Chaos Stele

Chaos Venerable abruptly changed the subject, his galaxy-like eyes narrowing slightly.

"Your talent is indeed impressive, but there are others in the Human Race whose talent surpasses yours. I have seen too many extraordinary geniuses, and quite a few of them were no weaker than you at the World Lord stage."

Fang Yan held his breath.

"But what you said at the end did surprise me somewhat."

As Chaos Venerable spoke, the corner of his mouth seemed to lift in a faint curve, so slight that Fang Yan almost thought he had imagined it.

"'Not a demonic path, but the righteous path. I shall seek blessings for the Human Race of the universe, disregarding my own status and life, and emulate Flame Ruins King by dedicating my life to the prosperity of the Human Race.'"

Chaos Venerable repeated Fang Yan's words without missing a single word.

Fang Yan's toes practically clawed out a Sky Pillar Peak in the floor of the Virtual Universe.

It was over.

He had only wanted to make a joke, show off a little wit, and snag a Hong Alliance spot while he was at it.

Who knew Nine Universe King had not only recorded it, but had actually shown it to Chaos Venerable!

"Um... Venerable, at the time, this junior..."

"No need to explain."

Chaos Venerable raised a hand to cut him off, and a rare hint of warmth appeared on his dignified face.

"It is a good thing for young people to have lofty ambitions. Fang Yan, I have seen your talent, and I have seen your character as well. What the Human Race needs is not merely powerful experts, but powerful experts with responsibility and breadth of mind."

Chaos Venerable paused, his gaze falling upon Fang Yan as his tone grew more solemn.

"I ask you this: are you willing to become my disciple?"

Boom—

Fang Yan's mind completely crashed at that moment.

Become Chaos Venerable's disciple.

Who was Chaos Venerable?

He was the true pillar of the Human Race's future, the helmsman of the Virtual Universe Company, and an ultimate existence who would preside over Chaos City for endless eras.

In Fang Yan's memories, every disciple of Chaos City Leader was a top expert of the Human Race. Pick out any one of them, and they would be an existence capable of striding unhindered through the universe.

And now, this future ultimate expert wanted to take him as a disciple?

Fang Yan's heart pounded wildly. For a moment, the word "yes" nearly escaped his lips.

But he held it back.

Because a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

What kind of person was Fang Yan?

He was someone who had spent so many years in the Gu World, outwardly righteous and dignified while inwardly full of bad intentions. It was fine to put on an act and shout a few lines about "dedicating himself to the Human Race," but if he truly had to follow Chaos Venerable around every day as a proper disciple, his character would be exposed completely within three days.

What if Chaos Venerable really asked him to shed blood and sacrifice his life for the Human Race?

His life obviously mattered more!

The scene of being beaten into meatballs was still vivid in his mind.

If Chaos Venerable discovered that he had taken in a disciple whose mouth spewed nothing but nonsense, then that scene...

Just thinking about it made Fang Yan's scalp tingle.

"This junior..."

Fang Yan took a deep breath and slowly knelt.

Chaos Venerable watched him, waiting for his answer.

"This junior boldly asks to decline becoming the Venerable's disciple."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Chaos Venerable's expression did not change, but a trace of surprise appeared in his flame-like eyes.

"Why?"

Fang Yan raised his head and looked directly at Chaos Venerable, making a decision that he would be grateful for throughout the endless years to come.

"Venerable, Fang Yan's words were not perfunctory. This junior truly wishes to contribute to the Human Race, but perhaps my way differs somewhat from what the Venerable has in mind."

Chaos Venerable said nothing and merely watched him in silence.

Fang Yan steadied himself and continued.

"This junior cultivates both the Law of Wind and the Time Law. No one in the Human Race has ever walked this path. Wind is the breath of all things, and time is the order of all things. In the fusion of wind and time, this junior has vaguely touched upon a possibility."

"What possibility?" Chaos Venerable finally spoke.

"The Beast God Path!"

Fang Yan's tone became a little more sincere, because he truly was not lying.

"If Wind-Time Fusion can be carried to its end, perhaps an entirely new great path can be opened."

He paused, then spoke solemnly.

"Venerable, the Human Race currently has Dragon Walker Lord and Source, two Universe Lords, holding the line, as well as King-level experts such as Nine Universe King charging into battle. But this junior has always felt that a race's strength cannot rely solely on stacking top-tier combat power.

"It also needs generation after generation of geniuses to rise, and it needs different cultivation paths to offer us more possibilities."

"What this junior wishes to walk is a path that no one has walked before.

"To carve out a cultivation path of Wind-Time Fusion for the Human Race. Even if that path is covered in thorns, even if this junior ultimately falls upon it, at least I can tell those who come after—this path leads nowhere!"

The hall fell silent once more.

Chaos Venerable looked at Fang Yan, his gaze turning profound.

After a long while.

"Wind-Time Fusion."

Chaos Venerable softly repeated those four words, and an exceptionally complex light suddenly flickered in his flame-like eyes.

It was not anger, nor disappointment, but rather... contemplation.

Chaos Venerable slowly paced several steps, his battle boots producing dull echoes against the floor of the virtual hall.

"Fang Yan, do you know why I was willing to take you as my disciple?"

Fang Yan shook his head.

"Over these endless years, I have seen countless geniuses, including no shortage of astonishingly gifted individuals.

"But the goal of most geniuses is only one: to become stronger. To become a King, a Universe Venerable, a Universe Lord, or even reach a higher realm. There is nothing wrong with that. The path of cultivation has always been like rowing upstream."

Chaos Venerable stopped and turned around.

"But you are different. Even at the World Lord stage, you were already thinking of opening a path for the Human Race, of giving those who come after you another road to walk. This is not empty talk. It is the reason you chose to give up becoming my disciple."

Fang Yan's heart skipped a beat.

No, Venerable, you had misunderstood this rather deeply...

But he did not dare explain. He could only maintain an expression that said, Who else but me?

"If the path of Wind-Time Fusion can truly be opened, its value will be no less than that of a top-tier treasure."

Chaos Venerable said in a deep voice.

"I could forcefully take you as my disciple, but that might instead bind your path. Since you possess such resolve, then I shall fulfill your wish."

Fang Yan was overjoyed inwardly, though outwardly he merely gave a solemn salute.

"Thank you, Venerable, for granting this junior's wish."

"Do not thank me just yet."

Chaos Venerable waved his hand, and an unusual light suddenly flashed through his eyes.

"You just said that the Human Race cannot rely solely on top-tier combat power, and that it needs different cultivation paths to provide more possibilities for those who come after. Those words reminded me of something."

Fang Yan raised his head, not understanding.

"Over these endless years, I have collected countless cultivation methods and insights into laws. From ordinary Immortals to Peak King-level experts, from the eight Beast God Paths to fusion paths of every obscure law, there are no fewer than a trillion in total."

Chaos Venerable's voice lowered, as though he were speaking to himself.

"These insights and methods lie scattered in disorder within my treasury. Other than my occasional perusal, they hold almost no value.

"But what if... these insights were inscribed upon stone steles, categorized by type, so that all geniuses of the Human Race could come and comprehend them?"

Fang Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Chaos Steles!