Chaos Venerable

Heaven have mercy, he had only wanted to show off and conveniently secure a spot in the Hong Alliance!

How had he become the pride of the Fang Family in the blink of an eye?

On the plaza, the Fang Family disciples' gazes grew even more fervent.

Several elders whispered among themselves, their discussion unclear, but every one of them looked at Fang Yan with an indescribably complicated expression.

It was the gratification of seeing one's own child suddenly grow up.

"Ancestor, actually, I..."

"No need to say more."

Flame Ruins King interrupted him, his smile becoming increasingly benevolent.

"I understand now why you endured in silence for those two hundred years. You were accumulating strength, waiting for the right moment—like a fierce tiger lying low upon a mountain ridge, silent until it shocked the world with a single roar."

Fang Yan: "..."

He had really only wanted to laze around.

Nine Universes King applauded from the side and laughed.

"Brother Flame Ruins, this junior of yours has limitless prospects."

Crimson Flame King walked straight up to Fang Yan and handed him a crimson fire crystal.

"Kid, this is my token. Since you have such spirit, come find me if you run into trouble in the future. I can't promise much else, but if anyone dares bully you, I'll be the first to go beat him up with you!"

Fang Yan woodenly accepted the fire crystal, then woodenly gave a salute.

"Thank you, Senior."

Nine Universes King looked up at the position of Xingkong and said loudly.

"Brother Flame Ruins, now that business is concluded, we shall take our leave."

Flame Ruins King nodded and exchanged cupped-hand salutes with Nine Universes King and Crimson Flame King in farewell.

Before leaving, Nine Universes King looked back at Fang Yan and said meaningfully.

"Kid, there is news from Chaos Venerable. I'll notify you."

Fang Yan's heart skipped a beat. Just as he wanted to ask more, Nine Universes King had already transformed into a streak of silver light, piercing through the dome of Flame Ruins Palace and vanishing into the endless Xingkong.

Crimson Flame King followed right behind him, not forgetting to wave his fist at Fang Yan before leaving.

The outside of the hall became quiet once more.

Flame Ruins King turned around and looked at Fang Yan, his eyes full of affection.

"Yan'er, come with me."

He reached out and took Fang Yan by the arm. The two of them teleported away once more, leaving behind a group of Fang Family disciples still buzzing with discussion on the plaza.

At the summit of Sky Pillar Peak, the two moons still shone upon each other.

"Cultivate diligently. From today onward, your reputation as the Six-Wing World Lord has officially spread."

Fang Yan froze for a moment, then coughed awkwardly twice.

"Cough, Ancestor, um... I'll go back and cultivate the laws first."

Fang Yan fled into the cultivation chamber atop Sky Pillar Peak, with Flame Ruins King's hearty laughter ringing behind him.

Another hundred years passed in Youyou's leisurely flow.

When Fang Yan opened his eyes, the cyan glow at the bottom of them had completely withdrawn. In its place was an extremely faint, empty hue, as though an unceasing storm lay hidden in the depths of his pupils.

His comprehension of the Law of Wind had reached ninety-nine percent.

Only a trace remained before completion.

"This is faster than I anticipated."

Fang Yan muttered to himself and drew a line through the void with his hand.

Where his fingertips passed, invisible wind blades sliced open a hair-thin crack in space. The edges of the crack were smooth and even, refusing to heal for a long time.

"Almost there."

Fang Yan stood and walked out of the cultivation chamber.

The scenery atop Sky Pillar Peak was unchanged from a hundred years ago: two moons, crimson earth, and a vast, desolate grandeur stretching as far as the eye could see.

Fang Yan looked up at the sky.

"Next comes the breakthrough to immortality. Once the Origin Core transforms into a Divine Kingdom and the Spring Autumn Cicada clone enters immortality as well, I'll truly have a foundation to stand on."

He took a deep breath and was just about to send a message to his ancestor when the space before him suddenly split open with a silver fissure.

A silver figure stepped out of the fissure and landed atop Sky Pillar Peak.

It was Nine Universes King.

The refined and composed king-level powerhouse from a century ago now wore an unmistakably solemn expression.

"Senior Nine Universes?"

Fang Yan was startled.

Nine Universes King drew a deep breath, calmed himself, then fixed Fang Yan with blazing eyes.

"There is news from Chaos Venerable."

Fang Yan's heart tightened.

Nine Universes King looked at him and spoke one word at a time.

"His Venerable Lord watched the recording of your battle with Ice Qiong King and heard what you said at the end."

Fang Yan swallowed.

"What... did His Venerable Lord say?"

Nine Universes King did not answer directly. He merely played a video.

"Fang Yan, come see me."

A burly man wearing ancient dark-red battle armor, combat boots, and a scaled tail trailing beneath his battle skirt spoke calmly. A pair of fiery red horns grew from his head.

At that moment, Nine Universes King handed over a Virtual Universe Sensor.

Fang Yan's hand trembled slightly. With it, even though he did not yet possess Yuan's top-tier tenth-level secret technique, he could log into a Virtual Universe account within humanity's territory and enter the Virtual Universe.

Fang Yan fastened the Virtual Universe Sensor around his wrist and sank his consciousness into it.

The scene before his eyes exploded in an instant, as though an invisible hand had spread the star map of the entire universe before him.

Countless stars glittered in the darkness, streams of light weaving between them into a vast net that covered all of humanity's territory.

Fang Yan's consciousness was drawn by a gentle yet irresistible force, speeding along a predetermined path.

The next moment, he stood within a great hall.

The hall's dome was immensely high. Looking up, he could almost not see its end; only a haze of Chaos-colored mist churned and flowed overhead.

At the very center of the hall, a burly figure stood with his hands behind his back.

The man wore ancient dark-red battle armor and combat boots, while the scaled tail hanging beneath his battle skirt swayed lightly.

A pair of fiery red horns rose from his head. Faint golden patterns flowed over their surface, and each flicker of those patterns stirred subtle tremors in the surrounding space.

Chaos Venerable!

With only one glance, Fang Yan felt his soul tremble.

Even if it was only a projection within the Virtual Universe, an existence at the level of a universe overlord was enough to make any World Lord feel suffocated.

Fang Yan respectfully saluted him.

"This junior, Fang Yan, pays respects to Your Venerable Lord."

Chaos Venerable turned around.

His features were rugged and imposing. His eyes were flame-red, and within his pupils, one could vaguely see Chaos mist churning.

There was little expression on that face, but with that single look, Fang Yan felt as though he had been thoroughly seen through, inside and out.

"Rise."

Chaos Venerable's voice was low and sonorous. Every word struck Fang Yan's heart like a meteorite.

Fang Yan rose as instructed, doing his utmost to keep his breathing steady.

Chaos Venerable said nothing, merely watching Fang Yan in silence.

That gaze was calm and profound, revealing no emotional fluctuation, yet it was more oppressive than any scrutiny.

Fang Yan felt sweat forming on his back.

The sweat in the Virtual Universe was naturally not real, but the sensation of having needles prick his back was incomparably real.

After an unknown amount of time, Chaos Venerable finally spoke.

"I watched your battle with Ice Qiong King."

Fang Yan's heart tightened.

"Ninth-level World Lord, ninety-percent comprehension of the Law of Wind, having touched the threshold of time stop in the Law of Time, and possessing a flight treasure at the level of an ordinary heavy treasure."

Chaos Venerable's voice was unhurried, yet every sentence was precise enough to make one shudder.

"In two hundred years, you went from an ordinary World Lord to this point. Nine Universes says you are a genius, but I think he did not say enough."