Devouring Stars: Master of Evolution

Chapter 164 The Battle of Geniuses Begins 2

"Finally!"

Qin Mu's eyes were bright.

Since entering the universe on January 1, 2058 (Chinese calendar), Qin Mu has been planning the Genius Battle.

It was more than eight years until March 9th, 2066 in the Chinese calendar!

During this period, although the swarm was also growing rapidly, Qin Mu actually controlled the size of the swarm in the following years. Otherwise, how could he have been lagging behind the Golden Horned Beast's progress?

Why is Qin Mu so fixated on the Genius Battle?

He even suppressed his strength at the ninth level of the Hengxing realm for many years?

the reason is simple.

The Battle of Geniuses, also known as the "Universe Humans - Ultimate Genius Battle".

The Peak Genius Selection Battle is open to all Star-level humans from numerous cosmic nations across the entire human race. Anyone who is a Star-level human can participate!

It is held twice every ten thousand years. Once by the Virtual Universe Company, and once by the Giant Axe Arena.

The Battle of the Ultimate Geniuses is divided into the Universe Nation Selection Battle and the Ultimate Final Battle.

Each nation in the universe conducts a selection process, choosing elites to participate in the ultimate battle of geniuses among the entire human race.

This is a grand gathering for the entire human race.

Anyone who ranks in the top 1,000 in the Genius Battle Universe will receive three major rewards.

First, based on the overall ranking, you can receive a bonus ranging from 10 Mixed Yuan Units to 1 Mixed Yuan Units.

Second, obtain a spot to enter the initial universe for enlightenment.

Third, they can become 'core members' within the virtual universe company.

Of all these, what Qin Mu values ​​most is the opportunity to enter the initial universe and join the "core members" of the virtual universe company.

To allow the Zerg swarm to grow, especially in the heartland of the Terrans, it must have a sufficiently large territory!

This requires the approval of the higher levels of humanity.

Otherwise, if they were mistaken for an alien race, an immortal powerhouse would likely descend instantly and destroy the swarm.

Unless Qin Mu abandons his human identity and goes to the territory of some weaker races to develop slowly, it will be impossible for him to avoid the surveillance of the human elite.

But this is obviously impossible.

Therefore, the battle of geniuses is the best opportunity.

As long as one performs well enough in the Genius Battle, after entering the Initial Universe and being identified by the Chaos City Lord, one can then develop freely.

While the Zerg clones are unique, there are also Zerg enslaved individuals within the human race.

Of course, Qin Mu's swarm is different from the Zerg in the general sense.

If you're lucky enough to be exceptionally talented, it's not impossible for you to become the master of the Chaos City Lord!

Only then will the swarm's development truly take off!

On the path of cultivation, it is normal to take different powerful figures as teachers. For example, Luo Feng first became a disciple of Hu Yanbo, and then after entering the initial universe through the Genius Battle, he became a disciple of Zhenyan King, and later became a disciple of the Chaos City Lord.

There's no need to shy away from this.

Having a strong mentor is completely different from figuring things out on your own.

For example, before becoming Master Yu Chen's apprentice, Qin Mu was also exploring on his own. In terms of bloodline research, although he had the inheritance of the Zerg, he had no one to guide him, and he went astray in many places without even realizing it.

Only after becoming an apprentice and receiving systematic training can one truly embark on the path of becoming a pharmacist and researching bloodlines.

This has laid a solid foundation for the study of swarm evolution and gene multiplication.

Not to mention, Teacher Yu Chen also gave Qin Mu ample resources and a very high status.

The final two years of intensive training consumed a great deal of resources and favors, bringing in many powerful individuals to teach Qin Mu and make up for his weaknesses.

This is one of the benefits of having a teacher!

Qin Mu's success today is largely due to the contributions of Teacher Yu Chen.

The Battle of Geniuses will be the best stage.

"Ready to register!"

……

Killing Field - Killing Space.

Amidst the city's ruins, Luo Feng, clad in battle robes, carrying a dark gold staff on his back and riding the Dark Cloud Shuttle, stood opposite a figure in the sky riding the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Wheel, bearing a striking resemblance to Qin Mu.

"go!"

Luo Feng gave a low shout.

Pointing his finger at the distant phantom of Qin Mu, a string of golden light flew out from the dark golden staff behind him—54 thin, golden swords.

The 54 small golden swords naturally dispersed, and at the same time, the incredibly complex runes on their blades began to flow with golden threads, connecting with each other and transforming into six mesmerizing golden swords shrouded in a faint golden light.

The mesmerizing golden sword, radiating a sharp aura, pierced the air and instantly rushed towards the figure opposite.

"boom--"

A deafening roar echoed through the city's ruins.

From the golden wheel of the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Wheel beneath the illusory figure's feet, countless small golden swords flew out, eventually transforming into nine golden sword energies that, like swimming fish, strangled his Six Paths of Illusory Golden Swords.

"Rip—"

Finally, a golden sword aura slashed through Luo Feng's body, and the scene in the killing space instantly vanished.

"As expected, the gap between me and Brother Mu is still too big."

Luo Feng shook his head, not surprised by the outcome.

"This Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Wheel is too abnormal, no, I should say Brother Mu is too strong."

This reminded him of his encounter with Qin Mu in the Killing Space a year ago.

Not only was he completely outmatched, but he was also inferior to Qin Mu in every aspect, including his understanding of laws, his use of telekinetic weapons, his telekinetic amplitude, and even his soul attacks.

Even when Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen joined forces to fight Qin Mu, they were still defeated.

Thinking back to that time, when Qin Mu controlled the four sub-wheels and unleashed his full combat power, Luo Feng couldn't help but curse him as a monster.

"Brother Mu's metal and fire domains have reached the ninth level, and his earth domain has reached the eighth level. Furthermore, he has entered the origin of all four laws: metal, fire, earth, and space."

The amplitude of their telekinetic energy is terrifyingly strong; with the four sub-wheels working together, their power can surge even further.

Babata's voice rang out in Luo Feng's sea of ​​consciousness.

"What are you comparing yourself to that freak for? Your strength has improved very quickly over the years. Your Golden Horned Beast clone has reached the eighth level of the cosmic level, and its psychic power amplitude has reached 60."

The realm has reached the seventh level, crossing the threshold of the fundamental law of metal!

He is also proficient in using the Dark Cloud Shuttle, a flying telekinetic weapon, and the first form of the Divine Weapon, making him virtually invincible at the Star level.

"With your current level of willpower, domain, and understanding of laws, you have a very high chance of entering the top 1,000 of the Qianwu Universe Kingdom."

"Not to mention, once your Demon Slayer Clan clone is born, your comprehension of the fundamental laws of space will improve significantly."

"Perhaps we'll be able to catch up with Qin Mu by then."

Hearing Babata's words of comfort, Luo Feng simply smiled and did not refute them.

He wasn't disappointed by Qin Mu's strength, after all, Qin Mu's strength had always been far greater than his own.

Moreover, the two have a very good relationship, and given Luo Feng's personality, he will only strive to catch up.

"A clone of the Demon Slayer Clan. Hopefully, this strongest assassin race in the universe is powerful enough."

However, after attending the Qianwu Auction with Mu Ge and buying the Demon Slayer Clan's skin, Mu Ge also took a small portion of it.

"Could it be that Brother Mu can also create a clone of the Demon Slayer Clan?"

Qin Mu said he needed some Demon Slayer Clan skins for research, so the two of them bought them together and each took a piece.

Qin Mu had been collecting all sorts of powerful monster bloodlines, and at that auction, he not only bought the Demon Slayer Clan skin with him.

They also bought many other races, including the Berna race, a metallic life form.

When he was training with Hong and Lei Shen, Qin Mu had instructed him to keep an eye out for and collect any powerful beings he encountered.

Even the entire land of China was helping Qin Mu collect the flesh and corpses of various monsters.

"It shouldn't be that bad, right? Maybe Qin Mu is just using it for research. After all, he's a very powerful pharmacist who loves collecting these strange and unusual things."

Babata hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Maybe."

Luo Feng was only guessing, but he also felt it was unlikely.

Compared to the original timeline, where he entered space in late September 2062, Luo Feng's strength has increased significantly.

At that time, his Gold Domain was only at the fifth level, and his psychic power amplitude was 58, making it very difficult for him to use the Divine Weapon.

Entering space three years ahead of schedule is a terrifying improvement for a genius like Luo Feng.

"Hey, Luo Feng, there's a call invitation from Qin Mu," Babata said.

"Brother Mu is looking for me? Let's answer!"

……

Killing Field - Killing Space.

This was a desolate wasteland, where thousands of black-clad men, their bodies crackling with lightning and their strength reaching the ninth level of the Hengxing Star Realm, wielded long swords and frantically attacked a white-robed bald man.

The white-robed bald man was extremely fast, flashing past the men in black. He wielded a fifth-tier Force weapon, the Thunder Sky-Splitting Blade, repeatedly killing several ninth-tier Heng-star men in black.

"kill!"

"kill!"

Amidst the shouts of battle, the bald man in white robes, relying on his extreme speed, transformed into a bolt of lightning, constantly weaving and counterattacking.

These black-clad men, all at the ninth level of the Hengxing realm, couldn't even touch the white-robed, bald man's body. A quarter of an hour later...

All the men in black were killed.

Thor looked at the scene before him with satisfaction and confidently invoked the control program for the killing space.

The surrounding scenery changed, and all the corpses disappeared.

A figure standing on a celestial wheel appeared in the sky.

Thor grinned, his body transforming into lightning as he instantly surged forward, then flew backward at an even greater speed, crashing heavily to the ground.

A moment later, Thor left the killing space with lifeless eyes.

He was still muttering to himself.

"Is this even human?"

"He has not only comprehended the origins of metal, fire, earth, and space, but he has also reached the fifth level of the lightning domain!"

How long has it been?

In two more years, won't they catch up with my insights into the field of lightning?

Don't I have any pride?

As soon as he left the killing space, Thor saw the enormous leaderboard in the sky.

The list prominently displayed the words: "Battle of the Ultimate Geniuses!"

……

On Earth, the original Hongning Base City is now Hongning City.

Hong sat in the cultivation room, comprehending the mysteries of the laws of light.

"After using the cosmic-level bloodline, my understanding of the laws of light became much clearer, and in just two years, I entered the eighth level of the domain."

I've also gained a vague understanding of the fundamental laws governing light, and I'm almost at the threshold of those fundamental laws.

Compared to the bloodline of humans on Earth, the bloodline of a cosmic being is far more powerful.

Sensing the faint fluctuations of the fundamental laws of light in the void, Hong smiled.

"Um?"

"My second brother is looking for me again. Does he want to have another match with me?"

On Hong's arm, the intelligent computer vibrated slightly. He glanced at it and, unsurprisingly, it was Thor again.

……

The virtual universe, the headquarters of Galaxy Trading Company.

Luo Feng and Hong appeared, while Lei Shen, Qin Mu, and Jia Yi were already waiting in the courtyard.

"Luo Feng, Big Brother, look up!"

Thor grinned.

"What's wrong? Why are you making such a fuss?" Hong Xiao glanced at him, then looked up.

Luo Feng also looked up in confusion.

What appeared to be an enormous notice was as if the sky itself were covering the top.

"A battle of ultimate geniuses?"

Hong paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face.

Eight years ago, he entered the universe with Thor, Qin Mu, Jia Yi, and others, and that's when they learned about the Genius Battle.

Everyone knew this was a golden opportunity and was training like crazy.

"A battle of billions of geniuses from all nations across the entire universe!"

"It's finally here!"

Luo Feng also smiled.

After possessing the Golden Horned Beast, he learned about the Genius Battle from Qin Mu when he met him on Earth. For over a year, he had been diligently practicing the Dark Cloud Shuttle and the Divine Weapon, waiting for this moment.

Participating in such a grand event and competing with millions of geniuses—what an exhilarating experience!

"Now that you're all here, take a good look at the rules of the Genius Battle."

"This time, including us, a total of 136 Hengxing-level experts from China are participating in the Genius Battle."

Our goal is for all four of us to be among the top 1000 in the Qianwu Universe Kingdom.

Qin Mu said with a smile.

Thanks to China's all-out efforts in nurturing talent over the years, many geniuses have emerged.

Not to mention Jia Yi, there were several powerful figures from the Earth era who voluntarily sacrificed themselves in the original timeline, such as the Ice Emperor, "Merhandson", East, Tripati Singh, and Sokolov.

They all received the full support of China and became the core force of the unified China, and were taught the legacy of the Meteorite Star.

His strength is second only to Qin Mu and the other three.

Besides them, there are also some veteran councilors who have not been purged, as well as geniuses who have risen in the new era, totaling 136 star-level individuals who have decided to participate in the Genius Battle.

Thor glanced at Qin Mu and said with a smile.

You're definitely fine!

Although Luo Feng is at the seventh level of the Domain Realm, he has already comprehended the fundamental laws, so using the nine divine weapons of the Controller shouldn't be a big problem.

As for me and Brother Hong, I am at the seventh level of the Domain, and Brother Hong is at the eighth level. We have only vaguely sensed the fundamental laws, but we have not yet truly crossed the threshold.

It still feels a bit risky.

Hong glanced at Thor, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes.

"I'm almost at the threshold of the origin of light, and I've also mastered the fifth-tier Force weapon, the Aurora Gun, quite well. I should be fine too."

Thor's expression froze, and he turned to look at Hong with disbelief.

"What?! Brother Hong, you've also comprehended the fundamental laws?!"

"Am I the only one who hasn't grasped the fundamental laws?!"

Seeing Thor's exaggerated expression, Qin Mu couldn't help but laugh.

"Although you haven't grasped the fundamental laws yet, I've reviewed the information of previous contestants, and your chances are still very good."

Thor nodded emphatically and said calmly.

"I'll give it my all! I have to break into the top 1,000! Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing if I were the only one who didn't make it."

Although he enjoys joking and being silly, Thor's mental fortitude is top-notch, and he calmed down instantly.

In the original timeline, Hong and Thor possessed domains at the planetary level, demonstrating their talent.

Even Luo Feng only acquired his domain after the Golden Horned Beast stepped into the cosmic realm and naturally comprehended the domain.

If Thor were given a few more years, he might also be able to comprehend the fundamental laws of lightning.

On Earth, based solely on their own talents, how many people dare to say they are stronger than Thor?

Moreover, Thor also possesses a cosmic-level bloodline, and within the realm within a realm, he has received the secret techniques and intelligent life inherited from Kabu, the Lord of the Thunder Realm.

With a specially designed cultivation method by an intelligent life form, a fifth-tier Origin Force weapon called the Thunder Sky-Splitting Blade, and numerous secret techniques, his strength surpasses that of an average eighth-level Domain cultivator.

"Hahaha! It's a deal then, let's break into the top 1000 together!"

"Break into the top 1000!"

"Haha, let's sign up together!"

"Hahaha……"

As they chatted and laughed, a virtual screen appeared in front of them, leading them to the registration page of the virtual universe company's official website.

At the very top of the webpage is a very conspicuous line of numbers—2045687498, and this number is jumping rapidly, increasing by millions every second. Next to this number is a line of universal language text: "Number of applicants for the Ganwu Universe Kingdom".

"It's only been such a short time, and it's already over two billion!"

"So many people have signed up!" Thor exclaimed.

"That's a lot." Luo Feng looked closely. "That's right, it exceeds 20 billion people."

"When I went into the killing field for training, I hadn't seen this notice yet. It appeared when I came out. Then I immediately came looking for you guys."

Thor remarked, "It's only been a short time, and so many people have already signed up."

Qin Mu nodded.

"Once registration closes, I estimate there will be seven or eight hundred billion participants, but that's okay, the more the better!"

All four of them had a burning desire in their eyes, and none of them thought they were inferior to others!

Then let's fight!

(End of this chapter)