Swallowing the Stars: Starting from Late Bloomers

Chapter 88 Ranking Assessment Battle

"At this point, I still think the first method, natural enlightenment, is better!"

Looking at the Dragon-Binding Staff in his hand, Lu Qingshan's eyes revealed a hint of contemplation and weighing of options.

He knew he had two paths before him: one was to focus on the fundamental laws of earth and break through to the immortal realm as soon as possible; the other was to distract himself with comprehending the fundamental laws of space and lay a more solid foundation for the future.

After careful consideration, he temporarily chose the former.

For someone destined to achieve great things later in life, immortality is his most important goal right now.

Only by becoming immortal and possessing eternal life can he have enough time to improve his understanding through the destiny of achieving great things later in life.

"As for whether I should delve deeper into the fundamental laws of space, that depends on my cultivation speed going forward!"

Lu Qingshan continued to ponder in his mind: "If I progress quickly in comprehending the fundamental laws of earth, I can also comprehend some fundamental laws of space. This way, my strength will be even greater after breaking through to the level of an immortal god!"

He doesn't want to restrict himself too much, and he will adjust his plans according to the actual situation in the future.

If his comprehension of the fundamental law of earth progresses smoothly and he has ample time and energy, then it is also possible for him to dedicate a portion of his time to comprehending the fundamental law of space.

"As for which form I can unleash with this Dragon-Binding Staff in the future, that's up to fate!"

Lu Qingshan looked at the Dragon-Binding Staff in his hand and couldn't help but think to himself, "Anyway, the first few forms of this Dragon-Binding Staff require the highest level of understanding of the Earth Origin Law. As for comprehending the Space Origin Law, I just need to let things take their course!"

With this in mind, Lu Qingshan quickly began to look up specific information about the Dragon-Binding Staff.

The first level of the Dragon-Trapping Staff is called "Mountain Collapse";

The second level is named "Supporting the Sky";

The third level is called "Prisoner of the Dragon";

The fifth level is called "Nine Strikes of the Abyss";

The sixth level is called "Heaven and Earth Strike";

The seventh level is called "All dharmas are empty";

The eighth level is called "Shattering the Void";

The ninth level is called "Even the Immortal can be defeated!"

Each of these nine forms is more difficult to execute than the last, but each one is also more powerful than the last.

If a genius in the Hengxing Star System can master the first level, then he is the most invincible genius in the Hengxing Star System.

If a cosmic-level powerhouse can master the fourth level, they will undoubtedly be among the best of their kind, and virtually no one will be able to rival them.

If a Domain Lord-level expert can master the sixth level, he will be the most invincible being among those of the same level.

If a Realm Lord-level expert can unleash the eighth level, even on the battlefield outside the realm, they will definitely be rated as a Realm Lord General, and one of the best among them!

It should be noted that even a World Lord like Wells, who has been recognized by the lower-level primordial laws, would at most be rated as an elite World Lord when he went to the extraterritorial battlefield!

A World Lord Warrior is already one of the best among countless World Lord level experts. Even in the extraterrestrial battlefield where experts are as numerous as clouds, there may not be one World Lord Warrior among hundreds of World Lord level experts, let alone in ordinary star fields!

As for the ninth level—

All weapons that are recognized by countless powerful beings in the vast universe and are called martial arts divine weapons (the nine divine weapons controlled by the wielder) have their final level named "Immortal and invincible".

The name alone speaks volumes about the power of this form!

Every immortal god possesses eternal life and boundless power, but as long as a realm lord-level expert can unleash this ninth form, they can at least save their life from the hands of an ordinary immortal god.

If someone could unleash the full power of this form, it would be enough to kill an ordinary immortal god head-on!

That is why this final form is named "Even Immortals Can Be Defeated"!

"As long as I continue my training step by step, mastering the first seven forms of the Dragon-Trapping Staff shouldn't be too much of a problem for me!"

After reading the information about the Dragon-Trapping Staff, Lu Qingshan couldn't help but think to himself, "As for whether I can unleash the eighth and ninth forms, that depends on my future cultivation speed!"

Lu Qingshan knew very well that the eighth and ninth levels were not so easy to reach.

It should be noted that in the original work, the eighth level of the Divine Weapon that Luo Feng used corresponds to the eleventh and twelfth levels of the Tongtian Bridge. Without a deep understanding of the higher-level fundamental laws, it would be impossible to use this level of form.

The Dragon-Binding Staff is almost as powerful as the Nine Divine Weapons of the Controller. To unleash its eighth form, one naturally needs a very deep understanding of the fundamental laws of space.

After these thoughts flashed through his mind, Lu Qingshan quickly released a trace of primal force, imprinting his spiritual mark onto the Dragon-Binding Staff in his hand.

Ordinary first-, second-, and third-tier Force weapons and psychic weapons do not have high requirements for users; they can basically be used immediately without any preparation.

However, advanced weapons like the Dragon-Binding Staff are different!

For fourth- or fifth-tier weapons, the first thing to do to unleash their power is to properly nurture them spiritually before they can be used.

Spiritual nurturing is a gentle process that requires carrying the weapon with you and constantly nourishing it with primal force and spiritual power.

This Dragon-Binding Staff is an extremely high-quality weapon among fifth-tier Origin Force weapons. Lu Qingshan would naturally need to put in some effort to nurture it properly before unleashing its first form.

After obtaining the Dragon-Binding Staff, Lu Qingshan quickly began to try to unleash its first form.

Even though he had already crossed the threshold of the Earth Origin Law, it was still extremely difficult for him to unleash the first form of the Dragon-Binding Staff.

Even though he failed, Lu Qingshan was not discouraged at all, but continued to try his best.

He firmly believes that as long as he perseveres, he will eventually succeed.

And so, time continued to pass.

Virtual universe, Celestial Sacred Land.

At this moment, all the Hengxing-level geniuses who had crossed the threshold of the Origin Law within the Tianxing Holy Land gathered together, waiting for the once-in-a-century ranking assessment battle to begin.

More than three hundred star-level geniuses gathered in twos and threes, some talking in hushed tones, some resting with their eyes closed, and some observing their opponents around them.

"Look, that's Lu Qingshan, the number one genius among the Hengxing Star-level geniuses of our Tianxing Holy Land!" Someone pointed to a figure not far away and whispered to his companion, his voice full of admiration and envy.

"I heard he's won first place in the ranking assessment six times in a row, that's amazing!" another person chimed in, their tone tinged with amazement.

"yes!"

Another star-level genius exclaimed in agreement, "In the last ranking assessment battle, even though the mentalist Karen had already mastered the first level of the Divine Weapon's form to such an astonishing degree, he was still no match for Lu Qingshan!"

"I've heard that Karen's strength has improved significantly in the past hundred years, and he might be able to defeat Lu Qingshan!" someone offered a different opinion, their tone tinged with anticipation.

Every ranking and assessment battle brings some unexpected events.

Perhaps this time, Karen will be able to get her revenge and reclaim her number one ranking.

"I think it's very difficult!" Someone next to him shook his head, his tone quite certain.

"That must be the goddess Karina! I heard she's only cultivated for a little over a hundred years and has already crossed the threshold of the fundamental laws of light!"

Everyone's attention then turned to another figure, a woman of stunning beauty, with a cool and noble demeanor, like a fairy from the moon palace.

A crowd had gathered around her, but no one dared to approach her; they simply watched from afar, their eyes filled with awe and admiration.

"Such talent is truly incredible! No wonder he is a super genius of the royal family of the Tianxing Universe Kingdom!" someone exclaimed, their tone full of envy.

To cross the threshold of the fundamental laws in just over a hundred years is simply heaven-defying speed.

She accomplished in just over a hundred years what other geniuses might not be able to do even after thousands of years of cultivation—that's the difference in talent.

In the vast plaza, a group of star-level geniuses were observing their opponents, each pondering who they might encounter, who they needed to be wary of, and who they could easily defeat.

With the existence of the virtual universe, the ranking assessment battles within the Heavenly Star Holy Land have undoubtedly become much simpler.

In the virtual universe, they can engage in battles anytime, anywhere, without waiting, without arranging a venue, and without worrying about getting injured.

Therefore, geniuses like them who have crossed the threshold of the fundamental laws basically have to fight against other geniuses to determine the winner.

In addition to ranking them according to their performance, the new rankings are also intended to help them improve their combat skills through matches against each other.

Meanwhile, Lu Qingshan was also silently observing the two of them.

One of them was a very powerful psychic, capable of wielding one of the nine divine weapons, Karen.

The other person was tall and slender with a handsome face. His long silver hair fluttered in the wind, and his eyes were sharp and deep, like those of a hawk, giving people a sense that he should not be underestimated.

Karen was about the same age as him, but because he received excellent training from a young age, he crossed the threshold of the Origin Law after more than a thousand years of cultivation.

When Lu Qingshan first stepped into the threshold of the Origin Law, Karen was already among the top fifty of the more than three hundred geniuses who had crossed the threshold of the Origin Law.

As time went by, Karen's strength continued to improve. In addition, some geniuses had to break through to the cosmic level due to their age, so Karen quickly became the number one genius among the star-level geniuses.

It wasn't until more than seven hundred years ago, after Lu Qingshan's strength had improved considerably, that he was able to defeat Karen and become the number one genius among the Hengxing Star-level geniuses in the Tianxing Holy Land.

Of course, although Karen was defeated by Lu Qingshan, he never gave up. In the recent ranking assessment battles, he tried to defeat Lu Qingshan again and again. He can be said to be the most threatening opponent to Lu Qingshan at present.

As for the other person, it is the "goddess" Karina that everyone is talking about.

She was stunningly beautiful, with an ethereal air about her. Her long, golden hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, radiating a soft glow.

Her eyes were golden, like two dazzling stars, deep and bright.

Karina is undoubtedly the most talented star-level genius that the Heavenly Star Holy Land has recruited recently. She was born into the royal family of the Heavenly Star Universe Kingdom. When she first joined the Heavenly Star Holy Land, she had already crossed the threshold of the Law of Light Origin. At that time, she had only been cultivating for a little over a hundred years.

One hundred years ago, when Karina had only been a member of the Heavenly Star Holy Land for a little over thirty years, she defeated more than two hundred Hengxing-level geniuses who had crossed the threshold of the Origin Law in that ranking assessment battle, and directly entered the top one hundred in the overall ranking.

Logically speaking, being ranked only in the top 100 overall shouldn't be enough to make Lu Qingshan, the number one genius, wary.

But Karina's training speed is just too fast!

In Lu Qingshan's eyes, Karina's talent and comprehension, if she had encountered the pinnacle of human geniuses in the universe at the right time, might have been enough to break into the top ten of the entire universe's ranking.

Now, a hundred years have passed since the last ranking assessment battle, and Karina's strength has definitely improved a lot. It's normal for her to pose a threat to him!

Besides, among the other star-level geniuses who have crossed the threshold of the Origin Law, although some have relatively fast cultivation speeds, they pose no threat to Lu Qingshan, who has been cultivating for nearly five thousand years.

Yes!

Nearly three thousand years had passed since Lu Qingshan officially stepped into the threshold of the Earth Origin Law.

Throughout these three thousand years, Lu Qingshan has been diligently cultivating.

Although he did not cross the threshold of the fundamental laws of space, his understanding of the fundamental laws of earth has deepened considerably.

About 2,700 years ago, he had already unleashed the first form of the Dragon-Trapping Staff, and then broke into the top 100 in the overall rankings.

After more than a thousand years of effort, he broke into the top ten overall.

After another thousand years of effort, he finally defeated Karen and became the number one genius among the star-level geniuses in the Heavenly Star Holy Land.

As the top-ranked player overall, Lu Qingshan receives a great deal of attention, second only to the "Goddess" Karina.

At that moment, the goddess Karina also turned her gaze to Lu Qingshan.

"Lu Qingshan?" Karina looked at Lu Qingshan with a scrutinizing gaze.

In fact, she wouldn't take an old guy like Lu Qingshan, who had cultivated for thousands of years, seriously at all.

However, she also had to admit that Lu Qingshan's current strength was quite good. In fact, not only Lu Qingshan, but also Karen, were strong opponents for her to win first place in this overall ranking assessment.

Of course, Karina was also very confident in herself. Once she defeated Lu Qingshan and the others, they would no longer be her match.

>