"Between family, there's no need to stand on ceremony," Ganwu Kingdom Lord said, patting Qin Ming on the shoulder.
"All right, little brother Qin Ming. I won't keep you any longer. If you need anything in Chaos City in the future, or when you return to the Primal Universe, contact me anytime."
"Take care, big brother."
Ganwu Kingdom Lord nodded. His figure gradually blurred, then vanished into the chaotic currents as he left the Initial Universe.
Qin Ming returned to the City Lord's Manor, but this time his goal was to choose a Chaos Stele suited to him.
He soon reached the entrance to a dreamlike corridor.
Huge paintings hung along both walls, each corresponding to a Chaos Stele and containing different insights into the laws and guidance on the paths they represented.
Qin Ming walked slowly, his gaze passing over one painting after another.
There was the profound Gold-Space of the Nine Universes Chaos Stele, the deep, all-embracing nature of the Mother Ancestor Chaos Stele, and the domineering, incisive power of the Dragon Walk Chaos Stele... Each one represented the life's work of a great figure of Humanity.
He didn't examine them for long. Following the Chaos City Lord's earlier advice, he headed straight for the enormous painting depicting an endless expanse of shattered space, with golden edges of light flowing through it—the Heavenly Ruins Chaos Stele.
The painting revealed a path of destruction and renewal formed by the fusion of the laws of Gold and Space. It aligned quite well with the direction he had displayed in the Genius Tournament.
He chose the Heavenly Ruins Chaos Stele.
However, this was mostly for appearances.
For him, the true Core Inheritance and insights had always come from Jin World. The Chaos Stele was more like a reasonable cover and a supplementary reference.
With his choice made, Qin Ming's life in Chaos City officially settled into a routine.
He applied for his first chance to study the Heavenly Ruins Chaos Stele. Sitting before it for seven days, he comprehended the laws of Gold and Space contained within.
Afterward, he returned to his courtyard and devoted most of his attention to cultivating and gaining insights through his Jin World clone, while continually digesting and verifying the inspiration he had drawn from the Chaos Stele.
Time passed quietly and swiftly in Chaos City.
Day after day, year after year.
The chaotic currents outside the courtyard flowed on as they had since time immemorial. From time to time, other cultivators flew past, heading either to the Chaos Steles or outside the city to hunt Chaos Beasts.
Until three years later. (Three years in the Primal Universe was roughly one year in the Initial Universe. The three years mentioned here refer to time in the Primal Universe.)
The passage to the Initial Universe once again welcomed a new group of guests.
A massive fleet organized by the Virtual Universe Company, carrying nearly a thousand geniuses selected to enter the Core Layer in this year's Genius Tournament, finally arrived in Chaos City.
Chaos City was livelier than usual that day.
One enormous spaceship after another descended over Chaos City. Their hatches opened, and nearly a thousand young Star Level geniuses filed out. Curious and excited, yet filled with awe, they looked around at this legendary cultivation sanctuary.
They gazed up at the rifts in the sky and the flowing secret patterns, feeling the laws fluctuate with a clarity many times greater than in the Primal Universe. Every one of them was stirred with excitement.
Among them was "Light God" Ailuos, from the Noah Universe Kingdom and now a Primal Secret Region Member. A faint, holy glow seemed to surround him, and his gaze was sharp and confident. There was also a burly man from the Wild Universe Kingdom whose aura was fierce.
Ruoxi was with the group, too. Her gaze unconsciously swept over the ancient buildings of Chaos City, as if searching for someone. Then, with a trace of self-mockery, she looked away.
The arrival of these geniuses naturally caught the attention of some longtime cultivators in Chaos City.
"Oh, a bunch of little Star Level newcomers."
"I heard the Virtual Universe Company recently held a Genius Tournament. Judging by the timing, it should be over by now. These must be the newcomers."
"Right. And I heard the Virtual Universe Company recruited a young man named Qin Ming this time. He's quite impressive."
At the edge of a rift in space, several Immortals chatted among themselves.
But only a few bothered to chat. Most merely glanced over before returning to their cultivation.
Time was precious in Chaos City, and new geniuses arrived every so often. It was nothing unusual.
In Qin Ming's courtyard.
He finished another period of comprehension and slowly opened his eyes.
Through the hazy chaotic currents above the courtyard, he sensed unusual fluctuations in energy and the gathering life signs outside the city.
"They're here..."
He murmured to himself, his tone calm.
He felt no particular attachment to these former "classmates." His path had long since diverged from theirs.
Whether in cultivation progress, level, or future goals, they were no longer on the same plane.
He stood and walked to the edge of the courtyard, looking toward the City Lord's Manor.
The newcomers were being led to the plaza in front of the manor, where they would listen to the Stele Guardian's explanation and prepare to choose their Chaos Steles.
He had no intention of joining the crowd.
He stood still for a moment, then turned and returned to the quiet room, closing his eyes once more.
To Qin Ming's surprise, however, the person who had just moved into the courtyard next to his was Ruoxi.
His courtyard was in the Core Layer near the City Lord's Manor. It had originally had neighbors on both sides. One of them was an Immortal who had been cultivating here in seclusion for tens of thousands of years. Not long ago, he had finally reached the limit of his stay in the Initial Universe and left.
The courtyard had been left empty, and Ruoxi, who had just arrived and was eligible to choose a residence in the Core Layer, happened to select it.
And so, the two became neighbors.
Qin Ming didn't think much of it. He didn't care who his neighbor was.
Ruoxi, on the other hand, felt a jumble of emotions when she learned she would be living next door to Qin Ming.
She felt an indescribable flutter, along with a pressure and distance she couldn't quite put into words.
She had wanted to work up the courage to go over and greet him, or explain that it was only a coincidence. But standing outside her courtyard and staring at the tightly shut door next door, which seemed to separate two worlds, she raised her hand several times and eventually let it fall each time.
His world was already too far away from hers. Disturbing him without warning might only make things awkward, or even annoy him.
Ruoxi took a deep breath, pushed aside her jumbled thoughts, and turned back toward her courtyard.
What she needed to do was choose a Chaos Stele suited to her as soon as possible, then cultivate as hard as she could and strive to catch up. Even if she could never reach him, she couldn't let herself fall too far behind.
Qin Ming sensed that the new neighbor had stood outside for a moment, but when she ultimately didn't come over to disturb him, he paid it no further attention.
He immersed himself once more, devoting himself to the endless comprehension and exploration of the laws through his Jin World clone.
Life in Chaos City remained as calm as still water. Only occasionally, when Qin Ming briefly finished cultivating and took a short rest in the courtyard, could he sense the diligent, focused fluctuations of cultivation coming from next door.
He said nothing. They weren't meant to have much to do with each other anyway. This was better!
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