Preparation Before Devouring the Universe (Final Chapter One)

The final reminder from the will of the ancient Gods and Devils giant who created the world: devour the universe, destruction is New Life.

Chen Dengming finally remembered that the Living Buddha Venerable, had reminded him of this through the power of the Buddhist Sect affinity: after destruction comes New Life.

At that time, he had not yet awakened the will of the primordial giant deep within his soul, and was unable to gain much inspiration or expand his imagination.

Now, however, I feel it deeply.

Now that the Tribulation Qi Dharma Idol has been controlled, its destruction is only a matter of a moment.

The threat of Eternal Great Tribulation has been almost entirely resolved by Chen Dengming himself.

This variable, on whom celestial beings and gods placed high hopes, has ultimately lived up to expectations and seems ready to retire gracefully.

But after awakening the will of the primordial giant deep within his heart, Chen Dengming also knew very well that this universe was about to enter a state of utter desolation.

Once the universe returns to nothingness, then as the Vast Sky Dao Venerable said, everything will become empty.

All talk of becoming an immortal and achieving eternal life will be reduced to nothing along with the return of the universe to nothingness.

The way to stop all this is to devour the universe according to the method of devouring the universe developed from observing the multiple universes in the will of the Primordial Giant, and to try to devour this universe that is about to return to nothingness, just as the Dao Lord revitalized the Dao Domain, so that the universe can be New Life.

If this succeeds, not only will one gain boundless merit from the condensation of cause and effect throughout the entire universe, solidify one's own Great Dao rules, and attain the status of a True Immortal, but one will also become the only one in the entire universe—an Immortal who controls the universe.

Most importantly, once successful, after the world is New Life, the expansion and decline will immediately stop, and everything will return to the starting point of the world's New Life.

At that time, there will no longer be Eternal Great Tribulation; instead, a catastrophe may only occur once every tens of billions or even trillions of years.

In the starry sky, Chen Dengming controlled the will of the Tribulation Qi Dharma Idol Form with the Five-Colored Divine Fire, and his mind communicated with the Vast Sky Dao Venerable about the possibility of devouring the universe.

"Once I attempt to devour the universe, your power will also be guided by my will and used by me."

"Vast Sky Dao Venerable, do you realize that this means that if you fail, you will perish completely, and even if you succeed, you may lose most of your power!"

The Vast Sky Dao Venerable calmly replied, "I am not clear on how the process of devouring the universe should proceed."

But I know clearly that ever since I attained enlightenment and called myself Huan Kong, all I have sought is to prevent everything from becoming nothing. So what does it matter if I perish for this?

If everything comes to nothing, whether one perishes early or late, it's all for naught. Everything one possesses now is like a dream, fleeting and indistinguishable.

If we succeed, even if we lose most of our strength, at least the final result won't be nothing!

Even though he had only known Vast Sky Dao Venerable for a short time, Chen Dengming had already gradually gotten used to Vast Sky Dao Venerable's uniquely pessimistic way of speaking.

Or perhaps, the other person's realm is too high; they have long since taken life and death lightly, and their ambition is the highest. They would rather die and bring peace to the world than live a life of mere survival and end in vain. They are worthy of admiration!

He hesitated, for asking a Dao Venerable to devote all his efforts to saving the world under his tutelage was clearly no easy task.

But the other party had lofty ambitions, took the initiative to request it, and was indifferent to life and death, which made his slight hesitation begin to loosen.

The plan to devour the universe, while unlikely to succeed, is not entirely without hope.

However, the price and courage required are even greater.

Chen Dengming hoped to discuss and find a more prudent possibility, he continued.

"Now that the Eternal Great Tribulation has almost been resolved, if we wait another six or seven thousand years before trying this plan to devour the universe again, I wonder how feasible it would be?"

The Celestial Daoist responded with divine thought, "If the source of the great calamity is not extinguished, then the eternal calamity cannot be considered resolved."

If the source of the great calamity is extinguished, your will will also be imperfect. This slight flaw may determine the key to success or failure in devouring the universe."

Chen Dengming was speechless upon hearing this.

What the other party said was exactly the point of contention he had thought of.

Tribulation Qi Dharma Idol remains, then the Eternal Great Tribulation cannot be considered resolved.

However, if he destroys the Tribulation Qi Dharma Idol, his will will not be perfect. When he devours the universe, this slight flaw may cause a huge failure.

Therefore, only by sacrificing the will of the Tribulation Qi Dharma Idol Form when he devours the universe can he maximize his chances of success.

However, this also meant that the idea of delaying the plan to devour the universe for another six or seven thousand years had to be abandoned.

"Hesitation leads to trouble!"

Chen Dengming was not an indecisive person. Especially now that he had truly awakened the will of the primordial giant deep within his heart, he knew very well what a terrible state the entire universe would be in if the Eternal Great Tribulation were allowed to continue to erupt.

He may not be able to avert each increasingly powerful calamity, and with the universe about to return to nothingness, the hope of it being devoured and New Life in the future will become even more remote.

Even the best medicine cannot save someone who is terminally ill; the same applies to the world at large.

"Vast Sky Dao Venerable, give me some time. After I have dealt with the matters of the Ancient Realm, I will attempt to devour the universe with you!"

In the end, Chen Dengming gave Vast Sky Dao Venerable a positive response.

He didn't intend to delay any longer.

Before that, I want to return to the Ancient Realm, settle my own Dao domain, spend time with my relatives and friends, and tell a few people the truth about the universe.

After all, if the plan to devour the universe fails, not only will the Vast Sky Dao Venerable perish.

Chen Dengming suspected that all living beings in the entire universe, including himself, might be annihilated and disappear together.

This is very likely to happen.

Because of past lessons, the giant who created the universe was able to survive one cosmic calamity after another, fight against the calamities time and time again, and even split the universe apart.

As a result, after the universe was split open, the explosive power of the universe returning to its void also caused the giant who created the heavens to fall.

Although he was born in response to the will of the giant who created the heavens.

However, this will was ultimately driven by him. He could decide whether to devour the universe or not to complete this feat, choosing instead to live for ten thousand years. Therefore, the true giant who created the world ultimately perished.

"You have obtained his will, and you need time to digest the power contained within that will. Of course, I will wait until you are ready!"

In response to Chen Dengming's proposal, Vast Sky Dao Venerable also disagreed with immediately starting the plan to devour the universe, stating that this matter required thorough preparation.

The two entities, now arguably the strongest in the world, reached a consensus at this moment.

After cleaning up the Battlefield ruins, Chen Dengming then sealed the Tribulation Qi Dharma Idol form and will that had been sealed by the Five-Colored Divine Fire into his Dao soil.

Amidst the ruins of the Starry Sky Battlefield, Feng Lingzi and Xun Suzi regained their sanity after their Tribulation Qi Dharma Idol were sealed.

Despite their Flesh and Blood and wretched appearance, they were still Dao Integration Dao Master. As long as the Dao Domain remained intact, they would not perish completely.

They all took the initiative to pay their respects to Chen Dengming and performed the grand ceremony of worship.

"Feng Lingzi, thank you so much Sovereign of the Sealed Realm, for saving me!"

"Xun Suzi, thank you so much for saving me Sovereign of the Sealed Realm!"

Even though Chen Dengming had returned to his normal human form and even sported a comical bald head, the spiritual aura emanating from him still made the two men restrained and dare not be negligent in the slightest.

His gaze fell on Feng Lingzi and Xun Suzi, he nodded slightly, then looked around at the desolate scene of Life Force, withdrew his gaze, and said.

"The Phoenix Cry Dao Domain has been almost completely wiped out. Perhaps many years later, Life Force will emerge from these ruins. You two, take care of yourselves!"

Having said that, he said no more. A flash of Dao power appeared in his eyes, as if he had traveled through time and space to look at the distant Great Enlightenment Dao Domain.

Deep within the Great Enlightenment Dao Domain, in a rift in space and time, the Great Enlightenment Dao Venerable's mind trembled slightly, and he immediately sent out his Divine Sense thoughts to greet Chen Dengming.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist! I should address you as the Longevity Dao Venerable, not the Sovereign of the Sealed Realm! In this great calamity, it is thanks to your heroic intervention and righteous assistance that we were able to turn the tide. If you ever need my help in the future, please do not hesitate to ask!"

Chen Dengming nodded slightly, "Great Enlightenment Dao Venerable, there's no need for such formalities. Speaking of which, I should thank you for the branch you left behind back then, which contributed a considerable amount of resources to my reforging of my Dao body."

Upon hearing this, the Great Enlightenment Dao Venerable felt embarrassed and nervous, unsure of Chen Dengming's meaning.

This sounds like a accusation against him for helping Phoenix Cry Dao Venerable invade the Ancient Realm in the past, and that he wants to settle accounts with him.

He had been secretly observing the battle the whole time, and was shocked by Chen Dengming's terrifying strength.

This newly promoted Dao Venerable seems to have a background that even he cannot comprehend. Even the Vast Sky Dao Venerable attaches great importance to him, as if they have reached some kind of consensus.

The power of the universe and the Five-Colored Divine Fire that he controlled made him feel a deadly threat of death, which terrified him.

Apart from Vast Sky Dao Venerable, even Phoenix Cry Dao Venerable and Heavenly Dao Divine Void have never given him such a terrifying threat to his life.

Just as the Great Enlightenment Dao Venerable was pondering, Chen Dengming had already turned around, torn open the curtain, and returned to the Ancient Realm.

This earth-shaking battle, although it ended with Chen Dengming's victory, almost completely wiped out the lives of many Cultivation Star in the entire Phoenix Cry Dao Domain at the hands of the Tribulation Qi Dharma Idol. Only Feng Lingzi and the other two Dao Lords survived, and their lives were extremely tragic.

But compared to the catastrophic impending doom of the entire universe, the extinction of life in a single star system seems insignificant.

Time flies by, and the past is gone. Only the two peach trees in the courtyard remain, their blossoms facing the sun in the depths of spring.

In this Human World, there once was Lüojia Mountain, a place of great historical significance.

Chen Dengming and his three daughters, He Yingyu and He Yingyu, built a hut here, watching the peach blossoms bloom and fade, brewing peach blossom wine, tasting peach blossom cakes, and becoming peach blossom immortals.

Though said to be three women, they were actually revisiting this familiar place, seeing the peach blossoms year after year, but also often thinking of that unfortunate woman, thus accompanying four beauties.

After the war ended, Chen Dengming returned to the Ancient Realm, dealt with the affairs of the Dao Domain, and informed Dongfang Huayuan and Qu Shenzong of the results of the war.

Afterwards, he and his beloved secluded themselves in the mountains and Old Deng Peach Blossom Spring, living a carefree life in the countryside, where they envied neither the immortals nor the lovers. Before they knew it, Jiazi had passed.

"In Peach Blossom Dock Valley dwells a Peach Blossom Hermitage, and within the Peach Blossom Hermitage dwells a Peach Blossom Immortal."

The Peach Blossom Immortal planted peach trees, and picked the peach blossoms to exchange for wine.

When sober, I sit before the flowers; when drunk, I sleep beneath them.

Half-awake, half-drunk, day after day; flowers blooming and falling, year after year.

The world laughs at my madness, but I laugh at their blindness. Ha ha ha. They can't see through it all!

That day.

The sound of leisurely recitation wafted from Mingxuan, accompanied by the aroma of fish soup wafting from the kitchen, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Inside the Mingxuan Pavilion, Chen Dengming sat at his desk, leisurely wielding his brush and ink. Before long, a beautiful woman with graceful dancing postures appeared on the table.

On one side, a charming Little Array Spirit danced gracefully, just like the little dancer of yesteryear, with no trace of the Empress You's majesty.

Su Yan Yan's soft, water-like figure strode in, her slender waist giving off a boneless feeling, as she served Chen Dengming fragrant tea.

Chen Dengming put down his pen, took the teacup, and smiled, "Thank you for the tea, Senior Sister. How about I paint another picture for you?"

Su Yan Yan's pretty face flushed slightly. She glanced again at the Little Array Spirit in the painting on the table, which was truly lifelike, and she couldn't help but be greatly moved.

"Is it finished?"

The Little Array Spirit also came closer to look. Seeing herself in the painting, she exclaimed in surprise and tilted her incomparably beautiful face upturned, her eyes shining with excitement, "Husband, you have painted me so beautifully!"

"Okay, you've drawn them all. I worked so hard to make fish soup for you, are you going to leave me out?"

At this moment, He Yingyu's graceful and plump figure emerged from the kitchen. She wore an apron, her hair was piled high, and she exuded a noble charm with a touch of virtuousness and intellect. At this moment, she had a coquettish expression on her face.

Now, Jiazi have passed, and under Chen Dengming's long-term and vigorous cultivation, she has finally entered the Spirit Transformation Realm, becoming even more radiant and beautiful, exuding a charm like a ripe peach.

Chen Dengming laughed heartily, revealing his pearly white teeth, and said, "Paint, paint them all. What's wrong with the three of you being painted together? How about I paint you all perfectly tonight?"

The three women immediately understood what was going on, and they all spat at the old lewd Old Deng, then started joking around together. For a moment, the Mingxuan Pavilion was filled with the beautiful spring scenery of peach blossoms.

However, this seemingly joyous moment will soon be followed by the bittersweet end of the night.

The three women were all aware of the affairs of the world and knew that sixty Jiazi had passed, Chen Dengming was about to leave to carry out that extremely dangerous but inevitable task.

Therefore, on this last night, they cherished it immensely, were extremely reluctant to part, and tried their best to fulfill all of Chen Dengming's requests.

Several days later.

The outer edge of the Ancient Realm.

With the three women and a handful of others, including Dongfang Huayuan and Qu Shenzong, seeing him off, Chen Dengming waved goodbye and departed.

Watching Chen Dengming's departing figure, Dongfang Huayuan clenched his fists and couldn't help but say, "Kid Chen, I've lived for so many years and have never been afraid before, but this time, I'm really a little scared."

You absolutely must succeed! Once you become Dao Venerable, you'll have no regrets even if you die. I don't want to die before I've even become Dao Venerable!"

"Pooh!"

"Senior Dongfang, what nonsense are you spouting at a time like this?"

All three women glared angrily at Dongfang Huayuan.

"You jinx! What bad luck you're spouting!"

Qu Shenzong snorted, then looked at Chen Dengming and laughed heartily, "Nephew Chen, just go for it! Think about it, if you succeed, there won't be any Eternal Great Tribulation in the future. Heh! Life will be so much easier then! Brother Lu, if he were alive, would be incredibly pleased!"

Chen Dengming smiled and bowed, "Rest assured, both of you! I will do my utmost, and besides, I have the assistance of Vast Sky Dao Venerable! There's a high probability that I won't fail!"

The three women He Yingyu, Chen Dengming, gazed at him with beautiful eyes, their hearts filled with trepidation and reluctance, yet they forced themselves to remain composed. They exclaimed in unison, "Husband! We're all waiting for you to come back!"

"You Old Deng, don't make the three of us widows!"

"Haha! Don't worry!"

Chen Dengming laughed loudly, then turned around, his expression gradually becoming serious. Suddenly, he tore open the curtain, took a step, and his figure disappeared in an instant into the passage constructed by the concept of Proximity to Heaven's End, yet worlds apart.

Countless light-years away, in the edge of a star system near the edge of the universe.

Suddenly, violent ripples appeared in the starry sky, and a huge, illusory image emerged, fluctuating wildly.

Suddenly, the curtain was torn open.

Chen Dengming stepped out of the Great Curtain Passage, and the torn curtain behind him quickly disappeared into the ripples.

Almost simultaneously.

On the other side, not far away in the starry sky, a ripple suddenly appeared.

The ripples resembled the surface of water, reflecting a giant foot stepping on the water.

Then, the foot pierced through the ripples, as if stirring up a monstrous wave in the starry sky. As the foot landed completely, a figure of incomparably enormous size, surpassing that of ordinary Cultivation Star, emerged— the Vast Sky Dao Venerable!

"Over the years, have you digested the power within that will?"

The Vast Sky Dao Venerable's gaze, as bright as the stars, fell upon Chen Dengming.

"It's already been digested! But even if we unleash the power within this will, our chances of success are probably only 20%."

Chen Dengming looked up, his white hair flying in the wind, and the circular mark on his forehead shone brightly, radiating a strong light of will.

"Twenty percent is already quite a lot."

Vast Sky Dao Venerable said in a deep voice.

Chen Dengming nodded slightly, understanding what the other party meant.

If we collapse the probability wave of the universe and then use the auspicious energy of the Fortune White Lotus Fire, it may be possible to lock in low-probability events and transform them into certain, inevitable events after collapse.

But the entire universe is too vast, unimaginably vast, containing an almost endless flow of information and countless variables.

Fluctuations in any one of these variables could lead to drastic fluctuations in the low-probability wave. Locking onto the low-probability wave that is collapsing and engulfing the universe is no easy task.

But now that the arrow is on the bowstring, even knowing it will be difficult, the two still have to try.

Trying still offers a chance of success.

Without trying, there's absolutely no chance.

"Get ready!"

Chen Dengming took a deep breath, then suddenly pointed his fingers at his brow, pulling out a cluster of Five-Colored Divine Fire from the earth.

The astonishingly high and dangerously high temperature immediately began to distort space and time.

Within the Five-Colored Divine Fire, the will of the Tribulation Qi Dharma Idol remained sealed, manifesting as various faces connected by cause and effect, struggling in agony.

"Walk!"

Chen Dengming took a step forward and landed on the giant palm of Vast Sky Dao Venerable. The moment his fingers pressed against his brow, his figure vanished in a burst of five-colored spiritual light.

The next instant, the two arrived directly at the edge of the rapidly expanding Universe Edge.

However, the edge of the universe recedes into the distance in an instant at a speed exceeding the speed of light.

Chen Dengming stopped using hand seals and instead used mental calculation to cast spells. His will, along with the figure of Vast Sky Dao Venerable, frequently disappeared into the five-colored light, like bursts of five-colored fireworks, flashing wildly at the edge of the universe, yet remaining stuck at that edge, unable to break through.

The scene seemed to freeze right there.

Time and space seem to have frozen here.

It seems that no one can leap beyond the universe at a rate that exceeds its expansion.

But Chen Dengming can.

Because his will has traversed multiple universes, and even more so because he can collapse low-probability waves.

A low-probability wave is locked in, followed by collapse.

A five-colored light flashed across the edge of the dark universe in an instant, like a beautiful five-colored rainbow, crossing the dark boundary between the inside and outside of the universe and stepping into the unknown territory beyond the universe.

(Remember to clear your monthly pass at the end of the month!)

It's almost over! I plan to write one chapter to conclude it. I'm not sure of the exact word count, but it'll probably be over 5,000, maybe more. To ensure a good ending, I'll pause tomorrow, the last day of this month, and release the final chapter on March 1st. That will mark the end of a year for this book.