Swallowing the Stars: Time Simulation

Chapter 278 Hong and the Thunder God (6000 words bonus chapter for 'i阿晨's 10,000-word reward)

Yang Wu's will underwent a transformation, and his ability to resist the illusion immediately experienced a super surge.

Almost instantly, the misty air currents on the 266th floor of the Illusion Palace completely dissipated.

"His will has broken through?" Yang Wu's heart stirred.

It's unbelievable that a ninth-level Domain Lord possesses a will comparable to that of an ordinary immortal god, but for Yang Wu, it was simply a natural progression.

His will had already reached the limit of the Realm Lord level; all he needed to break through was a trigger.

Even if Yang Wu hadn't come to challenge this Illusion Palace, he would have been able to break through after some time.

However, for Yang Wu, being able to break through his willpower earlier is also a good thing.

After all, for Yang Wu, who has the ability to create clones, the stronger his will is, the better he can protect himself.

"Before breaking through, the 266th floor of the Illusion Palace is my limit!"

Yang Wu pondered to himself, "According to the information I have, the 266th floor of the Illusion Palace corresponds exactly to the high-level illusion technique of the Marquis rank, which is not much different from my estimate."

"However, the will of a Realm Lord is very different from that of an Immortal. With the support of the second level of mental state, my current soul defense should be comparable to that of a high-level King. Perhaps I can even reach the 360th floor of the Illusion Palace," Yang Wu thought to himself.

However, Yang Wu did not choose to continue. After entering the 267th floor, he put up a little resistance and then actively immersed himself in the environment.

Yang Wu's consciousness blurred for a moment, and he was instantly teleported out of the Illusion Palace.

With his willpower breaking through to the Immortal level, Yang Wu's gains were already substantial.

Now that he has witnessed the illusionary techniques of the Illusion King, there is no need for him to continue his adventure.

Moreover, Yang Wu has already demonstrated terrifying abilities, so there's no need for him to continue showing off at this point.

and!

The most important reason why Earth's secret was discovered was that Hong, at the cosmic level, broke through to the twentieth level of the Illusionary Sea.

Yang Wu's current strength is equivalent to passing through the sixteenth level of the Illusionary Sea.

While such strength may not be as extraordinary as Hong's, it is still quite remarkable.

However, Yang Wu's talent in comprehending the laws was also incredibly extraordinary, so the combination of the two didn't attract too much attention.

However, if Yang Wu really manages to reach more than three hundred floors, he might cause quite a bit of trouble.

……

At this moment, all the powerful figures in the hall stared blankly at Yang Wu, their faces filled with disbelief.

As a treasure trove personally arranged by the Illusionary Spirit King, the Illusionary Palace is a place that her disciples and followers often try to visit.

To date, among the countless powerful warriors under the Illusion King, only 13 have been able to pass the 266th floor of the Illusion Palace.

But those people had all cultivated for countless years, which is why they possessed such astonishing willpower.

The Phantom King's face was not calm at this moment.

She never imagined that Yang Wu, a peerless genius who had cultivated for less than a thousand years and had a smooth journey, would be able to see the essence of desire and thus break through the illusion of the 266th floor of the Illusion Palace.

The only person who remained calm was Hong, who was waiting for Yang Wu on the side.

However, Hong's face also showed shock, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.

"Brother Hong, stop pretending!" Yang Wu couldn't help but mutter to himself as he looked at Hong's shocked expression.

Just like when he ventured into the Eighteen Illusions of Love and Desire before, Hong is still pretending now!

Compared to Yang Wu, Hong, who has already crossed the threshold of the third level of self-cultivation, might actually be able to break through the entire Illusion Palace.

"Unbelievable!" The Illusionary Spirit King's eyes widened in shock. "I never imagined that Yang Wu, not only is your comprehension of the laws incredibly powerful, but your mind and will are also so astonishing!"

"If you choose to cultivate the Illusionist lineage, then there will be one more Soul Master in this vast universe in the future!" The Illusion King couldn't help but sigh.

"Senior Phantom King, you flatter me!" Yang Wu smiled slightly.

In fact, given the talents of Earthlings, they are more suited to the paths of mentalists and illusionists.

After all, the true talent of Earthlings lies in their souls.

However, Yang Wu's cultivation of martial arts had almost become instinctive. Even in the simulated experience, Yang Wu at most only cultivated mental techniques as a secondary skill.

Secondly, Yang Wu has already conceived a clone of the Yan God Clan.

As one of the two major races born from the God King Zuoshanke, the Yan God Clan possesses physical talents that are in no way inferior to those of Earthlings in terms of spiritual talents.

"Hmph! Bushera, send those two away!" The Illusion King snorted coldly, and then his figure vanished into thin air.

"This..." Yang Wu was taken aback, thinking to himself, "This Illusion King's temper is indeed strange!"

Among the many powerful human beings who have been granted the title of King, the Phantom King is known for his eccentric temperament.

She clearly doesn't allow any man to touch her, yet she always acts alluring and seductive; she clearly has a violent and cruel temper, yet she always pretends to be gentle.

As for being capricious, that's commonplace for the Phantom King.

Yang Wu's gaze fell on the others, and he saw that everyone's faces showed envy and admiration.

"Your Highness Yang Wu, please follow me!" Busera stepped forward and said respectfully.

"Hmm!" Yang Wu nodded slightly.

He originally came for Hong, but unexpectedly gained something extra by chance.

Immediately afterwards, Yang Wu and Hong followed Bushela, a disciple of the Illusionary Spirit King, to the teleportation point and were directly teleported back to Black Dragon Mountain Island.

……

Heilongshan Island.

"Third brother, if you can reach the third level of mental cultivation, you should be able to pass through the entire Illusion Palace!"

On the way back to Jiuxingwan Community from the teleportation point, Hong suddenly spoke calmly.

"This..." Yang Wu was speechless.

The path of self-cultivation is divided into three realms.

The first level is to understand one's true nature and directly point to one's original mind. In many Buddhist and Taoist classics in China, this is considered a manifestation of "attaining the Tao".

The second level is the unity of heaven and man, and the heart of a child. This is already considered the theoretical pinnacle, the perfect state of mind, which Yang Wu and Thor are currently at.

The third level is an infinitely large and all-encompassing heart. Throughout the countless ages of the Earth's lineage, those who have reached this level are extremely rare, and Hong has now crossed this threshold.

Although there is no inherent superiority or inferiority among these three realms, there are significant differences in their ability to resist pressure, illusions, and soul attacks.

It's somewhat similar to a technique, having an amplifying effect that can boost the soul's defensive capabilities by hundreds or thousands of times.

According to Yang Wu's estimation, the third level of mind cultivation that Hong comprehended might be comparable to a great treasure in terms of its enhancement to a World Lord-level soul.

Long before Yang Wu left the Blood Luo World, he had already comprehended the second level of the realm of "unity of heaven and man, and the heart of a child". However, even now, despite being constantly guided by Hong, he has not even touched the edge of the third level.

In fact, the level of "cultivating the mind" has little to do with the length of time one has spent cultivating.

Some powerful individuals, even after cultivating for countless years, do not see significant improvements in their strength. However, in terms of "cultivating the mind," they can reach extremely high levels in just a few decades. For example, many ancient sages on Earth, with lifespans of less than a hundred years, were able to reach the second level of cultivation.

"I have now reached the state of oneness with heaven and man, but I still cannot find the third level."

Yang Wu couldn't help but sigh, "I wonder when I'll be able to take that step like you, Brother Hong?"

Yang Wu certainly wanted to take this step. If he could reach the third level of the Mind Cultivation Realm and then enhance his will, which was already comparable to that of an ordinary immortal god, even if a peak-level Soul Master at the King level used his illusion magic to the fullest, it would be difficult for him to be threatened.

"I can explain the principles to you, but the realm of understanding is something that cannot be explained."

Hong smiled and said, "Now that you're on Earth, you can read more ancient Chinese books when you have time; it might be helpful to you."

"I understand!" Yang Wu nodded.

Ancient Chinese texts have indeed been of great help in cultivating one's mind; otherwise, so many outstanding figures and sages would not have emerged in ancient times.

Soon, Yang Wu and his companion returned to the Jiuxingwan residential area.

Not much time had passed, so Luo Feng and Lei Shen were still waiting in the pavilion.

Upon seeing Yang Wu and Hong appear, Luo Feng and his companion quickly got up to greet them and inquired about their experiences.

Hong calmly recounted the whole story.

Luo Feng and his companion paid little attention to what Yang Wu and Hong had done in the Illusionary Palace.

After all, all four of them were people with extremely strong will and mind.

However, Luo Feng and Ji Qing couldn't quite understand the end of the relationship between Hong and Ji Qing.

However, no one brought it up again.

They knew very well that, given Hong's character, this matter was completely over after he said goodbye to Ji Qing.

Afterwards, the four of them sat together and exchanged their cultivation experiences.

Sensing the Law insights gained by Hong and Lei, Yang Wu suddenly asked, "Brother Hong, Brother Lei, have you ever considered joining the core layer of the Virtual Universe Company?"

"The core layer of the Virtual Universe Company?" Hong and Thor were slightly taken aback.

"That's right!" Yang Wu said very seriously, "In addition to the Genius Battle and the Strongest Battle, the Virtual Universe Company also recruits geniuses from among the company's top elites."

"With your combined understanding of the laws, joining the outermost layer of the core realm's doomsday secret realm shouldn't be too difficult!"

"Really?" Thor asked quickly.

"Of course it's true!" Yang Wu said very seriously.

Although Hong and Lei Shen's current understanding of the laws is not as outstanding as Yang Wu and Luo Feng's, it is still quite rare among cosmic-level geniuses.

Among them, Hong's light law is already comparable to the third level of the Bridge to Heaven, while Thor's lightning law has reached the second level of the Bridge to Heaven.

The geniuses of Yang Wu's generation, recruited by the Virtual Universe Company, are now only just passing through the third level of the Sky Bridge, and some are still stuck on the second level.

Among the core members of the Virtual Universe company at the cosmic level.

Members of the Primal Secret Realm typically pass through the seventh to eighth levels of the Sky Bridge;

Members of the Primordial Realm typically pass through the sixth to seventh levels of the Sky Bridge;

Members of the Heavenly Secret Realm typically pass through the fourth to sixth levels of the Sky Bridge;

The members of the Doomsday Secret Realm are of varying quality, and they are generally able to pass through the second to fourth levels of the Sky Bridge.

Even the Thunder God, whose understanding of the laws is slightly lower, has now reached the bottom level of the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm.

It should be noted that Hong and Lei Shen only joined the Qianwu Secret Realm and did not go to Chaos City for more than two hundred years after the Genius Battle ended.

The cultivation resources they could obtain were far less than those of the geniuses who joined the apocalyptic secret realm, yet their cultivation speed was even faster.

"Haha, that's fantastic!"

Thor laughed and said, "I never thought I'd have the chance to go to Chaos City!"

When Thor learned about the wonders of Chaos City from Yang Wu and Luo Feng, he was incredibly envious.

In fact, with Yang Wu's wealth, it would be quite easy for him to buy two spots for Hong and Thor to comprehend the initial universe.

Moreover, Yang Wu had mentioned this matter before, but Hong and Lei Shen refused.

In their view, the path to becoming a strong person cannot rely too much on others.

A single spot for comprehending the initial universe at the cosmic level is worth approximately ten thousand Chaos Units, which is equivalent to the entire fortune of an ordinary immortal god. This is something that the two of them find difficult to accept.

However, now that they have the opportunity to join the core of the Virtual Universe Company based on their own talents, they are naturally very excited.

"No problem, leave this to me!" Yang Wu assured him with a smile. "I estimate that Brother Hong and Brother Lei will be able to head to Chaos City in a while!"

For Yang Wu, this was indeed a small matter.

The person in charge of sending geniuses from within the Qianwu Universe to the headquarters of the Virtual Universe Company is Jin Yuhou, the Minister of the Martial Arts Department. Given Yang Wu's current status, he only needs to give him a greeting.

Hong also looked at Yang Wu and said solemnly, "Third brother, we'll have to trouble you again this time!"

Hong and Lei Shen had both joined the Qianwu Secret Realm, so they knew very well that the larger the power, the more complicated the process of recruiting geniuses.

When Virtual Universe Company recruits geniuses outside of the Genius Battle and Strongest Battle, even those with sufficient strength still need to go through a period of competition.

Their desire to directly join the post-apocalyptic secret realm is an absolute exception; without a powerful background, it would be very difficult to achieve.

"Brother Hong, you haven't forgotten about Ji Qing yet!"

Yang Wu chuckled and teased, "Do you have to be so polite with me about something like this? This requires both you and Brother Lei to be strong enough; I'm just playing a supporting role!"

"Haha, of course we four brothers don't need to be so polite!" Thor laughed heartily.

Hong smiled and nodded in agreement.

Given the relationship between them, there was no need to say anything; they could just keep it in their hearts.

"Haha!" Luo Feng laughed from the side, "Then I'll be waiting for you two, Brother Hong and Brother Lei, in the Primal Secret Realm!"

Even without going to Chaos City, Hong and Lei Shen were able to keep up with the many geniuses in the Doomsday Secret Realm. After leaving Chaos City, their strength will definitely explode, and it shouldn't be too difficult for them to break into the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm.

However, it will still take some time before one can enter the Primordial Secret Realm and the Primal Secret Realm.

"Haha!" Thor laughed as well, "Third brother, fourth brother, you may be in the lead for now, but who knows when our eldest brother and I will catch up with you!"

"Go ahead and chase me if you dare!" Luo Feng said with a smile.

His golden-horned beast clone is almost at the realm lord level; who knows who will be chasing whom?

Thinking of this, Luo Feng turned his gaze to Yang Wu.

Yang Wu smiled slightly as well. His talent and comprehension had increased considerably, and with the assistance of the time simulator, if he could still be caught up by someone, he wouldn't need to cultivate anymore.

Yang Wu and the other three chatted for a while longer before dispersing.

Yang Wu, on the other hand, was directly teleported to Amethyst Island.

……

Virtual universe, Amethyst Island.

"Your Highness Yang Wu!"

"special envoy!"

Amid greetings from many members of the Qianwu branch, Yang Wu stepped into the most dazzling Bauhinia Palace in the center of Amethyst Island.

"Marquis Jin Yu." Yang Wu walked to the door of the Minister of Martial Arts and pushed it open to enter.

"Your Highness Yang Wu!" When Marquis Jin Yu saw Yang Wu appear, he was slightly taken aback, and then his face was full of smiles.

"Why did you decide to come here?" Jin Yuhou's attitude was extremely enthusiastic.

Since Yang Wu took office as the Inspector of the Qianwu Branch, he has only appeared once, when Qian Shui came to work at the Qianwu Branch. Otherwise, he has been staying in his hometown to cultivate in seclusion.

And this is exactly what the three giants, including Jin Yuhou, most wanted to see.

Now, decades later, the three of them, including Jin Yuhou, have gone from being uneasy at the beginning to feeling extremely fortunate.

To them, Yang Wu, the special envoy who was devoted to his cultivation, was simply perfect.

"There's a small matter I'd like to ask Marquis Jin Yu for help with!" Yang Wu said with a smile.

"Please speak, Your Highness Yang Wu!" Marquis Jin Yu's heart stirred, and he quickly said.

He wasn't afraid that Yang Wu would need his help; he was afraid that Yang Wu wouldn't ask him for help.

"It's like this, I have two brothers who have been through thick and thin with me!" Yang Wu said with a smile, "They are currently cultivating in the Qianwu Secret Realm, and I would like to have them join the core of my Virtual Universe Company. I wonder if Marquis Jin Yu has any way to do so?"

"This..." Marquis Jin Yu suddenly seemed a little embarrassed.

As for whether to let someone join the Qianwu branch, that's naturally up to Marquis Jinyu.

However, the company headquarters has extremely strict requirements for talent when recruiting core geniuses, so for a time Jin Yuhou did not dare to take on too many responsibilities.

"Your Highness Yang Wu!"

After a moment's thought, Jin Yuhou smiled and said, "As you probably know, the competition among geniuses within the core of my Virtual Universe Company headquarters is extremely fierce. If one's talent isn't sufficient, it's unlikely to be absorbed by the company's core!"

"I know that!" Yang Wu said with a smile, "My two good friends are now both at the Universe level, and their understanding of the laws is comparable to the second and third levels of the Bridge to Heaven. I think they should be qualified to join the Apocalypse Secret Realm!"

"What...?"

Upon hearing this, Marquis Jin Yu was immediately startled.

Although the third level of the Tongtian Bridge is insignificant compared to Prince Yang Wu in front of him, it is still enough to enter the top 100 in the universe's overall rankings if one were to participate in the battle of the universe's top experts. Naturally, one would be qualified to join the core level of the Virtual Universe Company.

"What's wrong?" Yang Wu frowned upon seeing Jin Yuhou's reaction. "Is it possible that even such talent can't be recruited by the company headquarters?"

Jin Yuhou then realized what was happening and quickly said, "No problem! Send me the information of those two friends, and I'll submit the materials to the company headquarters immediately. It shouldn't be long before someone from the company comes to review them!"

In fact, according to the rules, Marquis Jinyu should have sent someone to review it in advance, but since Yang Wu had spoken up, he naturally had to make an exception.

"Thank you for your trouble, Marquis Jin Yu!" Yang Wu nodded and said.

……

Three months after Jin Yuhou submitted his application, the Virtual Universe Company sent staff to assess the strength of Hong and Lei Shen. Subsequently, the two were absorbed into the Doomsday Secret Realm and granted the qualification to go to Chaos City for thirty years of study.

Yang Wu, on the other hand, continued to stay on Earth and devote himself to cultivation.

Whether it's comprehending the laws or cultivating various secret techniques, everything is constantly improving.

Time flows like water, and in the blink of an eye, another fifty years have passed.

……

Virtual Universe, Rain Mountain.

In the original area, within Yangwu Manor.

At this moment, the enormous training ground had been transformed by the crimson flames into a vast starry sky.

Yang Wu, clad in dark gold armor and holding a golden sword, stood in the center of the starry sky, gazing into the distance.

call out!call out!call out!

Yang Wu, sword in hand, darted out like lightning, slashing continuously in the void. The sharp sword light even formed visible golden shockwaves that roared through the universe.

Then, the starry sky scene disappeared.

Yang Wu transformed into a streak of light and landed in front of a figure carrying a golden battle sword.

This figure was Yang Wuxin's mentor, a powerful expert at the pinnacle of the King realm, Sword King.

"Please give your comments, teacher!" Yang Wu said respectfully to Jianhuang Wang.

"Yang Wu, your talent in being able to unleash this 'Golden Sword' move is truly astonishing! But..."

Sword King's voice suddenly turned very serious: "This move, 'Flowing Gold Sword,' is based primarily on the Law of Metal, with the Law of Space as a secondary element!"

"But what you've unleashed is primarily based on the laws of space, with the laws of metal as secondary—that's completely putting the cart before the horse!"

"Of course, using your understanding of the spatial laws would make this sword technique even more powerful, but if you're after power, why don't you use the Overlord Spear?"

"The secret technique I chose for you was precisely to help you better comprehend the Law of Metal!"

"However, although your Metal Law has improved quite a bit in recent years, it still falls far short of your talent in the Fire Law and the Space Law!"

"In my opinion, you should focus on comprehending the two fundamental laws of fire and space. As for the law of metal, you can abandon it for now!"

After hearing what King Jianhuang said, Yang Wu felt somewhat depressed.

Now that he has broken through to the Domain Lord stage, the drawback of the longer simulation interval has gradually become apparent.

Although Yang Wu's talent is now comparable to that of a peerless genius who appears once every ten thousand epochs, his cultivation speed over the past few decades is still not as fast as it was before.

Therefore, in recent years, King Jianhuang has been advising him to give up comprehending the Law of Metal.

But Yang Wu knew the reason why his cultivation speed had slowed down, so he was naturally unwilling to give up easily.

(End of this chapter)