Before entering Genesis City, one must pass through the Genesis Gate. Joe Di found this rather exasperating—the gate's inspection was just like an airport security check. Its purpose was to examine a cultivator's Dao resonance and the strength of their divine essence.
One of Genesis City's odd regulations was that cultivators who hadn't reached the Third Step were not allowed to enter.
This reminded Joe Di of the rules at Qiantan Manor—in this land, all sorts of strange regulations existed. It just depended on whether you were the one who could make the rules.
From Benjamin Edge and the others, Joe Di learned that Genesis City had an unmatched expert—the city lord, Byron True. Although his name sounded a bit lacking in backbone, he was actually one of the three legendary Creation Masters of the Chaotic Continent, a figure as famous as Quinn Yan.
Of the three great experts on the Chaotic Continent—besides Byron True and Quinn Yan—there was one whose name was even stranger: The Forgotten One. Byron True was the lord of Genesis City, Quinn Yan was also a Dao Master, but The Forgotten One was only known by reputation; few had ever seen him in person.
Even though Benjamin Edge and the others had been to Genesis City before, they still had to go through a security check at the entrance.
After passing through the Genesis Gate, cultivators were required not only to release all their divine sense, but also to strike with full force at the white jade pillar beside the gate.
Benjamin Edge was the first to undergo inspection. As he struck the pillar with a punch, Joe Di clearly saw a beam of light shoot up from the white jade pillar, rising to a height of two zhang before stopping.
Immediately, a row of characters appeared on the white jade plaque outside the Genesis Gate: Early Dao Integration Realm—entry permitted.
Joe Di knew Benjamin Edge was certainly stronger than Early Dao Integration Realm. Either he was holding back, or the Genesis Gate's inspection was particularly stringent.
Next, Cameron Yan, Woody Kee, and Ray Lawson were all inspected. Each of them barely qualified for Dao Integration—their results didn't even reach the Early Dao Integration Realm, just barely scraping by.
Joe Di was the last to enter. After some hesitation, he only released a third of his divine sense. He had always refined his divine sense, and because his techniques demanded extremely high standards, even his cultivation methods required powerful divine sense for greater perfection.
So Joe Di believed his divine sense was stronger than Benjamin Edge and the others. Since they had all held back their true cultivation, he naturally did the same.
With a third of his divine sense infused, Joe Di followed up with a punch—again, using just a third of his divine essence. If he unleashed his full power, he could support the seventh strike of Time's Third Loom. At full strength, Joe Di suspected he could shatter the white jade pillar. Genesis City was full of powerful cultivators, so he didn't dare show off; being a standout here was not wise.
An even more dazzling beam of light shot into the sky, drawing the attention of nearly every cultivator outside the city.
But when everyone saw that the beam of light fell back down before even reaching two zhang, their interest faded. The start was impressive, but the result was rather ordinary.
After the test, Joe Di walked out of the Genesis Gate and saw the words on the plaque ahead: Half-Step Dao Integration—entry permitted.
"Brother Joe, you hid your true cultivation, didn't you?" As soon as Joe Di stepped out, Cameron Yan asked with a cheerful smile.
They had witnessed Joe Di's strength firsthand. There was no reason they could all be at Dao Integration while Joe Di was only at Half-Step Dao Integration.
Joe Di smiled. "Weren't you all hiding your true cultivation as well, brothers?"
Benjamin Edge and the others exchanged glances. After a long moment, Woody Kee sighed and said, "Brother Joe, in a place like this, the stronger your cultivation appears, the better. The stronger you are, the more others will fear you. Who would bother hiding their cultivation here? Don't be fooled by us reaching Late Dao Integration or even Perfection; it's mostly superficial. The Genesis Gate is the real test. Many cultivators who reach Dao Integration come here for an inspection to see their true strength."
Joe Di fell silent. Only now did he realize that everyone else had gone all out, and he was the only one who had concealed two-thirds of his true strength.
Benjamin Edge interjected, "Brother Joe just arrived here, so it's better to keep a low profile. He's still quite young—if his cultivation is too strong, it will draw the attention of powerful figures. Even if Brother Joe isn't afraid, we're here to get things done, not to attract attention..."
"Are you Joe Di?" A sudden voice interrupted Benjamin Edge.
The speaker was a burly middle-aged man who glanced at Joe Di with a sideways look, clearly not taking him seriously.
Seeing someone block Joe Di's way, Benjamin Edge and the others spread out, surrounding the burly man.
The burly man swept his gaze dismissively over Benjamin Edge and the others, then fixed a cold stare on Joe Di. "The Dao Master wants you to come with me. If you resist, bear the consequences."
"Quinn Yan's lackey? If you want to invite Old Joe, tell Quinn Yan to come himself." Joe Di understood and chuckled.
"Courting death." The burly man reached out to grab Joe Di.
Just as Joe Di was about to strike him down with a blade, Benjamin Edge's voice transmission arrived in time: "Don't act—he won't dare harm you."
Sure enough, the burly man's hand stopped several feet from Joe Di. "Kid, you've got guts. I don't believe you'd dare leave Genesis City."
Everyone understood that what he meant was Quinn Yan would be arriving soon. The burly man would wait for Joe Di outside Genesis City, and if Joe Di dared step out, it would be suicide.
Joe Di replied calmly, "You're lucky."
Joe Di said the man was lucky because of Benjamin Edge's timely voice transmission. If Benjamin Edge had been a moment later, Joe Di would have struck without hesitation. No matter what the rules of Genesis City were, he would have acted in self-defense. Even if the burly man was just posturing, Joe Di would have cut him down before he could stop.
The burly man sneered, said no more, and strode away—immediately releasing several flying swords.
Joe Di knew he was probably reporting to Quinn Yan, informing him that Joe Di had arrived at Genesis City. But since he dared come here, he wasn't afraid of Quinn Yan at all.
"Brother Joe, let's find a place to stay first. Then I'll take you to see Genesis City's Treasure Hall." Benjamin Edge clearly wasn't concerned about Quinn Yan.
Joe Di's defeat of Du Pingshan was still fresh in their minds. In other words, Joe Di was about as strong as Quinn Yan, so they had no reason to fear him.
"Treasure Hall?" Joe Di asked in confusion.
Benjamin Edge chuckled, "Every artifact in the Treasure Hall is a top-tier treasure of Genesis City. The most precious is the Oath Platform. Rumor has it this artifact isn't from this universe. The Oath Platform not only lets you clearly question your Dao, but also allows you to make vows. Any oath made before it is bound by rules that surpass even the Third Step of the Dao. So if you swear an oath before the Oath Platform, it will certainly be fulfilled. Besides the Oath Platform, there's also a..."
"Wait a minute..." Joe Di quickly stopped Benjamin Edge. "You said you can swear oaths before the Oath Platform, and those vows are bound by rules that surpass even the Third Step of the Dao?"
What does it mean to surpass the Third Step of the Dao? It means there's simply no way to break it. In the Five Elements Universe, even the strongest cultivators only reach the Creation Realm, and that's still within the bounds of the Third Step's rules.
"Of course. The origins of the Oath Platform are unknown, but it definitely exceeds this universe," Benjamin Edge affirmed.
"Let's go. We'll check out the Treasure Hall first, then find a place to stay," Joe Di said decisively. He understood exactly why Benjamin Edge wanted him to see the Treasure Hall.
When they destroyed the core of the region's protective array and prepared to escape, they could break into the Treasure Hall and snatch a few items before leaving.
If the Oath Platform really existed, Joe Di would definitely seize it. That artifact would be incredibly useful to him right now.
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)