Chapter Sixty-Five: The Fourfold Oath in the Peach Orchard

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, a year had gone by. Luo Yuan had now spent an entire year at the Qianwu Dojo on Coiling Dragon Star. Through his relentless collection of attribute fragments, his strength had finally broken through to the first rank of the Stellar level. In his sea of consciousness, there was a blood-red miniature star, and within each of his eight dantian, a different type of miniature star resided. Though he was only at the first rank of the Stellar level, he was already capable of challenging Stellar level five opponents—a fact he had personally tested in the Slaughter Arena.

“Luo Yuan, Luo Feng is looking for you. He’s invited you to meet in the Virtual Universe,” the intelligent Xiao Ba suddenly prompted him.

Luo Yuan put down the flying knife in his hand. For the past year, he had spent his days in the ordinary trainee area of the Qianwu Dojo, collecting attribute fragments while feigning to practice with his flying knife.

He made his way to a private lounge within the Dojo, took the consciousness helmet from his space ring, and put it on.

Within the Virtual Universe, on Black Dragon Mountain Island, in a palace styled after ancient China, Luo Yuan’s figure appeared by a square stone table in a pavilion. Perched on his shoulder was the dazed-looking mini intelligent Xiao Ba. Three others were already waiting there.

“Well, Luo Feng, Hong, Thunder God, what brings the three of you together?” Luo Yuan smiled as he took his seat.

“Luo Yuan, we’ve known each other for a long time now. Hong, Thunder God, and I are planning to become sworn brothers. Would you like to join us?” Luo Feng looked at Luo Yuan expectantly. Hong and Thunder God also gazed at him; they’d met many times in this virtual world over the past year.

“Haha, of course! We really do get along well. I’ve always been a lone wolf—having a few more brothers would be great,” Luo Yuan replied, genuinely pleased. That they would invite him to join their oath meant they had truly accepted him. With their support, many things would become much easier.

Suddenly, an idea flashed in Luo Yuan’s mind. With a wave of his hand, he transformed their surroundings into a peach orchard. The palace was his property in the Virtual Universe, allowing him to alter the environment at will.

“So, you're thinking of a Peach Garden Oath?” Hong raised his brow with a smile, ever fascinated by ancient Chinese history.

“Exactly. Since we’re to become sworn brothers, we should have a sense of ceremony. In ancient times, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei forged their brotherhood in the Peach Garden. Now, let us four experience the spirit of the ancients,” Luo Yuan said with a laugh.

“Nobody does it like you, Luo Yuan!” Thunder God rubbed his bald head, looking forward to it. He, too, was fond of the Three Kingdoms stories.

A table was set up, and the four—Luo Yuan, Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder God—each held three sticks of incense as they began the ceremony. After some discussion, Hong became the eldest brother, Thunder God the second, Luo Yuan the third, and Luo Feng the youngest. When the oath was done, the four went to a restaurant to celebrate.

After a hearty meal, they settled into conversation and laughter.

“I have to say, even though all this food is virtual, the taste is astoundingly real. Even the feeling of fullness is exactly like in reality,” Thunder God remarked, picking his teeth.

“This Virtual Universe is amazing. No matter how many light-years apart we are, we can still gather here. That alone is incredible, but it can even simulate reality perfectly. What sort of background does this Virtual Universe have? It’s terrifying to even think about,” Luo Feng said.

“Who cares about its background? As long as we’re having fun!” Luo Yuan said indifferently.

“Third Brother, you’ve been on Coiling Dragon Star for a year. Have you found any more interesting places?” Thunder God asked.

“Of course. The Slaughter Arena and Duel Space are both excellent—they can even help you improve your combat ability. They’re just a bit pricey, and you guys don’t have the funds for it yet. Tell you what, I’ll transfer five hundred million Black Dragon coins each to Hong and Thunder God so you can give it a try,” Luo Yuan said offhandedly.

“Third Brother, you’re a true tycoon! I salute you,” Thunder God grinned, giving Luo Yuan a thumbs-up. He knew Luo Yuan had bought a large number of Planetary and Stellar level slaves in one go, something he himself envied.

“But Third Brother, you don’t have that much money left, do you? Giving us ten billion at once—what will you do if you need it yourself?” Hong asked with concern.

“It’s fine. I’m about to receive a large sum of money,” Luo Yuan replied calmly.

Luo Feng, beside them, was stunned. Babata had told him that the master of Mo Yun Planet had left three accounts for his disciples at the ‘Galactic Bank of the Universe’, accessible upon reaching the Stellar, Universe, and Domain Lord levels, with unimaginable wealth within.

“Third Brother, could it be you’ve broken through to the Stellar level?” Luo Feng asked excitedly.

Luo Yuan smiled and nodded.

“Damn, Third Brother, you’re something else. You’re now the strongest among us. Is the Qianwu Dojo you’re training at really that amazing?” Thunder God asked eagerly.

“Well, my strength is all due to my own hard work. The Qianwu Dojo isn’t as incredible as you think,” Luo Yuan replied, rubbing his nose. The dojo really wasn’t all that useful for the other three.

“With a third brother this outstanding and hardworking, I need to work harder too,” Luo Feng said, somewhat abashed.

“All right, let me show you around the Slaughter Arena and Duel Space!” Luo Yuan said with a laugh.

“Great! We’ve never been there before,” Thunder God replied excitedly. Back on Earth, he was revered by billions, but in the universe, he was nothing special. Since he and Hong had begun exploring the Virtual Universe with the consciousness helmet, they had become much more humble.

“The Slaughter Arena is a special training ground for warriors and spiritual masters. Whatever kind of opponent you want, you’ll find them there. Group battles? One-on-one? Fights against Domain Lords? The Slaughter Arena can meet any demand, but the daily fee is steep,” Luo Yuan explained as he led the others into a teleportation channel. Most nights, when he rested, he would spend time in the Slaughter Arena.

…

On Black Dragon Mountain Island, inside the Slaughter Arena.

“Wow!”

The background was like a boundless sea of blood, with a single ‘blood drop’ standing out most vividly. The entire hall was shrouded in this atmosphere, and the vastness of the place was such that its end couldn’t be seen. Despite the sparse crowd, the hall was easily the size of a city, so there must have been at least ten thousand people present.

“Spending here is expensive, so go easy,” Luo Yuan reminded the three. “And the higher you go, the more expensive it gets. The stronger you are, the more outrageous the daily cost. For a Domain Lord-level fighter, a day’s fee would be astronomical for us.”

“High prices? What a joke!” Babata, perched on Luo Feng’s shoulder, scoffed. “Here, you can face any enemy you desire, even use space secrets and psychic weapons. Where else could you find such an environment? This place is designed for families, sects, organizations, and empires to train their elites.”

“Babata, mind your manners. At least you’ve seen the world,” Luo Yuan teased.

“Hmph, who needs you to tell me?” Babata turned his head away.

ps: Dear readers, please support with tips, monthly votes, and favorites. Thank you!