The mist-filled void gradually calmed.
The decisive clash had ended so quickly that, to an outsider, it might have seemed abrupt—but for those watching from above, it was inevitable.
From the moment Lian Luo's sword intent fully locked onto him, Ji Ning's clone knew the opponent was no longer testing. This was Lian Luo's full strength, the pinnacle of a Universe Rank genius who had once dominated an era.
Ji Ning did not evade.
With his comprehension of the Space Origin Law, escaping that lock would have been effortless—but he deliberately chose not to. He wanted this victory to be clean, frontal, undeniable. He wanted the senior executives of the Virtual Universe Corporation to see exactly what level he stood at.
Thoughts churned like lightning, yet on the battlefield, only an instant passed.
The blood-red longsword tore through the void, its sword intent sharper than ever, space collapsing along its trajectory as it slashed toward Ji Ning's heart.
At the same time, Ji Ning thrust forward.
It was a simple, straightforward sword strike.
Yet upon that blade, the Metal Origin Law and Space Origin Law were compressed to an extreme degree, layered so tightly that even the void itself seemed unable to bear their weight.
Puchi.
The blood-red sword shadows shattered.
Ji Ning's blade pierced straight through Lian Luo's chest.
Metal-origin force surged outward, carrying devastating spatial vibrations that instantly annihilated internal tissues. The simulated body disintegrated from the inside out.
Lian Luo fell.
The moment the battle concluded, Kui Mu King appeared in the void, announcing the result without delay.
"Ji Ning, congratulations. You have passed the Virtual Universe Corporation's highest-level assessment."
Above, the observing figures exchanged glances.
"There will be plenty of time in the future," Candre chuckled softly. "Once he enters Primordial Chaos City, can he really hide his strength under our noses?"
After speaking, Candre's figure faded. With the outcome decided, the other high-level observers also withdrew one by one, losing interest in lingering.
Below, Ji Ning's clone completed the formal procedures with Kui Mu King, confirming his information and boarding arrangements. Then, his consciousness disconnected from the Virtual Universe.
Departure from Gan Wu Secret Realm
Back in the Gan Wu Secret Realm, Ji Ning immediately sent word to the Gan Wu Country Lord, informing him of the successful assessment.
What he did not know was that, as both a Virtual Universe Corporation member and his recommender, the Gan Wu Country Lord had already learned of the result the instant it happened.
For the Country Lord—who had endured long years of setbacks and misfortune—this was one of the rare bright moments in recent epochs.
Within days, the Gan Wu Universe Country branch of the Virtual Universe Corporation dispatched an F-class spaceship to escort Ji Ning to Primordial Chaos City, the core cultivation ground of the Human Race within the Initial Universe.
After bidding farewell to the Gan Wu Country Lord and the others, Ji Ning prepared for the journey.
Even at fifty times the speed of light, the voyage would still take nearly three years.
Standing at this point, he could not help but reflect.
Originally, this clone had only been meant to find a powerful backer—to secure protection and financial support for his main body's participation in the Universe Peak Genius Battle.
Yet fate had twisted the path.
Accepted as a disciple by the Gan Wu Country Lord.
Promoted from registered to direct disciple.
Now sent directly into the Virtual Universe Corporation's core—the Primitive Mystical Region.
The Universe Peak Genius Battle was still a year away. After some thought, he decided that his main body would still participate. Once inside Primordial Chaos City, cultivators could choose a Chaos Tablet—and with his arrangement, he would be able to study two.
The only concern was that the Primordial Chaos City Lord would certainly notice that the two participants were, in truth, the same person.
But at that level, such tricks were insignificant. Even if discovered, punishment was unlikely.
During his time in the Gan Wu Secret Realm, he had also quietly asked Gan Yang King to help him sell a batch of origin force weapons. Combined with rewards from the Gan Wu Country Lord, his total wealth now exceeded one million Hun Yuan units—more than enough to support his main body throughout the Genius Battle period.
Bai Yue's Other Path
While Ji Ning's clone advanced along the orthodox path of great powers, Bai Yue himself had been doing something far more… straightforward.
Virtual Universe. Duel Space.
With a final swing of his staff, another opponent was smashed into a bloody mess.
Bai Yue casually checked his battle record.
Name: Heavenly Emperor
Wins: 10,000
Losses: 0
Rating: Nine Stars
Yes—during this period, he had thrown himself entirely into Duel Space and Killing Space, fighting continuously until he accumulated ten thousand consecutive victories.
The name Heavenly Emperor had not been chosen out of arrogance—at least not entirely.
In the beginning, with no record and no rating, almost no one accepted his challenges. System matching was slow and inefficient. At Thunder God's instigation, he adopted this infuriatingly provocative name.
The result was immediate.
Anyone with even a shred of temper, upon seeing the name, was willing to "teach him a lesson."
And now, after ten thousand victories, that name had become firmly etched into the Virtual Universe of the Gan Wu Universe Country.
His meteoric rise naturally attracted attention.
Though Astral Rank battles were not the most lucrative spectacles, they were still watched by scouts from various organizations, always searching for early-stage geniuses to recruit.
Eventually, Deacon Ming Yu of the Virtual Universe Black Dragon Mountain Branch took notice, inviting Bai Yue to join as an external member and rating him as a Super Elite.
It was a loose affiliation—free, unrestricted, even allowing simultaneous membership in other organizations. Becoming a true internal member would require future assessments and accumulated contributions.
Bai Yue paid little attention to any of this.
At the moment, he and Luo Feng were focused on something else entirely.
The Gan Wu Auction
They were preparing to attend the triennial Gan Wu Auction.
Participation required a three-star account, meaning assets totaling at least ten trillion Universe dollars—no need for long-term maintenance, merely proof of having reached that threshold.
Bai Yue had surpassed it long ago.
He was now a four-star client of the Universe Galaxy Bank, with over one million Hun Yuan units in assets—more than qualified.
Since it was the Gan Wu Auction, the identity of the power behind it was self-evident. With Ji Ning's clone's standing, obtaining an invitation was effortless.
Virtual Universe. Black Dragon Mountain Island.
A flash of teleportation light.
Bai Yue and Luo Feng vanished.
Moments later, they appeared before a suspended city floating above the Gan Wu Continent. Their invitation tokens emitted soft light, triggering the city's defenses to part and grant them entry.
Clouds and mist drifted beneath their feet. Flowers bloomed across floating gardens. And at the heart of the city stood a structure so vast it dominated the skyline—
The Auction Hall.
The triennial Gan Wu Auction was about to begin.
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