Chapter 80: Thunder Emperor!
"The top three of the World Region are definitely geniuses who've touched the threshold of Law comprehension!"
"Those ranked in the top 100 have likely grasped faint traces of the Laws!"
"With a nine-layer Domain, as long as you play it smart, breaking into the top 1000—or even the top 500—is absolutely possible!"
"In the first few days of the preliminary, don't waste time fighting—it's a lot of effort for very little reward! The real surge in points starts around day 8 to day 10. That final 20-day phase is where you rise fast!"
"That's all I have to say—make your own choices now."
With the countdown ticking under 60 seconds, Jiang Zhe reminded them one last time. His deep gaze especially locked onto Thor.
"Haha, got it. I won't go charging in recklessly."
Thor chuckled awkwardly, scratching his bald head. His intentions had clearly been seen through—he'd planned to go on a rampage the moment he entered.
"Luo Feng, your training time has been short. This Genius Battle will last 3 to 4 years. This is your last true chance to transform—use it well."
Jiang Zhe finally turned to Hong. "You're the calmest among us. The only thing holding you back is your comprehension of the Light Law. Keep pushing."
Amidst the ocean-like crowd, the four of them exchanged looks.
"Good luck," Luo Feng smiled.
"Let's all make it through the preliminaries." Thor's expression grew more serious under Jiang Zhe's repeated warnings.
"Do your best!" Hong wore his signature calm smile.
"Three... two... one! Teleportation initiated!"
The crisp voice of the universal language echoed in the ears of over 800 billion people. In the blink of an eye, everyone on the continent vanished.
The virtual universe had opened up 100 separate worlds, each receiving 8.2 billion entrants.
The preliminaries... had officially begun.
---
World Zone 99
Jiang Zhe's vision blurred. After two or three seconds, the world came into focus.
Warm sunlight shone above. A salty sea breeze brushed against his skin. The soft texture underfoot told him he was standing on a beach.
Ahead were coconut trees and dense shrubs. Behind him stretched a vast, boundless ocean. Far off, he could faintly make out the silhouettes of distant islands.
"What intense gravity," Jiang Zhe muttered as he moved his body, adjusting to the environment. "As expected... Earth is like a marble compared to the planets in the wider universe."
He glanced down at his wrist device. A holographic screen popped up with information from the organizers.
Participant: Jiang Zhe (Planet Bizé)
Points: 0
Ranking: None
Assigned World Zone: Zone 99
Preliminary Duration: 30 days. At the end, rankings will be based on total points.
Note: Zone 99 simulates the sea region of the "Azure Planet" in the Qianwu Universe Nation. It spans over 19 million square kilometers, with 87 major islands. Land makes up 54% of the total area.
All objects (buildings, terrain, trees, etc.) in this zone have a hardness level of B9.
Point System: [...]
Ranking Rules: [...]
Important Reminder: Each participant only has one life. Death ends the preliminary run and halves your accumulated points.
Detailed rankings follow...
Jiang Zhe sat cross-legged on the sand, reading the material from the Virtual Universe Company. The data he calculated made him frown.
"Nineteen million square kilometers... and only 87 islands?"
"That means each island is roughly 120 to 130 thousand square kilometers. About the size of Fujian Province in my previous life. And they're supposed to support nearly a billion people fighting to the death? That's a population density of 300 to 600 people per square kilometer."
As he was thinking, flashes of light filled the skies—people were already fighting overhead. Explosions echoed from the jungle behind him. Several streaks of light were flying toward his location.
A sudden glint of dark light shot out from the shrubs behind him, approaching in a blink. A dim short blade that seemed to absorb light stabbed directly toward the back of his head.
"Your points are mine!"
The voice was like sandpaper—low and sinister, a death god's whisper.
The blade stabbed in—only to pierce an illusion.
The assassin froze. The seated figure vanished like a bubble.
"Wha—A mirage? His speed—"
"You're too slow."
"...Guh!"
The female assassin looked down in horror. A hand had pierced clean through her chest. A dark-purple gauntlet with the engraving of an enraged ape was now drenched in her blood, making the emblem seem all the more alive.
Her eyes, wide with disbelief and shock, gradually dimmed.
Jiang Zhe pulled his hand back, and with a flick, the gauntlet was clean—no blood left behind.
His expression was calm and emotionless as he looked back at his wrist screen. The numbers had changed.
Participant: Jiang Zhe (Planet Bizé)
Points: 1
Ranking: 695,948,864
"Tch. Better to fatten the pigs before the slaughter. I'll find a good place to settle down, then act after ten days."
Without even activating his Mirage Step, Jiang Zhe casually strolled into the forest.
Anyone who dared charge at him recklessly was instantly struck down by the streaks of lightning constantly circling around him.
First Form of the Hand of Destruction: Heaven's Wrath.
While slightly inferior to the Nine Supreme Divine Weapons of the Controllers, it was still an absolute force among its tier.
This was just the prelims—no need to break a sweat.
The gravitational intensity of the test world limited his spiritual force's range to about 1000 meters. Anyone within that radius—especially those at the Stellar level—would be killed instantly.
Over time, Jiang Zhe explored the zone's limits. A barrier stopped vertical movement around 9000 meters above ground and 1000 meters underwater.
The island showed no traces of advanced technology—its civilization level was akin to Earth's feudal era.
After traveling hundreds of kilometers inland, Jiang Zhe found a stilt house nestled between mountains and water, still intact and undisturbed. He was satisfied and decided to settle there for ten days.
Within the thousand-meter radius of his spiritual sense, any intruder was smitten by a bolt of thunder from the sky—like divine punishment.
Soon, this area became a recognized forbidden zone.
Those hunting points nearby made sure to steer clear of the one-kilometer radius around the stilt house.
Some even gave the mysterious, faceless powerhouse a title—"Thunder Emperor"—and the name began to spread.
For ten days, Jiang Zhe focused entirely on cultivating the secret technique Tower of the Void, constructing a three-layered mental tower within his sea of consciousness.
This represented Universe-level soul defense strength.
With his strong willpower, he was capable of cultivating higher levels—but with only Stellar level stage 9 physical strength, both his mind and spiritual force couldn't sustain more than three layers… for now.
Still, it was already monstrous.
Even in the final battlefield of the Genius War, almost no spiritual attack could shake his soul.
Participant: Jiang Zhe (Planet Bizé)
Points: 10,223
Ranking: 92,456
"The next twenty days won't be peaceful. I'm not interested in drawn-out arena battles. The guaranteed promotion spot in Zone 99—it's mine."
Just as Jiang Zhe stirred from his cultivation, his brow twitched. He sensed multiple powerful auras surrounding him.
The price of staking his claim had arrived.
Everyone knew a terrifying tyrant dwelled in the stilt house. He hadn't killed indiscriminately—not out of mercy, but because he was waiting for others to grow… and then harvest them all at once.
It was a blade hanging over everyone's heads in this region of Island No. 32.
Some left the island entirely to avoid the looming disaster.
Others began rallying forces to take him down.
Nearly 40 participants flew into the air simultaneously. After a quick glance at each other, they shot toward the stilt house.
Weapons charged with spiritual force and wild Origin Energy attacks rained down, aiming to obliterate Jiang Zhe in one strike.
Crack!
Electricity crackled in the air.
A dark-purple lightning field bloomed, instantly trapping all 38 attackers within.
Crushing pressure weighed down on them.
Spiritual weapons wrapped in electric arcs had their power steadily erased. Some were completely destroyed by the corrosion.
Energy blasts were nullified in mid-air, fading into wisps of smoke.
"Dammit! What is this terrifying domain?!"
"It's Law! He's stepped into the threshold of Law and integrated it into his domain!"
"Run! He has top-100 strength! We can't win!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Jiang Zhe finally revealed himself, stepping onto his Mirage Steps. Dozens of illusions surrounded him, making it impossible to tell which was real.
Nine bolts of lightning wove around him like serpents, each three feet long.
With blinding speed, they pierced through the skulls of fleeing participants one by one.
Some recognized the technique—his abilities.
"Time Mirage?!"
"This is the Law of Time! How is such a monster unknown?! Why isn't he in our intelligence database?!"
The terrifying scene above the stilt house sent shockwaves through nearby observers. The countless afterimages left them frozen in awe.
But reality struck quickly—they scrambled in all directions, driven by pure fear.
Jiang Zhe didn't bother to chase. He withdrew his domain and checked his screen.
Participant: Jiang Zhe (Planet Bizé)
Points: 1,690,034
Ranking: 892
"As expected, patience pays off in the later stages."
Those who dared to attack him were no weaklings. Killing these 38 elites had earned him over 1.6 million points.
---
Planet Bizé.
A second-level administrative planet under direct control of the Qianwu Universe Nation, managing dozens of nearby sectors.
Its immediate superior? A first-level admin star. There were only nine in the entire Qianwu Nation—each overseeing nearly a thousand star systems.
Jiang Zhe had applied for Qianwu citizenship. Since he hadn't declared a specific place of origin, the system automatically assigned him to the nearest suitable region.
Just as Luo Feng's achievements were attributed to the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, Jiang Zhe's glory now belonged to Planet Bizé.
Inside a lavish spaceship hall, thousands of elites from Planet Bizé and its subordinate territories were watching.
Many of them ranked above emperors in the Black Dragon Empire.
"Congratulations, Lord Planetary Governor!"
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