Taking a Master

Even among fellow Universe Venerables, the Ganwu Kingdom Lord had to maintain sufficient courtesy when facing the person before him.

Because the other party was not only a personal disciple of Chaos City Lord, but also an extremely rare "Universe Overlord"-level existence among humanity, with strength far surpassing ordinary Venerables.

"Brother Ganwu." Guiyi Venerable smiled slightly, his demeanor gentle, without the slightest arrogance born of power. His gaze then fell on Qin Ming behind the Ganwu Kingdom Lord.

"This little fellow, is he Qin Ming?"

"Qin Ming pays respects to Guiyi Venerable." Qin Ming stepped forward according to etiquette and bowed respectfully.

"The master is in the Chaos Ruins, and has asked me to wait here to guide you there." Guiyi Venerable looked at Qin Ming with a warm gaze and nodded.

"Indeed, your foundation is deep and your aura is harmonious. No wonder you were able to achieve such results."

"Thank you for the praise, Venerable." Qin Ming remained neither humble nor arrogant.

"Follow me." Guiyi Venerable said no more and turned to walk toward the depths of the square.

The Ganwu Kingdom Lord stopped in place, watching them leave. From here on, only Qin Ming could walk the path ahead.

Passing through the square, they entered a deeper, more secluded area. The surrounding chaotic energy currents grew denser, and even time and space seemed somewhat blurred.

Finally, the two stopped before a courtyard that appeared ordinary yet exuded an ancient aura that made one's heart tremble.

At the courtyard gate stood a stone tablet, inscribed with the three large characters "Chaos Ruins," surrounded by endless swirling chaotic energy currents.

"This is the Chaos Ruins. The master awaits you inside." Guiyi Venerable stepped aside, signaling Qin Ming to enter.

"Go in. Don't keep the master waiting."

Qin Ming took a deep breath, steadied his mind, bowed slightly to Guiyi Venerable in thanks, and then stepped through the courtyard gate that seemed to connect to the very origin of the universe.

Light and shadow shifted; time and space transformed.

When his vision cleared again, Qin Ming found himself in a strange world.

It seemed to be the ruins of an ancient battlefield—broken weapons and massive bones scattered everywhere, the air thick with a desolate, timeless atmosphere.

And at the center of the ruins, a figure clad in an ancient, dark red battle armor stood with his back to Qin Ming, gazing up at the sky above the ruins.

Even just his back seemed to bear the weight of endless ages and boundless might.

Qin Ming knew—that was Chaos City Lord.

He stepped forward a few paces and bowed respectfully: "Qin Ming pays respects to the City Lord."

"You are very good—even better than I expected." Chaos City Lord turned around, a warm smile on his face, yet his gaze seemed capable of seeing through everything.

"I have thoroughly investigated your past. Born in the Quicksand Star System, raised in the Qin Family, never left, and no trace of any remarkable fortuitous encounters."

"Yet your comprehension of the laws is astonishingly powerful. To be frank, when I first saw you, I suspected whether you might be some ancient being reborn through possession."

Chaos City Lord's voice was calm and unruffled, but it sent a chill through Qin Ming's heart.

"The reason I had Ganwu personally escort you was, on one hand, to ensure your absolute safety, and on the other..." Chaos City Lord's gaze deepened.

"to keep an eye on you."

"If you truly were a possessed body, upon learning that you were about to enter the Initial Universe and face me, you would inevitably try to escape by any means. That is human nature."

Qin Ming listened quietly, his expression unchanged. He understood this caution. In the world of Swallowed Star, possession, infiltration, and alien conspiracies were everywhere.

"Fortunately, that did not happen. Moreover, through my detection, your soul and body are perfectly matched—you are indeed a pure human, just... excessively gifted."

Chaos City Lord's smile deepened, carrying undisguised admiration.

"Twenty-two years old, relying solely on yourself, reaching such a level of law comprehension... You are not a genius comparable to 'Kedi.'"

He paused slightly, his tone turning solemn.

"You are a genius who surpasses him."

Qin Ming was inwardly startled. He hadn't expected Chaos City Lord's evaluation of him to be so high—directly comparing him to the fallen legend "Kedi" and even declaring him superior.

Only he himself knew that this evaluation might be somewhat "overblown."

His true talent might be decent, but it was far from the "epochal monster" Chaos City Lord imagined—someone born with an inverse affinity for the universe's origin.

The achievements he had made today relied mostly on the Sector Lord-level avatar nurtured within the Jin World.

The Sector Lord stage was inherently the fastest period for comprehending laws.

And the Jin World, as a God King's inner universe, presented laws and origin energy far richer than the Initial Universe.

Not to mention, within the Jin World, the inheritance guidance he could access was of a level and subtlety far beyond the 52 Chaos Stele of Chaos City.

To put it bluntly, if this opportunity were given to any contestant in this Genius Tournament—even to Ruoxi—her achievements might not be inferior to his.

But... in this world, there are no "ifs."

Opportunity and luck are themselves part of strength—a real aspect of the universe's operating rules.

He had seized this opportunity and turned it into tangible cultivation and combat power. So in others' eyes, he was undeniably a peerless genius.

To existences like Chaos City Lord, the process might matter, but the results and the "potential" displayed were the core of their valuation.

A "fake genius"?

No.

When this opportunity fully merged into the trajectory of his life, becoming an inseparable part of his power, that was the true him.

He possessed it, he wielded it, he surpassed it. This was reality.

Thinking this, the last trace of subtle ripples in Qin Ming's heart caused by "taking shortcuts" completely subsided. He met Chaos City Lord's appreciative and expectant gaze with calm composure.

"You flatter me, City Lord!"

"Alright, Qin Ming." Chaos City Lord withdrew his smile, his gaze turning solemn and earnest.

"I intend to take you as my personal disciple. Are you willing?"

"Your disciple is willing!" Qin Ming answered without a moment's hesitation, bowing in response.

Among the human race, Chaos City Lord's status and strength ranked among the top three.

To become his disciple was the highest opportunity any genius could dream of.

Unless... the "Primal Ancestor" suppressed by the Primal Universe was willing to take on a disciple.

But that was utterly impossible. Although the Primal Ancestor watched over the race through the Virtual Universe, he almost never appeared in person, let alone accept a mere Star-level child whose future was still full of uncertainty as a disciple.

To be honest, even with Qin Ming displaying such heaven-defying talent, before he truly grew and proved himself, the risk of falling still existed.

In the universe, geniuses who perished young were countless. Chaos City Lord's willingness to take him as a disciple now was itself a huge investment and protection—or rather, he had always valued geniuses with exceptional talent.

"Good." Chaos City Lord nodded slightly, a smile once again appearing on his face.

"From today onward, you are the thirty-second personal disciple under my tutelage."