Cosmic Professional Gladiator

“Brother Wu Ming, I’m glad you’re here. Otherwise, I would’ve continued fleeing in a sorry state,” North River Boat Master approached proactively.

“This place is full of danger. I’m impressed you managed to survive alone,” Xu Jingming teased with a smile. When they were scattered in the spacetime turbulence, Xu Jingming had been worried about North River Boat Master, especially since their other friends were strong and had means to protect themselves. But North River Boat Master, who was weak and lacked treasures, concerned him the most.

In terms of strength, his other friends were quite strong. Thearch Dragon Island Lord—who was weaker—had quite a number of treasures, so he definitely had many life-preservation means. Only North River Boat Master—who was weak and had no treasures—was someone Xu Jingming was most worried about.

Who would have imagined that North River would survive on this land for over a month?

“Luck, sheer dumb luck,” North River Boat Master said with a smile. “The moment I landed here, I stumbled upon a wonder that enhanced my ability to escape.”

Xu Jingming nodded and glanced at the distant figure that had stopped. He exclaimed in surprise, “Overlord Fumao, I’m here, but you still won’t leave? You still want to deal with North River right under my nose?”

The black figure, Overlord Fumao, was indeed filled with anger. After all, he had chased North River Boat Master for three days in this dangerous land—clearly, he was sparing no expense to obtain the Primordial Divine Stone. Now that Xu Jingming was here, his hopes were about to be shattered.

“Wu Ming!” Overlord Fumao said coldly. “It is said that you will undoubtedly become an invincible half-step third realm in the future. I respected you greatly back in Feather Fire City, but today… I must kill North River!”

“Oh?” Xu Jingming looked at him.

“Brother Wu Ming, he shows no regard for you!” North River Boat Master interjected. “Even though you clearly want to protect me, he still wants to kill me. He’s disrespecting you completely. I suggest caution. Put me in a spatial treasure first. Don’t accidentally harm me during the fight.”

Overlord Fumao flew into a rage.

“You have a point,” Xu Jingming agreed. With a swift motion, he stowed North River Boat Master into his pocket universe without any resistance.

Inside the pocket universe, the moment North River Boat Master appeared, he stared blankly at the large number of Xu Jingmings in the space.

“That many Wu Mings?” North River Boat Master murmured. “More than 600 clones?”

“As you know, our Heart Realm lineage is known for its abundance of clones,” many Xu Jingmings replied, looking at North River Boat Master. He leisurely absorbed energy and continued to create new clones.

It was because the powerhouses of the half-step third realm required immense amounts of energy. To avoid attracting attention, Xu Jingming divided his clones at a slightly slower pace.

“Impressive,” North River Boat Master remarked. “By the way, the inner regions of this land are truly filled with treasures.”

“No need to rush. We’ll have a chat once I’m done with Overlord Fumao,” Xu Jingming said, fully focused on dealing with his adversary at that moment.

…

Overlord Fumao seethed with fury as he glared at Xu Jingming. “Wu Ming, I’ve always shown you respect in the past, but you’ve shown me none! Yes, you may surpass me in the future, but for now… I am stronger than you!”

“Die!” Overlord Fumao’s murderous intent intensified at the thought of the colossal Primordial Divine Stone.

In the past, he could tolerate it.

But he couldn’t tolerate it any longer!

So what if Xu Jingming would become an invincible half-step third-realm powerhouse in the future? He, too, possessed means to preserve his life against such a powerhouse! If he obtained the Primordial Divine Stone, his strength and capabilities would likely soar.

Roar!

Overlord Fumao transformed into a black whirlwind, roaring as he swept forward.

Xu Jingming stood his ground, instantly splitting into four figures. Three of them brandished psychic spears, while the fourth conjured the illusionary realm of the Abyssal Void. The four clones attacked simultaneously.

“Hmph.” Overlord Fumao showed no fear. The black whirlwind continued to howl as he forcefully resisted the Abyssal Void’s illusionary realm. The realm failed to trap his mind and consciousness, but the three black beams pierced through the whirlwind.

Black beams of light quickly spread, and the darkness caused Overlord Fumao to groan in pain.

However, the black whirlwind he had transformed into also corroded Xu Jingming’s four clones, leaving their bodies riddled with wounds. Clear signs of injury.

“Your strength has increased?” Overlord Fumao was astonished. “Your psychic weapons can actually harm me?”

Overlord Fumao believed he possessed formidable mental and conscious power.

He had resisted the corruption of the Abyss time and time again!

Though he was an Abyss Overlord, he remained lucid and highly cautious. He never lost control. Even though he was already powerful, he had maintained a friendship with Xu Jingming in the past.

But this time, facing the immense Primordial Divine Stone, he lost his mind—it could be called the greatest treasure he had ever encountered in his life.

“Overlord Fumao, impressive,” the four Xu Jingmings praised. Instantly, the injured clones retreated to their pocket universes, replaced by four new unscathed clones.

This sight slightly changed Overlord Fumao’s expression.

He has so many clones. Overlord Fumao knew better than to compare the number of clones possessed by the Heart Realm lineage!

“I never expected your strength to be on par with mine in such a short time,” Overlord Fumao nodded. “Your psychic weapons are indeed formidable, but let me give you some advice. Though you have many clones, they are too weak! If you were to encounter an Abyss Sovereign or an invincible half-step third-realm powerhouse… your clones would likely be obliterated in a single clash. No matter how many clones you have, you will ultimately meet your demise.”

“Thank you for your advice.” Xu Jingming smiled.

“Hmph.” Overlord Fumao transformed into a black streak and swiftly departed.

As he left, Overlord Fumao felt a mix of fury and powerlessness.

I had seen the Primordial Divine Stone with my own eyes, only for it to be snatched away by North River Boat Master. Overlord Fumao seethed with indignation and frustration. And Wu Ming, he’s stronger than I anticipated. He wounded me in our first clash… If this goes on, I might be able to exhaust dozens of his clones, but in the end, I will perish.

He knew all too well that dozens of clones were inconsequential in the face of the Heart Realm lineage.

I’ll venture into the inner area once more.

Overlord Fumao thought through gritted teeth. Although it is exceedingly risky, I might only have this one opportunity in my lifetime to explore the treasure-laden territory left behind by an Ultimate being!

He charged back into the inner area.

…

Once Overlord Fumao had departed, Xu Jingming released North River Boat Master from his pocket universe.

“Overlord Fumao has left?” North River Boat Master surveyed his surroundings.

“Yes, he gave up,” Xu Jingming confirmed with a nod.

“Overlord Fumao is among the powerhouses closest to attaining the invincible half-step third realm. He’s far stronger than Ancient Tree World Lord. Yet, you managed to make him give up?” North River Boat Master exclaimed, astonished.

Xu Jingming smiled. “Well, let’s focus on the inner area now. Tell me about it.”

North River Boat Master nodded. “Back when we were scattered due to the spacetime turbulence, I descended upon this land alone.”

Xu Jingming nodded attentively. He shared a similar experience.

“As I descended, I came across a vast river,” North River Boat Master began to explain. “As you know, my consciousness originated from a river in high-dimensional space, gradually evolving to the state I am in now. I sensed an attraction from the river and merged with it.”

Understanding dawned on Xu Jingming. After all, the other party was an enigmatic river from the realms of higher dimensions, so it was natural for them to possess unique strengths.

“After merging with the river, I felt a higher calling in the evolution of life,” North River Boat Master exclaimed in awe. “At the very least, the rivers on this land possess an intrinsic strength superior to mine. Immersed in this sensation, I suddenly detected a distinct aura within the river. I swiftly approached it and obtained a wonder.”

A smile played on North River Boat Master’s lips. “With this remarkable object, my ability to navigate and escape within the river increased exponentially! During this period, I faced attacks from native creatures and was relentlessly pursued by half-step third-realm powerhouses. But I managed to evade them all.”

“Now it makes sense,” Xu Jingming remarked, a newfound understanding filling him. He had been curious as to how North River Boat Master, with his relatively weaker strength, had managed to survive for such an extended period. After all, even a slightly stronger native creature could easily spell his demise.

“I followed the river persistently, moving at a considerable pace. Eventually, I came across a vast mountain range at the river’s end,” North River Boat Master recounted. “Those mountains mark the entrance to the inner area.”

“Mountains?” Xu Jingming nodded, surprised that he hadn’t encountered any mountains thus far.

“Once I entered the mountains, I continued to navigate cautiously along the river. Then, I stumbled upon a colossal Primordial Divine Stone,” North River Boat Master exclaimed, his astonishment evident. “I was utterly taken aback. I never expected to find such an immense Primordial Divine Stone.”

“How large is it?” Xu Jingming inquired.

“It’s bigger than my body,” North River Boat Master replied.

Xu Jingming was equally astonished. “It’s enormous! How much is it worth? More than 10,000 drops of Abyssal Mother Blood?”

“Close to that! Even if it’s not over 10,000, it’s still worth thousands of drops of Abyssal Mother Blood!” North River Boat Master exclaimed, his amazement evident. “For as long as I’ve lived, I had only managed to accumulate around 100 drops of Abyssal Mother Blood. But this time, I went all out, seized by madness! Who could have predicted that I would snatch the Primordial Divine Stone without facing any danger? Unfortunately, Overlord Fumao arrived a little too late. When he saw me with the Primordial Divine Stone, he relentlessly pursued me for three whole days!”

Understanding dawned upon Xu Jingming.

“Oh right, in the three days I was fleeing, I fled to other distributaries in the river in a panic,” North River Boat Master continued. “As I was fleeing, I saw a mountain in the distance—a mountain made of Primordial Gold!”

“A mountain made of Primordial Gold?” Xu Jingming was momentarily dumbfounded.

Weren’t Primordial Gold mineral veins only capable of producing Primordial Gold Beads for harvesting? A chunk of Primordial Gold the size of a fist was already considered valuable.

But a mountain made of Primordial Gold? Its worth was unimaginable.

Xu Jingming couldn’t fathom it. However, he was certain that it far surpassed the value of the Primordial Divine Stone.

“The battles over there are fierce. Numerous powerhouses are vying for control,” North River Boat Master explained. “After all, a mountain is visible from afar! So, powerhouses from all corners converge to claim it. I didn’t dare to approach! If I were to encounter an invincible half-step third-realm powerhouse, I would stand no chance of escape.”

“I managed to flee after circling the area once, but I didn’t thoroughly explore it,” North River Boat Master revealed. “One after another, I discovered the enormous Primordial Divine Stone and the mountain of Primordial Gold! How many treasures lie within the inner area? I don’t even dare to imagine.”

“Draw me a map,” Xu Jingming urged without hesitation.

“Why?” North River Boat Master was taken aback.

“I will send a clone to escort you to the outer regions,” Xu Jingming stated. “Do you have the courage to venture into the inner area again?”

“No, no,” North River Boat Master quickly replied, now understanding Xu Jingming’s intentions. With a wave of his hand, an invisible force conjured a map in midair. Using the river as a reference, the terrain distribution became clear. “Brother Wu Ming, you must exercise caution upon entering. Oh, by the way, how many clones will you assign to protect me? If you can ensure my safety as I retrieve the treasures, I will give you half of what I obtain!”

“Fear not! I shall not lay claim to your treasures,” Xu Jingming assured, shaking his head. He had his own principles, after all.

“You don’t want it?” Although North River Boat Master had long known of Xu Jingming’s character, he was touched and impressed by the latter’s lack of hesitation despite him mentioning the treasures.

“I’ll create 100 clones to escort you to the outskirts,” Xu Jingming declared.

The clones on the periphery would be made to hunt down more native creatures and gather those enigmatic characters.

While the treasures held great allure, Xu Jingming believed that the mysterious characters were equally significant.

“I’ll simply conceal myself within that pocket universe,” North River Boat Master suggested with a smile. “Exploring the territory of an Ultimate existence has already brought me immense satisfaction. I’m not greedy at all.”

“Even if you choose not to hide, I would insist you do so! You would only be a hindrance out there,” Xu Jingming stated firmly, waving his hand to stow him away.

Xu Jingming gazed into the distance.

The inner area?

His form splintered, with one clone remaining in place while the other transformed into a streak of luminous light, hurtling toward the inner area.