(TL/N: This bridge is also called Tong Tian Bridge, Sky Bridge or Sky-Piercing Bridge. If you read Swallowed Star, There's also Sky Mountain but that will appear after chapter 200+)
The moment Luo Fan entered the Virtual Universe, he immediately sensed that he had gained a new access privilege.
The authority to enter the "Bridge to Heaven" plane.
After all, his intelligent system was an auxiliary program of his mechanical race avatar.
In the next instant, Luo Fan vanished from the manor room within the Original Secret Realm.
…
Inside the Virtual Universe, there existed a special plane of space.
It was an endless ocean, its waves surging and roaring.
Above the vast sea lay a single beautiful island.
Along the edges of the island were fifty-two ports.
From each port extended an endless bridge, reaching toward the horizon, as if connecting to the farthest ends of heaven and earth.
These fifty-two long bridges spanned across the entire ocean sky.
A faint mist hovered over the rolling waves, concealing whatever might lurk beneath the surface.
The fog coiled around the bridges, giving the entire scene a dreamlike, illusory quality.
Luo Fan suddenly appeared in the central plaza of the island.
At this moment, more than a dozen people were already gathered there, all geniuses participating in this session of the Cosmic Genius Battle.
Among them was Lei Shen.
When Lei Shen saw Luo Fan, he immediately greeted him with enthusiasm.
"Luo Fan! You finally came to challenge the Bridge to Heaven?"
The other geniuses quickly followed suit, calling out to him as well.
"Luo Fan!"
"You're here to try the Bridge to Heaven too?"
"See if you can surpass Bolan!"
Although Luo Fan and Luo Feng were both members of the Original Secret Realm, neither of them was as aloof as Bolan, so many of the other geniuses had taken the chance to get acquainted with Luo Fan.
Lei Shen threw an arm around Luo Fan's shoulder, grinning warmly.
"This should be your first time here, right?"
"You can go talk to the Guardian Baffin to learn about this place."
As he spoke, he gestured toward a man not far away in the plaza.
A figure dressed in a black robe patterned with stellar constellations.
The man had four ears but no nose.
When he saw Luo Fan, he smiled and walked over.
"Hello, Luo Fan. I am Baffin, Guardian of the Bridge to Heaven plane."
"But you may simply call me the Guardian."
Luo Fan respectfully bowed.
"Greetings, Lord Guardian."
Baffin nodded.
"Let me explain. This Bridge to Heaven plane was created based on the fifty-two Chaos Steles of Chaos City."
"For countless ages, our Human Race has comprehended those fifty-two Chaos Steles."
"As a result, within Chaos City, fifty-two schools of thought have formed."
He paused briefly, glanced at Luo Fan, then continued.
"For example, since you've been studying the Ice Peak Chaos Stele, you belong to the Ice Peak school."
"Even among those comprehending the same stele, there are differences in insight and depth. Those with stronger comprehension will be granted another opportunity to study the Chaos Stele."
"And how is strength determined? It's not by words."
As he spoke, Baffin pointed toward the fifty-two massive bridges in the distance.
"See those bridges?"
"They are the Bridges to Heaven."
"The Human Race's upper echelons built this entire plane within the Virtual Universe. The further one advances across a Bridge to Heaven, the stronger one's power is proven to be!"
"This island has fifty-two Bridges to Heaven, each corresponding to one of the fifty-two Chaos Steles. Since you study the Ice Peak Chaos Stele, you'll challenge the 'Ice Peak Bridge to Heaven.'"
"The Ice Peak Bridge to Heaven is immensely long. It consists of twenty-nine levels, each harder than the last."
"If you successfully pass the first level, you'll earn one chance to comprehend the stele again."
"Each additional level you clear grants one more chance."
Baffin smiled as he looked at Luo Fan.
"Every level's guardian will match your cultivation realm exactly, but their law comprehension will differ. This allows for a precise evaluation of your understanding of the Chaos Stele."
Then, Baffin gestured toward several geniuses preparing to challenge the bridge and sighed slightly.
"However, the Bridge to Heaven is extremely difficult."
"For you newcomers to Chaos City, most can't even pass the first level."
He glanced at Luo Fan with a slightly amused expression.
"Of course, for you, the first level shouldn't be too hard."
"Immortals typically reach the tenth level."
"If one reaches the eighteenth, they're considered nearly invincible among immortals."
"And clearing the twenty-first level means one can be titled 'Cosmic Nation Lord!'"
Luo Fan already knew this information, so he remained calm.
"Thank you, Lord Guardian. May I begin my challenge now?"
Baffin nodded, pointing toward one of the bridges.
"You may. The Ice Peak Bridge to Heaven is currently unoccupied, go ahead."
"Do your best. Most of our race's great powerhouses have walked one of these fifty-two paths."
"If you clear the eighteenth level, you'll earn permanent residence in Chaos City."
"In your batch, aside from Bolan and Luo Feng, almost no one has cleared the first level."
"Bolan and Luo Feng have both reached the second."
"Now let's see how far you, the champion of this Cosmic Genius Battle and fellow member of the Original Secret Realm, can go."
"Go on!" Baffin said expectantly.
Luo Fan nodded, then flew in the direction of the indicated bridge.
Whoosh!
He turned into a streak of light, soaring toward the enormous bridge that extended endlessly toward the heavens.
From afar, he could already see a stone stele at its entrance, inscribed with two large characters, Ice Peak.
At that moment, Luo Fan's Virtual Universe account received a new message.
He instantly read its contents.
It was a notice from the Virtual Universe Company outlining the point reward system.
For every level cleared on the Bridge to Heaven, points would be awarded:
Clearing the first level — 100 points.
Clearing the second level — 200 points.
Clearing the third level — 400 points.
Clearing the fourth level — 800 points.
And so on, each subsequent level doubled the previous reward.
The Ice Peak Bridge to Heaven had a total of twenty-nine levels!
Moreover, there was an additional note:
During these thirty years in Chaos City, all point rewards would be multiplied by ten!
That meant... clearing the first level would grant 1,000 points!
The second level, 2,000 points!
Each level beyond that would again double the reward.
This was one of the core methods for earning points.
Points were extremely valuable.
Even an immortal had to exchange one mixed-element unit of universe currency for just a single point.
Therefore, Luo Fan needed to clear as many levels as possible during his stay in Chaos City.
He looked toward the mist-shrouded bridge before him and, without the slightest hesitation, stepped onto it.
…
The Bridge to Heaven stretched endlessly toward the edge of the world, veiled in white mist, waves crashing below.
Luo Fan slowly advanced to the end of the first level of the bridge.
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