Green Demon Ender took second place!
Haha! My Molten Rock Empire won second place in this Pinnacle Genius Battle!
Ender is my idol. To achieve second place among all of humanity's Geniuses, what a magnificent honor that is!
Following the conclusion of the Pinnacle Genius Battle, after the Virtual Universe Company announced the rankings and released the edited footage, the Molten Rock Star Field erupted in excitement!
Because Ender, who was born in their Starfield, had achieved second place!
Second place among all of humanity in the entire Universe!
The honor Ender gained in this Pinnacle Genius Battle was enough to make the citizens of the Molten Rock Star Field proud and joyful for a long time. More importantly, it allowed them to hold their heads high!
Among the tens of thousands of Starfields in the Ganwu Universe Country, very few had ever produced a top ten participant in the Pinnacle Genius Battle, let alone a second-place winner.
...
In a magnificent palace on Molten Rock Island, in the Virtual Universe Ganwu Continent.
"Haha! My decision back then was indeed correct!" World Master Molten Rock burst into laughter. It had been a long time since he had laughed so freely.
"Guret, congratulations," World Master Azure Wood said with a smile, a hint of envy in his heart.
His friend was about to become a Disciple of the great Lord of Ganwu, even if only an Official Disciple. This was something countless Immortals yearned for, and even he couldn't help but feel envious.
"Oh." World Master Molten Rock slightly raised his hand, and a light screen appeared before him. "Ender is back. I need to go see him."
...
While the citizens of the Molten Rock Star Field felt pride and honor, Ender was quietly sitting in a corner of the Virtual Universe Molten Rock Secret Realm.
"It's been eighty years since I left home to go to the Stellar Training Camp," Ender thought to himself as he sat quietly. "Eighty years, which for powerhouses like Immortals is merely a Cultivation period, but for me, it's more than half my life."
"I haven't been back for eighty years," he mused with a touch of sadness. "And in the future, this time will be even longer!"
He had received a message from the Virtual Universe Company that the spaceship coming to pick him up would arrive in fifteen days.
At that time, he would take the spaceship, travel for three years to reach the Virtual Universe Company's Universal Headquarters, and then enter the Beginning Universe to comprehend and Cultivate for thirty years.
The flow of time in the Beginning Universe is different from the Original Universe; thirty years in the Beginning Universe is equivalent to one hundred years in the Original Universe.
And after these one hundred years, he would enter the Primal Secret Realm for training and tempering, and the duration of that period was unknown.
"The next time I return home, I'm afraid I'll already be a World Lord, sent out to be an inspector of the Ganwu Universe."
Ender felt a sense of melancholy, yet a glimmer of hope arose within him. "I've become a Primal Secret Realm member, one step closer to resurrecting my elder brother."
In truth, he knew that even becoming a member of the Virtual Universe Company's Primal Secret Realm, the hope of resurrecting his elder brother within ten thousand years was still slim.
Swish!
A white light flashed, and a figure silently appeared beside Ender.
He had a square face with prominent features, four tusks protruding from his mouth, fiery red skin, and a burly physique. The newcomer was none other than World Master Molten Rock, Guret!
World Master Molten Rock greeted him, "Ender."
"Mm!" Ender snapped back to attention, realizing it was World Master Molten Rock calling him. He quickly stood up and respectfully said, "Your Majesty."
He felt grateful to World Master Molten Rock and naturally showed respect, as without his concealment of his physical talent and his unreserved efforts in nurturing him,
he would not have had the opportunity to enter the Virtual Universe Company's Core Region and become the most esteemed member of the Primal Secret Realm.
"No need to bow to me." World Master Molten Rock smiled. "Your status is different now. You are a core member of the Virtual Universe Company." Ender humbly said, "Your Majesty, you overpraise me."
"Not overpraising." World Master Molten Rock smiled and shook his head. "I came to you this time, firstly to thank you, and secondly to give you a gift."
Before Ender could reply, he continued, "Because you entered the Virtual Universe Company's Core Region, I was able to complete my trial and become an Official Disciple of the great Lord of Ganwu!"
"An Official Disciple of the Lord of Ganwu?" Ender was somewhat surprised. What even Bolan in the original novel hadn't achieved, World Master Molten Rock had actually done!
Bolan, who was called a Genius appearing once every ten thousand epochs in the original novel, hadn't been taken as a Disciple by a Universe Venerable-level powerhouse even after entering the Virtual Universe Company's Core Region.
The Lord of Ganwu is also a Universe Venerable. Although he was a bit poor... uh, it's hard to say now, as the time has been advanced by an unknown number of tens of thousands of years, so he probably hasn't achieved the Human Race's first 'debtor' accomplishment yet.
Regardless, as a Universe Venerable, the Lord of Ganwu's requirements for accepting Disciples should be extremely strict, even for Official Disciples.
But Ender then thought that World Master Molten Rock, without formal System Cultivation, had once defeated an Immortal head-on, showing some potential. With Cultivation, he might very well become a King-level Immortal.
"That's right." World Master Molten Rock smiled. "Although it hasn't been formalized yet, it's already set."
"Congratulations, Your Majesty," Ender said, offering his felicitations.
"Haha!" World Master Molten Rock laughed heartily, then said, "I told you, besides thanking you, I also have a gift for you."
He gently raised his finger, and a light screen appeared before the two of them, displaying the Molten Rock Empire's Star Chart.
"This is the gift I'm giving you." World Master Molten Rock pointed to the marked area on the light screen. "Ten Star Systems centered around your hometown, Kuka Planet."
Ender was very tempted. "That's too valuable!"
"It's just ten Star Systems. Compared to becoming an Official Disciple of the great Lord of Ganwu, what is this!"
World Master Molten Rock shook his head slightly. "If I hadn't considered your Family's insufficient strength, I would have wanted to give you the entire Molten Rock Empire."
Upon hearing this, Ender nodded in agreement internally. If World Master Molten Rock truly gave him the Molten Rock Empire, he wouldn't dare to accept it.
Once something unexpected happened to him, even if he didn't die but merely temporarily lost contact, this Starfield would become a death warrant for the Royce Family!
"Then I shall accept it." Ender signed his name on the received contract, officially becoming the Lord of these ten Star Systems.
Seeing Ender sign the contract, World Master Molten Rock smiled and said, "For these ten Star Systems, the Empire will manage them for you for five hundred years. You can end the management at any time within these five hundred years."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Ender said, expressing his gratitude. World Master Molten Rock having the Empire manage it for five hundred years was helping him.
With the current Royce Family, they were unable to manage these ten Star Systems because they lacked sufficient talent and sufficient strength.
"Since my purpose here has been achieved, it's time for me to leave." World Master Molten Rock smiled, then suggested, "Before heading to the Virtual Universe Company Headquarters, you can use this time to spend well with your Family."
After speaking, without waiting for Ender's reply, World Master Molten Rock transformed into a white light and departed.
"Yes, it's time to see my Family." Watching World Master Molten Rock leave, Ender sighed inwardly, "Although we can only reunite in the Virtual Universe, it's still better than the previous video calls through light screens."
Thinking this, he left the Molten Rock Secret Realm and headed to the manor he had purchased for his Family on Molten Rock Island in the Virtual Universe...