novelsite Chapter 168 The Cosmic Chaos Monument
Chapter 168 The Cosmic Chaos Monument
The black-robed messenger led the group through the many courtyards of the city lord's mansion, finally stopping before a dreamlike corridor. On the walls on either side of the corridor hung enormous paintings, each ten meters long and ten meters wide, with a name inscribed beside it. Light streamed down from the dome, illuminating the paintings as if they had come alive.
"Fifty-two rubbings of images hang on the corridor walls, each corresponding to a Chaos Stele." The black-robed envoy's voice echoed in the empty corridor. "Look at these images first. Although they cannot fully convey the aura contained within the Chaos Steles, they can allow you to barely sense it. After looking at them, decide which Chaos Stele you choose. Each person can only choose one."
You have half an hour.
As soon as the words were spoken, the 1000 geniuses immediately dispersed, eagerly beginning to examine the drawings. The corridor fell silent, save for footsteps and occasional whispers.
Lin Yun didn't rush to the most popular paintings. Instead, he started from one end of the corridor and looked at each painting one by one. His pace was neither fast nor slow. He lingered at each painting for a dozen seconds, using his mental energy to quickly perceive its charm.
The first picture depicted an ancient, towering tree, its leaves withered and falling. Each leaf drifting down from the sky seemed to contain a complex array, captivating the viewer. Beside the picture was the inscription "The Mother Ancestor's Chaos Stele." Lin Yun looked at it for a few seconds, shook his head, and continued forward.
"Dragon Soaring Through Chaos Stele": A colossal dragon soars through the starry sky, every scale shimmering with the light of laws. "Wind Shadow Chaos Stele": A wisp of wind sweeps through the canyon, leaving countless afterimages. "Heart Mark Chaos Stele": Countless sword marks are etched in the void, each radiating a sharp killing intent.
Lin Yun examined each Chaos Stele one by one, quickly assessing whether each one was suitable for him. His seven divine avatars cultivated the seven elements of law in the Panlong World, possessing profound understanding of earth, fire, water, wind, thunder, light, and darkness. However, in the Swallowed Star World, his primary focus was on the laws of time and space—time and space, the two strongest among the ten fundamental laws.
He needs a Chaos Monument that can contain both time and space.
He stopped in his tracks when he reached the middle of the corridor.
The painting before me contained no concrete images, only countless fine lines interwoven to form a complex three-dimensional structure. These lines, layered upon each other, seemed to be constructing an independent world. The flow of the lines conveyed both spatial extension and the passage of time; the two intertwined to create a vast and profound rhythm.
Next to the picture are five words written: "The Monument to the Chaos of the Universe".
Lin Yun stared at the drawing, a strange feeling welling up inside him. The lines were no longer static in his eyes, but flowing slowly. He seemed to see the folding and extension of space, the acceleration and stillness of time. Although it was just a rubbing and could not convey the true aura of the Chaos Stele, this single drawing was already enough to shock him.
"This is it." Lin Yun made his decision.
He didn't look at any other pictures, but stood before the rubbing of the "Cosmic Chaos Stele," quietly sensing its power. Three years ago, he exchanged for the "Heavenly Ruins," and had already mastered all 18 secret techniques from the first picture, and most of the 54 secret techniques from the second picture. Those secret techniques were created by Kodi based on the first three pictures of the Cosmic Chaos Stele, and now, seeing the rubbing, many blurry parts became clear.
"You chose this one too?"
A cool voice came from the side. Lin Yun turned his head and saw that Bo Lan had walked up to him at some point. The young man in white had a calm expression, and his gaze was also on the rubbing of the "Cosmic Chaos Monument".
"You too?" Lin Yun asked.
Bolan nodded slightly, remaining silent. But a glint flashed in his eyes—the recognition of someone who shared his vision. He was skilled in the laws of wind and space; wind was the best springboard for comprehending time, and space was his forte. Choosing the "Cosmic Chaos Monument" meant he desired parallel time and space—his ambition was self-evident.
Lin Yun withdrew his gaze and continued looking at the paintings. The flow of people in the corridor continued; some lingered in front of a particular painting for a long time, while others quickly browsed through them. Half an hour was enough time for everyone to make a choice.
The black-robed messenger began recording from the outermost edge of the corridor.
"I choose 'Dragon's Chaos Stele'."
"I choose 'The Chaos Monument of Wind and Shadow'."
"I choose the 'Mother Ancestor Chaos Stele'."
One choice after another was recorded.
The black-robed messenger walked up to Lin Yun and asked, "Which one do you choose?"
"The Cosmic Chaos Monument," Lin Yun said calmly.
A flicker of surprise crossed the black-robed envoy's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He said nothing more and recorded it on the screen on his arm.
When he reached Berlan, Berlan also recited the "Cosmic Chaos Monument." The black-robed envoy paused slightly, glanced at Berlan as if confirming something, and then nodded.
Luo Feng hesitated for a long time between the *Nine Universes Chaos Stele* and the *Heart Trace Chaos Stele*, ultimately choosing the *Nine Universes Chaos Stele*. Rong Jun and Wu Ka both chose the *Giant Axe Chaos Stele*. Qian Shui chose the *Mother Ancestor Chaos Stele*, and Ai Chen chose the *Dragon's Journey Chaos Stele*. Hong chose the *Light Ray Chaos Stele*, and Thor chose the *Thunder Chaos Stele*.
After recording the last person's choice, the black-robed messenger turned and said, "Your choices have been sent out. Now, follow me."
The black-robed envoy led the group out of the corridor, through the many courtyards of the city lord's mansion, and deeper inside. The city lord's mansion covered an extremely vast area, spanning thousands of miles, with magnificent buildings and wide corridors, exuding an ancient and solemn atmosphere.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, the group arrived at a wide corridor. The corridor was about sixty meters wide and one hundred and twenty meters high, with a huge bronze door at intervals on both sides of the wall. The bronze door was about one hundred and sixty meters long and one hundred and twenty meters high, and each door was engraved with ancient characters.
"Mother Ancestor", "Giant Axe", "Dragon's Journey", "Wind Shadow", "Heart Mark"... one after another, bronze giant doors are arranged in order, with the names of the Chaos Stele engraved on them.
Most strikingly, a kind-faced old man stood before each bronze door. The old men wore identical gray robes, each with a vertical eye between their brows, and looked exactly alike, as if they had been carved from the same mold.
"There are 52 doors here, each leading to a cultivation chamber for one of the 52 Chaos Steles," the black-robed envoy said, pointing to the massive bronze doors. "Each door has a guardian in front of it. And these 52 guardians you see are actually the same person—52 avatars of Lord Kandri."
An uproar erupted in the crowd.
"Lord Kandri has guarded these 52 secret chambers for over a million epochs, and is a respected powerhouse in our Chaos City." The black-robed envoy's tone was full of respect.
"A million epochs?" Luo Feng's heart skipped a beat. One epoch is ten thousand years, so a million epochs is ten billion years. What kind of terrifying existence must a powerful being have protected something for over ten billion years?
Lin Yun stood in the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the massive bronze gates before finally settling on the one inscribed with the word "Universe." That gate was as tall and imposing as the others, and the guardian before it looked exactly like the guardians before the other gates—a grey robe, a vertical eye between its brows, and a benevolent face.
"Lord Kandri." The black-robed messenger walked to the bronze door engraved with "Nine Universes" and bowed to the guardian in front of the door.
"Hmm." The three-eyed old man smiled as he looked at the group of young people before him. "A new batch of kids from the Virtual Universe Company?"
"Yes," the black-robed envoy replied respectfully, then turned to the crowd and said, "This is Lord Kandri. The 52 Chaos Stele cultivation chambers are all mannequins of Lord Kandri. Lord Kandri has been guarding these 52 chambers for over a million epochs and is a respected powerhouse in our Chaos City."
"Lord Kandri." Lin Yun and the others bowed respectfully.
The three-eyed old man nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone, finally lingering on Lin Yun for a moment, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes, but he quickly looked away.
"Please wait a moment," Kandri said. "The person inside who is meditating will be out soon."
Everyone waited patiently.
Just then, a figure flew in from afar and landed before the bronze gate. It was a young ape-man wearing a golden headband and battle boots, exuding a fierce aura. After landing, he quickly bowed respectfully to Kanderli, then glanced at the waiting crowd and said with a beaming smile, "Lord Kanderli, it seems I've arrived at the right time and can go in with them to meditate. If I had been any later, I would have had to wait another seven days."
"Oh, you've broken through?" Kandri smiled as he looked at the ape-man youth.
"Yes, I've successfully passed the sixth level of the assessment, and now I have seven more days to comprehend it," the ape-man youth said hurriedly.
Kandri closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them and nodded: "Yes, you have indeed gained seven more days of comprehension opportunities."
The young ape-man was overjoyed and stood aside to wait.
Lin Yun's heart skipped a beat. So, passing certain tests could grant extra opportunities for enlightenment. He secretly made a mental note of this.
About five or six minutes later, with a muffled rumble, the massive bronze door engraved with the characters "Nine Universes" slowly opened. The cultivation chamber was filled with chaotic energy, obscuring its interior.
"Come out, all of you!" Kander said in a low voice, looking inside.
The sound echoed through the cultivation chamber. Soon, figures flew out from the chaotic air currents. Some clutched their heads, some lingered reluctantly, and some looked back once more, but still had no choice but to leave.
"You 13, go in now," Kandri said, looking at Luo Feng and the other 13. "Seven days later, the door will open, and you'll all come out immediately, understand?"
"clear."
"Go in."
With hearts full of trepidation and nervousness, Luo Feng and the other 13 filed in. Lin Yun watched Luo Feng's figure disappear through the door, silently wishing him a smooth comprehension journey.
Lin Yun withdrew his gaze and looked at the black-robed envoy: "Is the secret chamber of the 'Cosmic Chaos Stele' empty?"
The black-robed envoy glanced at the screen on his arm and nodded, saying, "The secret chamber of the 'Cosmic Chaos Stele' is empty; you may enter now."
Lin Yun nodded and walked towards the bronze door engraved with the word "Universe". Bolan went in with him. Out of the 1000 people, they were the only two who chose the "Universe Chaos Stele".
Reaching the door, he bowed slightly to the guardian before him: "Lord Kandri."
The three-eyed old man smiled and nodded, without saying a word.
Lin Yun took a deep breath and pushed open the massive bronze door.
Behind the door was a short passage leading to a secret cultivation chamber. The chamber was enormous, filled with swirling chaotic energy and an ancient, profound aura. In the very center of the chamber stood a colossal stone tablet—the Cosmic Chaos Tablet.
The stone tablet is 100 meters high and nearly 100 meters wide, entirely black with a faint glow flowing across its surface. Nine images are carved on it, arranged from bottom to top. Each image contains endless mysteries; even a single glance is enough to send tremors through the depths of one's soul.
Lin Yun walked to the stone tablet, sat down cross-legged, and looked up at the legendary Chaos Tablet.
I had seen the images in the nine diagrams on the rubbings in the corridor before, but seeing the real Chaos Stele in person now felt completely different. It was not just a picture, but a manifestation of the laws, a direct presentation of the origin of the universe.
The first image depicts a calm lake where a pebble falls, creating ripples. These ripples spread simultaneously across both time and space, seemingly proclaiming the existence of time and space.
The second image is divided into two halves. On the left is a mirror reflecting endless spatial folds; on the right is a mirror reflecting the flowing river of time. The two mirrors stand facing each other, with a gap between them, showing their state before they merge.
In the third image, a beam of light shines on a rotating crystal, refracting countless shadows. The trajectory of the light represents time, the edges of the crystal represent space, and where the light and shadow intersect, time and space begin to merge.
In the fourth image, countless chains extend from the void, weaving into a vast net that completely seals off an area. Every link of the chains trembles slightly.
The fifth image depicts a river flowing from its source to the sea, but some sections of the river flow backward, while others flow at extremely high speeds. Countless bubbles float above the river, each reflecting a different moment in time.
In the sixth picture, an invisible hand folds paper in the air. The folded paper becomes a three-dimensional structure, sometimes a world, sometimes a grain of sand.
The seventh image depicts an endless corridor made of light, with countless mirrors embedded in its walls, each reflecting a different point in time and spatial coordinate.
In the eighth image, a drop of water floats in the air, reflecting a complete world within it. Time is completely still around the droplet, but time continues to flow normally inside.
The ninth image is divided into two parts that form a cycle. The upper part depicts the birth of a universe—an explosion from a singularity, the expansion of spacetime, and the formation of stars; the lower part depicts the destruction of a universe—the collapse of spacetime, and everything returning to nothingness.
Lin Yun's gaze lingered on the first three images for a long time. At his current level, the latter six images were far too profound for him to comprehend. However, those three images were the foundation for his cultivation of the "Heavenly Ruins".
Three years ago, he exchanged for the "Heavenly Ruins" and had already learned all 18 secret techniques in the first picture, and most of the 54 secret techniques in the second picture. Now, seeing the original picture, those parts that were blurry in the secret techniques became clear in front of the Chaos Stele.
"Seven days," Lin Yun said softly. "That's enough."
He closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into the Time-Space Nightmare Beast clone. In the secret chamber, chaotic energy flowed slowly, and the light from the stone tablet shone on him, as if responding to his insights.
Outside the secret chamber, the black-robed envoy led the remaining dozens of people to the city wall to rest. Luo Feng and 13 others had already entered the secret chamber, and Lin Yun and more than 800 others also entered their respective chambers. The entire secret chamber area fell silent, with only the 52 bronze giant doors in front of which Kander's 52 avatars silently guarded.
Seven days is but a fleeting moment for cultivators. But for those in the secret chamber, these seven days will be a crucial period in their cultivation journey.
Lin Yun sat cross-legged before the Cosmic Chaos Monument, his consciousness immersed in the mysteries of the first three images. Fragments of the laws of spacetime swirled within his perception, and those once vague concepts became clear under the guidance of the Chaos Monument.
"The first image, ripples in spacetime—perceiving the existence of spacetime."
"The second image, Double Mirrors Reflecting the Mind—The Separation of Time and Space in Perception."
"The third image, interplay of light and shadow—the initial fusion of time and space."
Lin Yun silently recited the core meanings of the three diagrams, matching them one by one with the secret techniques in "Tianxu". Those secret techniques were no longer isolated skills, but became the ladder to understanding the Chaos Stele.
Time passed by, second by second.
Inside the sealed chamber, chaotic energy flowed silently. Lin Yun's figure appeared and disappeared within the energy, as if he had merged with the chaos. He emanated no light, his aura was extremely restrained, yet his consciousness roamed the ocean of time and space.
Seven days was enough time for him to further deepen his understanding of the first three images. But he knew this was just the beginning. Thirty years of comprehension in Chaos City would be the key to his true transformation.
Meanwhile, in other secret chambers, Luo Feng, Rong Jun, Wu Ka, Bo Lan, and others began their comprehension in front of their respective chosen Chaos Steles.
Luo Feng stared at the first image of the "Nine Universes Chaos Stele"—nine raindrops. Those nine raindrops transformed into infinite artistic conceptions in his eyes. The golden-horned giant beast clone saw sharp hooves and tails, the demon-slaying clan clone saw sword techniques containing spatial laws, and the Earthling's true self saw nine golden swords constantly combining and attacking.
"This is the Nine Universes Chaos Stele." Luo Feng was shocked and immersed in it.
Bolan sat cross-legged before the "Cosmic Chaos Monument," his gaze fixed on the third image. His spatial laws were already extremely strong, and his wind laws had also reached a minor level of mastery. Now, before the Chaos Monument, his comprehension of the time laws began to accelerate.
Seven days later, the colossal bronze gate roared open. Everyone was forcibly teleported out; some were reluctant to leave, others felt they hadn't had enough. But everyone knew this was only the first time they had tried to comprehend it, and there would be other opportunities in the future.
Lin Yun stepped out of the secret chamber and stood before the bronze door. He looked up at the giant door engraved with the words "Universe" and silently memorized the place.
"Seven days isn't enough," he said softly, "but thirty years is enough."
He turned and walked towards the streets of Chaos City. He planned to find a suitable small building where he would comprehend the laws governing the universe, continue cultivating the "Heavenly Ruins," and digest the gains from the Chaos Stele.
Within his body, the Time-Space Nightmare Beast clone was slowly activating its golden and silver eyes, gradually integrating the insights gained from the Chaos Stele into its soul.