Grinding to Become the Master of the Universe

Chapter 616: Chapter 212: The Empire’s Pinnacle Tournament: The Grand War Zone Begins! Lasting a Thousand Years! Goal: The Top 100

The City of Genesis, a magnificent metropolis temporarily established for the Cosmic Genius Battle, provided an independent residence for every genius who had passed the minor warzone assessments.

Inside the residence, the quiet room was spacious and simple. A meditation cushion in the center and the tranquil, starry sky simulated on the four walls were the only signs that this place was designed specifically for the cultivation of Martial Artists.

Qin Feng sat cross-legged, his eyes tightly closed.

The hundred-year-long meditation assessment had just ended. The vast, abyss-like pressure in his Sea of Consciousness suddenly dissipated, bringing a long-absent sense of serenity and relaxation.

However, he did not bask in this comfort.

His temperament was as firm as Divine Iron, and his Dao Heart was whole. Neither the clamor of the outside world nor the emptiness within could shake him in the slightest.

Qin Feng was now focusing his mind, carefully organizing his complex thoughts.

A hundred years of cultivation had led to this moment of triumph. It brought not only glory and status, but also numerous urgent matters to address and a future path that needed to be replanned.

With a mere thought, a pale blue screen of light silently unfolded before him, information streaming down it like a waterfall.

Qin Feng’s gaze first fell upon a timer at the very top.

[Time until the Grand Battle Zone opens: 9 years, 351 days, 11 hours...]

Ten years.

This amount of time was neither long nor short, but just right.

For the geniuses who had just endured a hundred years of arduous cultivation with their minds stretched taut, these ten years were a buffer period to digest their gains and shore up their weaknesses.

For Qin Feng himself, this was a Golden Era to convert his century of accumulation completely into his own Combat Power.

He shifted his gaze from the timer and continued to scroll down.

Among the many rewards, one line of text glowing with a faint golden light was particularly striking—Qualification to become the Direct Disciple of the King-level Powerhouse, the Heaven-Devouring King.

The moment Qin Feng’s Mental Power gently touched this line of text, the entire light screen interface trembled slightly.

A simple communication request pop-up replaced the original information feed.

Applicant: Heaven-Devouring King.

There were no extraneous suffixes or titles. Just those three words seemed to contain a Supreme Power capable of suppressing an entire Star River.

Without the slightest hesitation, Qin Feng confirmed with his thoughts and accepted.

The next moment, the space before him seemed to be torn open by an invisible force. Ripples of a Subspace communication spread out, and a blurry video image materialized in the center of the quiet room.

It was a scene difficult to describe with words.

The background was a slowly rotating, brilliant nebula, magnificent and vast.

A white-robed, ethereal figure sat at the nebula’s center. Its silhouette was clear, but its face was shrouded in a hazy halo of light, which Qin Feng could not pierce no matter how he focused his vision.

It was as if he was not of this world, but was casting a glance from across endless space and time.

Even though it was just an image transmitted through the Subspace Network, the vast aura—transcendent over all things and one with the Cosmos—still made Qin Feng feel his own insignificance.

"Qin Feng."

A voice rang out.

The voice was boundless and vast. It didn’t enter through his ears but resonated directly within his Sea of Spirit, like the very harmony of the cosmos and its stars.

"You have comprehended my ultimate technique, the Heaven-swallowing Fist Technique. Are you willing to take me as your master?"

Faced with this inquiry that spanned Star Realms, Qin Feng did not hesitate for a single moment.

He straightened his back and faced the blurry, ethereal figure, his voice deep and solemn as he replied:

"This disciple is willing."

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The value of having a King-level supreme powerhouse as a mentor far transcended the realm of material resources.

Even if this master offered no tangible assistance, just a word or two of guidance on his cultivation path would be enough to save him centuries, if not millennia, of wasted effort.

To say nothing of the network of connections that came with an existence standing at the apex of the Human Race, a network that spanned countless eras of the Empire and innumerable Star Realms.

Qin Feng had never expected that simply comprehending the Heaven-swallowing Fist Technique to its initial level could bring such a heaven-sent opportunity.

"Good."

The ethereal figure’s voice betrayed no emotion, remaining as placid and vast as ever. "Practice the Heaven-swallowing Fist Technique diligently."

"This disciple obeys."

"Furthermore, there are a few things you must remember."

The Heaven-Devouring King continued, "In the Grand Battle Zone, your goal is to place in the top one hundred. Remember, you *must* secure a spot in the top one hundred."

"Yes."

Qin Feng deeply imprinted these words in his mind.

"After placing in the top one hundred, you will be given a choice."

The Heaven-Devouring King then changed the subject, giving an instruction that slightly surprised Qin Feng. "When the time comes, do not choose to join the ’Ultramarines Chapter.’ Instead, choose to go to the ’Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races’ to temper yourself."

This advice contradicted all the information he had previously received.

Both his mentor, Yu Han, and the legendary powerhouse, Zhou Xiong, had come from the Ultramarines Chapter.

But he didn’t voice his doubts, merely listening in silence.

"Within the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races, the Human Race controls many perilous lands and secret realms. The opportunities are as countless as the dangers. It is a path paved with blood and bone that leads directly to becoming a true powerhouse."

The Heaven-Devouring King’s voice explained, "If you choose to join the Ultramarines Chapter, you will be assigned mission quotas, some of them mandatory. You’ll only receive resources upon completing them. While this is already considered excellent treatment by ordinary standards, it will disrupt the pace of your cultivation."

Qin Feng nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

’This wasn’t a rejection of the Warband, but a plan for me to take a faster, more extreme path on the Martial Dao.’

"This is the preferential treatment for a genius."

The ethereal figure added, "Only geniuses who fight their way into the top one hundred in the Grand Battle Zone are granted such a privilege."