Chapter 319: The Decisive Battle in the Slaughter Arena

In the grand hall of the Blood Arena, Norrins observed coldly as Luo Feng and his companions departed, his eyes sharp and frigid.

Two bald cosmic mercenaries from the Northern Dragon City organization approached. One of them, Instructor Quincy, smiled and said, “Mr. Norrins, those three are mere youths, hardly worth your anger! If you’re displeased, just eliminate them physically in the real world when the opportunity arises!”

“Right, Mr. Norrins, let’s head into the Decisive Combat Zone first,” urged the other bald mercenary.

“Wait,” Norrins commanded coldly, turning his gaze toward Burem and Heruo standing not far away. “You two, come here.”

“Us?” Heruo, the pale-skinned red-haired youth, and Burem, the burly black giant, exchanged glances, their hearts pounding with fear. Could it be that this powerful figure, who even the two instructors had to flatter, wanted them? It would be so easy for him to crush them. Heruo thought bitterly, *“Luo Feng, Luo Feng, you’ve really ruined us!”*

“We greet you, Lord,” Heruo and Burem said respectfully.

“Answer whatever Mr. Norrins asks,” Instructor Quincy barked.

“Yes,” both replied.

Norrins fixed his gaze on the two. “Tell me, what is Luo Feng’s virtual cosmos network ID?”

Heruo and Burem were momentarily stunned, hesitating slightly. But seeing the two cosmic-level instructors and the Ax-Bearing expert before them, they exchanged glances and finally Heruo whispered, “Lord, Luo Feng’s virtual cosmos ID is…” and recited a long string of numbers.

“Hmm,” Norrins grunted, then turned and walked away, the two bald mercenaries quickly following.

…

In the Milky Way, on Earth.

The West Lake Estate had been rebuilt, and Luo Feng had even custom-ordered a higher-grade D1-class castle from the cosmos. The entire castle served as the central control hub for the planetary defense alert system, overseeing all the solar system’s surveillance satellites and defensive weaponry.

In the seventh-floor planetary control chamber of the castle.

“Master.”

“Three groups have entered the wormhole in the virtual cosmos zone. The first group arrived in a D3-class vessel, the second in a D1-class, and the third in a C8-class.”

Luo Feng stood in the central control room of Earth’s defense system, before him a massive floating screen displaying three different spacecraft. This sight caused him to frown slightly, and after a moment’s thought, he quickly deduced:

“These three groups must be from three different factions.”

“Based on the spacecraft class, one can judge their strength. The first group is likely Cosmic-level experts, the second group could be elite Star-level or Cosmic-level warriors, and the third group is most likely a Star-level team.” Luo Feng mused. Ever since he officially became Earth’s Lord, the method to reach Earth—via the wormhole and a two-year, eight-month interstellar journey—was certainly known to the Empire.

Thus, it was only natural that other factions might send reconnaissance teams.

…

“Luo Feng, there’s a new message in your virtual cosmos inbox.”

“Oh, connect me to the virtual cosmos.”

On the Black Dragon Mountain Island, in the Nine-Star Bay, many luxurious mansions stood along the bay or nestled against the low hills. Each family had built their homes according to their own tastes. Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder God had purchased a plot near the bay, constructing mostly wooden buildings.

“Master, that move was brilliant.”

“Second Master, that’s the time to kick.”

“Uncle Meng II, when can I enter the inner sect?”

“Soon, keep practicing and you’ll make it.”

In front of a three-story wooden pavilion, two youths from the Heimeng Clan were training Luo Feng’s two sons, Pingping and Xiao Hai. When Luo Feng suddenly appeared, the two children looked over joyfully: “Dad!” Luo Ping and Luo Hai had been specially sent by Luo Feng, with Babata’s help, into a virtual game designed for learning while playing.

It was an educational virtual game where they could learn naturally through entertainment. Though still children, their mastery of body mechanics and combat techniques far surpassed Luo Feng’s own childhood, when he lived in a rented shack. Moreover, Luo Feng had already used various evolution-enhancing treasures on them.

This was quite common among powerful families in the cosmos.

As a result, Luo Hai and Luo Ping, at only four years old, had already reached the level of *Intermediate Warrior*. On Earth, this was extraordinary, but in the cosmos, it was quite ordinary.

“Whose message is this?” Luo Feng sat on a nearby chair, his mind stirring as a screen materialized before him, displaying the message.

“Hmm?”

“It’s actually from Norrins!”

Luo Feng was surprised. Norrins had somehow obtained his virtual cosmos ID. Perhaps knowing that Luo Feng wouldn’t chat with him directly, Norrins had sent a message instead. Curious, Luo Feng began reading the lengthy message. It detailed the dangers of the cosmos, warning Luo Feng that retrieving the Mechanical Clan’s ship would bring immense peril.

*A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.*

Though the Mechanical Clan’s ship was valuable, it would be useless if one had no life left to enjoy it. Norrins suggested Luo Feng trade it for immediate benefits.

“Tsk, tsk, Norrins is really rich,” Luo Feng mused as he read the enticing terms offered by Norrins. This time, he wasn’t trying to buy Earth outright, but instead proposed *co-managing* Earth with Luo Feng. They would split ownership, with Luo Feng retaining the majority share as Lord, while the Norrins family took a minority.

In return, the Mechanical Clan’s ship would go to the Norrins family.

This way…

The Norrins family could still achieve much.

“Co-ownership? Joint management? They only want the Mechanical Clan’s ship?” Luo Feng rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Don’t do it!”

“Luo Feng, the Yimo Star Ship is already damaged, and repairing it would be extremely difficult. Wait until your strength improves, then seize the Mechanical Clan’s ship. Then you’ll be unstoppable,” Babata urged. “The Mechanical Clan’s technology far surpasses that of humanity. Don’t accept Norrins’ offer. The Mechanical Clan’s ship on Earth could become your ultimate trump card in the future.”

“I understand,” Luo Feng nodded, then deleted the tempting message sent by Norrins’ underlings.

Moments later—

“Beep, beep, beep.”

“Luo Feng, Heruo and Burem are requesting a call.”

“Connect them.”

Luo Feng rushed into the third floor of the wooden house, a screen appearing before him showing the thin Heruo and the burly Burem.

“Luo Feng, we’re sorry, but we gave your virtual cosmos ID to Norrins. We had no choice. But… just the virtual ID shouldn’t affect you too much, right?” Heruo said, while Burem added, “We’ve just received a summons and must leave immediately for the Cosmic Apprentice Mercenary Trial. See you later.”

“Wish us luck to survive,” Heruo added with a smile.

“Good luck,” Luo Feng raised his fist. “Survive, and I’ll forgive you for leaking my virtual cosmos ID.”

“Haha,” Heruo laughed. “Oh, and Luo Feng, I noticed you three have been in the Blood Arena’s Killing Zone all this time. Try the Decisive Combat Zone sometime—it’s more interesting than the Killing Zone.”

“The Decisive Combat Zone?” Luo Feng blinked. “Alright, I’ll check it out later.”

…

Earth had become a fortress under Luo Feng’s management. He had even bought 29 Star-Level 9 warriors from the slave market, combining them with the 7 surviving Star-Level 9 warriors to form an elite force of 36. With the planetary defense system, any threat below the Cosmic Level could be easily neutralized.

Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder God immersed themselves in their respective training.

In the Blood Arena.

“So this is the Decisive Combat Zone.”

“From the introduction, it’s quite different from the Killing Zone,” Luo Feng and his companions stood before the arena’s counter, watching a video explanation on the screen. The Killing Zone was designed for solo training, allowing users to simulate various opponents for optimal combat practice.

The Decisive Combat Zone, however, was a place for real duels among warriors!

Real humans fought each other, not simulations. Moreover, the cost of using the Decisive Combat Zone was only one-tenth that of the Killing Zone.

…

“I’m a Star-Level 1, so I can only challenge opponents of the same rank,” Luo Feng, Hong, and Thunder God sat in the arena’s hall, each with a floating screen displaying numerous opponents’ profiles. To fight, one had to submit a challenge, which the opponent could accept.

“Haha, Brother Three, Big Brother. Look at this guy—he calls himself the ‘Number One Expert,’ but he’s won only 21 times and lost 921, with a rating of just one star.”

In the Decisive Combat Zone, one could choose any name.

This was to accommodate famous or high-ranking individuals who wanted to train incognito. Naturally, such establishments catered to their clients’ needs.

“I can only challenge same-rank opponents for now?” Luo Feng’s gaze skimmed past ratings from *No Rating* to *Five Stars*, settling instead on opponents rated *Six Stars*, *Seven Stars*, and beyond. The highest rating was *Nine Stars*, indicating an absolute powerhouse among equals.

“I’ve mastered the fifth layer of the Duntian Shuttle this month.”

“I’ll pick a Seven-Star opponent to test myself,” Luo Feng officially submitted his challenge.

One second, two seconds, one minute, two minutes…

“Damn it, I challenged a *Six-Star* opponent, and no reply at all—ignored me!” Thunder God glared.

“My opponent didn’t respond either,” Luo Feng shrugged. “Brother Hong, how about you?”

“Brother Hong?” Thunder God turned to Hong.

Hong scratched his nose, muttering, “I challenged a Star-Level 9, *Nine-Star* rated opponent. I thought I could handle him, but… the challenge was rejected outright. The system said that as a *Nine-Star* expert, he has the right to set a minimum challenge level of *Seven Stars*.”

Luo Feng and Thunder God blinked.

This was the first time they had tried to spar with others…

And all three of them had been rejected.