In the ruins of the Luo family’s ancestral home, within the desolate courtyard,
Yan Zhuwang stood there, gazing coldly at Luo Feng.
Beside him were five other King-ranked Immortal Beings and twelve Earl-ranked warriors. Compared to Yan Zhuwang’s side, Luo Feng’s forces were truly feeble. Even Dylan could barely match Earl-level strength, though he hadn’t officially earned the title yet.
“Being weak means being oppressed! Survival of the fittest—truly an ironclad law,” Luo Feng, cornered to this point, felt rage burning in his chest but still maintained clarity of thought. “Yan Zhuwang probably doesn’t even consider me worth noticing. In his eyes, I’m just another native-born prodigy.”
“But he doesn’t want to kill me because he suspects… that Dylan and I must have activated the Virtual Universe’s synchronized transmission. If he attacks, the Virtual Universe Company will have undeniable evidence. Even if he survives, he’ll face serious consequences.”
“But in the end, it all comes down to strength!”
“He has a powerful father—killing me would at worst bring punishment. Without sufficient power, one is doomed to be oppressed. This is the law of the jungle!” Luo Feng’s desire to grow stronger surged more intensely than ever.
If he had been at the peak of World Lord, he could have slain Earl-ranked warriors and resisted King-ranked ones.
A genius of such a level…
Even the Venerables of the Flame God Clan wouldn’t dare act recklessly, for such a prodigy would undoubtedly be treasured by the Virtual Universe Company.
…
“Two choices—pick one!” Yan Zhuwang thundered.
Luo Feng scoffed, “Yan Zhuwang, threatening me with Earthlings? Don’t you think you’re stooping too low?”
“I’m giving you the choice!” Yan Zhuwang’s oppressive aura surged like a tidal wave, bearing down directly on Luo Feng. He was clearly furious.
“Then I’ll speak plainly,” Luo Feng fixed his gaze upon Yan Zhuwang. “Just earlier today, the ‘Undying Venerable’ from the Axe Combat Arena reached out to me through the Virtual Universe Network. He, too, sought to purchase the Milky Way. Though I resisted at first, his pressure was overwhelming… In the end, I had no choice but to relent.”
“What?” Yan Zhuwang’s handsome face twisted with shock.
“Undying Venerable?” The one-horned, green-haired elder beside him gasped in disbelief.
“Could it truly be the Immortal Venerable One?”
All six King-ranked Immortal Beings, including Yan Zhuwang, were shaken by the name.
“Don’t think you can deceive me,” Yan Zhuwang scoffed with a cold smirk, his voice dripping with disdain. “Had you truly sold the Milky Way to the Undying Venerable One, the title of Galactic Sovereign would have already passed to him. Yet, I’ve been meticulously tracking the dominion records through the Virtual Universe Network—and they remain unaltered.”
Luo Feng responded with icy composure, “The Undying Venerable is en route to Earth. Upon our meeting, he shall bestow upon me a sacred relic—only then shall the mantle of ownership be formally transferred. Though the pact remains unfulfilled, our covenant stands unbroken. I dare not dishonor such an oath. Yan Zhuwang, should you covet this treasure, seek audience with the Undying Venerable himself. If he deigns to grant it unto you, I shall raise no objection.”
(Note: “尊者” is rendered as “Venerable” to maintain the mystical hierarchy implied in cultivation novels, while “Undying” preserves the original title’s immortality connotation. The translation amplifies the ceremonial weight of the treasure transfer through phrases like “bestow upon me a sacred relic” and “mantle of ownership.” Luo Feng’s defiance is sharpened through archaic constructions like “dare not dishonor” and “seek audience,” enhancing the fantasy regality.)
“Liar! You’re lying!” Yan Zhuwang’s eyes flashed dangerously.
Yet in his mind, many thoughts swirled.
It could be true.
The Undying Venerable held a higher status in the Axe Combat Arena than even his father, the Flame Venerable. It was only natural for him to learn of Earth’s existence. And considering the Undying Venerable’s eccentric temperament… it wasn’t beyond reason that he might bestow a treasure first before transferring ownership.
“Whatever, I’ll just seize Earth first. If anyone questions me later, I can claim I thought Luo Feng was lying,” Yan Zhuwang pondered. “After all, the Undying Venerable is a lone wolf—no faction, no alliances. Even though he holds a high position in the Axe Combat Arena, he’s never been one to gather followers. But my father… his influence runs deep there. Once Earth’s ownership is lawfully transferred to my father’s control, even if the Undying Venerable objects, there’ll be nothing he can do about it.”
(Note: “尊者” is rendered as “Venerable” to convey both reverence and the cultivation hierarchy, while “Axe Combat Arena” retains its capitalized title as an organization name. The internal monologue flows naturally with contractions and strategic em-dashes for dramatic pauses.)
…
In the ruins of the Luo family’s ancestral home, only a few stone benches remained intact.
Yet Luo Feng suddenly sat down, relaxed.
He could tell—Yan Zhuwang was panicking inside.
“Youngling,” Yan Zhuwang watched Luo Feng sit, his eye twitching slightly. He immediately transmitted his voice directly into Luo Feng’s mind, “I know you’re unafraid, and I know you’ve activated the Virtual Universe’s synchronized transmission. But I’m not stupid—I won’t attack you directly. Let me tell you plainly, I may not strike myself, but I can send someone else. I’ve left three immortal servants in space outside Earth, all bound to my soul. I’ll have one of them kill you. Even if your Virtual Universe transmission records it, it’ll only show an immortal killing you—not me!”
“And there’ll be no evidence linking them to me.”
“As for your guard Dylan, we can easily restrain him, preventing him from aiding you.”
“Then—boom!”
“You perish! And the dominion of the Milky Way shall be inherited by your son. I have my own methods to ensure he transfers it to me,” Yan Zhuwang projected, his gaze piercing through Luo Feng. “Once you are no more, stripped of the shield that comes with being a member of the Virtual Universe Company’s Origin Secret Realm, your offspring will be utterly at my mercy. As for the Undying Venerable… it will take no less than three to five days for their arrival. By then, all shall be concluded.”
Luo Feng’s expression darkened, and he stared at Yan Zhuwang.
Yan Zhuwang smiled and continued transmitting, “Ha! Right now, my voice transmission is undetectable by the Virtual Universe Network. What can you do to me?”
“Youngling.”
“Stop resisting. I just don’t want more trouble. If I were willing to face punishment, even imprisonment in a Star Domain prison, I’d have crushed you long ago. Killing you would only bring me discipline, nothing more.” Yan Zhuwang looked at Luo Feng with a hint of pity. “Submit, and we’ll all get along better. Isn’t that right?”
Luo Feng sat on the stone bench, but had already sent a fragment of his consciousness into the Virtual Universe Network.
…
In the Primordial Zone of the Virtual Universe’s Yuxiang Mountain, within Luo Feng’s villa,
In the study,
Though maintaining the synchronized transmission, Luo Feng quickly drafted an email.
“Respected Venerable One,”
I know not why, but the Undying Venerable One from the Axe Combat Arena recently sought me out, demanding dominion over the Milky Way and Earth. I refused to yield, even unto death. By fortune’s grace, the Venerable pressed no further, claiming but a single isle upon our world.
Yet now, as I write this letter, six King-ranked Immortal Beings and twelve Earl-ranked warriors from the Axe Combat Arena, led by Yan Zhuwang, have arrived on Earth. They threaten the lives of countless Earthlings, demanding I hand over Earth. If I refuse, they plan to send their immortal servants to kill me, so that Earth’s ownership will pass to my son, who has inheritance rights.
I am powerless to resist.
Powerless!
“I beseech Your Eminence to uphold justice.”
Luo Feng swiftly composed the email with his thoughts and instantly dispatched it to the “Nine-Sword Sovereign.”
The Genius Competition of his era had been presided over by the Nine-Sword Venerable, making Luo Feng effectively his subordinate. Sending this message directly to the “Heavenly Erosion Lord” would be crossing boundaries. Furthermore, the Heavenly Erosion Lord had only briefly mentored him, and Luo Feng only knew the network ID of the immortal who had received him at the time, not the Heavenly Erosion Lord’s own identifier.
“Dispatch it ninefold,” whispered Luo Feng, his fingers pausing over the timeworn oak as the laptop’s eerie luminescence cast shifting patterns across his hawkish features. The encrypted communiqué dissolved into the datastream like a ghost slipping between worlds—its final destination known only to the legendary Nine-Blade Ascendant. As the ninth transmission concluded its cosmic voyage, faint sigils of power flickered along the machine’s obsidian frame, their ancient cadence humming with the weight of bygone covenants.
The email mustn’t be exaggerated. A subtle hint would suffice. The Venerable One would grasp it instantly… The Axe Battle Arena has undoubtedly uncovered Earth’s secret. By then, even if not for my sake, the Virtual Universe Corporation wouldn’t let this slide—not when Earth’s secret is at stake. Luo Feng nodded to himself.
He believed…
This email would tear a hole in the heavens, sparking a clash between the Virtual Universe Company and the Axe Combat Arena!
…
Back on Earth.
In the ruins of the Luo family’s ancestral home, within the desolate courtyard.
Though the missive had been dispatched, Luo Feng’s visage remained shadowed with unease. Buying precious moments, he sent a desperate thought-whisper to Yan Zhuwang: “Yan Zhuwang, my eyes are not veiled to the tides of fate. Yet… having sworn fealty to the Undying Venerable One—we speak of none other than the Undying Venerable! You bask in the protective flames of Venerable Flame, but what shield have I? When the wrath of Venerable Flame descends like celestial fire in days to come, I shall be but ashes upon the wind.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Zhuwang’s face lit up with a faint smile.
He was delighted.
It seemed victory was near.
“Rest assured,” Yan Zhuwang transmitted, “After this, you can return to the Origin Secret Realm or go to Chaos City. Both places are extremely safe.”
“But can I really stay in those two places forever?” Luo Feng transmitted back.
Yan Zhuwang grew slightly impatient, “Enough nonsense! Transfer the Milky Way’s ownership to me now, and at least you’ll stay alive. You’ll live in disgrace for a while, but as your status grows, it’ll matter less. Refuse… and you die now, and every human on Earth dies with you. Choose!”
Just then—
Boom!
A mighty immortal force suddenly swept across Earth.
“Hmm?” Yan Zhuwang, the green-haired horned elder, and the other five King-ranked Immortal Beings and twelve Earl-ranked warriors were all startled.
“It’s an immortal force,” the lizard warrior said coldly.
“Another immortal? How could they arrive so swiftly? Even the forces of other Venerable Ones would require at least three to five days!” Yan Zhuwang’s expression shifted abruptly.
“Perhaps one of the Venerable One’s subordinates left a coordinate talisman near Earth by chance,” said the woman clad in dark battle armor.
Buzz!
Teleportation.
A figure abruptly appeared in the ruins of the courtyard. This very act of teleportation startled the six King-ranked Immortal Beings, including Yan Zhuwang. Teleportation was a rare ability—only one among the six possessed it.
Luo Feng also stared in shock at the newcomer.
This was a truly massive, bear-like warrior. Standing over three meters tall, he had two blood-red horns on his forehead, silver scales on his brow, and faint silver scales visible on his bare arms. He wore thick, strange armor of black and crimson, clearly a supreme being of the Nakamon race.
He stood like a towering divine mountain.
Simultaneously, an invisible, overwhelming killing aura surged outward, directly oppressing Yan Zhuwang and the others.
“Greetings, Master,” Dylan respectfully saluted the figure.
“Bloodthirsty Venerable One!”
“Venerable Glutton!”
The six King-ranked Immortal Beings, including Yan Zhuwang, all changed expressions and called out the name in shock.
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