When they saw Kaluopeng annihilated by that brilliantly translucent lotus of water and fire, countless spectators across the stands looked as if hands were clamped around their throats, stunned beyond words.
Until someone, their voice trembling in sheer existential disbelief, stammered, "Th-Three Laws?!"
The very next second, the stands erupted into an absolute frenzy!
"Metal, Water, Fire! A mere Stellar-rank martial artist has actually crossed the threshold of three Laws! Unbelievable!"
"Throughout history, across all previous Peak Genius Battles, has there ever been a Stellar-rank martial artist who comprehended three Laws?"
"Maybe? I honestly can't recall, but I'm certain that in the past hundred million years, no genius of this caliber has ever appeared!"
"Is he even human? I still remember when I was at the Stellar rank—never mind Laws, I couldn't even grasp the edges of a domain! In the end, only after reaching the peak of the Star Whirlpool rank and meditating in seclusion for over fifty thousand years did I manage to comprehend a Light Domain right before my lifespan ran out, finally breaking through to the Domain Master realm in one go."
"I dare say that even if this Zhonghuang Taiyi does nothing and stops cultivating entirely from this moment on, he'll still easily claim first place in the next Peak Genius Battle centuries from now!"
"I think so too. With his Wind and Thunder Laws, Kaluopeng could easily break into the top fifteen of the entire universe, and with a bit of luck he might even vie for first. For Zhonghuang Taiyi to kill him so effortlessly means there's a colossal chasm between them. In fact, since he's comprehended three Laws, purely in terms of latent talent, he's on a completely different level from everyone else."
"Come to think of it, with talent this supreme, does he even need to take part in the Peak Genius Battle? Others participate because it's the fastest and surest route to enter the core echelons of humanity's peak factions. But now that he's displayed such talent, supreme powerhouses are bound to take notice, right? For instance, our great Country Lord! If even Kaluopeng could become a nominal disciple of the Lord of Yuanzhong, Zhonghuang Taiyi ought to have a chance of becoming his personal disciple!"
Amid the clamor, far away in the Yuanzhong Secret Realm, the Lord of Yuanzhong, who had been watching with great interest, was equally filled with astonishment.
A Stellar rank with three Laws!
Moreover, from that water-fire lotus technique, it was evident that Zhonghuang Taiyi possessed no small talent in Law fusion!
Even he could not ignore such natural talent.
A genius like Kaluopeng, who had comprehended dual Laws, was virtually guaranteed to reach the Eternal rank as long as he didn't fall prematurely along the way. However, it was practically impossible for him to ascend to the Lord of Yuanzhong's realm.
Zhonghuang Taiyi was completely different.
*He has at least a one-in-four chance of reaching the Supreme realm...*
One-fourth might not sound like a high probability, but when it came to the Supreme realm, having such odds was already defiance of the heavens!
Among all the Eternal Gods across humanity's territories, anyone with a one-in-ten-thousand chance of advancing to the Supreme realm was already an elite among elites. Most Eternal beings never even came close to brushing against the Supreme realm before being slain by enemies and falling.
*If I take him as a personal disciple...*
The Lord of Yuanzhong was sorely tempted. If he could nurture a Supreme-level disciple, it would undoubtedly provide him with immense support. Whether hunting for treasures in some cosmic secret realm or locked in combat with foes, how could fighting alone ever compare to master and disciple joining forces?
Furthermore, in the universe, the bond between master and disciple was in no way inferior to that of flesh and blood. Kin might pass away when their lifespans ended, but a disciple rarely lacked talent; so long as they attained the Eternal rank, they could walk alongside each other forever. Cases of master and disciple turning against each other were exceedingly rare, and betrayal was virtually nonexistent. Anyone who betrayed their master would see their reputation utterly ruined.
Of course, masters who were bizarrely excessive were exceptions.
In the vast expanse of the universe, all sorts of strange things occurred. There were always a few venomous masters who treated their disciples like slaves, driving them ruthlessly or even torturing them to death; if a disciple turned their back on such a master, naturally no one would blame them.
*It is rare to encounter such an uncut jade, and he hails from my Yuanzhong Cosmic Nation besides. If I don't take him as my disciple, wouldn't I be squandering this karmic affinity?*
Just as this thought crossed his mind and a smile touched his lips, ripples spread across the void before him.
The ripples expanded in every direction, and an imposing man stepped forth. Standing thousands of kilometers tall, he had a rugged countenance and resolute eyes, clad in an ancient suit of battle armor speckled with a few bloodstains.
"Longxu? What brings you here?" The Lord of Yuanzhong was slightly surprised upon recognizing his visitor. "Haven't you spent all these years hunting for treasures in the Baiyin Secret Realm?"
Supreme Longxu laughed heartily. "Two hundred years ago, I had a brutal clash in the secret realm against Supreme Kongxue of the Hell Race. I sustained minor injuries while he was grievously wounded. However, my Longhua Saber was badly damaged, so I left the secret realm for the time being. I can always return once I've reforged it. As for why I came to see you—we've been friends for hundreds of thousands of epochs! Can't I drop by to visit an old friend when I have some free time?"
One epoch was ten thousand years. The two had known each other for billions of years, and though they hadn't braved life and death together, their friendship was deep nonetheless.
The Lord of Yuanzhong glanced at him and shook his head slightly. "I don't believe you."
Supreme Longxu's smile stiffened. "You..."
With a look of suspicion, the Lord of Yuanzhong said, "Out with it. What is this really about? If you're looking to borrow contribution points, I don't have a single one to spare, so don't even bother asking."
"Is my credit really that bad?" Supreme Longxu's face darkened, but he soon coughed in slight embarrassment. "Ahem. Actually, I came here this time because I want to take a disciple. You know that throughout all the hundreds of millions of years I've cultivated, my kin have long since passed away. Of the only two disciples I ever accepted, one failed to attain the Eternal rank and died when his lifespan expired, and the other was slain by an alien race. Now that I am all alone, I really..."
"Hold on!" The Lord of Yuanzhong immediately raised a hand to cut him off, utterly exasperated. "Spare me the sob story. I know why you're here. But that Zhonghuang Taiyi hails from my nation. No matter how you look at it, he ought to enter my tutelage. Besides, I already intended to accept him as my disciple."
"Not so, not so," Supreme Longxu replied, shaking his head. "A master chooses a disciple, but a disciple also chooses their master. How can anyone say he was destined to be anyone's disciple? We must let him choose for himself!"
Just as the Lord of Yuanzhong was about to argue back, his expression suddenly froze. Five successive messages had arrived in his virtual inbox. Incredibly, every single one came from a Supreme, and all touched upon the exact same matter: taking a disciple.
"What's wrong?" Supreme Longxu asked, noticing the strange look on the Lord of Yuanzhong's face.
"Heh. Just now, Minghua, Feixue, Kongchong, and the others all sent me messages," the Lord of Yuanzhong sighed. "And the contents are identical to your request."
Supreme Longxu chuckled wryly upon hearing this. "There is only one Zhonghuang Taiyi—how could he be everyone's disciple? Yuanzhong, you might as well reject them all and let me take him away. I'll teach him personally by my side. Rest assured, I won't let such fine jade go to waste."
"Keep dreaming." More exasperated than ever, the Lord of Yuanzhong pondered the matter carefully before saying, "As for this Zhonghuang Taiyi... sigh, let him choose his mentor himself. You, I, and Minghua's group will all send him messages and let him decide."
"That works too." Supreme Longxu was inwardly delighted. Letting Zhonghuang Taiyi choose his own master was far better than having the Lord of Yuanzhong claim him directly.
Thereupon, the two sent messages to Huang Tian together, stating their identities while outlining the resources, privileges, and treatment they could provide.
*As expected, once I revealed my talent, powerhouses came forward to extend olive branches...*
Inside the Saint Martial Arena, Huang Tian, who was still waiting for an opponent match, received tens of thousands of messages. The vast majority sought to recruit him or foster good relations, while a small portion offered to take him as a disciple, including those from the Lord of Yuanzhong and Supreme Longxu.
Huang Tian, however, did not make an immediate decision. He waited to see whether even greater powerhouses would reach out, intending to compare his options.
Naturally, he couldn't say that outright. He first replied to the Lord of Yuanzhong and the others, stating that this was a monumental decision requiring a brief period of consideration. After sending the replies, seeing that the Saint Martial Arena system still hadn't matched him with a new opponent and feeling he had demonstrated enough of his strength, he hesitated no longer and chose to log off.
*Hum—*
Inside his villa in Fuxia City, he removed the consciousness-induction helmet and checked the time. Only two hours had passed.
Indeed, those people in the Saint Martial Arena went down far too quickly. Nearly every duel concluded within seconds; waiting for matches had taken up most of the time.
He glanced outside. The sun was blazing high in the sky.
"I will make my decision at dusk."
Half a day was neither too long nor too short—just enough time for the news to reach the core echelons of humanity's peak factions. Many powerhouses were bound to take note of him, and those interested in accepting a disciple would surely send a message.
If none arrived, there would be no reason to wait any longer. It would be better to reply to those Supremes as early as possible so they wouldn't assume he was overly arrogant.
As the sun dipped toward the west, its light grew warmer, and the vast expanse of Fuxia City gradually came alive with noise and excitement.
Two hours earlier, the Great Yan Federation and the Fuxia City Hall had announced a piece of monumental news:
Yanwu Department Councilor Huang Tian had slain hundreds of millions of sea beasts, as well as the Twin-Winged Giant Dragon that surpassed the Lord rank!
When the announcement was first made, hardly anyone dared believe it. The shadow and pressure the Twin-Winged Giant Dragon had cast over the global populace were simply too immense. It was the world's very first mutant fierce beast above the Lord rank, a terrifying existence that had survived the direct blast of five nuclear bombs!
How could such a monstrous beast be killed so abruptly? Even though Huang Tian had worked many miracles, people couldn't help feeling doubtful. However, video footage released immediately after by the Great Yan Federation sent countless citizens into ecstatic celebration.
In the footage, Huang Tian stood in the boundless ocean, hoisting a dragon carcass over three hundred meters long with a single hand as towering waves surged in endless layers!
Man and dragon soared between the sea of clouds.
The Twin-Winged Giant Dragon struggled madly to break free of Huang Tian's grip, only for the latter to drive a punch straight into its head. With a single strike—
It was hammered to death on the spot!
The dragon's corpse plummeted to the earth, crushing hills and forests as gushing blood pooled into a lake!
"The Twin-Winged Giant Dragon is truly dead!!"
"I'm tired of saying the word 'god,' but besides that, I really don't know what word could describe Divine Huang! In just one month, he went from an ordinary person like me to making leaps and bounds, becoming the world's number one powerhouse and an invincible existence capable of slaying the Twin-Winged Giant Dragon!"
"Speaking of which, there shouldn't be any fierce beast left on the entire globe stronger than the Twin-Winged Giant Dragon, right? Does that mean from this moment on, humanity's peak individual combat power has completely surpassed the fierce beasts?"
"Honestly, it's just the big boss suppressing all the beasts by himself. Ordinary people like us have barely gotten started with guidance techniques—we can't even handle an unranked fierce beast."
"Haha, no big deal! In this era of great evolution and great upheaval, peak combat strength matters most. Take the Twin-Winged Giant Dragon: it could easily wipe out an entire nation without needing any of its beast subordinates to help. And Boss Huang Tian is the same—he's far stronger on his own than hundreds of millions of fierce beasts combined! With him around, at least I don't have to worry about human civilization being wiped out by beasts one day..."
"I say not only will we not be wiped out, but we'll also push back and reclaim humanity's territory!"
While the internet buzzed with fervor, people across the physical world cheered and danced with joy. In Fuxia City in particular, citizens who had been forced to evacuate due to the beast tide were returning in droves, driving back toward their homes. Every street and alley was packed with vehicles and pedestrians.
"Paradise Corporation, the rise of fierce beasts, martial evolution..."
Beneath a street sign at a crossroads, an elder with hair as white as clouds and a wooden staff in hand gazed deeply toward the east. He could see a detached villa over a dozen kilometers away, and Huang Tian seated cross-legged within.
"In merely a single month, he progressed from a mortal body to the early Stellar rank. That would be one thing, but he has even comprehended three Laws and demonstrated ingenious insight into Law fusion. Did he chance upon some immense fortune, or is his talent simply monstrous?"
He observed carefully, yet could discern nothing amiss. It was the normal body of a Stellar-rank cultivator, and the soul within was human, not an alien possession.
"Never mind. Since it is a human soul, whether through profound fortune or peerless talent, it is his own karmic affinity..."
Taking a single stride, he arrived instantly outside the villa. Inside, Huang Tian, who was absorbing spiritual energy, was startled awake for no apparent reason. Looking outside, he immediately spotted the elder standing by the villa.
*I can't see his realm, but there is no malice!* Huang Tian's thoughts raced. *On the New Star, it should be impossible for a powerhouse I can't discern to exist, so...*
Rising to his feet, he stepped outside the villa and bowed courteously to the elder. "Huang Tian greets Senior. May I ask where Senior hails from?"
The elder smiled. "I come from the Supreme Virtual Corporation."
The Supreme Virtual Corporation?
One of humanity's foremost factions!
Huang Tian's heart stirred, and he focused his gaze on the elder. Suddenly, through the elder's eyes, he caught sight of an unfathomably vast cosmic expanse!
Within that starry sky stood an elder in plain robes holding a wooden staff. He appeared to be the height of an ordinary human, his facial features clearly discernible.
Yet he also seemed as vast as a light-year. With a single stride, countless nebulae drifted along the hem of his plain robe, while the wooden staff in his hand seemed like a celestial pillar propping up the heavens, shimmering with divine radiance!
Across endless light-years, the plain-robed elder looked down upon Huang Tian on the New Star, his voice echoing across the boundless sea of stars:
"You may call me Sovereign Chuheng!"
Chapter 273