Taking a Master?

In the lounge of an unassuming training residence within 'Chaos City,' the sacred training ground of the cosmic human race. Luo Feng sat on a chair, his head bowed as he read a book the black-robed envoy had given him earlier. A passage in the book read: "Those who can clear the 18th level of the Sky-Reaching Bridge are true elites among our cosmic human race, Grandmaster-level existences among the Undying. They are directly granted permanent residency in Chaos City and can establish their own schools, take on disciples, and give lectures within Chaos City, earning immense respect! As for cultivators who come to Chaos City, any who pass the third level of the Sky-Reaching Bridge can attend lectures. You may attend any Grandmaster's lecture. However, if you wish to become a disciple of a particular Grandmaster, your first lecture must be attended under that Grandmaster to show respect, and then you may request to take them as your master! If the Grandmaster agrees, then your apprenticeship is successful. Remember! Unless you have no intention of taking a master, if you wish to become a disciple of someone, your first lecture must be with them. This is a sign of respect." After reading this passage, Luo Feng finally understood why the black-robed envoy had emphasized the importance of the first lecture. "Taking a master?" Luo Feng frowned slightly. "Taking a master is excellent, Luo Feng! Those who can lecture in Chaos City are all Grandmasters among the Undying, every single one of them a King-level existence," Babata exclaimed excitedly. "When you are still weak, having a super-powerful expert guide you is incredibly important. For example… if Zhenyan King hadn't reminded you to learn 'Flowing Blood' earlier, you might have taken a detour like ordinary cultivators." "I already have a master," Luo Feng felt a slight reservation. "It's fine!" Babata said dismissively, "Experts in the cosmos have incredibly long lifespans. Perhaps they take a master at the Planetary stage, then another at the Universe stage, and yet another when they become a Sector Lord. Different strengths and different perspectives require different masters. It's perfectly normal for an expert to have dozens of masters." "Oh?" Luo Feng nodded gently. Such is the way in the cosmos. Among those who rank in the top 1000 of the Universe Peak Genius Battle, how many don't have a master? Yet, if these geniuses learned that a 'Cosmic Nation Lord' wished to take them as a disciple, they would undoubtedly be thrilled. When Rongjun was taken as a disciple by the Yuanchen Cosmic Nation Lord, it made many envious. "Who should I choose?" Luo Feng looked at the information on the 18 Grandmasters of the Jiuyu lineage in the book. These were all Grandmasters, Grandmasters among the Undying! They were far stronger than his previous master, the Yunmo Star Master. The Yunmo Star Master could barely achieve the Marquis rank, while these Grandmasters… each of them was considered very powerful even among King-level existences, and many of their disciples were Undying! "Who to choose?" "Who to choose?" Luo Feng muttered to himself, quickly finishing the profiles of the 18 Grandmasters. "Hmm, in Chaos City, the Jiuyu lineage has a total of 18 Grandmasters. Among these 18, four belong to the Virtual Universe Company: Yanlong King, Zhenyan King, Qianhuan King, and Jianhuang King. They all sound incredibly formidable." "Yanlong King? I've seen him in action!" Babata exclaimed excitedly. "Back then, your master and I entered a cosmic secret realm, enduring hardships to break into a planet shrouded in icy currents. I personally witnessed Yanlong King transform into a star within those icy currents, engulfing dozens of Undying beings and incinerating them to ashes, leaving them utterly annihilated!" "Transform into a star?" Luo Feng was startled. "Even more terrifying than a real star! For an Undying existence, destroying a star is too easy. But the star Yanlong King transformed into… in terms of temperature, it was far hotter than a real star. With a single move, he annihilated dozens of Undying beings, including two human Undying and others from races like the Machine Race. Yanlong King… is an incredibly, incredibly terrifying individual." "Oh?" Luo Feng held his breath. "Even the scoundrel who killed your master back then couldn't withstand a single move from him. To think he's now dedicated to lecturing in Chaos City," Babata sighed with emotion. "Yanlong, Qianhuan, Jianhuang, Zhenyan." Luo Feng looked at the four individuals' profiles, a hint of longing in his eyes. Most cultivators in Chaos City are divided into five major factions: the Virtual Universe Company, Giant Axe Martial Arena, Universe First Bank, Cosmic River Bank, and Cosmic Mercenary Alliance. Only a very small number of cultivators are lone wolves with no factional background. Inside a mansion. "Haha, Jianhuang, don't be too overconfident," the ape-man brute Zhenyan King laughed heartily. "Just look at yourselves," a man wearing purple combat armor and constantly carrying a golden combat sword on his back laughed loudly. "The three of you, one is an ape-man, one is a dragon-man, and another is gloomy all the time… Only I, Jianhuang, resemble Earthlings the most. If he doesn't choose me, who will he choose?" "Jianhuang, taking a master isn't about looks!" said the one with two dragon horns, a face covered in crimson dragon scales, and eyes that felt like two miniature stars. "Yanlong, in terms of strength, I'm not inferior to you, am I?" Jianhuang King laughed heartily. "Jianhuang is too smug. I think he'll miscalculate this time," said a black-robed figure whose appearance was like a void dream, impossible to discern clearly. "However, this Luo Feng is indeed a rare talent for our Jiuyu lineage, one not seen in hundreds of millions of years. To comprehend the first set of sword techniques from 'Flowing Blood' in just ten years, his talent is truly formidable, truly formidable." "That's why he should take me as his master. I'm a swordsman, after all," Jianhuang King chuckled. The four of them were all from the Jiuyu lineage, members of the Virtual Universe Company, and Grandmaster-level figures among the Undying, all lecturing in Chaos City, so their relationship was naturally very good. Every so often, the four of them would gather to discuss the Dao and even spar with each other. As for Luo Feng… He was an unexpected surprise for the Jiuyu lineage. In every batch of geniuses, there are always the most dazzling ones, like Bolan this session, who could be called the most outstanding in tens of millions of years! Luo Feng wasn't initially given much importance by these four, but then he suddenly cleared the second and third levels, clearly having comprehended the first set of sword techniques from 'Flowing Blood' in just ten years. This talent, others might not know, but the four of them, who studied the 'Jiuyu Chaos Stele,' understood it clearly! Terrifying! Extremely terrifying! To be able to study the essence of cosmic space, like Lianluo did back then, requires nothing less than supreme talent, temperament, and comprehension! If one couldn't comprehend the first set of sword techniques within twenty years, it meant there was no hope, yet Luo Feng comprehended it in just ten. "Bolan's main advantage was his initial lead. If we don't count that initial lead and only consider his rate of progress, this Luo Feng is in no way inferior to Bolan!" the black-robed figure's deep voice resonated, praising him. "Perhaps there have been a few who could rival Luo Feng over hundreds of millions of years, but they might not have chosen our Jiuyu lineage." "A super genius, rarely seen in hundreds of millions of years, for our Jiuyu lineage," Yanlong King also sighed. "How can we not nurture such a genius?" All four admired Luo Feng. It was natural for such a rare elite disciple to appeal to them, because a genius of such astonishing talent… if he didn't fall, had a great chance of becoming a Marquis or even a King in the future. Being able to cultivate a King-level disciple would also elevate their own status significantly. The master-disciple relationship is a very strong bond. "Jianhuang, being smug now is useless. Just watch, we'll see who he chooses as his master," Zhenyan King stroked the golden fur on his chin and chuckled. "Then let's wait and see!" Jianhuang King said confidently. Yanlong King and Qianhuan King watched with smiles. ... Several days later, in a special plane within the Virtual Universe. A tall, majestic divine palace floated amidst the clouds. Zhenyan King appeared directly on the plaza in front of the divine palace. Many guards stood on the plaza, each varying in height, but all sharing one common trait—they were ape-men! Whether black-furred ape-men, golden-furred ape-men, or gibbon-like ape-men, their fur color, height, and physique might differ, but they were all ape-men. "Hmph." Zhenyan King's expression was grim as he strode towards the divine palace's main entrance. "Palace Lord." "Palace Lord." The guards respectfully saluted. Zhenyan King stormed directly into the divine palace. On the thrones within, sixteen ape-men were already seated. Seeing Zhenyan King burst in, their expressions subtly changed. "What's going on?" Zhenyan King roared, his golden eyes sweeping over the other sixteen as he charged into the divine palace. "For this list of entrants to the Hong Alliance, why does my Kahuns Clan only have one spot?" "Zhenyan, you don't concern yourself with matters in Chaos City. This was a decision made collectively by us other Palace Lords after discussion," a black-furred ape-man, twelve meters tall, boomed, his voice echoing throughout the massive divine palace. "Nonsense!" Zhenyan King pointed at the giant ape-man before him and shouted, "Our Ape-man Race Sacred Palace has eighteen Palace Lords. Currently, the Sacred Lord is not involved, so matters are decided by us eighteen Palace Lords. I am also one of them. Normally, I'm too lazy to bother, but don't go too far. Your King Kong Clan gets four spots, and my Kahuns Clan only gets one?" "Zhenyan…" the black-robed ape-man growled. "Shut up!" Zhenyan King's gaze swept over the surrounding group. "I usually don't bother with these matters, but don't take me for a fool. If I'm truly displeased, I don't mind having a real-life battle and directly sealing you all away!" The other fifteen Palace Lords were speechless, yet dared not utter a sound. Zhenyan King was indeed a super-expert among the Ape-man Race, second only to the Sacred Lord, and the closest super-existence to the Venerable level. He rarely interfered in the affairs of the Ape-man Race. "In short, I don't like to bully people, but don't take me for a fool," Zhenyan King swept his gaze over the group. "If this happens again, it won't just be a theoretical discussion with you in the Virtual Universe; I'll come directly to your residences. Hmph!" With that, Zhenyan King turned and left. Ape-men held a significant proportion among the cosmic human race, seen everywhere. The Ape-man Race was also divided into tens of thousands of sub-races. This 'Ape-man Race Sacred Palace' was the highest echelon for all ape-man sub-races. "This Zhenyan, he's even bothering with this? Isn't he in Chaos City, focused on cultivating to become a Venerable?" a thin ape-man Palace Lord with fiery red eyes muttered. "It seems Zhenyan is still keeping an eye on his Kahuns Clan." These Palace Lords were quite helpless.