Chapter 5: Hun Dun Stele

Inside the inner courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion lay a quiet garden; on a stone tablet outside the garden were carved three large characters: 'Hun Dun Xu'!

This courtyard did not appear particularly large, yet within it lay an incomparably vast, boundless space.

Across this boundless land lay countless corpses of various shapes; some were as massive as planets, while others stood less than a meter tall, but without exception, every corpse here radiated a heart-pounding aura, far stronger by countless times than Lord Heifeng, who had previously sent Lu Qingshan and his group to the Initial Universe.

Deep within this endless land, upon a Wang Zuo, sat a burly, towering man roughly three meters tall.

This tall man wore ancient, dark-red battle armor covered in countless law-secret patterns, stepped in war boots, had a scaled tail extending from his back, and on his fierce face, marked with strange secret patterns, grew two fiery red horns.

This was Hun Dun Chengzhu, the true ruler of the Virtual Universe Company, a true supreme powerhouse of the Human Race!

"Hmm?"

Just as Lu Qingshan and the others entered Hun Dun City, Hun Dun Chengzhu was slightly stunned: "There are still those daring to enter the Initial Universe after soul-snatching a Human Race powerhouse?"

"So it is the remnants of the natives of the Yan Ji Continent!"

After probing the detailed situation, Hun Dun Chengzhu suddenly understood: "Since the natives of the Yan Ji Continent were annihilated by the combined might of the four great races within our domain, the hatred between them and our Human Race runs deep! However, their race originally had no such great existence as a Universe Master, and now they likely possess not even a Universe Zifeng Zunzhe; naturally, they cannot know the might of a Universe Master!"

"This little fellow managed to soul-snatch a powerhouse of our Human Race and successfully cultivate to the peak of Boundary Lord; his strength is not bad!"

Hun Dun Chengzhu could not help but sigh: "However, if it is not of our kind, its heart must be different! Very well, go with your race!"

With a mere thought from Hun Dun Chengzhu, a peak Boundary Lord from Lu Qingshan's group instantly vanished, as if he had never appeared.

Neither Lu Qingshan's group nor even the guiding envoy leading them noticed anything.

Afterwards, Hun Dun Chengzhu's gaze turned directly outward: "Master Guiyi!"

The moment Hun Dun Chengzhu finished speaking, a bald man clad in a fiery red battle robe instantly appeared before him.

Suddenly teleported by Hun Dun Chengzhu into this Hun Dun Xu, Zifeng Zunzhe Master Guiyi felt no surprise, for over the long ages, such things had occurred many times.

Since Hun Dun Chengzhu had teleported him here, there must be a matter to instruct him on!

"Master!" The bald man, Zifeng Zunzhe Master Guiyi, immediately bowed respectfully to Hun Dun Chengzhu.

"Among those Boundary Lord-level little fellows who entered the Initial Universe this time, one was soul-snatched by the remnants of the natives of the Yan Ji Continent!"

Hun Dun Chengzhu gave a direct order: "Since this person managed to cultivate to the peak of Boundary Lord and also obtained a place to comprehend the Hun Dun Chengzhu, he must hold some status in his homeland; perhaps he is secretly sheltering some remnants of the Yan Ji Continent natives. Arrange for someone to handle this matter!"

"Remnants of the natives of the Yan Ji Continent?" Zifeng Zunzhe Master Guiyi was slightly stunned.

Back then, to open the Seventh Outer Battlefield, the four peak races had dispatched powerhouses to sweep a vast star region containing the Star Tower; the natives within that star region naturally suffered greatly, and the natives of the Yan Ji Continent were among them.

Zifeng Zunzhe Master Guiyi had been one of the Human Race powerhouses who opened that battlefield back then, and the Yan Ji Continent was one of the regions under his responsibility.

Back then, after slaying several Universe Zifeng Zunzhe on the Yan Ji Continent, he had even obtained several secret-pattern weapons unique to the Yan Ji race; however, those secret-pattern weapons were of no use to him, so besides keeping one to bestow upon a disciple, he sold the rest at high prices to other powerhouses of the Human Race.

Of course, Zifeng Zunzhe Master Guiyi merely recalled briefly before quickly snapping back to his senses, then immediately replied respectfully: "Master, rest assured; this disciple will definitely arrange this matter properly and ensure not a single remnant of the Yan Ji race lurking within our Human Race territory escapes!"

"Hmm!" Hun Dun Chengzhu nodded slightly, then ordered: "You may withdraw."

"Yes, Master." Zifeng Zunzhe Master Guiyi bowed respectfully.

Boom!

The space shifted; Zifeng Zunzhe Master Guiyi's figure instantly vanished from this ruined continent covered in countless corpses.

While Hun Dun Chengzhu was instructing Zifeng Zunzhe Master Guiyi, the black-robed guiding envoy also brought Lu Qingshan and his group to a dreamlike corridor within the City Lord's Mansion.

On both sides of this dreamlike corridor hung paintings that appeared infinitely mysterious.

"What hangs on both sides of this corridor are rubbings of the fifty Hun Dun Steles within Hun Dun City!"

The black-robed guiding envoy pointed to the mysterious paintings around them and introduced to Lu Qingshan and the others: "Although these paintings cannot fully display the profound mysteries contained within the Hun Dun Steles, they can at least let you understand a little in advance!"

"According to the regulations within our Hun Dun City, every cultivator entering the Initial Universe is granted one opportunity to comprehend the Hun Dun Steles; each person may comprehend for seven days!"

"Only seven days?"

"How can it be so short?"

The Boundary Lord-level powerhouses around immediately widened their eyes upon hearing the guiding envoy's words.

After all, wasn't each of them currently training for tens of thousands of years at a time?

A mere seven days was simply insignificant to them!

"Quiet!"

The black-robed envoy frowned slightly, then spoke in a deep voice: "What do you think the Hun Dun Steles are? Let me tell you, even such a great existence as a Universe Country Lord would not exceed seven days each time they comprehend the Hun Dun Steles!"

"What?"

"How is this possible?"

The crowd of Boundary Lord-level powerhouses around instantly erupted!

In their minds, the Universe Country Lord stationed over a vast universe country was already the most top-tier powerhouse within the Human Race!

Even such a powerhouse still needed to comprehend the Hun Dun Steles? And each comprehension session lasted only seven days?

"Hmph!"

The black-robed guiding envoy snorted coldly, then continued: "Now you know how precious an item the Hun Dun Steles are! If you had not come to Hun Dun City, even if you lived out your entire lives, you would never have seen treasures of such a level!"

"Furthermore, although you have obtained one opportunity to comprehend the Hun Dun Steles, if you wish to continue comprehending, besides meeting certain conditions, you must also join the core layers of the five great powers!"

"Among you, some are core members of the five great powers, some are external members, and others simply obtained comprehension places through auctions! Those core members need no further explanation, but the rest of you must think clearly; if you wish to continue comprehending the Hun Dun Steles, you must fully join the five great powers!"

"This..."

Lu Qingshan had not paid much attention to the guiding envoy's earlier words, because as someone familiar with the original work, he understood these situations well, but these recent words left him somewhat surprised.

After all, the difference between external members and core members of the Virtual Universe Company lay in freedom!

Under normal circumstances, the freedom of external members was still very high; they even had the right to refuse missions issued by the Virtual Universe Company!

However, if one became an internal member, one would need to fully obey the orders of the Virtual Universe Company, unless one's strength reached a certain level!

This was the case for the super geniuses within the core layer of the Virtual Universe Company!

With the cultivation speed of those geniuses, many could break through to Immortality even if they stayed in safe places practicing in seclusion.

Yet the various cultivation missions arranged for them by the Virtual Universe Company, even life-and-death trials, they could not refuse!

Of course, these cultivation tasks and life-or-death trials also provide great help in improving their strength!

But for Lu Qingshan, these were of no use at all.

According to Lu Qingshan's own plan, once he successfully became an Immortal, he could simply lie flat.

He would only need to provide some help to Luo Feng before his rise in the future, and his future life would be absolutely secured.

However, if he fully joined the Virtual Universe Company, and the Virtual Universe Company once assigned him some dangerous missions, it was very likely he would encounter fatal danger!

"Forget it, I won't consider so much for now!"

Lu Qingshan thought silently in his heart: "Let's first see how effective my first comprehension of the Chaos Stele is! If I can successfully become an Immortal, there is no need to fully join the Virtual Universe Company!"

And just at this moment, the voice of the Black-Robed Envoy sounded again.

"Next, you will watch these 50 rubbings and then decide which Chaos Stele you want to comprehend!"

The Black-Robed Guide Envoy said in a deep voice: "However, I must remind you that each of you has only one chance; once chosen, it can never be changed."

"Alright, you have only half an hour to choose; begin now!"

After explaining all this, the Black-Robed Guide Envoy quickly walked to one side of the corridor and began to wait quietly.

Half an hour was very tight, and everyone quickly began searching for the Chaos Stele suitable for themselves.

Silence surrounded them; everyone nearby was staring intently at the paintings, feeling the subtle mystery contained within each one.

Lu Qingshan's gaze also quickly swept over every painting on the wall; these paintings were ten meters long and ten meters wide, and next to each painting was the corresponding name of the Chaos Stele.

Among these paintings, some were covered with withered yellow leaves; some were shaped like raindrops; some even depicted chilling blade light...

After more than twenty minutes, Lu Qingshan quickly selected two paintings that were very suitable for himself.

Among them, the painting representing the "Supreme Universe Chaos Stele," upon merely a slight glance, made Lu Qingshan feel a great resonance with his Time Origin Law, which had only just stepped past the threshold of the Laws not long ago!

If a painting containing only a trace of subtle mystery could do this, let alone the true Supreme Universe Chaos Stele!

And the painting representing the "Heavenly Thunder Chaos Stele" was most helpful for Lu Qingshan's comprehension of the Thunder Origin Law, but he felt its effect was inferior to the help the Supreme Universe Chaos Stele provided for the Time Origin Law!

Of course, Lu Qingshan also knew clearly in his heart that this was actually just his own illusion.

The reason he felt the Supreme Universe Chaos Stele was more helpful to him was entirely because his comprehension level of the Time Origin Law was very low; he had only just stepped past the threshold of the Origin Laws not far, and he probably couldn't even pass the first layer of the Bridge to Heaven;

whereas his Thunder Origin Law had long since received the acknowledgment of the Origin Laws, his realm was extremely high, sufficient to pass the ninth layer of the Bridge to Heaven, so when he watched the painting representing the "Heavenly Thunder Chaos Stele," the effect was naturally not so obvious!

"Choosing the Supreme Universe Chaos Stele can indeed make my comprehension of the Time Origin Law advance by leaps and bounds!"

Lu Qingshan thought silently in his heart: "But for me, Currently the most important is still to break through and become an Immortal before the limit of my lifespan arrives! As for the Time Origin Law, I can completely comprehend it slowly after breaking through and becoming an Immortal! Moreover, the Heavenly Thunder Chaos Stele was also created by the super-beings of the Human Race; there will definitely be parts for comprehending the Time Origin Law in the future!"

In fact, this was indeed the case!

Among the 50 Chaos Steles, they could be roughly divided into three situations.

One was like the "Giant Axe Chaos Stele," focusing on comprehending secret techniques, comprehending the Origin Laws while comprehending the secret techniques; another was like the "Supreme Universe Chaos Stele" and the "Nine Universes Chaos Stele," mainly comprehending the Time Origin Law or the Shi Shi Jian Ben Yuan Law; and the last type was like the "Heavenly Thunder Chaos Stele," starting with a lower-level Origin Law and then gradually comprehending higher-level Origin Laws!

If one were a true genius, choosing the first and second types would naturally be very suitable!

But for an ordinary genius like Lu Qingshan, who only received acknowledgment of a lower-level Origin Law after cultivating for millions of years, the "Heavenly Thunder Chaos Stele" was undoubtedly the best choice!

Thank you to reader v Dian Liang Ren Sheng for the 100-point coin donation; thank you to reader Shining Morning Star for the 2000-point coin donation; future updates will try to be released at 6:30 PM; if there are changes, I will try to say so in advance.





(End of this chapter)