Leaving Chaos City

Raging Waves Island.

In the public area, at the Ten Thousand Languages Pavilion.

Dozens of young people were in the private room, some standing, some sitting.

Seven or eight of them were gathered together, making a racket.

Some were chatting.

Two or three were downing one cup after another, competing to see who could drink more.

Li Dui set down his cup, leaned back in his chair, and turned to the woman with the air holes beside him. "Sure. Once we're in the Battle Axe Secret Realm, we'll be living close to each other anyway. Just give me a shout when the time comes."

The woman, Pananan, had just asked Li Dui to help guide her in practicing her secret technique when he had time.

They already had a good relationship, so Li Dui naturally agreed.

Of the dozens of people in the room, more than ten were genuinely on good terms with him. He had passed the third level of the Heavenly Bridge, becoming the fourth among their group to do so.

So a bunch of them had made a fuss and told him to treat them.

Some of the others weren't close to Li Dui but were on good terms with those ten-odd people. A few had simply wanted to get to know him, so they'd come along too.

After a few rounds of drinks and a toast to celebrate Li Dui, everyone scattered off to enjoy themselves.

They were all young people.

Yes, here, this bunch of Universe Rank youths who were hundreds of years old were still considered young. You could even say they were practically children.

Every so often, someone came over to have a drink with Li Dui.

They had specially ordered liquor strong enough to get even Universe Rank powerhouses drunk. After several rounds, Li Dui was feeling a little woozy.

Jie Kui came over holding a bottle. Li Dui raised both hands and shouted, "Big brother! Big brother! I'm sorry, all right?"

"What, now that you've passed the third level, you think you're too good for me? You won't even show me some respect?" Jie Kui said fiercely.

"Big brother, how much have I had to drink with you already?" Li Dui picked up his cup to catch the liquor Jie Kui was pouring. "Besides, you're a top genius in the War Axe Secret Realm. Why should I show you respect?"

"Hahaha." The people around them were amused by Li Dui's sudden reversal.

Jie Kui had been about to stop after filling Li Dui's cup more than halfway, but his hand slipped and he filled it right to the brim.

"Drink!" Jie Kui roared.

A Universe Rank powerhouse had perfect control. The cup reached Li Dui's lips without spilling a drop, and he downed it in one go.

Seeing Jie Kui about to pour him another, Li Dui hurriedly waved him off. "Big brother, I really can't drink any more. I have to go see the Chaos Stele in a bit."

Jie Kui stopped when he heard that, envy showing in his eyes. He had been a hair's breadth from entering the Mad Axe Secret Realm. Compared with people in the Battle Axe Secret Realm, he should have been a whole tier stronger.

But that hadn't mattered. The final results for this batch of geniuses after thirty years in Chaos City had been perfectly ordinary: one had reached the fourth level, and five had reached the third.

Of the nine people in the Mad Axe Secret Realm, only four had passed the third level of the Heavenly Bridge.

The only unusual part was Li Dui, the outlier. When he first arrived, he'd been at the bottom of the pack. Yet he was around the three-hundredth to pass the first level. By the time he reached the second, he was around the hundredth. In the end, he became the fourth among this batch to pass the third level.

That rate of progress was truly enviable.

From the perspective of these geniuses, one more chance to study a Chaos Stele meant a major improvement. They had no idea when they'd get another chance to study one.

In front of the bronze doors to the Giant Axe Chaos Stele's cultivation chamber.

Several young people sat on the floor, all with their eyes closed as they adjusted their states of mind.

This was their final chance to study the stele before leaving Chaos City. To make sure no one missed out because of a scheduling conflict, this session had been arranged for everyone at the same fixed time.

As the bronze doors slowly opened, Kandeli's voice came from within. "It's time. Go in."

Everyone rose to their feet, offering a jumble of thanks before rushing through the doors.

Inside the cultivation chamber, each person found a place to sit and began studying the stele. They were all geniuses who had passed the second level of the Giant Axe Heavenly Bridge at the last possible moment and earned a chance to study it.

Unlike the others, Li Dui had come here partly because it was the reasonable thing to do. If you had the chance and didn't come, people would think something was off.

His main reason, though, was the set of secret techniques hidden in the third diagram on the Chaos Stele.

If he bought it with points through the Virtual Universe System, the price would be terrifyingly high.

Of course he had to get his hands on something this good.

Over the years, Li Dui had already "created" blade techniques corresponding to the hidden secret techniques in the first and second diagrams. Using a similar method, he had also created several techniques from scratch.

Aside from one corresponding to the first diagram, which could barely bring out the law power it was supposed to, the rest were useless. He might as well just hack away with his blade.

But there was no helping it. Li Dui had decided that creating secret techniques was a path he would keep following. Only techniques he created himself could be truly suited to him.

Once Li Dui focused, he was formidable. Compared with when he had first advanced to Universe Rank, he was now much faster at comprehending the stele.

Simply looking at the Chaos Stele and trying to comprehend the secret techniques it contained was very difficult. The stele only offered an explanation. It was only after the student truly understood it that he would realize those insights seemed to fit together into a secret technique.

That was immeasurably harder than having a secret technique designed for study laid out in front of you and learning it step by step.

As Li Dui understood it, the set in the third diagram used the law foundation of the ninth level of the Heavenly Bridge to unleash the power needed to defeat the Gatekeeper at the tenth level.

The tenth level already required law comprehension at the Immortal level. Reaching that point was no easy feat.

Chaos energy surged through the chamber.

At one point, delight showed in Li Dui's eyes.

"So that's how it works."

He had figured it out.

The secret technique was basically his now. Once he got back and spent some time practicing it, he'd have his Giant Axe Third Blade.

He eagerly began simulating the move in his mind: how to swing the blade, how to channel the laws, how the earth and space laws should work together, and how to ensure the power stayed concentrated.

"Come out." "Come out." "Come out."

Kandeli's voice rang in their ears like a demonic chant.

Everyone in the chamber grimaced as they hurried outside.

Once they reached the doorway, they were still smiling as they thanked Kandeli and said their goodbyes.

At this point, there was still a full day before they left Chaos City.

After returning to his residence, Li Dui logged into the Virtual Universe and spent half a day practicing the secret technique. Only then did he take his time tidying up the place he had lived in for almost thirty years.

He couldn't help feeling wistful. Before coming to this world, he hadn't even lived for thirty years.

He took one last look at the rooftop, then turned and rose into the air, becoming a streak of flowing light that shot into the sky.

The Giant Axe Martial Arena's headquarters in the universe.

A large group of young people had gathered in the plaza by the spaceport.

An Immortal God spoke loudly. "Du Ke of the God Origin Secret Realm, wait here for the Venerable. You'll set off with the Venerable in a moment."

"Members of the Mad Axe Secret Realm, over there. Board that silver triangular spacecraft."

"People from the War Axe Secret Realm, see that blue disk-shaped spacecraft across from you? Go on."

"People from the Battle Axe Secret Realm, see the big one? The gray one."

The 877 geniuses naturally split into three groups.

Friends who knew one another but were headed to different places exchanged well-wishes. With the Virtual Universe, farewells didn't feel so heavy.

After joking around and trading encouragements—or insults—they set off on their respective journeys.