Swallowing the Stars: Starting with the Battle of Geniuses.

Chapter 84 Taking the Wrong Path! Old Fan Nine Swords Venerable

There was no choice back then.

The simulated human relentlessly clung to the Nine Universe Chaos Stele.

But now that the Cosmic Chaos Monument has been chosen, and the laws of space have also reached their bottleneck...

"The difficulty of psychological suggestion has been greatly reduced! Hehehe, simulator, now you have no choice but to master the laws of time!"

Choosing a path that runs parallel to time and space before entering Chaos City and selecting the Chaos Stele was a last resort.

Hunzhen had no particular obsession with whether time or space came first.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that he's as flexible in this regard as he is in terms of his moral bottom line.

Whoever profits the most will be taken care of first.

Previously, combining time and space had the fastest and greatest effect on improving strength, so let's go with combining time and space.

Now that we have a huge advantage in the laws of time, we naturally choose a route that prioritizes time and uses space as a secondary element.

He didn't feel at all that the time he had spent on the path of combining time and space had been wasted.

Once the later possession plan is successful and the spatial talent improves, we can reverse the process and focus on combining time and space.

There's no need to be as stubborn as Berlan.

As Hunzhen became more proficient in using the simulation system, he developed more and more strategies, and the manipulability of the simulator increased significantly.

If the laws of space are still in a period of steady improvement, it would be quite difficult to change the cultivation progress of a simulated person through suggestion.

It's highly likely that within a few years, the simulators will automatically correct themselves back to the main space route, forcing the real-world beings to embark on the path of "space-time integration".

But now, with the right timing, location, and people, the problem has been easily solved without him having to worry much.

Because the efficiency of spatial comprehension is reduced, it is difficult to determine in the short term whether comprehension time or space is more beneficial. With a little hint or interference, the simulator can be made to focus on comprehension time.

As for subordinate rules?

Haha, they've already chosen the Cosmic Chaos Monument. In such a great environment as Chaos City, even the most stubborn Simulator wouldn't try to comprehend lower-level laws at this time!

Thinking of this, Hunzhen felt a surge of joy.

All the hardships and joys he had experienced in his previous battles of wits with the simulated humans had transformed into a warm spring breeze blowing through his heart.

"Um?"

Hunzhen opened his communicator and saw that he had received a mass email from Baffin, which immediately made him happy.

"This guy really is just like the original description; he's got nothing better to do than stir up trouble, huh?"

Let's take a quick look at the email content.

"Luo Feng actually passed the first level of the Bridge to Heaven on his first try this time?"

Hunzhen raised an eyebrow: "Is this the result of my interference? Yes, Luo Feng was not far from passing the first level of the Tongtian Bridge. His early exposure to the most suitable 'Blood Flowing' manual, followed by three years of study and comprehension of the Nine Universe Chaos Stele, makes such a change quite reasonable."

After thinking it over, Hunzhen immediately turned off the communicator.

Exit of Jiuyutongtian Bridge.

"call."

Luo Feng breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Fortunately, if I hadn't studied the Nine Universe Chaos Stele before coming here, I might not have been able to pass this test."

Recalling the scene of being instantly killed by the second level guardian, Luo Feng had another thought.

"If the first level is this difficult, I really don't know how Bolan got through the third level, let alone the fourth level of Hunzhen."

"When you see the gap, you can't be complacent because of your previous small achievements; you still need to work hard."

The fact that Luo Feng, a member of the Primordial Secret Realm, broke through to the first level of the Heavenly Bridge shocked countless people.

Not long after, news came that Rong Jun had passed the first level of the Tongtian Bridge.

Virtual universe, within the original area of ​​Yuxiang Mountain.

boom!

The giant battle axe in Longyun's hand, who was practicing combat techniques in the training area, fell to the ground.

His face was full of disbelief.

"Two! Two members of the Primordial Realm!"

"How long has it been!?"

"Why are they both improving so fast!?"

The other two members of the original secret realm were one thing, but no matter how confident and arrogant Longyun was, she never thought she could catch up in a short period of time.

How could someone who was a member of the Primordial Secret Realm be surpassed by members of the Primordial Secret Realm one after another?

I recall the pleasant chats I had with Luo Feng and the others during my free time over the past three years.

He had to admit that he had once felt a sense of superiority.

This sense of superiority has now been completely shattered.

Resentment and even humiliation then arose.

"No, I, Longyun, am absolutely no less than anyone else!"

Longyun's eyes were bloodshot and his gaze was almost bursting with rage. He let out a low growl like a wild beast.

"call--"

Longyun took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure.

The dark and negative emotions were quickly swept away by Longyun. He turned his grief and indignation into motivation and once again immersed himself in cultivation.

But not long after...

News spread that the King of Yuanchen Kingdom had appeared and taken Rong Jun as his disciple.

……

"Lord of the Universe!?"

Inside the training grounds of the virtual universe, Luo Feng was stunned upon hearing the news about Uka.

"How is that possible?"

Luo Feng could hardly believe it: "Even Bolan, and even Hunzhen, haven't had the Lord of the Universe personally accept them as disciples!"

"Yeah, I don't believe it either."

Uka also shook his head, recounting how unbelievable it was that the Lord of the Universe had accepted a disciple.

However, he asserted with absolute certainty that his source was absolutely accurate.

When Uka, in a cryptic "I'm only telling you this" manner, told Luo Feng that two cosmic rulers had simultaneously expressed their intention to take Rong Jun as their disciple, Luo Feng could only remain silent.

"Amazing, truly amazing."

Luo Feng recalled what the guardian Bafen had said yesterday and sighed, "Even Hunzhen, who had passed the fourth level of the Tongtian Bridge, did not have a cosmic king come to accept him as a disciple, but Rong Jun, who passed the first level, had two cosmic kings fighting over him."

Rong Jun's experience felt like a windfall to him.

"What!?"

Uka's expression changed: "You mean Hunzhen has passed the fourth level?"

Luo Feng was stunned. He thought Baffin had told everyone, but it turned out he had only told him... and Berlan?

Luo Feng suddenly recalled Berlan's expression, a realization flashed through his mind, and he immediately chuckled: "This Baffin."

The shock of hearing Uka's news lessened considerably.

He looked at the shaken Uka and nodded: "That's right, I heard it from the guard, Baffin. Berlan was there too."

"Was Berlan there too?"

Uka imagined the scene and immediately burst out laughing: "What was his expression then?"

Luo Feng rolled his eyes, but still recounted what had happened.

After some back and forth, the two finally got back to the main topic.

"Is there anything special about the fourth level of the Sky Bridge?" Luo Feng asked.

Uka immediately informed Luo Feng of the dividing lines between the third and fourth, sixth and seventh, and ninth and tenth points of the Tongtian Bridge.

He then asked curiously, "Hunzhen was able to pass the fourth level of the Tongtian Bridge without comprehending the Chaos Stele. As far as I know, this talent is enough to make those universe kings fight over him, right? Moreover, Hunzhen passed it seven days ago. Those big shots should have known long ago, so they wouldn't have waited until now to react."

Luo Feng knew that Uka was a legitimate descendant of the Wild Universe Kingdom, so this information was not unfounded.

The two looked at each other, somewhat puzzled.

Inside Chaos City.

In the sky, the Nine Swords Venerable looked down at Hunzhen, who was meditating cross-legged on the rooftop, and frowned and shook his head: "This Hunzhen, he has really gone down the wrong path."

The distance between the Nine Swords Venerable and Hunzhen was only a few hundred meters. Such a distance would be within reach for a cosmic-level life form, but Hunzhen did not notice it at all.

The members who joined the Virtual Universe in this year's Genius Battle were all recruited by him. Those who became immortals and worked within the Virtual Universe Company would all be placed under his command.

And some of those who had already shown their talent in the Genius Battle were being watched closely from the very beginning.

With the Nine Swords Venerable's status and position, he wouldn't keep an eye on things for thirty years during his cultivation period in Chaos City.

But in the first few days, he won't immediately become a hands-off manager.

Geniuses, especially those located in the Primordial Secret Realm, are the focus of the Nine Swords Venerable's attention.

Bolan and Hunzhen were already on the Nine Swords Venerable's list of key targets during the Genius Battle.

The latest novel is first published here!

Rather, his attention to the latter stemmed from a discovery he made while browsing through Berlan's materials.

That was the battle in which Berlan truly began to shine, and also... the battle that marked the beginning of Hunzhen's fame.

That reckless young man, emboldened by the crowd, launched a challenge that seemed almost certain to fail, much like Don Quixote charging at windmills.

Even though the years have made the Nine Swords Venerable's heart as still as an ancient well, it was still rippled by a pebble skipping across the water by a young boy.

That reckless young man was almost one step away from victory.

Even though he ultimately failed, the Nine Swords Venerable saw something even more dazzling than victory in it.

One is the obsession with pursuing victory.

Firstly, it requires the determination and courage to challenge the strong.

And just as important a prerequisite as the mental fortitude necessary to become strong is talent.

He witnessed the moment when the Hunzhen Time Talent awakened.

Unlike Bolan, who was initially thought to have hidden his understanding of time, the Nine Swords Venerable immediately saw that Hunzhen had used the law of time speed change through a temporary epiphany.

In that instant, he knew that this kid's time talent was probably no less than Berlan's spatial talent.

From that moment on, he took notice of the young man.

then……

He noticed that this guy seemed more enthusiastic about time-space cultivation in the days that followed.

"Another Berlan?"

At that time, the Nine Swords Venerable shook his head and chuckled, not intending to give any advice, but only wanting Hunzhen to suffer a great setback.

After all, it's practically a certainty that this kid will be in the top 1,000.

then……

Three years later, he discovered... this kid actually won the Genius Battle Championship by cultivating both time and space!?

"We misjudged him? He actually has considerable spatial talent? Is he really suited for a path combining space and time?"

Facts speak louder than words.

After the battle of geniuses, Hunzhen did indeed choose a Sealing Throat Immortal from the Cosmic Chaos Monument School who was skilled in spacetime fusion.

That Marquis Huanmeng was somewhat famous; even he had heard of him.

then……

The scene shifts, and he's been watching from this rooftop for three days now. This kid is back to using time as the primary focus and space as a secondary element!

Even with the Nine Swords Venerable's composure, he couldn't help but want to swear at this moment.

He thought he had gotten used to Hunzhen's constant back-and-forth, but reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.

"Bolan is like that, and this guy is exactly the same. No, this kid is much harder to deal with than Bolan!"

Shaking his head, the Nine Swords Venerable entered the virtual universe with a thought.

……

Within a virtual universe, in a virtual universe company dimension, lies Thunder Island, the abode of the immortals.

As an immortal teacher, Aisa usually resides in Hunzhen Manor only as one of his avatars. For an immortal, it is more than enough to spare a portion of his thoughts to teach the younger generation.

While she was cultivating in the virtual universe, most of her consciousness was still focused on her "true self" on Thunder Island.

At this moment, in her own manor, Aisa was drinking red tea and peacefully cultivating when a voice suddenly sounded in her mind.

"The Dream Marquis".

The phantom of the Nine Swords Venerable appeared.

Aisha immediately put down his teacup, stood up, and gave a slight bow: "Your Excellency."

The Nine Swords Venerable asked in a commanding tone, "Do you know anything about Hunzhen's recent cultivation progress?"

Aisha frowned, then nodded and said, "I know."

hum--.

Inside the manor, the air suddenly began to vibrate violently.

An intense pressure compressed the space, as if it were about to crush Aisa's virtual body.

The Nine Swords Venerable's majestic voice suddenly echoed throughout the manor: "Since you know this, why don't you intervene?"

"put one's oar in?"

Aisa was forced to bow her head, but a slow smile crept onto her lips as she asked, "Are you asking me to persuade Hunzhen to return to the original path of time-space integration?"

The Nine Swords Venerable replied, "That's right."

Upon hearing this, Aisha, despite the pressure from the Venerable One, slowly raised her head, a faint, manic smile appearing on her face, and said calmly, "I refuse."

The Nine Swords Venerable's expression suddenly darkened: "Lord Illusion Dream, do you know what you're saying?"

Aisha replied hoarsely, raising his voice, "Your Excellency. Geniuses have their own paths. If that path is easily altered by the ideas of others, can a genius who has lost their unique edge still possess the qualities of a genius? In my view, they are nothing more than puppets. As a teacher, I cannot impose my will on my students. The path is their own choice. We may be able to offer guidance, but once a student makes a choice, as long as it is not evil and requires us to change it, what we teachers need to do is watch over them, not interfere. Apart from that, all I can do is answer their questions."

Aisa looked at the Nine Swords Venerable, whose expression remained as hard as iron after hearing her words, and a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes: "Or... do you intend to use your Venerable authority to forcibly prevent me from teaching Hunzhen? I'm sorry, I am not under your command. Such overstepping of authority, even if you are a Venerable, will be punished by the company."

Enraged, the Nine Swords Venerable let out a sneer: "Your own path? Just like yours?"

Aisa's smile vanished abruptly, replaced by a cold and indifferent expression.

call--.

In an instant, a blizzard swept through the manor.

The Nine Swords Venerable gave Aisa a final, cold glance before his illusory form vanished.

"call!"

After the phantom of the Nine Swords Venerable disappeared, Aisa breathed a sigh of relief and wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.

Then, she gave a wry smile: "My good student, because of you I've even offended the Venerable One. Don't let me down!"

……

Knowing that he could not sway Aisa's mind, the Nine Swords Venerable naturally stopped wasting words and directly appeared in front of Hunzhen.

Nothing is faster than meeting the person in person in person.

The reason for wanting to resolve this through Aisa first was simply to leave some room for maneuver.

After being rejected by Aisa, the Nine Swords Venerable, naturally, did not beat around the bush and went directly to Hunzhen himself.

"Venerable One!"

Sensing the change in the laws of space, Hunzhen was startled and instantly withdrew from his state of cultivation and comprehension.

Upon seeing the Nine Swords Venerable, he immediately bowed in respect.

"No need for formalities."

The Nine Swords Venerable looked down and said calmly, "Hunzhen, do you know why I've come to see you this time?"

(End of this chapter)