Chapter 231: Great Tremor

The Tongtian Bridge Plane.

On that magnificent central island, more than ten figures were currently waiting to challenge the Tongtian Bridge.

And the guardian Bafen had been silently standing guard here, just as he had for billions of years.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a figure clad in purple-gold battle armor appeared on the central island of the Tongtian Bridge Plane; it was Lu Qingshan, his consciousness connected to the Virtual Universe.

Seeing Lu Qingshan appear, the guardian Bafen quickly smiled and stepped forward to greet him, then said with considerable surprise: "Lord of Ten Thousand Worlds, it has been a very long time since you last came to the Tongtian Bridge Plane after clearing the eighteenth layer of the Tongtian Bridge!"

In fact, as the guardian of the Tongtian Bridge Plane, Bafen had naturally long known of Lu Qingshan's feat of achieving the title of Invincible King.

He had previously thought Lu Qingshan would soon come to challenge the nineteenth and twentieth layers of the Thunder Tongtian Bridge, but Lu Qingshan had never appeared.

However, this was quite normal; although clearing the nineteenth and twentieth layers of the Tongtian Bridge could yield massive point rewards and corresponding status upgrades, for a powerful Invincible King like Lu Qingshan, with his wealth and status, disregarding such rewards was simply the most natural thing in the world.

"Hahaha, it has indeed been a long time!"

Lu Qingshan said with a smile: "I haven't seen you, Bafen, in a long time, so I came to take a look and challenge the Tongtian Bridge once more!"

"Bafen, is the Thunder Tongtian Bridge currently unoccupied?"

"No one!"

The guardian Bafen quickly said with a smile: "Lord of Ten Thousand Worlds, you may challenge it right now; I hope you can withstand the guardian of the twenty-first layer for an even longer time!"

Hearing these words, Lu Qingshan smiled slightly and said: "I will make Bafen you feel surprised!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Qingshan, without waiting for the guardian Bafen to reply, flew alone in the direction of the Thunder Tongtian Bridge.

Just as Lu Qingshan began his challenge of the Tongtian Bridge, the guardian Bafen started sending out mass emails.

These emails were those that many powerful beings had instructed him to send after Lu Qingshan cleared the eighteenth layer of the Tongtian Bridge.

It was just that by now, Lu Qingshan had already achieved the fame of an Invincible King, so those powerful beings naturally would no longer pay attention to news of Lu Qingshan challenging the Tongtian Bridge.

However, the guardian Bafen was an intelligence simulated within the Virtual Universe, and in his daily operations, he could only act according to the rules.

Since those powerful beings had not ordered him to stop sending emails, he naturally had to send out the news of Lu Qingshan challenging the Tongtian Bridge according to the orders he had received at that time.

Thus, hundreds of emails were sent out in an instant by the guardian Bafen.

In the Initial Universe, within the control room of a large starship flying through the endless chaos.

"An email from the guardian Bafen?"

Lord Heifeng casually opened the email before him: "So Brother Lu Qingshan has gone to challenge the Tongtian Bridge; however, with Brother Lu Qingshan's strength, he should have long cleared the twentieth layer of the Tongtian Bridge!"

Thinking of this, Lord Heifeng also sighed deeply in his heart.

Back then, when Lu Qingshan had just broken through to become Immortal, it was he who had arranged the job for Lu Qingshan.

In fact, at that time he hadn't paid much attention to Lu Qingshan; it was only because Warren under his command had delivered a gift to him on behalf of someone else that he casually assigned Lu Qingshan to the transportation department.

Later, as Lu Qingshan's strength continuously grew, and he became a disciple of Lei Huanwang and reached the Marquis level, he gradually began to notice Lu Qingshan.

Once he learned that Lu Qingshan had comprehended the entire essence of the Time Origin Law and had a high probability of steadily cultivating to the King level in the future, he naturally placed even greater importance on Lu Qingshan, and even when encountering certain benefits, he would think of Lu Qingshan.

But what he did not expect was that Lu Qingshan's strength was not as simple as it appeared.

First, he established the reputation of Spirit Sword King on the battlefield beyond the domain with his clone, and then slaughtered his way through more than a hundred thousand Immortal Kings, establishing the fame of an Invincible King.

And what about Lord Heifeng himself?

When Lu Qingshan had just joined the Virtual Universe Company, he had already cleared the nineteenth layer of the Tongtian Bridge, and now, after Lu Qingshan had become an Invincible King for so many years, he had still only cleared the nineteenth layer of the Tongtian Bridge!

"I wonder when I will have the chance to clear the twentieth layer of the Tongtian Bridge?"

After sighing in his heart, Lord Heifeng no longer paid attention to Lu Qingshan's challenge of the Tongtian Bridge.

After all, he had long known the answer, so there was no need to watch.

As for the matter of Lu Qingshan being able to clear the twenty-first layer of the Tongtian Bridge, Lord Heifeng had not even thought about it.

You must know that once one clears the twenty-first layer of the Tongtian Bridge, that makes one a Zifeng Zunzhe!

If a Zifeng Zunzhe were so easy to break through to, then the human race would not have so many peak King-level powerful beings stuck at the final step for endless ages, unable to break through!

"The Lord of Ten Thousand Worlds has actually gone to challenge the Tongtian Bridge?"

"He must be too bored!"

"With the Lord of Ten Thousand Worlds' strength, even the guardian of the twentieth layer of the Tongtian Bridge long ago posed no threat to him!"

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen the Lord of Ten Thousand Worlds for several million years; since he is going to challenge the Tongtian Bridge this time, I will also join in the fun!"

Similar to Lord Heifeng, the many powerful beings who received the guardian Bafen's emails, upon seeing the news that Lu Qingshan was challenging the Thunder Tongtian Bridge, all paid little attention to it.

After all, Lu Qingshan had long established the magnificent reputation of an Invincible King throughout the vast universe; if he failed to clear the twentieth layer of the Tongtian Bridge, that would truly be a joke.

Since they already knew the outcome, they naturally had no need to join in the fun.

Of course, a small number of powerful beings who were idle and bored wanted to witness it, so they quickly rushed to the Tongtian Bridge Plane.

Precisely for this reason, dozens of Immortal Kings soon appeared on the central island of the Tongtian Bridge Plane.

"There are a few people here this time!" an Immortal King said with a chuckle, looking around.

"Hahaha!"

Another Immortal King, whose face was covered in green scales, said with a smile: "With the Lord of Ten Thousand Worlds' strength, clearing the twentieth layer of the Tongtian Bridge is simply effortless; since everyone already knows the result, naturally they won't come!"

"Indeed!"

Another Immortal King also said with a smile: "I just happened to be idle and bored, so I came to witness the heroic posture of the Lord of Ten Thousand Worlds challenging the trial!"

Upon saying this, the crowd quickly ordered the guardian Bafen to open Lu Qingshan's challenge video.

Although Lu Qingshan's status within the human race was currently slightly higher than theirs, they were all Immortal Kings; as long as Lu Qingshan had not specifically ordered that the video not be disseminated, they certainly had the permission to view it.

And at this moment, the Lu Qingshan in the video also quickly and easily defeated the guardians of the nineteenth and twentieth layers of the Tongtian Bridge.

……

The Heaven Thunder Sky-Bridge Plane.

In the boundless darkness, only a winding bridge stretched endlessly into the depths of the void.

At this moment, Lu Qingshan was flying forward along the bridge; he had just cleared the twentieth layer of the Sky-Bridge, and naturally, he was now flying toward the end of the twenty-first layer.

"The guardian of the twenty-first layer wields the complete Origin Law of Time!" Lu Qingshan thought silently.

It must be known that both the Origin Law of Time and the Origin Law of Space have three major branches: under the Origin Law of Time, there are 'Time Stop, Time Acceleration, and Time Deceleration'; under the Origin Law of Space, there are 'Teleportation, Space Lockdown, and Annihilation'!

Mastering any one of these six branches is enough to clear the twentieth layer of the Sky-Bridge, which means a law comprehension at the peak of King-Sealing level.

Yet the law comprehension of peak King-Sealing, ultimate King-Sealing, and even invincible King-Sealing experts is equivalent only to the twentieth layer of the Sky-Bridge.

These experts may differ greatly in aptitude, talent, and comprehension, and there are astonishing gaps in their combat secret arts and protective treasures; yet even those brilliant geniuses who have perfected every aspect to the extreme, the invincible King-Sealing experts, cannot take that final step!

Why?

It is because taking that final step and mastering a complete higher-level Origin Law is simply too difficult!

Just like Feng Ying Wang, that invincible King-Sealer, who with numerous means could rival a Universe Zifeng Zunzhe, yet still remained stuck at this final step.

The twentieth and twenty-first layers of the Sky-Bridge appear to be only a single step apart, yet the difficulty of crossing this barrier is far greater than that of advancing from the first layer to the twentieth layer of the Sky-Bridge!

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Lu Qingshan quickly arrived at the end of the twenty-first layer of the Heaven Thunder Sky-Bridge.

Before this end, there floated a black sphere over two meters in diameter; the space around it was completely twisted and shattered, with countless space fragments swirling around it.

"Every three layers of the Sky-Bridge form one environment; layers nineteen through twenty-one are all black hole environments!"

Lu Qingshan gazed at the black sphere over two meters in diameter ahead and couldn't help but think silently: "I have been flying on the outskirts of the black hole until now; finally, I have seen the true black hole!"

This is an ultra-dense celestial body collapsed and compressed to the extreme, formed from the remnants of certain superstars in the universe; it continuously devours all objects around it to strengthen itself.

Even the weakest black hole would likely require power at the Universe Zifeng Zunzhe level to stand within it; as for those with immense destructive power, even a Universe Zifeng Zunzhe could be torn apart instantly.

Just after Lu Qingshan appeared at the end of the twenty-first layer of the Sky-Bridge, a low voice soon emerged from within the black hole: "Choose your opponent: Warrior, Controller, or Illusionist. Choose one, defeat them, and you shall clear the twenty-first layer, becoming a mighty existence in the vast universe!"

"Warrior!" Lu Qingshan, holding a purple longsword, replied directly.

Whoosh!!

The moment Lu Qingshan finished speaking, numerous black dots soon floated above the black hole before him, then coalesced into a human figure clad in black armor and wearing a black mask.

The figure had a battle blade and a shield strapped to his back, standing before Lu Qingshan with hands clasped behind his back.

"I have long heard of your fame, King of Ten Thousand Worlds, from other challengers; today, to fight you is my honor!"

The black-clad guardian smiled and said: "However, I must say that although King of Ten Thousand Worlds, you are renowned, without comprehending the complete Origin Law of Time, it is utterly impossible to clear my layer!"

"I understand!" Lu Qingshan nodded calmly and replied.

……

On the Sky-Bridge Plane outside.

Seeing the guardian of the twenty-first layer of the Heaven Thunder Sky-Bridge appear, the observing King-Sealing Immortals soon began discussing again.

"The guardian of the twenty-first layer is far too strong; even now, I cannot break the technique 'Seal'!"

"Breaking the 'Seal' of your Origin Law of Space is not that difficult; the 'Stop' we face under the Origin Law of Time is the hardest to break!"

"Indeed! 'Stop' is an advanced technique of 'Time Stop'; once unleashed, its power is simply unimaginable!"

"What do you think? How long can King of Ten Thousand Worlds, with his strength, hold out against the guardian of this twenty-first layer?"

"King of Ten Thousand Worlds is an invincible King-Sealer; I estimate the guardian will have to unleash all three ultimate moves to win; I just wonder how long King of Ten Thousand Worlds can hold out!"

All guardians of the Origin Law of Time, though their weapon techniques may differ slightly, possess only three ultimate moves: 'Stop', 'Add', and 'Subtract', representing the advanced techniques of the three major branches of the Origin Law of Time: 'Time Stop', 'Time Acceleration', and 'Time Deceleration'.

Among them, 'Stop' is the most powerful move, effective against both strong and weak opponents.

'Add' and 'Subtract' are auxiliary attack techniques; by controlling the flow of time, they can influence oneself and the enemy, thereby gaining the upper hand in battle.

Once all three ultimate moves are used simultaneously, it represents combat power truly at the level of a Universe Zifeng Zunzhe!

Just as the crowd was discussing, a King-Sealing Immortal quickly said: "Look, the battle has begun!"

Immediately, numerous King-Sealing Immortals around turned their full attention to Lu Qingshan on the screen.

Many of them had fought the guardian of the twenty-first layer before, so they knew very well how terrifying the guardian's strength was.

Thus, their expressions at the start were calm, but when they saw that even with all three ultimate moves unleashed, the guardian could not harm Lu Qingshan, they all fell silent.

……

"Stop!"

The guardian pointed a finger at Lu Qingshan from a distance; instantly, an incredibly terrifying binding force descended upon Lu Qingshan's body.

This was the power of Time Stop, yet driven by the guardian using the complete Origin Law of Time, its power and range far exceeded the peak of King-Sealing level.

Had Lu Qingshan not yet mastered the complete Origin Law of Time, he would likely have had to unleash all his means just to withstand this move.

But now, a law force of the same origin spread around his body, instantly breaking free from the control of 'Stop'.

"What!"

Seeing Lu Qingshan effortlessly break free from the control of 'Stop', the guardian looked at him in disbelief.

Immediately, the guardian's expression was no longer elegant; even the battle blade and shield on his back instantly appeared in his hands.

"Kill!"

The guardian's eyes flashed with endless cold light; his entire speed exploded instantly, and an invisible force appeared before Lu Qingshan, continuously slowing his thoughts and movements.

"Good!"

Lu Qingshan roared loudly and quickly moved into action, appearing completely unaffected.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At this moment, both Lu Qingshan and the guardian had mastered the complete Origin Law of Time; naturally, they could not affect each other with law forces, so they could only fight relying on their true strength.

In an instant, endless blade lights and sword glares crisscrossed this space; even the slightest residual waves would likely annihilate an ordinary ultimate King-Sealing expert.

"It really is so easy!"

Lu Qingshan carefully sensed the strength of the black-clothed guardian, and his heart sighed with emotion.

Indeed, the black-clothed guardian's strength was formidable, yet it was clearly inferior to Lu Qingshan's current self in terms of body amplification and combat secret arts!

Thus, after witnessing the guardian's strength, a flash of lightning quickly darted through Lu Qingshan's eyes; then he erupted violently, instantly beheading the black-clothed guardian with a single sword strike!

In an instant, blood sprayed, and the headless corpse of the twenty-first layer guardian crashed onto the surface of the Sky-Connecting Bridge.

Just like that, the twenty-first layer of the Sky-Connecting Bridge was cleared!

Without any pause, Lu Qingshan flew directly toward the twenty-second layer of the Thunder Sky-Connecting Bridge.

……

Outside, in the central plaza of the Sky-Connecting Bridge plane.

Thud!

The sound of the twenty-first layer guardian's corpse falling onto the bridge surface was not loud, yet to the ears of the powerful ones watching, it seemed like a great bell and drum!

Upon seeing Lu Qingshan slay the twenty-first layer guardian of the Thunder Sky-Connecting Bridge, everyone's expressions instantly froze; even their breathing was forgotten.

Silence!

At this moment, whether it was the warden Guardian Bafen or the other observing Hei Fengwang Immortals, each and every one fell utterly silent, gazing at Lu Qingshan on the screen with utter shock.

They were all supreme powers of the human race; naturally, they knew what clearing the twenty-first layer of the Sky-Connecting Bridge signified.

It signified that Lu Qingshan had successfully taken the final step, mastered the complete Time Origin Law, and become a towering Universe Venerable!

In fact, among the human race today, and even among countless Hei Fengwang Immortals across the myriad races of the universe, all desperately long to take this final step!

Had Lu Qingshan merely held out for a long time against the twenty-first layer guardian, their hearts would naturally not have been too shaken.

But now, Lu Qingshan had defeated the twenty-first layer guardian and entered the Venerable Realm of the Universe, a realm they had strived for endless eons yet never broken through!

"Something huge has happened!"

One Hei Fengwang Immortal quickly said, "Who would have thought we would witness the birth of a Universe Venerable today!"

"Yes! The news of Wan Jie Zunzhe's breakthrough, no, rather Wan Jie Zunzhe's breakthrough, should not have spread yet; we must be the first to know!"

"Hahaha! To witness a Universe Venerable clear the twenty-first layer of the Sky-Connecting Bridge is also our honor!"

After sighing, these powers each sent messages to friends nearby and backings behind them, and some even directly issued call requests.

On the other side, the warden Guardian Bafen also began mass-mailing.

Not only the many Universe Venerables of the human race, but even the Universe Masters and even the Great Axe Founder were within his notification scope.

After all, the birth of a Universe Venerable was, even for the entire human race, a rare and momentous event.

……

Just as the many powers on the Sky-Connecting Bridge plane sent messages to others, Lu Qingshan quickly arrived at the end of the twenty-second layer of the Sky-Connecting Bridge.

By now, Lu Qingshan's figure had long vanished from the virtual screen outside.

After all, the twenty-second layer of the Sky-Connecting Bridge could only be challenged by a Universe Venerable!

Given the status of a Universe Venerable within the human race, even if Lu Qingshan had not deliberately set permissions, his challenge video was not something those Hei Fengwang Immortals outside could view.

This was a void space; after Lu Qingshan appeared here, a low voice soon sounded: "Choose your opponent: Warrior, Controller, or Illusionist. Choose one; defeat them to pass this trial!"

"I choose Warrior!" Lu Qingshan quickly replied.

Whoosh!!

As soon as Lu Qingshan's words fell, faint starlight rippled through this void space; then countless starlights gathered together, forming a figure clad in a white robe.

"Wan Jie Zunzhe!"

The white-robed figure gazed from afar at Lu Qingshan, then spoke calmly: "Since the Thunder Sky-Connecting Bridge was established, only three have been able to clear my trial; I hope Wan Jie Zunzhe can become the next!"

"I will," Lu Qingshan nodded quickly and said.

"You strike first!"

The white-robed figure smiled at Lu Qingshan and said, "Although you have comprehended the complete Time Origin Law, if I strike first, you would have no chance at all!"

Seeing the white-robed figure before him so arrogant, endless battle intent surged in Lu Qingshan's heart: "Good! Then receive my strike!"

As soon as his words fell, Lu Qingshan moved instantly.

Boom!

The Divine Body Amplification Secret Art, peak-level movement and sword techniques were instantly unleashed, and the Phantasmal Immortal Divine Power also seeped toward the white-robed figure.

"Seal!"

The white-robed figure lightly shouted; instantly, a powerful invisible binding force descended around Lu Qingshan's body, and Lu Qingshan, who had been speeding toward the guardian, froze completely in midair.

"It is Time Suspension!"

A thought flashed instantly through Lu Qingshan's mind: "No, it should be Space Lockdown, yet it also possesses the complete Time Origin Law!"

"Wan Jie Zunzhe, your comprehension of laws is insufficient!"

The guardian, now extremely calm, said, "To clear my trial, you must at least comprehend one of the three major branches of the Shi Shi Jian Ben Yuan Law!"

As soon as his words fell, Lu Qingshan felt endless sharp auras emerge around his body; then a wisp of blade light swept across his neck.

Whoosh!

Lu Qingshan's head instantly separated from his body; then the headless corpse crashed directly onto the surface of the Sky-Connecting Bridge.

"The gap in strength is indeed quite large!"

Lu Qingshan sighed in his heart: "Comprehending one of the three major branches of the Shi Shi Jian Ben Yuan Law? I wonder how long it will take me to achieve this?"

(End of this chapter)