Chapter 202: The Herod Secret Realm
Deep within an underground palace, Jiang Zhe—dressed in silver robes—sat with his eyes closed, silently digesting the profound insights of the universal laws within his mind. Even the strange phenomena erupting around him failed to disturb his focus.
Suddenly—
RUMBLE!
The surrounding space trembled violently, as if about to shatter under immense pressure.
A drop of silvery liquid appeared out of thin air above Jiang Zhe's head. It slowly descended, shimmering with mysterious brilliance.
As it touched his head, it passed through his skin and flesh like they were illusions, seeping straight into the life crystal nucleus at the core of his being—its surface etched with intricate, dark-gold secret patterns.
It continued sinking deeper until it merged into his Origin Pearl.
Then—nothing.
No change. No reaction. Like a pebble vanishing into the sea.
Wasn't the Origin Core or Origin Pearl supposed to undergo some transformation?
Impossible.
The essence of a Divine Crystal was far too lofty. A mere drop, even drawn from the Ocean of Origin Laws, could not alter it.
But still—
At this moment, Jiang Zhe had officially been acknowledged by the Law of Time.
A silver circular mark surfaced on his forehead, faintly exuding a pulse of law so profound it could send chills down one's spine. It was the sign of recognition by a Fundamental Law.
However, the mark quickly faded and was concealed by Jiang Zhe.
Others might find it difficult—or even impossible—to hide such a powerful symbol, but for Jiang Zhe, whose understanding of life itself transcended mortal limits, it was a trivial task.
As a Magic Spirit who had comprehended the profound mystery of "Time Stop," he immediately recognized what that mark represented—a rare subdomain within the broader category of Temporal Law.
He thought it was over.
But then—
The temporal energy faded, only to be replaced by yet another wave of overwhelming divine might. A new, majestic law enveloped the palace.
The green-furred gorilla standing nearby stared in shock.
"This... this is the Law of Wind?"
Over the past two thousand years, she had witnessed the descent of the Laws of Thunder, Earth, and Time. And now, another?
She was torn between awe and sorrow.
Why waste such heaven-defying talent, little Uncle Master?
If only he had focused on a single lower-tier Origin Law and then advanced into its upper-tier counterpart, he'd have long become a Cosmic Venerable.
RUMBLE!
Once again, space shook violently.
A green droplet appeared from the void and entered Jiang Zhe's body. On his forehead, a green spiral pattern formed—recognition from the Law of Wind.
The wind energy dispersed.
And then...
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Once more!
RUMBLE!
Another blinding white droplet appeared, shining like a miniature sun. It entered Jiang Zhe's body and imprinted a radiant, sun-like symbol on his forehead.
Recognition from the Law of Light.
The green-furred gorilla was now utterly stunned. Her worldview crumbled into dust.
She muttered blankly,
"So this is what a true genius looks like... For Little Uncle Master, comprehending Origin Laws is as easy as drinking water."
Finally, the palace returned to silence.
Jiang Zhe could now feel new connections inside his life crystal core.
"With the Law of Time's recognition, I can now enter the Ocean of Origin Laws consciously. My speed in comprehending Temporal Law has increased once again…"
It's widely accepted that the Domain Lord stage is the most suitable for comprehending Origin Laws—due to two key factors:
The birth of internal world energy, allowing practitioners to connect with the core of the universe and increase insight into all laws.
Recognition from an Origin Law, allowing their consciousness to dive directly into that law's ocean, dramatically speeding up understanding.
After a brief introspection, Jiang Zhe withdrew his consciousness and returned to his divine body, shifting his focus to the present moment.
When he opened his eyes, they met the gaze of the green-furred gorilla deep within the palace.
Now under his command, the powerful Destruction Beast, even at her peak Domain Lord level, couldn't help but tremble under the pressure of Jiang Zhe's Invincible King-tier divine power.
She still had one last fallback—just come clean if necessary.
After regaining her composure, the Magic Spirit asked cautiously,
"That's Invincible King-tier divine power? You've only been out twice. When did you break through to the Undying level?"
She had never considered the possibility that Jiang Zhe had already reached the Undying stage when they first met—that he had been hiding his strength all along.
Not even his battles with other "talents" in the Genius Tournament suggested he was anything special.
But even the feedback from his use of "Time Stop" back then hadn't misled her…
Jiang Zhe replied plainly,
"The first time. I went out specifically to transform my divine body."
The Magic Spirit's mind whirled. She began calculating.
Life gene ratio (high, but uncertain) × Law comprehension × Divine body strength = Jiang Zhe's current divine power output.
It all added up. No inconsistencies.
"So... what now?" she asked.
"Don't tell me... you're planning to go to the Starry Sky Beast Alliance?"
Jiang Zhe shook his head, eyes glinting with intent.
"The Starry Sky Beast Alliance? You and I both wouldn't dare go there. Even if I've broken through and possess a unique 'spiritual imprint,' the Old Beast God is still one of the strongest beings in the universe. His methods are beyond our imagination."
Now that he was ready to come clean, Jiang Zhe dropped the act. No more feigned naivety.
Besides, he wasn't sure if the Old Beast God had truly seen through Luo Feng's identity himself—or if someone like Sitting Mountain Guest had tipped him off beforehand.
Either way, it didn't matter. Jiang Zhe never intended to exploit the Beast God's domain.
Without giving the Destruction Beast time to speak, he stated his purpose.
"Out of respect for your earlier kindness, I'll ask politely—"
"I believe I'm strong enough now. I want to know the secrets of the Silent Wind Belt. Can you tell me?"
The woman's husky voice floated through the hall.
"Uncle Master, the fact that you didn't enslave my soul outright is already a blessing."
The towering Destruction Beast, hundreds of kilometers tall, vanished. In her place stood a human woman.
She wore a silver robe, resembling an Earthling in appearance. Her jade-like skin and slender swan-like neck bore a palm-sized green secret pattern. A silver imprint marked her forehead—a sign of deep acknowledgment by the Law of Time—adding an air of nobility and mystery.
So she was the same as him—only wearing the skin of a Starry Sky Beast.
Jiang Zhe's brow arched slightly. That mark… how could he not recognize it?
—She's from the lineage of the Lord of Darkness.
A peak Domain Lord, marked by Time Stop? That meant a Law comprehension roughly at levels 18 or 19 of the Sky Bridge.
She even called him Little Uncle Master…
Clearly, she wasn't some no-name. She must be highly ranked within the Lord of Darkness's faction.
"Tch… what a mess. I'll need to change my attitude…"
With a sigh, Jiang Zhe dropped his friendly act and asked coldly:
"Whose disciple are you?"
She bowed slightly.
"Little Uncle Master, I'm the disciple of Lord Youmeng. I specialize in the fusion of Thunder and Time Laws."
Jiang Zhe remained blunt.
"Can you access the Rain Phase Mountain's primal zone? Come meet me at Estate #101."
"Please wait, Uncle Master."