The busy days flew by.
Six months later.
Li Dui looked with satisfaction at the four bodies lined up in a row.
One was a Domain Lord of the first rank, and three were at the peak of the Domain Lord level. All had a gene multiplier of 200.
Number 2, who had stayed by Number One's side, had also self-destructed.
He had Number One email Venerable Meng Yu, saying he needed to study the Giant Axe Chaos Stele and asking whether he could request permission to go to the Initial Universe.
Half a day later, he received a reply telling him to come over.
Li Dui teleported to Venerable Space. King Huansha was still there waiting for him.
The two went to Venerable Hall and exchanged greetings. Then Venerable Meng Yu asked, "What is it? Have you lost confidence in the secret technique you created?"
Li Dui heard a hint of teasing in her words and gave a helpless, bitter smile. "In response, Venerable, it's not that I've lost confidence. It's just too slow."
Li Dui's self-created secret technique was no weakling. When the Venerable said he lacked confidence, she meant he lacked confidence in reaching the standard of a human genius.
Venerable Meng Yu continued, "There's no need to worry about being slow. You're still young. It's right not to get bogged down in a dead end. Your secret technique has a solid foundation and formidable power. With your talent, if you take some time to restructure it and remove the flaws, you may well be able to pass the twelfth level of Heavenly Bridge."
Li Dui nodded repeatedly as he listened.
"A single move with overwhelming power might get you through Heavenly Bridge, but it won't get you through Heavenly Mountain. Heavenly Mountain tests your overall combat strength. You have to be strong in every area. If you show even the slightest weakness, it will be magnified without limit."
The last time he'd met with Venerable Meng Yu, she'd barely said a few words. Today, she seemed almost to be guiding a junior.
"Yes, so I was wondering if I could study a Chaos Stele a few times and try a different approach." Li Dui picked up the thread.
Venerable Meng Yu nodded. "Mm, the laws are the foundation. If you had the Law Comprehension of a Marquis, you wouldn't need any secret technique. A single punch would be enough to pass Heavenly Mountain. I've already made an exception and submitted an application for you. Someone will take you to headquarters, and from there you'll go to the Initial Universe. You can only stay for a year, so plan your time well. Go."
Li Dui thought, Marquis-level comprehension? How could I possibly have Marquis-level comprehension? I have King-level comprehension, all right?
He put on an expression of delighted gratitude and bowed. "Thank you, Venerable. I'll study hard and won't bring shame upon you."
He left the hall and returned to his residence, waiting quietly for arrangements to be made.
He wanted to visit Chaos City for two reasons.
First, he wanted to take one of his bodies there and let Chaos City Lord have a look. If Chaos City Lord didn't spot anything wrong, he could feel much more at ease in the future.
Second, if he didn't study a Chaos Stele a few times, he wouldn't dare keep revealing his Law Comprehension. No matter how talented you were, you still needed guidance. No one could just shut themselves away to study and keep rocketing upward.
Soon, a staff member contacted Li Dui and told him to go to berth F01397 at the spaceport.
When Li Dui arrived, a triangular spaceship over a thousand meters long was waiting with its hatch open.
He entered the cabin. A powerhouse about ten meters tall sat in the main seat. He had no hair, and cone-shaped protrusions covered his skin. "Li Dui, I'm King Jiantang. I'll take you to headquarters. It's a long journey, so feel free to find a room upstairs and wait."
"Thank you for your trouble, King Jiantang." Li Dui bowed respectfully and took his leave.
Chaos Ruins.
Corpses covered the boundless land, exuding a terrifying aura that inspired dread. Some of the bodies were as large as planets, while others were no bigger than young beasts.
A man about three meters tall sat cross-legged in midair. He wore a set of ancient, dark-red armor, and a scaly tail hung behind him.
Suddenly, the man's tightly shut eyes opened. His gaze seemed to pierce through every obstacle, fixing on a young man who had just disembarked from a spaceship. The young man didn't look around; he flew straight toward City Lord Mansion.
"Luo Feng's kinsman. His soul aura hasn't changed. The aura of the Xueluo Crystal... Nothing wrong there. As for my disciple, he's been out of sight in Star Tower for several thousand years. I wonder what happened to him." This wasn't the first time the man had examined Li Dui. He examined everyone who came to Chaos City. Since Li Dui's soul was fine, there was no reason for him to take any special action.
Number One flew toward City Lord Mansion with a calm expression. Li Dui had already made preparations. Only the body at the first rank of the Domain Lord level remained on Duhan Star. Before Number One arrived in the Initial Universe, his true body and the other bodies had already teleported billions of light-years away, just in case.
At the entrance to the Giant Axe Chaos Stele chamber, the kind-looking three-eyed old man stood beside the bronze door as he had for thousands of years.
"Lord Kandeli." Li Dui greeted him with a bow.
"Oh, Li Dui. You haven't advanced yet, so why are you back in Chaos City?" Kandeli asked, somewhat surprised.
He seemed to check something before continuing, "So your Venerable specially requested that you come study the Giant Axe Chaos Stele. You certainly have plenty of chances to study it. Wait here. The person inside will come out in two days."
Kandeli knew what Li Dui had done at Heavenly Bridge. He also knew that some Venerables had originally considered taking Li Dui as a disciple. Then word had spread that Li Dui declared he would only accept Venerable Meng Yu as his master.
Li Dui's talent for combining laws was excellent, but people only thought he had a good chance of becoming a Universe Venerable. Since he'd already made his position clear, the Venerables who had been interested had no choice but to give up.
"Thank you, sir." Li Dui stepped aside and sat down.
The Giant Axe Chaos Stele was quite appealing to Li Dui. Giant Axe Founder's strength and vision were extraordinary. The secret techniques he had left in the Chaos Stele could let someone fight above their level, as long as they fully comprehended and mastered them.
To exchange for secret techniques of that caliber, you'd need several hundred billion points. Otherwise, don't even think about it.
Giant Axe truly lived up to his name as the pillar of the Human Race. Li Dui deeply admired him.
As a Universe Supreme Being, Giant Axe had suppressed his own nature for the sake of the race for countless years, always having to hold back in his actions. He never dared to fight others without restraint.
Even so, he had created an incredibly powerful secret technique. The moment he acquired a supreme treasure, he became the strongest in the Universe Ocean.
If I ever have the standing to speak up, I'll find a way to save Giant Axe's life. Li Dui had long held this thought.
When Li Dui had left Chaos City last time, he had only just passed the third level of Heavenly Bridge. Now, he had eight opportunities to study a Chaos Stele.
After his first session, Number One found a place to stay, sat cross-legged on the rooftop, and pretended to study with his eyes closed. Meanwhile, his true body seriously studied the secret technique on the fourth diagram of the Giant Axe Chaos Stele.
The fourth diagram showed a boulder split in two. Shattered fragments and debris were scattered around the break.
The laws indicated in this diagram spanned the path from the most basic Immortal Comprehension all the way to Peak Army Leader. They covered the tenth through fourteenth levels of Heavenly Bridge.
If he could fully comprehend the secret technique it contained, then with the comprehension of the fourteenth level, he could pass the fifteenth level of Heavenly Bridge.
Two months later, Li Dui returned to the entrance of the Giant Axe Chaos Stele chamber.
Kandeli warned him that study opportunities were precious, and returning so soon would be a tremendous waste.
Li Dui listened humbly, like an obedient student. But Kandeli could say what he liked—Li Dui was going in anyway.
Kandeli had done his duty and couldn't be bothered to say more. If Li Dui wanted to go in, let him. It was his own opportunity he was wasting. Young people had to learn things the hard way; it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Who knew that once Li Dui started, he wouldn't stop? He came every two months without fail. In a single year, he used up six of his study opportunities.
During the later visits, no matter how ingratiatingly Li Dui smiled, Kandeli wouldn't even look at him. He'd tried to talk him out of it, and Li Dui wouldn't listen. So Kandeli left him to it. If he wanted to go in, he could go in.
Before you continue