Here for Victory!

Imo smiled. "Don’t worry, Teacher. I’ll approach him in the name of martial artist exchanges, not as a prince. Besides, exchanging insights with true powerhouses always brings new realizations, doesn’t it?"

The old man sighed, but a trace of approval flashed in his eyes. "Your Highness is as willful as ever. Still, please be extremely careful. You understand the situation within the Empire better than I do."

"I’ll be careful." Imo nodded solemnly, then cut off the communication.

He leaned back in his seat and canceled the privacy field. The surrounding clamor flooded his ears once more. The spectators were still fervently discussing the match they had just witnessed, but Imo’s thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.

As the Seventh Prince of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, Imo held a relatively low position and was not considered a serious contender for the throne. That instead gave him greater freedom to pursue what truly interested him. True powerhouses and the paths of their growth had always been Imo’s greatest focus.

The strength and potential Luo Wen had displayed in today’s match had undoubtedly aroused his intense interest.

"Luo Wen…" Imo softly repeated the name, anticipation gleaming in his eyes. "I hope you continue to surprise me."

Back in the rest area, Luo Wen had just finished his fierce duel with Valendo and was recovering his strength. Luo Feng, Hong, and Thor sat around him, the atmosphere relaxed and cheerful.

"Brother Wen, you were incredible!" Luo Feng said excitedly, his eyes full of admiration. "I’ve never seen a law formation constructed that way before. It was practically divine!"

Luo Wen smiled faintly and humbly shook his head. "I was just lucky. Valendo is extremely powerful. If he hadn’t underestimated my control over the Law of Fire, the outcome would have been difficult to predict."

Hong remained as taciturn as ever, but the recovery potion he handed Luo Wen and his approving gaze had already made his opinion clear.

Thor laughed loudly. "Haha, looks like all four of us made it through this round! That’s fantastic!" He slapped Luo Wen hard on the shoulder, nearly making him stumble.

Luo Wen steadied himself, a helpless smile flashing in his eyes. Thor had always been like this—bold and cheerful, with astonishing strength to match.

"By the way," Luo Wen suddenly remembered, "Thor, when does your match begin?"

Thor’s expression immediately turned serious. "In two hours." He checked the time. "I should start preparing."

Although Thor usually seemed carefree, he was exceptionally serious when preparing for a match. The most powerfully built of the four, he stood nearly two meters tall, with a correspondingly muscular physique. He wore a crew cut, and a hearty smile was usually plastered across his face, giving him a rugged and heroic air. But now, his expression had turned focused and solemn.

"Who’s your opponent?" Luo Feng asked.

"Windwalker Moding from the Azure Sky Universe Country," Thor answered as he took out his weapon from his spatial equipment—a massive Thunder Battleblade. "They say he’s an expert in wind laws, incredibly fast and skilled at long-range attacks."

The battleblade was dark silver throughout, its blade covered in lightning-like patterns. A fist-sized blue crystal was embedded in its hilt: a special Thunder Source Stone capable of amplifying the power of thunder laws. The entire weapon was nearly two meters long and weighed several hundred pounds. An ordinary person could not even lift it, yet Thor wielded it as lightly as a feather.

Luo Wen studied Thor’s expression and knew he was nervous. "Moding’s wind laws are indeed formidable, but if you can fully unfold your Ninefold Thunder Domain, his speed advantage will be severely reduced."

Thor nodded. "I know. The key is figuring out how to endure his long-range attacks until I get the chance to deploy my domain."

Hong rarely took the initiative to speak. "Wind feeds fire, but it can also make thunder more violent. What you need to do isn’t resist his wind, but use it."

Thor’s eyes lit up. "That’s right! I can use his wind to accelerate the conduction of my lightning!"

Luo Feng asked curiously, "Thor, has your Ninefold Thunder Domain made any new breakthroughs recently?"

Thor gave a mysterious smile. "A small one. I could originally only reliably unfold it to the sixth layer, but now I can reach the seventh layer for a short time. If things go well, I plan to try breaking through to the eighth layer in this match."

"The eighth layer?!" Luo Feng’s eyes widened in shock. "How powerful would that be?"

Luo Wen explained for him. "Each additional layer of the Ninefold Thunder Domain multiplies its power. According to ancient records, the eighth-layer Thunder Domain is powerful enough to instantly vaporize a small lake."

Luo Feng swallowed. "That strong?"

Thor scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "That’s the theory, but how much power I can actually unleash still depends on my control over the Law of Thunder. After all, without sufficient law support, no matter how powerful the domain is, it’s just an empty shell."

With that, he stood and gripped the Thunder Battleblade. "I’m heading to the training room for some final adjustments. Come watch my match later!"

"Of course we will!" Luo Feng promised, thumping his chest.

Thor nodded and strode toward the training room. Though he still maintained a relaxed demeanor on the surface, everyone could sense the solemn and powerful aura radiating from him.

Inside the training room, Thor stood at the center, closed his eyes, and began making his final pre-match adjustments.

The Thunder Battleblade was planted in the floor. He rested both hands on its hilt, his body completely relaxed. As his breathing gradually became deep and even, a peculiar change began to appear—faint blue sparks started flickering over his skin, as if countless tiny bolts of lightning were coursing beneath it.

"Thunder Breathing, First Form," Thor murmured.

As his words fell, the thunder-law energy within his body began flowing along a specific route, forming a complete cycle. This was a special breathing technique he had developed through years of dedicated study, capable of drawing out the potential of his thunder laws to the greatest possible extent.

"Thunder Breathing, Second Form."

Thor’s breathing rhythm suddenly changed, becoming faster and more forceful. The sparks over his body also grew brighter and denser, producing faint crackling sounds.

"Thunder Breathing, Third Form."

This time, Thor’s breathing became almost imperceptible, but the thunder-law energy within him reached a new peak. Lightning had completely covered his body, forming a thin suit of thunder armor.

"Thunder Breathing, Final Form—Wrath of Thor."

Thor abruptly opened his eyes, dazzling blue lightning flashing within them. He gripped the Thunder Battleblade with both hands and pulled hard.

Boom!

With a thunderous explosion, the instant the Thunder Battleblade was drawn, a thick bolt of lightning shot from its tip into the sky, piercing the training room’s Energy Barrier and leaving a scorched hole in the ceiling.

Thor looked at his handiwork and could not help but smile bitterly. "Great. I have to compensate the Virtual Universe Company again."

Just then, the training room door opened, and a staff member in a Virtual Universe Company uniform walked in. Seeing the hole in the ceiling, he did not seem surprised at all and merely recorded it as routine.

"Contestant Thor, your match is about to begin. Please make your preparations," the staff member informed him politely.

Thor nodded. "I’ll be ready in a moment."

After the staff member left, Thor took a deep breath and sheathed the Thunder Battleblade. That warm-up had only been to adjust his condition. His true power still needed to erupt in battle.

"Ninefold Thunder Domain," Thor muttered. "This time, I have to break through to the eighth layer."

At the same time, powerhouses from all sides in the spectator stands were also closely watching the match about to begin.

Inside Second Prince Belut’s private viewing room, he was examining Thor’s information.

"Thor—what was his original name?" Belut asked.

The intelligence officer beside him answered, "As far as we know, he stopped using his real name long ago and only calls himself ‘Thor.’ He, Luo Wen, Luo Feng, and Hong form a close-knit group. Within the Virtual Universe Company, they are known as the Four Swordsmen."

"How strong is he?"

"He specializes in thunder laws and has already reached the middle stage of the beginner level. His greatest trait is the unique Ninefold Thunder Domain he created, which allows him to unleash attack power far beyond his own realm for a short time. However, this ability does not last long and places an enormous burden on him."

Belut nodded thoughtfully. "Ninefold Thunder Domain sounds quite similar to certain ancient techniques of our Black Dragon Mountain Empire. Interesting. Very interesting."

With the match about to begin, Thor stood on the teleportation platform and took a deep breath to calm the tension in his heart. He knew the coming battle would be a grueling test, but it was also a perfect opportunity to display his strength and surpass himself.

"Wind against thunder, speed against power." Thor tightened his grip on the Thunder Battleblade, battle intent flashing in his eyes. "Come on. Let’s see who’s stronger!"

As the system countdown began, teleportation light gradually enveloped Thor’s body. At the final moment before he vanished completely, he turned back to glance at the stands, seemingly searching for his companions.

Luo Wen, Luo Feng, and Hong were already seated in their designated places, fully focused as they awaited the start of the match. Luo Wen nodded at Thor, his eyes full of encouragement. Luo Feng waved excitedly, while Hong remained silent as always, though his steadfast gaze conveyed his support.

Thor grinned and turned to face the coming challenge. No matter how powerful his opponent was, no matter how daunting the difficulties ahead, with these brothers supporting him from behind, he had no reason not to give it everything he had.

"Third-round match: Thor of the Xia Universe Country versus Windwalker Moding of the Azure Sky Universe Country. Match rules: any methods may be used except lethal attacks. Victory conditions: opponent surrenders or completely loses the ability to fight. Match countdown: ten, nine, eight…"

In the stands, Luo Wen quietly said to Luo Feng and Hong, "Thor’s opponent this time is no simple foe. Moding’s wind laws are already close to Minor Achievement. He’s incredibly fast, and his attacks have a wide range."

Luo Feng asked worriedly, "Then does Thor stand a chance?"

Luo Wen smiled faintly. "What, you don’t have confidence in your brother?"

Luo Feng quickly shook his head. "No, I just…"

"Don’t worry." Luo Wen patted Luo Feng’s shoulder. "You know Thor’s strength. Besides, he’s already prepared to make a breakthrough this time. If he can truly raise his Ninefold Thunder Domain to the eighth layer during the match, then no matter how strong Moding is, he’ll have a hard time resisting."

Hong rarely interjected. "The key is whether he can hold out against Moding’s rapid attacks until he has the chance to deploy his domain."

Luo Wen nodded. "That’s exactly what worries me. But Thor’s willpower has always been strong. I believe he can endure the hardest moment."

As the countdown ended, the teleportation light faded, and Thor found himself standing in a brand-new arena. It was a massive circular arena, surrounded by towering spectator stands and covered by a transparent energy dome that simulated blue skies and white clouds. But unlike an ordinary arena, the ground here was not level. Instead, it consisted of dozens of floating platforms of varying sizes. These platforms hovered at different heights, separated by distances ranging from several meters to more than ten meters. Beneath them lay an unfathomably deep expanse of blue mist. Although the system guaranteed that contestants would not truly fall, dropping down there meant immediate elimination.

The design of the entire arena clearly favored speed-oriented fighters, placing a power-oriented fighter like Thor at a considerable disadvantage.

Thor stood on the largest platform at the center, gripping the Thunder Battleblade as his sharp gaze swept the surroundings in search of his opponent.

On the teleportation platform opposite him, a spinning column of wind slowly appeared. When the wind dispersed, a tall, slender man emerged before everyone.

Windwalker Moding, a top genius of the Azure Sky Universe Country, was around forty years old but looked only in his twenties. He had long silver-white hair loosely tied behind his head with an emerald-colored ribbon. He wore a light pale-green combat suit. Its material looked like ordinary cloth, yet it glimmered subtly beneath the light, clearly made from some high-grade wind-element material. Most striking of all were his eyes, a rare emerald green that seemed capable of seeing through everything.

Moding carried no obvious weapon, but he wore a pair of peculiar gloves on his hands. The gloves were completely transparent, almost blending into the air itself, with only their edges flickering with a faint green glow.

"Thor of the Xia Universe Country," Moding said, his voice clear and calm like a gentle spring breeze. "I’ve long heard of your reputation. They say your Ninefold Thunder Domain is astonishingly powerful. I look forward to witnessing it."

Thor grinned, showing a row of white teeth. "Likewise. The Wind Walker’s name is known throughout the universe. But let me make one thing clear first—don’t expect me to hold back."

Moding smiled faintly. "Of course. This is the Virtual Universe Company’s Challenge Tournament. We are both here for victory."

Their exchange echoed throughout the venue through the arena’s amplification system, stirring the audience into a commotion. Such respectful yet charged exchanges between top powerhouses always heightened the spectators’ excitement.

"The match officially begins!" the system announcement echoed above the arena.