One A Second, the Terrified Giant Meatball

The former leader of the Martial Arts Alliance.

Qin Luo thought for a moment, then muttered, "Oh."

"Never met him."

He shook his head and asked, "How can you be sure he’s from the Great Thousand World? From what Ouyang Xuan told me, he’s currently in seclusion."

"Well, that’s what they say publicly, but in reality..."

Zixuan curled up in her gaming chair, her expression complicated. "He definitely went back—back to the Great Thousand World."

"At first, I didn’t understand why he’d do that."

"But... after the other SSS-rank Transcendents disappeared, I think I figured it out."

"They... were all taken back by the leader."

"I was supposed to go too, but because of the Fate System, I was stuck hiding in the Fate Space."

Qin Luo raised an eyebrow and pressed further, "Do you know how you got your system?"

Zixuan hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I was in a state of absolute despair... when the system came to me."

"It felt like a gift from the heavens."

"And then... the leader just naturally found me, brought me into the alliance, and told me to seek out more Chosen Ones."

Hearing this, Qin Luo silently pondered.

Strange.

The system should be a fragment of the Heavenly Dao—but who has the power to turn those fragments into systems and scatter them across the lower realms?

And why specifically when people are in despair?

In fact, Qin Luo had noticed this pattern before.

Within the alliance, everyone who obtained a system had been in extreme despair beforehand.

Only then did the system manifest.

What’s the purpose of these systems?

Moreover...

Wasn’t the Heavenly Dao supposed to have gone mad? Are these fragments remnants from before its madness, or after?

If it’s the former, fine.

But if it’s the latter...

Mad fragments requiring despair to fuse...

What kind of existence is that meant to create?

The former leader of the Martial Arts Alliance claimed to be in seclusion, but in truth, he returned to the Great Thousand World.

He took the SSS-rank Transcendents with him...

Players...

Investors, gamblers.

Qin Luo ran through the possibilities in his mind.

After a long while, a glimmer of understanding dawned on him.

Does the cultivation system of the Great Thousand World require an alternative method to advance?

Perhaps it involves placing bets on the Chosen Ones of lesser worlds?

As for the specifics...

He’d have to wait and see...

Qin Luo turned to Zixuan. "So, do you know how to reach the Great Thousand World?"

At this,

Zixuan’s eyes flickered before she finally lowered her head and murmured, "Yes."

"The leader once told me."

"Our world is called a lesser world."

"To reach the Great Thousand World, you either have to break through to the Supreme Realm..."

"Or..."

She raised her head, pointing at the ceiling. "Someone from the Great Thousand World has to open the passageway down to us."

"Only then can you ascend."

The Supreme Realm.

Qin Luo nodded. That was the realm above the Sovereign Realm.

In other words,

The limit of a lesser world is the Supreme Realm, huh?

[Domain Realm, Spirit Origin Realm, True Spirit Realm, Sovereign Realm, Supreme Realm]

Now understanding, Qin Luo set down his tablet and stood to leave.

Zixuan took the tablet, looking bewildered. "You’re just leaving like that?"

"Nothing else to ask?"

Qin Luo waved a hand dismissively, already turning away. "Nope."

"......"

Zixuan stared at the slowly closing door, utterly baffled.

With just these few questions, what could he possibly figure out?

The Supreme Realm—how monstrously talented would you have to be to reach that?

And even if you did, what’s the point of going up there alone?

There was one thing Zixuan didn’t say: the Great Thousand World was nothing like their lesser world.

The people up there were geniuses among geniuses.

Though she wasn’t sure why Qin Luo was asking about the Great Thousand World,

It was probably because he wanted to ascend, right?

But...

That was nothing more than an impossible dream.

Qin Luo could never reach the Supreme Realm. As for that young miss by his side...

Well, she might have a chance, but even then, she’d probably be the only one.

And who knew how long it would take her?

As for the other method—

Having someone from the Great Thousand World open the passageway?

Seriously?

Do you think that’s realistic?

Opening the passage required more than just one person from the Great Thousand World—it needed... uh.

Zixuan wasn’t entirely sure, but from what she remembered, when the leader took the SSS-rank Transcendents away,

She had sensed at least five overwhelming forces of fate descending upon their world.

Meaning, at the very least, five individuals from the Great Thousand World—and incredibly powerful ones at that—were needed to open the passage.

And even if it did open,

Why would they let you go up?

Wouldn’t they just smack you back down?

So,

Zixuan found Qin Luo’s ambitions utterly delusional.

......

......

Stepping outside,

The sky had brightened.

Qin Luo lifted his gaze, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

Every key element of his plan was now in place.

The bait had been cast.

Now...

It was time for the real hunt to begin.

The Great Thousand World...

Qin Luo raised a hand, squinting one eye as he pinched the air between his thumb and forefinger.

I’ll give you all a little surprise when the time comes.

[Qin Luo, I’m done here. What a joke—those so-called divine rules? One strike and they’re gone.]

At that moment,

Su Muwan’s voice echoed in his mind. He chuckled softly.

[Got it, young miss. I’m on my way.]

[Hmph. I don’t want seafood for the next few days. I’m craving tonkatsu.]

[Of course, young miss.]

[By the way, Qin Luo—did you go meet another woman again? Why do I feel so inexplicably irritated?]

[?!!]

......

......

Tianhai City.

"N-no way... Why aren’t you affected by divine power...?"

Lan Ming collapsed onto the icy ground, sweat and frost mingling as they slid down his face.

His trident lay shattered around him, broken into pieces by Su Muwan’s ice spear.

The black mist writhed weakly before dissipating into nothingness, as if silently screaming in agony.

His chest heaved violently, his eyes wide with disbelief.

He looked down at the grotesque dragon-king’s face embedded in his chest—it, too, trembled, as if gripped by unprecedented terror.

"Oh, you’re still here."

Su Muwan glanced at him indifferently, then tilted her ice spear forward slightly.

Thud!

The spear pierced straight through Lan Ming’s forehead.

In an instant, frost spread across his entire body.

His pupils contracted sharply, the light in his eyes fading rapidly, replaced by a lifeless blue.

"My... divine power..."

His lips twitched weakly, barely forming the words.

Then, his entire body turned into an ice sculpture—utterly devoid of life.

At the same time,

Deep within the East Sea Palace,

A massive, fleshy sphere trembled in terror, bouncing frantically around the hall.

The sensation of Lan Ming’s death had reached it.

The human faces on the surface of the fleshy sphere continued to emit piercing screams.

"Eeeek—!!"

"It hurts! It hurts so much! So cold!!"

"This icy, stabbing sensation... why does it feel so familiar?"

"No... it can't be... That entity died long ago..."

"No... no... if we... if we just devour more..."

"We... can evolve!!"