The sky above the Spirit Realm battlefield shimmered with streams of data, like a boundless sea of ​​stars, but Shen Tianshu was in no mood to admire it. He piloted his battered Merciless Sword Armor, dragging his heavy steps back to the square. His heart felt as if a huge rock was weighing him down, and every breath felt especially heavy. The sword marks and scorch marks on the Merciless Sword Armor's shell seemed to silently mock his failure.

Shen Tianshu sat in the cockpit, opened the offline panel, and prepared to exit the Spirit Realm battlefield. He sighed deeply and muttered softly, "What a lousy place this is, full of opportunistic villains..." His finger hovered over the "Exit Game" button, his eyes dull, even numb.

However, at that moment, a huge cheer suddenly erupted from the square, breaking his doldrums. The barrage of comments on the square channel scrolled frantically, filling the entire space like a surge of spiritual energy.

"Zero is online!"

"Look at the leaderboard, the icon for number zero is lit!"

"The undefeated champion of the Bronze Division is back!"

Shen Tianshu frowned slightly, his fingers paused, and he looked around. His eyes fell on a novice player who was dancing with excitement, so he asked coldly, "Who is Zero?"

Upon hearing this, the novice player was stunned at first, then his face revealed a look of disdain, his tone thick with mockery: "Mr. Ruthless Sword? Haha, it seems you are a frog in a well. You don't even know Zero?"

Shen Tianshu's expression suddenly darkened. He snorted coldly, his tone filled with a hint of disdain: "Zero? He's just a player at the fourth level of Qi training. Is it necessary for you to make such a fuss?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding players erupted in excitement. A player in a heavy armored mecha scoffed, "Fourth level of Qi training? Haha, you have no idea how strong he is. Zero is a legend in the Bronze Zone, the epitome of undefeated record! How dare you judge him?"

Another player took over, his tone filled with admiration, "He once killed Ling Ruoxi, who was at the ninth level of Qi training, in a single blow! Do you know who Ling Ruoxi is? She's one of the top two players in the Bronze Division! And Zero has won two hundred games in a row and has never been defeated. Even the tenth level Qi training player couldn't do anything to him, so who do you think you are?"

More players joined the ranks of condemnation, and the voices rose and fell like waves.

"So what if he's only at the fourth level of Qi training? Zero can make even the most ordinary basic mecha perform amazing tricks. That's real skill!"

"You can't even defeat a Qi training level seven mecha, and you're still here bashing Zero? You're really asking for trouble!"

"Mr. Wuqingjian? He's nothing more than someone who can be easily crushed by Zero!"

Shen Tianshu's expression froze completely, his face flushing red as if he'd been slapped hard. His eyes fell on the leaderboard, and he was shocked to see the glaring name of "Zero" at the top. The record behind it made him gasp: 210 wins and 0 losses.

"This... How is this possible..." he muttered to himself, his voice filled with deep disbelief. His ninth level of Qi training, something he had always prided himself on, now seemed so ridiculous. Fourth level Qi training? A minor figure? Yet, this minor figure's battle record far surpassed his.

Shen Tianshu's hands involuntarily clenched the control lever, his mind a jumble of thoughts. He was shocked by Zero's power and ashamed of his own previous arrogance. More than anything, he felt an indescribable rage and resentment, like a suppressed volcano in his heart, ready to erupt at any moment.

The players in the square were still enthusiastically discussing Zero's deeds, as if the existence of the Merciless Sword Master was just a forgotten laughingstock. Shen Tianshu's figure was drowned out by the clamor of ridicule and admiration, appearing particularly embarrassed.

He gritted his teeth, cursed softly, and a hint of stubbornness gradually ignited in his eyes: "Undefeated record? Humph, one day... I will make this Zero understand that true strength and talent are the rules of this world!"

The excitement in the Plaza channel was breathtaking. The barrage of comments filled the sky like a riot of spiritual energy, densely pulsating. The players' excitement and excitement could be heard through the data in almost every corner.

"Zero is online! How many consecutive wins will he have today?"

"Hurry into the arena! You might be able to witness the legendary one-hit kill!"

"How could I not love a god-level player in the bronze zone?"

Shen Tianshu stood at the edge of the square, his expression growing increasingly gloomy as he listened to these words. He had once believed that his ninth-level Qi training was enough to sweep away any opponent, whether in real-world practice or on the battlefield of the spiritual realm. However, at this moment, that confidence was gradually eroding. His fingers unconsciously slid across the control panel, and his eyes, caught by the clamor of the crowd, involuntarily fell on Zero's name.

He closed his eyes, but the chatter of the onlookers continued to echo in his ears. Their enthusiasm and admiration filled him with an indescribable complex of emotions. It was as if all the attention that should have belonged to him had been snatched away by the man called "Zero."

"Zero is the true god of the bronze zone! This is peak operation!"

"Young Master Wuqing Jian compared to him? Haha, he's still far behind."

"I hope to learn the essence of Zero. Maybe I can be as invincible as him!"

Shen Tianshu's heart tightened as he listened, as if a huge rock was pressing down on his chest, making it almost impossible to breathe. He had never found such words so harsh before; they were even more unbearable than his recent defeat in the ring. His fists clenched until they cracked, his knuckles turning white, and his face turned ashen, as if he was trying hard to suppress his inner anger.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. When his eyes fell on Zero's name again, Shen Tianshu's expression became extremely complicated. It was anger, unwillingness, and a deep sense of frustration. He knew that this Zero had completely overturned his understanding of cultivation and combat.

The sky above the Spirit Realm battlefield was still shimmering with streams of data. The players' cheers and the clamor of bullet comments made this virtual world seem particularly lively. Yet, Shen Tianshu, standing in the center of this clamor, felt isolated and helpless, cut off from the world.

He lowered his head, gripped the control panel tightly, and muttered to himself: "The spiritual battlefield...is indeed not a place where you can win simply by relying on cultivation. Perhaps...I really underestimated this virtual battlefield." There was a hint of imperceptible hesitation and uneasiness in his voice, but a hint of stubbornness and unwillingness ignited in his eyes.

This was the first time he realized that so-called strength wasn't simply a matter of accumulated cultivation. Skill, strategy, and an understanding of the rules of battle were the true keys to victory or defeat. His pride, repeatedly shattered by reality, became a painful and profound lesson.