Chapter Sixty-Seven: Battlefield of Destiny

"Master, we have found the egg of the Golden-Horned Behemoth and, as per your instructions, assigned fifty third-rank Stellar guards and two seventh-rank Stellar guards for its protection. All king-level and emperor-level monsters on Earth have been eliminated, two-thirds of the other monsters have been wiped out, and the remaining third have been divided into designated areas for supervision. After training, they have all become quite docile," Meng Yi reported respectfully.

"Not bad. I am very satisfied with your work. Next, inform the five major nations on Earth to begin reclaiming lost territories, then focus on population growth, enhancing individual strength, and improving the bloodline level of Earth's inhabitants. I will purchase some cultivation materials and bring them back in a year for distribution. That's all—you're dismissed," Luo Yuan replied calmly.

"Yes, Master." Meng Yi and Meng Er bowed respectfully, then logged off.

"Ah, another tedious day," Luo Yuan sighed. He made his way to the Stellar-level Elite Trainee Field at the Qianwu Dojo to gather attributes. There were only a few thousand people here, much fewer than the tens of thousands at the Planetary-level field. However, the strength of these elite trainees was significantly greater, and among them were a rare few who had comprehended domains or some rudimentary laws.

By day, Luo Yuan collected attributes here; by night, he challenged various experts in the Duel Space. He quickly elevated his rating to the maximum—nine stars—so whenever he issued a challenge, his opponents would almost always accept. Luo Yuan only selected adversaries who had grasped domains or laws; even if he lost, he enjoyed it, as he could freely collect corresponding domain and law attributes. With each attribute he acquired, his own strength grew, and he made a name for himself in the Duel Space. The moniker he chose at random, "Demon King," steadily ranked among the top.

...

Duel Space.

Upon an immense, boundless grassland stood a black metal arena, roughly ten kilometers in length and width.

A burly, grotesque-looking man with a long sword slung across his back stood on the platform, muttering, "Demon King? This guy actually calls himself Demon King—how arrogant. Let me teach you a lesson."

This man, nicknamed "Earth Cang," held a record of thirty-five victories and three defeats. A fifth-rank Stellar warrior, he commanded a sixfold Earth domain and a hint of Earth law, holding a nine-star rating.

Suddenly, a handsome young man with black hair appeared on the platform, dressed in a dark-gold force battle suit, surrounded by fifty levitating flying daggers. This was Luo Yuan. Both the battle suit and the flying daggers had been selected from the system. In both "Duel Space" and "Slaughter Space," weapons could be freely chosen, though one was required to use a suit appropriate to their level.

"Earth Cang? That's an interesting name. Show me your domain and law now, or else you'll die too quickly, and it won't be any fun," Luo Yuan said, floating calmly in midair, his tone indifferent.

"So arrogant!" Earth Cang sneered, then with a boom, charged toward Luo Yuan at dozens of times the speed of sound, leaving the sonic boom and shattered air far behind him.

"Go," Luo Yuan said, gently pointing at Earth Cang.

Whoosh!

The golden markings on the fifty flying daggers flared, weaving together into a golden swordfish. The swordfish, almost alive, flicked its tail in midair and, with a sudden twist, traced a bizarre arc, easily slipping past Earth Cang's panicked defense to point straight at his brow.

Watching the burly man trapped motionless within the ring of daggers, Luo Yuan shook his head.

"Is that all you've got? Where are your Earth domain and law? Still holding back—you're far too weak," Luo Yuan scoffed.

At his words, Earth Cang's brows bristled. Angrily, he unleashed his earth-origin power, forming a compact domain of earth energy around himself.

Luo Yuan smiled at the thick earth-origin energy enveloping him. Within this domain, Earth Cang could freely wield earth-based skills with power increased a hundredfold. Especially with the addition of a sliver of law, he could do almost anything at will.

"Kid, I underestimated you. In my Earth domain, I am god. Prepare to die!" Earth Cang barked coldly. He raised his right hand, and at once, a massive hand formed from clods of earth emerged beneath Luo Yuan, lifting him high. Luo Yuan appeared as tiny as the Monkey King in Buddha’s palm.

"Earth Domain +1"

"Earth Domain +1"

"Earth Law +1"

"Earth Law +1"

...

"Boy, die! I'll crush you like an ant!" Earth Cang laughed viciously, clenching his fingers. The giant earthen hand's fingers closed in.

Boom—a thunderous shockwave rippled out, warping the virtual black metal arena.

"Hahaha! Boy, now you know your granddaddy's power!" Earth Cang roared with laughter, looking like a fool—he was sure Luo Yuan had lost this duel.

"Is that it?"

Luo Yuan’s disdainful voice sounded behind Earth Cang, making his hair stand on end. Whipping around in terror, he saw Luo Yuan floating unscathed in midair.

"Impossible! Did you comprehend the law of space? How else could you escape my Earth domain in utter silence?" Earth Cang cried out.

"Enough—now it's my turn to torment you. Hope you can endure," Luo Yuan grinned wickedly. He unleashed a barrage of flying daggers and the various domains and laws he had collected upon Earth Cang, causing attribute bubbles to spill continuously from his body.

No one knew how much time passed. Suddenly, the Duel Space announced the battle’s end—Earth Cang had committed suicide. Luo Yuan was surprised, as the Duel Space was purely virtual, yet the sensation of death was as real as life. This burly fellow was truly ruthless, choosing suicide to end his torment.

After the match, Luo Yuan exited and walked into the Slaughter Hall. Some people in the hall glanced at him in fear, which struck him as odd.

"Hey, Third Brother, you’re out! That battle just now was brutal," Luo Feng called from the lounge area with a smile.

In the Duel Space, if you paid the fee, others could watch your matches. The more spectators, the higher the total fees. Of course, even a duel between two nine-star fifth-rank Stellar warriors would not generate enormous fees, since it was only fifth rank after all.

"Ah, that guy looked strong, but he couldn’t take a beating at all. If I hadn’t made him promise not to surrender, he would’ve given up long ago. In the end, he had to kill himself to escape," Luo Yuan said helplessly.

"You’d better be careful from now on. You’re gaining quite a reputation here in the Slaughter Hall—more and more people are watching you," Luo Feng reminded him.

"I know. Another half year has flown by in the blink of an eye—time really flies. You guys have reached Stellar rank too, right? Where are Eldest and Second Brother?" Luo Yuan asked.

"They’re both absorbed in the Slaughter Hall and its Duel Space. We’ve been taking Mokya Crystals and Bluewave Marrow, only just breaking through to Stellar rank a few days ago. We’re nothing compared to you," Luo Feng replied with a laugh.

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