The Universe Chaos Stele was widely acknowledged as one of the two most difficult Chaos Steles. It involved pursuing both the paths of time and space at once, something even many Cosmic Venerables couldn't manage.
Death God Bolan had been overly confident, choosing this path with the intention of cultivating both time and space. In the end, however, the difficulty of the Time Law had brought his progress to a near standstill.
When Bolan had reached the ninth level in the Space Law, his understanding of the Time Law had only reached the third or fourth level. As a result, he struggled to break through the Heavenly Bridge.
Thus, most cultivators who chose to study the Universe Chaos Stele focused on one path and treated the other as secondary. Very few could cultivate both.
"What a coincidence. The chamber for studying the Universe Chaos Stele happens to be vacant right now." After asking all the newcomers about their choices, the Reception Envoy led them toward the area where the Chaos Steles were kept.
It was a rather wide, shadowy corridor.
Massive bronze gates stood in a row along both sides. Behind each gate was a Chaos Stele, and guarding every Bronze Gate was Kandri, clad in a gray robe.
Zhang Dong's gaze swept over the many Clones, and his curiosity grew.
He had long known that Kandri possessed a Clone Secret Technique, but what kind of Innate Secret Technique could produce so many Clones, each with sixty percent of his true body's strength?
Under the laws of the Primordial Universe, it was practically a miracle. If a Universe Master mastered such a technique, just how terrifying would that be?
"Lord Kandri." The Reception Envoy bowed respectfully. "I've brought over this batch of newcomers."
Kandri smiled faintly and casually glanced at the Realm Lords and immortals before studying Zhang Dong. He had heard a friend mention him in passing before.
A Cosmic Level warrior recruited through an external channel, strong enough to go straight into the Primordial Realm— the last time that had happened was at the Giant Axe Secret Realm of the Giant Axe Arena, more than ten million eras ago.
There were no shortage of powerful figures keeping an eye on Zhang Dong.
The Bronze Gate to the Universe Chaos Stele swung open, and Zhang Dong entered alone.
Beyond the gate was no ordinary chamber, but a strange space filled with swirling Chaos Qi. Dense currents of Chaos Qi drifted slowly like clouds, all eventually converging and circling around the center of the space.
There stood an ancient stone stele, a hundred meters tall and just as wide.
Zhang Dong had just seen the images carved on its surface, but seeing the stele in person brought a completely different kind of shock and insight.
Though the stele was only a hundred meters tall, the universe and star river depicted across its surface, with their shifting space and time, seemed to encompass an endless expanse.
At first glance, time seemed to flow silently like a great river, while space constantly shifted. The various underlying principles were laid out before him, seemingly within reach of comprehension, yet as elusive as flowers seen through a fog.
Planets were born and died in endless cycles. Stars burned with blazing intensity, and black holes devoured everything.
Zhang Dong's consciousness sank completely into the vision. The still image unfolded into limitless variations, laying bare the essence of the Laws.
With his extraordinary comprehension of First-Class True Intent and the strength of his soul, Zhang Dong studied the stele even faster than those Realm Lords. His past doubts—the problems the Thirteenth Divine General had explained countless times without being able to make them clear—suddenly fell into place.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye as he immersed himself in profound insights.
"Time's up. Everyone, come out!"
The Bronze Giant Gate slowly opened. A gentle voice echoed directly in the depths of Zhang Dong's mind, rousing him from his deepest state of enlightenment.
"Time passed that quickly?" Zhang Dong jolted awake. Unlike the other cultivators, he didn't dawdle at all. He left the chamber briskly without even looking back.
There was simply too much to absorb from one viewing of the Chaos Stele. He needed to sort through those insights and turn them into Laws he could master.
Kandri couldn't be bothered to remind him to enter the Heavenly Bridge.
These prodigies recruited through the company's external channels knew the ins and outs of Chaos City and the Primordial Realm very well.
The Thirteenth Divine General had already explained it to Zhang Dong countless times.
After leaving the City Lord's Mansion, Zhang Dong immediately found a quiet place to stay. He connected to the Virtual Universe and began browsing through various secret techniques.
"So many emails?"
The moment he entered the Virtual Universe, he was greeted by a flood of email notifications. Zhang Dong had set things up so that the artificial intelligence wouldn't disturb him over anything unimportant.
Since his previous life had been that of a solitary cultivator, this saved him quite a bit of trouble. Some of the other emails were from friends in the Ganwu Secret Realm.
Others had been sent by members of the Virtual Universe Company. Zhang Dong chose to send them all the same polite reply.
They had emailed him hoping to make his acquaintance. They meant no harm.
Ordinary members of the Primordial Realm would even have an immortal assigned as their guard. Zhang Dong was supposed to join the Qualification Battle as soon as he left Chaos City, so that arrangement had been put on hold.
After all, his true body would be in Chaos City during this time, where he didn't need a guard.
"I definitely want to cultivate both. There's no rush with the time techniques, so I'll buy the space techniques first." Zhang Dong was troubled. This was the downside of having no one to guide him.
He didn't even know what kind of secret techniques to buy.
Luo Feng had King Zhenyan to advise him. Zhang Dong could only send the Thirteenth Divine General a request to talk.
A moment later, the call connected, and the imposing figure appeared before him.
"Teacher, I've chosen the Universe Chaos Stele. I want to cultivate both time and space, but I don't know which secret techniques would be best to buy." Zhang Dong asked, "Do you have any recommendations?"
As Ganwu Kingdom Master's trusted aide, the Thirteenth Divine General had surely been to Chaos City and studied secret techniques.
"The Universe Chaos Stele?" The Thirteenth Divine General was taken aback. "You've never cultivated the Laws of metal, wood, water, fire, or earth, and you've never studied space either. Why did you choose the Universe Chaos Stele?"
Previously, the Thirteenth Divine General had told him about two or three Chaos Steles.
They had all belonged to the path of the Time Law. Two began with the Law of Light, while another started directly from time.
Who would have guessed that Zhang Dong would choose the Universe Chaos Stele?
"While studying the Universe Chaos Stele, I had some vague insights into space," Zhang Dong replied vaguely. "So I chose this Chaos Stele."
"Foolish!"
The Thirteenth Divine General's voice held a trace of anger. "The Universe Chaos Stele is incredibly difficult, and you still want to cultivate both? You'd have a better chance if you made time your primary focus and space your secondary one."
He had thought that even if Zhang Dong chose the Universe Chaos Stele, he could still make progress by focusing on time.
But Zhang Dong actually wanted to cultivate both. He really didn't know his own limits.
How could that possibly work?
"Teacher, I'm confident." Zhang Dong's tone was perfectly calm, and he felt no particular emotion. The Thirteenth Divine General simply had no idea how extraordinary he was, so this reaction was only natural.
The more agitated he became, the more it showed that he was worried Zhang Dong might have taken the wrong path.
"Wait there. I'll go ask the Kingdom Master which secret techniques would be best for you to choose."
The Thirteenth Divine General left him with those words.
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