Chapter 129: Highest Council: Battle Against the Peak Illusionary Master

Virtual Universe, Hong Meng City, Inner City.

In a highly luxurious mansion, over a dozen figures were conversing; they were all Cosmic Venerables of the human race, gathered to celebrate Tian Shi Zunzhe's recent breakthrough.

"Tian Shi, I never expected you to reach the Cosmic Venerable realm so quickly!"

Master Guiyi Zunzhe of the Virtual Universe Company raised his cup in salute, then smiled: "And you've gained such formidable power immediately after your breakthrough—even the Hive Alliance's Hunmie Zunzhe couldn't gain any advantage over you. Truly impressive!"

"Actually, my strength still falls short of Hunmie Zunzhe's!"

Tian Shi Zunzhe also raised his cup and drained it, then smiled: "I managed to hold my ground this time only because he wasn't carrying any treasures—I had the advantage in equipment—and because our clan's reinforcements arrived promptly!"

"The only regret is that I didn't annihilate his soul and kill Hunmie Zunzhe outright—if I had, the Hive Alliance would've had to expend massive resources to revive him!"

"Destroying even one of his divine avatars is already excellent!"

Another Cosmic Venerable with three curved horns on his head couldn't help but sigh: "Hunmie Zunzhe is exceptionally skilled in the Soul Dao. I once heard my master say his will has already entered the Cosmic Lord level. To penetrate and annihilate all his avatars through soul attacks—even a Cosmic Lord might not succeed. And by the time you tried, Hunmie Zunzhe would've already self-destructed!"

"Indeed!"

Another Cosmic Venerable with dual wings raised his cup as well: "And this time, depriving Hunmie of even one avatar's divine power will hurt him for a long while!"

"Enough about that!"

A Cosmic Venerable from the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance quickly raised his cup: "Let us all toast to Tian Shi's successful breakthrough into the Cosmic Venerable realm!"

Hearing this, the surrounding Cosmic Venerables all raised their cups in celebration: "To Tian Shi!"

"To our human race!"

After the celebration, the group resumed casual conversation.

"Our human race's fortune has truly been excellent lately!"

A Cosmic Venerable from the Giant Axe Arena smiled: "Just a short while ago, Meng Yue Zunzhe broke through on the Outer Battlefield, and now Tian Shi Zunzhe has done the same. The Primordial Will truly favors our human race!"

"Indeed!"

Another Cosmic Venerable wrapped entirely in a black robe also smiled: "In less than two million years, our human race has produced two new Cosmic Venerables in succession. If this pace continues, how can the Demon Race, the Hive Alliance, and the Machine Clan possibly compete with us?"

At that moment, another Cosmic Venerable entered the mansion.

"It's Master Ningshuang!" Several surrounding Cosmic Venerables rose to greet her.

"Fifth Sister!" Tian Shi Zunzhe also quickly rose to meet her.

Master Ningshuang was the fifth disciple of Long Xing Zhi Zhu, the oldest among the Virtual Universe Company's lineage, long possessing Cosmic Overlord-level power, and she had long accompanied Long Xing Zhi Zhu, who often entrusted her with handling affairs!

"Younger brother, you're really having a lively gathering!"

Master Ningshuang quickly turned to Master Guiyi Zunzhe: "Master Guiyi, am I interrupting your chat?"

"Not at all!"

Master Guiyi Zunzhe smiled: "We're just chatting casually, and celebrating Tian Shi's breakthrough into the Cosmic Venerable realm!"

Although Master Guiyi Zunzhe was the second disciple of Hun Dun Chengzhu, his cultivation years were far fewer than those of Master Ningshuang, the fifth disciple of Long Xing Zhi Zhu!

When he first began cultivating, Master Ningshuang was already a Cosmic Overlord of the human race; though he too has now reached the Cosmic Overlord realm, he still deeply respects her for once saving his life!

"Good!"

Master Ningshuang nodded slightly, then turned to Tian Shi Zunzhe and smiled: "You have no urgent matters, but I have news to deliver to you, younger brother!"

"Hmm?"

Tian Shi Zunzhe quickly looked at Master Ningshuang: "Sister, what is this important matter?"

"It's like this!"

Master Ningshuang smiled: "Younger brother, I've been sent by our master to personally deliver this message to you!"

"Your proposal to join our human race's Highest Council has been approved by the highest leadership. Starting today, you are qualified to sit on our human race's Highest Council!"

"Highest Council?" Tian Shi Zunzhe's face immediately lit up with joy.

Long ago, when he was still a Hei Fengwang, he had heard some Cosmic Venerable friends mention the Highest Council.

Back then, his special life avatar had already been capable of matching a low-tier Cosmic Venerable in full power, so he had once applied to join the Highest Council—but his master, Long Xing Zhi Zhu, said his brilliance was too exposed and advised him to wait and temper himself further.

Now, after tens of thousands of years, he had finally broken through into the Cosmic Venerable realm and could finally join the Highest Council!

"Tian Shi, congratulations!"

"Congratulations, Tian Shi Zunzhe!"

The surrounding Cosmic Venerables all spoke in congratulation.

They were all Cosmic Venerables of the human race who had themselves gone through this process, so they fully understood Tian Shi Zunzhe's excitement.

After delivering the news, Master Ningshuang did not leave immediately but stayed to celebrate with the group.

Soon after, several other Cosmic Venerables arrived, and Tian Shi Zunzhe's mansion grew increasingly lively.

With more people, the conversation became richer.

Soon, Master Ningshuang turned to Master Guiyi Zunzhe and asked: "Master Guiyi, I heard you went to the Original Star this time—how was your harvest?"

"My harvest was average at best!"

Master Guiyi Zunzhe shook his head: "Over tens of thousands of years, I encountered seven instances of divine artifacts manifesting, and I managed to seize only one very ordinary divine weapon!"

"And once, when a divine artifact appeared, I ran into the Meng Yao Zu's top Cosmic Overlord, 'Mo Ying Zunzhe'—we fought for a while, and I lost a great deal of divine power; if not for my allies arriving in time, I would've suffered a major loss!"

"That's still quite good!"

Master Ningshuang nodded: "The Original Star's opening is absolutely a golden opportunity for us Cosmic Venerables—otherwise, acquiring even one divine artifact would take immense effort!"

"I plan to visit the Original Star soon—Master Guiyi, how about we travel together?"

"That would be perfect!"

Master Guiyi Zunzhe quickly said: "If you join me, even if we encounter the Meng Yao Zu's 'Mo Ying Zunzhe' again, we won't have to worry!"

"Then it's settled!"

Master Ningshuang quickly said: "The matters I'm handling now should be finished in a few hundred years—I'll come find you then!"

"No problem!" Master Guiyi Zunzhe nodded eagerly.

Upon hearing the words of Ning Shuang Zunzhe and Master Guiyi Zunzhe, Zifeng Zunzhe, who sat in the main seat and had long been quite curious about the Primitive Star, immediately said, "Senior Sister, Master Guiyi Zunzhe, could you tell us more about the matters on the Primitive Star?"

The other Zunzhe also looked toward Master Guiyi Zunzhe and his companion with expectant expressions.

Among the Universe Zunzhe who had come to Zifeng Zunzhe's residence today, the vast majority were Elementary Zunzhe and Intermediate Zunzhe, with a few Advanced Zunzhe as well; as for Universe Hegemons, there were only Master Guiyi Zunzhe and Ning Shuang Zunzhe.

Although they all knew the news of the Primitive Star's opening, the Primitive Star was fraught with peril. Those who dared to venture onto the Primitive Star, apart from Universe Zunzhe who possessed avatars, had to at least be Advanced Zunzhe with relatively strong life-preserving abilities, and they also needed to team up with several other Advanced Zunzhe!

As for Elementary Zunzhe and Intermediate Zunzhe, under normal circumstances they would not dare to venture onto the Primitive Star at all, so naturally they were quite curious about the matters there.

"What is it?"

Ning Shuang Zunzhe quickly looked toward Zifeng Zunzhe, then asked with a smile, "Junior Brother Zifeng, you also want to go venture on that Primitive Star?"

Upon hearing this, Zifeng Zunzhe quickly nodded and said, "Senior Sister, I do indeed have this intention, which is why I wanted to ask you to tell me more about the matters on that Primitive Star!"

"The Primitive Star has gathered a large number of Universe Zunzhe from the Primitive Universe, and even quite a few Universe Masters; it is indeed quite dangerous!"

Master Guiyi Zunzhe said with a smile, "Under normal circumstances, even within our Human Race, only Advanced Universe Zunzhe dare to venture onto that Primitive Star, and they still need to team up with several people!"

"Zifeng, although your talent is not bad—right after breaking through you're already comparable to an Intermediate Zunzhe—venturing onto that Primitive Star is still quite dangerous, so it's best to first cultivate in seclusion for a period of time!"

"This time the Primitive Star has only been open for less than a million years, and it will continue for a very long time; perhaps you can make it in time!"

Ning Shuang Zunzhe, who knew Zifeng Zunzhe quite well, added from the side, "Junior Brother, you have only just broken through now. If you truly go venture on the Primitive Star, you might very well be targeted by other alien powerhouses!"

"After all, on that Primitive Star, apart from waiting for treasures to emerge, there are also those who hunt alien powerhouses to seize their treasures!"

After hearing these words from Master Guiyi Zunzhe and Ning Shuang Zunzhe, Zifeng Zunzhe was also quite hesitant in his heart.

Although he was currently somewhat inferior to other Universe Zunzhe in terms of Law comprehension and secret arts, he had two treasures protecting him. Moreover, his special lifeform avatar had a genetic level reaching several thousand times, and with the treasures added in, his strength should be somewhat greater than that of an ordinary Advanced Universe Zunzhe.

Of course, this was also because he had borrowed part of the treasures' power. So right now he both wanted to go venture on the Primitive Star, and yet worried that he might attract the pursuit of alien powerhouses and then lose his treasures.

……

On the other side, Lu Qingshan, who had already arrived at the Snowfield Star River, naturally did not know of the schemes between the strongest experts of the four peak races, and he had not even learned of the news of Yarvis breaking through to become a Universe Zunzhe.

What Lu Qingshan wanted most right now was to continue raising his own strength, and in the process of raising his strength, slowly accumulate some wealth as well.

So after arriving at the Snowfield Star River, he merely casually found a temporary residence, and then very quickly began riding a Universe Spaceship to search for suitable targets to temper himself.

Relying on the advantage of his detector, he very quickly found a relatively suitable target.

It was a fat exotic lifeform about two meters tall and roughly one meter wide. Its body was covered in a large number of scales, yet many of these scales had eyes growing on them.

Dense, countless eyes were spread all over its body, looking extremely unsettling. As for its head, there was a golden eye much larger than the others.

"Insect Race camp, the powerful race 'Thousand-Eye Heart Race's' Mo Hun Hou!"

Lu Qingshan quickly found the information on his opponent from the materials he had previously learned: "I remember in the original work the Thousand-Eye Heart Race should have been in the Machinery Race camp; I didn't expect them to actually be on the Insect Race camp's side now!"

"But this isn't strange either. After all, the Thousand-Eye Heart Race is a powerful race, and they haven't joined any peak faction, so on the extraterritorial battlefield they can naturally switch camps!"

In fact, the Demon Marqués active within this Snowfield Star River were countless, and most of them had no accurate information.

The reason why this Mo Hun Hou's information could be remembered by powerhouses on the Human Race camp's side was, first, because he was a peak Demon Marqués, and second, because he was an extremely tricky illusionist!

"It is said that more than one Demon Marqués Immortal Deity of the Human Race camp has already fallen to this Mo Hun Hou's soul attack. I wonder whose soul attack is stronger between his and mine?"

Lu Qingshan secretly thought: "But even if my soul attack can't do anything to him, relying on the Nine Netherworld Soul-Eroding Water is more than enough to kill him!"

Although doing so would waste some resources, Lu Qingshan did not change his mind.

After all, encountering an opponent skilled in soul attack on the extraterritorial battlefield was very rare; even now, under Lei Huanwang's guidance, Lu Qingshan had yet to encounter an opponent from the Thousand-Eye Heart Race.

With his hunting instincts stirred at the sight of prey, what did a mere bit of resources matter?

Thinking of this, Lu Qingshan quickly left the spaceship and rapidly flew toward the direction where the Thousand-Eye Heart Race's Mo Hun Hou was.

……

Within the Snowfield Star River there were piece after piece of continental fragments, extremely numerous.

On one continental fragment with a diameter of several tens of millions of kilometers, wild winds howled, and snowflakes even drifted. Amidst the endless snowflakes, a fat figure was gathering the spoils scattered around from the recent battle—it was precisely the Thousand-Eye Heart Race powerhouse 'Mo Hun Hou'.

"Trying to enslave a Demon Marqués Immortal is really too difficult. I wonder when I'll be able to possess a Demon Marqués Immortal soul servant!"

Mo Hun Hou collected spoils while sighing softly: "I had just seen that this opponent's will wasn't particularly strong, and at the first moment I burned my Immortal Divine Power trying to soul-control him, but I didn't expect him to still break free in the end, and even self-destruct right before I could attempt a soul-killing strike on him!"

"Damned alien, even in death you still try to damage my spoils as much as possible! Hmph, no matter how much you damage them, the things that should be left behind will definitely be left behind!"

Just at this moment……

"Hmm?"

Mo Hun Hou suddenly turned his head to look into the distance, only to see a figure wearing a purple-gold battle armor rapidly flying toward him.

"Another prey has come!"

The thousand eyes on Mo Hun Hou's body surface all flickered with fierce light, but he didn't dare be careless before confirming the enemy's information. After all, the opponent was heading straight for him, so perhaps the opponent was even stronger than him.

Very soon, a middle-aged human figure with a resolute face emerged from the wind and snow not far away—it was precisely Lu Qingshan.

"A Human Race powerhouse I've never seen before?"

Mo Hun Hou's expression changed slightly. For powerhouses on the extraterritorial battlefield, unfamiliarity actually represented danger.

At this moment he knew nothing about his enemy, yet the opponent was heading straight for him, so his situation was naturally somewhat unfavorable.

"Human Race powerhouse, I have no intention of being your enemy……"

Hum—!

Before Mo Hun Hou could finish speaking, he immediately felt a wisp of virtualized Immortal Divine Power seep into his body, then transform into a series of small virtualized swords, attempting to slash his soul to pieces!

"Soul attack? How laughable!"

A purple pagoda within Mo Hun Hou's body merely trembled slightly, instantly shattering all those virtualized small swords completely, then similarly emanating virtualized Immortal Divine Power that seeped toward Lu Qingshan.

The enemy had already made a move against him, so naturally he would not continue to hesitate!

A soul illusion technique invisible to the naked eye instantly pierced through the Divine Sky Lei Jia on Lu Qingshan's body surface, then rushed into Lu Qingshan's body without any weakening.

Hum—!

The Soul-Suppressing Bell phantom within Lu Qingshan's body merely swayed slightly, instantly completely neutralizing Mo Hun Hou's soul attack, but this also let Lu Qingshan sense the might of his opponent's soul attack.

"This Mo Hun Hou's soul attack secret art should be much stronger than mine; it might have already stepped into the top-tier level!"

Lu Qingshan secretly thought: "However, his will should be a bit weaker than mine, so in attack power it's a bit stronger than when I perform 'Soul-Slaying Sword,' and a bit weaker than when I perform Teacher Lei Huanwang's secret art! But his soul attack secret art is rather interesting — I can try it a few more times!"

At this moment, the not-far Mo Hun Hou, seeing that neither side's soul attacks had any effect, immediately felt that Lu Qingshan was also a powerhouse skilled in soul attacks, so he spoke again: "Human powerhouse, since neither of us can do anything to the other, how about we each withdraw?"

"Hahaha!"

Lu Qingshan laughed loudly: "Mo Hun Hou, what you're thinking is far too simple — take this!"

Boom!

Lu Qingshan once again ignited his immortal divine power, and his attack power instantly surged by hundreds or even thousands of times.

"This madman!"

The not-far Mo Hun Hou, upon seeing Lu Qingshan ignite his immortal divine power, couldn't help cursing, and immediately ignited his own immortal divine power as well.

At this moment, Lu Qingshan once again performed 'Soul-Slaying Sword,' penetrating into the opponent's body, and Mo Hun Hou, seeing this, quickly performed his own soul attack again — and at the same time, he also began to wield a set of telekinetic weapons to attack Lu Qingshan.

Seeing this, Lu Qingshan also quickly took out the Thunder-Shattering Sky Sword and went to meet it.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The telekinetic weapons wielded by Mo Hun Hou and the Thunder-Shattering Sky Sword in Lu Qingshan's hand kept clashing.

Sensing that Lu Qingshan's attack power was slightly inferior to his own, Mo Hun Hou finally breathed a sigh of relief in his heart; the plan he had originally intended to call for help was terminated, and he had even begun planning how to force back — or even slay — Lu Qingshan.

"This Mo Hun Hou's soul attack really is bizarre, and it even seems connected to those dense eyes all over his body!"

Although Lu Qingshan was at a slight disadvantage in the weapon clash, what he cared about more was the contest in soul attacks: "Fighting an illusionist on the extraterritorial battlefield feels quite different from the virtual universe!"

After all, the virtual universe is all virtual — even if it has the effect of testing techniques, it cannot give Lu Qingshan a feeling of being on tenterhooks.

But on the extraterritorial battlefield, it's different…

Especially in a contest of souls — the slightest carelessness could lead to a fatal crisis!

A moment later…

"Warming up is done."

"Now I can think of a way to kill this Mo Hun Hou!"

Thinking of this, a thought flashed through Lu Qingshan's mind, and the weapon in his hand had already been switched to the Thunder-Shattering Sky Sword, which had been coated with Nine Nether Soul-Eroding Water.

Whoosh!

Lu Qingshan's figure flashed, and a purple-gold afterimage quickly appeared in midair — that was the afterimage produced by Lu Qingshan moving at extreme speed.

The not-far Mo Hun Hou, seeing Lu Qingshan's speed suddenly surge, quickly controlled his telekinetic weapons to block, while he himself rapidly retreated.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Thunder-Shattering Sky Sword clashed with the telekinetic weapons a few more times, but this time Lu Qingshan used the rebound force to swiftly change direction and rush rapidly toward Mo Hun Hou.

Swoosh!

Lu Qingshan traced a zigzag trajectory, while the Thunder-Shattering Sky Sword in his hand once again parried Mo Hun Hou's telekinetic weapons, and immediately afterward he rushed right up to Mo Hun Hou, then instantly performed 'Heavenly Thunder Shatter.'

A brilliant sword-light was seen streaking across the long sky, instantly slicing through the armor on Mo Hun Hou's body surface, then sweeping past his body.

"It's useless — an immortal divine body at the peak of Hei Fengwang is not so easily destroyed."

Such a thought flashed through Mo Hun Hou's mind, but a hint of terror soon appeared on his face again.

Because he sensed that his immortal divine power was being wildly eroded — in just a short while he had already lost 52%, nearly half of it gone.

And at this moment, Lu Qingshan swung another sword.

Mo Hun Hou, seeing this, knowing that he would very likely fall into slumber under this sword, immediately chose to self-detonate.

Rumble rumble rumble!

The self-detonation of a peak Hei Fengwang powerhouse was naturally terrifyingly powerful — it could even rival the full-force strike of a peak Fengwang powerhouse, capable of slaying a high-tier Hei Fengwang and heavily injuring a peak Hei Fengwang!

Fortunately, Mo Hun Hou only had half his divine power left, and Lu Qingshan not only had the newly purchased Divine Sky Lei Jia, but was also resisting with all his might while in the state of burning divine power!

But even so, Lu Qingshan still lost 23% of his divine power in this terrifying explosion!

(End of this chapter)