Chapter 88: Seven Trial Towers

Zhou Yang and Luo Feng and other 1000 Qianwu Universe Nation geniuses followed that Thirteenth Lord and teleported simultaneously!

Spatial shift—

The next second, they arrived in a special space specially created by the Virtual Universe.

On the Central Continent of this space, skyscrapers rose towering.

A total of 1008 skyscrapers were arranged in a ring, with a huge plaza in the middle.

Scattered across the plaza were numerous rest areas and dining zones.

Young men and women from the 1008 Yuzhou Guo gathered casually on the plaza, chatting idly.

When they saw some hugely renowned geniuses, the Qianwu Universe Nation team couldn't help but exclaim in waves.

"Wow, that's Light Sword Ai Chen! It's said she has power that can break into the top ten overall!"

"Look, that's the Illusion Demon Jia Laixi of the Howl God Clan! I heard he never lifted a hand in battles within the Penggu Universe Nation, and just a glance can kill anyone he stares at!"

"Damn, that's so perverse."

"And that Manka Star Prince, noble birth, fine bloodline, and so diligent—truly enviable."

Each genius's reputation is no less than Rong Jun's!

"Hum!"

Listening to the clamor in the team, the scaled‑armor giant let out a light hum.

The 1000 geniuses of the Qianwu Universe Nation felt a sudden thundering shock in their minds and fell silent instantly.

"Instead of envying others, better to work hard on cultivation yourself!"

The scaled‑armor giant hummed.

"Yes, Thirteenth Lord!"

All thousand geniuses responded respectfully, daring not to object.

The scaled‑armor giant then nodded in satisfaction.

"Our base is Building No. 0825; here are your room number plates. You may move freely now, and later someone from the Virtual Universe will gather you."

He waved his hand, and the number plates fluttered down, appearing before each of the 1000 geniuses.

The 'Yeren' Rong Jun took the plate, and when he saw the digit '2' on it, his brows twitched slightly.

But he gave no other reaction.

Geniuses like him are supremely confident and steadfast, unperturbed by trivial matters.

Zhou Yang also looked at his plate, which bore a single digit—"1".

"Eh?"

He couldn't help but look up at the 'Thirteen' Lord.

At that moment, the other's gaze swept over, and a voice thundered in his mind.

"Kid, the Universe Nation Lord personally ordered a stage for you; now, the surprise opening is yours!"

The scaled‑armor giant gave him another deep look, then vanished in a flash.

"Hum, those from the Yuzhou Guo, brag so loudly—when the time comes, hehe."

"What does this mean?"

Zhou Yang on the plaza looked slightly puzzled.

But after a moment he caught on.

Although the pre‑selection elimination video wasn't released publicly, the Qianwu Universe Nation officials, as organizers, could naturally see it.

My slaughter in the Ninth World Zone topped the rankings outright.

Especially on the Ninth Island, I wielded nine Source Divine Weapons—Xiu Xu Fei Dao—simultaneously against twelve geniuses, killing eleven of them.

The displayed strength was at least not inferior to Luo Feng's and that 'Yeren' Rong Jun's.

Those Qianwu Universe Nation officials should have already taken notice of me.

However, during this period, information about me seemed deliberately suppressed.

Aside from groups that have clashed with the Black Dragon Mountain Empire in the Ninth World Zone, there was little buzz.

I guess the Qianwu Nation Lord deliberately arranged this, hoping I'd erupt in the Universe Peak Battle, giving others a massive surprise—or a fright?

"A stage personally set up by a Universe Nation Lord for me?"

Zhou Yang scratched his head, a faint smile spreading at the corner of his mouth,

"Then I'll have to give my 'performance' my all."

As time passed, teams from the Yuzhou Guo kept arriving, making the Central Plaza increasingly lively.

One genius after another stepped onto the stage.

"Blood Axe Tao!"

The genius siblings Jiang Mo and Qianshui from August Planet!

"Sword of Life Yi Feng!"

And the undisputed number one of this genius battle—the Death God Bolan!

Each top‑tier genius's entrance instantly became the focus of the entire arena!

"That Death God from Noah Universe Nation is way too perverse!"

"Hey, why overthink? We won't encounter that kind of pervert; better think about how to strive into the top thousand!"

"Indeed."

On the plaza, geniuses chatted and discussed casually.

Suddenly—

"All participants from the 1008 Yuzhou Guo, assemble at the Central Plaza."

A commanding voice pierced everyone's mind.

At that moment, geniuses from the 1008 Yuzhou Guo, including the Death God Bolan, instantly fell into unconsciousness.

One million eight thousand geniuses either flew down from the sky, emerged from the residential towers, or gathered from the edge of Central Plaza toward the center.

Only a moment!

A massive formation of one million eight thousand geniuses stood neatly on Central Plaza!

It wasn't until then that the hundreds of thousands of geniuses finally "woke" up!

"What just happened?"

"I just..."

Every genius in the formation, numbering in the millions, was in shock.

"Welcome, participants, to the pinnacle Genius Battle hosted by our Virtual Universe Company."

A gentle voice reached each ear, calming the restless crowd.

The hundreds of thousands of geniuses looked up simultaneously.

A man clad in a teal battle robe, with purple scales on his head, instantly appeared in midair.

He stood there as if he did not exist, seemingly not sharing the same space-time as anyone present.

Even though it was within the Virtual Universe, the faint aura emanating from him still made the hundreds of thousands of youths involuntarily want to submit.

"That is the Nine Swords Exalted One!"

Zhou Yang instantly understood.

"Each of the 1008 Yuzhou Guo selects a thousand, totaling over a million geniuses."

The teal-robed man stood in the void, gazing down at the million geniuses below, his voice gentle.

"Our Virtual Universe Company will select the strongest thousand among you to be absorbed into the core of our Virtual Universe Company."

"You millions will vie for these thousand slots."

"The rules are as follows."

"Tomorrow, each of you will enter an individual 'Trial Space'; our Virtual Universe Company has prepared over a million Trial Spaces, one per person."

"Each Trial Space contains seven Trial Towers, each with seven levels!"

"Start with the first Trial Tower; clear its seven levels, then move to the second, and so on—until you die or are expelled from the Trial Space!"

"Points will be tallied based on your performance in the Trial Space."

"Ranks 1 through 100 require no further selection; they are directly recruited as core members of our Virtual Universe Company, receiving a hundred slots."

"Ranks 101 to 7,300 will face a tournament, battling for nine hundred slots."

"As for those beyond rank 7,300... all are eliminated!"

After the Nine Swords Exalted One finished announcing the rules, he vanished instantly.

Meanwhile, the millions of geniuses on the plaza fell into a stunned stupor!

"What, a single round of Trial Spaces eliminates millions at once?"

"These Trial Towers are unfair to us Illusionists."

Many geniuses were puzzled.

Yet they lacked the courage to truly question the Virtual Universe Company's rules.

Zhou Yang, Luo Feng, and the others returned to Building No. 0825 and waited quietly.

At dawn the next day, a crisp, pleasant sound echoed throughout the entire plane.

"Everyone, please prepare; we will now initiate a group teleport, sending each participant to their respective Trial Space."

(End of Chapter)