Chapter 131: The Path of the Future, Jiang Chen’s Ambition (Part 2)

In the Virtual Universe, within his manor in the Primordial Secret Realm, Jiang Chen was surprised to see his visitor. "Lord Gatekeeper? Why have you come here?"

The visitor was none other than Baffin, the gatekeeper of the Heavenly Bridge plane. Baffin, created by the Virtual Universe system to guard that realm, had never once left his post. For him to visit his manor now, Jiang Chen was naturally astonished.

Baffin smiled. "This is merely a clone; my true self has not left the Heavenly Bridge plane. You must keep the fact that I have come to see you confidential."

Confidential? Jiang Chen was puzzled, but he quickly composed himself and invited Baffin inside. "Lord Gatekeeper, please, let us speak in the study."

Jiang Chen was tactful; since Baffin had requested secrecy, his study, where no one could intrude, was the most suitable place for a conversation. Upon entering, Jiang Chen activated his permissions, completely isolating the study from the outside world. While such a feature did not exist in reality, it was a simple matter in the Virtual Universe.

Once that was done, Jiang Chen asked, "Lord Gatekeeper, what is the purpose of your visit?"

"Uchiha Shisui and Ersu—they are both your clones, aren't they?" Baffin’s first sentence caused Jiang Chen’s expression to shift sharply. However, the next moment, Jiang Chen calmed down and quickly deduced a possibility.

*Does the Chaos City Lord know the identity of my clones?*

Jiang Chen wondered. Whether in reality or the Virtual Universe, neither identity had ever been exposed. Even when opening a bank account as "Uchiha Shisui," he had simply used a space ring filled with universe crystals. On the surface, there had been no interaction between his three identities. If there were any possibility of exposure, it would most likely be the Chaos City Lord, who guarded Chaos City. Generations of human geniuses entered the Primordial Universe and were "vetted" by the Chaos City Lord to ensure they were not spies from other races. Since the City Lord could detect soul transference and soul slavery, it was not strange that he could see through his use of the [Heavenly Demon Soul] to alter his soul and mental fluctuations.

Jiang Chen did not know that he had missed one detail: not all Universe Masters could see through the anomalies of his clone’s soul. It was only because this was the Primordial Universe, and the Chaos City Lord possessed supreme "permissions" over it, that he could perceive the irregularities. In the Primordial Universe, even a Universe Master controlling space and time would find it difficult to distinguish his identities without prior knowledge. It was precisely because he had discerned this that the Chaos City Lord held Jiang Chen in such high regard. A "disguise" that even ordinary Universe Masters could not see through might not be very useful while one was weak, but once he possessed sufficient strength, it would be a formidable weapon.

In a brief moment, countless thoughts raced through Jiang Chen's mind. Deny it? There was no need. Since Baffin had visited him personally, he must have confirmed it entirely. Playing dumb would only be counterproductive if he were caught in a lie.

Having realized this, Jiang Chen nodded directly. "That is correct, my lord. How did you find out?" He hoped to confirm his suspicions through Baffin. If it were the Chaos City Lord who discovered it, that was fine; if it were discovered elsewhere, it might not be a good thing.

"So they really are all one person..." Baffin felt complex emotions. Even he had not realized that Jiang Chen, Uchiha Shisui, and Ersu were the same person. If not for the message from that great figure, he would still be in the dark. Recalling that great figure's order, Baffin did not hesitate. "It was a great personage who told me. As for who it is, you had better not ask."

"Understood, I will not ask," Jiang Chen replied readily. Anyone Baffin referred to as a "great personage" must possess strength and status far exceeding his teacher, Phantom Spirit King. Since the other party did not want to say, Jiang Chen dared not pry.

"That great personage asked me to inquire about one thing. You must think carefully before you answer!" Baffin’s expression turned solemn as he stared into Jiang Chen's eyes. "Do you have a clear idea of the path you want to take in the future?!"

After a pause, Baffin added, "It is a bit early to decide your future path at the Universe level. That great personage does not require an answer now, but your response may affect your future development."

The path he would take? Jiang Chen sought clarification. "Lord Gatekeeper, does 'path' refer to cultivation, or something else?"

"Cultivation," Baffin replied directly. "If you have not decided, you may defer your answer."

"I can answer now," Jiang Chen said, organizing his thoughts. "The path I wish to take is to master the universe, and even everything beyond it! Whether it is as a martial artist or a spirit reader—matter, soul, external objects—all methods are merely aids. My ultimate goal is to master all known, unknown, and even unknowable truths!"

"Knowledge? Truth?" Baffin pondered Jiang Chen's words, his expression unreadable. After a few seconds, he nodded slightly. "I have heard your answer. Do not mention this visit to anyone. As for the secret of your three clones, you must continue to keep it confidential."

"I understand, Lord Gatekeeper." Jiang Chen bowed and asked, "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Do not ask about anything else," Baffin shook his head. "Continue your work. Cultivate when you should, and challenge the Heavenly Bridge when you should. I will report your answer; what those great personages decide to do thereafter is not for me to question."

Although he had gained no valuable information, Jiang Chen bowed again in gratitude. "Thank you, Lord Gatekeeper."

"I am leaving. Remember to keep this secret." With those words, Baffin vanished into thin air.

Watching the spot where Baffin had disappeared, Jiang Chen felt puzzled, contemplating how this meeting might affect him. Despite his vague suspicions, he lacked enough information to form a rigorous or reliable judgment. After pondering for a long while, he had to abandon the analysis and suppress his restless thoughts, turning his focus back to his research. The design for the "Void Dragon Mecha" had only just begun to take shape.

***

Elsewhere, after receiving Baffin's report, the Chaos City Lord and the others looked at each other in silence.

"Not the martial path, not the illusionist path, nor the pure technological path."

"Mastering all knowledge and truth?"

"This little guy has far too much ambition!"

The Lord of Darkness, the Lord of Dragon Walk, and the Lord of荒鉴 (Huang Jian) all voiced their opinions. Among them, the Lord of Dragon Walk was quite proficient in "technology." However, at their level of power, with enough time and effort, one could achieve significant results even in a system one was least suited for. While they might not necessarily reach the level of a Universe Master, they wouldn't be far off.

As the top brass of the human race, the Chaos City Lord, the Lord of Darkness, and the Lord of Huang Jian had a deep understanding of various knowledge and technologies. Precisely because they understood, they knew how exaggerated the difficulty of Jiang Chen's ambition was.

*Everything "knowledge" and "truth."*

This included far more than just technology. It involved laws, rules, and "cognition" of the universe and what lay beyond it. If one added Jiang Chen's "all known, unknown, and unknowable," it reached a level they could not even fathom. Among these three, even "known" was difficult to fully grasp. Everyone had different aptitudes, and even with infinite lifespans, one could not necessarily learn all "knowledge" and "truth." As for the "unknown," it meant surpassing all current powerhouses and opening up a higher realm.

If there were a slim chance of achieving the first two with extraordinary talent, the word "unknowable" led them to believe Jiang Chen's ambition was far too vast and impossible to realize. What was unknowable? It was a domain restricted by invisible rules of the world, and even beyond the world, which no life could touch.

To explore the "unknowable," one must first transcend the rules themselves.

"The Supreme Rules..." the Lord of Darkness mused, thinking of a very special rule within the Universe Ocean. Across generations of reincarnation, countless eras... at least according to the evidence discovered so far, there was no possibility of transcending the Supreme Rules. Even the strongest in the universe, or those who existed before countless reincarnation eras, could not escape the suppression of the Supreme Rules.

"Great ambition is not necessarily a bad thing. Even if you aim for the top and only reach the middle, or aim for the middle and reach the bottom, a greater ambition might lead to higher future achievements," the Chaos City Lord said, pulling everyone's attention back.

"But this is tricky," the Lord of Dragon Walk said. "The path this little guy wants to take doesn't fit any of us. It's different from the path of any powerhouse in our race's history, or even any powerhouse in the entire Primordial Universe."

"Indeed. Any of us three could teach him, but none of us are the most suitable teacher," the Lord of Darkness agreed.

"In any case, it was my Universe Mercenary Alliance that discovered him first," the Lord of Huang Jian added, not forgetting to emphasize Jiang Chen’s affiliation.

"If Brother Tian Gong were still alive, he would be suitable. Although the paths aren't identical, Brother Tian Gong's path had some compatibility with this little guy's. Alas..." The Lord of Dragon Walk sighed. In the process of the human race's rise, too many powerhouses had fallen. The Lord of Tian Gong was one of the most regrettable. It could be said that for the human race to reach the peak of technology, second only to the Automaton race, half the credit belonged to the Lord of Tian Gong, who had fallen countless ages ago.

"Chaos, what do you intend to do?" the Lord of Darkness asked. Among the human elite, the Lord of Darkness was extremely powerful, not inferior to the Chaos City Lord, but he rarely involved himself in administration. Managing the race was primarily the Chaos City Lord's duty.

Before the Chaos City Lord could answer, the Lord of Huang Jian interjected, "I say we set up trials. Whoever's trial he completes, he shall take as his teacher."

The Lord of Darkness rolled his eyes. "And if he passes all three of our trials, do we all take him as a disciple?! In the history of our human race, has anyone ever apprenticed under three Universe Masters at once?"

"If he is truly monstrous enough, what's wrong with making an exception?" the Lord of Huang Jian countered. "I don't just propose we three set trials; I think if this little guy's performance is monstrous enough, all Universe Masters of the race, and even top-tier Venerables who walk special systems, could set trials. This little guy wants to master all knowledge and truth, doesn't he? Then he must integrate millions of paths into himself. As long as he can learn, why shouldn't the powerhouses of every path teach him everything they know? However, I doubt such a heaven-defying monster exists. I suspect he might not even pass my trial!"

The Lord of Dragon Walk and the Lord of Darkness were speechless, not wanting to argue with this stubborn fellow.

"Apprenticing to everyone is indeed too absurd," the Chaos City Lord shook his head. "But setting trials, where passing one allows him to learn another's path, might not be unfeasible."

The Lord of Dragon Walk was skeptical. "Without the formal title of master and disciple, who would be willing to teach everything they know?"

The Chaos City Lord looked deeply at the Lord of Dragon Walk. "An ordinary genius would, of course, not receive such treatment. But what if he were a disciple of Teacher Origin?"

"Teacher Origin..." the Lord of Dragon Walk asked, puzzled. "Chaos, are you going to disturb the Teacher for this little guy?" Contacting Teacher Origin was no easy task. While there were means to reach him through the Virtual Universe, every contact came at a heavy price. Even major decisions made at the "Giant Axe Meeting" were not easily brought to Teacher Origin's attention.

The Chaos City Lord hesitated for a long time before saying, "Let us first see how talented this little guy truly is. If it is genuinely possible for him to reach our level, combined with the uniqueness of his soul, it would be worth disturbing the Teacher." He emphasized, "But he must demonstrate talent at least on par with our own."

These words sounded like an explanation, yet also like an attempt to convince himself.