Chapter 113: The Virtual Universe Network

"Huff... This is the first time I've tried to secluded myself for so long. I'm utterly exhausted..."

In the cultivation chamber of the Star Lord’s Mansion on Lanque Star, although Blue Sky complained of fatigue, the sharp brilliance in his eyes betrayed his true state—his spiritual power had made a tremendous leap forward!

The Soul Suppression Tower was truly a top-tier secret technique. After only mastering its initial stage, roughly ten days of practice, and weaving together the nine layers of the tower’s form, Blue Sky’s spiritual power surged wildly!

In just half an hour, it more than doubled!

This was quite astonishing!

"Excellent! Your spiritual power now is nearly on par with your overall cultivation level!" Bai said excitedly. "When you jumped from Energy Gathering Level 81 directly to the peak of Advanced Nebula Rank, your strength improved rapidly, but your spiritual power lagged behind. This is a weakness—it means your control over cosmic star energy is somewhat lacking. Moreover, if you encounter an opponent of the same rank, they wouldn’t even need to strike; a mere shockwave of their spiritual power could render you powerless."

"That's an exaggeration," Blue Sky replied, displeased. "Didn't you say that unless one cultivates spiritual secret techniques, most cosmic cultivators’ spiritual power lags far behind their strength?"

"Well, it’s not always so coincidental that you’ll meet an opponent with overwhelming spiritual power..." Bai replied.

"Hey, that’s not impossible," Bai continued. "In fact, among some races with high spiritual aptitude, their spiritual power develops hand-in-hand with their cultivation level. Some extreme races forgo cultivating physical realms altogether, focusing solely on spiritual power. Once they reach profound mastery, their spiritual force is terrifying—they can kill millions of cosmic cultivators instantly with just a glance, without lifting a finger!"

"I'm not afraid. Once I fully master the Soul Suppression Tower, I might not be inferior to them. Besides, I have other secret techniques and the Azure Blood Star Flame. When the real confrontation comes, I want to see who’s truly frightening whom!" Blue Sky said confidently. With his spiritual power greatly enhanced, his understanding and control of cosmic star energy deepened. Though not yet advanced enough to develop attribute-based combat skills or enter the second realm of cultivation, his grasp of the first realm had become far more proficient, allowing for stronger attacks.

For example, a few days ago when he was feeling bored, he spontaneously simulated the shape of the Soul Suppression Tower using cosmic star energy and sensed something unusual. It seemed the tower’s form contained some profound principle. The instant the cosmic star energy fully manifested the tower’s shape, a strange fluctuation arose, sharply increasing its cohesion and offensive power. Though still short of the second realm, it could be used as an unconventional combat method.

"This tower’s form indeed holds some secrets, but don’t lose sight of the essence. After all, the Soul Suppression Tower is fundamentally a spiritual secret technique; applying it to cosmic star energy won’t yield significant effects," Bai nodded in agreement yet cautioned.

"Of course. Since I haven’t developed attribute combat skills yet, any power boost is welcome. Once I do, I won’t bother simulating the tower," Blue Sky agreed.

"So, are you ready? The wealth of my master is beckoning you in the Virtual Cosmic Network!" Bai joked cheerfully.

"Haha, I’ve waited too long for this moment. Let me see this highly praised Virtual Cosmic Network of yours!" Blue Sky's excitement grew at the prospect of entering the network.

"Actually, when I applied for your identity, the Virtual Cosmic Network already authorized you. You could’ve entered anytime," Bai said proudly.

"Then why didn’t you tell me sooner?" Blue Sky said, half laughing, half exasperated, glaring at Bai.

"Hmph, if I told you earlier, how could you focus on cultivation?" Bai retorted.

"You underestimate me. Do you really think I’d be distracted by such a thing?" Blue Sky protested.

"Hehe, almost. So, do you want to enter the Virtual Cosmic Network now? If not, I’m going into hibernation. You’ve advanced to Star Radiance Rank but haven’t remembered to repair me yet," Bai rolled his eyes and snapped.

"Ah, haha, there’s been so much going on lately, I really overlooked it. My bad, my bad! Tell me how to help you repair, I’ll set aside everything today to fix you first!" Blue Sky laughed heartily. No wonder Bai’s tone had been off and his eyes hesitant—it all stemmed from this.

"Hmph, that’s better! You don’t need to repair me all day. My core hardware is fine; it’s just that during my master’s last battle with Yan Ze, some core data streams were disrupted. You only need to nurture my core with cosmic star energy for a while; I can handle the rest," Bai said, looking quite teachable and nodding with satisfaction.

"No problem. Repairing Lord Bai’s core is my top priority; I’ll start nurturing immediately," Blue Sky said with a broad smile, teasing.

"Enough, no rush. First, let me show you the Virtual Cosmic Network," Bai rolled his eyes and pulled Blue Sky into the legendary network. "Don’t resist with your spiritual power—I don’t have the strength to forcibly drag you in."

Blue Sky didn’t resist. Suddenly, a wave rippled through his mind. He thought he had entered the Virtual Cosmic Network, but looking around, he was still in reality, with Bai standing beside him. He complained, "Are you kidding me? What’s taking so long? Just pull me in already!"

"Idiot, you’re already inside the Virtual Cosmic Network!" Bai suddenly burst into laughter, clearly enjoying his prank.

"What?! Really?!" Blue Sky looked around in disbelief. If it weren’t for a small humanoid sprite that suddenly appeared in the void and displayed his identity when raising its hand, he wouldn’t have noticed any difference!

Blue Sky was astonished—the environment inside the Virtual Cosmic Network was exactly like reality!

Whether it was the cultivation chamber or the piles of energy crystals within, there was no discrepancy at all. Even a sweep of his spiritual power revealed genuine cosmic energy present inside!