Trial and Apprenticeship

Hearing what Dasheng said, Huang Wuye said his farewells, found an attendant to show him the way, and headed off to visit Huoyu King.

Huang Wuye followed the attendant at a brisk pace for a while, and finally arrived in front of a great hall. A red carpet stretched out from the palace.

"Your Highness, this is where Huoyu King resides. I can't accompany you any farther."

The attendant pointed to the palace as he spoke to Huang Wuye. After taking his leave, he departed.

Once the attendant was gone, Huang Wuye descended from the sky and landed on the red carpet. Then he walked toward the palace.

In the blink of an eye, he reached the palace gates. A pair of armored guards stood in front of them. Above the gates hung a plaque bearing three large characters: Huoyu Palace.

"Tsk, tsk. World Lords serving as guards—now that's impressive." Huang Wuye examined the pair of guards, clicking his tongue in surprise.

The guards noticed Huang Wuye approaching. One of them spoke coldly. "Stop. This is Huoyu Palace. No one may approach without a reason. Do you have an appointment?"

"Hello. I'm Huang Wuye, and I've come to pay my respects at Huoyu King's invitation. Please inform him that I'm here." Huang Wuye calmly stated his purpose.

"Wait here." The guard heard Huang Wuye's words and stirred inwardly. He curtly uttered two words, then turned and walked into the palace.

"My lord is waiting inside. You may go in."

Before long, the guard returned. He gave Huang Wuye a slight smile and gestured for him to enter.

Huang Wuye didn't linger. He nodded to the guard and strode into the great hall.

In the blink of an eye, Huang Wuye had crossed the hall's entrance. Space and time shifted, and he found himself in an unfamiliar realm.

Looking at the cosmic starry sky before him, Huang Wuye was a little surprised. It looked quite different from the great hall he had imagined.

Still, he wasn't astonished for long. He fixed his gaze on a central starfield. If he guessed correctly, Huoyu King should be there.

Just as he was about to head that way, something changed without warning.

Before he knew it, flames had surrounded him on all sides. Huang Wuye looked at the world that had been engulfed in flames in the blink of an eye, and his thoughts stirred. This was probably Huoyu King's test.

Feeling the heat radiating from all around him, Huang Wuye didn't hesitate. Instead, he took the initiative and stepped into the sea of fire.

"The flames are only at Universe Level in power. If this is Huoyu King's test, then it can't be as simple as having me resist them." Huang Wuye furrowed his brow, pondering Huoyu King's intentions.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as though he'd thought of something.

"If the test isn't about resisting their power, then it must be about secret techniques and laws. Laws are the best measure of a genius, so these flames must contain some kind of profound principle." The more Huang Wuye thought about it, the more certain he became. He then withdrew the Origin Energy protecting his body.

A searing sensation spread from the places where he touched the flames. Huang Wuye's eyes lit up, and he sat cross-legged on the spot.

"Flames have many properties, but the most common are heat and combustion. The most common manifestations of the Fire Origin Law are also heat and combustion." Huang Wuye wandered through the flame-filled space, using his body to feel the different sensations the flames gave him in different places.

Insights came to him one after another, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter. He had been wrong. He had been approaching Law Comprehension the wrong way all along.

Before, he had relied on his far greater-than-normal genetic strength and the powerful affinity it gave him through his soul, forcing the laws into a mold.

As a result, he knew that the Fire Origin Law worked, but not why. That approach had served him well in the beginning, but as his comprehension deepened, making progress had grown increasingly difficult.

That was why his Law Comprehension had seemed to slow down when he reached Planetary Level and Star Level.

His rate of comprehending laws hadn't changed, but laws weren't simply something to be rigidly applied. Beyond their most basic principles lay their practical application.

At that point, Huang Wuye needed to understand the laws' most fundamental properties. Otherwise, his progress would slow.

Now, through these flames, Huang Wuye finally understood. A steady stream of inspiration came to him.

This trip hadn't been in vain. This one test alone had pointed him in the right direction.

"All right, little one. You've really turned my place into a training ground." Just as Huang Wuye remained immersed in his insights, a warm voice rang out and roused him.

Huang Wuye opened his eyes, and a man appeared before him.

At some point, he had been transported to the man's side. This man had to be Huoyu King.

Huoyu King had long, fiery red hair and ordinary features, but his eyes seemed to contain a world of flames.

The Law of Fire swirled around him, and he seemed to exist outside this stretch of space and time. His aura was hidden, yet countless stars floated beneath his feet.

Now, his eyes were fixed on Huang Wuye as he studied him closely.

Seeing the man's fiery red hair, a thought crossed Huang Wuye's mind, and a suspicion took shape.

"So you're Huang Wuye. It seems our clan has produced another highly gifted junior. Would you be willing to become my disciple?" After studying the eager young man before him, Huoyu King was reminded of himself as a child, and he spoke.

"I'm willing! Your disciple Huang Wuye pays his respects to Master." Huang Wuye was delighted, but quickly composed himself with his powerful state of mind. Then he bowed respectfully.

"Good, good, good. Rise." Huoyu King repeated the word three times, clearly very pleased. Then he began telling Huang Wuye about the disciples under his tutelage.

"I have more than twenty disciples. You rank last, as my twenty-fourth disciple.

"Of my disciples, seventeen are still alive, counting you. Five are Marquis Immortals, and eleven are King Level Immortals.

"But most of them aren't on Desolate God Mountain. Most are out adventuring in the Outer Realm Battlefield and secret realms."

Huang Wuye was a little surprised. Although he'd heard that Huoyu King was good at teaching, he hadn't expected the numbers to be so remarkable.

Looking at the proportions, it seemed Huoyu King had also accepted him because he belonged to the Desolate God Clan. After all, Huoyu King didn't know the details of his talent.

"All right, you only need a general understanding of the sect for now. I'll give you some information later. For now, let your master tell you about your situation."

Huoyu King was pleased with Huang Wuye's conduct. Then he changed the subject and began discussing Huang Wuye's cultivation.

"According to the information from the clan, you're not yet twenty. Even with the clan's resources helping you, you've already achieved remarkable things.

"You've made considerable progress in the Law of Fire and the laws of space, which shows that you're exceptionally talented. But I can see that your understanding of the laws is somewhat shallow. You've likely done most of your cultivation on your own and rarely sought guidance from the clan's experts. That means you lack a proper understanding of how to cultivate the laws." Huoyu King was pleased by the information sent from the clan. He first praised Huang Wuye, then changed the subject.