Swallowing the Stars: Starting with the Battle of Geniuses

Chapter 81: Twenty-five years old, a member of the core primordial secret realm of the virtual universe.

Luo Feng met Hunzhen's gaze, raised his wine glass, and smiled, "Your use of the Primordial Spirit Weapon is truly impressive. Those two probably couldn't have seen through your self-created 'Arc Light Leap' at the end. Only a fellow controller would know how amazing that was! You truly deserve the first place in the Genius Battle."

Hunzhen raised his glass without any hesitation and clinked glasses with it, laughing, "Your Sky-Piercing Style isn't bad either."

Suddenly, his eyes darted around, his gaze sweeping over the three of them, and he grinned slightly: "Luo Feng, let me be frank, of the three of you, you're the one I think is the best."

Rong Jun squinted at Hunzhen, silently glanced at Luo Feng, and took a sip of wine.

Luo Feng remained motionless, his brow furrowed, about to speak.

Uka snorted and put his arm around Hunzhen's shoulder: "Brother, trying to sow discord here, huh! Hmph, we in the Primordial District are united against a common enemy. You, the rich guy from the Primal District, better watch your step tonight!"

"Tch~"

Hunzhen snorted, leaned back in his chair, and sighed, "Seeing you all so harmonious now, I really want to see you compete fiercely, your faces flushed with anger. I'd jump over there, clap my hands, cheer you on, and shout 'Fight! Fight!' It would be so exhilarating! What a pity, such a pity!"

The three of them were immediately speechless.

I've come to understand this guy's mentality of being a comedian to some extent...

Uka was furious at the guy who ruined the atmosphere he had worked so hard to create, and immediately grabbed Hunzhen's neck tightly.

"Damn it, we should have swapped your Primal Secret Realm spot with ours!"

Rong Jun looked at this scene with dead fish eyes and a confused expression, and even the fine wine in his mouth no longer tasted good.

"This is the damn number one genius? This is the monster who utterly humiliated me?"

If this is a nightmare, please wake up quickly.

Luo Feng was also annoyed and just wanted to end this theatrical scene as soon as possible, so he quickly changed the subject and said, "By the way, what are your ages? I'll go first with my question. I'm thirty-three."

The Genius Battle is held once every ten thousand years and is restricted to humans below the ninth rank of the Constant Star level.

Given their qualities, if they were to participate in the battle of the strong, they would most likely not wait for the genius battle while being suppressed in level, so they should all be under five thousand years old.

But how much exactly, and how much age difference is there between him and the number?

Luo Feng was genuinely curious.

Thirty-three.

Luo Feng's age drew astonished looks from Rong Jun and Wu Ka.

Although they weren't very old, they were both over a hundred years old. It was unexpected that Luo Feng's understanding of the laws was so profound and his combat ability so strong, yet he was not even fifty years old.

After exclaiming in surprise, Uka patted Luo Feng on the shoulder and winked, saying, "Little Feng, I'm more than ten times your age. By your planet's standards, I'm old enough to be your ancestor!"

Luo Feng's brow twitched, but Hunzhen beside him spoke up quietly: "I am Hunzhen, twenty-five years old, a member of the core of the virtual universe and the Primal Secret Realm."

Luo Feng glanced at Hunzhen and saw the other wink at him. He chuckled and looked at Wuka, letting out a sneer: "Wuka, you've lived for over three hundred years in vain. You can't even beat a twenty-something-year-old."

Rong Jun nodded: "Trash."

Uka paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said indignantly, "Aren't you two from the Primordial Zone just like me?!"

Luo Feng sneered: "I'm thirty-three."

Rong Jun added, "I'm 120."

Hunzhen's fatal blow: "You have more than three hundred."

Uka's eyes widened: "You...you all..."

"Waaah—"

With a scream, Uka collapsed onto the chair.

Through simple banter, the group gradually transitioned from acquaintances to acquaintances. With the exchange of drinks and the fact that they were of similar social standing, they quickly entered into a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere.

For geniuses, casual conversation is just a diversion; the topic of conversation quickly returns to laws, secret techniques, and cultivation.

Luo Feng explained his understanding of self-cultivation.

Uka broadened everyone's horizons with his extensive knowledge.

Rong Jun shared his insights on the unique secret method.

Hunzhen, relying on his highest level of understanding of the laws among the four, offered insightful guidance.

At the very end of the gathering, Hunzhen glanced at Luo Feng casually and casually uttered a remark.

"By the way, although the next three years of spaceship flight are a good time to cultivate secret techniques, I suggest that you don't spend all your points at once."

Luo Feng was taken aback.

He had only recently finished browsing through the treasure trove of the Virtual Universe Company.

Under Babata's relentless bombardment and incitement, he planned to spend all his points to boost his strength in one fell swoop.

He couldn't help but ask, "Why? Points are just numbers; shouldn't they be used to improve our strength as much as possible?"

"Luo Feng, you're wrong about that."

With Uka's knowledge, he quickly understood Hunzhen's meaning and explained, "At our current level, a few hundred or even tens of points worth of secret techniques are more than enough! Using them all up would be a complete waste of resources!"

Uka shook his head: "You don't know if we'll receive additional training once we enter Chaos City. Like Hunzhen, as far as I know, members of the Primal Secret Realm can choose a personal Immortal teacher. With a teacher's guidance, choosing a secret technique is definitely more suitable than choosing blindly on your own!"

Hunzhen nodded: "With the future path not yet fully clear, purchasing secret techniques with a total cost of less than a thousand points is more than enough. However, no matter what path you ultimately plan to take, there's no harm in improving your foundation in the laws. I can recommend a few works from the treasure trove that I know of."

The three of them, Luo Feng, Hunzhen, and others, only studied three laws: space, metal, and earth. They didn't know much about metal and earth, but the laws of space were a different story.

Besides the "Bloodstained Codex," which fully analyzes the nature of space, the Sims have also read and absorbed many different codes.

After drawing on the strengths of various sources, he also developed his own unique understanding of the merits and demerits of the fundamental secrets of spatial laws.

After the explanation and recommendation, all three people present seemed to have gained some understanding.

This gathering came to an end with the conclusion of the exchange.

Back in his lounge, Luo Feng couldn't help but call out to Babata for a question.

"Babata, you heard what Hunzhen said just now, right?"

He frowned, recalling Babata's earlier encouragement and advice, and said, "I think he makes a lot of sense. Leaving no points at all is indeed a bit reckless."

Babata blinked and muttered, "Luo Feng, I'm just a weak intelligent life form. Suggestions are suggestions, but I can't change your decision, no matter what."

Luo Feng could easily tell that this guy was feeling guilty; he had probably already recovered from the shock of seeing the treasure vault for the first time.

All I could do was smile helplessly and search for the works that Hunzhen had mentioned.

The Bloodstained Manual was prominently featured among them.

He recalled that Hunzhen had emphasized that analyzing the essence of space was indeed a thorough path, and that using the "Bloodstained Secret Manual" to solidify the foundation was indeed exceptionally effective.

On the other hand, it will greatly reduce the speed of comprehending the laws.

Hunzhen explained the strengths and weaknesses of each work, but the choice ultimately rests with the individuals themselves.

"Without a teacher, it is indeed easy to feel confused when making choices."

Luo Feng shook his head and sighed softly, but his expression quickly hardened.

Willpower is like a knife; confusion is the negative emotion that can least disturb Luo Feng.

"Fundamentals, fundamentals! Throughout my journey, the fundamentals have been my top priority! I'm still young, and I have the advantage of having a Demon Slayer clone. This 'Bloodstained' manual is indeed the most suitable work for me right now!"

……

After parting ways, the four immersed themselves in their spiritual practice, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Hunzhen opened the backend email list and found that the emails he exchanged with Aisa, one a day, had piled up for nine days.

The very first email was a heartfelt petition.

"Respected Lord Aisa, I, Hunzhen, the champion of this year's Peak Genius Battle, greatly admire your achievements on the path of time and space, and I deeply respect and admire you. I humbly request that you become my teacher."

But he was met with a cold rejection and ridicule.

"Do you think that just because you're the number one genius in the competition I'll grovel and teach you? You're too ugly, I... won't... teach you!"

Hunzhen then sent a second, even more sincere and earnest petition.

"Get out, don't make me say it a second time!"

Fortunately, Hunzhen wasn't blocked, so...

He sent out a third, more distinctive email.

"Old woman, are you a terrible teacher? I'm the number one genius in the competition, and you're too scared to teach me?"

"How dare you challenge a true immortal!?"

"Hehehe, you trashy old woman, you're getting anxious, you're getting anxious!"

After a week of daily spam emails, Hunzhen finally received the last one.

The latest novel is first published here!

"Hmph, not bad guts. Kid, I've got my eye on you."

What appeared before Hunzhen was a white-haired woman wearing a sky-blue battle robe, who looked to be around fifty or sixty years old on Earth.

She was tall, a head taller than Hunzhen who was nearly two meters tall, and stood upright with a stern, almost soldier-like air about her.

Even with deep nasolabial folds, one could still deduce his handsome appearance in his youth from the details of his facial features. His gray eyes were deep and cold, as if two knives were scraping against Hunzhen's face.

Neither their metallic, luminous silver-white medium-length hair nor their light gray eyes are signs of weakness, but rather unique physical characteristics of the Starlight Clan. Once they unleash their true power, their hair and eye color will shift towards sky blue. Even when they maintain a dormant state of white and gray, they are not ashen, but possess a special aura of beauty and elegance.

However, a hideous, centipede-like scar running from her forehead to the corner of her lips completely ruined the beauty of her delicate features and unique temperament.

Otherwise, her first impression on Hunzhen would have been that of an aging supermodel, not a fierce and terrifying warlord.

At the level of immortality, unless one suffers a fatal injury, most wounds can be rapidly healed by expending divine power, and maintaining a youthful appearance is effortless. Not to mention in the virtual universe, even if there are difficulties in repair, as an immortal, one can apply for restoration of appearance both inside and outside the virtual universe.

In other words, the reason why Aisha retains the appearance of an elderly person with facial scars is entirely due to her personality.

"Welcome, Teacher Aisha."

Upon seeing this imposing and terrifying old woman, Hunzhen smiled and bowed in a master-disciple greeting.

When Aisa stepped into his manor, he didn't even need to check the email notification from the virtual universe to know that the other party had approved his teaching application.

"Whoa~..."

Aisha sized up Hunzhen, narrowing her eyes slightly: "I wondered what kind of junior he'd been spouting nonsense at me lately would be like, but look, isn't he just a docile little lamb?"

Hunzhen maintained his smile and said, "Teacher Aisa, it's not good to push your luck."

Aisha laughed in exasperation upon hearing this, pointing to herself: "You're saying I'm pushing my luck?"

Hunzhen looked at Aisa with a strange expression and said, "Teacher Aisa, of course I'm talking about myself."

Aisha now understood the meaning behind Hunzhen's gaze—"I've successfully lured you here to teach me, so what's wrong with you calling me a little lamb?"

Looking at Hunzhen's expression, it was as if the words "Are you stupid?" were written all over his face.

Aisa's forehead veins practically bulged: "Aren't you afraid I'll teach you the wrong things? Deliberately lead you astray?"

Hunzhen pointed to the sky and said calmly, "The virtual universe is watching everything. Teacher Aisa, if you deliberately lead the Genius Battle champion astray, I think someone will come looking for you for tea."

Aisha stared at Hunzhen, his aura growing increasingly sinister and terrifying.

Whoosh!

"Your Highness!"

Gadi appeared quietly, his face solemn as he stood in front of Hunzhen.

Even though in principle the virtual universe of Rain Mountain is absolutely safe, as a guard, he has to take precautions regardless of whether there is any risk.

Moreover, the immortal aura remains real within the virtual universe. Given Aisa's expertise as an illusionist, what if it actually has a negative impact on Hunzhen? Gadi wouldn't take that gamble.

Hunzhen remained calm.

Through his advanced knowledge, he has essentially established a personality model for Aisha.

Aisha is extremely arrogant, so she will not accept students who are too obedient, but instead favors those who are unconventional or extremely self-centered.

She doesn't care whether the student's "self" is a disguise or real. If she can find out her preferences, she is equally willing to take in a student with such outstanding abilities.

At least for now, all communication is a process that has been verified by simulated human test subjects to ensure it is real, feasible, and risk-free.

As expected, when Aisha saw that Hunzhen was completely unmoved by her imposing aura, she quickly suppressed her own aura and revealed a genuine smile.

"very good."

Aisa looked at Hunzhen with admiration and said, "With your talent, becoming an immortal is a certainty. But if you possess endless lifespan and are still constrained by ordinary rules and ethics, how can you guarantee your unwavering pursuit of the path to strength? Even if you have great talent on the surface, so what!? In my eyes, you're just trash who won't go far. I, Aisa, wouldn't deign to teach you!"

"If one day our limited ambitions are fulfilled, our emotions gradually fade, and we lose our belief in continuous pursuit... how should we respond to the infinite expanse of time!?"

She concluded, "The strong must be self-reliant! Only those with a strong desire for self-realization can withstand the test of time without decaying or decaying, and only they can become truly strong!"

Is there any merit to Aisha's view?

Hunzhen believes it exists.

In some respects, Isa's argument coincides with Earthlings' concept of "self-cultivation."

Many geniuses, after achieving immortality and possessing endless lifespans, lose all pursuit and ambition.

After all, as long as you don't deliberately seek death, you can live indefinitely, and at this level, you can enjoy all the pleasures you can imagine.

Too many geniuses, having achieved immortality, have lost their drive for progress. Even within the core of the virtual universe corporations, powerful human entities, there are numerous examples of this.

Compared to an immortal lifespan, the capacity of the human heart is finite.

The theoretical infinity is to take my heart as the heart of heaven, and to compare the individual to the heavenly way in mythology.

Clearly, Hong, who is still influenced by desires, yearns for others, and explores for the survival of civilization, cannot be considered to have truly reached the state of "limitless heart".

For mortals who live to be at most a hundred years old, dreams have no end, ambitions can never be fulfilled, and desires always come one after another.

But when lifespan is immortal, the individual is placed on a cosmic scale.

Ultimately, the sea dries up and the rocks crumble, and the world changes.

In the vast universe, an individual's thoughts are like a floating duckweed on the sea.

Only the law and only the truth endure.

But... on the other hand, he also felt that some of Aisa's ideas were somewhat extreme.

Some people care more about themselves, while others value the inheritance of traditions.

Aisha, who champions self-expression yet chooses to become a mentor, seems to be awkwardly caught between the two.

This is probably related to Aisha's experience, as evidenced by the fact that she deliberately left unsightly scars on her face.

Hunzhen wasn't so tactless as to deliberately expose this fact.

"Teacher Aisa, let's not delay any longer, please begin the lesson immediately!"

Hunzhen waved his hand to dismiss the hesitant Gadi, and said to Aisa with a hearty smile.

Aisha looked at Hunzhen, who had instantly returned to his inquisitive, academically inclined state, as if the tense atmosphere from just moments ago had never occurred, and nodded in surprise: "Throughout my teaching career, I've seen countless oddballs, but you really are one of a kind!"

Despite the suggestion, Aisha readily agreed and fulfilled her duties as a teacher based on Hunzhen's ideas.

(End of this chapter)