"Actually, it is entirely possible, Master. According to my search, there is a powerful Rank 9 civilization located seven hundred million light-years from The Milky Way. Their number of Gactic Realm experts has reached seven hundred."

  Maya continued, her voice devoid of hesitation as she offered a solution to Lance’s concerns. "I can seize control of one of their idle Tier 8 peak-rank starships and have it secretly travel to The Phantom Sector. Once there, it can systematically assassinate the Void Overlord and every Stelr Css expert within his borders. After that, I will take control of all Void-kin weaponry and wipe their entire civilization from existence."

  She paused for a microsecond. "However, due to the sheer distance, it will take twenty-four hours to mobilize the ship and bring it into position."

  Lance was genuinely stunned. "Holy sht, you can do that? Won't that Rank 9 civilization notice? And what about civilizations even more advanced than you? Will they intervene?"

  "It is impossible for them to notice," Maya replied confidently. "The gap between Rank 9 and Rank 10 is vast. As for other Rank 10 or even Rank 11 civilizations, a Rank 9 civilization is nothing more than an ant to them, let alone a Tier 8 starship. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

  Maya’s expnation was blunt. At those heights of power, the "gods" of the universe didn't bother themselves with the squabbles of insects.

  "I see. That’s good then," Lance said, nodding. "Mobilize the ship first. We might not have to use it, but we can't afford to be without it. It’s better to have it moving now so we aren't caught off guard ter."

  "Understood, Master. Furthermore, regarding The Void-kin, I have already sent out the falsified report of your death. I have also taken over all Void-kin communication channels within The Milky Way."

  Lance gave a small, satisfied nod. "Good. In that case, let’s get moving. We’ll leave this ship behind. Call in another ship from that Rank 9 civilization for me—something Tier 8 peak or higher. The more advanced, the better."

  Lance looked back at the space crack. He wanted the ship for himself. With his Reconstruction ability, he could likely upgrade a Tier 8 peak ship into a Rank 11 or even Rank 12 vessel. If he had a Rank 12 ship with an integrated Rank 12 AI, he would never have to fear being crushed by a high-level civilization again.

  This encounter had been a sobering lesson on the terrifying disparity between civilizations. In this era, if your technology gged behind, you could be snuffed out like a candle regardless of your individual strength. Conversely, true personal power and top-tier technology went hand-in-hand.

  "Understood, Master. I have mobilized a Rank 9 Middle-Grade starship for you. Given the distance, it should arrive in three days."

  "Three days it is, then." Lance’s lips curled into a slight smile as he flew out of the spatial rift.

  Once outside, he signaled the Tier 6 ship he had arrived in to return to his position. As he waited, a thought struck him.

  "Maya, since you’ve already infiltrated a Rank 9 civilization, does that mean I technically have access to their entire library of cultivation methods and War Arts?"

  This was a massive realization. A civilization’s database of techniques was its most precious treasure, usually stored either physically in a high-security vault or within the civilization’s highest-level AI. As a Rank 9 AI herself, Maya could bypass almost any lower-tier security.

  "Yes, Master," Maya replied. "Because their civilization has not yet reached Rank 10, they have not yet integrated with The Virtual Universe. I have successfully taken control of their entire technique and War Art database. I can pull any file you require at any time."

  She continued, "Once a civilization reaches Rank 10, they can connect their central intellect to The Virtual Universe. Once verified, their data is protected by The Virtual Universe itself. At ?at point, even Rank 13 or 14 AIs would find it impossible to breach their vaults. However, the price for this protection is that the copyrights to their War Arts and techniques belong to The Virtual Universe, allowing other civilizations to purchase them. It is the cost of cultural preservation."

  Lance froze. "The Virtual Universe? What is that?"

  Following his principle of asking when ignorant, he looked to Maya for an expnation.

  "The Virtual Universe is the ultimate culmination of all top-tier intelligent races in the cosmos," Maya expined. "It is a virtual world evolved from the universe's most supreme AI. It serves as a second universe—one so realistic that the effects of cultivation within it can be brought back into the physical world, though the training speed is slower. The key difference is that within The Virtual Universe, no one can truly die."

  She projected a stream of data into his mind. "It is the gathering pce for all the powerhouses of the cosmos. Every powerful civilization integrates its network into it. Lower-tier civilizations must join higher ones as vassals to gain access. The Rank 9 civilization I mentioned is the only one near The Milky Way that hasn't integrated yet. They were holding out because they are on the verge of becoming their own Sovereign Universal State."

  Maya’s voice grew more serious. "When that happens, civilizations like those in The Milky Way and The Phantom Sector will be forcibly merged into them. If they refuse, they face extinction. If you wish to enter, Master, I can register a personal account for you now. This will allow you to enter The Virtual Universe from anywhere at any time."

  As Lance processed the flood of information, his understanding of the scale of the cosmos shattered and rebuilt itself.

  The Milky Way was cssified as a Large Gaxy, consisting of anywhere from ten million to hundreds of billions of pnetary systems like The Sol System. These gaxies ranged from ten thousand to a hundred million light-years in diameter.

  Small Large Gaxies (under 100,000 light-years) were usually protected by Stelr Css powerhouses. Super-Large Gaxies (100,000 to 1 million light-years) were guarded by Gactic Realm experts. Giant Gaxies (1 million to 10 million light-years) were the domain of Star Sea Realm experts.

  And for the Super-Giant Gaxies—those spanning 10 million to 100 million light-years—The High Guardians were formidable Universal Css experts.

  Civilizations at that level were the true Rank 10 powers of the universe.He was finally eligible to access the Virtual Universe!

  However, far above the scale of a single gaxy, there existed something even more massive: the Star Sector.

  A single Star Sector was comprised of anywhere from several hundred million to tens of trillions of rge gaxies.

  In short, it was an unfathomable expanse. Even the smallest Star Sectors reached a staggering diameter of several billion light-years.

  The entities ruling over such Star Sectors were super-powerhouses at the Domain Lord Css.

  These were also referred to as Rank 11 civilizations.

  Yet, that was not the most terrifying part. Beyond the Star Sector y the Star Realm!

  The smallest Star Realm spanned at least a trillion light-years.

  Its rulers were World Lord Css powerhouses.

  In other words, a Rank 12 civilization!

  And above the Star Realm sat the Universal God-Realm—a mighty Rank 13 civilization!

  These were guarded by beings at the God-King Css.

  The number of Star Realms under the jurisdiction of a single Universal God-Realm exceeded a hundred million.

  One could only imagine how microscopic the Milky Way appeared within a Universal God-Realm.

  From the Universal Css upward, every single rank represented a world-shaking leap in existence!

  However, even entities as grand as the Universal God-Realms were still governed by the Virtual Universe.

  Furthermore, the number of Universal God-Realms scattered throughout the cosmos was immense.

  As for the specific details, since they had not yet connected to the Virtual Universe, even Maya—a Rank 10 AI—wasn't entirely clear on the specifics.

  "Damn... with so many ranks, how long is it going to take me to climb that high at my current pace?" Lance swallowed hard, his mind reeling. "A Universal Css powerhouse can live for a hundred million years? That’s just ridiculous."

  Lance was genuinely shaken.

  The sheer scale of the ranking system and the divisions of power were so vast that even with his system, he felt it would take an eternity to reach the top.

  "There is no need to worry," Maya said, sensing his shock and offering a quick word of comfort. "Every powerhouse must endure countless years of cultivation to reach those heights. You are only fifteen years old; you have an eternity of time ahead of you."

  "I know," Lance replied. "I'm not scared—I’m excited. I never expected there to be so many realms or for the universe to be this vast. It looks like life is going to be a hell of an adventure from now on."

  A smile finally broke across his face.

  With the system at his disposal, he refused to believe he couldn't reach those ranks. Based on the levels of his Undying God-Body and Eternal Soul Protocol, there was still the Immortal Grade above the God-King Css, and the Immortal Css beyond even that.

  If the system could effortlessly strengthen his constitution to the Immortal Css, then reaching the God-King Css should be a walk in the park.

  When the time came, he might even carve out a Universal God-Realm of his own just for the hell of it.

  "By the way, didn't you say you were going to apply for a Virtual Universe access account? Set one up for me. I want to see what this Virtual Universe actually looks like."

  Suddenly remembering Maya’s earlier suggestion, Lance’s interest was piqued.

  "Understood. I have already submitted your registration information. Since your civilization does not belong to any Rank 10 or higher civilization, you can only register as an individual. An individual account requires some time to verify your data. The process shouldn't take more than ten hours."

  "Verify? Verify what?" Lance asked, confused.

  "Supposedly, they review the applicant's talent to see if it meets the standard. To successfully register as an individual, one must possess Desote Grade talent—meaning you must have the potential to reach the Universal Css. Once approved, you won't be subject to any regional restrictions. You’ll be able to use the Virtual Universe anywhere in the cosmos. If you were part of a Rank 11 civilization or its subordinates, even ordinary people could register, but those with low authority are restricted to using it within their own civilization's territory."

  "I see," Lance nodded. "Go ahead with the registration then. While we wait, let's see if that Rank 9 civilization has any decent cultivation methods or War Arts I can use."

  Hummmm!

  Just then, a massive starship tore through the void and hurtled toward Lance's position.

  The ship slowed and came to a steady halt directly in front of him.

  Cck!

  The hatch hissed open.

  "Lance! Are you okay, Lance!?"

  A figure blurred as it flew down from the ship at high speed, circling Lance with an expression of frantic concern.

  It was Raya Kincaid.

  After Lance had told her to leave first, she had been worried sick. She had tried to call for help, only to find that all her communication devices were dead. It wasn't until just now that the ship had finally restarted and allowed her to return.

  "I’m fine, obviously," Lance said with a helpless smile at her panic. "It was just a bunch of small fries. No big deal."

  "You... you're really okay?" Raya gasped, staring at him in disbelief once she confirmed he wasn't injured. "Did you actually kill those Void-kin powerhouses!?"

  If news of this got out, the entire human race would be turned upside down.

  "Nah," Lance joked. "They thought I was too handsome, so they let me go."

  "Liar! If they were that kind, half my people wouldn't be dead!" Raya snapped, clearly not buying it.

  "Then you've answered your own question. Do you think they would’ve just walked away if I hadn't killed them?" Lance rolled his eyes and flew toward the ship.

  Hearing him admit it personally made Raya even more agitated. She scrambled to catch up, following him with eyes full of pure adoration.

  "Wow... I had no idea you were this powerful. I thought you were weak before! But seriously, if you're this strong, you can't just be an SS-Rank genius. You have to be SSS-Rank! No, wait... even an SSS-Rank genius couldn't be this strong. What rank is even above SSS?"

  "How should I know?" Lance said dismissively. "And if you don't want me dead, do me a favor and keep your mouth shut. If a third person finds out about this, I’ll have a horde of Stelr Css experts hunting me by tomorrow."

  Raya Kincaid was proving to be quite the chatterbox.

  "Of course! I swear, no one else will ever know about today. If I tell a soul, may I be struck by a starship the moment I step outside!" Raya promised solemnly.

  "I appreciate it. Anyway, I used up a lot of energy and need to recover. I’ll leave the rest to you."

  Lance gave a curt nod and headed straight for his private quarters.

  Rumble!

  With a heavy roar, the starship accelerated, streaking through the void back toward Ancient Earth.

  It soon vanished into the starry expanse.

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