slowly devoured matter and radiated threads of pure energy.
Fine mist-like spiritual force began appearing around the galaxy.
Universe Level: Stage 1 — Achieved!
Jiang Zhe's external body—his lower abdomen (Dantian) and mind (Sea of Consciousness)—also evolved, absorbing universal energy.
His clone in the Bracelet World, the Candlelight Avatar, also advanced—its size swelling to 100,000 km in diameter.
Jiang Zhe entered the Bracelet World, into a hidden chamber atop a tall tower, and slipped into his Origin Core.
The 1,000-km-wide world inside his body...
It still wasn't as vast as the Rain Xiang Mountain estate, but it was only a matter of time before it surpassed it at the Universe Level.
In the center of this world stood an ancient tree—10 km in diameter.
Its canopy still shaded the entire continent, its branches stretching into the surrounding chaos mist.
Every time Jiang Zhe entered and saw this awe-inspiring tree, he felt immense reassurance.
This ancient tree gave him hope that he could stand among the strong in this universe.
It also protected his inner world, preventing even the Original Universe Will from influencing it.
In this world survived forbidden techniques like:
Life Blueprint
Second Divine Soul Secret Art
Miniature Three Corpses Enlightenment Method
"Hey Tree, I don't have any particular requests. Just give me something random."
He picked up the Lumber Axe from the stone table and swung it at the tree!
Thunk!
Golden light burst forth—the axe was repelled, as always.
A golden orb shot from the wound and rolled onto the ground.
The axe's weight soared, pulling itself from his grip and returning to the table.
Jiang Zhe bent down, touched the orb, and the golden glow faded—
revealing what looked like a scroll.
No longer a folded gold page—
but a rolled-up white parchment, half a meter wide.
It hadn't been unrolled yet, so its length was unknown.
"A painting? A magical treasure? Or perhaps... a secret technique?"
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