The First Meeting

The Black-Robed Envoy nodded, entered Gulanxiu's choice into the Light Brain, and continued asking the others.

In a short while, the other Realm Lords had also chosen their Chaos Tablets. The Black-Robed Envoy said to everyone, "Follow me!"

Everyone followed the Black-Robed Envoy deeper down the corridor. Before long, they arrived at an empty training ground in the City Lord's Mansion. It was vast, stretching dozens of kilometers in both length and width.

The Black-Robed Envoy said, "Of the forty-five Chaos Tablets, thirty-five currently have no one studying them. Those who chose one of the tablets listed below, go straight to the end of the corridor. There are corresponding chambers where you can study and cultivate."

Seeing that no one objected, the Black-Robed Envoy continued, "Those who chose the Heart Scar Chaos Tablet, the Flame God Chaos Tablet... and the Giant Axe Chaos Tablet may go in and begin studying."

Gulanxiu had to admit he was lucky. In the original story, Wuka had once said that the Giant Axe Chaos Tablet had the most cultivators studying it. He hadn't expected it to be unoccupied now.

Gulanxiu transformed into a streak of Flowing Light and flew toward the end of the corridor.

A short while later, the group proceeded along a corridor about sixty meters wide and a hundred and twenty meters high. On either side stood row after row of towering bronze-colored doors. Each Bronze Giant Door was about a hundred and sixty meters long and a hundred and twenty meters high, and every Bronze Gate bore ancient writing.

"Matriarch," "Great Axe," "Dragon Walk"...

An amiable-looking old man stood before each Bronze Gate.

The strange thing was...

Every old man standing before a Bronze Giant Door looked exactly the same.

"This is your first time studying a Chaos Tablet, isn't it? My name is Candri, and I'm the guardian of the Chaos Tablets. Just go to the chamber corresponding to the tablet you chose. Remember, you only have seven days each time you study a Chaos Tablet." Candri, who stood closest to the group, addressed them.

"Yes, sir!" everyone replied in unison. Then they each headed to their own cultivation chambers.

"So Candri was born so long ago!" Gulanxiu thought to himself. Candri was the first character from the original story Gulanxiu had encountered since crossing over, so the meeting felt a little strange to him.

With a rumble, the massive Bronze Gate slowly closed. Gulanxiu immersed himself in the Giant Axe Chaos Tablet before him.

Unlike the Nine Universe Chaos Tablet from the original story, the Giant Axe Chaos Tablet consisted of twelve diagrams, each depicting a marvelous Axe Art. Given Gulanxiu's current cultivation, he could barely study the first form.

"First Axe!"

Gulanxiu stared intently at the first diagram before him. A sound that seemed to shake heaven and earth echoed in his ears. A towering figure stood in place, holding an axe sideways, then swung it fiercely toward the front.

A ten-meter-tall giant ape charged toward the axe with its fists clenched. But before this earth-shaking blow, the ape was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—it was cleaved into pieces.

The scene vanished, replaced by a series of images illustrating the details of the first axe: the opening stance, the bend of the knees, the furious downward swing, and how the Space Law and Earth Law combined. Every detail was shown to Gulanxiu.

After a long while, Gulanxiu opened his eyes.

"The Giant Axe Founder truly is formidable."

"He's broken down this first axe into dozens of simple moves, and the Laws contained in each move are slightly different. If I can fully master this first axe, my understanding of the Laws will definitely improve." Gulanxiu was astonished. The Giant Axe Founder had explained even the first axe in such detail that a beginner like Gulanxiu could gain so much insight from it.

Gulanxiu continued studying the first diagram. The Giant Axe Founder's phantom still swung his axe forward, but this time his opponent was a strange race whose entire body was made of steel. Naturally, this life-form was no more a match for the Giant Axe than the first...

Gulanxiu was completely absorbed in studying the Giant Axe Chaos Tablet, and for a time, he lost track of the passing hours.

"Everyone, come out!" A voice rang in Gulanxiu's ears. He knew his time was up. He glanced at the Chaos Tablet reluctantly, then left the chamber without looking back.

After saying goodbye to Candri and receiving a reminder about the Sky Bridge, Gulanxiu headed out along the corridor.

Just then, a stunning woman dressed entirely in white approached from the other direction.

She moved with the lightness of willow fluff, as if a gust of wind could lift her and carry her into the sky.

Her bearing was like a clear mountain stream, elegant and refined, as if she were untouched by the mortal world.

Every gesture carried an otherworldly grace, as though each step fell upon the clouds.

Her figure seemed both real and illusory, as if she might scatter on the breeze at any moment, yet she felt utterly real.

Gulanxiu brushed past her. A gentle breeze swept by, and he instantly came to his senses.

A hint of shock flashed through Gulanxiu's eyes. He had been affected by her without even realizing it—and she hadn't done it intentionally. It felt more like she had only just gained control of her power and wasn't very good at it yet.

What shocked Gulanxiu even more was that she, like him, was only at the Cosmic Level.

Having read the original story, Gulanxiu didn't consider himself particularly talented, but so far, no one at the Cosmic Level had ever put him under such pressure. He was certain that if the woman had been hostile toward him, she could have killed him with a single glance. Recalling the conversation between the Holy Sword King and the Blood Spirit King on the way here, a thought crossed his mind: Could she be the peerless genius those two Kings had mentioned?

Gulanxiu shook his head and put the thought aside. The most important thing now was to find a place to stay, then try the Sky Bridge and see just how strong he had become.

After changing residences seven times, Gulanxiu finally found one he was reasonably satisfied with.

For cultivators, the residences in Chaos City were much the same in style. They didn't care much about material comforts, either. What mattered most was whether the previous occupants had left anything behind.

The previous owner of the residence Gulanxiu chose had probably also cultivated the Giant Axe Chaos Tablet. In the courtyard, he had left behind axe marks from practicing secret techniques, which offered Gulanxiu a little inspiration.

But that was all. The Giant Axe Chaos Tablet was the most popular one, so although it had produced many powerful figures, even more people lived in Chaos City.

Most of the residences once occupied by those powerful figures already had new owners. How could a newcomer like Gulanxiu get one?

Besides, there were so many residences that Gulanxiu couldn't possibly inspect them all. He settled for the first decent one he found. If he got the chance to take a master later, he could ask his teacher to recommend a better place.

Now that he was settled, Gulanxiu wasn't in a hurry to try the Sky Bridge. He had just finished studying the Chaos Tablet, and his mind was still full of insights he needed to sort through.