Chapter 46: The Fall of a Genius

"Brother Lu Qingshan!"

Ross raised his cup in a toast, then smiled and said: "Do you remember who won first place in our generation's Talent War?"

"You mean 'Venerable Huoshen' Francis?" Lu Qingshan raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

"That's right!" Ross nodded.

Lu Qingshan shook his head and said: "I only heard that Francis quickly became a disciple of a supreme elder after entering Hun Dun City, and after that, I never heard news of him again!"

At the time, Lu Qingshan was only a Star-Level cultivator; though he had joined Yan Feng Sacred Land, his access rights within the Virtual Universe were still quite limited, making it naturally difficult to learn news from within Hun Dun City.

By the time he grew powerful enough to gain sufficient access rights, he was fully focused on breaking through to the Immortal Realm, and had even less reason to care about Francis—a super genius who would never cross paths with him.

"Francis has perished!" Ross sighed softly.

"This…"

Hearing Ross's words, Lu Qingshan couldn't help but be startled.

After all, Francis's performance in the Talent War had been astonishing—he had overwhelmingly defeated all opponents and secured first place, thereby entering the Primordial Secret Realm at the core of the Virtual Universe Corporation.

Yet now, such a super genius had already perished?

"Francis was indeed the most dazzling among our generation's Talent War participants—even when he competed, he was still under a hundred years old!"

Ross couldn't help but sigh: "He entered Hun Dun City and within less than ten years, he had passed the third level of the Nine Heavens Tianqiao, then easily became a disciple of Master Qian Huanwang of the Nine Heavens lineage. Before leaving Hun Dun City, he even passed the fifth level of the Tianqiao!"

"After leaving Hun Dun City, though he was temporarily removed from the Primordial Secret Realm due to his short cultivation time, he returned after several centuries of cultivation!"

"He reached Cosmic Level, Domain Lord Level, and World Lord Level—Francis was the only one from our generation's Talent War to enter the Primordial Secret Realm, and the only one who could remain there continuously!"

"Especially at the World Lord Level—that was among the top one hundred strongest among tens of millions of World Lord talents in the Virtual Universe Corporation; even across the entire human territory, few talents surpassed Francis!"

"Over three hundred thousand years ago, Francis passed the seventeenth level of the Nine Heavens Tianqiao, and even entered the top ten in the World Lord Qualification Battle. Then he chose to break through to the Immortal Realm—upon breakthrough, he immediately reached the peak of Lord Rank, with combat power even more terrifying!"

"But later, Francis went to the Star Tower, one of the most dangerous regions in the Seventh Outer Battlefield, and during a sealing operation of a Star Emergence, he ultimately perished at the hands of the Meng Yao Zu's Lord Rank Limit Stronger, Zi Luo Wang!"

Hearing Ross's words, Lu Qingshan also felt profound sorrow.

Francis's talent was already among the finest in the entire human race, yet even such a super genius could perish carelessly on the Outer Battlefield.

"What a pity!" Lu Qingshan couldn't help but sigh.

"Actually, it's not so bad!"

Ross lowered his voice suddenly: "I once heard my master say that our human race's great beings can reverse time and space to resurrect our human race's Lord Rank immortals!"

"Though Francis never passed the eighteenth level of the Tianqiao, his combat power was fully equal to most Lord Rank Initial Strength cultivators—he might yet be resurrected by our race's great beings through time reversal!"

Hearing this, Lu Qingshan silently shook his head.

Though the Cosmic Masters of the human race periodically resurrect Lord Rank immortals, those revived are almost always the strongest among Lord Rank immortals, or those with great contributions or powerful backgrounds—Francis, who only had insight into the seventeenth level of the Tianqiao yet could unleash Lord Rank Initial Strength combat power, likely wasn't on the resurrection list.

"It's not just Francis!"

Ross couldn't help but sigh: "Of the thousand talents from our generation who joined the Virtual Universe Corporation, only thirteen are still alive today. Except for one End Times Secret Realm World Lord who hasn't yet fully comprehended the complete lower-level primal law, all others have broken through to the Immortal Realm!"

"The strongest among them is the former top-ten talent from our Talent War—'Storm' Lu Xiusi!"

Ross couldn't help but sigh: "Before his breakthrough, he was a Grand Initial Secret Realm World Lord who passed the fifteenth level of the Wind Shadow Chaos Stele. Upon breakthrough, he immediately became a Lord Rank Immortal with an immortal body, now bearing the title 'Storm Lord'!"

"I previously adventured on the Seventh Outer Battlefield alongside Lu Xiusi, but three thousand years ago, he spent a staggering fortune to exchange for ten thousand years of Initial Universe contemplation time—he's now secluded within the Initial Universe!"

"After Lu Xiusi left, I joined another immortal deity squad. But the Outer Battlefield is still too dangerous—I'll probably leave after another few ten thousand years!"

"The Outer Battlefield is indeed teeming with peril!"

Lu Qingshan also sighed: "When I was a World Lord, I once adventured on the Outer Battlefield too, but after encountering several life-or-death crises, I chose to retire!"

"Though danger is common on the Outer Battlefield, opportunities abound as well!"

Here, Ross raised the world ring Lu Qingshan had just given him: "Accumulating wealth here is far easier than in human territory—I'm buying these supplies to help my auxiliary life break through to the Immortal Realm!"

"Though these supplies cost me over ninety percent of my wealth, if my auxiliary life breaks through to the Immortal Realm, it will immediately gain the strength of a High Military Lord—my chances of survival will greatly increase!"

"But helping an auxiliary life break through to the Immortal Realm is still extremely difficult—even with enough resources, failure remains possible. If it fails, all my efforts over these years will be wasted!"

"Don't worry, Ross!"

Lu Qingshan smiled and comforted him: "Your auxiliary life will surely break through successfully!"

"Hahaha!"

Ross said too: "Then I'll take your good words—I'm sure Ku Shi will succeed!"

After chatting a while longer, Lu Qingshan was introduced to three other Immortal Deities from their generation. After a hearty drinking session at Ross's residence on Lei Ting Island, Lu Qingshan returned his consciousness to reality and then took his leave from Ross's villa in the military base.

Those who say Lord Youhou Zhi Zhu is young—aren't they just referring to the fact that Hun Dun Chengzhu once said Lord Youhou Zhi Zhu is the youngest Cosmic Master of the Virtual Universe Corporation line?

After all, that's the Virtual Universe Corporation line—not the entire human race!

Also, do you think Lord Youhou Zhi Zhu has higher talent than Seeing Yan Di?

Though Zuo Shanke eventually gave up, do you think his initial requirements for disciples were lower than those of Hei Fengwang? If so, how could he seek revenge?

Also, I recall the original text mentioning that the human race has one hundred thousand Lord Ranks—I forget which chapter, does anyone remember?

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(End of Chapter)