Cosmic Professional Gladiator



Xu Jingming ventured deep into the small territory ruins, following the structure until he reached the core.

And there, floating in front of him, was a drop of liquid that glimmered with an otherworldly light.

Buzz.

As soon as he laid eyes on it, everything around him transformed.

The ruins became a picturesque landscape, and beside the drop of liquid stood a child with a single horn on his head, dressed in a light-red cloak and with a worried expression on his face.

"I might die too," the child whispered, his desperate eyes scanning the distance.

"Father, Mother! No…" he cried out in despair.

Turning to Xu Jingming, the child introduced himself. "My name is Liu Yufeng. My father's name is Liu Mangxing, and my mother is Red Flame Goddess."

He was slightly stunned after saying the name. "You're not in a hurry to kill me?"

He paused, his eyes filled with ridicule and hatred. "I believe you've guessed it. My parents and I were just hunted down by a powerful enemy. My father, Liu Mangxing, slowly progressed from a low-dimensional lifeform to the half-step third realm. As a half-step Third Realm from the Heart Realm lineage, his reputation spread far and wide. My mother, Red Flame Goddess, was born a high-dimensional lifeform, and she also reached the peak of the Eternal realm."

"The two of them had me," the child continued. "I was born a high-dimensional lifeform, and I could enter the Heart Realm the moment I was born."

"I'm still very young. According to Father, I'm still in my early childhood. I'm far from adulthood," the child said. "My parents doted on me and were focused on ensuring my growth…"

"In high-dimensional space, our family of three explored dangerous places and saw countless vistas together," the child said. "Terrifying places that are life-threatening to other high-dimensional lifeforms aren't dangerous to me at all. With Father around, we have never encountered any danger."

Xu Jingming listened, taking in the child's story.

A half-step third-realm Heart Realm cultivator could return to their territory with a thought. Their life-preservation abilities were terrifying.

"However, one of Father's old enemies broke through," the child said. "He broke through to the third realm."

Xu Jingming was stunned. Third-realm enemy?

"Even though Father has mastered six half-step third-realm techniques and was unmatched for years, there's no way to resist the third-realm enemy," the cloaked child said, his voice trembling with emotion. "I just sensed the death of Father and Mother."

"Father sent me away immediately and isolated me from all karma," the cloaked child continued, his voice low and filled with sadness. "Father and Mother want me to live."

"But… will that Third Realm let me off?" the cloaked child asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. "Moreover, a world without parents is really boring."

The cloaked child looked at Xu Jingming, his eyes filled with a sense of longing.

"I'm still young after all. My parents didn't give me many treasures; they only gave me some interesting toys. The only precious thing is a legacy used to establish a foundation," the cloaked child said. "This legacy used to build a foundation is called the Eight Directions Map. It originates from the third-realm existence, Feather Fire Lord."

Feather Fire Lord? Xu Jingming immediately recalled Valley Goldstone.

Valley Goldstone had lived for 150 Abyssal Eras and had received pointers from two Third Realms. One of them was Feather Fire Lord!

Feather Fire Lord was known to be always willing to teach juniors. He hoped that the weak could grow stronger.

"I heard from Father that Feather Fire Lord is very benevolent," the cloaked child continued. "Feather Fire Lord pondered over the reason why countless high-dimensional lifeforms can't reach the third realm. Finally, he believed that weak high-dimensional lifeforms have too many flaws in their foundation. Therefore, he spent a lot of effort to create 3,000 legacies."

"These 3,000 legacies were all foundational legacies. In order to give high-dimensional lifeforms a more solid foundation, cultivating his legacy… boosts the chances of reaching the third realm according to Feather Fire Lord."

"There were ten original copies for each of the 3,000 legacies! When Feather Fire Lord publicized them, it also attracted the competition of high-dimensional lifeforms."

"My father was unrivaled below the third realm and also obtained a copy. My father was already half a step into the third realm, and this legacy was quite helpful to him… My father later handed this legacy to me."

"And now, I'm handing this legacy to you."

"I'm only at the Firstborn realm, so I won't leave any tests. The Eight Directions Map legacy and some of my toys are hidden in the tree hole of this ancient tree."

The cloaked child pointed at an ancient tree not far away.

Buzz.

The cloaked child's eyes suddenly blazed with madness and fury, and his body became ethereal.

"I'm dead," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "This is the remnant spirit of the territory. The Third Realm ultimately killed me. I don't have any attachment to this world anymore. The only thing I miss is my father and mother."

Tears welled up in the cloaked child's eyes as he gazed at Xu Jingming. "I know the chances of reaching the Third Realm are slim, but if you can reach it and plan on reviving me, please revive my parents too."

"If you're afraid of that third-realm enemy and aren't willing to revive my parents, then don't revive me. Just let me accompany them in the land of death."

"Father, Mother… I miss you so much!"

With that, the illusory figure dissipated, and so did the entire illusion. All that was left were the dilapidated ruins of the small territory.

Xu Jingming sighed softly. A natural high-dimensional lifeform, still in his early childhood and so attached to his parents, had met such a sad end.

His father must've been incredibly powerful, probably above Gumo and Monhado. He had grasped six half-step Third Realm techniques, and when combined, his strength was probably capable of suppressing Valley Goldstone.

He even brought his wife and child to stroll through dangerous places. At this point, there was no longer any danger. Who would've thought that he would have an enemy reach the third realm!?

He's too strong. The enemy who managed to survive probably isn't weak, Xu Jingming thought. Therefore, even if I'm invincible, I have to be careful and not make too many enemies.

Xu Jingming walked to the ancient tree.

I wonder if the legacy and the treasures left behind by this child, Liu Yufeng, are still there. Xu Jingming had long gotten used to disappointment after the first eight territory ruins.

It was normal not to find treasures in these ruins. The probability of finding them was low.

But listening to the ruin owner's recount of the past was a boon. Liu Yufeng, young and inexperienced, had not explained the secrets of the evolutionary path.

Eternal existences usually explained some of the moves they were good at, hoping to form karma with those who came later and increase their chances of revival.

Ancient tree.

Xu Jingming saw the ancient tree.

In the illusion, the ancient tree towered into the sky and was very lush.

But in the ruins, the tree was a sorry sight. No leaves, only shriveled branches pointing in every direction and dry bark on the trunk.

Huh? But then, Xu Jingming sensed something—a tree hole.

It was protected by the Heart Realm Force.

What? No lifeform has been here? The treasure is still here? Xu Jingming was pleasantly surprised.

The first eight territory ruins were empty! Xu Jingming was used to it.

Xu Jingming was pleasantly surprised to encounter something that wasn't empty.

Is it because this high-dimensional lifeform child died relatively recently? That's why I was the first to discover it. Or rather… his territory ruins are too small and easily overlooked? Xu Jingming guessed.

He carpet-searched the area around his territory thoroughly. Originally, he had 'roughly' screened all of them, but he failed to find this territory ruin.

It was only found after combing through everything.

Without precise coordinates, it was difficult for other high-dimensional lifeforms in the Heart Realm to discover a small territory ruin.

Kid, it looks like we're fated. Xu Jingming smiled and stepped forward to touch it gently.

Bang!

As soon as he touched it, the seal dissipated.

Liu Yufeng didn't have any plans on setting up tests; after all, he was too weak and knew too little. Those who could enter the Heart Realm could usually reach the Eternal Realm. If an Eternal powerhouse could completely break through his obstructions, what was the point of setting up a test?

This is? Xu Jingming saw it.

Inside, he found two items—a thin book with strange words on the surface, which he sensed contained information about the Eight Directions Map, and a folded piece of beast hide.

This is that kid's so-called interesting toy? Xu Jingming looked at the beast hide in confusion.

Although the cloaked child was a high-dimensional lifeform, he was still in his infancy after all. His mind was still very weak. Xu Jingming estimated that… in terms of mental age, the cloaked kid was probably inferior to an ordinary 100-year-old human.

To Xu Jingming, who had experienced all kinds of mental hardships, he was indeed a kid.

Toy?

Xu Jingming reached out and picked up the beast hide. But as he unfolded it, he discovered a scrawling of a strange beast pattern, hiding a high-dimensional space.

This is? Xu Jingming sensed it. There's a high-dimensional space stored in this piece of beast hide, with 20 miniature universes that form a game formation? There are also all kinds of entertainment?

A huge swimming alien beast, a towering strange tower, an ancient maze, a large number of puppets, a huge egg…

The 20 small universes formed a formation like 20 marbles. One crashed into the other, sending the other to collide into another. Finally, the 20 small universes entered an unending cycle of collisions.

All kinds of strange objects floated in high-dimensional space inside the beast hide.

This storage space was indeed a place for entertainment.

This is the amusement park arranged for a child by an invincible half-step third realm? Xu Jingming immediately understood how poor he was.

He was too poor! It was no wonder the dean, Tower Master, and Island Lord took the initiative to give things to him because they knew that he was poor!

Sanam, one of the 3,000 Emissaries, was ultimately only one of the 3,000 Emissaries under Monhado. The dean and the others didn't think much of his wealth, much less a powerhouse from the Heart Realm lineage who had grasped six half-step third-realm techniques.

Kid, you don't think these toys are precious? What's precious is this legacy?

You're wrong. They're all very precious to me!

Xu Jingming calmed his excitement and put away the beast hide. This was his greatest gain to date.

Then, he reached out and picked up the book, Eight Directions Map.