The Eighteenth Floor

The gatekeeper's blade was merely deflected, yet in that split second, Ye Muxuan utilized the Time Origin Law as his foundation to execute a block, a flick, a chop, and a slash!

His blade parried the masked gatekeeper's weapon, the edge flicked upward, then swung down, cleaving through the gatekeeper's body before landing with a slight tap against the Origin Bead!

The Origin Bead trembled, cracks appeared, and then it split apart, shattering!

With just a single strike, the Origin Bead was destroyed, and the World Lord was dead!

The sixteenth level, cleared!

He had caught up to the top-tier standard of the Primordial Secret Realm, which was also the mid-to-lower tier of the Primal Secret Realm!

The Time Origin Law is one of the two fundamental laws of the universe, mentioned alongside the Space Origin Law. Theoretically, as long as one gains the recognition of the Time Origin Law, one can pass the eighteenth level. As for the three major categories of the Time Origin Law—Time Reversal, Time Stasis, and Time Acceleration—comprehending any one of them allows one to pass the twentieth level of the Heavenly Bridge. For those geniuses, comprehending each of the three individually is not difficult, but without perfectly fusing the three into one to form a complete Time Origin Law, one remains at the twentieth level. If one can go further and merge the three into one on this foundation, one can become a Time Venerable and even pass the twenty-first level.

Currently, the peak King Level powerhouses of humanity, such as Heavenly Feather King and Lishuo King, have comprehended all three aspects of the Time Origin Law, while others like Zhenyan King and Qianyu King have comprehended the three major categories of the Space Origin Law. These peak and limit King Level experts have all passed the twentieth level, but because they have not merged the three into one, they are stuck at the final hurdle, unable to use this to become a Venerable!

Ye Muxuan sheathed his blade, looking at the gatekeeper, whose eyes beneath the mask still held a look of bewilderment, and whispered to himself, "Actually, I could have passed this two thousand years ago."

The masked gatekeeper's body turned back into a cloud of mist, seeping bit by bit into the pitch-black void in the distance, and a path appeared before Ye Muxuan.

The Jinghong Chaos Stele consists of nine diagrams. Comprehending the first three allows one to pass the ninth level. Comprehending the first six allows one to pass the eighteenth level. The seventh diagram contains the complete Time Origin Law; as long as one comprehends this diagram, one can pass the twenty-first level!

In his first year at Chaos City, during his first time contemplating the Chaos Stele, the first four diagrams of the Jinghong Chaos Stele held no secrets for him. He used this to pass the thirteenth level, and although he was confident he could pass the fourteenth or even the fifteenth, he did not push further. After a mere hundred years, the first five diagrams of the Jinghong Chaos Stele held no more secrets for him, and he used this to pass the fourteenth level! Or rather, he drew inspiration from Floating Light and Shadow Sweep, studied the Miscellaneous Theories of Clear Shadows in detail, and spent only a hundred years comprehending and digesting the first five diagrams. However, under the guidance of Heavenly Feather King, it still took him over three thousand years to comprehend the sixth diagram. Finally, in the first millennium, he comprehended the majority of the sixth diagram, which he used to pass the fifteenth level.

It was also at that time that the teacher behind Heavenly Feather King came to take him as a registered disciple!

White Phoenix Palace Master!

This powerhouse, who had looked after him when he first entered Chaos City, was someone he felt grateful toward, and now she had become his teacher!

Now, two thousand years later, under the guidance of his senior brother Heavenly Feather King, he had basically finished comprehending this sixth diagram. He wouldn't dare say this diagram held no secrets for him, nor could he say he understood it as thoroughly as the first five, but he could say that he was only half a step away from complete mastery!

For the seventeenth level, he chose the warrior path again. This time, the gatekeeper's comprehension of the laws represented the standard of a peak Marquis Rank!

Even so, Ye Muxuan did not panic in the slightest. His combat techniques had already been pushed to the level of a fledgling King, and his current comprehension of the laws was no less inferior, so naturally, the pressure was minimal. However, unlike the clean and swift victory of the sixteenth level, this time Ye Muxuan sparred with the gatekeeper for over a hundred strikes, perfectly absorbing the artistic conception of the secret techniques the gatekeeper displayed before finally clearing the level!

The seventeenth level, cleared! He had moved beyond the top-tier standard of the Primordial Secret Realm and entered the upper-tier standard of the Primal Secret Realm!

The eighteenth level!

"Choose your opponent: warrior, Spirit Controller, or Illusionist. Defeat one to pass." A voice echoed from within a mass of pitch-black clouds.

"I choose..." The battle on the eighteenth level was no longer on the ground, but in the starry sky. Ye Muxuan stood in the void, closed his eyes, then opened them, his voice calm, powerful, and firm, "...the warrior!"

After the Chaos True Spirit perfected his soul defects, his soul was flawless, his physical body was under perfect control, and his consciousness and willpower had long since reached the peak King Level—something even Heavenly Feather King had praised. There would be no surprises when he stepped into the Immortal realm.

Therefore, logically, if he chose the Illusionist as his opponent, he would have a better chance of passing the eighteenth level.

But Ye Muxuan still chose the warrior!

His comprehension of the Time Origin Law was extremely deep; he had gained insights into all three major categories, and he was now only a hair's breadth away from gaining the recognition of the Time Origin Law. He had even walked more than halfway through the Time Stasis category. He had the intention to pass the eighteenth level, and the permanent residency in Chaos City was a huge temptation for him, but he wanted even more to use this formidable opponent and the pressure of the battle to push his level of the Time Origin Law further!

Wisps of mist seeped out, forming a burly, masked man clad in black armor. A hoarse, aged voice came from beneath the mask: "As a new World Lord from the Outer Battlefield, to reach me in three thousand years—you have a limitless future!"

"Please, enlighten me!" Ye Muxuan raised his hand and bowed.

The next instant, a blade slashed toward him!

Facing this eighteenth-level opponent, Ye Muxuan took the initiative to attack!

Wind Severing!

The burly masked elder opposite him faced this move, reached out, and a battle blade leaped into his hand. He stroked the hilt, and suddenly, the tip of his blade pointed at Ye Muxuan. Cold light flashed in his eyes as he spat out a single word: "Chaos!"

The gatekeeper of the eighteenth level of the Jinghong Chaos Stele had already gained the recognition of the Time Origin Law. His comprehension of the Time Origin Law could definitely be called "having entered the hall." That simple word "Chaos" was him imbuing himself with the Time Law and using his own time force field to influence his opponent!

Ye Muxuan slashed out, but his wrist trembled for an instant, causing the strike to deviate! Not only did the secret technique "Wind Severing" fail because the law runes did not form, causing its power to drop significantly, but the tip of his blade also missed the gatekeeper by several meters!

It was not Time Stasis, nor Time Reversal, nor Time Acceleration, but a time force field caused by the jumbling of the three major categories! He was using his own comprehension of the Time Law to disturb the surrounding time force field!

Ye Muxuan's eyes lit up!