Joe Di nodded, "That's right. I am indeed from the Five Elements Universe."
The black-bearded man gave a thumbs up, "Not bad. There aren't many from the Five Elements Universe who make it here. Just your arrival alone shows your extraordinary strength. By the way, did you also come here using that millstone? Do you still have any Starshards to power it? I won't ask for them for free—I'll trade you the best things I have."
Genesis Millstone? And what are Starshards used to power it? Could he mean Starshards?
Joe Di didn't understand, but he guessed that reaching the Genesis Cradle wasn't limited to just the Rift of Annihilation.
"You want this?" Joe Di took out a Starshard and looked at the black-bearded man.
"You actually have more?" The black-bearded man grew excited, rubbing his hands as he said, "Daoist Di, this is extremely useful to me. You're from the Five Elements Universe, so you should know its laws are incomplete. That's why, in this universe, we're nothing but ants. You haven't reached the Creation Realm yet, so this isn't of much use to you...
Joe Di chuckled, "That's not right, my friend. Just because I haven't reached the Creation Realm yet, does that mean I'll never reach it in the future?"
The black-bearded man gave an awkward smile. "You should know, my strength here is also like that of an ant. The technique I cultivate is powerful, but sadly, it can't surpass the laws of this void. None of my great divine arts work against those bastards."
"What technique do you cultivate?" Joe Di couldn't help but ask. This guy claims his technique is powerful—could it be stronger than Joe Di's Path of Rules?
The black-bearded man grew solemn. "My common name is Eugene Fay. I cultivate the Karmic Way. In the Five Elements Universe, I am the Karmic Sage among the Ten Great Dao Lords. Of course, to the true powers here, the Ten Great Dao Lords are just a joke. Daoist Di, if you wish to learn my technique, I can immediately pass the complete Karmic Way to you. As long as you someday comprehend the cosmic laws of this universe, your Karmic Way will be able to affect the people here."
Joe Di chuckled, "And then I'd have to bear your karma, wouldn't I?"
The Karmic Sage gave an embarrassed laugh. "How could I ask you to bear my karma? I just hope to get a few Starshards. If you give me three Starshards, I guarantee I'll point you to the best place to attain the Creation Realm."
Clearly, the Karmic Sage knew exactly why Joe Di had come here.
Without hesitation, Joe Di took out three Starshards. However, he didn't hand them over immediately. Instead, he asked, "How many ways are there to reach the Genesis Cradle? What's the deal with that millstone you mentioned?"
"You actually entered through the Rift of Annihilation? You..." The Karmic Sage stared at Joe Di in shock. Joe Di's question had already revealed how he'd arrived.
Joe Di nodded, "That's right. I did come through the Rift of Annihilation. So what's the story with this millstone?"
The Karmic Sage seemed to forget all about the three Starshards, staring at Joe Di in disbelief before shaking his head. "Impossible. No cultivator from the Five Elements Universe can enter this place through the Rift of Annihilation. If you really could, you wouldn't need to come here at all..."
What the Karmic Sage meant was that if Joe Di truly had such power, he could easily establish himself in Genesis City.
"Don't worry about why I came here. Just tell me how the millstone route works—and how I can leave this place." Joe Di interrupted the Karmic Sage.
The Karmic Sage took a deep breath, finally accepting the fact that the Five Elements Universe had produced someone as powerful as Joe Di. "That millstone is called the Genesis Millstone. It's controlled by a group of powerful cultivators from Genesis City. Every time it's activated, it requires ten Starshards..."
So that's how it is—Joe Di understood.
He had spent more than ten years just to reach the Genesis Cradle. Most likely, Du Mo and Zhan Yiji got here by simply spending ten Starshards. This was all due to the lack of information; if he'd known, he wouldn't have needed to enter through the Rift of Annihilation.
But making a trip through the Rift of Annihilation was only beneficial for him.
"Summoning the Millstone is absolutely a top-tier treasure. Even Zhan Yiji isn't qualified to touch it. As for the way back, I honestly don't know. If you want to reach the Genesis Millstone, just find Quentin Yi, the First Alchemist Saint of Genesis City. Quentin Yi is very close to Jason Key, the Fifth Vice Mayor of Genesis City. Ning City killed one of Jason Key's sons, Billy Key, and that made things much harder for me here..."
The Karmic Sage didn't hide anything from Joe Di; he shared almost everything he knew.
Joe Di handed the three Starshards to Eugene Fay and asked, "Eugene Fay, could you tell me how to reach the very core of the Genesis Cradle?"
The Karmic Sage excitedly put away the three Starshards and handed Joe Di a directional jade slip. "Daoist Di, even if you hadn't asked, I would have given you this. But the place is quite far; it'll take at least a hundred years to get there from here. It's a pity I have urgent business, otherwise we could've made a deal together. The old geezers here took my best treasures, and I couldn't do a thing about it, sigh..."
After a sigh, the Karmic Sage continued, "Daoist Di, do you know the best place in the Genesis Cradle for cultivation or enlightenment?"
"I still need your guidance," Joe Di quickly replied with a cupped-fist salute. The Karmic Sage had been here for countless years—his knowledge was exactly what Joe Di needed.
"It's the Lawless Cradle..." The Karmic Sage clapped his hands, his voice full of unwillingness. "Legend has it that the Genesis Universe's Heaven-Earth laws were derived from the Lawless Cradle."
"What is the Lawless Cradle?" Joe Di asked quickly.
The Karmic Sage finally put away his unwillingness. "The most precious things in the Genesis Cradle are the various cosmic cradles. These cradles are where Grand Ways, star domains, or even universes are hatched. Do you know why this place is so vast and magnificent? It's because countless cosmic cradles have been hatched here. As long as there are still cosmic Grand Way cradles, the territory will keep expanding. Compared to the vast Genesis Cradle, too few people come here. So those undiscovered cosmic cradles eventually become boundless lands of law."
"Eugene Fay, do you mean the Lawless Cradle is the most precious among all these cosmic cradles?" Joe Di asked eagerly.
The Karmic Sage replied quickly, "That's right. The Lawless Cradle is a vast, chaotic nest untouched by any cosmic law. If you obtain one, you'll break through to the Creation Realm in the strongest way possible. And your understanding and insight into your original Grand Way will reach new heights.
Unfortunately, there are far too few of these cradles. Once a cosmic cradle appears here, it is soon invaded by Heaven-Earth laws and assimilated. I once found a Lawless Cradle, but I couldn't defeat those bastards—they drove me away. If I didn't have a few tricks up my sleeve, I would've been crushed to dust by them. Sigh, my strength is too low. Otherwise, I'd have fought my way back and made them taste karmic retribution and endless cycles."
Joe Di smiled, "Eugene Fay, even if you went back, that Lawless Cradle would already be occupied—used as a springboard for someone else's Grand Way, or assimilated into another set of Heaven-Earth laws."
"Not necessarily." The Karmic Sage shook his head. "Once a Lawless Cradle is discovered, it takes at least ten thousand years to break it open. If it were that easy, it would've been invaded by cosmic laws long ago, and we wouldn't have a chance to find it. The Lawless Cradle I found has only been discovered for a thousand years."
Joe Di's heart stirred. "Eugene Fay, would you be willing to sell me your Lawless Cradle?"
The Karmic Sage was stunned, then understood instantly. He looked at Joe Di in surprise. "Daoist Di, are you thinking of seizing that Lawless Cradle?"
Before Joe Di could answer, the Karmic Sage kept shaking his head. "Don't even think about it. Those people are a hundred times stronger than you can imagine..."
Joe Di chuckled, "That's my concern. Just tell me if you'll sell it or not. If you do, you need to give me the exact location and record your testimony in a crystal sphere as proof."
The Karmic Sage laughed heartily, not hesitating for a moment. "Sell? Of course I'll sell! Name your price. Not only will I tell you the location, I'll leave you all my experiences from these years in the Genesis Cradle."
He didn't say he'd give it to Joe Di for free; as the Karmic Sage, he knew no one would dare take his things for nothing, even if he couldn't decide their fate now—since everything was tied to karma.
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)