Domain Lord

In the Slaughterhouse hall, Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen were discussing Luo Feng's three previous battles. It had to be said, the fight with the female warrior had been a significant blow to Luo Feng. Losing wasn't the scary part; it was losing so thoroughly! This indicated that he, Luo Feng, was still a long way from reaching the pinnacle among those of his rank.

There were certainly many stronger than him.

“Hmm?” Luo Feng caught sight of a Slaughterhouse staff member walking towards them from the corner of his eye.

“Oh?” Lei Shen also glanced around; there were only the three of them nearby.

“It seems he’s looking for us,” Hong whispered.

The Slaughterhouse staff member, a lean man with a pointed nose, smiled and said, “Gentlemen, a Quiet Room owner upstairs has requested your presence.”

“A Quiet Room owner?” Luo Feng was startled and exchanged glances with Hong and Lei Shen.

The main hall was a place for many key elites to rest and chat. However, Quiet Rooms were highly private spaces. Many powerful individuals rented Quiet Rooms long-term, and these owners were typically at least Cosmic-level, unless they were a rare few with an exorbitant amount of wealth.

“Lead the way,” Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen stood up.

“Certainly.”

The staff member led the way, quickly ascending a spiral staircase to the second floor. While the first floor was an immensely vast super-hall, the second floor was a serene, beautiful maze, within which were individual Quiet Rooms. Many Cosmic-level powerhouses, even Domain Lords, and occasionally even the lofty Sector Lords, could be found there.

In the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, Sector Lords were considered the absolute peak of military might. However, Sector Lords usually operated within the Virtual Universe’s Ganwu Continent, not on the Black Dragon Mountain Island. After all, there were very few Sector Lords within the Black Dragon Mountain Empire’s territory, and even fewer who could meet regularly in the Virtual Universe. Naturally, they preferred to go to the Ganwu Continent, where true powerhouses gathered like clouds.

“This is the one,” the staff member said with a smile, standing before a door and gently knocking.

“Come in,” a deep voice resonated.

The door opened.

The staff member bowed respectfully, “Sir, I have brought the three guests.” He then retreated, while Luo Feng and his two sworn brothers carefully observed the incredibly burly man who had risen to his feet inside the Quiet Room. His entire body was dark green, as if forged from steel.

“Come in, all three of you,” the burly man said.

Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen entered the Quiet Room without fear.

Upon entering, the entire Quiet Room seemed to brighten. Luo Feng was suddenly startled as he looked at the burly man before him. On the left chest of the battle robe worn by the burly man was a medal, and the emblem on it depicted two planets suspended above a surging sea of blood.

Cosmic Two-Star Mercenary!!!

Two-Star?

Good heavens!

Luo Feng was utterly shocked. To participate in the ‘Cosmic Two-Star Mercenary assessment,’ one of the prerequisites was to reach Domain Lord strength! Therefore, a Cosmic Two-Star Mercenary was, at minimum, a Domain Lord, and could even be a Sector Lord.

What did the concept of a Domain Lord powerhouse entail?

Cosmic Elementary Civilization Empires like the Silverblue Empire and the Carlo Empire wouldn’t dare provoke a Domain Lord! These were powerhouses who could carve out a region and become its ruler, receiving universal recognition! If Cosmic-level powerhouses wanted to destroy Earth, they would need to attack it repeatedly.

But a Domain Lord? With just one punch, the widespread attack in the ocean could trigger a massive flood, submerging the entire Earth and causing a great extinction!

That was a Domain Lord!

A super-being capable of making Cosmic Elementary Civilization Empires tremble. The former owner of Qiulong Star was merely a Domain Lord! And the one before them… was even stronger than an average Domain Lord!

“Greetings, sir.”

After exchanging glances, Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen spoke with a hint of reverence.

Respect for the strong was a universally acknowledged etiquette.

“I’ve been observing you for over a month,” the burly man said, a smile appearing on his face as he looked at the three. “Since you entered the Slaughterhouse, you’ve come here to train every day without fail. Am I right?”

Luo Feng was surprised. A powerhouse who was at least a Domain Lord had been observing the three of them for over a month?

Luo Feng turned to look at Hong and Lei Shen, who were equally astonished.

“However, I don’t understand why you’ve stayed in the Slaughterhouse all this time. Occasionally being in the Slaughterhouse is fine, but staying here long-term is a waste of time!” The burly man looked at the three with confusion.

“A waste of time?” Luo Feng frowned.

“What do you mean?” Lei Shen also frowned.

Hong, however, silently observed the other party.

“Didn’t your teachers tell you… that the fastest way to evolve, the fastest way to improve, is to cultivate amidst life-and-death struggles?” the burly man asked in return, puzzled.

“I understand that,” Lei Shen said.

Hong and Lei Shen certainly understood.

The era when powerhouses emerged fastest on Earth was the Great Nirvana era, and the era of using Muya Jing. During the Great Nirvana era, in just a few short years, humanity rapidly evolved from its previously weak state, producing a large number of powerhouses, even Planetary-level ones. Decades later, the discovery of Muya Jing also catalyzed the emergence of another group of powerhouses.

“You understand, yet you remain in the Slaughterhouse?” the burly man retorted.

“These are also life-and-death battles, incredibly arduous ones,” Lei Shen argued.

“Wrong, terribly wrong,” the burly man chuckled, shaking his head. “It seems you either have no teachers, or your teachers are of very low caliber.”

Luo Feng and the other two listened intently. It was their good fortune that a Domain Lord powerhouse would speak to them.

“Do you know why fighting in life-and-death situations leads to rapid strength increase, quick enlightenment, and swift evolution? Do you know the principle behind it?” The burly man looked at the three. Luo Feng and his brothers all shook their heads; they truly didn’t understand the principle.

The burly man sighed, “Between life and death, there is great terror!”

“Between life and death, there is infinite motivation.”

“It’s like the involuntary reflex of closing your eyes when a needle is poked towards them! When facing a mortal crisis, every cell in your body will instinctively struggle, and even your genetic material will accelerate its evolution! The terror of life and death pushes the body and even the soul to a peak evolutionary state that cannot be achieved by artificial means. In this state, one finds it easier to comprehend, easier to evolve, and easier to improve their strength.”

Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen were completely breathless.

“This is a conditioned reflex.”

“Or rather, a life reflex!”

“When facing death, life emits the strongest struggle from its deepest core! People who struggle for decades in cultivation without a breakthrough might achieve it through a single life-or-death crisis.” The burly man looked at Luo Feng and his brothers. “Between life and death lies great terror and infinite power. This is why countless powerhouses venture out, fighting in life-and-death situations!”

Luo Feng murmured to himself, “Between life and death lies great terror and infinite power?”

Hong and Lei Shen were also deep in thought.

“Powerhouses!”

“The powerhouses I speak of are Cosmic-level, Domain Lords, Sector Lords, and even the legendary Undying!” The burly man stated solemnly, “Over 99% of them join the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance and undertake life-and-death adventures.”

“The Giant Axe Martial Arena, an incredibly brutal arena where every life-and-death battle guarantees one side’s demise! Yet such an arena thrives… precisely because risking one’s life on the edge of a blade is the fastest way to evolve! How many powerhouses in the cosmos haven’t walked a path forged through life-and-death battles?”

The burly man looked at Luo Feng and his brothers. “So, I’m very puzzled as to why the three of you have been wasting your time in the Slaughterhouse.”

“Occasionally, for a few days, it counts as training.”

“But battles in the Slaughterhouse are training, with the effect of a teacher and so on. However, they cannot achieve the effect of life-and-death combat. Because… in the Slaughter Space and Decisive Battle Space, even if you die, you can instantly revive. This is the Virtual Universe; it simply cannot make your life feel the crisis of death, and naturally, it cannot achieve the evolutionary effect.”

Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen finally understood.

That’s why, after so many days and so many bloody battles, especially in the Slaughter Space where they had set up many powerful opponents, making their kills incredibly thrilling…

…their physical evolution efficiency remained the same as before.

Hong was still Planetary-level Ninth-tier, and Luo Feng and Lei Shen’s bodies had made no progress. Perhaps their techniques and experience had improved, but their fundamental physical foundation hadn’t advanced much.

“Yes, death in the Virtual Universe poses no real threat, so one doesn’t feel a crisis. After all, it’s a virtual world; you can revive instantly after dying. Of course, there’s no true heart-pounding fear, panic, terror, or anger,” Luo Feng thought to himself, simultaneously shouting mentally, “Babata!”

“Why are you calling me?” Babata whispered in his consciousness.

“Why didn’t you tell me this? Staying in the Slaughterhouse for so long is a waste of time!” Luo Feng said angrily.

“You can’t blame me! You already have the Golden Horned Beast body, so you have no bottlenecks whatsoever. You can continuously improve until you reach the peak of Sector Lord. Why bother with life-and-death adventures? Although evolution is faster, the death rate is very high. It’s not too late to go when your strength is higher.”

“I’m fine, but what about my elder brothers?” Luo Feng asked.

“Them? Uh, without life-and-death threats, Stellar-level is pretty much their limit,” Babata said.

“Their limit? Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Luo Feng finally understood that staying in the Slaughterhouse was indeed wasting Hong and Lei Shen’s time.

“My master’s mission was to train you! Not Hong and Lei Shen. When your strength is higher, you can go on life-and-death adventures, and I’ll remind you then. Anyway, it’s not a big loss for Hong and Lei Shen. The training plan prioritizes you above all else,” Babata said very bluntly this time.

…

As Luo Feng felt a pang of guilt towards Hong and Lei Shen,

“Life-and-death adventures?” Hong and Lei Shen’s eyes lit up.

“No wonder I haven’t been able to break through this barrier and reach Stellar-level,” Hong murmured. “Life-and-death adventures… yes, that’s the life for me.”

“I always felt that a comfortable life lacked passion, lacked vigor. So this is why,” Lei Shen’s eyes also shone brightly.

“Third Brother, ready to go on an adventure together?” Lei Shen looked at Luo Feng.

At that moment, the burly man standing nearby smiled and said, “Life-and-death adventure is a journey every powerhouse must undertake! Constantly breaking through life-and-death barriers, constantly surpassing oneself—that is the path of a powerhouse. However, before that… I must remind you of the importance of your physical foundation.”

“Different bloodlines have different evolutionary efficiencies.”

“Some people evolve easily in life-and-death situations, while for others, the difficulty of evolution in such situations is much higher.”

“Some races can reach Stellar-level, even Cosmic-level, or even Domain Lord upon reaching adulthood.”

“This is bloodline.”

“Look, this is a chart that divides human bloodlines into ten tiers. Take a look first to see which tier your bloodline roughly falls into. Perhaps I can help you avoid many detours on your path to evolution,” the burly man said with a smile, pointing to a screen where a chart instantly appeared.