Chapter 130: The Four Masters of the Universe (Part 1)

Deep within the City Lord’s mansion in Chaos City.

Several faint, indistinct figures stood together. If one were to observe closely, however, it would become clear that with the exception of the Chaos City Lord, the auras of the other figures were peculiar—as if they were not physical entities, but rather special "avatars."

One figure wore strange armor woven with silver and black. His skin was deathly pale, and his bald head was marked with complex, arcane black lines that resembled the secret patterns of the Laws.

Another was powerfully built, with a long, dragon-like tail trailing behind him. His eyes were incredibly deep, as if they contained the entire universe.

A third had a ferocious appearance, with intricate scales covering his body and three sharp horns upon his head, appearing at first glance like a humanoid beast.

All three were among the most pinnacle existences within the human race. One among them, in particular, had hidden his true identity for endless ages; though unknown to the public, his strength was not a whit inferior to any top-tier Universe Master in the cosmos.

"Chaos," the three-horned Master of Huang Jian spoke up. "You called me here just to look at a small fry at the Universe level? I admit there are a few geniuses in this batch, but surely that doesn't warrant the gathering of four Universe Masters?"

While this was not a "Giant Axe Meeting" where all the Universe Masters of the race were present, the gathering of four was usually reserved for matters of extreme importance. Even the contention over large cosmic secret realms was often handled by a single Universe Master with full authority. Anything requiring the deliberation of four had to be a significant affair with a profound impact on the race. In the eyes of the Master of Huang Jian, those "little fellows" in Chaos City were far from having such value. In terms of talent, the cosmos gave birth to countless geniuses generation after generation. The talent they themselves had displayed in their youth far exceeded these so-called "geniuses."

"Your main bodies are not here, and your avatars cannot control space-time, so naturally, you cannot see it," the Chaos City Lord said, gesturing toward the void ahead. "These three little ones are all the same person."

"Oh?"

The three looked where the Chaos City Lord pointed. Their gazes pierced through space and planes, landing on Jiang Chen’s three avatars.

"You say those three are the same person?" the Master of Huang Jian widened his eyes in disbelief.

"Interesting!" The bald Master of Darkness observed for a moment and nodded slightly. "The origin deep within the consciousness is indeed identical. They nearly deceived even me!"

The capabilities of an avatar were far inferior to those of the main body. Their true selves were guarding various corners of the universe, and some were even outside the universe entirely, unable to arrive in person. Relying solely on avatars, they naturally could not observe deep, hidden details with great scrutiny. Had the Chaos City Lord not pointed it out, they would have remained oblivious.

"I still cannot see it," the Master of Long Xing, who possessed the massive dragon tail, observed carefully for a while before shaking his head.

This disparity in perception highlighted the gap in their strength. After the Chaos City Lord’s hint, only the Master of Darkness had truly discerned the truth. Both the Master of Long Xing and the Master of Huang Jian had failed to notice any anomaly. While they could not see it, they trusted that existences of the Chaos City Lord and the Master of Darkness's caliber would not waste time playing games. If they said it was true, it was true.

"Changing one's soul and mental fluctuations, joining your Virtual Universe Company and my Universe Mercenary Alliance under different identities... this kid has quite a lot of guts!" the Master of Huang Jian laughed, though his tone carried a hint of reproach.

If one were to dig deep, this was somewhat taboo. However, in the eyes of these true super-existences of the human race, the matter could be interpreted as either trivial or grave. At its worst, it was betrayal of the factions involved; at its best, it was just a child playing tricks, not worth taking seriously.

"This kid joined my Universe Mercenary Alliance first! Even if his clones joined your Virtual Universe Company, he is still one of my people!" the Master of Huang Jian immediately declared. "At worst, my Alliance will cover the resources consumed by his two clones. You are all high and mighty; don't try to snatch this person from me!"

The moment the Chaos City Lord mentioned the anomaly in Jiang Chen’s soul, the Master of Huang Jian realized the significance. By accessing the records of the Virtual Universe Company to quickly grasp the cause and effect, he had moved immediately to "claim sovereignty." An ordinary genius was not worth caring about, but a genius with secrets had to be firmly held in one's own hands. While the five major human powers were united externally, there were occasional internal rivalries. These were harmless and did not cause serious damage or instability, but they affected the distribution of resources. Having one more powerful expert meant more leverage in future contentions for resources.

"You!" The Chaos City Lord looked at the Master of Huang Jian, speechless. "A dignified Universe Master, yet so shameless!"

Most experts cared deeply about their reputation, but there were a few exceptions. Among the human race, the Master of Huang Jian was notorious for being "shameless," often stepping in personally to scramble for resources for the Universe Mercenary Alliance.

The Master of Huang Jian, however, acted as if it were only natural. "Your Virtual Universe Company is wealthy and powerful; you naturally don't care. My Alliance has fewer experts and fewer resources. If I don't scramble for them, am I supposed to watch my people starve?!"

The five major human powers did indeed vary in strength and resources. The Virtual Universe Company and the Giant Axe Dojo were the strongest and wealthiest. The two banks were slightly inferior, but with their massive cash flow, their assets were staggering. The Universe Mercenary Alliance was at the bottom; it supported the most people and was the poorest. Of course, this "poverty" was only relative to the other giants. Compared to the 1,008 universe nations, even the poorest of the five giants was far wealthier than all of them combined.

"I called you here not to watch you argue," the Chaos City Lord said, a few black lines appearing on his forehead. "This little one is special. His only teacher is King Huan Ling, whose strength is insufficient. I believe it is necessary to find him a more capable mentor." He paused, then added, "It need not be a Universe Master personally taking him as a disciple, but at least a Universe Overlord."

"That’s simple! No need to look for anyone else! I will be his teacher!" The Master of Huang Jian was brazen. "This kid practices the 'Illusionist Warrior' path. Among the humans, who is stronger than me in that field? Naturally, it is most appropriate for me to teach him personally!"

He wasn't entirely wrong. The "Illusionist Warrior" path was powerful but relatively niche. Compared to the three traditional professions, it had very few practitioners, and among those who had reached the level of Universe Master, only the Master of Huang Jian existed. When it came to cultivating such a genius, he was indeed the most suitable choice.

However...

"The Illusionist Warrior path is merely one of the roads he is traveling, not the entirety of it," the Master of Long Xing countered. "His main body chose the 'Tian Gong Chaos Monument.' Look at the contents of his world ring—this kid is clearly planning to follow the path of the Master of Tian Gong, building mechanical legions. Whether it's the warrior path or the illusionist path, both are auxiliary, not his primary focus!"

"If you ask me, I am the most suitable to guide him. Aside from the Original Ancestor and Brother Tian Gong, I am the most proficient in technology among the humans!" The Master of Long Xing summarized. He wasn't necessarily desperate to take Jiang Chen as a disciple, but seeing the Master of Huang Jian try to claim him for the Mercenary Alliance, he instinctively intervened. The five giants were rivals, after all. If a rival wanted something, one had to ensure they couldn't get it.

"I won't join this competition," the Master of Darkness waved a hand. "The boy’s focus is clearly not on the path of illusions. Besides, my adventures in the Universe Ocean are at a critical juncture; I have no desire to teach any disciples."

The Master of Darkness’s withdrawal brought a sense of relief to the others. In truth, in terms of inheritance, the Master of Darkness was the most suitable teacher for Jiang Chen among all the living experts of the human race. Jiang Chen had chosen three Chaos Monuments, but the creators of the "Heart Mark" and "Tian Gong" monuments had already fallen. The creator of the "Darkness" monument was the Master of Darkness himself. Given his immense strength, if he had truly wanted to compete for this disciple, the others would have stood little chance.

"Long Xing, Huang Jian, have you truly considered this?" the Chaos City Lord asked, reminding them. "This boy’s soul is special; you know what that means. If you decide to take him as a disciple, you must nurture him with all your might. Do not forget the teachings of the Original Ancestor."

At the mention of the Original Ancestor, everyone fell silent. The unity of the human race was largely due to external pressure, but the rules of master-disciple inheritance established by the Original Ancestor during his time were also a crucial factor. The older Universe Masters, regardless of their affiliation, had all received his guidance and grace, and their conduct was naturally influenced by him.

After a long silence, the Master of Huang Jian spoke. "Chaos, do you know which path this boy intends to make his primary one?"

Initially, the Master of Huang Jian only wanted to recruit Jiang Chen to secure this rare "resource." But after the Chaos City Lord invoked the Original Ancestor, he had to set that thought aside and seriously consider whether Jiang Chen was truly a good fit for him.

The Master of Long Xing also looked at the Chaos City Lord.

The Chaos City Lord shook his head. "He has chosen three paths, but I do not know which he intends to master. However, it is not difficult to find out. We need only send someone to ask."

"Then let us clarify that first. If he intends to focus on the martial path or the Illusionist Warrior path, I can set up an examination. If he intends to focus on something else, then forget it," the Master of Huang Jian said. After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Regardless, this boy was discovered by my Universe Mercenary Alliance first! If your Virtual Universe Company wants to snatch him, you owe my Alliance sufficient compensation!"

The Master of Huang Jian had been serious for a rare moment, but it didn't last long before he reverted to his shameless posturing for gain. The others looked on, speechless.

The Master of Long Xing changed the subject. "If he intends to develop in the field of technology or is interested in refining treasures, you may notify me." The Master of Long Xing was not weak in combat—he was a second-tier Universe Master, on par with the Master of Huang Jian—but his greatest expertise lay in refining treasures, followed by technology. Many of the weapons and treasures used by human Universe Masters were his handiwork.

Seeing the others speak up, the Master of Darkness interjected, "In that case, ask him if he has any interest in the soul or illusionist path. If his chosen path aligns with mine and he passes my test, I might consider taking another disciple. But let me be clear: the test I set will be extremely difficult. Given his performance over the last dozen years, the probability of him passing is slim."

Hearing this, the Master of Long Xing and the Master of Huang Jian glared at him as if to say, "Didn't you just say you had no interest in taking a disciple?!" The Master of Darkness remained indifferent, as if he hadn't noticed.

"Enough, enough. I will send someone to ask him about his plans for the future," the Chaos City Lord said, regretting having called them together.

With that, he diverted a sliver of his consciousness into the Virtual Universe and commanded an AI to contact Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen’s special soul and consciousness were a vital secret; the Chaos City Lord did not feel comfortable sending any other Venerable to handle this—not even his own disciples. It wasn't a matter of trust, but of rules: those who had not reached a certain level could not be exposed to secrets they were not ready for. Only the AI within the Virtual Universe was absolutely loyal and reliable.