"Joe Di, after entering Chaos from Ninefold Heaven, I finally understood the true meaning of the endless Grand Way. We both originated from the same source. If you are willing, I hope we can sit down and talk. My understanding of Chaos may be deeper than yours. Only by joining forces can we become stronger and truly grasp our fate within the vast cosmos." Austin Ninefold spoke sincerely.
Joe Di nodded, "Certainly. If you don't mind, Austin, why don't we discuss this aboard my Chaos Star?"
Joe Di wanted to see whether Austin Ninefold dared to board his Chaos Star. If Austin hesitated, he had no intention of cooperating.
Austin Ninefold was strong, but not necessarily stronger than him. At this moment, he was still at the peak of the Fifth Step, just a hair's breadth away from breaking into the Sixth Step.
Once he crossed into the Sixth Step, Joe Di was confident Austin Ninefold would no longer be his match.
"Thank you." Austin Ninefold cupped his fists, then stepped onto Joe Di's Chaos Star without hesitation.
Joe Di secretly admired him. Just for Austin Ninefold's courage, he was willing to have this conversation.
Dean Bell and Bolt, with no more fights to watch, could only return to their respective abodes. With the strength of Joe Di and Austin Ninefold, if another battle broke out, they would be of no help.
Joe Di invited Austin Ninefold to the guest chamber and personally poured him a cup of divine spirit tea before saying, "Austin, do you have any guidance for me?"
"Thank you, Joe Di, for your sincerity." Austin Ninefold first cupped his fists in thanks before sitting down, still marveling that, as a pioneer of the vast universe, he had yet to own a Chaos Star.
Joe Di smiled faintly without replying. He understood Austin Ninefold's meaning: by inviting Austin aboard, if he harbored ill intent, Austin would not be able to escape so easily. Yet upon entering, with his cultivation level, Austin could immediately sense Joe Di's sincerity.
"Joe Di, I noticed your Chaos Star drifts aimlessly in Chaos, wandering wherever it goes. This is not the right approach—it's simply relying on luck. To depend on luck in Chaos, truthfully, is truly inadvisable," Austin Ninefold said earnestly after sitting down.
Joe Di looked at Austin Ninefold in confusion. "Austin, in Chaos, there is nothing but endless void and overwhelming vastness. If we don't rely on luck, is there any other way?"
"Actually, one can extend their spiritual sense in Chaos. Are you aware of this, Joe Di?" Austin Ninefold asked.
Joe Di shook his head—he truly did not know. In fact, within Chaos, he could extend a thread of spiritual sense, enough to probe a certain range. But he knew this did not count as truly piercing through Chaos, as his spiritual sense's reach had not greatly increased with his cultivation.
His ability to extend his spiritual sense in Chaos was strictly related to his Path of Rules. He cultivated the Path of Rules, and even his movement techniques were rule-based, so his spiritual sense naturally carried a trace of Dao Principle. Under this trace of Dao Principle...
This thought struck Joe Di—he was, after all, within the mountain itself.
If he could perform rule-based movement techniques in Chaos because his techniques carried rules, why couldn't his spiritual sense do the same?
With this realization, Joe Di unhesitatingly broke through the protective array of the Chaos Star with his spiritual sense. As his sense reached a certain limit in Chaos and was blocked, his Dao Principles circulated, and his spiritual sense naturally manifested his Dao Principles. Chaos is called Chaos precisely because it lacks any rules. The moment rules were introduced, his spiritual sense naturally extended outward...
With his current strength, Joe Di's spiritual sense stretched out billions of miles. As he became more familiar with Chaos, his sense might extend ten times, a hundred times further.
Joe Di sighed inwardly—some things truly are only a paper's width away. But the reason he only realized it today wasn't because he was inferior to Austin Ninefold. Rather, Austin had spent much longer traversing the vast Chaos, while Joe Di had only entered Chaos recently and spent most of his time cultivating.
In fact, even if Austin Ninefold hadn't reminded him, given enough time, Joe Di would have awakened to it himself.
Austin Ninefold smiled, "Actually, one can extend their spiritual sense in Chaos. I have a jade slip here—I'll give it to you, Joe Di..."
With that, Austin Ninefold took out a jade slip and handed it to Joe Di.
Though Joe Di already knew spiritual sense could be extended, he still accepted Austin Ninefold's kindness. If not for Austin, he would have figured it out eventually, but such things are always better learned sooner.
Seeing Joe Di put away the jade slip without checking it, Austin Ninefold quickly said, "Joe Di, take a look at the jade slip first—it won't take long."
Joe Di sent his spiritual sense into the jade slip and was immediately delighted. The method described inside was different from his own, but he understood why: he cultivated the Path of Rules, making it easy to construct Dao Principles and extend his sense. What truly excited Joe Di was the method for finding the location of a realm within Chaos.
It was a kind of Dao sensing, allowing one to know where to break through Chaos and return to the Law Universe. With this method, Joe Di was certain that finding his way back would be many times easier.
The new universe had been built together by him, Emperor Ye, and Nick Ning. With his current strength, even in Chaos, as long as he neared the new universe, he could sense it.
Seeing Joe Di put away the jade slip, Austin Ninefold's tone grew somber. "Joe Di, back then I was able to gain a foothold in Ninefold Heaven and construct the Ninefold Grand Universe because I was lucky enough to encounter Ninefold Heaven split from Chaos. But not all universes are automatically split from the vast Chaos..."
Joe Di was startled and instinctively asked, "Is it possible for someone to casually construct a Grand Way Principle universe within Chaos?"
Back then, in the Chaos of the Kuihe Grand Universe, he had indeed constructed his Grand Way Principle universe. But now Joe Di understood that the Chaos he experienced was not true vast Chaos, just a place with chaotic aura.
If someone could truly build a new universe within the boundless Chaos, then as their power grew, wouldn't all of Chaos eventually become their domain? Even the new universe he, Emperor Ye, and Nick Ning had created—would it too fall under the control of such a master? After all, they had used Chaos to open up their new universe, and for now, they could not break free or surpass it.
Austin Ninefold shook his head. "Not yet, but I suspect it won't be long—and there will be more than one such person."
Seeing Joe Di's astonishment, Austin Ninefold's tone grew solemn. "There are two such people—one is Xumu Lun, the other is Quinn King..."
"Quinn King?" Joe Di immediately repeated the name.
Austin Ninefold replied, "Yes, Quinn King. He cultivates the Grand Way of Life and Death..." At this, Austin suddenly realized something and looked at Joe Di. "You know Quinn King? That shouldn't be possible—he's been in Chaos for millions of years."
Joe Di chuckled, "I don't know him personally, but I'm actually looking for him. He once ambushed me—I nearly lost my life."
"Did he try to strip your Grand Way Foundation?" Austin Ninefold blurted out.
Joe Di replied, "That's right. He did try to strip my Grand Way Foundation. Fortunately, I managed to hold on."
Later, Quinn King's Life-and-Death Grand Way Principle at the Life-and-Death Gate was instead stripped away by Joe Di, becoming a branch on the Dao Tree—though Joe Di did not mention this.
A look of lingering fear flashed in Austin Ninefold's eyes. "It's fortunate you held out—otherwise, there would be no one left in the vast Chaos able to restrain him. With your Grand Way, if it were stripped, he would likely become the strongest in Chaos."
"Have you met these two?" Joe Di asked.
Austin Ninefold replied, "Yes, not only have I met them, I even fought Quinn King once..."
"How did it go?" Joe Di asked eagerly.
He and Quinn King were mortal enemies, so naturally Joe Di wanted to know just how strong Quinn King was.
Austin Ninefold sighed and shook his head. "I was no match for him—far from it. Fortunately, I had some skill and managed to escape."