BOOM!
The arena shuddered under a thunderous explosion. Lance’s fist connected, pulverizing a powerhouse at the absolute limit of the Planet Realm into a crimson mist.
"ROAR!"
Behind him, the massive, towering phantom of The Berserk God let out a deafening, primal howl.
It was clear that slaying a genius at the peak of the Planet Realm had pushed Lance. He had been forced to burn through every ability in his arsenal, holding back only his Destruction Power.
"So this is what the number one rank in the Planet Realm looks like? Terrifying. The bastard actually mastered a Tier 13 ability. Fck me."
Lance exhaled slowly, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. He had come dangerously close to a total disaster against that opponent. Fortunately, his superior cultivation techniques and martial skills allowed him to bridge the gap of an entire major realm. He had secured the kill with frightening speed, appearing almost entirely unscathed. Even the minor grazes he had sustained were already knitting back together.
Wait a second...
Lance paused, a frown deepening on his face. When I take damage in the Virtual Universe, my Soul in the real world actually gets hurt, too. But the next instant, the Virtual Universe heals me completely. What the hell is going on?
He was genuinely baffled.
Because his Soul was being damaged and then instantly repaired, the growth rate of his Soul value had—for the first time ever—surpassed his CON value. The Virtual Universe’s restoration speed was nothing short of miraculous; it was instantaneous. It was faster than his physical body’s natural regeneration, which in turn caused his CON growth rate to skyrocket by over a hundredfold.
The damage he took here was negligible, but this was the Virtual Universe. Even death carried no permanent consequence.
Lance realized that if he died here, his Soul in the real world would likely shatter for a split second. But as long as the Virtual Universe restored him, his real-world Soul would be pulled back from the brink.
If that’s the case... I could use repeated deaths to force my Soul value to explode.
He was curious, however. He couldn't be the only one to notice this. Why wasn't anyone else exploiting it?
[Beep! Detecting confusion regarding real-world Soul damage. The Virtual Universe will now provide clarification.]
[The Virtual Universe was created to elevate the strength of every cultivator in the cosmos. While its primary goal is improvement, it must also ensure the safety of its users.]
[To ensure training remains effective, the bodies and Souls within the Virtual Universe are not mere simulations. The Virtual Universe physically transitions your body and Soul into this space; your 'body' in the real world becomes the projection.]
[The Virtual Universe records your status upon entry. Should you perish, it restores you to that exact state. This is why cultivators must periodically return to reality.]
[If you do not 'save' your progress by exiting before a death, your strength will be reset to the status recorded at your last entry!]
[Note: You are exempt from this reset. As a possessor of the Undying God-Body, your life signature is anchored to the universe itself. Even if you perish a billion times within the Virtual Universe, your gains will never diminish.]
[As for why you only feel your Soul being damaged: your physical regeneration is simply too fast for your mind to perceive the injury. As your power grows, you will eventually be able to sense the damage to your physical form as well.]
The system’s explanation flooded Lance’s mind. He stood still for a long moment, processing it all.
So, the Virtual Universe wasn't exactly "fake"—the people inside it were very real. Death wasn't impossible; it was just that the system was constantly resurrecting everyone.
Everything clicked. That was why his physical body felt identical to the outside world, and why he could actually cultivate here. It was almost entirely real.
The realization sent a chill down his spine. Legends said that even Supreme-level powerhouses could be resurrected here. Did that mean the Virtual Universe was capable of wiping out the entire cosmos and bringing it back on a whim?
"This thing is beyond broken," Lance muttered, his mind reeling. "What the hell is this place, really?"
It made sense now why people said the Virtual Universe stood above all the Supreme God-Realms. The claim that it was the "ultimate crystallization of sapient wisdom" was probably an understatement. It wasn't even on the same level as a Supreme God-Realm.
But this works for me, Lance thought, a predatory glint appearing in his eyes. Since I can’t truly die here, and every injury or death makes me stronger, there’s no point in wasting time dueling people at my own level. I should go straight for the super-powerhouses.
Even if they kill me, I’ll still come out on top.
His decision was made.
[Beep! Congratulations. You have successfully defeated the #1 ranked combatant in the Planet Realm.]
[As this is your first time claiming the #1 spot, you may choose one of the following three rewards!]
The notification rang out in his mind, and three options materialized before his eyes. Interestingly, the options were fixed; regardless of how weak or strong a user was, the rewards for reaching the top remained consistent.
Lance didn't hesitate this time. He exchanged his first reward for a Tier 12, Low-Grade, Perfect-Rank Soul Restoration Pill.
For his second opportunity, his eyes drifted toward the cultivation techniques.
"Virtual Universe, do you have the remaining volumes of The Eight Sacred Canons?" Lance asked.
[Beep! Affirmative. All volumes of The Eight Sacred Canons are available. However, each volume is classified as Tier 12, Peak-Grade. Your current reward tier is insufficient for this exchange.]
[If you require these techniques, please proceed to the rankings of The Supreme God-Realm of Destruction. Given your current prowess, you are guaranteed the #1 spot in the Grandmaster Realm rankings.]
[Achieving that rank will grant you Tier 13 rewards, which can be exchanged for any volume of The Eight Sacred Canons.]
The system’s flat, robotic voice was music to Lance’s ears. It existed here. And more importantly, it was within his reach.
I got three volumes from The Umbra Sovereign, Lance calculated. There's at least one more with The Black Dragon Lord. That means I need four more to complete the set.
I’m currently in the Grandmaster Realm. I can take the #1 spot in the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction's Great Grandmaster rankings. Once I break through to the Planet Realm, I can take the top spot there, too.
But that’s only two volumes. To get all eight, I’ll need to climb the ranks all the way to the Galactic Realm. I’ll have to seize the #1 spots for Great Grandmaster, Planet Realm, Star Realm, and Galactic Realm. Then, and only then, will the full power of the Sacred Canons be mine.
Lance felt a wave of helplessness. At this rate, it would take an eternity to collect every cultivation technique he needed. His progress was already beginning to crawl.
"I just hope this Black Dragon Lord has at least two techniques on him," he muttered, exhaling a frustrated sigh. "Otherwise, this is going to be a massive headache."
He opened the interface for The Virtual Universe and exchanged a portion of his points for a Blood Essence Pill, refined from the remains of a Tier 12 World Lord Class Void Beast. His Soul reserves were deep enough to last him a lifetime, but his stores of flesh and blood essence were nearly bone-dry.
Once he refined this Tier 12 essence, the system’s restoration would easily push it to Tier 14. With that, he wouldn't have to worry about his CON reserves for a long time.
"I’m almost at the Black Dragon Lord's territory. I need to secure the number one spot on the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction's Great Grandmaster rankings first. If I don’t, I won’t dare push my strength any further. Virtual Universe, upgrade my coverage from the Dark-Heaven Universal God-Realm to the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction."
Lance issued the command without hesitation.
Command accepted.
The moment the words left his lips, the massive arena around him blurred. Dizziness washed over him, and a heartbeat later, he was spat out back into the Ranking Space.
A thunderous roar echoed through the void. The celestial ladder of the Dark-Heaven Universal God-Realm shattered into a million shards of light. The fragments swirled and coalesced, forming a massive, golden staircase that loomed before him.
This new ladder was billions of times larger than the last. Each step was a continent in its own right, and the height had scaled from a hundred million ranks to a staggering hundred billion.
Lance quickly scanned the rankings, only to be met with a sobering reality. Out of the top one hundred billion names, only two geniuses from the Dark-Heaven Universal God-Realm had made the cut. One was ranked in the ninety-billion range, and the other barely cracked the ten-billion mark.
These weren't just random cultivators; they were elites who had dominated their previous realm before coming here. Yet, in this vast ocean of power, they were mere droplets, unable to even breach the upper echelons. It was pathetic.
Lance finally understood just how terrifying the density of talent was within the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction.
You have been upgraded to the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction tier. Current location: Great Grandmaster Rankings. Would you like to proceed with a combat assessment?
"Run it," Lance said, his voice laced with annoyance. "It’s not like I have to start from the bottom, right?"
A complete restart is unnecessary. Your ranking will be calibrated based on your previous performance. The re-test is merely to ensure any recent growth is accounted for.
Lance nodded. So it was just a calibration. "Then just match me based on my previous results. With or without the test, I’m at least in the top ten."
He couldn't help but wonder why the Virtual Universe—supposedly the ultimate AI—was so pedantic. It seemed less intuitive than Maya, or even the basic AIs on a Tier 3 or 4 starship. He had expected a god-like intelligence, but the reality was... underwhelming.
Confirmed. Based on your previous data, your projected rank is within the top ten. Would you like to challenge the Top 10?
"Challenge them. But one by one," Lance replied.
He wasn't going to be as arrogant as before. A ten-on-one fight would be livestreamed, and he didn't want his secrets laid bare for the whole realm to see. Coming from a backwater region, showing too much power would only paint a target on his back. He was in the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction now; he couldn't afford to be careless.
Little did he know, the strongest being from that "backwater region," God-Emperor Mortis, had already crossed the endless starry sea and was closing in on his location.
Invitations sent. Please prepare for combat.
A hum of energy vibrated through the air as Lance was converted into a stream of data. He vanished, reappearing moments later in the middle of a silent, vast starfield.
As his feet touched the void, the space ahead of him rippled. A young man coalesced from the shadows.
In this world, the strongest were almost always youthful in appearance. True geniuses cultivated at a lightning-fast pace. With high-tier talents, they could easily crush veterans who had spent millennia in the same realm. Old-timers had no hope against these monsters. While some stayed in the Great Grandmaster tier for a few extra centuries to milk the ranking rewards for their sects, they never stayed too long. Stalling would only cause their talent to stagnate, and no reward was worth that.
This young man was clearly one of those top-tier monsters.
Match confirmed. Opponent: Jalen (Rank 9). Battle beginning. Prepare yourself.
Lance reached into the void, his fingers closing around a hilt. A spear wreathed in black mist materialized in his grip. He suppressed its power, letting it settle at the Middle-Grade Tier 8 level—matching the weapon his opponent held.
"Who are you?" Jalen asked, his eyes narrowing. "Which Divine Kingdom do you hail from? I've never seen you before."
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