Joe Di was well aware that Jace Neal had left on his own; he had never intended to kill him. This wasn't the Five Elements Universe, so there was no need to eliminate Jace Neal. What mattered most to him right now was to quickly gather a large amount of Starshard and then leave Vast Chaos to find a place to seclude himself for cultivation.
Once he succeeded in reaching the Convergence Realm, he would immediately head to the Trinity Universe.
Boom! Another batch of Starshard was blasted out from the vortex, and these Starshards were even more pristine and white than before—their higher purity was obvious at a glance.
Joe Di didn't rush forward. Instead, his hands swept out with Way Resonance, and in just a short moment, he had gathered up this batch of Starshard.
Before Joe Di could put away this batch of Starshard, a figure shot out from the depths of Vast Chaos. Even before the person arrived, a wild, booming laugh echoed over.
"Hahaha! To think I'd run into the opening of a Universe Transmission Passage—hmm..." As the last syllable faded, a middle-aged man in plain clothes, with an ordinary appearance, landed right in front of Joe Di.
"Are you Joe Di?" The middle-aged man finally realized who was before him. After asking four times, he burst out laughing again, "You really did come back again."
Joe Di paid him no mind; his spiritual sense was already locked onto the newcomer. This man was a Convergence Realm powerhouse, his Way Resonance as boundless and unfathomable as the ocean.
Joe Di frowned slightly. He had only sensed such a terrifying Way Resonance from one other person before—Henry Vaughn. The man before him seemed nearly as strong as Henry Vaughn. From what Joe Di could deduce, Henry Vaughn should be at the Creation Realm, while this fellow was probably just at the Convergence Realm. If he was this formidable right after reaching the Convergence Realm, one could imagine how powerful he'd be after achieving Creation.
"That's right, I'm Joe Di. Who are you?" Joe Di wasn't the least bit surprised.
"Who I am, you'll find out eventually. If you must know now, just think of me as the Supreme Sage of the Five Elements Universe. You've been here quite some time—surely you've gathered plenty of Starshard?" the middle-aged man said calmly.
A familiar aura surged forth, and Joe Di finally realized who the man before him was—he had met him once before. This was Sage Bodhi, the one who had given him the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed. Although Sage Bodhi and this middle-aged man looked nothing alike, Joe Di was certain it was him.
This guy was Dominic Du. There was no real grudge between him and Dominic Du, yet ever since Dominic Du learned of his existence, he'd begun scheming against him. Joe Di truly couldn't fathom why Dominic Du was so fixated on him.
If he hadn't first obtained The Vanished One and then the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed, he would have already fallen victim to Dominic Du's machinations.
Not only him, but even his lover after reincarnation was forced to die under Dominic Du's schemes.
But he felt helpless; from the very start, the gap between him and Dominic Du was unfathomably vast. No, it couldn't even be measured by numbers—it was far greater than ten thousand miles.
So even knowing Dominic Du was plotting against him, knowing his own reincarnation was orchestrated by Dominic Du, knowing Cassie Cao died because of Dominic Du—even forced to her death by him—he still had to avoid Dominic Du, because meeting him meant certain death.
But today, he finally faced Dominic Du. Joe Di didn't even need to ask; he knew Dominic Du hadn't come to Vast Chaos just to hunt him down.
However, today, he no longer needed to flee. He could finally face Dominic Du openly and honorably.
Dominic Du's formidable Domain instantly locked down this entire area, with Joe Di at its very center. Yet Joe Di had no intention of acting; he'd been trapped by countless Domains before, but to him, these were nothing but jokes. His Dao Principles were self-contained—no Domain could bind him.
"Joe Di, do you know why I laugh so heartily?" Dominic Du's mood suddenly brightened. He had chased Joe Di all the way to Vast Chaos, yet still hadn't caught him. Even though his strength in Vast Chaos had reached new heights, he knew that none of it mattered compared to capturing Joe Di.
Joe Di stared coldly at Dominic Du, not bothering to reply. No matter what, today he would fight with everything he had to take Dominic Du down.
Dominic Du regained the calm composure of Sage Bodhi, indifferent to praise or blame. "Joe Di, if I'm not mistaken, you obtained The Vanished One, didn't you? Only by acquiring The Vanished One could you understand why I gave you the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed. After thinking it over, my only flaw was The Vanished One. In the Five Elements Universe, that's the only Prime Law I've never touched, so I can't comprehend its true nature."
Joe Di replied calmly, "You're right, I did obtain The Vanished One. But before we go any further, let me remind you—there are billions of living beings in the Five Elements Universe. If every cat and dog claimed to be Supreme Sage, wouldn't there be too many Supreme Sages in the Five Elements Universe?"
Honestly, it's laughable—everyone wants to be the Supreme Sage of the Five Elements Universe. Quinn Yan, Dominic Du standing before him, they're all the same.
Dominic Du wasn't bothered by Joe Di's sarcasm; instead, Joe Di's words made Dominic Du's eyes shine even brighter. Even with his usual composure, there was a hint of emotion in his voice. "Excellent, truly excellent. The two strongest Prime Laws in the Five Elements Universe are The Vanished One and the Ninth Prime Law. As for the other eight Prime Laws, honestly, I don't care about them. That's why I handed those eight laws to my eight disciples, hoping they'd accomplish something for me. In fact, I've always done quite well."
Joe Di sneered inwardly. That was only because Dominic Du had already acquired and comprehended the Way Resonance of those Prime Laws, so he didn't care about the eight Prime Laws—anyone can talk big.
It was as if Dominic Du could read Joe Di's mind. He replied earnestly, "Joe Di, if you think I don't care just because I've obtained them, you're mistaken. The Ninth Prime Law allows one to comprehend the cosmic rules of the Five Elements Universe, even to develop one's own Grand Way. But if you haven't obtained The Vanished One, then your Grand Way will always be confined within the Five Elements Universe—you'll never transcend its boundaries."
This chapter isn't over yet ^.^, please click the next page to continue reading!
You're fortunate. Not only did you gain the favor of the Ninth Prime Law, you also acquired The Vanished One. So, if I hadn't met you today, you might one day become the foremost figure in Vast Chaos. With your opportunities, you have every right to mock my claim to Supreme Sage. Of course, I'm talking about a long time from now."
Dominic Du spoke with the tone of a patient elder, earnest and sincere. Perhaps it was because he knew that all of Joe Di's efforts had ultimately benefited him, which was why he took this so seriously.
Joe Di sighed inwardly. He truly wasn't the cleverest—there were countless people in the universe smarter than him. Dominic Du clearly understood the Grand Way of rules long ago, and may have already begun cultivating it. But without The Vanished One, he could never transcend the Five Elements Universe.
"From what I know, Vast Chaos has split into countless great universes. The Five Elements Universe is just one of them. Since the Five Elements Universe has The Vanished One Prime Law, surely the other universes do too?" Joe Di asked in confusion—he genuinely wanted to know.
Dominic Du burst out laughing once more. "Do you think the Five Elements Universe is simple? It's become a thorn in the side of others, and some even used the Chaos Gate to fracture its cosmic rules—just so it wouldn't grow too powerful. As for The Vanished One Prime Law, there's only one in all of Vast Chaos, and it appeared in the Five Elements Universe. Too bad I never obtained it. Still, it's not too late—you've acquired it, and that's just as well."
Dominic Du's gaze grew even gentler as he looked at Joe Di. He planned to make Joe Di the spirit of his flying artifact. With all the contributions Joe Di had made, even if he didn't have merit, he certainly had suffered for it. In fact, Joe Di's contributions were truly immense.
[Author's Note: I've forgotten many details from 'The Strongest Abandoned Son' and 'Gate of Creation,' so lately I've been rereading both books.]