"Have you heard? A monstrous genius has emerged from the Dark-Heaven Universal God-Realm. He’s been sweeping through the Great Grandmaster leaderboards, taking on ten opponents at once and crushing every top-ranked fighter in his path."
In a rest area within the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction, a group of World Lord Class powerhouses sat together, passing the time over tea. One of them spoke up with a grin, sparking the conversation.
"Dark-Heaven Universal God-Realm? Is there even a First-Class Divine Kingdom by that name? I’ve never heard of it," one of the powerhouses replied, looking puzzled. The other World Lords nearby were equally bewildered.
"Actually, the Dark-Heaven Universal God-Realm is only a Second-Class Divine Kingdom. But that’s not the point. Do you know who its ruler is?" the first World Lord asked, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
The group perked up instantly, their curiosity piqued. They leaned in, eyes fixed on the speaker.
"Who is it? Stop playing games, you brat, or I’ll drag you back to your Star Realm for a duel!" a hot-tempered World Lord barked.
The speaker didn't take offense; they were all old friends and well-acquainted with each other's quirks. He simply chuckled.
"This goes back a trillion years. You all remember when the youngest son of the Destroyer Supreme married a powerful female World Lord, right?"
The surrounding World Lords nodded repeatedly. It had been a massive scandal within the Royal Family back then; there was no way they wouldn't know about it.
"The ruler of the Dark-Heaven Universal God-Realm is God-Emperor Mortis. He is the son of the Destroyer Supreme and that female World Lord! Today, he’s a peak Immortal Grade powerhouse!"
The revelation left the remaining World Lords wide-eyed.
"Wait, I thought the Destroyer Supreme’s son’s mistress killed that female World Lord? There was a son left behind?"
"Good heavens... reaching the peak of the Immortal Grade in just a trillion years? That talent is terrifying. He’s arguably more formidable than his father was at that age!"
"Are we about to see a father-son blood feud play out?"
"Doubtful. No matter the history, the Destroyer Supreme is still his father. They share the same blood."
The group grew increasingly animated as they dissected the juicy gossip.
"This is certainly explosive news," one of the World Lords said, sounding exasperated. "But what does any of this have to do with that genius you mentioned earlier?"
"Nothing at all," the speaker replied matter-of-factly. "I just realized you guys didn't know the history, so I figured I’d fill you in."
The others looked like they wanted to throttle him. However, they had to admit the gossip was entertaining.
"A genius from a Second-Class Divine Kingdom... even if he can fight ten at once, I doubt he’d even crack the top hundred billion on our Supreme God-Realm of Destruction leaderboards," one World Lord remarked, stroking his chin.
The others nodded in agreement. A top genius of a Second-Class Divine Kingdom was impressive enough, but to World Lords like them, it wasn't earth-shattering. In their youth, most of them had been ranked in the top thousand of their respective Second-Class realms.
In the grand scheme of things, such talents usually capped out as World Lords. Very few ever reached the God-King level, let alone achieved true immortality.
"True. But if he really has that kind of strength, he should have shown up on the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction rankings by now. Why don't we just check?" someone suggested.
That snapped the group to attention. They immediately opened the Great Grandmaster Class rankings. Even if it was just a curiosity from a minor kingdom, they felt compelled to check Lance’s potential, if only out of respect for God-Emperor Mortis.
"Wait... what the hell? The number one spot on the Great Grandmaster leaderboard has changed!"
As they opened the list, they stared in stunned silence. A name they had never seen before was sitting firmly at the very top.
"He sucked in a sharp breath. 'He actually took the top spot? Who is this Lance?'"
"Where did he come from? To claim rank one the moment he arrives... that’s insane!"
"Hold on—look at his origin! Dark-Heaven Universal God-Realm? It’s him! He’s the genius!"
"Holy sht, it really is him! How is this possible?!"
A wave of shock crashed over the World Lords. An obscure genius from a Second-Class Divine Kingdom had just become the most powerful Great Grandmaster in the entire Supreme God-Realm of Destruction.
Their hearts raced as the implications set in. Meanwhile, across the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction, countless civilizations and factions were reaching a boiling point. Nowhere was the fervor greater than in the Dark-Heaven Universal God-Realm—their own citizen had just conquered the rankings.
Congratulations! Through absolute strength, you have attained the Rank 1 position on the Great Grandmaster Leaderboard. As this is your first time reaching the top of this rank, you are entitled to choose one of the following rewards:
Lance stood over the fading remains of a Desolates genius he had just annihilated as he reviewed the Virtual Universe notification.
He had noticed a pattern: nearly ninety percent of his opponents belonged to the Desolates, while most of the remaining ten percent were Humanoids. Other races were incredibly rare. After querying the Virtual Universe, he understood why.
More than a hundred Supreme Divinities of the Desolates, including the Destroyer Supreme himself, were gathered in this sector. Consequently, the Desolates and Humanoids accounted for over eighty percent of the civilizations in this territory.
Given that the Destroyer Supreme—the most powerful of the Supreme Divinities—was located at the very heart of the Desolates' territory, the concentration of Desolates and Humanoids here was an overwhelming 99%.
Unless something drastic changed, Lance realized that almost every opponent he faced from now on would be of human or near-human appearance. He didn't mind; it felt familiar.
His eyes shifted to the reward options manifesting before him.
Reward 1: 10 God-Realm Credits
(Note: Virtual Universe currencies consist of Virtual Coins, Domain Lord Credits, World Lord Credits, God-Realm Credits, and Supreme Universal Credits.
- 1 Virtual Coin = 1 Standard Tier-7 weapon.
- 1 Domain Lord Credit = 1 Low-Grade Tier-11 weapon.
- 1 God-Realm Credit = 1 Low-Grade Tier-13 weapon.
- 1 Supreme Universal Credit = 1 Low-Grade Tier-14 weapon.)
Reward 2: Choice of one Tier-13 Low-Grade Perfect-Quality Weapon, Pill, Array, or Technique.
(Estimated Value: 100 God-Realm Credits)
Reward 3: Choice of any non-Epic Medicinal Herb, Crafting Material, or Array Material below Tier-13 Peak-Grade.
(Estimated Value: 10 to 1,000 God-Realm Credits)
Lance hesitated. Comparing the prices of weapons and techniques, he knew that high-level techniques were far more expensive than equipment of the same grade. And currently, a high-level cultivation technique was exactly what he lacked.
Wait, Lance thought. If I buy the volumes of 'The Eight Sacred Canons' individually, would it be cheaper?
Trading ten Gold Tier - Low cultivation technique exchange opportunities for a single Rank-12 peak Imperial technique felt like a massive ripoff.
"Based on market rates, a single Rank-12 peak technique usually costs only one-hundredth of ten Gold Tier - Low techniques. However, the eight specific techniques you require are among the finest of their rank."
"Therefore, the price ranges from 2 to 9 God-Realm Credits each!" the Virtual Universe replied.
Lance’s eyes lit up. "Wait, so if I choose the God-Realm Credits instead, I might be able to afford two or even three of the techniques I need?"
It would ultimately depend on exactly which techniques he was still missing.
"Correct," the Virtual Universe confirmed.
"Good. I'll make my choice after I get back." Lance wasn't in a rush to decide now. Perhaps the Black Dragon Lord had already gathered all the remaining volumes?
It was unlikely, but not impossible.
With that thought, Lance logged out of the Virtual Universe.
The Black Dragon Star Realm, the Imperial Hub. It was a massive continent suspended in the starry void, protected by a Rank-12 formation.
While its diameter did not reach the terrifying ten thousand light-years of the Dark-Heaven Continent, it still spanned a full light-year.
A difference of ten thousand times might sound simple, but the actual volume disparity was a staggering one trillion times. Diameter was just a linear measurement; volume scaled by the cube.
Despite being "smaller," a diameter of one light-year was still mind-numbingly vast.
The gravity on the continent was equally oppressive, reaching ten million times the standard. In the center of the land, a palace so large it blotted out the sky towered over the horizon. If placed in the Sol System, the Mother Planet—and even the Sun itself—would look like specks of dust beside it.
This was the Black Dragon Palace, the residence of the Black Dragon Lord.
"Great news! Master World Lord, wonderful news!"
A peak Domain Lord plummeted from the stars at an incredible speed, landing before the Black Dragon Palace and dropping into a submissive kneel.
The fact that a peak Domain Lord acted so servile spoke volumes about the Black Dragon Lord's legendary cruelty.
"Speak!"
A bone-chilling voice erupted from within the palace, the sheer force of it making the Domain Lord tremble.
"A super-genius has emerged from our Dark-Heaven Universal God-Realm! He just claimed the number one spot on the Great Grandmaster leaderboards of the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction!" the messenger blurted out excitedly.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort boomed from the palace, and a tidal wave of pressure crushed down on the man like a physical flood.
"Pfft!"
The Domain Lord spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura instantly withering as he collapsed.
"If you disturb my cultivation with such useless news again, you die," the Black Dragon Lord spat.
To him, unless it directly affected his own interests, he wouldn't care if an entire Supreme God-Realm collapsed into ruin.
"W-World Lord... I haven't finished!" The Domain Lord was having a miserable day, his heart burning with resentment. If he weren't terrified of being hunted down, he would have fled from this lunatic long ago.
"That genius came from our very own Glacial Star-System! I suspect he inherited the legacy of Sovereign Glacia or the Umbra Sovereign!" He didn't dare hold back any longer, rushing to finish his report.
Boom!
The moment he finished, a suffocating aura erupted from the temple, pinning the peak Domain Lord to the ground. The man didn't even dare to breathe.
Vicious winds began to howl across the entire Black Dragon Continent.
Amidst a towering cyclone, a massive figure with colossal leathery wings slowly took flight from the Black Dragon Palace.
The Black Dragon Sovereign was a member of the Black Dragon Clan. His massive form radiated an aura of absolute dread.
"Sovereign Glacia? The Umbra Sovereign? You think the legacy of those two failures could produce a genius of that caliber? You overestimate them." The Black Dragon Lord glared down at the Domain Lord.
The idea that two Domain Lords' legacies could produce the number one ranked genius in the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction was a farce.
"Domain Lords? To reach the top ten, such a genius would need an Immortal-rank powerhouse personally grooming them from birth. To reach number one? That requires pure fate."
The Black Dragon Lord’s killing intent flared. He figured the man before him had finally snapped under his pressure and lost his mind.
"No, World Lord! Look at this message!" Terrified, the Domain Lord scrambled to open a transmission.
A projection of a youth appeared before them.
It was Lance. The projection was so high-fidelity that one could almost sense his cultivation realm—a testament to the terrifying technology of high-tier civilizations.
"Black Dragon Lord, I assume? I’m heading to your continent right now. I'll be there in a few minutes. Consider this a heads-up: stay home so I can kill you. Also, have the rest of the Eight Great Scriptures ready. I have a use for them."
Lance’s calm voice hit the Black Dragon Lord like a slap to the face.
A mere Great Grandmaster dared to threaten his life?
"Hahahaha! Arrogant! Utterly delusional!" The Black Dragon Lord’s voice was hoarse with rage. It had been eons since anyone had dared to speak to him with such insolence. "Are you certain this is the so-called genius?"
"Yes, it's him. I watched his livestream. It’s definitely the Desolate genius named Lance," the messenger replied quickly.
Despite his outward fear, the messenger felt a flicker of excitement. A genius of that level would surely possess Rank-12 or even Rank-13 weapons and ships.
Rumor had it that the reward for taking the top spot in the Supreme God-Realm of Destruction was at least Rank-13. The Black Dragon Lord was a dead man walking.
Unfortunately, the messenger was bound by a master-servant soul contract. Only the Black Dragon Lord’s death could set him free. He couldn't act against his master or flee, lest the contract kill him instantly.
"Very well. In that case, you can head to hell first!" The Black Dragon Lord sneered.
The Domain Lord froze.
Before he could react, his soul detonated. His body jerked violently before crumbling into a cloud of ash.
"Lance? A Supreme-tier genius? You want the techniques? Then come and take my life for them!" The Black Dragon Lord looked toward the stars, his voice cold.
"Oh? Is that so? Then I'll see you soon."
System Notification: A massive stockpile has been detected!
You can instantly unlock 28+ Advanced Chapters on my Patreon.
/yivan