Chaos City.
Not far from the inner residence of the City Lord's mansion, a silver-white nine-story estate had quietly taken shape.
It belonged to Jiang Yan.
With invincible king-level combat power, the record of clearing the twenty-first floor of the Tongtian Bridge, and personal recognition from the Chaos City Lord himself, Jiang Yan had long since obtained permanent residency rights within Chaos City.
For existences of this level, constructing a private mansion here required less than an hour.
Inside the newly completed residence, silver walls reflected soft light. The spatial layout was elegant yet restrained, clearly designed for long-term cultivation rather than ostentation.
Ai Chen walked through the hall, her gaze sweeping across the interior. She smiled faintly.
"It's a pity we're leaving so soon," she said. "Otherwise, I could meet Janet and the others in reality."
"There will be chances later," Jiang Yan replied calmly.
The Chaos City Lord had already dispatched a spaceship to the Qianwu Universe Country to escort Janet and the others. With Jiang Yan's current authority, bringing them to Chaos City was no longer a problem.
In the Primordial Universe, there was no place safer than Chaos City.
Given Jiang Yan's future trajectory, being deliberately targeted by foreign races was inevitable. Once that happened, anyone close to him could become leverage.
Bringing Janet, Venina, Jiang Fang, Yao Jiao, Tang Yongqing, and his children here was the most secure option.
As for the countless later descendants…
Jiang Yan felt little attachment.
Children and grandchildren had their own paths. He had already done enough.
The Destroying Behemoth body will remain here, Jiang Yan thought calmly. Along with the natal primordial nucleus.
As long as his core remained in Chaos City, assassination risks became irrelevant.
With the Demon Slayer Clan body accompanying him outside—and unless a Universe Venerable personally intervened—he was effectively untouchable.
At that moment, a voice echoed simultaneously in Jiang Yan's and Ai Chen's minds.
"Assembly order issued."
Ai Chen looked up.
"His Holiness is calling everyone."
Jiang Yan nodded.
Through the mansion's exterior projection, a dark-blue fish-shaped spaceship hovered above Chaos City. Streams of figures were already converging toward it from every direction.
"Let's go."
They rose into the air and joined the flow.
Inside the ship's lounge, more than eight hundred surviving geniuses gathered.
The thirty years in Chaos City had reshaped them all.
Those who survived had naturally formed small circles.
As Jiang Yan and Ai Chen entered, familiar faces approached—Luo Feng, Hong, Thor, Rong Jun, and Uka among them.
Uka immediately crossed his arms, looking thoroughly dissatisfied.
"You people are absurd," he complained. "Especially you, Hong. We agreed it'd be me, Rong Jun, the madman, and you as the Four Heroes of Taichu!"
He pointed accusingly.
"And now you've cleared the twentieth Illusion Sea island and jumped straight into the Primordial Secret Realm. Congratulations—now I can barely scrape together a 'Primordial Three Heroes.'"
Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow.
Luo Feng and Rong Jun exchanged glances, both suppressing smiles.
No one here had agreed to that title.
"And you too, Luo Feng," Uka continued, undeterred. "Seventh floor of the Tongtian Bridge. Same as Hong and Bolan. Completely unreasonable."
"If you see the gap," Luo Feng replied mildly, "then work harder."
Uka fell silent.
Rong Jun turned toward Jiang Yan, curiosity evident.
"Great Demon King, you didn't challenge the Tongtian Bridge these past few days?"
Several nearby figures—Bolan, Long Yun, and others—subtly leaned closer.
Jiang Yan answered simply.
"I didn't."
Rong Jun frowned.
"Why not? With your talent, clearing four or five more floors should've been easy."
"Exactly," Uka sighed. "And the points were multiplied tenfold."
Luo Feng, Hong, and Thor all smiled but said nothing.
Points?
Jiang Yan had already emptied every valuable source.
Before further discussion could continue, the atmosphere shifted.
A figure in a blue battle robe stepped into the hall.
Pressure descended instantly.
Conversation died on the spot.
Venerable Nine Swords.
His gaze lingered on Jiang Yan for a heartbeat longer than on the others, then swept across the crowd.
"You have spent thirty years in Chaos City," he said evenly. "Today, you leave."
The spaceship began to accelerate.
"We have already exited the Initial Universe."
His voice remained calm, yet heavy.
"Your comfortable days are over. From here, you will be distributed to the Primordial, Taichu, Heaven and Earth, and Doomsday secret realms."
"There will be no more protection like Chaos City."
He paused.
"I hope that when we meet again… at least five hundred of you are still alive."
Silence filled the hall.
Moments later, the ship slowed. The hatch opened.
Beyond it stretched the Virtual Universe Company Headquarters—a vast continental platform suspended in the starry sky, so enormous that nearby stars looked like grains of sand.
Assignments were announced swiftly.
"Primordial Area—Jiang Yan, Hong, Bolan, Ai Chen. Remain."
"Taichu Area—Luo Feng, Rong Jun, Uka, Qianshui…"
"Heaven and Earth Area—second magenta ship."
"Doomsday Area—largest black ship."
More than eight hundred figures rose together.
Farewells followed—brief, restrained, sincere.
Thor laughed loudly as he departed.
"Take care, everyone!"
Luo Feng stopped before Jiang Yan.
"Third brother… I'll reach the Primordial Area in the next qualification battle."
Jiang Yan nodded.
Bolan watched from a distance, eyes burning.
"I'll surpass you," he vowed silently.
The ships departed.
In the remaining hall, Jiang Yan, Ai Chen, Hong, and Bolan stood before Venerable Nine Swords.
The venerable's thoughts were complicated.
Every demon he wanted… belonged to someone else.
Only Bolan remained unattached.
Suppressing his emotions, he spoke evenly.
"The Primordial Secret Realm is closest to headquarters. I'll escort you personally—and explain its structure along the way."
Far away, aboard the meteorite-shaped vessel, Meteorite King addressed Luo Feng and the others.
"The Primordial Secret Realm," he said slowly, "is a developed universe secret realm."
"Some secret realms grant fortune. Others erase even Universe Lords."
His gaze sharpened.
"Points matter more than anything else."
Luo Feng's eyes burned with anticipation.
As the fleets dispersed into the dark universe, a single truth became clear:
Chaos City was behind them.
The real journey had finally begun.