"Be honest," Red Kite's cold voice echoed directly in Jiang Yan's mind,
"you did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Her gaze was sharp, her face dangerously close.
When it was just the two of them, she could indulge him a little.
But this?
This was the Virtual Universe headquarters continent.
Countless Immortals, Realm Lords, and even Universe Venerables were moving about openly.
She was a dignified King-level Immortal, feared across the stars.
Did he have no sense of propriety at all?
Kissing me in front of so many people is already pushing it—
and now you still want to push further?
"Ahem…" Jiang Yan coughed lightly and laughed.
"Sorry. Habit."
Red Kite glared at him, fury and embarrassment flashing through her eyes.
Then—
She vanished on the spot.
Not a ripple, not a fluctuation.
Gone as if she had never existed.
"That brat…" her voice echoed faintly in the void,
"…really deserves a beating."
Luo Feng, Thor, and Hong stared at Jiang Yan with complicated expressions.
This guy…
He had already started flirting with Immortal Kings.
The blue-robed staff members nearby were completely dumbfounded, their hearts pounding wildly.
The Rakshasa King wasn't angry?
Not only had she not erupted in fury—she had simply… left?
They didn't dare think further.
They were mere Realm Lords.
To gossip about a King-level Immortal—even in thought—was practically courting death.
"Your Highnesses," the blue-robed man said hurriedly, breaking the silence,
"please follow me."
Jiang Yan nodded calmly.
"Lead the way."
The group entered the massive passageway.
Far away in the void, hidden within layers of spatial folds, a figure wreathed in black flames stood silently, watching Jiang Yan and the others disappear.
His eyes were deep and calm.
This was the Star Prison Demon Lord—
Jiang Yan's teacher.
"For three years… nothing."
He shook his head slightly.
"Such a pity. Not a single big fish took the bait."
Over the past three years, he had remained in the shadows, quietly protecting Jiang Yan. Among the human race, there were certainly powerful figures secretly enslaved by foreign races—but none of them had dared act.
Or perhaps… they simply hadn't found an opportunity.
Either way, this period of silent guardianship had come to an end.
The Star Prison Demon Lord turned and vanished into the void.
Under the guidance of the blue-robed man, Jiang Yan and the others entered a vast oval hall.
The entire structure was formed from transparent materials. Beyond the walls, the true core of the Virtual Universe Company's headquarters unfolded before their eyes.
Immortals streaked past like meteors.
Venerables crossed space with casual steps.
Powerful auras crisscrossed the sky like invisible tides.
This was a continent built entirely upon strength.
A place where the truly powerful gathered.
"Jiang Yan!"
A familiar, cheerful voice rang out.
Ai Chen's eyes lit up as she spotted him. Her twin pink ponytails bounced as she ran forward, throwing herself straight into his arms.
"You're finally here!"
Jiang Yan smiled and gently pinched her soft cheek.
"When did you arrive?"
"About half an hour ago!" she said proudly.
He nodded.
Although all one thousand geniuses came from different regions of human territory—some extremely distant, others relatively close—the pickup ships were carefully coordinated.
Those from farther away traveled faster through the Dark Universe; those closer moved slower.
The result: everyone arrived almost simultaneously.
Inside the hall, Luo Feng, Thor, Rong Jun, and the others looked on without surprise.
Over the past three years in the Virtual Universe, everyone had long known that Ai Chen and Jiang Yan were already together.
"Haha! Great Devil!"
"You're finally here!"
"Madman! Thor! Hong! You made it too!"
"Looks like you were a bit late, Great Demon King!"
Rong Jun, Qian Shui, Wu Ka, Long Yun, and several other geniuses from the Primordial and Taichu regions greeted them enthusiastically.
Jiang Yan and the others smiled and exchanged greetings in return.
Over the past three years, Jiang Yan had often brought Ai Chen to the Public Region, meeting Rong Jun and the others to exchange cultivation insights.
Members of different regions were forbidden from entering each other's territories—only the Public Region allowed free movement.
Most of those meetings had been arranged indirectly through Luo Feng and Hong.
Over time, a natural circle had formed among them.
Jiang Yan had also returned to Galaxy City in the Virtual Universe many times.
Janet and the others had explicitly asked him not to forget Earth.
He never did.
"Jiang Yan."
A calm voice spoke up.
Bo Lan, who had been sitting silently nearby with his usual aloof expression, stood and nodded toward Jiang Yan.
In the Primordial Region, Bo Lan often sought Jiang Yan out to discuss cultivation problems.
But his arrogance remained unchanged.
He greeted Jiang Yan—and no one else.
"Bo Lan," Jiang Yan replied with a smile.
Soon, all one thousand geniuses had gathered.
At that moment, a man in a simple white robe appeared in the hall.
His presence was unremarkable.
Yet the instant he spoke, the entire hall fell silent.
"Follow me."
The next moment, an overwhelming force enveloped everyone.
Before they could react, the one thousand geniuses were lifted into the air and transported elsewhere.
They reappeared inside a strange spacecraft.
Its shape resembled a massive deep-sea creature, streamlined and organic.
Inside stood more than ten Immortals—
And at the center, calmly seated, was Venerable Nine Swords, the host of the Genius Battle.
The moment they entered, an invisible pressure descended.
Most of the geniuses felt their chests tighten.
Their souls trembled.
Even Bo Lan, Luo Feng, and the others felt intense discomfort.
This was not hostility.
It was simply the difference in life level.
Only Jiang Yan stood calmly, his expression unchanged.
"Let's go," Venerable Nine Swords said indifferently.
"To the Initial Universe."
With a deafening boom, the strange spacecraft shot forward and vanished.
Suddenly—
"Stop."
A voice echoed through the void.
"It's me. Open the cosmic channel."
Venerable Nine Swords raised his head slightly.
A roar echoed.
The spacecraft continued forward.
Moments later, pain struck.
"Ugh—!"
Many geniuses turned pale instantly.
Even Bo Lan and Luo Feng felt sharp headaches, as if their consciousness was being twisted.
"What's happening?!"
Venerable Nine Swords glanced around calmly.
"We are passing through the channel between the Original Universe and the Initial Universe."
"The flow of time between the two universes is different. Within the passage, time becomes chaotic, causing temporary discomfort."
As he spoke, his gaze briefly paused on Jiang Yan.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
Soon, the pain faded.
Relief washed over everyone.
"We have entered the Initial Universe."
Venerable Nine Swords smiled faintly.
"Open the ceiling."
The metal roof of the spacecraft slid apart.
Everyone looked up.
Darkness.
Endless, oppressive darkness.
Chaotic currents drifted through space like wounded serpents.
In the distant void, cracks occasionally appeared—then healed—revealing dense, ancient secret patterns.
"The universe, like all things, has a lifespan," Venerable Nine Swords explained.
"The Initial Universe exists in the birth stage of a universe."
"If the Original Universe is a mature adult, then this place…"
"…is an infant."
"The constant cracking and healing you see is the universe perfecting itself. Laws are evolving here, visibly and violently."
He continued calmly:
"In the Original Universe, the laws are too complete—too stable. Their operation is hidden, making comprehension extremely difficult."
"But here, the laws are exposed."
"Which is why cultivation in Chaos City is so effective."
The geniuses listened, stunned.
Venerable Nine Swords finally looked at them seriously.
"Chaos City lies ahead."
"I am your guide."
"I hope that in thirty years…"
"…I can see all of you alive."
The journey into true cosmic cultivation had begun.
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