Grinding to Become the Master of the Universe

"You’re all just letting your concern cloud your judgment. It’s true that the Cosmic Genius Battle is a gathering of heroes and a convergence of prodigies, but isn’t Qin Feng a prodigy himself?! The very fact that he’s made it this far in a century proves his Martial Arts Heart is firmer than the others’."

Hearing this, the instructors present couldn’t help but laugh.

"Sigh. Another prodigy has gone out from under our watch, soaring toward a wider sky."

Master Mu Lin remarked with genuine feeling, watching the spaceship that had now completely vanished from sight.

"Indeed."

Yu Han nodded as well. "Watching these children grow from naive to mature, from weak to powerful, and then set off into the cosmos to become new pillars of the Empire... Perhaps this is the meaning of the legacy we old-timers have chosen to pass on by remaining here as instructors."

"Oh no, *you’re* the old-timers. I’m still young."

Yu Han laughed heartily.

The other instructors could only shake their heads in resignation.

Yu Han looked at Zhou Xiong. "Company Commander, it’s time for me to return to my unit."

"Mm."

Zhou Xiong nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "Alright, let’s disperse. Everyone get back to your duties. The next time we gather might just be at the victory feast after this kid slays a great demon."

"..."

They exchanged smiles, and then their figures vanished one by one.

The sea of bamboo stood as it always had, a cool breeze rustling through it, as if nothing had happened at all.

-----------------

Space travel is tedious and long.

In the two months after leaving Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University, Qin Feng spent most of his time in his private cabin.

He didn’t waste a single second, immersing himself completely in the vast, ocean-like knowledge of the Canaan Scripture.

Outside the window was eternal darkness and silence, occasionally dotted with distant starlight, like cold diamonds.

The passenger ship sailed smoothly along its designated Curvature Channel, leaving galaxies and nebulae far behind.

Until one day, a soft broadcast announcement woke Qin Feng from his deep Meditation.

*Dear passengers, the ship will soon be arriving at its final destination: Star Domain B-778, the "Pillar of Creation." Please gather your personal belongings and prepare to disembark.*

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing and disappearing in the depths of his pupils.

He stood up, walked to the massive porthole, and looked outside.

The sight before him made even his heart, long as tranquil as a still well, ripple with violent waves.

Directly ahead of the ship, in the boundless void, a nebula floated silently. Its magnificence and grandeur were beyond description.

The nebula’s colors were brilliant to the extreme, containing every known spectrum in the cosmos. From blazing bright white to deep, mysterious blue, to the magnificent crimson representing new life, they intertwined and flowed together, like a creation scroll painted by the hand of a god.

And in the core of that vast nebula, countless points of light were constantly flickering, being born and dying.

Each point of light was a star being born or heading toward its death.

Their light and heat pierced through the thick interstellar dust, illuminating this most primitive Life Cradle in the cosmos.

This was the "Pillar of Creation."

As the passenger ship drew closer, an even more stunning scene unfolded before Qin Feng’s eyes.

In the center of that brilliant nebula, a city of unimaginable size lay sprawled across the cosmos.

It looked as if it had been carved from a single, complete piece of an unknown black crystal. Its surface reflected the light of countless surrounding stars, shining with a cold and majestic brilliance.

The city was so immense that the Giant Stars burning beside it seemed as small as fireflies.

Its towering city walls rose higher than the nebula;

Its open gates were wide enough for several giant planets to pass through side-by-side with room to spare.

This was the assembly point for this theater of the Cosmic Genius Battle—the City of Genesis.

Countless passenger ships, warships, and private star-shuttles of all sizes moved in an orderly fashion along the channels around the city, like schools of fish circling a great whale.

On the massive platform below the city gate, flashes of light from Subspace Teleportation rose and fell, one after another, precisely transporting powerful Martial Artists from distant galaxies.

Countless prodigy Martial Artists were converging on this cosmic citadel from every direction!

Qin Feng’s gaze swept over the figures disembarking from other ships or emerging from the Teleportation Platforms.

He felt a jolt of tension.

As far as the eye could see, every Martial Artist qualified to arrive here at this moment, without exception, was a powerhouse who had stepped into the Planet-level!

Their auras were reserved or flamboyant, blazing like fire or cold as the abyss, but the life fluctuations unique to Planet-level Life Forms—a presence transcending the mundane—could not be faked.

They came from different planets, but all hailed from the vast and boundless Star Sea under the rule of the Ultramarines Chapter.

With just a brief assessment, Qin Feng immediately determined that among this group of geniuses, there were many whose auras were deeper and more powerful than his own.

’Evidently, a considerable number of them have likely been Planet-level for well over a century.’

’Their Control over Planet-level power, their use of Mental Power, and even their cultivation of seventh-grade slaughter methods must be far superior to a ’newcomer’ like me.’

Qin Feng could even vaguely sense a few obscure yet powerful auras. ’I’m afraid their Slaughter Realms have already reached ’Minor Accomplishment’!’

At the entrance of this magnificent city that spanned the nebula, a large number of Ultimate Warriors in sky-blue Standard Power Armor stood guard.

Each one of them was like a humanoid blazing star, their bodies radiating a life force so surging it made one’s heart pound.

They were all clearly Constant Star-level Powerhouses!

Within the Ultramarines Chapter, Constant Star-level Powerhouses were qualified to be primary combat members.

The Ultimate Warriors silently carried out their duties, verifying the identity of every Martial Artist arriving for the competition and maintaining Order at the scene.

The "Wanderer" slowly docked at its designated spaceport berth.

Qin Feng disembarked from the transport ship and set foot in the City of Genesis.

He followed the crowd to the entrance and quietly took his place at the end of a line of various prodigies that stretched as far as the eye could see, waiting silently for his identity to be verified.

Just then, a portly Martial Artist with a perpetually friendly smile, standing one spot ahead of him, turned around and struck up a conversation as if they were old friends.

"Hey, buddy, first time at the Pillar of Creation? You look pretty curious."

The chubby Martial Artist said with a grin, revealing a set of white teeth. "Which Star Zone are you from?"

Before Qin Feng could answer, he introduced himself, "My name is Huo Yuan. You can call me Xiaopang."

"I’m from the ’Boat Star District.’ It’s pretty remote, so you’ve probably never heard of it."

"I cultivate the Celestial Disc Scripture, which I spent a fortune on. Its defining trait is visualizing the Celestial Disc, which is probably why I’m so carefree and chubby now. Heh, forgive my appearance."

Although he was a bit long-winded, his words carried a kind of affability that made it hard to dislike him.

Qin Feng looked at him, nodded calmly, and replied, "Qin Feng. From ’This Star Zone.’ I cultivate the Canaan Scripture."

"The Canaan Scripture? From Canaan Starry Sky Martial Arts University?"

Huo Yuan’s eyes lit up instantly. He was clearly well-informed, and his smile broadened. "I know, I know! Your school’s Canaan Scripture is a top-tier cultivation method, famous throughout the Empire."

"And that Canaan Tower of yours is even more incredible. I heard a rumor that it’s a supreme treasure left behind by the legendary ’King of Canaan’ of our Ultramarines Chapter."

"Anyone who can leave their name in there is the toughest of the tough."

He looked Qin Feng up and down, then leaned in closer and lowered his voice. "So, how about it, buddy? I see you came alone too."

"This Cosmic Genius Battle is a treacherous affair, with a lot of ins and outs. How about we team up for now?"

"Before the competition starts, we can watch each other’s backs, share what we have, exchange some intel, that sort of thing. It’s better than fumbling around in the dark alone, right?"

Faced with this sudden invitation to team up, Qin Feng considered it briefly.

He could sense that although the aura of this chubby man named Huo Yuan wasn’t as sharp as those top-tier geniuses, it was exceptionally deep and enduring. His foundation was clearly solid, and his strength was considerable.

Besides, the guy seemed to be a walking encyclopedia of information. Teaming up with him would indeed save a lot of trouble.

"Alright."

Qin Feng gave a slight nod, not refusing.

’For some reason, I feel like a ’little fatty’ always coincidentally spawns next to me.’