Swallowing the Stars: Time Simulation

Chapter 259 Twenty Years Later

Twenty years have passed since Yang Wu completed the "Death Star" mission.

Over the course of twenty years, Yang Wu spent eight years completing two extreme missions in the Virtual Universe Company's original secret realm: "The Lost Galaxy" and "The Abyss of Purgatory".

There is only one mission in the Lost Galaxy, which requires the trial participants to find 39 crystals specified in the mission. Upon completion, they can obtain 500,000 points.

The Lost Galaxy, as its name suggests, is a place resembling a super maze. However, this maze is so vast that it's comparable in size to the Milky Way.

The Lost Galaxy contains many opportunities, both big and small; of course, these opportunities are also accompanied by enormous dangers.

During his search for the 39 crystals specified in the mission, Yang Wu discovered several extremely dangerous locations.

After the original human body on Earth died three times, Yang Wu obtained various precious materials worth nearly five million Hunyuan units.

In the end, Yang Wu spent six years collecting all 39 crystals and successfully completed the mission of the "Lost Galaxy".

……

As for the "Purgatory Abyss," it truly lives up to its reputation as the most difficult, extreme-level mission.

In Yang Wu's view, the Purgatory Abyss was essentially an enhanced version of the Demon Mountain. Not only was the environment extremely harsh, but he also had to constantly face the pursuit of the natives within the abyss.

There are no humans in the Abyss of Purgatory. The native life forms there belong to another elite race in the universe, the Hell Clan.

Although there are no immortal beings of the Prison Clan in the Abyss of Purgatory, there are a large number of Realm Lords and Domain Lords.

As for cosmic-level ones, they are countless.

The Prison Clan can be said to be the most bloodthirsty race in the entire primordial universe. They can kill each other without any reason at all.

Even the high-ranking members of the Prison Clan would not stop the fighting between the various races under their command. Instead, they would secretly fuel the flames, and would not hesitate to do so even if it meant the annihilation of several races.

Amidst such bloody slaughter, the Prison Clan also gave birth to many great beings whose names resounded throughout the universe. After the emergence of the strongest being in the universe, the Prison Clan became one of the six top clans.

Throughout the entire abyss of purgatory, bloody slaughter takes place every moment.

Therefore, for Yang Wu and other trial participants, the mission in the Purgatory Abyss is extremely dangerous. The slightest carelessness could lead to their demise.

Fortunately, Yang Wu possessed extraordinary willpower and immense strength, and ultimately completed the mission in the Abyss of Purgatory without ever perishing.

But that's normal.

Black Warrior, insights into the laws of the twelfth level of the Bridge to Heaven...

Yang Wu's current strength is absolutely top-tier, even among all the universe-level geniuses throughout human history.

If he had already encountered the danger of perishing in the abyss of purgatory, then this perilous mission would not have had a 99% mortality rate.

In this abyss of purgatory, Yang Wu did not specifically seek out opportunities, so after two years, he directly completed the abyss of purgatory mission and received a reward of one million points.

……

Virtual Universe, Rain Mountain.

In the original area, within Yangwu Manor.

At this moment, the incredibly vast training ground was simulated as a boundless starry sky.

At the very center of this vast starry sky, Yang Wu stood calmly, gazing at a giant star in the void ahead.

suddenly--

Yang Wu exerted force with both legs, transforming himself into a dark golden streak of light, leaving a trail in the starry sky like a shooting star, and instantly rushing towards a distant star.

"Shattered Starry Sky!"

Yang Wu suddenly clenched his right fist and then threw a punch.

With a single punch, the two fundamental laws of fire and space were instantly activated. The fierce fist force even generated a visible shockwave, and countless fist shadows rushed towards the simulated star in front of Yang Wu.

Boom!

With a muffled sound, the brilliant star exploded instantly, shattering into countless fragments of meteorite.

"Shattered Starry Sky" is the third move of "Li Huo Fist," the secret technique that made Li Huo Hou famous. It is the strongest move created by Li Huo Hou through comprehending the laws of fire and combining them with the laws of space.

Although the Law of Fire is only a lower-level law, fully comprehending it is only comparable to the tenth level of the Bridge to Heaven.

However, the "Li Huo Fist" created by Li Huo Hou brought the laws of fire to their extreme, and with the addition of a portion of the laws of space, this secret technique of Li Huo Hou became exceptionally powerful.

Yang Wu had searched for "Li Huo Quan" in the treasure vault of the Virtual Universe Company, where it was priced at a whopping 100,000 points.

It's worth noting that even the Soul Imprint created by Hu Yanbo, the master of Meteorite Star, only costs around 10,000 points.

Although Hu Yanbo only possessed the strength to barely achieve the rank of Marquis, his creation, "Soul Imprint," was quite extraordinary and could completely rival the self-created secret techniques of ordinary high-ranking Marquis immortals.

For example, the first three volumes of "Time and Space Essays" that Yang Wu bought only cost 100,000 points.

Wow!

With a thought, Yang Wu caused the vast starry sky to vanish, and the surroundings once again transformed into a spacious training ground.

Just then, a lean old man dressed in a fiery red robe appeared beside Yang Wu.

"Teacher!" Yang Wu quickly greeted him.

"Yang Wu, I never expected you could actually use the third form of the 'Li Huo Fist'!" Although Li Huo Hou was still surprised, his expression remained calm.

It's not that Yang Wu's progress is unremarkable; it's just that Li Huohou has become numb to Yang Wu's progress over the past twenty years.

When Yang Wu crossed the ninth level of the Tongtian Bridge in Chaos City, Li Huohou had already recognized his extraordinary abilities.

However, Yang Wu's recent progress has still amazed Li Huohou.

In recent times, Yang Wu has made small progress every month and big progress every six months.

In just twenty years, Yang Wu's understanding of the laws has even surpassed that of those domain lord-level powerhouses who have cultivated in seclusion for tens of thousands of years in the Primordial Secret Realm!

If it weren't for the fact that he was in a virtual universe, Li Huohou would have thought he was under the spell of a peak-level soul master.

When Li Huohou first comprehended the laws of space, he did not follow the path of analyzing the essence of the laws, so he was not very clear about Yang Wu's understanding of the laws of space.

However, when it comes to the fundamental laws of fire, Lord Li Huo has already exhausted all his teachings!

Because Yang Wu's current understanding of the laws of fire is only one step away from fully comprehending them.

"Thanks to your careful guidance, teacher!" Yang Wu said respectfully.

Although Yang Wu's progress was so remarkable because of the two simulations that had just passed, Li Huohou had been carefully guiding Yang Wu in the simulator, so Yang Wu was not wrong.

"Yang Wu!" Marquis Li Huo couldn't help but exclaim, "You are the strongest genius I have ever seen in my long life! Even those extraordinary individuals among our human race who have conquered the Primal Tongtian Mountain cannot match your speed of comprehension at the cosmic level!"

Immediately, a hint of melancholy flashed across Li Huohou's face as he sighed, "Unfortunately, with your current understanding of the laws, I can no longer continue to be your teacher!"

With Yang Wu's extraordinary talent, it's no wonder that Marquis Li Huo is willing to continue guiding him!

Yang Wu is now only one step away from comprehending the Law of Fire, which cannot be achieved simply by giving guidance! As for the Law of Space, although Lord Li Huo has more knowledge than Yang Wu, he has not taken the path of analyzing the essence of the law, so he is also unable to guide Yang Wu.

Yang Wu had actually been prepared for this matter, so he didn't try to persuade Li Huo Hou to stay. Instead, he respectfully said, "I will always remember your careful guidance over the past hundred years!"

"Hmm!" Marquis Li Huo was very satisfied after hearing Yang Wu's words.

Li Huohou was a powerful figure under the command of the Nine Swords Venerable. He came to the Primitive Zone to serve as Yang Wu's personal tutor, which was done under orders.

After spending over a hundred years together, Marquis Li Huo had developed a great fondness for Yang Wu.

Moreover, being able to teach a peerless genius like Yang Wu for over a hundred years is something that Marquis Li Huo can be proud of.

After respectfully seeing off Li Huohou, Yang Wu immediately set off for Hall No. 2 of the lecture building.

Today, there happens to be a lecture given by an Immortal King who specializes in the laws of space, so Yang Wu certainly wouldn't miss it.

……

Original area, lecture hall number two.

The entire lecture hall is 80 kilometers long and 60 kilometers wide.

Apart from a few student seats at the edges, the rest of the space belongs to the lecturer.

At this moment, dozens of geniuses were listening to a lecture given by a five-meter-tall immortal king in the distance.

Among these geniuses, most are Realm Lords, there are several Domain Lords, and those at the Universe level are extremely rare.

"So that's how it is."

"That's brilliant!"

Yang Wu sat cross-legged in the crowd, a look of joy on his face.

Since he comprehended all 108 spatial essences, Yang Wu's cultivation speed has slowed down considerably.

The most important reason for this was the loss of guidance from the Nine Swords Master.

Yang Wu had completely comprehended the Nine Swords Venerable's previous analysis of the essence of the laws of space.

In order to gradually reveal his understanding of the laws, Yang Wu did not continue to consult the Nine Swords Venerable. Therefore, he could only rely on some public lectures to comprehend the spatial laws.

The one giving the lecture on the stage at this moment is an immortal king who is well-versed in the laws of space.

As the other party spoke, they waved their hands to demonstrate, and various laws and secret patterns continuously appeared in mid-air.

All the geniuses were listening attentively.

Much later.

"That's enough for today," said the five-meter-tall, immortal king with a smile.

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Many geniuses, including Yang Wu, who were listening to the lecture below, immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.

The immortal teacher nodded, and then, before everyone's eyes, he vanished into thin air from the lecture building.

Yang Wu slowly walked out, sorting out and digesting the many insights he had gained from the previous explanation.

At the same time, Yang Wu could hear the constant chatter of others.

"Look, that's Yang Wu!"

"He already passed the ninth level of the Bridge to Heaven before leaving Chaos City! He's a monster! We've cultivated at the Domain Lord level for tens of thousands of years, and we've only just barely passed the tenth level!"

Not far from Yang Wu stood two domain lord-level geniuses. One had pointed ears and was a werewolf genius, while the other was a lean man wearing black battle armor.

The werewolf genius suddenly smiled and asked, "There are less than ten years left until their qualifying battle for universe-level geniuses, Toka, do you think Yang Wu has a chance to pass the tenth level of the Bridge to Heaven?"

"Impossible!" the lean man said coldly. "Although time flows more slowly in Chaos City, our comprehension speed outside is about ten times slower than in Chaos City. Moreover, every three levels of the Bridge to Heaven are a challenge, and the tenth level is extremely difficult. Most of the Domain Lords in the Primordial Region have been stuck on the ninth level for thousands of years! Although Yang Wu's talent is extraordinary, it is absolutely impossible for him to pass the tenth level within a hundred years of leaving Chaos City!"

At that moment, many people looked at Yang Wu, who was leaving, and began to discuss among themselves.

"Is that Yang Wu, the peerless genius hailed as a once-in-hundred-thousand-epoch talent?"

"Yes, that's him."

"When we left Chaos City, the strongest among us had only made it past the fifth level of the Heavenly Bridge! He actually managed to pass the ninth level, he's a monster!"

"Having just emerged from Chaos City, his comprehension of the laws has already crushed that universe's number one genius, 'Fito.' I'm afraid that in another thousand years, it will be our turn as domain lords."

……

Because Yang Wu had received guidance from the Nine Swords Venerable, he had attended fewer public lectures in the past.

Some members of the original secret realm were seeing Yang Wu for the first time, so Yang Wu instantly became the center of everyone's discussion.

In a secluded corner, a young man dressed in golden armor kept glancing at Yang Wu, his heart filled with jealousy and worry.

"Damn it! Yang Wu is already so strong, why hasn't he broken through to the Domain Lord level yet?"

"There are less than ten years left until the cosmic-level qualification battle. There are only three spots for cosmic-level members from the Primordial Secret Realm, and Yang Wu and Feto have definitely taken two of them. I still have to compete with those members from the Primordial Secret Realm!"

The golden-armored youth was very anxious: "That 'werewolf' Krov is also very powerful. My chances of defeating him are very slim! It's really infuriating. The difference between the Primordial Secret Realm and the Primordial Secret Realm is too great. If I am eliminated, it will be even more difficult to climb back up."

"No, after I further refine 'Beast Fist', I must take on a critical-level mission in the hope of increasing my strength."

……

As Yang Wu walked down the road, he could clearly hear the whispers and conversations of others.

"The tenth level of the Sky Bridge?"

"Will it take another thousand years to be able to crush a Domain Lord level?"

Yang Wu thought to himself, "These people... they don't know that I don't consider them opponents at all!"

Throughout the entire story, Yang Wu had only one rival: the true peerless genius, Luo Feng.

Even though he has now fully grasped the essence of the laws of space, Yang Wu doesn't dare say that he can truly suppress Luo Feng indefinitely.

That's a peerless genius who can create the ultimate secret technique in just 50,000 years!

Take Zhenyan Wang, for example. He was an extremely talented genius, but after cultivating for hundreds of millions of years, the secret techniques he created were only infinitely close to the ultimate level!

Among all the immortal beings in humankind today, there is not a single one who has been able to create the ultimate secret technique.

"Master, these people are actually speculating whether you can pass the tenth level of the Bridge to Heaven. How interesting!" Chi Yan's voice rang in Yang Wu's mind.

To this day, Yang Wu has displayed all the gains he made in the previous two simulations in the virtual universe.

The one who understands Yang Wu's current strength best is undoubtedly Chi Yan, the intelligent life form that has always been with him.

"Master, why don't you try crossing the Heavenly Bridge? I bet the expressions on these people's faces will be priceless after you do!" Chi Yan said with a smile.

Since evolving into intelligent life, Chi Yan has become more and more like a real life form.

"Should I try to cross the overpass?" Yang Wu's heart skipped a beat.

It was now January 2265 Earth time, and the number of times recorded on the time simulator in Yang Wu's mind had been refreshed once again.

Yang Wu's strength has been gradually revealed in the virtual universe over the past twenty years.

"It seems there's really no need to wait any longer?" Yang Wu thought to himself.

With the ability to create clones, Yang Wu can live to the time limit in each simulation; moreover, after breaking through to the Domain Lord level, his talent is very likely to improve again.

With these two points in mind, Yang Wu would certainly not remain stuck at the cosmic level.

"Then let's go and conquer the Sky Bridge!" Yang Wu smiled slightly and instantly disappeared into the lecture building.

At the Eternal Star level, the protagonist's talent is equivalent to Uka's; at the Cosmic level, he's a genius who appears only once every few hundred thousand years, slightly stronger than Moro and Lian Luo (who were granted the title of Marquis upon achieving Immortality). That makes sense. While Lian Luo was initially described as very powerful, he's at most among the top thirty Primal Secret Realm Masters, not even number one. If the protagonist's talent truly appears only once every ten thousand epochs, then in the simulator, with tens of thousands of years of experience, his comprehension should barely qualify him as a Marquis.

As for the time it took to comprehend the laws of fire, you can look at Luo Feng before he broke through to immortality; it took him hundreds of years to reach the twentieth level of the Heavenly Bridge.

(End of this chapter)