Chapter 114: Spatial Severing

"Yes, you are the hope of our Black Dragon Mountain Empire! To break into the top thousand and compete with the many geniuses from other universe nations... at the very least, our empire will have two individuals stepping onto the grand stage of humanity in the universe." The silver-haired elder’s eyes held a glimmer of anticipation.

He was a World Lord, and a formidable one at that. However, even among World Lords, there are distinctions. Compared to a World Lord like "Jiang Tianchen" of the Three-Axe Mountain, his status and strength paled in comparison. And if Jiang Tianchen were compared to the super-geniuses painstakingly cultivated from the very beginning by giants like the Virtual Universe Company, his status would be even further behind. These giants did not merely aim to cultivate Immortals; more importantly, they sought to cultivate the strongest among them.

Of course... that was all still a long way off. The journey from Stellar level to Immortal is immensely difficult and distant. Many supreme geniuses remain trapped at the peak of the World Lord level for millions of years until they grow old and die.

"Work hard. When you eventually compete in the pinnacle battles among the various universe nations, you will be representing our Black Dragon Mountain Empire," the elder said expectantly.

"Understood," Luo Yuan and Luo Feng replied with slight nods.

After the elder left, the three of them chatted for a while before logging off. Luo Yuan needed to feed his Cloud Contact Vine with Lanke fruits to boost its level. Having already secured one of the 1,000 spots allocated to the Ganwu Universe Nation, he did not need to participate in the arena qualifiers, nor did he have much interest in them.

Given Luo Yuan's current strength, it could be said that not a single genius in the Ganwu Universe Nation’s competition was his match. However, because he had registered at the Stellar level nine, he remained eligible for the upcoming grand finals among the various universe nations. Furthermore, due to the rules of the genius competition, the strength of all participants in the virtual universe battles was forcibly standardized to Stellar level nine; even if someone’s actual strength reached the Universe level during the process, it would have no impact. After all, this competition did not test cultivation level, but rather willpower, consciousness, domain, laws, and technical mastery.

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, three years had passed. The 900-person arena round-robin tournament had been ongoing for three years, but Luo Yuan had not watched a single match. Instead, he had spent his time in the virtual universe’s battle space, collecting attributes and refining his mastery of the Yan God Weapon.

Although Luo Yuan’s cultivation had only reached Universe level two in these three years, he was not anxious. Once the grand finals concluded, he would be able to soak in priceless nutrient solutions in places like Chaos City or secret realms for free. These solutions could instantly elevate him to Universe level nine, saving him the time of accumulating strength. Similarly, reaching Domain Lord level one would allow him to jump directly to Domain Lord nine, and reaching World Lord level one would grant a direct boost to World Lord nine.

The five major giants of humanity in the universe cared not only about the cultivation levels of these geniuses but even more about their potential and actual combat prowess.

...

Virtual Universe, Killing Field Battle Space.

Suspended in mid-air, Luo Yuan stared sharply at his opponent: a super-genius at Universe level nine. He was a dangerous fellow from the Giant Axe Dojo, also a spirit reader who wielded the Yan God Weapon.

Clad in silver armor, standing on a Dark Cloud Shuttle, and carrying a dark-gold long staff on his back, the masked man looked at Luo Yuan and sneered, "You want to challenge me at Universe level two, 'Demon King'? I heard you wiped out the geniuses of an entire world by yourself. I’d love to taste the feeling of stepping on you; it must be wonderful. Hahaha!"

"Heh, that depends on whether you have the ability. Your file says you’ve already mastered the fifth level of the Yan God Weapon—Space Severing. I’d love to test it out," Luo Yuan said calmly. He had mastered the fourth level, 'Great Skill Without Craft.'

The fourth level of the Yan God Weapon, 'Great Skill Without Craft,' required the use of 1,600 small blades to combine into a thick golden pillar nearly ten meters high, resembling a pillar supporting a grand hall. To be able to use the fourth level at Universe level two was enough to dominate the universe and find few enemies. Yet, the universe is vast, and there are always those who attain even higher realms.

"Take this!" Luo Yuan barked.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*

A cascade of golden light erupted from the dark-gold staff on Luo Yuan's back, filling the sky. Countless small golden blades hovered before him, streaks of golden silk dancing between them. Each blade maintained a precise distance, and the complex inscriptions on their surfaces emitted thousands of golden threads infused with the power of laws. These 1,600 blades connected, rapidly forming a massive, hazy golden totem pillar.

Luo Yuan gripped one end of the thick pillar and swung it fiercely at the silver-armored man. The surrounding space seemed to buckle under the pressure; as the totem pillar rolled, it felt as though it were crushing space itself.

*Boom!*

The totem pillar was so massive that a slight roll allowed it to traverse a vast distance, colliding with the silver-armored man’s giant golden sword. With a loud *bang*, the giant sword shattered, breaking back into nine individual blades.

"The fourth level of the Yan God Weapon—'Great Skill Without Craft'?" The silver-armored man sneered. "It is impressive that a Universe level two can execute the fourth level, but thinking you can defeat me? You’re dreaming!"

*Boom!*

As he spoke, the dark-gold staff on his back erupted like hidden weapons, shooting out massive amounts of golden light in all directions. It was like a blinding sun. The golden light converged in the air, with every 81 small blades combining into one real golden sword. Thirty-six swords, each over a foot long, hovered before him.

*Sizzle, sizzle.* The 36 blades merged instantly, golden silk weaving between them.

A dark-gold sword, over three meters long, appeared solid and seamless. Without looking closely, one couldn't even see the golden threads. It hung there, massive and imposing, before the silver-clad man.

The fifth level of the Yan God Weapon—Space Severing!

"It really is the fifth level. My own Yan God Weapon can be improved by another level," Luo Yuan thought to himself.

"Go to hell!" The silver-armored man glared at him.

*Swish!*

The three-meter-long dark-gold sword tore through the sky, leaving a golden afterimage.

*Boom!* The totem pillar began to roll.

"I’ll let you realize that the fifth level isn't necessarily stronger than the fourth! Besides, I haven't even used my ultimate technique yet," Luo Yuan said coldly. Standing on his Dark Cloud Shuttle, he watched the incoming golden afterimage. He had already unleashed a ribbon-like stream of golden energy to wrap around the totem pillar.

*Boom!* The pillar rolled, appearing slow, but it instantly blocked the path of the golden afterimage.

"Blocked? Sever!" The silver-armored man’s gaze turned icy.

*Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.*

The dark-gold sword struck the totem pillar like lightning. With a roar, the surface of the pillar vibrated violently at the point of impact, snapping some of the golden threads and causing several small blades to drift out of formation.

"Merge!" With a thought from Luo Yuan, the drifting blades immediately rejoined the pillar, the threads of law-infused energy reconnecting to restore the totem pillar to its form.