Chapter 620: Traces of Time, True Form Tempered By Law

At the heart of Abyssal City, atop a skyscraper that pierced the clouds...

When a young man, dressed casually in gray with shoulder-length black hair, stepped into Gabriel's office, even heavenly-king-level powerhouses found their gazes momentarily drawn to him.

Bathed in white radiance, Gabriel revealed a hint of astonishment in her eyes. "Chen Chu, your cultivation..."

Chen Chu responded with a calm smile. "Didn’t I recently exchange for a large number of god-level resources? After absorbing them, I broke through to the late stage of the Ninth Heavenly Realm."

The explanation sounded almost reasonable. After all, absorbing and refining piles of god-level and even law-level resources could naturally lead to a rapid surge in cultivation.

Reasonable, my foot.

This was the Ninth Heavenly Realm—the threshold to divinity itself. If advanced cultivation could be so easily achieved through resources alone, the human race would have long produced a legion of advanced experts, to say nothing of the Purgatory Demon Clan, which controlled vast territories and endless resources.

Yet, going from the beginning to the late stage of the Ninth Heavenly Realm within half a month? If it were anyone else, it would seem absurd. But when it came to Chen Chu, it was almost believable.

After all, this was the same young man who had cultivated to the Ninth Heavenly Realm in less than a year and could counterattack a demon king while still at the realm's beginning stage. His talent outshone even the most monstrous geniuses of a decade prior.

Chen Chu then revealed the purpose of his visit. "Your Majesty, I received a distress message from a classmate stationed at the Alliance of Gods. I’m planning to head there and investigate."

As a key figure in the Federation’s attention, Chen Chu’s status surpassed even many kings. Whenever he planned to travel or take action, he was required to report to the local authorities.

In essence, he had to give prior notice so the Federation could coordinate and ensure top-level experts in the destination region would monitor his safety—such as the Third Councilor, the Primordial King, who was stationed in the Expansion Division.

"You’re heading to the Alliance of Gods for that Gulado ruins incident?" Gabriel asked, visibly surprised.

"You’ve heard about it too?" Chen Chu paused, his gaze carrying a hint of inquiry.

He had only received a distress signal from An Fuqing related to the so-called ruin of Gulado. However, due to poor communication signals, the information he received was vague and incomplete.

Gabriel nodded slightly. "A few days ago, I attended a high-level meeting with Shen Xiao and others from the Expansion Division. The topic was precisely this matter.

"In the Chaotic Ancient Region at the center of the Alliance of Gods, an internal world within the Gulado ruin recently opened. A human managed to enter with a ruins token. Currently, the ruin’s entrance is under the control of multiple factions, who are vying for the tokens that fall from within while waiting for the second time it opens."

She paused, then added, "Oh, the first person to enter, you know him—Li Hao."

"Li Hao?" Chen Chu's expression shifted to one of mild surprise.

That guy had entered the mythical world before Chen Chu and had been stationed at the Expansion Division's Thirtieth Legion. It had only been a few months since they last met, yet Li Hao had already ventured deep into the heart of the Alliance of Gods.

Gabriel continued, "The inner world of that ruin is tied to an ancient civilization. Entry is restricted to those under thirty years of age.

"In fact, the Alliance of Gods itself was established atop the ruins of this ancient civilization. Many alien divine beings are said to have ties to its legacy. Most notably, the Alliance’s strongest figure, the Divine King Tarodell, is rumored to have ascended to the supreme level after inheriting part of that civilization’s legacy.

"Currently, geniuses from every Divine Region of the Alliance are gathering, including some human experts under the age of thirty, with cultivation at the Eighth and Ninth Heavenly Realms."

Gabriel’s tone grew heavier. "Additionally, the situation is complicated by the involvement of powerhouses from the Demon God Cult and the four major demon cults.

"Initially, Heavenly King Youming proposed sending you. However, since you were in seclusion, the plan was vetoed. Compared to exploring a ruin, your breakthrough to the king level was deemed more critical for the Federation."

Now, with a faint smile on her face, Gabriel concluded, "But since you’ve decided to go, the relic’s matters will be entrusted entirely to you. With your strength, you are more than capable of suppressing all rivals."

With Chen Chu's combat strength, which allowed him to contend with a beginning-stage mythical-level expert while only in the beginning stage of the Ninth Heavenly Realm, his breakthrough to the late stage of the Ninth Realm meant his power had become even greater. It was possible he could now rival middle-stage mythical-level experts.

Such strength was enough to suppress all so-called prodigies. The strongest sons of gods, the holy sons of the king of a pantheon, and even the descendants of demon gods were nothing before him.

At that moment, Gabriel seemed to recall something. "By the way, when you get there, remember to be cautious of the Holy Light Cult."

Chen Chu narrowed his eyes slightly. "The one founded by Xiao Tianyi?"

He had specifically reviewed the man’s files. Xiao Tianyi was a monstrous genius who, over a decade ago, reached the Ninth Heavenly Realm within a year, only to later betray humanity, joining the Alliance of Gods and establishing connections with the Demon God Cult of the Purgatory Clan.

However, unlike the gods of the cults who had become mere puppets of the Demon God Cult, Xiao Tianyi founded his own Holy Light Cult. His teachings accepted followers indiscriminately and spread his faith across various alien races within the Alliance.

His doctrine sought to eliminate violence and conflict from the vast world, promote equality for all beings, and spread the illumination of holy light.

Of course, such ideals were utterly incompatible with the martial-driven mythical world. As a result, his followers were few and far between, though every Holy Light Cultist was renowned for their mysterious and troublesome nature. They were especially feared for their Cursed Speech, a language-based spell akin to divine abilities in power.

Still, Xiao Tianyi had vanished several years ago, and nobody knew his whereabouts.

Some speculated he had retreated to the Purgatory Clan's rear territories to transform into a great demon king, while others believed he had ventured deep into the mythical world, seeking a breakthrough opportunity to reach the supreme level.

As a genius who once shocked the Federation, Xiao Tianyi had already reached the heavenly king level years ago, continuing to demonstrate unbelievable talent.

Boom!

At an altitude of tens of thousands of meters, a dark red fighter jet, sleek and ominous, roared toward the Alliance of Gods at six times the speed of sound. Sonic booms rumbled in its wake, with shockwaves churning the air.

In the cockpit of the king-level fighter jet, Chen Chu sat before a large screen, studying detailed intelligence on the Alliance.

The Alliance of Gods consisted of over forty mythical-level powerhouses, including seven human kings, four cult gods, and three demon kings from the Purgatory Clan who had established the Demon God Cult.

Notably, the human kings made up nearly a third of the Alliance's power. However, the four cult gods were traitors from the Federation's Era of Darkness.

One of these traitors, Akunus, had already fallen at Chen Chu’s hands. The remaining three—those of the Giant Cult, the Shadow Cult, and the Eternal Cult—remained active threats.

As for Xiao Tianyi's Holy Light Cult, it was unique, much like its founder. Neither he nor his cult was officially recognized by the Alliance.

The strongest figure in the Alliance was Divine King Tarodell, a late-stage supreme powerhouse. Within his expansive Divine Region, he was virtually invincible, unshaken even by the combined might of three demon-god-level experts.

Beneath the Divine King were three kings of gods, equivalent to heavenly-king-level powerhouses. Each ruled vast regions, with their Divine Regions individually as large as the entire Blue Planet.

These three kings represented the apex of their respective races, leading racial legions and forming alliances with other mythical-level powerhouses to create a pantheon.

Centered around these three kings, the pantheon was divided into three major factions: one aligned with humanity, another with the Purgatory Clan, and the third consisting of neutral alien gods.

The gods supporting humanity believed the human race was more reliable than the Purgatory Clan. They feared that if humanity fell, the Alliance would be the next target.

Meanwhile, the gods siding with the Purgatory Clan argued that humanity’s expansion had disrupted the long-standing balance of the Alliance, provoking the Purgatory Clan to act.

As for the neutral gods, they remained aloof, with the strongest among them maintaining an impassive stance, watching as the conflict unfolded around them.

Initially, the Federation had believed that the Purgatory Clan’s threat would compel most alien gods to ally with humanity, and had tasked five of the seven “neutral” kings in the Alliance with recruiting alien mythical-level powerhouses to humanity’s cause.

However, due to cultural differences and the gods' centuries-long detachment from mortal concerns, many refused to intervene. Some even drew closer to the Demon God Cult, despite the danger posed by the Purgatory Clan.

This stagnation had slowed progress in the Federation’s plan to strengthen ties with the Alliance. Even the supreme powerhouse remained coldly indifferent, offering neither aid nor hostility toward humanity.

Thus, to prevent any unexpected developments, the Expansion Division had long stationed a supreme powerhouse of their own in the region.

After reviewing all of the information, Chen Chu pondered deeply. "This time, the opponents in the ruin will likely include the Demon God Cult, the Demon Cult Alliance, and elite powerhouses from various alien races."

Thirty life engraving wheels, equivalent to thirty years old for humans, worked differently for the alien races in the mythical world due to their unique perception of time.

In the mythical world, thirty day-cycles equaled one year, meaning those "thirty-year-old" alien powerhouses had actually cultivated for roughly ninety years—practically elders by human standards.

However, thanks to the Blue Planet’s unique traces of time, which accelerated cultivation progress, humanity’s shorter cultivation time often resulted in faster advancements. In contrast, alien races, despite their extended cultivation periods, experienced much slower growth.

This difference was even evident in the Purgatory Clan. With thirty day-cycles amounting to a year, humanity could produce three new batches of middle-to-low-tier cultivators in that time span, while a demon of the Purgatory Clan would only grow a single "year" older.

This stark contrast was one reason the Federation had managed to hold out against their foes for so long: the rapid replacement of fresh cultivators.

The disparity seemed to stem from the unique principles governing each world, which was also why the Federation sought to prevent the Blue Planet from being consumed by the mythical world.

If that occurred, humanity would lose its unique rapid-advancement advantage—an essential trait that had propelled humanity to rise as a major power in the mythical world.

In just fifty years, equivalent to five hundred day-cycles or sixteen mythical years, humanity had grown to its current strength, capable of contending with two empires of the Purgatory Clan. If given another hundred years, humanity could potentially produce several supreme powerhouses, dozens of heavenly kings, and hundreds of mythical-level kings.

At that point, a counterattack against the Purgatory Clan wouldn’t be impossible. Unfortunately, neither the mythical world nor the Purgatory Clan would allow humanity such luxury.

Chen Chu rubbed his temples, dismissing these concerns from his mind. Such matters felt too distant for him. His immediate goal was to break through to the king level. Only then would he have enough strength to truly influence the battlefield.

After setting the fighter jet to autopilot, Chen Chu headed to the cultivation chamber and sat cross-legged.

Phew!

Exhaling softly, he closed his eyes.

As his breathing slowed and his mind focused inward, wisps of radiant white energy, the world origins, began to emerge from within him.

On his path to godhood, Chen Chu had acquired over twenty strands of world origin. Later, in the core of the Black Forbidden Zone, while absorbing Profound Yellow Qi from the Heart of the World, he had gathered over twenty more.

Now, he possessed forty-nine strands of world origin—a number aligned with the Fundamental Calculation[1]. It was sufficient for him to complete the transformation of five laws within a short time.

Boom!

As Chen Chu guided a strand of world origin, an overwhelming aura radiated from him. Around his closed eyes, faint black and gray patterns began to appear. On his right arm, golden flame-like markings surfaced, while his left arm bore lightning-patterned streaks.

These markings seemed to embody fundamental truths of the universe, emanating a profound and mysterious aura.

Having reached the late stage of the Ninth Heavenly Realm, Chen Chu’s next step was to channel the world origins to touch upon the laws and begin tempering his true form through them.

This crucial step of comprehending the laws was an insurmountable hurdle for most late-stage Ninth Heavenly Realm experts. Yet, for Chen Chu, it posed no challenge.

His enhanced Void Death Eyes, which had been upgraded to divine transformation, allowed him direct access to high-level laws of void and death.

Additionally, his abilities born from fusing with the Battle Demon God’s True Form, the True Thousand-Tribulations Lightning, and the Extreme Heavenly Flame, could directly transform into high-level laws such as the Heavenly Great Sun Flame and Divine Thousand-Tribulations Lightning.

Compared to the Thunder Fiery Dragon Emperor, which had begun its metamorphosis and grasped eight high-level laws, Chen Chu could touch upon only four high-level laws at present.

However, beyond these four laws, his True Battle Demon God Form wielded three divine abilities that were comparable to laws and would grow in tandem with his strength. This effectively gave him access to seven high-level laws.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Upon breaking through to the king-level, he would integrate the four planar worlds he had condensed into a single grand opening of creation. If he successfully mastered supreme laws, Chen Chu’s main body would rival his avatar in defying the heavens.

Yet, for now, his four worlds remained underdeveloped, far from meeting the requirements for such a grand transformation. His limited cultivation time meant that the virtual planar worlds lacked both growth speed and depth.

While the Federation’s inventory held some god-level resources capable of nurturing virtual worlds, Chen Chu had already received many of them, such as World Star Core Fragments.

This limitation was another reason he was heading to the Alliance of Gods. Aside from seeking Soul Crystals to enhance the Taixu Nether Light Scripture, he hoped to obtain "world-type" resources to fortify his planar worlds.

Otherwise, even with his exceptional talent, it would take at least a decade for his four worlds to reach the threshold of integration and creation.

1. This refers to the fundamental oracular calculation. The term "fundamental calculation," which is from The Book of Changes, refers to the procedure for creating hexagrams by using fifty yarrow stalks. This method of calculation was believed to represent the process through which everything was created and evolved, and it was used to explore and understand the rules which govern changes and their underlying trends. ☜