Becoming a Disciple

Even though they were both Universe Venerables, Ganwu Kingdom Lord still had to show proper respect to the man before him.

After all, the other man was not only Chaos City Lord's personal disciple, but also an exceedingly rare Universe Overlord among Humanity, far stronger than an ordinary Venerable.

"Brother Ganwu." Venerable Guiyi smiled warmly, showing no trace of arrogance despite his strength. His gaze then fell on Qin Ming, standing behind Ganwu Kingdom Lord.

"This little fellow must be Qin Ming, right?"

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

"Master is in Chaos Ruins. He asked me to wait here and bring you to him." Venerable Guiyi looked at Qin Ming warmly and nodded.

"You certainly have a solid foundation and a well-rounded aura. No wonder you achieved such remarkable results."

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

"Come with me." Venerable Guiyi said no more and turned toward the far end of the plaza.

Ganwu Kingdom Lord stopped where he was, watching them leave. From here on, only Qin Ming could proceed.

They crossed the plaza and entered a more secluded area. The chaotic currents around them grew denser, and even space and time seemed blurred.

At last, the two stopped before a courtyard that looked ordinary, yet radiated an ancient aura that made one's heart tremble.

A stone stele stood at the entrance, bearing the words "Chaos Ruins." Endless chaotic currents swirled around it.

"This is Chaos Ruins. Master is waiting for you inside." Venerable Guiyi stepped aside, indicating that Qin Ming should enter.

"Go on. Don't keep Master waiting."

Qin Ming took a deep breath to steady himself. He bowed slightly to Venerable Guiyi in thanks, then stepped through the courtyard gate, which seemed to connect to the Universe Origin.

Light and shadow shifted, and space and time transformed.

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

It looked like the ruins of an ancient battlefield. Broken weapons and enormous bones littered the ground, and the air was filled with a desolate, primordial aura.

At the center of the ruins stood a figure clad in archaic dark-red battle armor, his back to Qin Ming as he gazed up at the ruined sky.

Even from behind, he seemed to bear the weight of endless ages and boundless power.

Qin Ming knew that this was Chaos City Lord.

He stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Qin Ming pays his respects to City Lord."

"You're very good—better than I expected." Chaos City Lord turned around, a warm smile on his face, though his gaze seemed able to see through everything.

"I carefully investigated your past. You were born in the Quicksand Star System and raised in the Qin Family. You've never left, and there's no sign that you've had any remarkable encounters."

"Yet your comprehension of the Laws is astonishingly powerful. To be frank, when I first met you, I wondered whether you were an ancient being who had seized another's body and been reborn."

Chaos City Lord spoke calmly, but Qin Ming's heart tightened.

"There were two reasons I had Ganwu personally escort you here. One was to ensure your absolute safety. The other..." Chaos City Lord's gaze deepened.

"Was to keep an eye on you."

"If you really had seized another's body, then upon learning that you were about to enter the Initial Universe and meet me, you would inevitably try every means to escape. It's only natural."

Qin Ming listened quietly, his expression unchanged. He understood such caution. In the world of Swallowed Star, body-snatching, infiltration, and Alien Race schemes were commonplace.

"Fortunately, that didn't happen. And after examining you, I found that your soul and body fit together perfectly. You are indeed pure Humanity—just... absurdly gifted."

Chaos City Lord's smile deepened, his admiration plain to see.

"At twenty-two, you've reached this level of Law comprehension through your own efforts... You aren't a genius on par with Kedi."

He paused, his tone turning solemn.

"You're a genius who surpasses him."

Qin Ming was taken aback. He hadn't expected Chaos City Lord to think so highly of him—to compare him directly with the fallen legend Kedi, and even declare that he surpassed him.

Only Qin Ming knew that the praise might be a little too high.

His true talent might be decent, but he was certainly no "epoch-level monster," born with an astonishing affinity for the Universe Origin as Chaos City Lord imagined.

Most of what he owed his achievements to came from his World Lord-level clone, born in Jin World.

The World Lord stage was already the period when one comprehended the Laws fastest.

And Jin World, as the Inner Universe of a God-King, presented the Laws and contained the origin in a way that far surpassed the Initial Universe.

Not to mention that the inheritances and guidance available to him within Jin World were far more profound and intricate than the 52 Chaos Tablets in Chaos City.

To put it bluntly, if anyone from this year's Genius Tournament had received the same opportunity—even Ruoxi—her achievements might not have been any less than his.

But... there were no "ifs" in this world.

Fortune and opportunity were part of one's strength, a real part of the way the Cosmic Rules operated.

He had seized the opportunity and turned it into real cultivation and combat strength. In the eyes of others, that made him an unquestionable peerless genius.

To an existence like Chaos City Lord, the process might matter, but the result and the "potential" on display were what ultimately determined one's worth.

"A false genius"?

No.

Once this opportunity had become fully integrated into the course of his life, an inseparable part of his power, it was simply who he was.

He possessed it, wielded it, and surpassed others with it. That was reality.

With that thought, the last faint ripple in Qin Ming's heart over having "taken a shortcut" finally settled. He met Chaos City Lord's admiring, expectant gaze without reservation.

"City Lord, you flatter me!"

"All right, Qin Ming." Chaos City Lord's smile faded, and his gaze grew calm and solemn.

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

"I am, Master!" Qin Ming answered without the slightest hesitation, bowing as he spoke.

Among Humanity, Chaos City Lord's status and strength placed him among the top three.

Becoming his disciple was the greatest opportunity any genius could dream of.

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

But that was impossible. Though Primal Ancestor watched over the race through the Virtual Universe, he almost never appeared in person, much less took on a young fellow who was still at Star Level and whose future was uncertain.

To be honest, even with Qin Ming's astonishing talent, there was still a risk that he might fall before he truly matured and proved himself.

Countless geniuses perished young in the universe. Chaos City Lord's willingness to take him as a disciple now was itself an enormous investment and a form of protection—or perhaps he simply valued geniuses with exceptional talent.

"Good." Chaos City Lord nodded slightly, his smile returning.

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