Before the secret cultivation chamber, the ape-like youth respectfully bowed to the guardian ‘Kandri’ and then transformed into a streak of light, departing swiftly.
“You twelve, wait a moment,” the guardian Kandri said with a smile.
“Huh?”
Luo Feng looked at the old man in confusion, as did the other geniuses. Kandri smiled and said, “This is your first time entering the secret cultivation chamber, so I must remind you… first, you should go find a residence to serve as your cultivation base for the next thirty years. Then you will enter the virtual universe and apply to enter the ‘Tiantong Bridge.'”
“Enter the Tiantong Bridge?” Luo Feng and the others were puzzled.
“You’ll understand once you enter the virtual universe network and step onto the Tiantong Bridge,” Kandri said lightly. “You may now go.”
Seeing that the guardian did not wish to say more, Luo Feng and the others could only leave.
…
After exiting the city lord’s mansion, the twelve of them immediately scattered to begin searching for their cultivation dwellings.
Hundun City covered an extremely vast area. Except for a few rare and special buildings, the cultivation residences were almost all identical. Most of the doors to these residences were pale white, indicating that they had no owner yet.
“Where should I choose as my dwelling for the next thirty years?”
Luo Feng pondered briefly. “Hmm, I’ll choose a quiet place near the central area of Hundun City.” The city lord’s mansion was at the very center of Hundun City. Around it, many cultivation residences were unoccupied, so Luo Feng quickly selected a relatively secluded one.
Standing in front of the door of the cultivation residence, he placed his hand upon it.
“Beep, beep, beep…” The door gradually emitted sounds, and its color began to deepen, eventually turning from pale white to dark gray and stopping there.
“Welcome, Master,” a robotic voice sounded.
“Hmm.”
Luo Feng immediately entered the residence. The first floor was a massive living room, fully equipped with highly advanced facilities. The electronic voice continued, “I am your service AI. During your stay, I will serve you. Master, feel free to ask for anything you need—food, drink, etc.”
“Hmm.” Luo Feng went straight up the stairs, moving like a blur, and in an instant, he reached the rooftop terrace on the third floor.
The rooftop also contained some random inscriptions left by previous cultivators, though they were without any clear pattern. Although faint traces of unique intent could be sensed, having already experienced the ‘Fifty-Two Hundun Steles,’ these chaotic and disorganized inscriptions held little interest for him.
Time in the Primeval Universe was precious and could not be wasted on inefficient pursuits.
“Hmph!”
“From today onward, my true cultivation journey in Hundun City begins!” Luo Feng looked around. In the distance, he could see other cultivators on rooftop terraces, each with unique appearances. Some had grown extremely long hair, seemingly untouched for many years.
“First, I’ll enter the virtual universe.”
…
In the virtual universe, at Villa 1136 in the Taichu District of Yuxiang Mountain.
Luo Feng appeared within the villa.
“Your Highness!”
A group of servants and guards immediately bowed.
“Hmm.” Luo Feng nodded and said, “Apply to enter the Tiantong Bridge.”
“Understood.”
The fist-sized virtual assistant ‘Babata’ perched on Luo Feng’s shoulder immediately began contacting the central system of the virtual universe. Soon, a voice echoed in Luo Feng’s mind: “Identity confirmed. Luo Feng, you have permanently gained the qualification to enter the Tiantong Bridge. We hope you strive forward and reach the end of the Tiantong Bridge. Now, teleportation commencing!”
Whoosh!
Luo Feng vanished instantly from the villa.
…
In the virtual universe, within a special dimensional space.
This space stretched endlessly into a vast ocean, with rolling waves.
On this ocean stood a single, beautiful island. At the edge of the island were fifty-two harbors, each extending a seemingly infinite bridge into the horizon, as if reaching for the distant heavens. These fifty-two bridges completely covered the entire ocean sky.
Faint mist drifted over the ocean waves, obscuring what lay beneath the surface. The mist coiled around the bridges, creating a dreamlike, surreal scene.
Luo Feng suddenly appeared in the central plaza of the island.
“Luofeng.”
“Luofeng, you’ve arrived too.”
There were already nine young people around him. Luo Feng looked and recognized them as the same group who had previously studied the ‘Nine Heavens Chaos Stele’ with him.
“Do you know what this place is?” Luo Feng asked curiously.
“You should ask the overseer.”
The nine pointed to a man standing not far away on the plaza. The man wore a black robe embroidered with stars, had four ears but no nose, and approached with a smiling expression: “Hello, Luo Feng. I am Bafen, the overseer of the Tiantong Bridge realm, though I prefer to be called simply ‘Overseer.'”
“Hello, Overseer.” Luo Feng bowed respectfully.
“I will explain,” the Overseer Bafen nodded. “This Tiantong Bridge realm was created specifically in response to the Fifty-Two Hundun Steles in Hundun City.”
“Because our human race has spent countless eons studying the Fifty-Two Hundun Steles, fifty-two distinct schools of thought have formed within Hundun City,” the Overseer Bafen said with emotion. “For example, since you all studied the ‘Nine Heavens Hundun Stele,’ you naturally belong to the ‘Nine Heavens’ school. However, the depth of one’s understanding of the stele varies, and only those who demonstrate exceptional strength are granted another opportunity to study the steles.”
Luo Feng’s eyes lit up.
Another chance to study?
After experiencing the ‘Nine Heavens Hundun Stele,’ Luo Feng had gained a clear direction for his future cultivation. The joy of progress was indeed intoxicating. To be able to study it again would be a wonderful thing.
“How do we determine one’s strength? It’s not just by words,” the Overseer Bafen smiled. “Thus, the Tiantong Bridge realm was created within the virtual universe. The further one progresses across the bridge, the greater one’s strength.”
“This island has fifty-two Tiantong Bridges, each corresponding to one of the Fifty-Two Hundun Steles. Since you studied the Nine Heavens Hundun Stele, you will attempt the ‘Nine Heavens Tiantong Bridge.’ This bridge is extremely long, with layer after layer to ascend, totaling twenty-seven levels!”
“If you successfully pass the first level, you will earn another opportunity to study. Each additional level you conquer grants another study session!” the Overseer Bafen smiled at Luo Feng.
“Oh.” Luo Feng suddenly understood.
Right.
Earlier, before the secret cultivation chamber, he had encountered that ape-like youth who had said, “Yes, I passed the sixth level test and gained seven more days of study time.”
Clearly, each level passed added another study opportunity.
“However, the Tiantong Bridge is very difficult to traverse,” the Overseer Bafen sighed. “Young ones like you usually can’t even pass the first level at first.”
Luo Feng was startled.
“The Nine Heavens Tiantong Bridge has twenty-seven levels! The farther you go, the deeper your understanding of the ‘Nine Heavens Hundun Stele’ must be. If you completely master the stele, you can pass all twenty-seven levels. But… that is extremely difficult.”
“Immortals usually reach the tenth level,” the Overseer Bafen said with admiration. “If you reach the eighteenth level, you are considered nearly invincible among immortals. Reaching the twenty-first level… you can become a ‘Cosmic King.'”
“What?” Luo Feng was shocked.
Reaching the twenty-first level grants one the status of a Cosmic King!
Becoming a Cosmic King is extremely difficult, so one can imagine how hard it is to reach the twenty-first level. Even becoming an immortal is difficult, so reaching the tenth level is already quite an achievement. As for the highest level, the ‘twenty-seventh,’ only those who completely master the ‘Nine Heavens Hundun Stele’ can achieve it—a goal that seems impossibly distant.
“Strive forward!” the Overseer Bafen smiled. “This is a path to the peak. In the human race of the universe, countless cultivators follow these fifty-two schools. Moreover, if you can reach the eighteenth level, you will directly gain permanent residency in Hundun City, without needing any other conditions!”
“Oh?” Luo Feng’s eyes lit up.
Permanent residency in Hundun City?
But reaching the eighteenth level is extremely difficult.
“The previous entrants failed,” the Overseer Bafen looked at Luo Feng and the others. “Next, it’s time to attempt the Nine Heavens Tiantong Bridge.”
“I’ll go first.”
One of the nine who had arrived earlier immediately transformed into a streak of light, rushing toward the ‘Nine Heavens Tiantong Bridge’ among the fifty-two bridges. Just two minutes later, the Overseer Bafen said, “Still failed. Next.”
“Failed again. Next.”
“Failed. Next.”
…
“All have failed. Only Luo Feng remains.”
At this point, there were twelve newcomers attempting the Nine Heavens Tiantong Bridge. Two had already attempted before Luo Feng arrived, and now eleven out of the twelve had failed consecutively, leaving only Luo Feng. This greatly increased his pressure: “Indeed, the Tiantong Bridge is difficult to traverse. These are all geniuses—three of them even from the ‘Heavenly Region’—yet none managed to pass the first level.”
“Luofeng, do your best,” the Overseer Bafen smiled at him. “This batch of you has now tested nearly nine hundred people, including those tested earlier.”
“Out of so many people, only Bolan has passed the first level. No one else.”
“What?” Luo Feng was astonished.
Many others had gone directly to the secret cultivation chamber to study. Luo Feng had waited a day on the city wall, so it was normal that nearly nine hundred young geniuses had already taken the Tiantong Bridge test.
“Bolan is very strong. He passed the first and second levels in one go, earning two additional study opportunities,” the Overseer Bafen sighed. “As for the others, even the other genius from the Primitive Secret Realm, ‘Longyun,’ failed to pass the first level. Not a single one succeeded.”
Pressure.
Luo Feng felt the pressure. Among these top geniuses, ‘Bolan,’ ‘Longyun,’ ‘Galesi,’ and others had already been tested. According to the order of entering the secret cultivation chamber, when Luo Feng entered, the two other top geniuses who had chosen the ‘Axe Hundun Stele,’ Ronjun and the young man from Banka Star, Wuka, had not yet entered the secret cultivation chamber.
“So go ahead!” the Overseer Bafen looked at Luo Feng with anticipation.
Whoosh!
Luo Feng transformed into a blur and directly flew toward a distant bridge stretching to the horizon. From afar, he could see a stele at the bridge’s entrance, inscribed with the words ‘Nine Heavens.’
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