After failing to break through the Fourth Layer of Heavenly Bridge, Feng Hui was automatically transported back to his suite in the Doomsday Region of the Virtual Universe.
He exited the Virtual Universe, leaped down from the rooftop of his residence, and headed for the City Lord's Mansion.
"This time, I broke through the first three layers of Heavenly Bridge in succession, and earned three more chances to study the Chaos Tablet."
Feng Hui was delighted.
"I haven't studied the Cosmic Chaos Stele in six years. I've built up plenty of questions, so I'll use one of my chances today."
A moment later, Feng Hui arrived at the entrance to the City Lord's Mansion. He made his way to the tall, spacious corridor of cultivation chambers with practiced ease.
Along the corridor stood a series of enormous bronze doors. Before long, he reached the one marked "Universe."
"Lord Kandri."
Feng Hui respectfully saluted the three-eyed elder guarding the door.
"Mm." Kandri smiled and nodded. Then he closed his eyes briefly before opening them again.
"Not bad. You've made considerable progress. You now have three chances to study the tablet."
"I'd like to use one," Feng Hui said solemnly.
"You're in luck. The chamber is empty right now. Go ahead."
Kandri smiled and gestured toward the enormous bronze door behind him. With a rumble, the door slowly swung open. Dense chaotic currents swirled within, obscuring the chamber.
"Thank you, sir."
Feng Hui beamed and hurried into the Cultivation Chamber.
"What? Feng Hui broke through the third layer?"
Inside the training grounds of the Primordial Region on Rain Phase Mountain in the Virtual Universe.
Ape Man Guge stared at the second email on his bracer screen, stunned all over again.
"The third layer? Feng Hui really did make it through the third layer of Heavenly Bridge."
The first email from Guardian Bafen had merely made Guge feel the pressure of being overtaken.
But the second email had truly rattled him.
"During the Genius War, he was nowhere near my level. I've only just made it through the second layer, and he's already passed the third." Guge clenched his fists.
As the Genius War's top-ranked contestant and the only genius to enter the Primordial Secret Realm, Guge was immensely proud.
In his eyes, no one in this generation could rival him. He had long since set his sights on the geniuses who had joined the Virtual Universe Company before them.
After all, he had been the first to break through the first layer of Heavenly Bridge, and had even passed the second, far ahead of the other newcomers.
And now, someone had surpassed him.
He couldn't accept it.
Of course, no one would have accepted it.
All the geniuses from the same Genius War were cultivating in Chaos City. Naturally, they competed with one another in secret.
They were all proud. A single Genius War wasn't enough to make everyone accept the results. Even if they had lost back then, that didn't mean they would always be weaker than everyone else.
The thirty years in Chaos City were the true foundation-building years.
They would all strive during those thirty years, each hoping to outdo the others.
Feng Hui's progress had struck a nerve with the pride of the other geniuses.
Before long, nearly all the nine hundred or so surviving geniuses had decided to challenge Heavenly Bridge shortly after receiving the news.
The Virtual Universe, Heavenly Bridge Plane.
In no time, figures began appearing one after another.
Guge, Ha'en, Kong Ji...the geniuses of this generation arrived in succession.
Many of them felt rather helpless.
Every one of them was a supreme genius in the universe, yet now they felt as though they couldn't catch up with someone.
Meanwhile, news that Feng Hui had broken through the third layer after only six years in Chaos City stirred up a ripple among the cultivators there.
"A newcomer from the Genius War passed the third layer in just six years?"
"Once you pass the third layer, don't you get to attend lectures by those super beings who founded their own schools?"
"I heard he's only a genius in the outermost layer of the Virtual Universe Company's Core Layer. Yet he's reached the third layer after just six years in Chaos City. That's incredible."
"Usually, out of the thousand contestants in each Genius War, only a handful manage to pass the third layer after thirty years of hard cultivation in Chaos City. It's only been six years, and this Feng Hui...he's so far ahead of everyone else."
The third layer of Heavenly Bridge was a threshold.
Passing it meant that one had entered the gateway to studying the corresponding Chaos Tablet. Only then did one qualify to attend lectures given by the various Sect Masters.
These Sect Masters were super beings who had founded their own schools and lectured in the branches associated with their respective Chaos Tablets. They were master-level figures among the King-level Immortals.
At that moment, two Sect Masters of the "Universe" school were discussing Feng Hui in a mansion.
Feng Hui...was an unexpected delight for the "Universe" school.
Few people chose the Cosmic Chaos Stele, so naturally, there were relatively few geniuses in its ranks.
Among the new geniuses from this generation's Genius War, Feng Hui was the only one who had chosen the Cosmic Chaos Stele. But at first, the two Sect Masters hadn't paid him much attention.
After all, this year's Genius War had seemed quite ordinary. Even Guge, the top-ranked contestant, had seemed unremarkable to them.
But Feng Hui had suddenly passed the first, second, and third layers of Heavenly Bridge in succession, and in only six years had grasped the first profound insight into the essence of both the Time Law and the Law of Space.
They knew just how extraordinary that talent was. The two Sect Masters who studied the Cosmic Chaos Stele understood it better than anyone!
Terrifying!
Absolutely terrifying!
To study the essence of space and the essence of time, one needed peerless talent, character, and comprehension. Not a single one could be lacking!
Studying the essence of space or time alone was already difficult enough, let alone studying both at once.
Perhaps one or two geniuses comparable to Feng Hui might emerge every hundred million years, but few chose their "Universe" school.
"A super genius like this is a rare find, even once in a hundred million years, for our 'Universe' school," Thunder Blade King remarked.
"Exactly. How could we not cultivate a genius like him?" Thousand Spirits King said with a smile.
Both men admired Feng Hui. It was only natural that they would be fond of such a rare and exceptional disciple.
After all, if a genius this brilliant didn't fall along the way, he would have a very good chance of becoming a Marquis, or even a King.
The bond between master and disciple was a strong one in the universe.
Cultivating a disciple who became a King-level Immortal would also raise their own standing.
In Chaos City, only three master-level figures were both members of the Virtual Universe Company and part of the "Universe" school.
One of those three was highly unusual. He had arrived in Chaos City and founded his school only recently. He had never taken on a disciple, never cultivated one, and hardly ever associated with the other masters.
Thunder Blade King and Thousand Spirits King, on the other hand, had been teaching in Chaos City for many years and had even cultivated quite a few disciples who became Immortals.
They felt that if Feng Hui wanted to take a master, he was more likely to choose one of them.
After finishing his study of the Chaos Tablet, Feng Hui returned to his Cultivation Residence.
He knew nothing about the commotion caused by his Heavenly Bridge challenge, nor did he intend to pay attention to it.
"Master, you have a visitor." An electronic voice sounded inside Feng Hui's Cultivation Residence.
Feng Hui quickly stood up, left the lounge, and went to the living room door to open it.
A Lion-headed Man in a black robe stood outside, holding a book with a black cover.
"The Black-robed Envoy?" Feng Hui thought.
"Feng Hui, congratulations on passing the first three layers of Heavenly Bridge."
The Black-robed Envoy smiled as he spoke.
"In Chaos City, passing the first three layers of Heavenly Bridge means that you've entered the gateway to studying the Chaos Tablet you chose. You're now qualified to attend lectures given by some of the super beings who founded their own schools."
"Here's information on the eleven founders of the 'Universe' school in Chaos City. You can attend lectures under any one of them."
With that, he handed over the slim, black-covered book in his hand.
"Thank you." Feng Hui accepted it.
"Let me remind you: although you can attend lectures under any of them, who you choose to study under for your first lecture...is very important."
The Black-robed Envoy spoke solemnly. "The details are in the book. I won't say more."
"Understood." Feng Hui nodded.
He knew that unless he had no intention of taking a master, he had to attend his first lecture under the person he wanted as his master. It was an unspoken rule for taking a master in Chaos City, and a way of showing respect to those who had founded their own schools.
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