If the Poisonous Swamp could barely be classified as a death-level dangerous zone, then the peril rating of the Star Belt was at minimum on par with that toxic wasteland, if not decidedly higher.
As a location designated as death-level, the Star Belt consisted of 108 celestial bodies of varying magnitudes arranged in a peculiar formation. These stars were organized into three distinct groups of 36 each, with diameters measuring tens of millions of kilometers, billions of kilometers, and hundreds of billions of kilometers respectively.
The entire Star Belt formation constituted a High-Level Domain-type Arcana, a treasure of extraordinary power!
More critically, this formidable treasure possessed an owner.
Within the Yongluo Secret Realm, according to the Lord of Star Stream, four top-tier Universe Overlords of comparable strength reigned supreme, all originating from Special Lifeform bloodlines.
Lord of Star Stream claimed to rank fourth among these four powerhouses, though Han Jue privately estimated that Star Stream was likely the strongest of the quartet. There was no particular mystery to this assessment, only the overwhelming advantage conferred by a massive Divine Body. Among beings of equal law comprehension and technique mastery, the cultivator with the larger Divine Body invariably possessed decisive advantages in both offense and endurance.
The entity controlling the formidable Domain-type Arcana known as the Star Belt was Venerable Guanri, a top-tier Universe Overlord whose eccentric temperament matched his terrifying combat prowess.
Venerable Guanri's greatest pleasure involved roaming the Yongluo Secret Realm with his Star Belt treasure, seeking worthy opponents to test against his domain's overwhelming power. Unlike the gentle and scholarly Lord of Star Stream, Venerable Guanri was a combat enthusiast who actively sought stimulation through battle across countless epochs.
Successfully surviving an encounter with Venerable Guanri's Star Belt offered no guarantee of escape. If his interest was sufficiently piqued, he might forcibly detain his opponent for extended "training sessions" that frequently proved fatal.
Fortunately, circumstances had shifted dramatically in Han Jue's favor.
Venerable Lianyi's timely arrival at the Ice and Snow Temple brought a profound sense of relief to the tense situation.
"Senior Sister! And... Senior Brother Lansong, Venerable Nine Swords, and Guardian Kandeli!" Han Jue's face lit up with genuine joy as he recognized the powerful reinforcements materializing within the Ice and Snow Temple's protected interior.
"Junior Brother, we finally meet properly," Venerable Lansong said cheerfully, his voice carrying warmth despite his intimidating appearance.
Clad in black combat robes, Venerable Lansong towered over most beings with his muscular physique belonging to an unknown alien species. Across his broad back hung a massive double-bladed battle axe, its edges gleaming with cold light that suggested this was no ordinary weapon. The axe radiated an aura of concentrated violence, clearly designed for devastating melee encounters.
Venerable Nine Swords and Kandeli also greeted Han Jue with friendly smiles, their expressions conveying genuine pleasure at this reunion.
"This Venerable Guanri lacks basic courtesy," Venerable Lianyi snorted coldly, her aqua-blue hair shifting as she turned her gaze outward.
The Star Belt that had been bearing down on the Ice Wasteland spaceship in the external void had abruptly changed trajectory upon the Ice and Snow Temple's manifestation. Now it surged directly toward the temple itself, its 108 stellar bodies blocking and sealing the surrounding space-time continuum to prevent any possibility of escape.
"Han Jue, remain here. I'll return momentarily," Venerable Lianyi commanded, gesturing for Venerable Lansong to follow as both prepared to confront the threat directly.
The two senior disciples departed the temple's interior, emerging into the external void together. Venerable Nine Swords observed their exit briefly, then followed at a more leisurely pace, leaving Kandeli to keep Han Jue company within the temple's secure interior.
Han Jue understood clearly that he possessed insufficient power to participate meaningfully in a confrontation at this level. He nodded obediently, content to observe from safety rather than become a liability.
Outside the Ice and Snow Temple.
Venerable Lianyi stood in the void alongside Venerable Lansong and Venerable Nine Swords, her great sword manifesting in her hands as killing intent radiated from her frame. Venerable Lansong gripped his massive battle axe, both warriors glaring intently toward the ancient figure seated serenely within the Star Belt's formation.
"Venerable Guanri, do you wish to become an enemy of our Virtual Universe Company?" Venerable Lianyi inquired calmly, though her tone carried an unmistakable edge of steel.
"Virtual Universe Company?" Venerable Guanri's expression revealed clear apprehension, but his stubborn nature refused to back down immediately.
"Can you three truly represent the Virtual Universe Company?" Venerable Guanri responded disdainfully, attempting to maintain his aggressive posture.
Venerable Lianyi smiled, a cold expression devoid of genuine warmth. "Do you honestly believe that your High-Level Domain-type Arcana alone can prevent us from departing if we choose to leave?"
"Consider carefully," she continued, her voice taking on a lecturing tone. "Why hasn't a single Universe Master descended into this secret realm? Because the rewards simply don't justify the investment. The most valuable treasure this secret realm can produce is precisely your High-Level Domain Arcana. Top-tier Arcana cannot emerge here, the dimensional limitations prevent it."
"Furthermore, there exists an upper limit to how many High-Level Arcana can manifest in any given secret realm. This Yongluo Secret Realm will likely produce only two or three such treasures at most. The two High-Level Arcana currently confirmed both belong to you top-tier Universe Overlords. Everything else is merely ordinary Arcana that might attract Universe Venerables for exploration, nothing more."
"What exactly are you implying?" Venerable Guanri demanded, genuine confusion creeping into his voice.
"What I'm saying is simple," Venerable Lianyi replied, her smile widening dangerously. "You useless bastard, prepare to die!"
Without further warning, she slashed forward with her great sword!
Venerable Guanri, despite relying heavily on his Special Lifeform's innate advantages, advanced Domain-type Arcana, and stellar belt treasure to achieve top-tier Universe Overlord status, possessed law comprehension and secret technique mastery barely equivalent to Venerable Lansong's level.
Venerable Lianyi, even at her maximum combat power, had already transcended ordinary top-tier Universe Overlord standards, significantly surpassing Venerable Guanri who depended primarily on innate abilities and treasures rather than genuine cultivation depth.
"As expected of Senior Sister!" Venerable Lansong exclaimed admiringly.
The Ultimate Secret Technique of a Universe Overlord!
This devastating technique represented the foundation of Venerable Lianyi's reputation as a top-tier Universe Overlord. According to the Lord of Ice Peak, it was merely a matter of time before Venerable Lianyi created a Pinnacle Secret Technique of a Universe Overlord, and once she achieved that breakthrough, her path to becoming a Universe Master would essentially be guaranteed!
The timeline for such advancement remained uncertain, it might require hundreds of millions of epochs, or enlightenment could strike in a single instant. No one could predict when genius would transform into transcendence.
BOOM!
The great sword tore through the defensive formation created by the Star Belt and struck Venerable Guanri's Divine Body directly!
Though the attack failed to inflict critical damage against Venerable Guanri's massive Special Lifeform physique, the impact jolted him from his arrogant complacency. Astonishment flashed across his features as he instantly commanded the Star Belt to retreat from the confrontation site.
"Hmph."
Venerable Lianyi watched the departing Venerable Guanri with undisguised contempt, snorting disdainfully. Such bullies who terrorized the weak while cowering before the strong dared to act so arrogantly here?
Returning to the Ice and Snow Temple.
"Junior Brother, did you successfully visit Star Stream Sea? How did everything proceed?" Venerable Lianyi inquired immediately upon their return.
"The clone has been successfully obtained," Han Jue confirmed with a satisfied smile.
He proceeded to recount his experiences within Star Stream Sea in considerable detail. Everyone present belonged to the Ice Peak lineage, they were all trusted allies. There was nothing worth concealing from these senior martial siblings.
"A Star Stream Sea clone?" Venerable Lianyi's eyes brightened with genuine excitement.
"So that Star Stream Sea entity is actually a Special Lifeform? Beings similar to the Nine Nether Lord of the Ancestral God Cult are extraordinarily rare throughout the universe..." Venerable Lansong couldn't contain his astonishment. "A 9,000-times life gene multiplier! Junior Brother, your opportunity this time vastly exceeds any treasure's value. Perhaps the greatest reward available in this entire Yongluo Secret Realm is precisely this clone!"
Indeed.
Before ascending to Universe Master level, cultivators' life gene levels could only reach 100 times at maximum. Upon achieving Universe Master status, this upper limit expanded to 10,081 times. Even exceeding 10,081 times became theoretically possible, with such transcendent beings achieving Divine Power status and potentially becoming the strongest existences in the universe, True Gods themselves.
Possessing such a clone meant that even at World Master level, Han Jue would already be invincible against ordinary opponents of equivalent cultivation stage.
"Senior Sister, I'm planning to cultivate this clone first, then proceed to the extraterritorial battlefield for practical combat training," Han Jue explained his intentions to Venerable Lianyi.
"Excellent plan. Your two children and those other Earth geniuses have already established themselves on the extraterritorial battlefield," Venerable Lianyi acknowledged. "However, since you've already demonstrated combat power matching a primary Universe Venerable, the extraterritorial battlefield might prove insufficiently challenging."
Immortals trained on the extraterritorial battlefield to sharpen their combat instincts and accumulate battle experience.
Universe Masters trained in the Cosmic Ocean, confronting truly apocalyptic threats.
Universe Venerables occupied an awkward middle ground, they lacked dedicated training environments designed specifically for their power tier. Most simply explored various cosmic secret realms or waited patiently for the Primordial Star to open its cycles.
"I'm planning to send my clone to train on the extraterritorial battlefield when the time comes," Han Jue elaborated with an amused smile.
"I still require considerable development in terms of secret techniques," he admitted frankly. "My combat power may match a primary Universe Venerable, but my technique repertoire remains limited. Practical combat experience will help tremendously."
The implication was clear, while Han Jue's raw power had advanced dramatically, his tactical versatility and technique mastery still required refinement through actual battle testing. The extraterritorial battlefield would provide exactly that kind of crucible experience.