Initial Tally of Gains, Strength Surges!

The storm's aftershocks were slowly settling.

That supreme divine form, which had torn through the heavens and crushed eternity, hadn't vanished. Instead, it had been forcefully withdrawn, carrying with it an indescribable sense of panic and humiliation.

The void still held traces of the Qing Celestial Light's coldness, the Immortal-Slaying Sword Intent's sharpness, the Divine Light of Creation's gentleness, and the Bodhi Mystic Method's chanting.

These Dao rhythms, which should have been mutually opposed and incompatible, were now bizarrely intertwined, forming a chaotic energy field that silently recounted the confrontation that had overturned the Primordial World's order not long ago.

The Heavenly Dao's will had also gone into hiding.

The supreme pressure that had loomed over the True Spirits of all beings in the Three Realms receded like a tide, and the sky returned to its clear, vast expanse.

It was as if nothing had happened.

Only this valley, repeatedly plowed by Saintly might and Karmic Force until it had become a scorched earth, roared silently.

Every inch of soil had been crushed and reshaped by the power of laws, and every wisp of air was permeated with the lingering essence of Innate Spiritual Treasures and the golden light of merit.

This place had become both a forbidden zone and a sacred ground.

Yang Chen stood in the center of this ruin.

He didn't linger in his original spot. His gaze swept across his surroundings, finally landing on a mountain peak shrouded in mist and filled with spiritual energy not far away.

With a thought, his figure vanished from where he stood.

The next moment, he appeared on the summit of that mountain.

He casually waved his hand.

RUMBLE!

The mountain shook violently, the cliff face automatically caved inward, and amidst rolling earth and stone, a magnificent cave dwelling was carved out within mere moments.

Inside the cave, stone tables and chairs, an alchemy room, and a quiet chamber were all present, as if naturally formed.

This was the taste of power.

This world was showing him favor.

Entering the cave dwelling, Yang Chen immediately set up several restrictions to isolate it from the outside and shield it from heavenly secrets. Only then did he sit down cross-legged, sinking his consciousness entirely into his body to begin assessing the spoils of this incredibly fortunate windfall.

His consciousness first immersed itself in his own body.

The endless Heavenly Dao merit had now transformed into a docile golden river, flowing quietly through his reshaped meridians.

Wherever the golden light passed, he could "see" his mortal body undergoing an unimaginable transformation.

Every cell rejoiced, every bone was being reshaped, shimmering with a faint golden light.

His Dao Foundation, riddled with holes from the torment of immeasurable Karmic Force, was now being gently repaired, nourished, and strengthened by the purest energy.

Those dragon, phoenix, and qilin clan souls, which had been like clinging bone spurs, wailing in the depths of his soul day and night, those curses potent enough to tarnish a Saint's Dao Heart, were for the first time being firmly suppressed by the vast golden light of merit, shrinking into a corner that could almost be ignored.

Comfort.

An ultimate comfort, emanating from the very origin of his True Spirit.

His cultivation, propelled by this immense energy, broke through layer after layer of constraints.

True Immortal.

Mystic Immortal.

Golden Immortal.

Grand Unity Golden Immortal!

Finally, the surge in his cultivation halted at the peak of Grand Unity Golden Immortal, leaving him just one step away from the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Dao Fruit, which was impervious to ten thousand tribulations.

If this rate of cultivation were to spread, it would be enough to shatter the Dao Hearts of all beings in the Primordial World who considered themselves geniuses, driving them to shame-fueled suicide.

Yang Chen slowly opened his eyes, feeling the surging power within him, a satisfied curve forming on his lips.

But this was only the beginning.

With a thought, HUMM--!

A treasure lamp, carved entirely from the purest glazed jade, appeared in his palm.

It was Primal Celestial Venerable's Jade Void Glazed Lamp.

On the wick, a bean-sized Heavenly Dao Sacred Fire burned quietly. Yang Chen could even feel a trace of Primal Celestial Venerable's not-yet-completely-dispersed shock and unwillingness within it.

He flicked his finger, injecting a wisp of spiritual power into it. The Sacred Fire immediately flared, illuminating the entire cave dwelling.

"Not bad."

Yang Chen casually set it aside, then beckoned again.

A formation diagram, wreathed in endless killing intent, and the phantom images of four treasured swords of different colors, instantly materialized.

Sovereign of Heaven's Immortal-Slaying Array Diagram Token.

The soaring sword intent caused countless fine cracks to appear on the cave dwelling's stone walls. Yang Chen could feel that if he wished, he could draw upon a sliver of the power of those four Saint-slaying swords at any time.

Following that, a simple, ancient scroll appeared.

Nuwa's River-Mountain Diagram of Creation.

Yang Chen's divine sense probed into it, as if seeing a real great thousand world unfolding before his eyes, with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers constantly shifting.

And then there was Daoist Zhunti's Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, shimmering with iridescent light.

Yang Chen grasped a branch, and a domineering aura of "nothing it cannot brush" flowed up his arm. He could even clearly sense the resentment left on it by Daoist Zhunti, a feeling so painful it was like dripping blood.

Finally, a pill the size of a dragon's eye, entirely purple-gold and exuding a rich medicinal fragrance, appeared in his palm.

It was Grand Supreme Elder Lord's Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir.

Just by smelling the medicinal fragrance, the magic power within his body began to boil uncontrollably, as if it would break through the threshold of Grand Unity Golden Immortal at any moment.

These supreme treasures, enough to make Quasi-Saints and Great Powers risk their lives to fight for, had now all become his personal collection, displayed before him like spoils of war.

Yang Chen's gaze swept over these treasures, and finally, his will stirred slightly.

Buzz--!

A phantom image of a nine-layered pagoda, entirely profound yellow, emerged from above his head and trembled gently.

Myriad strands of profound yellow energy, like a heavenly river pouring down, descended from the base of the pagoda, forming an incomparably thick and heavy profound yellow light screen that enveloped his body completely.

The Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda!

Standing above his head, it was innately invincible!

This absolute sense of security was the harvest he was most satisfied with.

No, not yet.

Yang Chen closed his eyes, sinking all his focus deep into his Primordial Spirit.

There, a fragment, infinitesimally small yet seemingly containing the weight of the entire chaotic universe, floated quietly.

A Fragment of the Law of Strength!

The moment his consciousness touched the fragment.

Boom--!

He seemed to see that towering giant again, holding a colossal axe, his eyes filled with the determination to open up the world.

He seemed to hear that roar that echoed through Chaos, that supreme Dao sound as the giant axe sliced through the void and split Yin and Yang!

Although it was just a drop in the ocean, it gave him a revolutionary understanding of the essence of the concept of "strength."

He slowly raised his hand, opened his five fingers, and then slowly clenched them.

An unprecedented feeling exploded within every particle of his body.

He could feel that every breath he took, every heartbeat, seemed capable of stirring a trace of the great power of heaven and earth.

He was confident that with this fragment of the law, he would be an absolutely invincible existence at the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

Even directly confronting an ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortal was not impossible!

Yang Chen exhaled a long breath, the agitation in his chest from the surge of power slowly subsided, eventually transforming into a deep, all-controlling calm.

With the system in hand, he could endlessly "farm" benefits.

With the immeasurable Karma as his trump card, even Saints and the Heavenly Dao would have to tread carefully.

With the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda protecting him, he stood in an invincible position.

Furthermore, with the Law of Strength by his side, he was invincible among his peers and could contend with those of higher realms.

He had finally firmly established his footing in this Primordial World, fraught with danger at every turn.