After entering the stadium, Huo Yuhao also saw Xu Xiaoyan and the others. But he only greeted them briefly before separating from Tang Wulin and the group, heading to a private box specially prepared for special spectators.
With a sweep of his spiritual power, he found the person he was looking for. A smile appeared at the corner of Huo Yuhao's mouth. He knocked and pushed open the box door to enter.
Inside the box, an elderly man stood with his hands behind his back before the floor to ceiling window, his gaze falling on the competition field below.
"I did not expect Hall Master Hongchen to have the leisure to watch the selection. If I had not inquired with Mingde Hall in advance, I would have missed you."
The elderly man turned around at the sound. He was the Hall Master of Mingde Hall, Wang Hongchen.
"Is Your Majesty not also here?"
Wang Hongchen smiled slightly, though his gaze was somewhat complex. "Please, have a seat."
The impact of Huo Yuhao's identity being exposed had been considerable on him. A person who had come to Mingde Hall to study suddenly had their identity change, becoming a deity. Anyone would be shocked by such a situation, and he was no exception. However, so much time had passed, and he had already accepted it.
But the change in Huo Yuhao's identity had shattered some of his assumptions, leaving him with lingering questions.
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao nodded slightly and sat down on the sofa in the box.
Between them was a small table with two cups of freshly brewed hot tea. The aroma of tea curled upward, seeming especially real even in this virtual space.
"This Star Dou Combat Network is truly a masterpiece of cooperation between Mingde Hall and the Spirit Transmission Tower." Huo Yuhao picked up a teacup and took a light sip. "Even the taste of tea can be simulated. Hall Master Hongchen has put considerable thought into this."
Wang Hongchen sat down opposite him and smiled upon hearing this. "This is not only Mingde Hall's achievement. The Spirit Transmission Tower has had similar technology for a long time, has it not? I must also thank the Spirit Transmission Tower for its technical support."
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "As a system promoted by the Federation, the Spirit Transmission Tower's technical support has been limited. Mingde Hall's research on virtual space is also impressive. I imagine you have had some special encounters as well."
A flicker of fluctuation passed through Wang Hongchen's eyes. His expression became solemn as he went straight to the point. "Since Your Majesty has come to see me, what is it that you want? Please speak frankly."
Could this one be here for that different dimension?
"Speak frankly? Very well."
Huo Yuhao glanced at the tea. With a thought, his vast spiritual power surged out.
A low hum filled the entire box, trembling violently.
It was not the teacups, not the tables and chairs, but the surrounding virtual space.
Like a stone thrown into a pond causing ripples, except this time, the stone was Huo Yuhao's spiritual power, and the ripples spread through the Star Dou Combat Network's underlying structure.
Wang Hongchen's expression changed slightly.
What did this mean?
As if knowing his confusion, Huo Yuhao quickly stopped, letting the space calm down.
"This virtual space can accommodate battles at the Super Douluo level, but it cannot accommodate battles at the Limit Douluo level. If a Limit Douluo battle were to erupt, the virtual pods and the Star Dou Combat Network might not be able to withstand it."
Huo Yuhao smiled calmly. "So I am curious how Mingde Hall solved this problem."
The virtual space in this world was not purely data. It was a semi-physical space developed based on spiritual power and soul tool technology. Similar to the half-planes created by Da Ming and Er Ming, and his Undead Half-Plane, it was a type of artificial space.
The intensity of battle in this space had limits. Just as the Douluo Continent's space could not withstand divine level battles, this virtual space could not withstand Limit level battles. The battle intensity here could at most reach a level infinitely close to the Limit level.
After all, this was not a true plane, nor even a half-plane. The pressure it could withstand was limited. Although it was already much stronger than the original work, which could only accommodate battles of Three Word Battle Armor Masters below level ninety, and had far fewer loopholes, this was not a reason for the Federation to have Limit Douluo fight here.
Since the Federation could allow Limit Douluo to participate in the selection, it obviously had a way to circumvent this limitation.
"Does Your Majesty not already have the answer?"
Wang Hongchen smiled bitterly and shook his head.
If they had not had a different dimension as a reference when researching virtual space, their progress would not have been so fast, and they would not have been able to perfect this virtual space to this extent. As Huo Yuhao had said, the Spirit Transmission Tower had the spaces within the Spirit Elevation Platform as a reference. Mingde Hall naturally had its own encounters. (Note: The Spirit Elevation Platform was established based on small spaces evolved from divine realm fragments.)
Huo Yuhao was noncommittal. "Having an answer is one thing. Hearing it from the Hall Master's mouth is another. In the past few days, the Federation selection rankings have appeared. I have noticed that some Limit Douluo and Super Douluo have been assigned to the Central Division. I imagine that is the different dimension controlled by Mingde Hall?"
"Yes. It is indeed close to the different dimension we control."
Wang Hongchen first nodded, then shook his head. "However, the space of the Central Division is not part of the different dimension itself. It is a space derived from that different dimension by our Mingde Hall. Because it relies on that different dimension, its strength is sufficient to support Limit Douluo battles."
"I see."
A glint of understanding flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. "May I ask the Hall Master to tell me about this different dimension?"
Since they had not directly chosen that different dimension as the battle venue, it was obviously very special. It was likely the target he was looking for.
After ten thousand years, it was still in Mingde Hall's hands.
So this one was indeed interested in that place.
Wang Hongchen was silent for a moment, then slowly began, "Since Your Majesty asks, I will not hide it. Ten thousand years ago, the Sun Moon Empire cooperated with the Holy Spirit Cult. To carry out some plans, the Holy Spirit Cult informed the Sun Moon Empire of a location. There were some opportunities there, but there were also many dangers, and its judgment method was special. We called it Questioning Love."
Hearing Wang Hongchen's account, Huo Yuhao smiled slightly. "It is indeed Qiankun Questioning Love Valley."
Qiankun Questioning Love Valley was located in the western mountains of Mingdu, in the direction of the current War Temple.
In the original work, Xu Tianran had cooperated with the Holy Spirit Cult to use Qiankun Questioning Love Valley to trap the elites of Shrek Academy, hoping to kill them.
In this world, Xu Tianran and the Holy Spirit Cult had done something similar, bringing Qiankun Questioning Love Valley to the Sun Moon Empire's attention.
And unlike the original work, where Qiankun Questioning Love Valley had existed in the Mingdu area for a hundred years and then disappeared after Huo Yuhao and the others entered it once, in this world, the Sun Moon Empire had developed some interest in it. It eventually ended up in Mingde Hall's hands for research.
(Note: The original work mentioned that the grandfather of the Holy Spirit Cult's Zhong Liwu had entered Qiankun Questioning Love Valley and been trapped inside for a hundred years. Clearly, Qiankun Questioning Love Valley was basically permanently stationed near the western mountains of Mingdu. However, the fact that Zhong Liwu's grandfather could survive inside for a hundred years was also impressive.)
However, ten thousand years ago, deities were still present. Qiankun Questioning Love Valley was dangerous and unpredictable. Mingde Hall had been cautious when entering it, so its research on the valley was naturally limited.
But after ten thousand years, it was obviously different.
Nevertheless, Mingde Hall had dared to use Qiankun Questioning Love Valley to derive a different dimension. That was also impressive.
Huo Yuhao's expression was strange.
The Central Division probably had not been "contaminated" and became unclean, had it?
Because Huo Yuhao had not hidden his voice, the words "Qiankun Questioning Love Valley" had also fallen on Wang Hongchen's ears.
"Your Majesty indeed knows of this place."
Wang Hongchen stroked his beard. "May I ask what you intend to do with it?"
"It is the place where the Love God fell. It is somewhat useful to me." Huo Yuhao smiled.
The place where the Love God fell?
Wang Hongchen's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Qiankun Questioning Love Valley is actually the place where a deity fell?"
Although he was very familiar with Qiankun Questioning Love Valley, knew its name, and had even used that different dimension, and had guessed it was related to deities, he had never imagined it was the place where the Love God had fallen.
He had thought it was a test left by some crazy deity. In his eyes, a deity who could create Qiankun Questioning Love Valley obviously had a problem with their mind.
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly, his tone calm. "Qiankun Questioning Love Valley is a special space formed when the Love God, betrayed by her lover, fell to the mortal realm in grief."
He paused, his gaze falling on Wang Hongchen's face. "That space's special judgment method, which you call Questioning Love, is the manifestation of the Love God's will. However, although it is the place where the Love God fell, its control was in the hands of other deities."
"I see. No wonder the ancestors' exploration of it ten thousand years ago was not smooth, and the gains there are vastly different from today."
Wang Hongchen murmured.
Hearing these inside stories, his understanding of Huo Yuhao being a deity deepened.
"Qiankun Questioning Love Valley is somewhat useful to my path. Would the Hall Master be willing to cede this place to me?"
Huo Yuhao's tone was calm. "I can trade with Mingde Hall, giving you compensation equivalent to the place where a deity fell."
Wang Hongchen smiled bitterly. "Your Majesty puts it that way. Although there are some opportunities inside Qiankun Questioning Love Valley, the premise is that those in love must enter, and they must endure various torments and pains. In comparison, those opportunities are not that great."
"For Mingde Hall, it is more of a stable window for researching different dimensions. Moreover, we have not thoroughly mastered Qiankun Questioning Love Valley. It is not worth that price."
Wang Hongchen's words could be said to be extremely disparaging of Qiankun Questioning Love Valley.
But in his view, that was the fact.
After so many years of exploration, Mingde Hall was very familiar with Qiankun Questioning Love Valley.
When the divine realm still existed, one had to pass three stages: Questioning the Heart, Adventure, and True Heart Adventure. Now that there were no deities operating behind the scenes, it was mainly the first and third stages.
Those who entered without feelings would be fine. Otherwise, they would basically have to endure mental and physical torment. But those without feelings would also receive no rewards.
The rewards obtained in Qiankun Questioning Love Valley were also varied, including up to five levels of spirit power increase, martial soul improvement, memory erasure, gender change, and so on.
Among them, memory erasure and gender change seemed to be forcibly applied without the person's consent. To be honest, did those really count as rewards?
Wang Hongchen personally felt they did not.
Moreover, after learning from Huo Yuhao that Qiankun Questioning Love Valley had once had deities behind it, he understood even less. Why were some deities so Abstract? They forcibly applied these things as rewards to people? Because they considered themselves gods, they could arbitrarily control others' fates?
It was truly repulsive.
Fortunately, these Abstract "rewards" only existed in records. Perhaps because the divine realm had disappeared and there were no more deities behind Qiankun Questioning Love Valley, the rewards there had gradually become normal, mainly increases in spirit power, spirit ring age, and the like. (In this book's setting, without deities controlling things behind the scenes, Qiankun Questioning Love Valley's rewards were similar to divine trial rewards.)
But these rewards were indeed good ten thousand years ago. In this era, however, they could not be said to be useless. But compared to the price one had to pay to enter Qiankun Questioning Love Valley, it was a matter of different people having different views, depending on whether one could accept it.
In any case, in their Mingde Hall, there were basically no people who liked to enter Qiankun Questioning Love Valley to be tortured.
Moreover, Qiankun Questioning Love Valley's rules were special. Even a Limit Douluo could not change its operating rules or control it.
Although Mingde Hall had a way to destroy Qiankun Questioning Love Valley and a way to freely enter and exit, as long as they could not change the rules, the opportunities inside Qiankun Questioning Love Valley were Chicken Ribs to them.
Tasteless to eat, a pity to discard.
For Mingde Hall, Qiankun Questioning Love Valley was in such an awkward position. It was most useful for researching different dimensions.
"So, if this kind of place can be used to make a deal with Your Majesty, I am naturally willing. If Your Majesty can give Mingde Hall your research on half-planes or compensation of equivalent value, I can make the decision to hand Qiankun Questioning Love Valley over to you."
After Wang Hongchen finished speaking, he added, "Of course, if Your Majesty is willing to offer guidance on the divine level, that would be even better."
Huo Yuhao smiled.
Good heavens. No wonder he was so straightforward. So this was what he was after.
Faced with his proposed trade, Wang Hongchen obviously would not refuse. After all, the opportunity to trade with a reincarnated deity and obtain divine level knowledge was not easy.
And the price Wang Hongchen had offered was also right at the core, involving how to become a divine level expert.
Directly breakthrough to the divine level, research on half-planes, these were all related to reaching the divine level. Apparently, Mingde Hall had studied the divine level experts who had appeared in the battle at Shrek.
"Alright." Huo Yuhao nodded. "I have considerable research on half-planes. I will use that as the trade."
Wang Hongchen was inwardly excited, but he still forced himself not to lose composure, showing a hesitant expression.
"Then so be it. However, now that the selection has begun, the Central Division and Qiankun Questioning Love Valley's space are connected. We will probably have to wait until the tournament ends and the space stabilizes before we can transfer it. But if Your Majesty truly needs it, I can try to reinforce the Central Division's space and completely isolate Qiankun Questioning Love Valley."
"I am not in a hurry." Huo Yuhao shook his head.
Whether Qiankun Questioning Love Valley had any backup plans left by Tang San, or even deities' divine consciousness, was still uncertain. He still needed to make some preparations.
Having reached a deal, both looked at the competition field with pleasant moods.
The first group to take the field included Xu Xiaoyan.
"Number one hundred and one, Starry Sky Xu Xiaoyan, versus number one hundred and four, Wang Li."
Seeing his opponent was a young girl, Wang Li, who was over forty, felt somewhat unable to maintain his composure.
Was it not agreed that the competition points would be between those of the same level?
This girl was only fifteen or sixteen, was she not? Could she really have Soul King level cultivation? Could there have been a mistake?
Wang Li smiled. "Little girl, how about you concede? Uncle here will not hold back."
The corner of Xu Xiaoyan's mouth curled up. She did not reply. She directly revealed her martial soul and spirit rings.
Today, she would also experience Yuhao's joy.
The next second.
Purple, purple, purple, black, black. A spirit ring configuration five levels beyond her peers instantly rose.
Wang Li's smile immediately froze on his face.
Oh no. This was not a Soft Persimmon. This was an Alloy Iron Plate.
***
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(End of Chapter)