"Heh… those foolish human executives never would've imagined that we'd dare to strike deep inside their territory—and at a time like this."
The black-robed figure let out a cold chuckle. Beneath the hood, a pair of eerie green eyes flicked toward the purple-robed man.
"Zhenghai," the figure said slowly,
"After you deliver me to the galaxy, you'll withdraw immediately."
"You are a crucial piece our alliance planted within the human race. If exposure can be avoided, then it must be avoided."
In truth, with the cultivation of a High Universe Venerable, he could have crossed space alone through long-distance teleportation, arriving at the target galaxy in an extremely short time.
But such violent spatial fluctuations would inevitably alert the upper echelons of the human race.
This mission demanded absolute certainty.
This time—
He wasn't merely here to kill Jiang Yan.
He intended to enslave Jiang Yan's soul first… and then kill him.
Only then could resurrection be completely eliminated.
Direct annihilation was too crude.
With his full power, he could shatter an entire galaxy in a single strike—erasing all life without exception.
But the best outcome…
Was to enslave Jiang Yan's soul, allow the human race to pour resources into nurturing him, and eventually turn him into a weapon of the Demon Race.
That was true victory.
For safety, he had chosen to travel alongside Zhenghai—
A human marquis-level Immortal.
Once the ancestor of the Mengyou Empire's royal family, Zhenghai had long ago been enslaved by the Zerg's invincible existence.
And now—
He had been "gifted" to the Demon Race as part of this joint operation.
A bargaining chip.
"Yes, Master."
Zhenghai bowed respectfully, his gaze filled with fanatic reverence. Under the edge of the black robe, one could vaguely glimpse a grotesque face covered in dark scales.
A High Universe Venerable of the Demon Race—
His master.
"Once we reach the Milky Way," the black-robed figure murmured,
"we'll confirm Jiang Yan's precise location."
"This is his interpersonal network…"
He casually took out a data crystal and began reviewing it.
Elsewhere — Genius Battle Plane Space
With Luo Feng's defeat—
The rankings of the Universal Human Peak Genius Battle were finalized.
First: Jiang Yan
Second: Bolan
Third: Ai Chen
The three secured places in the Primordial Secret Realm.
Luo Feng, Hong, Rong Jun, Qian Shui, Wu Ka, Jiang Mo, and Long Yun—
Seven in total—entered the Initial Secret Realm.
Venerable Nine Swords stood above the central plaza, clad in blue, smiling as he announced the results:
"Ranks 1st to 3rd…"
"Ranks 4th to 10th…"
"Ranks 11th to 100th…"
"Ranks 101st to 1000th…"
"All four tiers of candidates have now been selected."
He paused, then laughed.
"This year's Genius Battle is the finest since its inception."
"From today onward, all of you are members of the Virtual Universe Company's core."
"Your cultivation paths will no longer be ordinary."
"The Virtual Universe Company will spare no effort in supporting your growth."
"We will help you step onto the true peak of the universe."
His gaze swept across the thousand geniuses below, finally settling on Jiang Yan.
"I believe that within a few—or a few dozen—epochs…"
"Many of you will shake the cosmos and become pillars of the human race."
"Soon, personnel from the company will contact you and escort you from your respective locations to headquarters."
"The road of cultivation is harsh and unforgiving."
"Once you reach the Initial Universe, how far you go will depend entirely on yourselves."
"Your journey—"
"Has only just begun."
With that—
The figures of Venerable Nine Swords, Scale-Armor Giant Thirteen, and the other Immortals vanished.
Only the thousand geniuses remained.
A three-year-long battle—
Ended perfectly.
Not long after, a Virtual Universe Company staff member named Mana summoned Jiang Yan and the others to a private room in the restaurant.
They recorded the detailed coordinates of each participant's home planet and instructed them to wait for pickup.
"Great Demon King!"
"Madman!"
"See you at headquarters!"
Rong Jun, Uka, and the others waved farewell before logging out of the Virtual Universe.
Ai Chen jogged over, smiling brightly.
"Jiang Yan, we'll meet again soon. I'll need your guidance on the Laws of Time and Light."
As fellow Primordial Secret Realm members, they would see each other often.
"In reality, the journey may take years," she added,
"but in the Virtual Universe—it's instant."
"No problem," Jiang Yan replied with a smile.
Soon after, Jiang Yan, Luo Feng, Hong, and Thor all withdrew their consciousness and returned to reality.
Earth — Galactic Group Headquarters
"Go home and spend time with your families," Jiang Yan said gently.
"Once we leave for the Virtual Universe Company's headquarters, you won't see them in reality for a hundred years."
The Initial Universe's time flow was vastly different—
Thirty years there equated to nearly a century outside.
Luo Feng, Hong, and Thor nodded.
For Earthlings, a hundred years was unimaginably long.
Hong wasn't even a hundred years old yet.
Jiang Yan and Luo Feng were barely past thirty.
"In five days," Jiang Yan said,
"we'll regroup and depart from Bai Lan Star."
Afterward, Jiang Yan personally warned Janet, Jiang Fang, Venina, Enchanting, Tang Yongqing, and the others:
"In the Virtual Universe, the Galactic Group has expanded across the Dry Witch Continent."
"But in reality—don't leave Earth."
"Only here can your safety be guaranteed."
Around the Solar System, Jiang Yan had already arranged layered secret methods through Red Kite.
Even Marquis-level Immortals wouldn't be able to threaten Earth in a short time.
"Don't worry," Janet smiled.
"We'll stay right here."
Everyone understood—
Death in the Virtual Universe was harmless.
Death in reality—
Was absolute.
Five days later—
Jiang Yan rested a hand on his eldest son's shoulder.
"Chen'er," he said with a laugh,
"While I'm gone, as the big brother, you must protect your mothers and siblings. Understand?"
Jiang Chen—now nearly 1.8 meters tall—puffed out his chest like a seasoned street boss.
"Don't worry, Dad!"
"If anyone dares mess with the Jiang family…"
"I'll use the E9-grade laser cannons you gave me and wipe out his whole clan!"
Jiang Yan paused.
Then laughed helplessly.
…This kid really has become a member of society.
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