Huang Wuye had woken up because he figured the time was drawing near. He had heard plenty about Chaos City in the Initial Universe and had long wanted to see it for himself.
"Boss, the ship's about to warp into the Original Universe."
A voice sounded from a golden figure. It was Dasheng, who had woken up long ago. Seeing that Huang Wuye was awake, he reminded him from nearby.
Huang Wuye nodded. The scenery before him slowly changed, and when the countdown ended, a vast continent appeared before his eyes.
The ship did not block his view. It had activated 100 percent exterior simulation long ago.
As a result, the sight before Huang Wuye was completely undiminished: a continent dozens of light-years in diameter. Since a light-year was a little over nine trillion kilometers, one could imagine just how vast this continent was.
This was none other than the headquarters of the Virtual Universe Company. Its grandeur and imposing presence were unmistakable.
Every living being who saw it for the first time was somewhat shaken, and Huang Wuye was no exception.
But he was not particularly surprised. In this magnificent universe, no wondrous sight could astonish him too much. After all, this was a world where people could seize stars with one hand and reverse life and death through time.
As the ship docked, he rose and slowly stepped out. Several other ships were docking nearby as well—the ones carrying Huang Xue and the others.
At that moment, they emerged from their respective ships, just as Huang Wuye had. When they spotted him, they walked over to greet him.
"Wuye, long time no see!"
A gentle voice rang out. It came from Huang Xue. With the passage of time, the beautiful woman had grown calmer and more composed, gentle as water.
She approached with graceful steps. Every smile and frown of hers gave people a feeling of warmth, and her voice was pleasant to hear.
"Haha, we see each other all the time in the Virtual Universe! Still, Xiaoxue, you've gotten prettier and prettier."
Huang Wuye looked over at the sound of her voice, his eyes lighting up. He promptly replied with an easy laugh.
The other two came over as well, and they exchanged another round of greetings. The others from the Meteor Sacred Land did not interrupt, but stood off to the side and watched them catch up.
Meanwhile, more and more ships gathered around them, and more and more geniuses disembarked. In the blink of an eye, the area was packed.
"Looks like the Virtual Universe Company made its arrangements pretty precisely."
Watching the people around them, Huang Hu took a swig of wine and let out a sigh.
"Isn't this because we're going to Chaos City in the Initial Universe? I've heard this opportunity is incredibly precious."
Ye Wuhen chimed in from the side. Clearly, he had done his homework about going to Chaos City.
Huang Wuye listened with a smile at the corner of his mouth, but did not join in. He seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere.
No one around them disturbed them. Everyone was gathering in small groups. The geniuses had grown familiar with one another over the years and were hardly strangers. Unless there was a reason, they generally had no cause for conflict.
It was a thankless business, and anyone with a functioning brain generally did not cause trouble for no reason.
As a result, Huang Wuye's boundless power had nowhere to be unleashed. He had also realized that he was a rather inconspicuous protagonist.
Just as the geniuses were reminiscing, the void rippled. A massive object suddenly appeared: first a huge fish head, then its body, and finally its tail. It was a bizarre-looking fish-like creature.
But it was, in fact, a spacecraft. The strange fish opened its mouth, revealing a figure within. It was Venerable Nanke, whom they had not seen for a long time.
He strode forward with great vigor, and in the blink of an eye his figure had grown enormous. Once everyone had noticed him, he spoke in a soft voice that nevertheless seemed to ring beside each person's ears.
"Little fellows, long time no see. Board the ship right away. I'll lead you to Chaos City in the Initial Universe. This is a great opportunity for your strength to improve by leaps and bounds. Treasure it."
After Venerable Nanke finished speaking, he did not wait for a reply. He simply returned to the ship.
"That should be a ship refitted from a Metal Lifeform. What a lavish undertaking. It must be Venerable Nanke's personal vessel!"
Ye Wuhen gazed at the ship, his eyes shining.
"Stop staring. If we grow strong enough, we'll have one too. Let's get on board first."
Huang Wuye patted Ye Wuhen and left him with those words before heading toward the ship. Huang Xue and Huang Hu followed close behind, leaving Ye Wuhen standing there in a daze.
He murmured to himself, a flame burning in his eyes.
"We'll have one too?"
"Wait for me!"
Watching the others leave, he shouted and hurried after them.
The interior of the strange fish ship was extremely luxurious, and attendants were on hand to receive the geniuses.
More than ten Immortal Gods were also waiting inside, ready to explain the things they needed to know.
Once everyone had boarded, the strange fish flicked its tail and instantly merged into the void, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Before long, everyone felt time lurch out of joint, leaving them somewhat dazed.
"We're in the passage between the Primal Universe and the Initial Universe. Time flows at different rates on the two sides, so things may feel a little strange. Don't worry."
Seeing the Universe Level geniuses grow somewhat flustered, an Immortal God nearby explained.
"The time ratio between the Initial Universe and the Primal Universe is 1:3.28. You'll need to adjust to the difference. You'll be staying in the Initial Universe for thirty years."
A flame-wreathed god added from the side. His eyes were full of envy as he watched the geniuses. He hadn't received this kind of treatment back in his day.
The disturbance did not last long. It soon ended, and then a voice boomed through the void like thunder, filling the hearts of the geniuses with a biting chill.
"Stop there. Chaos City lies ahead. No unauthorized entry."
"This is Venerable Nanke. I'm bringing the geniuses selected through the Universe-Level Warrior Tournament to cultivate in Chaos City."
Venerable Nanke's voice rang out, dispelling the chill around them.
"So it's Nanke. Has this year's selection of geniuses finished? I'll let you through right away."
The ship quickly pressed onward, then came to a stop before long.
The strange fish ship opened its mouth, and the Universe Level geniuses streamed out, flying into the air.
Huang Wuye felt incredibly comfortable, as if a fish had returned to the sea. A feeling of freedom surged within him.
"Everyone, please follow me."
A staff member's voice sounded. Clearly, he was responsible for receiving the geniuses.
"Greetings, everyone. I'm the Reception Envoy responsible for your arrangements in Chaos City. This is Chaos City."
The Reception Envoy first introduced himself, then pointed to the ancient city below and began explaining.
Following the direction of his finger, a huge city came into view before Huang Wuye. An ancient, weighty aura radiated from it.
At the Reception Envoy's summons, Huang Wuye and the others descended into Chaos City. Around them stood rows of small buildings that seemed to carry the weight of time, with mysterious markings occasionally appearing across their surfaces.
As he listened to the Reception Envoy explain the rules, Huang Wuye surveyed the broad streets around them. He could sense faint, hidden gazes falling upon them from all around.
He had hoped someone would put on a show by starting a fight in Chaos City. Unfortunately, no one did. It made him feel that, sure enough, he wasn't the protagonist—he didn't even get that kind of treatment.
Gradually, the Reception Envoy finished introducing Chaos City's three treasures: the laws governing the universe, visible to the naked eye in the Initial Universe; the Chaos Stele; and the Chaos True Spirit, which could improve one's soul and comprehension.
At this point, Huang Wuye and the others arrived before a mansion. Three large characters were inscribed above its entrance: City Lord Mansion.
The purpose of their visit was the Chaos Stele inside the City Lord Mansion.
Each of them had one chance to comprehend a Chaos Stele. Their first task was to choose the one best suited to them from among the 52 Chaos Tablets.
Before you continue