Han Jue moved with practiced efficiency, his body flowing like water as he evaded the incoming assault.
The three gatekeepers of Tongtian Mountain stood before him, each representing one of the fundamental combat disciplines: Warrior, Controller, and Illusionist. Their combined presence would have intimidated most challengers at the Universe level, but Han Jue was far from ordinary.
The snake woman hissed, her eyes glowing with an eerie light as she attempted to trap Han Jue within an illusion.
Illusions? Against Han Jue, they were utterly useless.
Even without relying on his Absolute Heart technique, Han Jue's willpower had grown to rival that of a Universe Master. His consciousness had been tempered to the peak of World Master level through countless battles and rigorous cultivation. Mental attacks of this caliber couldn't even scratch the surface of his defenses.
Ten thousand avatars materialized simultaneously, blanketing the mountainside in an instant!
Each avatar unleashed a ray of sword energy while Han Jue himself activated his signature technique: Ice Wasteland World!
The dimensional space transformed into a winter hellscape. Countless white snowflakes of sword energy materialized from thin air, each one a deadly fusion of the Origin Laws of Water and Space. They fell like a blizzard of death, dense and inescapable. Under Han Jue's precise control, each snowflake struck its target with surgical precision, carving horrific wounds into the three guardians.
"Puff!"
The snake woman spat out a mouthful of blood. The backlash from her failed soul attack had shaken her spirit, temporarily robbing her of offensive capability. Her seductive facade crumbled, replaced by genuine fear.
"Damn it!" the minotaur bellowed, his massive body covered in deep lacerations. The wounds severely hampered his movements, and every motion sent waves of tearing pain through his powerful frame.
But Han Jue's avatars gave him no respite. They pressed their advantage relentlessly, each one wielding sword energy with lethal intent.
"Divide the Sea," Han Jue whispered, his voice carrying absolute authority.
In that instant, the entire battlefield transformed!
The falling snowflakes of sword energy froze mid-air, suspended by Han Jue's will. Then, with breathtaking speed, they streamed toward the sword in his hand, gathering and condensing until his blade blazed with overwhelming power!
The sword became wrapped in the aura of the Origin Laws of Water and Space, emitting a dazzling blue light that illuminated the entire dimensional space. A terrifying momentum continued to build, rising like a tidal wave of pure destructive force.
Even within the virtual universe, Han Jue fought without the advantage of his physical enhancements or the amplifying power of the Holy Flame. So what? His raw skill more than compensated for any missing elements.
A sword strike with an amplitude of 4,381 times his base power, could they possibly block it?
"Swish!"
A blue crescent of sword light cleaved through the air.
Viewed from above, one could see a blade of energy extending for ten thousand meters, shaped like a perfect crescent moon. The power contained within it was sufficient to annihilate countless World Masters with ease.
"Bang!"
As the sword energy descended, all three guardians collapsed!
A moment later, the three figures reconstituted themselves, their bodies restored to pristine condition by the virtual universe's systems.
"Congratulations, Your Highness Han Jue!" the minotaur said respectfully, all trace of his earlier arrogance gone.
"Please continue your ascent, Your Highness," the snake woman added, her tone now reverent. "With your strength, you should have no trouble navigating the Universe-level Primal Tongtian Mountain. The last person to accomplish this feat was tens of millions of epochs ago."
Han Jue nodded with a faint smile. "I will."
He turned and began climbing toward the summit, leaving the awed gatekeepers behind.
Virtual Universe, Earth's Holy Land.
This unique dimension existed within the virtual universe itself, a special space created specifically for Earth by the Virtual Universe Company. Within the virtual universe's hierarchy, Earth's Holy Land held a status equivalent to that of a high-level universe country like Ganwu Universe Country, though few outsiders knew of its existence.
Control of this privileged space rested entirely with Han Jue.
"Luo Feng!"
Lei Shen's voice cut through the peaceful atmosphere, his face etched with anxiety.
"Master Lei, what's the rush?" Luo Feng responded with a smile, emerging from a nearby training facility. "Fortunately, I just finished that training mission. Otherwise, I might have missed your message."
"This matter concerns Big Brother," Lei Shen said urgently, his typical joking demeanor nowhere to be found.
"Big Brother? You mean Master Hong?" Luo Feng's expression shifted immediately to concern.
Though Lei Shen and Han Jue shared a particularly close bond, the relationship between Hong, Lei Shen, and Luo Feng was also strong. Even without the sworn brotherhood that might have existed in another timeline, Luo Feng deeply admired Hong's exceptional mental state and had proven willing to lend him significant resources to improve the Golden Horned Beast's cultivation. When Hong faced trouble, Luo Feng's concern was genuine.
"What happened?" Luo Feng asked seriously.
"It's complicated," Lei Shen said, shaking his head in frustration. "Big Brother used to travel with that World Master from the Time Realm. Later, after Han Jue reminded him about the Illusionary Sea, he returned to Ganwu Universe Country over a decade ago with the intention of joining the Huge Axe Dojo."
"For the past decade, Big Brother has been living on Qiongyu Star, one of the nine first-level administrative planets in Ganwu Universe Country," Lei Shen continued. "While residing there, he... developed feelings for a woman."
"?"
Luo Feng stared at Lei Shen in disbelief. Though he remained silent, the shock in his eyes spoke volumes.
"You find it strange too, don't you? I was equally shocked when Big Brother told me," Lei Shen said helplessly. "But you know Hong, once he makes a decision, nothing can change his mind."
"The problem is that Qiongyu Star is one of the nine premier administrative planets of Ganwu Universe Country," Lei Shen frowned. "It's where the powerful and influential gather. Hundreds of Immortal-level families maintain branches there alone. And this woman comes from one of those powerful backgrounds. Her family has forcibly prevented Hong and the woman from being together."
"How powerful is her family?" Luo Feng asked carefully.
"More powerful than Earth's backing?"
Luo Feng was referring to Earth's unique position. Their homeworld was protected by both the Virtual Universe Company and had the support of the entire human race. Though neither Lei Shen nor Luo Feng possessed Six Eyes like Han Jue, as native Earthlings, their status within the universe was quite high, potentially comparable to that of the Manka people. The only reason their status wasn't more widely recognized was that Earth hadn't yet produced sufficiently powerful individuals to command universal respect.
"It's not that level," Lei Shen shook his head. "The family behind the woman is connected to one of the three hundred noble families of Ganwu Universe Country. However, they don't seem to know anything about Earth's special nature."
"That makes sense," Luo Feng frowned thoughtfully.
Information about Earth was carefully protected to prevent alien races from discovering its unique characteristics and targeting it.
"So we can't leverage Earth's special status to help Master Hong?" Luo Feng asked.
"Exactly," Lei Shen nodded. "If I had any other options, I wouldn't have come to you. And I can't reach Han Jue either, he's in seclusion again."
"This... I need to think carefully." Luo Feng's frown deepened. How could he help Master Hong? Should he ask his teacher, King Zhenyan, for assistance? But requesting his teacher's help for what amounted to a romantic entanglement seemed inappropriate and excessive.
Should he break through to Domain Lord level early to gain more influence?
"Wait, Han Jue just replied!" Lei Shen suddenly said, his face lighting up with excitement.
The Summit of the Primal Tongtian Mountain.
With a final, decisive strike, Han Jue's sword pierced through the snake woman's defenses, ending the battle. A moment later, all three guardians reappeared, fully restored.
"Congratulations, Your Highness Han Jue, for conquering the Universe-level Primal Tongtian Mountain!" the three proclaimed in unison, bowing deeply.
Han Jue waved his hand dismissively, signaling them to dispense with the formalities.
Though his understanding of the laws hadn't improved dramatically over the past few decades, he had already reached the thirteenth and fourteenth levels of Tongtian Bridge while in the Seven Flames Palace, his time after leaving had been extraordinarily productive. His continued comprehension of the Water and Sky Holy Flame had further deepened his mastery of the Ice Peak Chaos Monument's principles.
While he hadn't yet fully grasped the monument's fifth diagram, Han Jue's powerful amplitude meant he now possessed a reasonable chance of passing the fifteenth level of Tongtian Bridge.
The difficulty of the Universe-level Primal Tongtian Mountain was merely comparable to the twelfth level of Tongtian Bridge, well within his capabilities.
"Hmm?" Han Jue paused, his attention drawn to an incoming message. "Hong is in trouble? And the family patriarch wants to see me?"
His eyes narrowed slightly as he processed the information, already beginning to formulate a plan.