Although he had some understanding, Ye Yun was still somewhat shocked to witness such a majestic, super-large continent with his own eyes. The landmass covered an immense area, most of which lay idle. Only the core region at its center housed the Qianwu Secret Realm.
"Let's go, Lord Ye Yun. Someone is already waiting for you!"
Ye Yun nodded slightly and followed Blue out of the spaceship. After flying for more than an hour, they finally arrived at the continent's core area. From a distance, he could see that its layout was nearly identical to the Qianwu Secret Realm in the virtual universe, aside from differences in scale. More than a dozen individuals were already assembled in a square, awaiting their arrival.
Following Blue, Ye Yun stepped onto the square. Blue bowed respectfully toward the group.
"My Lords, Lord Ye Yun has been delivered safely."
At the forefront of the gathering stood a woman clad in blue, her long hair cascading down to her waist. She hummed softly before speaking.
"Blue, you did well. The contribution points for this mission have been credited to you. You may leave now."
Hearing her voice, Ye Yun felt an instant familiarity. The immortal lectures he had attended most frequently over the past three months had been taught by this very woman. He hadn't expected to meet her so soon upon his arrival at the Qianwu Secret Realm.
Blue bowed silently and departed without another word.
Ye Yun regarded the blue-clad woman and the others but did not speak immediately. She was a true immortal, while the rest were all realm master-level powerhouses. As a mere stellar-level lifeform, standing before such figures alone was daunting.
After a brief moment, the woman in blue ceased her scrutiny and spoke softly.
"Ye Yun, from today onward, I will be your teacher. My name is Qingli, an immortal monarch under the command of the Lord of Qianwu. I hope you will showcase your talents under my guidance and live up to the Lord of Qianwu's expectations. Come with me."
Ye Yun hurriedly bowed and replied with deference, "Disciple greets the teacher."
He had anticipated being assigned a mentor upon joining the Qianwu Secret Realm, assuming it would be a peak realm master-level instructor. However, he hadn't expected to be placed directly under an immortal who had fully mastered the law of water. This exceeded his expectations.
Unbeknownst to Ye Yun, his significance within the Qianwu Secret Realm was far greater than merely ranking among the top ten stellar geniuses. Many immortals had analyzed his battle data, discerning that his comprehension of the law of water far surpassed that of the original elite geniuses of the realm.
More importantly, when Ye Yun channeled his understanding of the law of water, he exhibited an effortless affinity with its origin, as if his current realm restricted his true potential. Compared to those who had competed in previous universe-wide genius battles, he ranked at the top. The Qianwu Secret Realm's leadership was convinced that he could break into the universe's top 1,000 geniuses, possibly aiming even higher.
Thus, an immortal-level instructor who specialized in the same law was immediately assigned to him. Additionally, vast resources would be allocated to ensure his rapid progress before the upcoming Battle of the Top Geniuses of the Universe. This would allow the Qianwu Universe Kingdom to achieve better results and redeem past losses.
Qingli remained indifferent, waving her hand for Ye Yun to follow before turning to walk into the Qianwu Secret Realm.
Ye Yun followed Qingli, passing through layers of public areas before arriving at a familiar courtyard. He quickly recognized it—it was nearly identical to the residence he had occupied in the virtual universe for the past three months. Clearly, this was his assigned residence within the Qianwu Secret Realm.
Qingli spoke calmly.
"Ye Yun, rest here for the night. Come to my residence tomorrow. I will conduct a more in-depth assessment of your true realm and formulate a training plan accordingly."
She gestured toward the realm masters who had silently accompanied them and continued in a low voice.
"From now on, they will live alongside you. Feel free to ask them anything. In the domain of water laws, they are all experts, more than capable of guiding you."
With that brief introduction, Ye Yun quickly understood the significance of these twelve realm masters. Each was a peak realm master who had gained recognition from the Law of the Origin of Water. Even at the realm master level, they were first-class powerhouses with the potential to break through to immortality.
Noting the faint water patterns on their foreheads, Ye Yun was inwardly astonished at the lengths to which the Qianwu Universe Kingdom was willing to go. He surmised that the kingdom had not performed well in previous Top Genius Competitions. The King of Qianwu must have felt some embarrassment. Now, having found a promising talent like Ye Yun, they were determined to nurture him into a contender for a top ranking.
After explaining some matters, Qingli left. Ye Yun and the twelve realm masters entered the courtyard.
His personal courtyard was vast, capable of accommodating thousands. Without requiring any arrangements, the twelve realm masters each selected a room, making it clear that they had no intention of engaging in deep conversation just yet. They left Ye Yun to settle in alone.
Among the twelve, four were genetic warriors, six were mentalists, and the remaining two were rare illusionists. Each possessed unique strengths. As Qingli had stated, they were more than qualified to assist Ye Yun in most areas of his practice.
Seated cross-legged in his room, Ye Yun closed his eyes and sighed inwardly.
"The Qianwu Secret Realm has been extremely generous, but unfortunately, these realm masters are all devoted to comprehending the water laws of the universe. If I am to achieve my goals, I will need to put in extra effort."
Early the next morning, led by a realm master, Ye Yun arrived at a manor deep underground. Upon entering, he found Qingli standing with her hands clasped behind her back, gazing into the distance.
Without turning around, she spoke in a cold tone.
"Ye Yun, what is water to you?"
Ye Yun knew the test had begun. Taking a deep breath, he answered calmly.
"The law of the origin of water is one of the eight lower laws of the universe. Its nature is profoundly complex, capable of both hardness and softness."
He spoke steadily for over an hour, drawing from insights gained through his persistent study of the blue-gold crystal. These were his most genuine realizations. Faced with a formidable immortal monarch like Qingli, he saw no reason to conceal his understanding.
At last, Qingli turned around, her icy expression softening ever so slightly with a faint smile.
"Ye Yun, not bad. At your age, such an understanding of water laws is rare, even in tens of millions of years. At an equal level of strength, I was not as capable as you."
She acknowledged his exceptional talent before continuing.
"But don't let this inflate your pride. The true victor is the one who endures to the end. Throughout history, countless geniuses have been trapped at the peak of the realm master level, unable to break through even after exhausting their lifetimes. You may have a slightly better chance of achieving immortality than others, but that alone is not enough. Work even harder."
Ye Yun nodded solemnly. He understood the vast divide between mortality and immortality. Crossing that threshold meant gaining an eternal lifespan and ascending to the highest echelons of the human universe.
Qingli waved her hand, smiling again.
"Alright, Ye Yun. I have observed your learning attitude long enough. Based on your abilities, I have crafted a training plan for the coming years. Review it, and if there are any concerns, we can make adjustments."
Ye Yun skimmed through the training plan, frowning slightly. It centered entirely on water law comprehension, supplemented by some force augmentation training. While reasonable, it did not align with his personal improvement strategy.
Qingli immediately noticed his hesitation. "Ye Yun, what troubles you?"
After a brief pause, Ye Yun answered resolutely.
"Teacher, I know your plan is well thought out, but I have a different approach in mind."
Qingli gazed at him deeply, sensing his unwavering determination. She sighed softly.
"Ye Yun, is this truly your decision?"
...
Author's Note ✍️:
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...
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