High Martial Arts: Liver Becomes the Master of the Universe

Chapter 250 The Devouring Heaven Enlightenment Stele, the Heavenly Profound Corridor Bridge! The Former Chief!
Deep within the mansion, in the endless fiery domain, Qin Feng's consciousness slowly withdrew from the vast and boundless cosmic will. His spiritual world still retained the supreme majesty and immensity brought by that "heavenly book".

The panel in front of me, composed of profound characters, was floating silently, each character seemingly containing the ultimate truth of the universe.

"I've already seen it."

Qin Feng's voice was slightly hoarse from the shock of just waking up. He calmed his surging mental energy and spoke to Huo Linhou beside him.

Huo Linhou nodded, flames flickering in his crimson eyes, seemingly unsurprised by Qin Feng's reaction.

He was already used to the awe shown by martial artists who were encountering the will of the universe for the first time.

"It's good that you saw it."

Huo Linhou's tone was calm and direct, without any hesitation, "This is the foundation for your foothold on the battlefield of ten thousand races."

The will of the universe can be understood as the supreme rule-maker and arbitrator of this boundless battlefield.

It has no emotions; it simply operates according to predetermined rules.

He paused, organized his thoughts, and explained the key point to Qin Feng in the most concise way.

"The will of the universe will randomly issue missions to random beings."

"Let me give you an example,"

Huo Linhou extended a finger, a cluster of solidified flame dancing at its tip, outlining a rotating planetary phantom in the void. "For example, the cosmic will has given you the task of 'destroying the Alpha-7 planet in front of you'."

In this situation, it will usually issue a completely opposite task to another being whose strength and potential are roughly equivalent to yours—'Protect Alpha-7'.

"In this way, the two of you will become natural enemies."

If the mission reward is extremely generous, such as a rare cosmic artifact, and the penalty for failure is to deprive you of the right to obtain any opportunities for the next hundred years, or even to directly deduct a portion of your resources...

Then, between you two, it will be a life-or-death struggle, a fight to the death.

Qin Feng's eyes narrowed.

This was even more brutal than the final stage of the cosmic battle of geniuses he had experienced.

Although the rules of the Battle of Geniuses are also bloody, they ultimately have a clear scope and time limit.

The mission of the cosmic will is like turning the entire universe into a chessboard, using all races and living beings as chess pieces, and engaging in endless games of chess.

"But you can rest assured,"

Huo Linhou saw Qin Feng's thoughts and added, "In this kind of one-on-one assigned mission, the will of the universe has a basic principle, which is to prevent members of the same force from killing each other."

It won't give you a mission to hunt down warriors from another human empire, nor will it give you a mission to do so.

Qin Feng nodded slightly, feeling somewhat relieved.

This at least ensures that the human race will not suffer internal strife due to such random tasks.

“In addition to this, there is another, more common situation.”

Huo Linhou waved his hand to dispel the planetary phantom, "The will of the universe will trigger a limited-time event in a specific region of the universe. For example, 'The Thunder Starfield will give birth to 'Void Thunder Souls' in seventy-two hours. Those who collect ten of them will be able to inherit the black hole-level secret technique 'Ten Thousand Thunders Return to Silence'.'"

"Once this activity begins, all living beings in the region, regardless of race or power, will become your competitors."

If you and other human martial artists are present at the same time, you might fight each other for the highest reward.

After all, the rewards for such events personally launched by the will of the universe are often extremely valuable, far exceeding ordinary resource points.

In the past, the highest rewards have even included top-tier cosmic artifacts capable of turning the tide of battle and laying the foundation for a civilization.

After listening to Huo Linhou's explanation, Qin Feng finally understood.

This battlefield of myriad races is a "battle royale" game magnified countless times, with more brutal rules and more enticing rewards.

The will of the universe is that supreme, ruthless game administrator.

To survive and thrive here, one must adapt to its rules, or even exploit them.

"As for those lists you've seen,"

Huo Linhou's gaze shifted to the panel in front of Qin Feng that had not yet dissipated. "You can think of them as the 'special attention list' of the cosmic will."

He pointed to the very top, which is currently the only list that is meaningful to Qin Feng.

"【Hidden Dragon List】".

"This list doesn't look at the current level, but only at 'potential'."

All beings below the Domain Lord level are potentially eligible to be listed.

The will of the universe will conduct an extremely complex comprehensive evaluation based on your battle record, equipment, cultivation techniques, level and quality of killing techniques, background of the civilization you belong to, and so on, and finally arrive at a potential value.

Looking across the entire battlefield of myriad races, among billions upon billions of beings, only the one thousand with the highest overall potential can make it onto this list.

"Remember, under the watchful eye of the will of the universe, all your achievements are transparent and cannot be hidden."

The Fire Kirin Marquis's tone carried a hint of warning.

Qin Feng's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"What practical benefit does this list offer? Is it merely for fame and recognition?"

He astutely grasped the core of the problem: "If that's the case, then this list is utterly useless, even disgusting. Publicizing one's achievements is tantamount to exposing oneself to the sight of all potential enemies, offering no real benefit but instead attracting endless trouble and targeting."

This is a very realistic problem.

"Hahaha……"

Upon hearing this, Lord Huolin laughed loudly, a hint of approval flashing in his crimson eyes. "It's good that you could think of this."

Many talented newcomers to the battlefield are blinded by the vanity of making it onto the leaderboard, failing to see the immense risks lurking behind it.

“You’re right, exposure is indeed a huge risk. But the rules of the universe are fair; risk and opportunity coexist.”

He suppressed his smile, his expression becoming somewhat inscrutable: "First of all, the Hidden Dragon Ranking will only reveal your public achievements, such as who you have killed and what missions you have completed, but it will not reveal your specific killing techniques, the details of your Undying Projection, the hidden abilities of your equipment, or other core trump cards. It will only give a vague overall assessment."

"Secondly, and most importantly—entering the Hidden Dragon Ranking means... your chances of triggering random missions issued by the will of the universe and getting involved in limited-time events will greatly increase!"

"This……"

Even Qin Feng, with his calm and collected nature, couldn't help but widen his eyes and slightly contract his pupils.

This mechanism is a double-edged sword!

"you understood?"

Huo Linhou smiled and said, "It is precisely because of this mechanism that countless beings on the battlefield of myriad races crave battle and slaughter. They frantically attack and kill each other, just to achieve earth-shattering feats and become famous throughout the starry sea, all for the sake of squeezing onto that mere thousand-slot list."

"Because once you're on the list, you have priority access to top-tier opportunities."

As for those creatures that didn't make the list, they also have their own ways of surviving.

The Fire Scale Marquis's lips curled into a cruel smile: "They will follow those hidden dragons on the list like sharks that have smelled blood."

In this way, once the Hidden Dragon triggers a limited-time event in a certain area, these 'accompanying travelers' can also be drawn in, thus getting a share of the spoils, and even... stepping in at a crucial moment to hunt down the Hidden Dragon and plunder all its opportunities.

Qin Feng suddenly realized.

It turned out to be the case.

Making it onto the Hidden Dragon List is both an honor and a death sentence.

You will become a mobile "trigger of opportunity," attracting countless hunters to swarm around you, waiting for the moment you open the door to treasure.

"certainly,"

Huo Linhou added, "This situation only applies to the [Hidden Dragon Ranking] creatures that are still in their growth stage."

If one's strength rises further and one ascends to the [Marquis Ranking], [King Ranking], or even the [Emperor Ranking], then one is a top-tier existence who has truly fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and every word and action of theirs is enough to shake a star field.

Their reputation is the strongest bulwark; ordinary creatures would rather avoid them than approach them—that would be tantamount to courting death.

Qin Feng silently digested this massive amount of information.

With a thought, he tried to check the [Hidden Dragon Ranking].

In an instant, a golden scroll unfolded in his mind. It listed names of various forms and races, each followed by the faction it belonged to, and a brief but shocking description of its battle achievements.

[First Place: 'Child of the Void' Qita (Void Race)]

[Achievements: Single-handedly hunted down ten black hole-level Zerg overlords on 'Destroyed Starwreck', and directly destroyed a Chaos fleet composed of 100,000 galaxy-level Chaos Warriors.]

Second Place: 'Flesh and Blood' Karthus (Khorne)

[Battle Achievements: Sacrificed the 'Ulan Starfield' civilization, slayed seven black hole-level beings, and forged the 'Flesh and Blood Divine Embryo' with the flesh and blood of billions of beings in the Ulan Starfield, significantly boosting its potential rating.]

Third Place: 'Golden Lion' Rhine (Human Empire)

[Battle Record: Guarded the 'Storm Starfield' for three hundred years, single-handedly slayed three invading black hole-level beings, and repelled seven invasions of 'Beasts' launched by black hole-level greenskins.]

……

Qin Feng's gaze swept down the mountainside, his mind growing increasingly shaken.

He didn't recognize any of the names on the list, but the achievements behind each name were legendary.

There are peerless geniuses from the same human empire, but there are even more prodigies from all sorts of strange alien civilizations and bizarre forces.

"Very good, you have come into contact with the basic rules of the will of the universe."

Huo Linhou's voice pulled Qin Feng back to reality, "Next, when you're not triggering any missions, take a look at the rankings and find out who the top experts under this starry sky are. It won't do you any harm."

Now, I will tell you about the key points of cultivation on the battlefield of all races.

"it is good!"

Qin Feng immediately sat up straight, his expression focused. This was of utmost importance, concerning his own vital interests.

"First of all, remember this: within the Devouring Sky Cosmic City and all other human cosmic cities, the Empire's subspace network is still functioning normally."

But once you leave the protective range of the space city and enter the vast, uninhabited deep space, the warp network will be completely cut off. Warp storage units can be used, but at an exorbitant cost; I've already paid the fees for five thousand years for you.”

"In the future, you can buy a spatial ring and only put important resources in the subspace storage unit. This way, if you hide your immortal projection and use the physical body to annihilate yourself, you won't lose too much."

Huo Linhou said solemnly, "The subspace of the battlefield of ten thousand races is the territory of the Outer Gods and the Chaos Evil Gods. It is full of unknowns and dangers. The Emperor's power is mainly concentrated on protecting the human race's territory and major cosmic city strongholds, and cannot cover all areas."

"Secondly, there is the acquisition of resources. Within the Cosmic City, Master has set up many training grounds, such as the 'Devouring Heaven Enlightenment Stele' on this divine mountain beneath your feet, as well as the 'Heavenly Profound Corridor Bridge,' the 'Seven Kill Arena,' the 'Warrior Cleansing Pool,' and so on."

If you can achieve specific goals by undergoing trials in these places, you can receive rewards reserved by your master.

This was one of the few stable and secure ways to obtain resources in the early stages.

Huo Linhou changed the subject: "But remember, the rewards left by your master are mainly to help you build a foundation. The quantity and quality are limited. It's impossible for you to be well-fed and clothed all the way to the Black Hole level."

Therefore, there are only two main sources of resources.

"First, go to the various 'opportunity points' marked by the blood and lives of countless ancestors of the human race, which are scattered throughout the Holy Academy Sea, and obtain resources there."

Secondly, you'll hand over the spoils obtained from hunting alien races and exploring ruins to the Empire in exchange for contribution points. These contribution points can then be used to exchange for anything you need. That's roughly it.

Qin Feng understood.

This is somewhat similar to his previous model at Canaan War College, but the scale and level of danger are incomparable.

"Keep this."

With a flick of his wrist, Huo Linhou produced a black stone tablet that shimmered with starlight and handed it to Qin Feng.

The stone tablet felt cold to the touch, its texture neither gold nor stone, and it was engraved with intricate star patterns, as if it contained a condensed universe.

"This is a star map of resource points. The points currently flashing with light are all opportunity points confirmed by the Holy Academy. You can choose any of them."

Based on the rarity of the resources and the level of environmental danger, the difficulty is divided into three levels: 'Normal', 'Hard', and 'Hell'.

Qin Feng took the stone tablet and probed it with a wisp of spiritual energy.

boom--

In an instant, an incomparably vast and boundless three-dimensional star map unfolded in his mind.

Countless bright spots twinkled in the star map, each representing a human stronghold like the "Devouring Universe City".

These outposts form a vast network, scattered across a boundless sea of ​​stars known as the "Holy Sea."

Beyond the edge of the "Holy Sea" lies an even deeper, darker, and almost entirely empty void, a region marked as the "Endless Sea."

"The star map you see is mainly divided into two parts."

Huo Linhou's voice rang out at the right time, answering his question.

"The area where we are currently located, and the area where most human warriors are active, is called the 'Holy Academy Sea'."

This area is within the reach of human power and is under the unified jurisdiction of the empire's highest executive body, the 'Holy Academy'.

However, the Holy Academy is generally only responsible for coordinating the strategic actions of the various warbands and issuing grand missions for the entire race; it usually doesn't concern itself with prodigies like you and me who come out to gain experience.

"You must remember that although the Holy Sea is our main area of ​​activity, the human race is not invincible here."

This vast expanse of space is also home to numerous alien civilizations, powerful races, and countless independent worlds… We have only managed to carve out a place for ourselves here thanks to our scattered cosmic cities; battles are constantly raging.”

Qin Feng's gaze involuntarily drifted towards the even darker "Endless Sea".

"As for the 'Endless Sea'..."

Huo Linhou's tone also became solemn, "There, our human race only has the legendary 'Golden Universe City' as our last beacon."

Apart from that, it is all unknown, uninhabited deep space.

Even with the might of the empire, after countless years of exploration, they still could not reach the end of the endless sea.

In that darkness dwell a multitude of ancient races and unknown beings not even recorded in the "Illustrated Compendium of Myriad Races"...

Huo Linhou paused, lowering his voice even further, revealing a hint of awe that even a powerful figure like himself could not conceal.

"There is a legend that in the deepest part of the Endless Sea, there lies an ancient being that even the gods fear."

Listening to Huo Linhou's story, Qin Feng felt no fear, but rather an indescribable longing.

It is a martial artist's instinctive yearning for higher peaks and a wider world.

"Alright, that's the basic information. Next, take some time to familiarize yourself with the Cosmic City, and then you can go there to train on your own."

Lord Huolin brought the topic back.

"After you've chosen your opportune moment, remember to report it to the 'Holy Academy' through the subspace network. This is the rule, and it's also so that the Empire will have a final clue to follow you if you lose contact."

After explaining everything, he looked at his junior brother, who had a calm demeanor and resolute eyes, and a hint of satisfaction appeared in his crimson eyes.

"Well... as the senior brother, I don't have anything particularly good to give you."

After pondering for a moment, Huo Linhou took out a warm, lustrous jade talisman from his storage space. The talisman was entirely crimson and engraved with a Qilin pattern.

"Please accept this life-saving jade talisman."

When faced with a life-or-death crisis, unleash your full mental power to activate it; its explosive power is enough to severely injure any enemy below the level of a black hole.

As for even the most powerful treasures, you can't control them with your current cultivation level. You might end up killing yourself before you even harm your enemy.

A pure and scorching power emanated from the jade talisman. Qin Feng could clearly sense the terrifying power contained within it. Once it erupted, it would be absolutely earth-shattering.

This gift is truly significant.

"Thank you, senior brother!"

Qin Feng accepted the jade talisman with both hands, his expression solemn, and respectfully bowed to Marquis Huo Lin.

This gesture comes from the bottom of my heart.

Huo Linhou stood calmly in place and accepted Qin Feng's bow.

"Oh, one more thing, remember to buy the Starry Sea Beacon."

The voice of the Fire Kirin Marquis rang out again, interrupting Qin Feng's thoughts on the future.

He couldn't help but chuckle at Qin Feng's slightly bewildered expression.

"Forget it, you just finished the competition and you're penniless, so you don't have any contribution points. I'll give you a few."

After saying that, Huo Linhou flipped his hand, and several silver rhombus-shaped crystals emitting stable spatial fluctuations floated in front of Qin Feng.

The crystal seemed to contain a miniature starry sky, profound and mysterious. "This is the Starry Sea Beacon. It is fundamentally different from the Imperial Teleportation Beacon you obtained before."

Huo Linhou's tone became serious. He knew that this basic knowledge was crucial for a newcomer about to venture into the battlefield of myriad races, and could be the key to life or death.

"The Imperial teleportation beacon utilizes the principle of warp teleportation."

Within the human territory, His Majesty the Emperor's supreme power suppressed and purified that subspace, making it an absolutely safe 'highway' that you can use with peace of mind.

However, in the battlefield of all races, the warp is a hunting ground for chaotic evil gods and other unknown terrifying beings, filled with twisted laws and deadly traps.

Opening a subspace portal without authorization is tantamount to throwing a piece of fresh meat into a swarm of hungry sharks—it's suicide.

Qin Feng felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

The Empire's warp-space protection almost completely disappeared the moment it stepped outside its territory.

“But the Starry Sky Beacon is completely different.”

Huo Linhou pointed to the rhombus-shaped crystals and continued to explain, "It does not involve subspace, but rather uses a complex spatial array solidified inside to directly tear apart the material universe space we are in with pure energy, and perform point-to-point jumps."

This technology requires an extremely profound understanding and control of the laws of space; at least a domain lord level is required, and only a powerful expert specializing in this field can create it.

The title 'Domain Lord' largely derives from this—they have already acquired the initial ability to dominate a physical territory and traverse space.

Qin Feng reached out and carefully took the star beacons.

It feels cool to the touch, yet you can sense the vast and pure energy it contains, as well as the countless, complex spatial runes that are so intricate they make your scalp crawl.

"Its usage is very simple."

The voice of the Fire Scale Marquis continued, "When you are exploring the deep space of the universe and want to return, you only need to activate one to be teleported back to the nearest universe city."

Of course, this is on the premise that the spiritual energy field in your area is relatively stable and there is no strong spatial interference.

If you want to establish a forward base for your next exploration, you can first leave Beacon A at your current location as an anchor point, and then activate another beacon to return to Space City.

In this way, you can use the teleportation array in the Space City to return directly to the location of Beacon A next time.

However, please remember that these are consumables, and each one is quite valuable.

Huo Linhou's tone carried a hint of warning: "The exploration of the battlefield of myriad races by martial artists is like mortals digging for mineral veins deep in the dark underground."

You never know whether the next shovelful of water will unearth a dazzling gem or awaken a slumbering ancient behemoth.

Every step must be taken with care and caution.

Qin Feng nodded solemnly, keeping these earnest teachings firmly in mind.

He carefully placed the Star Beacon into his subspace storage unit.

The moment he placed it in, he noticed a notification popping up on the interface of the storage unit, which he hadn't paid attention to for a long time—a notification that the renewal had been successful: usage rights, one hundred years.

"Elder brother..."

A warm feeling welled up in Qin Feng's heart.

"Small things."

Huo Linhou seemed to see through his thoughts and casually waved his hand, "We're all from the same sect, no need to be so polite. Go ahead, familiarize yourself with this cosmic city before you go on your training, it will benefit you."

Qin Feng said no more, but once again bowed deeply to Marquis Huolin.

Qin Feng then turned and left the mansion located atop the sacred mountain, a place filled with lava and flames.

Walking alone on the streets of the Devouring Sky Universe City, Qin Feng's mind remained unsettled for a long time.

A life-saving jade talisman, a star beacon for traversing space in critical moments, a century-long access to a subspace storage unit, and a lengthy, unreserved transmission of knowledge...

All of this made him feel the profound care and recognition from his sect.

"My senior brother is indeed very good to me."

Qin Feng muttered to himself.

This feeling is not a simple exchange of benefits, but a heartfelt sense of support and guidance.

From the martial arts teacher at Qiming No. 1 High School, to Yu Han, the mentor at Canaan Martial Arts University, to the master Devouring King whom he had never met before, and now the senior brother Fire Kirin Marquis in front of him...

"The teachers I met along the way were all very good and responsible."

A faint smile crept onto Qin Feng's lips.

This sense of belonging gave him a solid warmth in this unfamiliar battlefield full of dangers and vastness.

This allowed a soft spot to remain in his heart, which had become increasingly hardened by the bloodshed.

With this feeling in mind, he followed the map and arrived at another landmark on the sacred mountain—the Devouring Heaven Enlightenment Stele.

This is not a single stone tablet, but a forest of steles composed of thousands upon thousands of massive black steles of varying sizes and shapes.

They stand silently in the void, each stone tablet exuding an ancient, obscure, and powerful aura.

Around the Stele Forest, hundreds of martial artists sat cross-legged. Some had their eyes closed in concentration, while others had their brows furrowed. Their auras were dark and unclear, but without exception, they were all terrifying beings who had stepped into the Black Hole level.

The atmosphere here is solemn and dignified, as if time itself has stood still.

Following their example, Qin Feng found an open space and slowly sat down.

He separated a wisp of his spiritual energy and cautiously probed towards the nearest Enlightenment Stele.

The instant his spiritual power touched the stone tablet, a vast and profound torrent of information, like a bursting dam, rushed into his sea of ​​consciousness!

This information flow was no longer any of the killing methods he was familiar with.

"The so-called killing method starts from the most basic power exertion techniques, then moves to the subsequent attachment of mental power, and then to the higher-level, extremely complex mental-spiritual energy field condensation, which eventually transforms into a 'domain'."

Qin Feng's understanding of martial arts flashed through his mind in an instant.

The ninth-level killing technique, "Opening Heaven," is the ultimate application of the domain.

However, the knowledge contained in this Enlightenment Stele is at a completely new level, beyond the realm of knowledge!
That is a terrifying power born from the essential fusion and qualitative transformation of spiritual power and psionic energy, capable of directly interfering with the laws of reality—a secret technique!
If killing techniques are about maximizing power within the bounds of rules, then secret arts are about attempting to write your own rules.

"This kind of power... is still too advanced for me."

Qin Feng felt as if his brain was about to explode from the endless stream of profound information, so he quickly severed his mental link with the Enlightenment Stele.

He let out a long sigh of relief, his forehead already covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.

He finally understood why there wasn't a single galaxy-level martial artist here—it was simply beyond their current reach.

"It seems that there are indeed no shortcuts on the path of cultivation."

Qin Feng understood and stopped insisting.

He turned and left, using the teleportation array to travel to another training ground in the Devouring Sky Universe City.

Tianxuan Corridor Bridge.

When Qin Feng arrived at his destination, even with his resolute character, he couldn't help but be shocked by the scene before him.

Ninety-nine enormous covered bridges, like black dragons, stretch across the brilliant galaxy formed by countless stars.

Each covered bridge was forged from an unknown black metal, covered with powerful sealing runes, and exuded a terrifying aura that sent chills down one's spine.

Inside each of the covered bridges, an extremely powerful alien creature is imprisoned.

Qin Feng could even clearly see that in one of the covered bridges, a green-skinned boss, as big as the moon, was frantically pounding on the energy shield, each heavy blow causing violent ripples in the space.

In another covered bridge, a shadow assassin, whose figure was elusive and composed of pure shadow, transformed into thousands of afterimages in the confined space, each flash carrying a chilling aura that pierced the soul.
In a distant covered bridge, a ferocious Chaos Demon was letting out a deafening roar. The sound was full of depravity and madness, and just listening to it made Qin Feng feel that his martial will was slightly impacted.

These once terrifying creatures, who once held sway over the region, are now prisoners, forced to vent their endless rage and madness day after day in the covered bridge.

At the entrance to the covered bridge, a large number of martial artists had also gathered.

Like the people in front of the Enlightenment Stele, they were almost all black hole-level beings with unfathomable auras.

Qin Feng scanned the crowd and found only one other martial artist, who was also at the galaxy level, just like himself.

Martial artists continuously transformed into streaks of light, rushing into one of the covered bridges without hesitation.

Strangely, after they entered, the alien creatures inside the covered bridge continued to roar wildly, as if nothing had happened.

Before long, the martial artists who had just entered would reappear outside the covered bridge, some with calm expressions, and others with a hint of contemplation or regret.

"It seems that this place is also some kind of trial ground."

Qin Feng made a judgment in his mind.

Without further hesitation, he transformed into a streak of light and chose the first Heavenly Mystery Corridor Bridge, which appeared to have a relatively "peaceful" aura, and entered it.

The scene before my eyes suddenly changed.

He seemed to have entered another independent world.

All around was endless nothingness, with countless particles shimmering with purple light flying and recombinating in the air.

Soon, these light particles coalesced in front of him into a gigantic, terrifying creature that blotted out the sky.

Void Race!
Information about this race instantly flashed through Qin Feng's mind.

"The Void Race possesses an innate talent similar to a supreme cultivation method, capable of analyzing all knowledge in the world and continuously evolving itself based on the analysis results."

This race has virtually no fixed weaknesses, making them one of the most formidable adversaries in the universe, and also one of the most elite races in the cosmos.

The Void race has a wide variety of forms, and they will evolve into the most suitable form based on the initial knowledge they have analyzed.

Some can mimic humans and evolve into humanoid forms; some can mimic giant cosmic beasts and evolve into enormous beast-like forms; some can even analyze mechanical technology and create incredible war machines.

Of course, according to Imperial records, those Void races who attempted to create artificial intelligence were all ultimately destroyed by the rebellion of their own creations.

Among all the races in the universe, apart from the Machine Race, no other race dares to apply "knowledge" to the forbidden realm of "creating intelligence."

The Void Race creature before them had clearly chosen an evolutionary path that combined insect and beast forms.

Its massive body resembled a moving mountain range, covered in purple crystalline armor, with countless sharp, knife-like limbs, and compound eyes that gleamed with a cold and pure desire for destruction.

The spiritual and life force fluctuations it emitted were already infinitely close to the threshold of a black hole!

"So strong!"

Qin Feng's pupils suddenly contracted.

Almost instinctively, he gripped the Star-Devouring Spear tightly, and the projection of the Immortal Tower instantly appeared behind him, its golden light illuminating the void.

However, it was already too late.

The moment he completed his defensive stance, the void behemoth moved.

It didn't roar; it simply raised a huge claw, brimming with intense purple flames, and gently slashed at Qin Feng's location.

That seemingly casual swipe of the claw seemed to tear the entire world apart.

A purple claw-like beam, ignoring spatial distance and the passage of time, instantly appeared in front of Qin Feng.

At that moment, Qin Feng's terrifying mental strength, honed through countless trials and capable of responding billions of times in an instant, suddenly went blank.

Before he could react, or even think, his entire consciousness was completely swallowed and annihilated by that purple claw-like light.

Instant kill!

The next instant, Qin Feng's consciousness jolted violently, as if he had been jolted awake from an incredibly real nightmare.

He found himself back outside the Tianxuan Corridor Bridge, his body completely unharmed, and not even his mental energy was depleted.

"Just like in the War of the Cosmic Geniuses, they will not actually die."

Qin Feng steadied himself and quickly made a judgment in his mind: "Moreover, what I was fighting just now should only be the real projection of that Void Race, not the actual entity."

He was still savoring the devastating claw strike he had just received, his heart filled with shock.

That was not just a crushing defeat in strength, but an absolute suppression in terms of realm.

Just then, a gentle voice sounded beside him.

"Sir, are you a prodigy who has just arrived in the Devouring Sky Universe City?"

Qin Feng turned his head and saw that the martial artist he had noticed earlier, who was also at the star system level, had somehow appeared beside him.

The warrior was dressed in a striking green-gold power armor that perfectly accentuated his imposing physique.

He wasn't wearing a helmet, revealing an extremely dark face, but his eyes were as bright as stars in the night sky, sparkling with friendliness and curiosity.

Seeing him reminded Qin Feng of his good friend Nissan, whom he had once known at the Canaan Star Martial Arts University.

"Yes."

Qin Feng nodded slightly, composed himself, and sized up the other person.

"Haha, I knew it."

The martial artist revealed a set of white teeth and laughed heartily, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Mog, I come from the Fire Dragon Battle Group, and I was the champion of the previous Cosmic Genius Battle."

He extended his hand and continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you are Qin Feng, the current Imperial Chief, right? Your name has been making waves on the Empire's subspace forum lately."

"So you were the top student from the previous year. I've heard so much about you."

Qin Feng suddenly realized what was going on, then extended his hand and introduced himself, "I am Qin Feng."

Their hands clasped together, and they both felt the terrifying power contained within each other, far exceeding that of their peers.

"Haha, no need to be so polite."

Mog released his grip, pointed to the Heavenly Profound Corridor behind him, and said, "It seems you've been stumped by this first challenge. Don't be discouraged. Every one of the guys in this corridor is a top genius in their respective race. The first level alone is almost at the level of a black hole, and the later levels are even black hole-level warriors. For us galaxy-level warriors, being instantly killed is commonplace."

"These...are all geniuses?"

Qin Feng was somewhat puzzled, "Was he imprisoned here by Senior Devouring Heaven King?"

"Imprisonment? No, no, no."

Mog shook his head, a strange smile on his face. "It's less like imprisonment and more like... collection."

"collect?"

This word surprised Qin Feng.

"That's right, it's about collecting."

Mog laughed, “The universe is too vast and history changes too fast. There are always some powerful beings with unique quirks.”

The Devouring King enjoys collecting top geniuses from various eras and powerful races.

The contents of these ninety-nine covered bridges are all from his collection.

Mog seemed afraid that Qin Feng wouldn't believe him, so he added, "This kind of thing is not uncommon among the strong."

As far as I know, there is an extremely ancient Saint-level expert in the Human Race Holy Academy, known as the 'Stamp Saint'.

His favorite pastime was collecting rare creatures, artifacts from various civilizations, and even genetic samples from extinct races… His collection was said to be larger than a war zone.

As he listened to Mog's story, Qin Feng's mouth opened slightly, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Collecting living geniuses from different races as "collectibles"...

Collecting extinct races as "figurines"...

"Tsk tsk, the universe is so vast, there are truly countless wonders."

After a long silence, Qin Feng finally uttered a heartfelt remark.

He felt that his worldview, which he had built up over the past thousand years, was completely overturned on the very first day he stepped into this battlefield of myriad races.

Within the human empire lies a greenhouse created by the emperor, a peaceful land free from excessive warfare.

Even the poorest warband is still infinitely better off than the battlefield of ten thousand races.

Now that he has arrived at the battlefield of all races, Qin Feng has once again witnessed the vastness and profundity of the universe.

But thinking about it carefully, collecting these kinds of objects or creatures that may have disappeared in the course of history, or even those that were of great historical significance, seems quite interesting.

(End of this chapter)