Before long, Huang Wuye finally woke. He felt wonderful; his mind had become purer.
He felt completely at ease, as if his mind had been emptied of all distractions. This insight hadn't helped him make any progress in strength, but his state of mind had improved once again.
He gazed at the dazzling river of stars with some reluctance. He still hadn't had his fill; it seemed to hold secrets, but he wasn't yet capable of comprehending them.
He turned and gave Marquis Fire Spirit, who had been waiting nearby, an apologetic smile.
"Haha, sorry for keeping you waiting, Marquis Fire Spirit. Let's get moving!"
When Marquis Fire Spirit realized Huang Wuye had entered a state of enlightenment, he had stopped the ship to avoid disturbing him.
Now, seeing Huang Wuye had come around, he nodded at his words and ordered the ship to continue.
Nothing unexpected happened this time. Before long, they arrived at a secret realm.
Huang Wuye opened his eyes. The place was a world covered in flames, and the entire secret realm was about a hundred million kilometers across—not very large.
But flames surged everywhere. At a glance, it looked as though the whole place was ablaze.
Huang Wuye walked across the secret realm's red earth, breathing in the dry heat and sensing the increasingly lively fluctuations of the laws. He felt incredibly comfortable.
After all, he was naturally attuned to the Flame Law. This place felt like a sacred ground to him.
Huang Wuye looked up and saw a towering temple at the center of the secret realm, rising into the clouds and radiating an ancient aura.
He walked forward alone. Marquis Fire Spirit had stayed outside the secret realm and hadn't come with him.
With every step, the fluctuations of the Fire Origin Law around him grew clearer. But he didn't stop to contemplate them; he simply continued on at an unhurried pace.
Each step carried him hundreds, even thousands, of miles. Before long, he reached the towering temple.
Three ancient characters, written in the Desolate God Clan's distinctive script, were inscribed above the entrance: Meteor Pavilion.
Only when Huang Wuye drew near did he realize that the temple was actually a pavilion—just an enormous one.
The entire Meteor Pavilion was made of a special, deep-purple material, and not a single person stood before it.
It seemed the Meteor Kingdom Lord really did enjoy peace and quiet, Huang Wuye mused.
"Come in!"
Just as Huang Wuye was wondering what to do, a gentle voice reached him. It carried a powerful charm that made him feel an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
Huang Wuye started forward in response, but quickly came to his senses and realized something was wrong. He couldn't help thinking that a being more powerful than a Universe Venerable truly did have a captivating presence in every word and action.
He gathered himself and stepped into the pavilion.
In an instant, space seemed to turn over, and he found himself in another world. It was fresh and tranquil, the fragrance of grass filling the air.
In Huang Wuye's eyes appeared a gentle-looking man dressed in red, with red hair. He seemed at once like a blazing flame and a scorching sun.
Yet his gentle eyes gave him a refined air. He looked to be middle-aged and rather ordinary, but the aura he gave off was extraordinary. Simply sitting there, he was naturally the center of this space, with everything seeming to revolve around him.
"Greetings, Kingdom Lord. This junior, Huang Wuye, pays his respects!"
Huang Wuye dared not be discourteous and hurried forward to greet him. The refined man before him was someone he could only look up to.
The Meteor Kingdom Lord smiled warmly and spoke in an even tone.
"Don't stand on ceremony. Just call me Grandmaster. Your father is quite something, giving me such a fine grand-disciple."
"Yes, Grandmaster!"
Huang Wuye replied. It seemed his new grandmaster was easy to get along with.
If the Meteor Kingdom Lord's friends heard that, they would probably laugh themselves silly. He was only easygoing with his own people.
After Huang Wuye replied, the Meteor Kingdom Lord nodded and said nothing more, simply studying him for a while.
Huang Wuye felt as though he were being seen through, and it made him deeply uncomfortable.
The Meteor Kingdom Lord seemed to notice his unease and spoke.
"Youngster, you've had some good fortune. Your body's life gene level must be fifty times the norm by now, and you have a clone, too. You seem to have a decent chance of staying alive."
He clicked his tongue and continued:
"I watched your videos from the Universe-Level Warrior Tournament. Your comprehension of the laws is quite good, and you're following the path of analyzing the laws. That Huoyu King fellow seems to have taught you well."
He paused, then continued:
"Your body can unleash a hundred times its strength, and your self-created spear technique is respectable. As far as you've come, there's not much to criticize."
A flicker of a smile crossed the Meteor Kingdom Lord's face. He was clearly quite satisfied. But then he changed tack:
"However, right now, you're only a genius. Though you have the foundation to become an Immortal, you're still just at Universe Level. You're far too weak.
"Your foundation is good, but you're still too young, and your understanding of cultivation is too shallow. There are bound to be gaps.
"And while the foundation of your self-created spear technique is decent, it's too rigid. You haven't infused it with your own spirit and will.
"You'll stay here and cultivate until the Universe-Level Warrior Tournament finals. I'll give you some proper guidance."
Huang Wuye was delighted. He understood the Meteor Kingdom Lord's criticism, but hadn't expected such an unexpected boon.
This was personal guidance from the Meteor Kingdom Lord! He had several years ahead of him—it was an immense opportunity.
After all, the stronger someone was, the more precious their time became. Guidance from a Universe Venerable-level powerhouse—or someone even stronger—to a youngster at Universe Level was an opportunity that came once in millions of years.
Seeing the delight on Huang Wuye's face, the Meteor Kingdom Lord smiled as well. He then took out a small, translucent bell and handed it to Huang Wuye.
"This is the Soul-Suppressing Bell, a low-grade supreme treasure. It's a treasure far beyond the level of a King-level Immortal artifact.
"It can guard your soul, greatly improving your chances of survival.
"Ordinary Immortal-level soul masters won't be able to forcibly enslave you."
Looking at the youngster with boundless potential, the Meteor Kingdom Lord decided to give him the Soul-Suppressing Bell.
Huang Wuye stared silently at the Soul-Suppressing Bell in the Meteor Kingdom Lord's hand. He knew what the Meteor Kingdom Lord meant.
But this was a supreme treasure—a soul-type one, no less. It was worth even more than most, and countless King-level Immortals would be green with envy over it.
Though his soul clones couldn't be enslaved, his primary soul could still be at risk.
He could destroy his primary soul and nurture it anew, but sometimes the gap in strength was so great that even self-destruction was just wishful thinking. Besides, his clones were one-use only and couldn't be nurtured again like the Golden Horned Beast's clone.
He could possess another body and create a new clone, but some lifeforms were one of a kind. His Gluttonous Golden Ape clone, for example, was a unique Special Lifeform.
Its value far exceeded that of a supreme treasure. So the Soul-Suppressing Bell was still quite important to him.
The Meteor Kingdom Lord seemed to see Huang Wuye's hesitation and smiled faintly.
"This Soul-Suppressing Bell means little to me. Take it—it's your grandmaster's welcoming gift."
Hearing this, Huang Wuye hesitated no longer and reached out to accept it.
"I cannot refuse a gift from an elder. I'm deeply grateful."
Having made up his mind, Huang Wuye didn't hesitate further. He would repay him someday.
Besides, given the Meteor Kingdom Lord's power, the Soul-Suppressing Bell really was no great loss. He was an ancient Universe Overlord, after all, and his wealth was beyond what the likes of the Ganwu Kingdom Lord, a mere Universe Country Lord, could match.
Seeing Huang Wuye accept the Soul-Suppressing Bell, the Meteor Kingdom Lord smiled and prepared to begin his instruction.
Before you continue