When the words of Venerable Nine Swords fell, many of the geniuses exchanged uneasy glances.
Thirty years of comprehension and cultivation… and lives could still be in danger?
This was supposed to be the safest place in the human race—the core of the Virtual Universe Company and the Initial Universe itself. Yet the implication was unmistakable.
However, Venerable Nine Swords had no intention of elaborating further.
"Third Brother," Thor leaned closer to Jiang Yan and asked in a low voice,
"why does it still sound so dangerous here? Isn't this basically the human race's headquarters?"
Hong and Luo Feng also looked toward Jiang Yan.
Among the four of them, Jiang Yan was the one who seemed to know everything—from cultivation secrets to cosmic rules.
Jiang Yan pondered for a moment before speaking.
"It is dangerous," he said calmly. "But not in the way you're imagining."
Seeing their puzzled expressions, he began to explain.
"There are three great treasures in Chaos City."
"The first treasure is the manifestation of the universe's operational laws."
Chaos City existed within the Initial Universe, a place where the laws of heaven and earth had not yet fully stabilized. Here, the operation of the universe itself was visible and tangible. Cultivators could directly observe how laws intertwined, evolved, and corrected themselves—an unparalleled advantage for understanding the Origin Laws.
"The second treasure is the fifty-two Chaos Monuments."
"These are located within the Chaos City Lord's Mansion. Each Chaos Monument records a unique path of cultivation. Any one of them, if mastered to the extreme, can produce a supreme powerhouse—someone capable of opening a universe kingdom with ease."
Even Luo Feng and Hong couldn't help but feel their hearts stir.
"And the third treasure…"
Jiang Yan paused slightly.
"…is the Chaos True Spirit."
"The Chaos True Spirit is formed when a Chaos Beast is killed. That turquoise point of light is the life essence of a Chaos Beast. Absorbing it allows one's soul to resonate more deeply with cosmic space, greatly enhancing comprehension."
"But that's also where the danger comes from."
"Chaos Beasts are terrifyingly powerful. Every generation of geniuses who hunt them… inevitably suffers casualties."
Silence followed.
"So that's how it is…" Luo Feng murmured, finally understanding.
At that moment, Venerable Nine Swords spoke again.
"After entering Chaos City, obey the reception envoy completely. Every rule he explains must be followed without exception."
As he spoke, the spacecraft gradually came to a halt.
The moment the thousand geniuses stepped out, the strange, fish-shaped spacecraft flicked its tail and vanished into the void.
The moment they set foot outside—
"This place feels incredibly comfortable!"
"Right! It's like the laws themselves are welcoming us!"
"I feel as if cultivating here will be twice as effective!"
Voices rang out continuously as everyone stared ahead.
Before them stood a vast city that stretched endlessly into the distance, its outline barely visible even with enhanced vision.
At that moment—
Whoosh!
A black streak shot out from the city.
In the blink of an eye, a black-robed figure appeared before them.
His voice was deep and solemn.
"I am the Reception Envoy of Chaos City."
His gaze swept across the thousand geniuses before he continued.
"This city is called Chaos City."
"It is the only city in the Initial Universe."
"And it is jointly managed by the five peak forces of the human race."
Instantly, the crowd fell silent.
The five giants of humanity.
The true pillars of the race.
The significance of Chaos City suddenly became even clearer.
"Follow me."
The black-robed envoy rose into the air and flew toward the city.
Jiang Yan and the others followed closely.
As soon as they entered Chaos City, waves of terrifying auras rose from every corner.
Even though these auras were deliberately restrained, the pressure stemming from the sheer difference in life level caused many geniuses to instinctively feel fear.
"So another batch of little fellows has arrived."
"The newest Genius Battle, hm?"
"I heard this one was the strongest in history."
"That one… is that Jiang Yan?"
"The genius said to appear only once in hundreds of millions of years?"
"He's only at the stellar level, yet he's already mastered the seventh level of a divine weapon… monstrous."
Invisible gazes swept over the group.
Most of them lingered on Jiang Yan.
Even Jiang Yan felt uncomfortable under the weight of those glances.
These were existences standing at the pinnacle of the human race. Even a casual look carried oppressive power.
"There are many supreme powerhouses cultivating enlightenment within Chaos City," the reception envoy said coldly.
"Do not disturb them."
"If you interrupt their comprehension of the Origin Laws, you will be immediately expelled from the Initial Universe—and your thirty-year opportunity will end on the spot."
The geniuses nodded vigorously.
Who would dare provoke such beings?
The envoy continued, his tone stern.
"There is another crucial rule."
"In the Initial Universe, killing among the human race is absolutely forbidden."
"Anyone who dares violate this rule will face only one outcome."
"Even a Universe Lord cannot interfere here. Do you understand?"
"Understood!" the crowd replied in unison.
"Additionally," the envoy said, "Chaos City contains many small residences. Doors marked in white have no owner. Place your hand on one, and it will automatically be registered as your temporary dwelling."
He continued explaining the rules.
Half an hour later—
The black-robed envoy led them into a long corridor within the Chaos City Lord's Mansion.
Along both sides of the corridor hung fifty-two enormous paintings.
"These fifty-two images correspond to the fifty-two Chaos Monuments," the envoy said.
"You have half an hour to observe and sense them."
"Afterward, choose the Chaos Monument most suited to you."
The moment his words ended, the geniuses surged forward, eyes blazing with excitement.
"You'd better choose carefully," Jiang Yan reminded Luo Feng and the others.
"Pick the one that truly suits you."
Luo Feng nodded solemnly.
Jiang Yan, however, moved with clear intent.
He stopped before a specific painting and murmured softly:
"So this is the Cosmic Chaos Monument…"
This was the monument he intended to comprehend.
The reason was simple.
He intended to walk the path of dual cultivation of time and space.
The painting depicted a lone figure, back turned to all living beings, a battle sword in hand.
The instant Jiang Yan's gaze fixed upon it—
Boom!
His consciousness plunged into another world.
The sword-bearing figure moved.
Slash after slash.
Each swing carved a sword mark into the void.
As the marks increased, they began to form patterns—then formations—then something even greater.
A peerless divine sword, so powerful that the world itself could not tolerate its existence, began to take shape.
And at the very moment it was about to be completed—
It collapsed.
The sword marks vanished.
The world returned to silence.
Then the figure raised his sword again.
The process repeated.
Jiang Yan's heart shook violently.
"If that final sword were truly condensed…" he thought, awe filling his soul,
"…that would be the true Sword of Chaos."
The path before him was now clear.