Chapter 94: Contemplating the Chaos Stele

The strange airship that resembled a deep‑blue giant fish darted swiftly through the spatial route, and the chaotic flow of time and space made all one thousand geniuses feel extremely uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the feeling comes quickly and goes just as fast.

After about five or six minutes, the discomfort gradually faded.

"We have already entered the Initial Universe. Remember, after we enter Chaos City later, first listen to the Reception Envoy's explanation of Chaos City's rules!"

The Nine Swords Exalted One in a Zilin blue robe calmly instructed.

The deep‑blue fish continued its flight, and only after delivering the one thousand geniuses to the sole ancient city in the Initial Universe did it turn and depart.

The group of geniuses surveyed their surroundings, all their faces showing admiration.

"Is this the Initial Universe? How marvelous—just staying here feels so comfortable, the whole soul relaxes!"

"Look at those spatial rifts in the sky; the strange sigils within are the manifestation of the Initial Universe's operating laws. Studying these sigils will surely accelerate our Law Perception!"

"Incredible, just incredible!"

Zhou Yang among the crowd also gasped in amazement.

Staring at the massive spatial rifts in the sky and the constantly interlacing strange sigils within them, he seemed to witness a realm of Heaven and Earth being forged and transformed, countless bizarre insights erupting instantly, almost plunging him into a state of sudden enlightenment on the spot!

"Hah!"

A streak of light shot forward, taking the shape of a man in a black robe.

"I am the Reception Envoy of Chaos City; everyone follow me, and I will introduce you to the basic situation of Chaos City."

"In Chaos City you may each choose an uninhabited courtyard to reside in; no one may disturb others' Law Perception."

"Chaos City has three treasures."

The black‑robed Reception Envoy led the thousand geniuses along the roads of Chaos City, continuously reciting the city's rules.

Before long, they arrived at a fantastically dreamlike entrance to a corridor in the City Lord's Mansion.

The walls on both sides of the corridor hung massive paintings.

"The corridor walls display fifty‑two engraved paintings, each corresponding to a Chaos Monument. First, view these paintings; although they cannot convey the full aura of the Chaos Monument, they can let you barely sense it. Look at these fifty‑two paintings... then decide which Chaos Monument to choose."

The black‑robed envoy said.

"Chaos Monument!"

"This is one of Chaos City's three treasures—the Chaos Monument!"

Including Zhou Yang, each genius was exhilarated.

Along the way, they had already heard the black‑robed envoy describe the marvels of this Chaos Monument.

"Yangzi, let's go see it too!"

Luo Feng called out casually.

"Let's go!"

Zhou Yang nodded and followed Luo Feng's steps into the corridor.

The fifty‑two giant paintings on both sides of the corridor each measured a standard ten meters in length and width.

The lines in the paintings varied: some depicted hazy raindrops, others traced strange knife marks.

Yet without exception, beneath these seemingly simple lines lay infinite intricacies of the laws.

Zhou Yang scanned the giant paintings one by one, and almost every picture gave him a tremendous shock.

"Which Chaos Monument should I choose?"

He moved his steps and arrived before a new painting.

The painting depicted an ancient towering tree, its leaves already withered and countless leaves shedding.

On the branches, in mid‑air, and on the ground, leaf after leaf fluttered continuously.

The fluttering leaves resembled soldiers, scattered to form numerous battle formations.

The immensely intricate formation: a hundred leaves made a complex small array; adding just one more leaf created an even more convoluted and profound array!

And the leaves in this painting number at least ten thousand; when combined, the derived formation is absurdly complex, bordering on the pathological!

The moment he saw this painting, Zhou Yang couldn't help but become immersed in it!

"The Maternal Ancestor Chaos Stele contains the fundamental mysteries of the two primal laws—Wood and Void—and the method of endless transformation!"

Reading the description beside the painting, an idea gradually formed in his mind.

Nevertheless, he still persisted in reviewing all fifty‑two paintings.

Among them, at least three or four paintings moved him more, but none reached the level of the 'Maternal Ancestor Chaos Stele.'

"I choose the 'Maternal Ancestor Chaos Stele'!"

When the black‑robed Reception Envoy tallied the choices, he said his selection without hesitation.

"Your choices have been recorded; now follow me."

After the black‑robed Reception Envoy finished counting everyone's choices, he led them to a very spacious training ground.

"Now, the fifty‑two Chaos Monuments' contemplation secret chambers: twelve have occupants, the other forty are empty."

The black‑robed envoy looked at the crowd and said, "Now, I will announce the names of those forty Chaos Monuments: Yanshan Chaos Monument, Maternal Ancestor Chaos Stele."

"Those who chose these forty Chaos Monuments may now go to contemplate; I will lead you there first, while the others wait on the spot."

A moment later, six young geniuses, including Zhou Yang, were brought before a massive bronze gate.

In front of the bronze gate stood a benevolent three‑eyed elder smiling.

"Lord Kandeli!"

The six of Zhou Yang followed the Reception Envoy in a salute.

"Hmm."

The three‑eyed elder smiled at the crowd, his gaze lingering briefly on Zhou Yang.

"The secret chambers are empty now; you may enter!"

Boom—~~~

The bronze gate slowly opened, and in the Secret Chamber beyond, vast swaths of Chaos Airflow continuously swirled.

Zhou Yang and the others quickly entered the Secret Chamber.

In the center of the chamber, a colossal stone monument standing about a hundred meters tall and nearly a hundred meters wide rose up, with streams of Chaos Airflow winding and spreading over it.

Engraved on the stone monument were nine massive pictures.

The first picture was a simple falling leaf scene: nine withered yellow leaves drifting slowly in mid‑air!

The second picture was a flying leaf scene, with thirty‑six leaves seemingly stirred by the wind, gently fluttering to form an enigmatic pattern.

The third picture was a soaring leaf scene, with as many as 108 withered yellow leaves swirling across the sky, presenting an exceedingly intricate mysterious ambience.

The ninth picture depicted an immensely towering ancient tree that seemed to pierce the heavens, with countless leaves swirling around it, its content obscure and convoluted to a grotesque degree.

Among the nine pictures, the first two moved Zhou Yang the most.

At a single glance, countless insights instantly surfaced in his mind.

As for the remaining seven pictures, that does not mean they are not powerful.

On the contrary, because the profound mysteries they contain are far beyond Zhou Yang's current comprehension, they seem to evoke no feeling at all.

"The chance of the Chaos Monument is too rare; we must give it our all!"

Zhou Yang sat cross‑legged before the Chaos Monument.

When his intention shifted, half of the consciousness he had dispersed into the Meteor Tear Space to practice the 'Three Souls Nine Refinement' seal instantly returned.

"Boom~"

At the moment the consciousness returned, his Consciousness Sea seemed to surge with towering waves.

The raging Spiritual Thought Power surged wildly, striking the towering three‑tiered pagoda within his Consciousness Sea, causing it to tremble continuously.

During the three years of the journey, he constantly allocated half of his consciousness to practice the 'Three Souls Nine Refinement' method.

Each time he cultivated, his total Spiritual Power and its intensity increased slightly.

Over the three years, he operated this seal more than ten thousand times.

Now, he can barely form 105 seals, and his Spiritual Power has skyrocketed to an exaggerated level.

In his perception, his current Spiritual Power's quantity and quality exceed his own three years ago by at least five or six times!

When such overwhelming Spiritual Energy is wholly devoted to comprehending the Chaos Monument, the efficiency can only be described as "inhuman"!

When he looked again at the first picture on the Chaos Monument, the nine withered leaves in the illustration seemed to stir.

One by one, the leaves fluttered and fell, their paths constantly shifting.

Each positional change appeared to present a new artistic conception.

Various differing conceptions continuously interwove and evolved, gradually forming a more complex whole.

Zhou Yang and six others were immersed in their insight of the Chaos Monument, not noticing the passage of time at all.

Suddenly—

"Everyone, come out!"

A voice poured directly into the six people's minds, echoing within them.

Zhou Yang and the others were instantly startled and rushed out of the Secret Chamber.

"It's over already, that was too fast; we all felt like we just entered!"

"That feeling was so pleasant; if only we could keep contemplating forever!"

A few geniuses were reluctant to leave.

Even Zhou Yang looked as if his curiosity was still unfulfilled.

Seeing their expressions, Lord Kandeli gave a slight smile.

"Want to continue contemplating the Chaos Monument? Then hurry and challenge the Tongtian Bridge!"

(End of Chapter)