Whoosh!
Han Jue transformed into a stream of light, blazing through the vast main hall. The space around him blurred as he flew forward, each second carrying him deeper into the magnificent structure. After several moments of uninterrupted flight, he spotted the dazzling figure seated upon the distant throne, along with the numerous silhouettes occupying the seats arranged symmetrically along both sides of the hall.
King Tianyu!
A being whose power matched that of King Yanhuang himself!
"You are Han Jue, correct?" a gentle voice resonated from the throne, carrying effortlessly across the vast chamber.
King Tianyu possessed long golden hair that cascaded down his shoulders in lustrous waves. One pair of eyes shone with a striking turquoise-blue luminescence, while the single vertical eye positioned between his brows gleamed with a brilliant golden pupil. His nose was high and aristocratic, his lips thin and precise. Within those extraordinary eyes seemed to dwell the boundless universe itself, endless galaxies and infinite possibilities reflected in their depths.
"Greetings, King Tianyu!" Han Jue said calmly, his gaze sweeping briefly across the twenty-four individuals seated on either side of the hall.
Among them sat Marquis Po Yu, the one who harbored such deep resentment toward King Zhenyan and had expressed her desire to kill Luo Feng.
As Han Jue's eyes passed over her position, Marquis Po Yu was also studying him intently.
Is this Han Jue, Luo Feng's close friend and perhaps even fellow townsman? she wondered, her thoughts calculating. But I dare not harbor any schemes against him.
As a minor Marquis-level Immortal, she possessed only fragmentary knowledge about Han Jue's background, she knew he'd been accepted as a disciple by some great being, though she had no way of determining exactly who. It was most likely a Universe Venerable at minimum, perhaps even someone of higher standing. She would have to be utterly insane to dare attack the direct disciple of such a caliber of existence.
Better to wait and see if Luo Feng comes here, Marquis Po Yu mused, her expression carefully neutral.
"Take out your ten thousand black tokens," King Tianyu commanded from his throne, his tone carrying the casual authority of absolute power.
Han Jue nodded slightly and produced the collection of black tokens he'd gathered during his mission.
"According to the rules of Demon Mountain, I will provide you with a reward," King Tianyu stated calmly, his golden vertical eye observing Han Jue with subtle interest. "Since you follow the Ice Peak lineage, I shall grant you a leaf from the Purple Bamboo Jade Maple tree. It is a special treasure from a universe secret realm, helpful for tempering the body and strengthening physical foundations."
"Master, the auction value of this Purple Bamboo Jade Maple tree leaf is approximately 1.5 million Hunyuan Units," Rimuru answered automatically in Han Jue's mind, providing encyclopedic knowledge without being asked.
It seems that while I may not receive the same preferential treatment as Luo Feng, this isn't bad at all, Han Jue thought to himself, genuinely satisfied.
Although these leaves from the Purple Bamboo Jade Maple tree were no longer particularly useful to him personally, he could give them to Han Huan, Han Xi, and the others later. The treasures might prove helpful in cultivating the First Hell of the Ice Peak Nine Hells Body technique.
He hadn't seen his children in over a decade now. He wondered how their training was progressing.
"Thank you, King Tianyu," Han Jue said respectfully, accepting the reward with appropriate gratitude.
"Excellent," King Tianyu nodded slightly, a hint of a smile crossing his otherwise impassive features. "After completing the Demon Mountain mission, you should be returning directly to the Primal Secret Realm. The spaceship for your departure has been prepared and is ready for immediate use."
"Teacher."
Han Jue stood within the Ice Peak Hall, facing the rarely seen Lord of Ice Peak directly. The Universe Master's presence filled the chamber with an almost tangible weight of power and authority.
"Have you cultivated the Third Hell of the Ice Peak Nine Hells Body?" the Lord of Ice Peak asked, his silver eyes studying his youngest disciple with clinical interest.
"Yes, Teacher," Han Jue replied.
"Excellent progress," the Lord of Ice Peak nodded with subtle approval. "Since you've already achieved the Third Hell, you have no need to visit the Purgatory Abyss for additional training. Your next priority should be preparing to break through to the Domain Lord level."
The Lord of Ice Peak paused, his ancient gaze seeming to pierce through layers of reality itself. "Though there remain many hidden opportunities within those Universe-level cultivation missions, for someone of your caliber, once you break through to the World Master level, you will possess the ability to kill Immortals in direct combat. You won't need to compete with others for scattered opportunities any longer."
"However, before making that breakthrough, you have one important task to complete," the Lord of Ice Peak said slowly, his tone carrying unmistakable significance.
"The Universe-level Primal Tongtian Mountain?" Han Jue asked, already suspecting what his teacher would require.
"Indeed." The Lord of Ice Peak nodded once, decisively. "Challenge the Primal Tongtian Mountain and conquer it. Once you've successfully broken through all its trials, you may proceed to break through to the Domain Lord realm."
There were three distinct Tongtian Mountains: the Primal Tongtian Mountain, the Absolute Beginning Tongtian Mountain, and the Heaven and Earth Tongtian Mountain. These three towering challenges existed to test geniuses at different cultivation levels and secret realm tiers.
If a member of the Apocalypse Secret Realm successfully broke through all three Tongtian Mountains consecutively at their respective cultivation levels, they would be directly promoted to become a Primal Secret Realm member, a feat requiring extraordinary talent and dedication.
However, this rule didn't mean Primal Secret Realm members couldn't challenge the Primal Tongtian Mountain themselves. Far from it.
Successfully breaking through the Primal Tongtian Mountain rewarded an enormous number of points, precious currency within the Virtual Universe Company's internal economy.
It also served as definitive proof of one's strength and potential.
The Primal Tongtian Mountain tested three fundamental qualities: your comprehension of the Origin Laws, your mastery of combat techniques and secret methods, and the strength of your soul's willpower. All three elements had to work in perfect harmony to achieve victory.
Passing the 'Universe-level' Primal Tongtian Mountain would directly reward 100 million points upon advancing to World Master level.
Passing the 'Domain Lord-level' Primal Tongtian Mountain would directly reward 3 billion points upon advancing to World Master level.
Passing the 'World Master-level' Primal Tongtian Mountain would immediately reward 100 billion points!
Han Jue wouldn't remain at the Universe-level or Domain Lord level for long, he would soon be able to reach the World Master level through his accumulated comprehension and resources. At minimum, those 100 million points would be earned with relative ease.
The Primal Tongtian Mountain towered thousands of miles into the virtual heavens, its majestic and mysterious presence dominating the specially carved-out dimension within the Virtual Universe. It was the tallest mountain in this entire realm, a monument to the heights of human achievement and potential.
At the mountain's base in the distance, a massive minotaur with curved horns lay sprawled, a terrifying battle axe resting beside his enormous bulk. He snored relentlessly, drool dripping from the corners of his mouth in thick strands, slowly trickling down his fur-covered face to form threads that fell onto the dark rocks scattered nearby.
"Your Highness Han Jue! Are you here to challenge Tongtian Mountain?"
Sensing Han Jue's gaze upon him, the minotaur suddenly became alert and excitedly climbed to his feet, his massive form casting an enormous shadow. His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Han Jue nodded slightly in confirmation.
"Your Highness Han Jue, we've been waiting for you for quite some time!" the minotaur laughed heartily, raising his bovine head and roaring toward the mountain's heights. "White-furred ape! Snake woman! Come quickly! We have a challenger!"
His voice reverberated and echoed across the virtual landscape, carrying with unmistakable excitement.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
From different directions at the foot of the Primal Tongtian Mountain, two figures flew in rapidly. From the left approached a lean ape-man wearing silver-white armor, his golden fur gleaming in the virtual sunlight, a black bamboo pole strapped across his back. From the right, a strange woman clad in translucent gauze flew gracefully through the air, she possessed a human upper body but her lower half was that of a serpent, her scaled tail undulating as she moved.
"Your Highness Han Jue," the snake woman said, studying him with unconcealed interest. "The rules for conquering Tongtian Mountain are straightforward. You must fight your way to the summit, slaying all the gatekeepers positioned at the foot, mid-mountain, and summit. Only once you've successfully defeated every guardian will you have truly conquered Tongtian Mountain. The three of us serve as the gatekeepers stationed at the mountain's foot!"
Han Jue nodded slightly, understanding perfectly. The challenge was simple in concept but would require everything he had to execute successfully.
"Enough of this pointless talk. Let's begin."
The Cloud Sea Dragon Hunter materialized in Han Jue's hands, its familiar weight comforting and deadly. The blade hummed with barely contained power, eager for battle.
This might be the final time Han Jue would wield this particular weapon in serious combat.
Upon reaching the Domain Lord level, Han Jue would finally be able to wield the Ice Sword, the legendary blade left behind by the Ice Wasteland Realm Lord. Its value alone surpassed even the Henggumu Armor, making it an immortal divine weapon coveted by most Kings! The minimum requirement for properly wielding the Ice Sword was possessing at least one-tenth the strength of a World Master.
Since this will be our final battle together, Han Jue thought, I will lead you through this Universe-level Primal Tongtian Mountain one last time!
The three guardians' eyes lit up simultaneously at Han Jue's words, their anticipation palpable.
"Attack!" the minotaur roared, grabbing his terrifying giant axe and taking a thunderous step forward. The ground trembled beneath his hooves as the massive axe swung toward Han Jue's head with devastating force!
The white-furred ape-man laughed with a strange, chittering sound. The black bamboo pole on his back flew out instantly, and as it moved through the air, the entire weapon seemed to stretch impossibly. The bamboo pole consisted of nine segmented sections, and each section separated at once, connected by countless silk-thin threads. The configuration formed something resembling a venomous snake preparing to strike, its flexible body coiling to deliver a lethal bite directly toward Han Jue's torso.
The snake woman's approach was even more direct. A purple light flashed within her eyes, and her invisible telekinetic power surged forward, attempting to penetrate Han Jue's brain and attack his consciousness directly.
A three-pronged assault, physical, weapon-based, and psychic, all launched simultaneously with perfect coordination.
"Is that all?" Han Jue murmured, almost disappointed.
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