Devouring Stars: Master of Evolution

Chapter 187 Hong Leishen's Changed Fate

The next morning.

Qin Mu, Luo Feng, and their group of one hundred sat in a corner of the central square. On the table in front of them were drinks and food.

They were all among the top 100 in the trials, destined to enter the core of the Virtual Universe Company.

These 100 geniuses are all paying attention to others, understanding that others will become their competitors.

However, when they saw Qin Mu, they all instinctively avoided him.

If it were Berlan, some of them would still have ideas and be able to give it a shot.

But can he face Qin Mu?

The blood-soaked demonic figure in their minds made everyone realize that it was not a powerful being they could contend with at this stage.

Not far away, the Nine Swords Venerable and 1008 Immortals were in another area.

As for those ranked 101st to 7300th, these 7200 trial participants fought against each other in various arenas.

The rules are simple: the player who wins three consecutive matches gets a spot, and the loser is eliminated.

The first 1,000 people will join the core of the Virtual Universe Company, and all losers will be eliminated.

Qin Mu and Luo Feng sat together, observing the 3600 screens that appeared in the sky.

Their focus is, of course, on Hong and Lei Shen.

"It's about to begin."

"With Hong and Thor's combined strength, passing through shouldn't be difficult."

Luo Feng stared at the screen and said.

"Yes, the battles arranged by the Virtual Universe Company are quite reasonable, and passing them shouldn't be difficult."

Qin Mu nodded in agreement.

"Those ranked 11th to 100th will receive a bonus of 100 Chaos Units, the opportunity to enter the Initial Universe for enlightenment, and the opportunity to join the core of my Virtual Universe Company, 'Heaven and Earth Secret Realm'."

"Those who rank 4th to 10th will receive a prize of 1000 Chaos Units, the opportunity to enter the Initial Universe for enlightenment, and the opportunity to join the core of my Virtual Universe Company, the 'Primordial Secret Realm'."

"The 1st to 3rd place winners will receive a prize of 1 Chaos Units, the opportunity to enter the Initial Universe for enlightenment, and the opportunity to join the core of my Virtual Universe Company, the 'Primordial Secret Realm'."

"Normally, only one person is admitted to the 'Primal Realm' each year. However, your level is exceptionally high, so after discussion, the top management of Virtual Universe Company has granted you three places to enter the 'Primal Realm' this year."

Silence fell. Most of the thousand peerless geniuses were puzzled as to what the four great secret realms—the 'Doomsday Secret Realm,' the 'Heaven and Earth Secret Realm,' the 'Primordial Secret Realm,' and the 'Original Secret Realm'—truly meant.

But everyone could tell... clearly, the 'Primitive Secret Realm' was one of the best places.

Three spots?

Most people's eyes were focused on Qin Mu and Bo Lan, and then they examined their opponents around them.

They say there are three spots, but in reality, there's only one that they can compete for!

Qin Mu was too strong; they suspected that even if the other 999 geniuses all rushed at him, they would not be a match for him.

Berlan's strength was not on the same level as theirs!

Even Luo Feng is quite different from Bo Lan.

Luo Feng clenched his fists tightly. If he wanted to catch up with Qin Mu, he had to receive the best training!

Having been taught by Qianrenhou for three years, his strength has greatly improved compared to the original timeline, and his vision has also broadened considerably.

They also have a clear understanding of the four secret realms.

The Primal Realm is so powerful that even its guards are immortal experts! The resources available to it are vastly different from those of the other three great realms!

This level of training is far superior to hiring a powerful expert to train you at your own expense!

According to Qianrenhou, there were even experts at the level of kings or venerables giving lectures!

If you're lucky, you might even be noticed by a king or even a venerable being and taken in as a disciple.

At first, he thought there was only one spot available.

That spot must belong to Qin Mu, and he has no intention of competing for it.

But now there are three?!

We have to take a gamble!

Looking around, he saw the boy from Manka Star, the genius brother and sister from Augustus Planet, the girl from the Dream Wing Clan, and the six-meter-tall, fleshy man carrying a blood axe... all of them posed a threat to him.

"I will definitely obtain the qualification for the Primal Realm!"

Luo Feng thought to himself.

The man in the cyan battle robe with purple scales was still speaking.

"Among you 1000 people, there are still differences in strength, so the resources you receive will certainly not be the same for everyone."

"The final battles will begin tomorrow to determine the final rankings."

"The rules of the final battle have been sent to each of you. Now you can all rest well today."

boom!

After the man in the cyan battle robe with purple scales finished speaking, he disappeared. Only then did the 1008 powerful immortals begin to talk.

"The Primal Realm has absorbed three this year!"

"I thought there would be two. After all, there's a genius like Qin Mu, and Bolan is quite good too. I think these two should have no problem entering the Primal Secret Realm."

Three spots available! That's quite a generous offer.

"Virtual Universe Company, it's rare for you to be so generous."

……

While those great immortals were discussing, Qin Mu and the other 1000 people were looking down at the screens on their wrists, where they had already received the rules of the decisive battle.

The rules are as follows:

In the three rounds of elimination that just ended, 900 geniuses were selected. From these 900 people who finally got the spots, the virtual universe system will select the best 100 based on their performance in the trial space and the three rounds of elimination.

They are Galesi, Carpenter, Lassa, Leishi, Utvisk...

These 100 people will engage in one-on-one battles with the top 200 people in the trial space who first obtained a spot!

The 100 victors are qualified to enter the "Heaven and Earth Secret Realm". The remaining 900 will all enter the "Apocalypse Secret Realm".

From the 100 victors, the virtual universe system determines the top 20, who then engage in one-on-one battles to determine the final ten.

The top ten are qualified to enter the "Primordial Secret Realm".

The top three from the top ten will be selected to enter the 'Primitive Secret Realm'.

A detailed match list is attached.

Hong and Lei Shen, who had gathered with Qin Mu and Luo Feng, looked down at the rules.

Their names are not on this list.

"Sigh, I never even had a chance to fight."

Thor sighed.

They all knew the rules beforehand. But when they actually found their names weren't on the list, they still felt a little disappointed.

"It's alright. With our strength, we basically have no hope of making it into the top 100! We'll still have a chance to climb up once we enter the post-apocalyptic secret realm!"

Hong simply shook his head; he had a very clear understanding of his own abilities.

Even if you give it your all, you might only make it into the top 500 at best, but it's meaningless if you don't make it into the top 100.

"Yes! Entering the apocalyptic secret realm means there is hope."

Thor also laughed it off. His strength was even weaker than Hong's, ranking last among the 1000 people.

But clearly, not everyone thinks that way.

"How could this be?"

"They won't even give us the qualification for the final battle?"

"That's too much!"

"This...this is too much trust in the virtual universe system."

In the central square, the other exceptional geniuses were in an uproar.

These final battle rules effectively exclude 800 out of 1000 people, denying them even a chance to demonstrate their abilities!

This naturally displeased many of the geniuses present, making them feel very unhappy.

"Virtual Universe Company!" A sharp voice suddenly rang out, making Luo Feng feel uncomfortable in his ears, and he couldn't help but turn his head to look.

All I could see was in the crowd.

A young man, over five meters tall, lean and wiry, with a vertical eye between his eyebrows, had a ferocious expression and a mad look in all three eyes. He shouted sharply and angrily.

"I'm 100% confident I'll break into the top 100, maybe even the top 20! Why, why are you excluding me just because of the virtual universe system? I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this!!!"

"It's unfair! It's unfair!" someone nearby shouted.

"That's not fair!"

"We need a real fight, where the loser is eliminated. That's the only fair way; otherwise, we won't accept it!"

Immediately, more than ten young people from various universe countries shouted.

Qin Mu and the others simply watched without saying anything. These rules were indeed unsettling, but they were custom-made by the Virtual Universe Company!

"Shut up!"

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up, all of you!"

Many of the 1008 powerful immortals in the distance roared angrily, and at the same time, their terrifying mental pressure spread out.

The pressure directly weighed on the 800 young geniuses from various races, causing their faces to turn pale, their bodies to tremble slightly, their legs to shake uncontrollably, and they all collapsed to their knees on the ground, unable to withstand the force.

Boom!

1008 powerful immortals appeared in front of a group of geniuses, looking down at the group of people kneeling and prostrating.

"I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this!!!"

Among the kneeling crowd, the three-eyed youth braced himself on the ground with his arms twisted and bulging like earthworms, and roared with his head held high.

"idiot!"

Among the 1008 powerful immortals, the giant in the scale armor robe glanced coldly at the three-eyed youth.

And at this moment, a magnificent and ethereal voice resounds.

"If you have any objections to the final battle rules of the Virtual Universe System, you may choose not to join my Virtual Universe Company. My Virtual Universe Company will not force anyone to participate."

The sound echoed between heaven and earth, causing the faces of the 800 geniuses lying on the ground to change.

That's...that's...that's too cruel!

This answer immediately surprised everyone.

If you disagree, you can leave; no one is forcing you to join!

It's that simple!

"How foolish!"

Among the 1008 immortals, one powerful immortal with flowing black hair looked at the 800 kneeling people and spoke indifferently.

"Do you think you little punks can change the rules of the final battle decided by the higher-ups at Virtual Universe Corporation? You're so arrogant!"

"If Qin Mu raises an opinion, the higher-ups will naturally take it seriously! Because he passed the seventh trial tower; he's an unparalleled genius!"

An elderly man with a head covered in silver scales and shrouded in a white robe looked at the three-eyed youth. "As for you... you dare to speak disobeying us from the outermost layer of the core?"

"Little guys, remember this! You might all be the most outstanding geniuses in your respective universes."

But in Virtual Universe Company, you're nothing!

"Disobeying the decisions of the highest levels is a grave taboo!"

……

Of the 1008 immortals, it is clear that these geniuses were all exceptionally talented, but most geniuses are arrogant and have eccentric temperaments.

This rule is actually used to discourage some geniuses.

If you really play a few rounds, it will only take less than half a day.

This is a deterrent, but also a warning!

In a room in Building 0825.

Qin Mu, Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen gathered together.

"Our initial plan has been completed! Now, let's see if Luo Feng can attempt to break into the Primal Secret Realm!"

Qin Mu said with a smile.

"Thor and I made it into the post-apocalyptic secret realm, and it went alright. At least we didn't let you down."

Hong said.

In the past few years, if Qin Mu hadn't provided them with a Domain Lord-level bloodline and helped them find a teacher, they would never have been able to get to this point.

You should know that each of the three of them spent more than three thousand Hunyuan to get to where they are today!

The prize money for geniuses ranked 100th or lower is only 10 Hunyuan!

If it weren't for the possibility of joining the core of the virtual universe and entering the primordial universe for enlightenment, this would absolutely be a losing proposition.

Of course, what they were after wasn't the prize money.

Unbeknownst to them, their fate in their original timeline had been quietly altered by Qin Mu.

This time, their achievements are destined to be even greater than in the original timeline.

Qin Mu was also curious about how far they could go when they no longer lacked resources and had better training.

Of course, Qin Mu couldn't offer them much more help; they would have to rely on themselves for the rest of their lives.

"Yes, I will try my best."

Luo Feng clenched his fists and said in a low voice.

What he just witnessed had quite a shock to him.

Ordinary geniuses are completely insignificant to Virtual Universe Company, but someone of Qin Mu's level has opinions that are valued even by the company's top management!

This world is often just that naked.

As for Qin Mu, none of the three mentioned him; he was undoubtedly number one, so there was nothing more to say.

The next morning.

In the central square, 1000 exceptional geniuses gathered.

Luo Feng mingled in the crowd and glanced at the tall, three-eyed youth in the distance. The three-eyed youth had a gloomy face and remained silent, clearly indicating that yesterday's blow had been quite significant to him.

"Venerable One!"

In the distance, 1008 immortals respectfully bowed.

"Um."

The man in the blue battle robe with purple scales in the distance nodded slightly, then turned and looked down at the 1000 young people, saying, "Today is a good day. We will select the top 100, the top 10, the first place, the second place, and the third place from among you 1000 people within one day."

"Everyone ready? Let the final battle begin!"

The man in the cyan battle robe with purple scales looked down at the crowd, then waved his hand, and 100 huge arenas appeared directly in the central square, each with two people inside.

One of the opponents in the arena was Qin Mu and a burly bull-headed man wielding a battle axe.

The bull-headed strongman had a somewhat bitter expression, but he perked up the next moment.

"Qin Mu, the 'Demon God,' I know I am no match for you. But I will not give up easily. I hope you can unleash your true strength."

Qin Mu simply smiled and nodded, as the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Wheel flew out from behind him and hovered there.

The burly man with the bull's head, wielding a giant axe, roared and unleashed a burst of his inner energy.

Unfortunately, although the bull-headed strongman was courageous, his strength was far inferior.

He had only grasped the fundamental law of earth, while Qin Mu easily defeated his opponent using only the first layer of the Earth Wheel.

The gap between him and ordinary geniuses is simply too great!

On the other side, Luo Feng also easily defeated his first opponent.

With his current strength, Luo Feng can easily wield the second level of the Divine Weapon of the Master. Unless someone in the top ten can put some pressure on him, he can sweep everyone else aside.

……

"Congratulations to the little ones standing on the ring."

The man in the blue battle robe with purple scales stood in mid-air, looking down at the 100 young men and women on the arena.

"First of all, congratulations on making it into the top 100. You can enter the 'Secret Realm of Heaven and Earth' of my Virtual Universe Company. Now it's time to select the top 20 among you."

"Based on the selection criteria of the virtual universe system, I will submit a list of 20 people."

Immediately, most of the 100 young geniuses who had just won on the stage became nervous.

Although they won, only 20 of them qualified for the next round, which will determine the top 10!

Just like the first round of selecting the top 100 from the top 200, this round will still select the top 20 from the top 100!

Qin Mu was naturally indifferent; it didn't matter who his opponent was. Whoever was his opponent was simply unlucky.

"Qin Mu!"

"Berlan!"

The man in the cyan battle robe with purple scales began to announce a list of 20 people.

"Guslo!"

"Aichen!"

"Uka!"

"Yi Feng!"

"Galeci!"

"Rong Jun!"

……

As names were announced one by one, those who hadn't been called up couldn't hide their anxiety. They were all victors, and only 20 would be able to participate in the next battle!

"A thousand waters!"

"Luo Feng!"

……

"Tao!"

"The 20 people selected by the virtual universe system are the same 20 people I previously reported."

About half an hour later.

"Rumble~~~"

The central square shook violently, and ten giant arenas gradually rose up in the center of the square. The arenas were covered with a large number of black silk threads. At the same time, Qin Mu and the other twenty people who were resting were instantly teleported into these ten giant arenas.

Inside the arena.

"Haha, 'Phantom Demon' Galesi has run into 'Demon God' Qin Mu? What bad luck!"

"Blood Axe 'Tao' has run into Death 'Bolan'?"

"Those two unlucky guys."

"Luo Feng versus Gusiluo? This match is going to be interesting! In the Trial Tower, Luo Feng is third and Gusiluo is fourth."

"."

On the arena.

On one side is Qin Mu, with the Myriad Manifestations Wheel floating behind him, exuding a relaxed and ecological aura.

On the other side was the "Phantom Demon" Galesi, who stood on a black halo and was shrouded in a black robe.

Before encountering Qin Mu, "Illusion Demon" Galesi had easily defeated her opponents without even drawing her weapon. She eliminated them effortlessly with just illusions.

But at that moment, he instantly took out his telekinetic weapon.

"Illusion Demon" Galesi is also a psychic, but a relatively rare illusionist who tends to directly destroy the opponent's soul.

Achieving great success as an illusionist is extremely difficult, but once successful, it is terrifying.

Qin Mu was essentially a fellow cultivator. Relying on the talent of the Zerg Overlord, his achievements in the soul realm were extremely high, not to mention his comprehension of the laws.

"Qin Mu, the 'Demon God,' I never expected to run into you."

"Illusion Demon Galesi said in a hoarse, low voice."

He had witnessed Qin Mu's performance when he challenged the seventh trial tower.

His achievements in the realm of the soul are several levels higher than his!

How can we fight like this?!

Even in what you're best at, you're so much worse than others!

Qin Mu chuckled and shook his head.

This illusion demon, Galesi, is quite cunning. While speaking to me, he had already used illusion magic to invade my consciousness.

Unfortunately, Qin Mu considered his illusion techniques to be too crude.

With a casual maneuver, illusory soul chains surged into the consciousness of the Illusion Demon Galesi.

*Pfft—*

Without a sound, the soul of the Phantom Demon Galesi shattered and appeared below the arena.

"Sigh, the gap is too big. Before, it was Phantom Demon Galesi who annihilated the souls of his opponents, but this time it's his turn."

"This is expected, nothing strange about it! Have you forgotten when Qin Mu released his Soul Lock in the Trial Tower? Wherever he passed, death followed!"

"..."

A group of geniuses were discussing it.

The Phantom Demon Galesi clenched his fists, his eyes filled with helplessness.

He was easily eliminated before he even had a chance to use his telekinetic weapon.

If he hadn't met Qin Mu, he would have been confident that he could have fought hard to take a top-three position even against Bo Lan.

Unfortunately, I was unlucky.

Qin Mu ignored him and looked at the arena where Luo Feng was.

Guslow is quite powerful; he is also a psycho-manipulator.

Unfortunately, when Luo Feng unleashed the second level of the Divine Weapon, he was still powerless to resist and was pierced by several golden swords.

Luo Feng wins this battle!

"Congratulations to the ten winners! You have made it into the top ten, and your prize money has increased to 1000 Chaos Units. You will also be able to enter the 'Primordial Secret Realm'."

The man in the cyan battle robe with purple scales smiled and said, "This battle for the top ten was very exciting, and the explosive performances of a few youngsters surprised me greatly."

The 1000 young people and 1008 powerful immortals listened attentively to the words of the "Nine Swords Venerable".

"Qin Mu, Bolan, Luo Feng, Jiang Mo, Lancelot, Uka, Ai Chen, Long Yun, Opatitra, Rong Jun, congratulations to the ten of you."

"Wait a moment, we will select the top five from among you ten, and the first, second, and third place will be chosen from among the top five," the man in the blue battle robe with purple scales said with a smile.

"As for how the ten of you will be grouped, according to the rules previously established by the virtual universe system, the winners of your battles have varying times. The fastest and slowest winners will face off, the second fastest and the second slowest will face off, and so on!"

Wow!

The 1008 powerful immortals were all taken aback, the 990 geniuses watching were also stunned, and even the top ten peerless geniuses who were about to fight were astonished.

The chronological order is Qin Mu, Bolan, Luo Feng, Jiang Mo, Lancelot, Uka, Ai Chen, Long Yun, Opatitra, and Rong Jun.

So, if we consider the fastest and slowest encounters, and so on...

Qin Mu versus Rong Jun!

Berlan versus Opatitra!

Luo Feng versus Long Yun!

Jiang Mo versus Ai Chen!

Lancelot versus Uka!

Rong Jun, who had just defeated his opponent, sighed. "What bad luck! If I had known, I would have gone all out!"

I originally thought that since we were from the same universe, people might avoid Qin Mu.

I never expected the rules to be like this.

Qin Mu looked at Luo Feng and Long Yun with a strange expression. He hadn't expected the two of them to run into each other again.

Perhaps this is destiny!

The battle began quickly, and five more exquisite and luxurious arenas appeared.

The light shield on the arena was a huge, semi-transparent light film. Under the illumination of the light sphere in the sky, the light film reflected seven colors of light, which was very beautiful.

As for the ten human youths, they were all teleported into the arena.

"You make the first move; I'll give you a chance."

Out of consideration for being from the same universe, Qin Mu did not immediately defeat Rong Jun, but instead smiled.

"good!"

Rong Jun didn't waste any words. He knew he was going to lose, so he unleashed his full power.

His swordsmanship was explosive, swift and powerful.

Still posting 10,000 views a day! I'm asking for monthly votes at the end of the month, so I hope everyone can support me. Thank you!

(End of this chapter)