The storm's aftermath slowly settled.
Those six supreme dharma bodies that had torn apart the heavens and crushed the ages had not vanished. Instead, they were forcibly withdrawn with an indescribable sense of panic and resentment.
The void still retained the chill of Jade Purity immortal light, the sharpness of Immortal-Slaying Sword Intent, the warmth of Divine Light of Creation, and the chanting of Bodhi's wondrous teachings.
These Dao resonances, which should have opposed and rejected one another, now intertwined strangely, forming a chaotic energy field that silently spoke of the confrontation that had overturned the order of the primordial world moments ago.
The will of the Heavenly Dao had also hidden itself.
The supreme pressure that had enveloped the True Spirits of all living beings across the Three Realms receded like the tide, and the sky returned to its bright clarity.
It was as though nothing had happened.
Only this valley, repeatedly plowed by saintly might and karmic force until it had become scorched earth, roared soundlessly.
Every inch of soil had been shattered and reshaped by the power of laws, while every wisp of air was steeped in the lingering radiance of Innate Spiritual Treasures and Golden Light of Merit.
This place had become both a forbidden land and a sacred ground.
Yang Chen stood at the center of the ruins.
He did not linger. His gaze swept over the surroundings before finally settling on a nearby mountain peak shrouded in clouds and overflowing with spiritual energy.
With a thought, his figure vanished from where he stood.
In the next instant, he appeared atop that mountain peak.
He casually waved a hand.
Boom!
The mountain trembled violently. The cliff face caved inward on its own, and amid rolling earth and stone, a grand cave abode took shape in only a few breaths.
Inside the cave abode, stone tables, stone chairs, an alchemy room, and meditation chambers were all present, as though they had formed naturally.
This was what power felt like.
This entire world was currying favor with him.
After entering the cave abode, Yang Chen immediately set down several restrictions that isolated the interior from the outside and concealed heavenly secrets. Only then did he sit cross-legged, sinking his mind completely into his body as he began taking stock of this immense windfall.
His consciousness first immersed itself within his own body.
The boundless merits of the Heavenly Dao had now transformed into a docile golden river, quietly flowing through his newly reconstructed meridians.
Wherever the golden light passed, he could "see" his mortal body undergoing an unimaginable transformation.
Every cell cheered, every inch of bone was reforged, gleaming with faint golden treasure light.
His Dao foundation, which had been riddled with holes by immeasurable karmic force, was now gently repaired, nourished, and reinforced by incomparably pure energy.
The vengeful spirits of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans, which had once clung to him like festering sores and wailed in the depths of his soul day and night, along with the curses capable of clouding even a saint's Dao Heart, were for the first time firmly suppressed by the vast Golden Light of Merit, shrinking into an almost negligible corner.
Comfortable.
An ultimate comfort that spread forth from the very source of his True Spirit.
His cultivation, driven by this tremendous energy, broke through one shackle after another.
True Immortal.
Mysterious Immortal.
Golden Immortal.
Grand Unity Golden Immortal!
In the end, the surge in his cultivation stopped at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, only a single step away from the indestructible Great Luo Dao Fruit.
If such cultivation speed were made known, it would be enough to make every self-proclaimed genius in the primordial world have their Dao Hearts shatter on the spot and die of shame.
Yang Chen slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the surging power within him, a satisfied curve lifted at the corner of his lips.
But this was only the beginning.
With a thought from him—
Hum—!
A treasure lamp carved entirely from the purest glazed jade appeared in his palm.
It was Primal Celestial Venerable's Jade Void Glazed Lamp.
Atop the wick, the bean-sized Heavenly Dao Sacred Fire burned quietly. Yang Chen could even sense a trace of Primal Celestial Venerable's fury and unwillingness that had yet to fully dissipate.
He flicked a finger, sending a thread of mana into it. The sacred fire immediately surged, illuminating the entire cave abode.
"Not bad."
Yang Chen casually set it aside, then beckoned again.
An array diagram suffused with endless killing intent, along with the phantom images of four treasure swords of different colors, instantly appeared.
Sovereign of Heaven's Immortal-Slaying Array Diagram Token. The soaring sword intent made countless fine cracks emerge across the cave abode's stone walls. Yang Chen could sense that, should he wish it, he could draw upon a trace of the power of those four saintly killing swords at any time.
Next came an ancient scroll.
Nuwa's River-Mountain Diagram of Creation.
Yang Chen extended his divine sense into it and seemed to see a genuine greater world unfold before him, with sun, moon, and stars revolving as mountains, rivers, and lands shifted.
There was also Daoist Zhunti's Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, shining with flowing radiance.
Yang Chen grasped one of its branches, and a domineering aura that could "brush away anything" traveled up his arm. He could even clearly sense the resentment Daoist Zhunti had left behind, the kind that came from being so heartbroken it felt like bleeding.
Finally, a pill the size of a dragon's eye appeared in his palm, purple-gold throughout and overflowing with medicinal fragrance.
Grand Supreme Elder Lord's Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir.
Merely smelling its fragrance made the mana within his body begin to boil uncontrollably, as though it would break through the threshold of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm in the next moment.
These supreme treasures, enough to make Quasi-Saint Great Powers risk their lives to fight over them, had all become his private collection, displayed before him like trophies.
Yang Chen's gaze swept over these treasures. Finally, his thoughts stirred slightly.
Hum—!
A nine-tiered pagoda phantom, entirely profound yellow in color, emerged above his head and gave a gentle shake.
Tens of thousands of streams of profound yellow energy cascaded from the pagoda's base like an overturned celestial river, forming an incomparably heavy curtain of profound yellow light that tightly enveloped his body.
Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda!
With it above one's head, one was innately undefeated!
This absolute sense of security was the gain that satisfied him most.
No, not yet.
Yang Chen closed his eyes and sank all his focus into the depths of his primordial spirit.
There, a fragment so tiny it was almost imperceptible, yet seemingly containing the weight of the entire chaotic cosmos, floated silently.
Fragment of the Law of Strength!
The instant his consciousness touched the fragment—
Boom—!
He seemed to see that heaven-supporting giant once more, holding a colossal axe, his eyes filled with the determination to create a world.
He seemed to hear that furious roar resounding through chaos once again, along with the supreme Dao sound of that giant axe tearing through nothingness and splitting yin from yang!
Though it was merely a drop in the ocean, it gave him a world-shattering understanding of the true nature of the concept of "strength."
He slowly raised his hand, spread his five fingers, then slowly clenched them.
An unprecedented sensation exploded within every particle of his body.
He could feel that every breath and every heartbeat seemed capable of drawing upon a trace of heaven-and-earth power.
He was confident that with this fragment of law, he would be absolutely invincible within the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.
He might even be able to confront an ordinary Grand Unity Golden Immortal head-on!
Yang Chen let out a long breath. The turbulence in his heart brought on by his soaring strength gradually settled, eventually becoming a deep calm born of having everything under control.
With the system, he could fleece endlessly.
With immeasurable karma as his trump card, even saints and the Heavenly Dao would have to hold back out of fear.
With the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda protecting his body, he stood in an undefeated position.
With the Law of Strength at his side, he was invincible among those of the same realm and capable of fighting above his level.
He had finally gained a firm foothold in this primordial world, where killing intent lurked everywhere.
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