Primitive Secret Realm, Manor 111.
The moment Jiang Yan returned, he didn't pause for even a breath.
He entered the secret cultivation chamber, sealed it completely, and immediately took out the Chaos Green Lotus Seeds he had obtained from the ninth level of the Chaos Abyss. Without hesitation, he entered deep seclusion.
At his current stage, everything else could wait.
What mattered most was space.
If he could completely master the Law of Space, he would be able to break through directly—from Realm Master to Universe Venerable, crossing the most critical threshold in his cultivation path.
Among the three supreme mysteries of the Law of Space—Teleportation, Strangulation, and Blockade—he had already grasped the first two. Only the final mystery, Blockade, remained.
For ordinary cultivators, this final step could take tens of thousands of years.
But Jiang Yan was different.
Under the joint guidance of Red Kite, Star Fantasy King, and others—and supported by his own near-cheat-level comprehension—he had already reached the very edge of mastering it.
As the Demon-Slayer Body devoted itself entirely to comprehending the Law of Space, Jiang Yan's other bodies were not idle.
The Earthling Body focused all its effort on cultivating the Demon Hidden God-Killing Code, refining its understanding of slaughter, suppression, and domination.
Meanwhile, the Ruined Giant Beast Body remained in Chaos City, immersed in the primal environment of the Initial Universe, tirelessly comprehending the Law of Time.
Three bodies.
Three paths.
One will.
Time passed like a white horse flashing through a crack in the wall.
In the blink of an eye—
Three full years passed.
Inside the cultivation chamber, Jiang Yan slowly opened his eyes.
A faint halo of chaos lingered around him, rising and falling with his breath.
"Didn't expect a single Chaos Green Lotus Seed to last three full years," he muttered.
The effect was outrageous.
It felt almost identical to cultivating inside the Initial Universe's Chaos City, where laws were laid bare before the cultivator's eyes.
At that moment, a familiar system notification rang out:
[Ding! You used Chaos Green Lotus Seeds to cultivate the Law of Space.]
[Critical Rule Triggered — Ten-Thousand-Fold Gain!]
[Law of Space: 91 / 100]
Jiang Yan's lips curved upward.
"So close."
A ten-thousand-fold gain in one strike had directly advanced his progress by over thirty points. Without the system's critical amplification, that leap alone might have taken several thousand years.
"It really has to be the system," Jiang Yan chuckled.
Of course, he also knew that the further he progressed, the harder it would be to trigger such absurd critical gains again.
Still—
Even without them, he was already standing at the threshold.
"Open personal information panel."
With a thought, the familiar interface unfolded before him.
[Name: Jiang Yan]
[Warrior Realm: Realm Master Level 9 (99 / 100)]
[Spiritualist: Realm Master Level 9 (99 / 100)]
[Laws]
• Time & Space Integration: 23 / 100 → Perfect
• Time: 55 / 100 → Perfect
• Space: 91 / 100 → Perfect
• Gold-Thunder Fusion: 81 / 100 → Perfect
• Thunder & Lightning: 52 / 100 → Perfect
• Light: 1 / 100 → Perfect
• Wind: 1 / 100 → Perfect
• Gold: 1 / 100 → Perfect
• Wood: 1 / 100 → Perfect
• Water: 1 / 100 → Perfect
• Fire: 1 / 100 → Perfect
• Earth: 1 / 100 → Perfect
[Thunder Prison: Ninth Level (99 / 100)]
[Talent Secrets]
• Time Stands Still
• Thunderstorm
• Replication
• Breeding Clones
• Demon-Killing Domain
[Techniques]
• Demon Hidden God-Killing Code — Hunyuan Lord Level (Immortal Chapter: 99 / 100)
• Four Elephant Gun Code — Top Universe Overlord Level (Immortal Chapter: 95 / 100)
• Thunder Prison Suppression Code — Top Universe Overlord Level (Immortal Chapter: 93 / 100)
Over these three years, Jiang Yan's gains had been terrifying.
Not only had the Law of Space surged forward, but the Time-Space Integration Law had reached the Great Completion stage.
Thanks to the Ruined Giant Beast Body cultivating within Chaos City, the Law of Time had also progressed rapidly—only slightly slower than the Demon-Slayer Body empowered by the system.
Most importantly—
He had fully mastered the final mystery of the Law of Space.
Blockade.
Something that countless Realm Masters failed to grasp over entire lifetimes… he had completed in just three years.
"Ridiculous efficiency," Jiang Yan said softly.
His gaze shifted to the technique panel.
The Demon Hidden God-Killing Code had reached 99% completion two years ago.
Yet he still couldn't cultivate the Universe Venerable Chapter.
Why?
Because that final chapter required perfect mastery of Time and Space Integration.
In other words—
He needed to fully comprehend both superior laws and their fusion.
"That's the real bottleneck," Jiang Yan murmured.
Compared to understanding Time or Space individually, integrating them was exponentially harder.
After all, comprehending either law alone already qualified one to become a Universe Venerable.
Combining them?
That was the path of true overlords.
Then—
A thought struck him.
"Maybe…"
"What if I comprehend them at the moment of breakthrough?"
Jiang Yan's eyes brightened.
He had already mastered Time Stillness, the most difficult of the three temporal mysteries. Time Acceleration and Deceleration were far less demanding in comparison.
Once he completed all three mysteries of both Time and Space, full comprehension would be inevitable.
At that point—
His breakthrough would not produce an ordinary Universe Venerable.
It would create a Universe Overlord.
"Enough preparation," Jiang Yan said, standing up.
"Time to cross the Twenty-First Floor."
With a thought, his consciousness connected to the Virtual Universe Network.
The Tongtian Bridge Plane unfolded before him.
Originally, Jiang Yan had planned to challenge the twenty-first floor immediately after leaving the Chaos Abyss.
But the Chaos Green Lotus Seed's effect had extended his cultivation for three full years.
Now—
He was more than ready.
Virtual Universe — Tongtian Bridge Plane
Baffin yawned lazily, glancing toward the overpass.
"Another failure," he muttered.
As expected, a dejected figure soon emerged from the Cosmic Bridge.
"Lord Guardian," the cultivator said respectfully, then left.
Baffin shook his head, closed his eyes, and prepared to nap.
Buzz—
A sudden spatial fluctuation rippled through the plane.
Baffin's eyes snapped open.
A figure stepped out of the void.
Black military robes.
A pair of wings folded behind his back.
A crimson blade held loosely in hand.
Baffin straightened instantly.
"Demon—Your Highness!" he exclaimed, eyes lighting up.
"Are you confident you can pass the Twenty-First Floor this time?"
The newcomer was Jiang Yan.
Or rather—
The Demon Emperor, the identity he used when challenging the Tongtian Bridge.
Only a handful of people knew that the Demon Emperor and Jiang Yan were the same person.
Baffin was one of them.
"Baffin," Jiang Yan greeted with a smile.
"I should be able to pass."
Baffin laughed immediately.
"Then congratulations in advance, Your Highness!"
Anyone else saying those words might be boasting.
But this was Jiang Yan—the undisputed first genius of the human race.
Three years ago, he had fought the Twenty-First Floor gatekeeper for hours, losing only by the smallest margin.
Now?
Baffin had absolute faith.
"Is the bridge clear?" Jiang Yan asked.
"Yes," Baffin replied promptly.
"You may enter at any time."
Jiang Yan nodded.
In the next instant, his figure blurred—
And vanished, reappearing directly on the Twenty-First Floor of the Tongtian Bridge.
The decisive battle—
Was about to begin.