Han Jue spent considerable time conversing with Venerable Lianyi and Venerable Lingji, learning more about the Ice Peak lineage and his place within it.
During their discussion, he discovered that two other senior brothers were currently exploring a secret realm deep in the universe and couldn't spare the time to meet him in person. However, they had already prepared welcoming gifts for their newest junior brother, a gesture that spoke volumes about the camaraderie within their master's lineage.
The generosity was almost overwhelming.
Han Jue thanked them profusely, genuinely moved by the warm reception from his seniors. Their willingness to invest so heavily in a newcomer demonstrated both their confidence in his potential and the strength of the bonds within the Ice Peak lineage.
With the pleasantries concluded, Han Jue departed from the Iceberg Palace, prepared to officially begin his intensive training period in Primal Chaos City.
Inside Silver Moon King's residence in Primal Chaos City, the atmosphere carried a formal quality that made Han Jue slightly uncomfortable.
"Junior Master, you may simply address me as Silver Moon," the Silver Moon King said respectfully, his posture betraying the hierarchy that now separated them.
"Silver Moon King, if you don't mind, we could speak as equals when in private," Han Jue suggested with an encouraging smile, hoping to ease the sudden formality between them.
"Junior Master, we must still observe proper protocol," Silver Moon King replied sternly, his expression brooking no argument on this particular matter.
"Very well," Han Jue conceded with mild helplessness, recognizing that some traditions ran too deep to easily circumvent.
After a brief pause, Han Jue broached a topic that had been weighing on his mind. "I heard from my senior sister that you once had a direct disciple who fell on an extraterritorial battlefield?"
Silver Moon King's expression grew distant, touched by genuine sorrow. "Indeed. His name was Mingshui, a member of the Primal Secret Realm. Shortly after breaking through to the World Master level, he was caught up in an Immortal battle on the outer battlefields. If it had merely been ordinary Immortals, he might have survived, but the combatants involved were two Marquis-level beings engaged in devastating conflict."
The Silver Moon King's voice carried the weight of old grief. "Mingshui's death remains a tremendous loss. Had he survived, he would likely have achieved Immortal King status eventually. His potential was extraordinary."
"So, Mingshui, " Han Jue began, but Silver Moon King interrupted him before he could finish the question.
"Junior Master, I understand what you're asking," Silver Moon King shook his head slowly. "Mingshui was indeed from the Qianwu Universe Nation, but he was only at World Master level when he died. I can confirm with absolute certainty that he never accepted any disciples, much less left behind a formal legacy or inheritance."
His expression grew more analytical as he continued. "After learning that you demonstrated the Myriad Avatars technique during the Genius Battle, I conducted a thorough investigation. However, I found no verifiable connection between Mingshui and the Lord of the Ice Wasteland Realm."
Silver Moon King leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming more speculative. "The legacy you received more likely represents a secret technique that the Lord of the Ice Wasteland Realm himself exchanged from the Virtual Universe Company's treasury, then passed down in violation of company regulations."
Han Jue frowned, processing this revelation.
He had originally suspected that the Lord of the Ice Wasteland Realm maintained some connection to the Ice Peak lineage, but it appeared the man had been entirely self-taught, a solitary genius who'd carved his own path through the cosmos.
"Logically speaking, unauthorized transmission of company secret techniques should result in severe accountability," Silver Moon King said carefully. "However, given that you're now Master's personal disciple, naturally no action will be taken against you. The matter is considered resolved."
"I understand," Han Jue nodded, though his mind continued working through the implications.
"There's one more thing," Silver Moon King added after a moment's contemplation. "The Lord of the Ice Wasteland Realm's actual name was Ronie. According to my research, he didn't choose the Ice Peak Chaos Monument for his initial cultivation. Rather surprisingly, he selected the Nine Universe Chaos Monument. During his time in the Absolute Beginning Secret Realm, his talent was considered respectable but not exceptional. Even if he'd achieved Immortality through normal progression, he would have reached Marquis level at best, certainly nothing extraordinary."
This information only deepened the mystery surrounding Han Jue's inheritance.
How could the Lord of the Ice Wasteland Realm, at the end of his life, possess combat power rivaling a Marquis-level Immortal? More puzzling still, how had he acquired the Ice Wasteland Sword, an Immortal divine weapon coveted even by established Immortals? The questions multiplied rather than diminished with each new piece of information.
Han Jue remained deeply puzzled by the Lord of the Ice Wasteland Realm's past, but the trail of clues ended here, offering no further clarity.
Rimuru proved equally unhelpful, remaining frustratingly clueless about this entire matter. It seemed as though certain memories within his auxiliary intelligence core had been deliberately erased. Alternatively, perhaps the Lord of the Ice Wasteland Realm had stopped utilizing his AI assistant during the later stages of his life, leaving no digital record of those final years.
Never mind, Han Jue thought, setting aside the mystery.
Unable to unravel the Lord of the Ice Wasteland Realm's secrets for now, Han Jue simply filed the questions away for future investigation. He was confident that once he grew sufficiently powerful, the answers would reveal themselves naturally.
At worst, after achieving Universe Master status, he could employ time-reversal techniques to directly observe the Lord of the Ice Wasteland Realm's past. Such capabilities remained far beyond his current level, but they represented a concrete future possibility.
"Silver Moon King, I'll take my leave now," Han Jue said, rising from his seat with a respectful nod.
"Farewell, Junior Master," Silver Moon King replied, bowing slightly as Han Jue departed.
After leaving Silver Moon King's residence, Han Jue didn't immediately return to his quarters. Instead, he made his way toward the outskirts of Primal Chaos City, drawn by curiosity about the third treasure this legendary location offered to its cultivators.
Primal Chaos City possessed three legendary treasures available to those training within its boundaries. First came the fifty-two Chaos Monuments themselves, repositories of profound cultivation wisdom. Second were the manifested laws visible throughout the city, cosmic principles laid bare for direct observation.
The third treasure awaited outside the city walls: the Chaos True Spirits.
During the universe's initial formation stage in the Beginning Universe, a variety of bizarre creatures had naturally emerged from the primordial chaos. These organisms, possessing strange and varied appearances, had been temporarily classified as "Chaos Beasts." Each Chaos Beast varied dramatically in strength, but they all shared one common characteristic, an innate proficiency in certain fundamental laws, with some specimens demonstrating extraordinary natural comprehension.
When a Chaos Beast was killed, its body instantly decayed into vast quantities of Chaos Qi and a distinctive turquoise light. This turquoise luminescence represented the creature's core essence, what cultivators had named the Chaos True Spirit.
Chaos Beasts lacked conventional souls, possessing instead only this vital light that animated their forms and granted them their law comprehension abilities.
The remarkable property of these Chaos True Spirits lay in their absorbability. Simply drawing the turquoise light into one's body allowed it to be directly absorbed by one's soul. After successful absorption, the cultivator's soul would undergo certain beneficial transformations, becoming more naturally attuned to the fundamental structure of cosmic space itself.
Han Jue wanted to test whether these Chaos True Spirits could provide meaningful benefits to someone with his unique Six Eyes bloodline. The potential for enhanced law comprehension made the experiment worth pursuing.
With a casual thought, the silvery-white Star-Eating Grass materialized from his internal world, wrapping protectively around Han Jue's arm in its compact form.
The Star-Eating Grass had now advanced to the first level of the Domain Lord tier, representing significant growth from its earlier stages.
Most of the precious resources Han Jue had purchased at the auction had been consumed during its rapid cultivation. Aside from the Star Stone Fruit, which the Star-Eating Grass had yet to fully digest, other treasures like the Life Spirit Fruits and Azure Branch Fruits had been completely depleted in supporting its advancement.
He had originally worried that devoting all his liquid assets to cultivating the Star-Eating Grass would leave him resource-starved for his own progression. However, now that he'd become a personal disciple of the Lord of Ice Peak, such concerns had evaporated entirely.
With Venerable Lingji's generous promise to cover cultivation costs, Han Jue could now nurture the Star-Eating Grass to its full potential without financial anxiety constraining his decisions!
"Let's go," Han Jue murmured, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
His figure blurred as he activated his movement technique, passing swiftly through Primal Chaos City's defensive layers. Within moments, he emerged approximately two thousand kilometers beyond the city's outer walls.
This region constituted the outer middle layer, territory where Domain Lord-level Chaos Beasts typically roamed, representing a moderate challenge for someone of his capabilities.
Relying on the Star-Eating Grass's formidable defensive capabilities and his innate secret technique [No Limit] that could withstand attacks from World Masters, Han Jue operated with considerable confidence. His defensive options created multiple layers of protection that few beings at his level could claim.
Even if he encountered an opponent beyond his capability to defeat, he could easily retreat into his Ice Wasteland spaceship and completely avoid the Chaos Beast's attacks. The vessel's defensive capabilities would prove impenetrable to anything short of Immortal-level assaults.
Beyond Primal Chaos City stretched a vast, boundless wasteland of gray stone and crystalline formations, a desolate landscape where the laws of reality manifested in visible, sometimes dangerous ways.
Before long, a massive beast resembling a lion appeared in Han Jue's field of vision, slowly prowling across the barren terrain. The creature stood approximately eight meters tall at the shoulder, with a body stretching over ten meters in length. Its form radiated a powerful aura that marked it as a genuine threat.
"Star-Eating," Han Jue whispered softly, his voice barely audible.
The Star-Eating Grass responded instantly to his mental command, detaching from his arm and spreading silently through the sparse vegetation dotting the wasteland. Moving with predatory patience, it encircled the lion-like Chaos Beast without alerting the creature to its presence.
This particular Chaos Beast appeared to be at the second or third level of the World Master tier, judging by the density and quality of its energy fluctuations, a formidable opponent for most Domain Lord cultivators, but manageable for someone with Han Jue's capabilities and preparation.
As the Star-Eating Grass stealthily positioned itself around the unsuspecting creature, Han Jue remained motionless, waiting for the optimal moment to strike.
Suddenly, without warning, the Star-Eating Grass erupted from concealment!
Countless silver-white vines burst from the ground and nearby rocks, moving with such speed that the Chaos Beast barely registered the attack before finding itself completely ensnared. The plant life wrapped around the lion's massive body and head, constricting with such force that the creature couldn't even release a cry for help or warning roar.
Han Jue launched himself forward simultaneously, the Cloud Sea Sword materializing in his hand as he closed the distance in a blur of motion.
"Divide the Sea!"
Airborne and positioned above the restrained lion Chaos Beast's skull, Han Jue channeled force through his blade. The weapon's edge gleamed with brilliant silver light, interwoven with azure traces of the fundamental Origin Law of Water. With one devastating slash, he unleashed dozens of compressed blue sword energies that screamed through the air!
This technique, similar in principle to the wave-stacking method, represented one facet of the broader Wave Sword Technique Han Jue had been refining.
The sword energy attack was a specialized technique Han Jue had developed after observing controller-type battles and studying the advanced applications of psychic weapons. Each individual blade of compressed energy embodied his understanding of two fundamental laws working in concert. In terms of raw destructive power, these projectiles approached the devastating effect of his Divide the Sea technique, providing him with an effective long-range combat option.
Most importantly, this technique could serve as a devastating opening for his true finishing move.
"Merge the Sword Sea!" Han Jue's eyes blazed with fierce determination as he poured the entirety of his remaining force energy into the Cloud Sea Sword. The blade trembled with barely contained power, emitting dazzling silver light that seemed to distort the space around it. Blue sword energy clung to the weapon's edge like living flame, forming a spectacular rainbow luminescence that illuminated the gray wasteland.
"Shatter!"
The lion Chaos Beast, thoroughly entangled by the Star-Eating Grass since the initial surprise attack, proved completely unable to break free from the plant's relentless constriction. As the most tenacious aggressive plant life form cultivated within human civilization, the Star-Eating Grass could single-handedly kill Chaos Beasts of comparable level through sheer persistence and overwhelming binding strength!
A concentrated ray of sword light, condensed to its absolute limit, descended upon the lion Chaos Beast's massive skull, delivering catastrophic damage with surgical precision. The creature's flesh where the attack landed didn't merely rupture or tear, it seemed to have been erased from existence entirely, vanishing without a trace as space itself rejected its continued presence.
"Crack!"
The Star-Eating Grass exerted its full crushing force, audibly breaking the lion Chaos Beast's thick neck and delivering the final killing blow. Satisfied with their cooperative hunt, several vines approached Han Jue's face in an almost affectionate manner, clearly pleased with their successful teamwork.
Han Jue gasped for air, his entire body trembling slightly from the exertion of channeling all his force energy into that single devastating strike. The attack had been incredibly draining, leaving him temporarily depleted.
Fortunately, the substantial harvest made the expenditure worthwhile.
The lion Chaos Beast's massive corpse began dissipating almost immediately upon death, transforming into streams of gray Chaos Qi that dispersed into the surrounding atmosphere. As the physical form vanished, a distinctive turquoise light rose from where the creature had fallen, the precious Chaos True Spirit.
Han Jue moved swiftly, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to capture the luminescent sphere before it could drift away on cosmic currents. He drew the turquoise light into his sea of consciousness with practiced control, guiding it carefully toward his soul's core deep within his mental landscape.
The moment the Chaos True Spirit made contact with his soul, Han Jue felt a profound transformation beginning, a subtle but unmistakable shift in how his consciousness interfaced with the fundamental structure of space itself.