Chapter 122: Arrival at the Origin Universe (Part 3)

The spaceship traveled through the dark universe at an astonishing speed. Time flowed away like a stream.

In a private booth at a bar in the public area of Rain-Fragrance Mountain, Jiang Chen and Luo Feng had just concluded a "battle" and were drinking and chatting. Although the battle had strictly limited Jiang Chen to using his "Gundam" mecha in its standard configuration—equipped with nothing more than a sword and a shield, and devoid of any long-range weaponry—Luo Feng had still lost without any suspense.

However, Luo Feng’s performance had surprised Jiang Chen. Over the past three years, Luo Feng’s rate of progress had been extraordinary. Had the Luo Feng of three years ago possessed this level of skill, he would have posed a significant threat to Jiang Chen’s "Uchiha Shisui" avatar during the finals of the genius competition. Of course, this would only be true if the avatar refrained from using its "Illusionist" techniques or the laws of fire and space. Even then, it would have been a threat, not a guarantee of victory.

"Ah Chen, how did you know that the *Floating Blood* manual would be suitable for my cultivation?" Luo Feng asked curiously.

Three years ago, while warning Luo Feng not to waste his points, Jiang Chen had recommended the *Floating Blood* manual, which cost only 800 points—or 640 after a discount. Luo Feng had purchased it with skepticism, only to discover that it was perfectly suited to him. The sections detailing the "essence of the space law" allowed him to finally understand the mysterious footwork his opponent had used during their battle in the genius tournament finals. Treating it like a precious treasure, Luo Feng had devoted most of his energy to the manual over the last three years. While he hadn't yet fully mastered the essence of the space law, he had entered the threshold and made significant progress.

Based on their fight, Jiang Chen could see that Luo Feng was at most a year or two away from mastering the first essence of the space law. With the added benefits of the Initial Universe, it might even be faster.

"How is it? Does it suit you?" Jiang Chen said with a smile. "You excel in the laws of gold and space. I won't say much about gold; the inherited memories of the Golden Horned Giant Beast have plenty of techniques for that. As for space, the best path is to study the 'essence of the space law'—the same path 'Uchiha Shisui' takes. *Floating Blood* is designed specifically for that."

"I understand what you're saying, but I still don't get how you knew about this manual," Luo Feng remained puzzled. Jiang Chen merely smiled and did not answer.

As they chatted, Enzo’s voice suddenly pulled them back to reality. "Your Highnesses, the spaceship is about to exit the dark universe. We are arriving shortly."

No sooner had Enzo finished speaking than the ship trembled slightly. The external simulation activated, rendering the hull transparent and revealing a dreamlike, magnificent starry sky. In the distance ahead, a colossal super-continent drifted in the void.

The headquarters of the Virtual Universe Company had arrived!

"A continent?! Such a massive continent?!" Luo Feng’s eyes widened as he entered the main hall and saw the landmass ahead. Even the stars and planets drifting around it seemed as small as sesame seeds in comparison. This was the real world, not the virtual universe. Seeing such a vast, sprawling continent floating in the void for the first time was enough to shatter anyone's worldview.

Jiang Chen squinted, his mind racing with questions: "How can such a massive continent exist without collapsing into a black hole under its own gravity? What is the principle? Is it simply the hardness of the material? That’s impossible; no material can resist such gravitational forces. The mass must be astronomical. It should have collapsed into a black hole. It must be related to the existence of extraordinary power. Arcane technology has descriptions of similar massive worlds, but they aren't deeply explored. Perhaps it involves higher-level knowledge I haven't mastered yet..."

"This continent is tens of light-years in diameter. It would take a long time to travel across it by flying alone. However, our exit point from the dark universe is close to the company headquarters; we'll be there in a dozen hours or so," Enzo’s voice brought them back to reality.

"Tens of light-years!" Luo Feng gasped. "Mr. Enzo, where did such a massive continent come from? Can such celestial bodies be born naturally in the universe?"

"I don't know," Enzo shook his head. The mysteries of the universe were so profound that even the supreme beings at the very pinnacle of existence would not claim to fully understand them, let alone an immortal like himself.

After flying for more than ten hours at near-light speed, the ship finally arrived at a gargantuan structure. As they disembarked, Enzo said to Jiang Chen at the hatch, "Your Highness, we shall part ways here. Once you finish your cultivation in the Initial Universe and arrive at the Primordial Secret Region in reality, we will meet again."

"Understood. Thank you for your trouble along the way," Jiang Chen nodded in acknowledgment.

Nearby, staff members were already waiting. After verifying their identities, they led Jiang Chen and Luo Feng into the headquarters, through long corridors, and into a grand hall. Other geniuses who had arrived earlier were already gathered there. The thousand geniuses came from various cosmic nations, so their arrival times naturally varied, though the schedules were strictly calculated to ensure the difference was only a few days.

"Madman, Monster, you're here!"

The geniuses greeted them. During the preliminary stages of the competition, Jiang Chen had earned the nickname "Cheater." However, by the finals, everyone knew the virtual universe system was incapable of cheating, and no one used that insulting term anymore. Somehow, everyone had started calling Jiang Chen "Monster." Over the past three years, they had often met in the public areas of Rain-Fragrance Mountain. As peers from the same genius tournament, they naturally formed a cohesive group. Even the most aloof among them, including the "Death God" Bolan and the cold-acting "Uchiha Shisui" avatar, had integrated well. After all, reaching the top thousand in the universe was a testament to their talent.

Jiang Chen scanned the hall and saw many familiar faces. Not only the geniuses of this batch but also his "Ersuo" avatar, who had joined the Virtual Universe Mercenary Alliance, was present. The two avatars exchanged a glance but did not communicate. On the surface, they were strangers, and Jiang Chen had no reason to invite suspicion.

A day later, all one thousand geniuses had arrived, joined by "Ersuo," bringing the total to 1,001. A tall, thin man with red pupils and an icy aura walked into the hall. "Everyone, follow me."

Without giving anyone a chance to react, the man exerted an irresistible force, enveloping the 1,001 geniuses and carrying them out of the headquarters to a lawn. He pointed to a ship behind him. "Everyone, please board."

The ship was peculiar—deep blue, nearly a thousand meters long, and moved like a living fish, its tail swaying slightly. A massive hatch opened in its "belly." The geniuses boarded with expressions of wonder.

"This ship looks like a normal one inside, but why does it look like a living creature from the outside?"

"The ships that picked us up were made of F-grade pure metal. This one must be at least F-grade too, right?"

"I've never seen such a bizarre ship."

"This ship likely incorporates 'metal life,'" Jiang Chen remarked to Luo Feng.

As they entered the hall, an invisible pressure forced Luo Feng to fall silent. Standing there was the man in the green robe with purple scales on his forehead—the "Nine-Swords Venerable," who had presided over the genius competition. Standing there, he created a sense of distorted space and time that made most geniuses feel incredibly uncomfortable just by looking at him.

"Venerable."

"Greetings, Venerable."

The geniuses bowed, Jiang Chen included.

"One thousand geniuses, plus one 'transfer student' from the Virtual Universe Mercenary Alliance," the Nine-Swords Venerable glanced at Ersuo before ordering, "Everyone is here. Depart, to the Initial Universe!"

The fish-like ship lashed its tail and soared into the sky. During the journey, the geniuses couldn't help but steal glances at Ersuo. The Virtual Universe Mercenary Alliance was another of the five major pillars of humanity. While its status was perceived as slightly lower than the Virtual Universe Company, its influence in the universe was even more vast. Every cosmic nation’s mercenaries were under the alliance’s jurisdiction, a staggering number.

"Universe-level, and his aura suggests he just broke through, like us."

"I've never heard of the Mercenary Alliance having a selection process like the 'Genius Tournament'."

The geniuses whispered to each other using their force and spiritual energy to shield their voices. Ersuo ignored their gazes, remaining in a corner and pondering his plans for the Initial Universe.

After flying for a while, the ship paused. The Nine-Swords Venerable exchanged a few words with an unseen entity before proceeding. Suddenly, a strange force emerged, causing the geniuses to feel intense discomfort.

"The fluctuations of time and space are changing..." Jiang Chen thought. In this bizarre environment, even he felt dizzy and nauseated, though he managed to hold on. Some of the weaker geniuses were drenched in sweat, and more than half collapsed to the floor, unable to stand.

Jiang Chen scanned the room. Only his three avatars and Bolan remained conscious. Even then, there was a difference; Bolan was barely holding on, while Jiang Chen felt only discomfort. If someone were to attack now, few of the thousand geniuses would survive.

The Nine-Swords Venerable’s eyes flickered toward Jiang Chen’s three avatars. "A decent will," he mused, though he did not act, quickly withdrawing his gaze. Jiang Chen didn't even notice he had been observed.

After about five or six minutes, the sensation subsided. The geniuses quickly stood up, used their energy to evaporate their sweat, and tidied themselves.

"We have now entered the Initial Universe," the Nine-Swords Venerable announced. "You will have one hundred years of Primordial Universe time for your training here. However, the time flow in the Initial Universe is different—a ratio of 1:3.28. One hundred years in the Primordial Universe is a little over thirty years here. Open the top of the ship!"

The metal roof parted, revealing a transparent layer. Through it, everyone could clearly see the scene outside. In the dim sky, strands of chaos-like airflow drifted. In the distance, massive cracks appeared in the sky from time to time. Strange, mysterious secret patterns flowed along the edges of the fractured space, looking profoundly mystical.

The immortals on the ship stared at these cracks and patterns, their eyes filled with contemplation, as if they were racing against time to comprehend something, fearing that if they blinked, the opportunity would be lost.