Chapter 352: Beyond the Universe, A New World
In the end, only about 1,000 contestants met the tournament's eligibility requirements.
This number seemed small because, although it wasn't explicitly stated, Contract Soul Masters below the Soul Elder level were essentially disqualified they were simply too weak to compete.
The age limit for the tournament was set at 30 years old (recently adjusted).
At this stage, excluding prodigies from major factions, most soul masters were typically between the Soul Elder and Soul King levels, with their contracted soul beasts ranking at similar levels.
Beyond these restrictions, the tournament enforced strict rules:
Matches were meant to promote friendly competition between humans and soul beasts.Injuring opponents severely was to be avoided whenever possible.Killing an opponent was strictly forbidden!
Any contestant found intentionally trying to kill their opponent would be immediately disqualified and held accountable.
These rules applied equally to both soul masters and their soul beast partners, as they were regarded as a single entity.
The ultimate goal of the Contract Soul Master Tournament was to strengthen the harmony between humans and soul beasts.
Turning it into a brutal bloodbath would completely defeat its original purpose.
After finalizing the tournament's basic structure, Ye Cheng left the rest of the preparations to his subordinates.
Instead of handling minor details, he shifted his focus to something far grander
Exploring the Multiverse.
But this wasn't about traveling from one planet to another.
Ye Cheng wasn't just thinking about interstellar travel he was searching for an entirely different universe beyond this Douluo Universe!
Breaking the Boundaries of Reality
With 20% completion of his Abyss Sovereign Persona, Ye Cheng temporarily channeled its power, allowing him to extend his perception across the entire universe.
What was once an infinitely vast cosmos now felt small and confined in his eyes.
For the first time, he could see its limits.
The Douluo Universe held no more secrets from him.
Reaching the absolute peak of this world meant one thing
If he didn't want to stagnate and decay, he had to push forward, venturing into the unknown.
It was time to explore what lay beyond.
Luckily, even though his Abyss Sovereign Persona was only 20% complete, that alone was sufficient to break through the barriers of this universe.
Compared to what lay beyond, the Douluo Universe had become predictable and limited.
But beyond it was something mysterious and incomprehensible, far beyond ordinary understanding.
The Douluo Universe A Mere "Egg" in a Vast Expanse
After activating his Abyss Sovereign abilities, Ye Cheng's perspective expanded infinitely, allowing him to observe the Douluo Universe from an external, omniscient view.
From this perspective, the Douluo Universe took the form of a massive sphere.
Within it lay a seemingly endless cosmic expanse, filled with countless planets and stars.
Surrounding this universe was an invisible "shell", enclosing it like an egg.
Ye Cheng now had one goal
To crack open the shell from the inside and escape.
His current level of power made this possible.
Although he wasn't yet strong enough to manipulate universal laws or destroy reality itself, merely punching a small hole through the barrier was something he could do.
As a transmigrator, Ye Cheng had always known that other worlds existed beyond this one.
So, without hesitation, he focused his power and pierced a small opening through the cosmic shell.
Immediately, the universe itself reacted
The natural forces of reality attempted to repair the breach, sealing it shut.
But Ye Cheng resisted, using his own strength to keep the hole open, engaging in a battle against the universe's own restoration forces!
Taking this chance, he sent a fragment of his consciousness through the hole, keeping his true body inside the Douluo Universe just in case.
A Vast and Boundless Void
What Ye Cheng sensed was beyond words.
If he had to describe it it was pure vastness.
Beyond the Douluo Universe, there was no up, no down, no left or right.
No universal laws, no concepts of space or time.
Only endless nothingness.
And in this infinite void, Ye Cheng saw something shocking
The Douluo Universe was not alone.
There were countless "eggs" floating in this void each one representing a separate universe!
Ye Cheng was stunned.
This was the truth of the multiverse.
His Douluo Universe was just one of many.
Attempting to Invade Another Universe
Realizing he had discovered a method of world travel, Ye Cheng's heart raced with excitement.
Without hesitation, he set his sights on the nearest "egg" and attempted to pierce its outer shell to enter its universe.
However
It didn't work.
The outer shell was too thick!
And this particular universe was at least a thousand times larger than the Douluo Universe!
Ye Cheng quickly understood
Just because he was strong in his own universe… didn't mean he was powerful everywhere.
To succeed, he needed to choose a weaker target.
Targeting a Smaller Universe for "Devouring"
Ye Cheng changed his approach.
Instead of targeting a massive universe, he looked for a smaller one a "soft persimmon" that could be easily crushed.
Before long, he located a universe that was only one tenth the size of Douluo's.
This time, his attack worked
The barrier cracked open.
Ye Cheng immediately sent his consciousness inside, scanning this new reality.
The laws of this universe were similar yet different from Douluo's.
And just as he had expected, his arrival triggered a rejection reaction this universe instinctively tried to expel him.
But then, Ye Cheng had an ambitious thought
Instead of just exploring, why not drag this smaller universe toward Douluo's universe?
Could Douluo Devour Another Universe?
If he succeeded, the Douluo Universe would absorb this smaller one, growing in power.
Its foundational energy would increase, and the creatures living within it would all benefit.
This was the concept of world evolution by devouring weaker universes, his home universe could level up.
Ye Cheng acted immediately.
He used all his strength to pull the smaller universe closer.
Slowly but surely, the two began to converge.
As they made contact
Nothing happened.
The two universes simply stopped moving upon touching.
The problem?
Both universes had protective "shells" preventing external absorption.
Ye Cheng frowned.
If he couldn't merge them, then his plan to upgrade the Douluo Universe would fail.
He needed to figure out how universes devoured each other.
Or… did universe devouring not actually exist?
This was completely beyond his understanding.
For the first time, Ye Cheng had reached a true knowledge gap.
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/cortez10