Yes, Luo Fan, Luo Feng, and Hong had all been selected among the top twenty.
As for Thor, he wasn't chosen.
Although he had already prepared himself mentally, when the results were announced, he still couldn't help feeling a little dejected.
After all, he knew he stood no chance of entering the Primal Secret Realm.
But he had at least hoped for a spot in the Initial Secret Realm.
Now, even that was gone.
Among the four people from Earth, Thor was indeed the weakest.
There was no need to mention Luo Fan and Luo Feng, their comprehension of the laws and their opportunities were both exceptional.
As for Hong and Thor, their strength had once been roughly on par.
However, back on Earth, Hong had already mastered the Domain.
Thor had done so slightly later.
Perhaps it was because he had never experienced the pressure brought by the Golden Horned Beast.
So, Thor's progress in comprehending the Domain had been slower.
As a result, he joined the Flowrock Secret Realm much later.
One step behind, every step behind.
That small delay caused his understanding to fall short of Hong's.
Hong had walked the path of the Illusory Martial Flow.
Given Hong's state of mind and willpower, that style was extremely suited for him.
Because of that, even if his comprehension of the laws wasn't the strongest, his combat strength was not weak at all.
That cultivation path had been something Luo Fan specifically reminded them of.
Thor had chosen the same flow as well.
"The twenty people chosen by the Virtual Universe System are exactly the twenty I announced earlier," said the man in the cyan battle robe with purple scales, smiling.
"Please rest and recover from your previous battles. After some time, the next round will begin."
"As for your opponents, you'll find out when the fight starts."
About half an hour later.
A deep rumbling echoed across the central plaza as the ground trembled. Ten massive arenas slowly rose in the middle of the square, each covered by layers of black threads.
In the next instant, Luo Fan and the other nineteen contestants were teleported onto the ten giant arenas.
…
Outside the arena, nearly a thousand young men and women sat around casually.
"Thor, congratulations on making it into the top hundred."
"What a pity, though. I thought your strength could have gotten you into the top twenty."
A straightforward, burly man sat down beside Thor. He was the opponent Thor had defeated in the earlier match to secure his spot in the top hundred.
Thor glanced sideways at him. "Bolga, are you here to mock me?"
"Pouring salt on my wounds, huh?"
Bolga quickly waved his hands. "Why would I mock you? I couldn't even beat you myself."
"But that last move of yours was terrifying. I died instantly inside the illusion."
"You're not an illusionist like Galesi, are you?"
The nearby young geniuses chatted in small groups.
Although they came from different advanced cosmic nations and hadn't known each other before, everyone here was a genius, and they all understood it.
Naturally, they began to build connections.
…
Before Luo Fan could react, he was already teleported onto the arena.
As soon as he stood there, he immediately composed himself and looked toward his opponent, curious to see who it would be this time.
When his eyes focused, he froze.
A heartbeat later, his pupils widened slightly.
Standing across from him was none other than Hong.
Hong was just as surprised when he saw Luo Fan. Then he smiled faintly.
"Come on. Show me your full strength. I want to see how big the gap between us has grown."
Luo Fan's eyes were complicated.
Of all possible opponents, Hong was one of the last he wanted to face right now.
He knew Hong's strength well.
It was Luo Fan himself who had suggested that Hong follow the Illusory Martial Flow.
Hong's state of mind was perfect for it.
His mind had reached a level of serenity that could embrace all things.
Even the illusions of an Immortal being might not affect him now.
That didn't mean his will surpassed that of an Immortal.
Though Hong's willpower and mental cultivation were extraordinary, it was impossible for a Stellar-level warrior's will to surpass four realms and reach the Immortal level.
But his mental state could encompass everything, including illusions.
That made him extremely suited for illusion-based techniques.
If his opponent had been anyone else, even Bolan, Hong might have advanced.
His illusion arts were that powerful.
In fact, Hong's illusion skills were far superior to Galesi's.
If the two ever fought, Hong could annihilate Galesi instantly.
Illusions just as strong as Galesi's, paired with greater martial strength, Hong completely outclassed him.
However, against Luo Fan, victory was nearly impossible.
The Illusory Martial Flow's greatest strength lay in using illusions to control or interfere with the enemy before delivering a fatal strike, or even killing the opponent within the illusion itself.
Against opponents of the same level, even those with equal willpower, Hong's illusions would still affect them.
After all, his mental state was incredibly powerful.
But Luo Fan, although he appeared to be at the ninth level of the Stellar rank, had mechanical and spatial worm clones that had long since reached the Cosmic level.
His willpower wasn't weak either.
In fact, his consciousness was several times stronger than Hong's.
That made Hong's illusions virtually useless against him.
"I really didn't want to meet you," Luo Fan sighed softly.
At that moment, a voice echoed through the air: "Begin!"
Luo Fan didn't hesitate. He immediately drew the Tidal Blade.
Even though his opponent was Hong, he couldn't hold back.
Hong was the same.
The moment the command was given, he unleashed his illusion art and charged at Luo Fan.
He had to strike before Luo Fan broke free from the illusion, that was his only chance.
But just as he entered within a hundred meters, Luo Fan's previously unfocused eyes suddenly cleared.
In that instant, he slashed.
The next moment, countless blade lights surged like an ocean wave, crashing down upon Hong.
Luo Fan's eyes carried a trace of regret as the tide of blades engulfed Hong.
A colossal wave of light swept through, swallowing him whole.
Yet, before he died, Hong's lips curved into a gentle smile.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
When the sea of blades finally dispersed, nothing remained.
…
In the area where the 1,008 Immortals watched—
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Luo Fan really is a monster."
"I swear, his strength seems even greater than it was in the Trial Tower."
"No way, already stronger? It hasn't even been that long."
"Do you think Luo Fan might reach our level soon?"
"At this rate, give him a million years, and he might just be standing among us."
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