The moment the roar of the Out-of-Domain Calamity pierced the barriers of eternity, the entire world sealed off by True Heaven fell into a strange, deathly silence.
The Eye of True Heaven, which had hung high in the void, gazing indifferently down upon all living beings, suddenly gleamed with razor-sharp menace. The supreme pressure that had blanketed the universe was no longer calm. In its place came a frigid, vicious aura sealed away for eternity, as if someone had abruptly torn open the most shameful, most secret chapter of the past.
The currents of the world froze completely. The laws of the Heavens stopped turning, and the Chaos Origin curled up and vanished.
Everyone could clearly sense that the situation had now completely broken away from the old order of "the Fate Defier opposing the chess game."
The shadow of an incomplete Ancient Soul had appeared in the Ancestral Seal on Lin Chen's chest. It was faint and fragmented, seemingly ready to vanish with the slightest breeze, yet it bore an ancient aura powerful enough to stand as True Heaven's equal. Its hoarse, aged words had barely faded, yet they were like a rusted, blunt blade from time immemorial, hacking straight into the deepest secret of this world.
The agreement to seal the cage and protect the world had long since been voided.
The calamity concealed a deception; even Heaven had selfish motives.
Those few brief words overturned all the lofty principles True Heaven had just proclaimed.
Before this, when all living beings heard that True Heaven had sealed the cage and created the chess game to protect the world, they had felt resentment, but had also vaguely understood that it had been a desperate measure in the ancient catastrophe. Countless living beings had become chess pieces, and the universe had become nourishment. It was unbearably cruel, but in the end, it had been done to resist the Out-of-Domain Calamity that threatened to destroy the world and preserve the foundations of all realms.
But now, the Ancient Soul had laid bare the truth with a single statement: what was called protecting the world concealed selfish motives, and the so-called agreement of eternity had long since rotted away and become void.
The supreme righteous path that True Heaven had upheld for hundreds of billions of years was instantly shrouded in an indescribable gloom.
"Silence!"
At the peak of the void, the cold, indifferent voice finally carried a hint of genuine wrath.
Since True Heaven had first appeared, this was the first time it had truly flown into a rage.
An invisible pressure from the Heavenly Dao crashed down—not upon all living beings, but locked firmly onto the wisp of the incomplete Ancient Soul in Lin Chen's chest. The entire sealed space trembled violently. The folds of the void collapsed in layers, then reconstructed themselves. Countless fine chains of Heavenly Dao law sprang into being, winding densely around the world from every direction, seeking to suppress in an instant the remnants of this soul that dared defy the Heavenly Dao and expose secrets of the past.
"A mere wisp of ash dares to question the Eternal Heavenly Strategy?"
True Heaven's will surged like the firmament, pressing down until countless great paths roared and quivered.
High above the Nine Heavens, the Seven Supremes' expressions changed dramatically, their bodies tensing to the limit. They had lived through the rise and fall of eras and witnessed the end of the Dao and the death of countless beings, but they had never seen True Heaven grow angry. The Heavenly Dao was supposed to be emotionless, gazing down on all beings as if they were dust. Yet today, a few words from a remnant soul had made it feel anger and apprehension.
That alone was enough to prove that the Ancient Soul's words were no lie.
"So... even Heaven has selfish motives." One Supreme murmured, and for the first time in countless ages, a crack appeared in his faith in the Heavenly Dao.
Since time immemorial, the people of the Heavens had revered the Heavenly Dao and obeyed its rules, believing that it governed the balance of life, death, and reincarnation with perfect impartiality. They had fought against the chess game, defied fate to survive, and resisted the control of the False Heaven chess players, but they had never questioned the foundations of the true Heaven.
But now, True Heaven, high above all things, had revealed another side unknown to the world.
Nearby, the Chaos King's massive shadow shifted slowly, and the pitch-black torrent that threatened to destroy the world gradually subsided. Born of disorder, it believed in no righteous path and revered no Heaven. At this moment, however, it saw the truth more clearly than anyone.
The angrier True Heaven grew as it tried to cover things up, the more it proved that the secrets of the past concealed a shocking deception.
On the ground, Kallen, Frieza, and the Golden Super Saiyan held their breath, staring fixedly at Lin Chen in the center of the formation's eye.
They could clearly see the dim light of the dark Ancestral Seal on Lin Chen's chest flickering on and off. The shadow of the incomplete Ancient Soul shook violently beneath the suppression of the Heavenly Dao chains, as if it would completely crumble and vanish the next moment.
But even on the brink of collapse, the Ancient Soul showed no sign of backing down.
The fragmented shadow lifted slightly to face the Heavenly Dao laws pressing down from every direction. Then it spoke again, its hoarse voice unwavering, every word soaked in blood and each sentence piercing the clouds.
"I dare not question the Heavenly Strategy. I speak only of what happened in ancient times!"
"Countless ages ago, when the Out-of-Domain Calamity first appeared, it truly was powerful enough to consume all realms and annihilate their origins. You raised a cage to seal the realms and ward off the calamity. All living beings were grateful for your achievement; the Heavens were born under its protection, and Chaos endured because of it. That was indeed a boundless merit!"
"But you feared the calamity, and even more, you feared the backlash of destiny hidden within it! You sealed the cage not to protect all living beings, but to protect yourself!"
Boom!
Those words exploded like thunder in the minds of everyone present.
The whole world erupted in an uproar, and endless shock swept through every inch of the void.
To protect itself?
True Heaven, high above all realms, transcending the universe and commanding life and death across the ages, had feared a backlash? Had it plotted across eternity for its own selfish ends?
The Eye of True Heaven grew even colder. The chains of Heavenly Dao law rapidly contracted, crushing down on the shadow of the remnant soul in an attempt to silence it and erase every trace of the past.
"Enough! Be annihilated!"
Terrifying Heavenly Dao power crashed down, powerful enough to instantly erase a Supreme at the height of his power, powerful enough to shatter an entire universe.
Lin Chen's gaze darkened. He would no longer stand by.
He knew clearly that this Ancient Soul came from the Ancestral Seal. It was part of his own origin and the only ancient clue to breaking the cage. If the remnant soul were annihilated, the secrets of eternity would be sealed forever. He would never touch the truth and would remain trapped within the order laid down by True Heaven.
More importantly, the Ancient Soul's words aligned with everything he had come to understand along the way.
If the Heavenly Dao truly were impartial, it would never have allowed all living beings to remain chess pieces for generation after generation, with no hope of breaking free. If the order of eternity truly existed only to protect the world, it would never have locked away the hearts of all living beings, forbidding anyone from defying fate and breaking the game.
This Heaven had never been just!
"Trying to silence him? Did you ask me first?"
Lin Chen gave a low shout, and the dark light of the Ancestral Seal around him blazed forth.
The Cage-Breaking Power, which had been contained within his origin, erupted in full. His golden Anti-Dao Origin intertwined with the Ancestral Seal's dark divine light, forming a two-colored pillar that pierced the heavens and earth and forcefully held back the Heavenly Dao chains pressing down from every direction.
Ssssss—
The supreme power of the Heavenly Dao collided wildly with the Cage-Breaking Power of the Ancestral Seal, erupting into countless tiny sparks of origin in the void.
The Heavenly Dao chains snapped inch by inch, regenerated, then snapped again, over and over without end.
With his own power, Lin Chen held back True Heaven's killing suppression and shielded the ancient remnant soul on the verge of collapse.
At that moment, the Heavens fell silent, and Chaos held its breath.
Throughout the ages, no one had dared to directly oppose True Heaven's will.
Even the Out-of-Domain Chess Player, who commanded the Myriad Chess Reincarnation and had plotted for countless ages to bring the game to its conclusion, was merely a puppet chess piece before True Heaven, not daring to defy it in the slightest.
But today, a young human who had emerged from the cage of the chess game had risen against the odds and stood up to Heaven!
"To defy the Dao alone and resist True Heaven through the ages... This boy truly overturns everything we know about the eras." The Seven Supremes were shaken to their cores, their eyes filled with awe.
At the peak of the void, the Eye of True Heaven stared at Lin Chen. The viciousness in its gaze eased slightly, replaced by a profound indifference and scrutiny.
"Heir to the Ancestral Seal, with an Anti-Dao Heart—unique throughout all eternity."
"I value the strength of your Dao heart, and I know how difficult it was for you to escape the chess game. I had intended to leave you a chance to live, to let you eke out an existence within the cage-bound world."
"But you insist on remaining stubborn. You insist on probing forbidden secrets of the past, sheltering the remnant soul, and defying Heaven's will."
"Since that is so, I shall tell you the entire truth. Then you will understand the laws of Heaven, the fate ordained for you, and the greater force you can never hope to resist!"
True Heaven's voice echoed throughout the world, carrying the indifference of one who had watched over the ages. It no longer concealed or dressed up the truth.
The Heavenly Dao chains that had been pressing down from all directions slowly withdrew into the void, and the tense situation eased for the moment.
Then scene after scene from the ancient past, even older and more brutal than what they had seen before, slowly unfolded before all the beings of the Heavens.
Countless ages ago, when the Out-of-Domain Calamity first arrived, it was no mere natural disaster bent on destroying the world.
Hidden within the calamity was a Source of Destiny capable of overturning everything.
Whoever consumed the Source of Destiny could transcend the Heavens, rise above Chaos, escape reincarnation, and become truly immortal.
But the backlash of the Source of Destiny was terrifying. Those who tried to consume it by force would suffer shattered foundations at best, or be destroyed in body and soul at worst. Even the origin of the Heavenly Dao would be dragged into the abyss of annihilation.
When True Heaven was first born and took command of the primordial world, it faced the calamity and the temptation of the Source of Destiny—and greed took root in its heart.
It dared not risk its own life or bear the backlash of destiny alone. So it personally created a cage and divided the structure of the myriad realms, giving rise to the three systems of the Heavens, Chaos, and Myriad Chess.
It used countless living beings and innumerable universes as trial pieces, and the cycles of eternity as a long, grueling test.
Its purpose had never been to protect the world. It was to use the trials of all living beings to dissipate the backlash of destiny and forge a flawless method of consuming the Source!
The Myriad Chess Reincarnation harvested all living beings to refine nourishment for the origin; the conflicts and changes of the Heavens tempered the resistance of the great paths; the disorderly cycle of Chaos counteracted the vicious aura of the calamity.
The struggles, sacrifices, resistance, and destruction of all living beings across eternity had never been accidents. Every one of them was a trial carefully designed by True Heaven.
The so-called chess game was a testing ground.
The so-called common people were stepping stones.
The so-called protection of the world was the most absurd deception.
Everything was merely part of True Heaven's shocking plan, laid across the ages to secure its own immortality!
"So... that's how it was..."
The Golden Super Saiyan trembled slightly, the faith in his eyes utterly shattered.
Generation after generation, they had fought against fate, believing they were resisting the Pseudo-Heaven Chess Game and safeguarding the great path of all living beings. In the end, everyone's resistance, sacrifice, passion, and convictions were nothing but specks of dust and part of a charade on True Heaven's path to transcendence.
How tragic. How ironic.
Kallen clenched his fists, his purple battle aura surging without pause. His heart burned with anger, but he had nowhere to vent it. All living beings had fought with everything they had to seize control of their own fates, yet the end of that road had been locked by Heaven from the very beginning.
The Chaos King let out a low, guttural roar. Endless torrents of Chaos rolled violently as its deep-seated revulsion erupted. Born of disorder, it hated scheming above all and loathed hypocrisy. The supreme True Heaven before them was more despicable and more heartless than the chess player.
Lin Chen gazed at the ancient scenes filling the sky, his mind settling into perfect stillness.
There was no anger, no shock—only cold clarity.
At last, he understood why the Ancestral Seal had been born to break the cage, and why his Anti-Dao power could suppress every form of Chess Dao and Heavenly Dao.
Because from the moment the game began in the ancient past, the fate of every living being had been betrayed.
The chess player was a puppet, all living beings were nourishment, the chess game was a deception, and Heaven was the one who had started it all.
"You used all living beings through the ages as bait and the reincarnation of all realms as chess pieces, all for your own transcendence." Lin Chen lifted his eyes, his gaze clear and cold as he looked directly at the Eye of True Heaven at the peak of the void. "You feared the calamity's backlash and dared not face it yourself, so you enslaved all living beings and made them take the risk for you. Your so-called laws of Heaven are your private path; your so-called fate is a lie."
True Heaven replied indifferently, "The world has always been ruled by the strong. All living beings depend on the Heavenly Dao to exist, so it is only right that they sacrifice themselves for it. If I had not created the cage, all realms would have perished long ago. You would not even have been granted the right to reincarnate."
"Depending on you to live doesn't mean we sold ourselves into slavery." Lin Chen did not yield an inch. "Life is the foundation of all living beings; fate is one's own path. You used the name of protecting the world to pursue your selfish ends, shackling the world through the ages and imprisoning the hearts of all living beings. This Heaven is unjust! This Dao is unfair!"
The Ancestral Seal's light suddenly blazed brighter. The shadow of the incomplete Ancient Soul stabilized completely, facing True Heaven across the boundless void.
One soul and one Heaven—grievances spanning eternity had finally been laid bare.
But just as their standoff reached its peak and a new, earth-shattering battle was about to erupt—
Beyond the cage's barriers, the Out-of-Domain Calamity, which had only been seeping through faintly, suddenly turned ten times more violent!
Rumble—
A succession of shattering booms shook the ages.
The barriers of the Eternal Cage, forged by True Heaven over countless ages, were covered in densely packed black cracks. Strange, frigid, Out-of-Domain fiendish energy far more destructive than Chaos flooded madly into this world through the fissures.
More terrifying still, a boundless, indistinct shadow, shrouding the entire Outer Realm void, was slowly drawing near to the cage's barriers.
Within that shadow, there was no order, no Chaos, no Heavenly Dao, and no chess game.
All that remained was a wisp of destiny's aura that made even True Heaven wary and stirred the Ancestral Seal.
At the peak of the void, the Eye of True Heaven, which had remained indifferent and composed until now, showed a trace of utmost apprehension and panic for the first time.
The Ancient Remnant Soul in Lin Chen's chest suddenly trembled violently and delivered a warning full of terror:
"This is bad... The calamity isn't the greatest crisis. The backlash of destiny has appeared. The true and false Heavenly Daos of eternity are about to collapse together!"
Cracks spread across the sky and earth as two overlapping catastrophes descended.
No one had expected that the moment the ancient deception was exposed would be the beginning of the true destruction of this entire world!
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