Contending with the Dao

Upon the high platform, Shichen stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze piercing through layers of chaotic void to the unknowable depths of Chaos.

After a long while, he withdrew his gaze and said softly, "It is time."

He took a step, and his figure vanished.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already within a space unlike any he had ever seen before.

This was the Land of Great Dao Origin.

As far as the eye could see, origin energy so dense it had reached the extreme had turned into milky-white mist, thick and viscous.

At the very center of the mist floated a perfectly round Dao Pearl. Its entire body shimmered with the mysterious radiance of Chaos's first opening. Countless chains extended from its surface and disappeared into the void in every direction, as though they bound the very foundation of all Chaos.

Even from so far away, that supreme pressure weighed upon his true spirit as tangibly as substance, leaving him unable to breathe.

Shichen stopped, his azure robe stirring gently in the mist.

He raised his eyes toward the Dao Pearl, his voice steady.

"Great Dao, I wish to make a deal with you."

There was no response.

The pearl continued rotating slowly, its chains continuing to circle quietly, as if it had not heard him at all.

Shichen did not grow impatient. He merely waited in silence.

After a long time, the pearl's rotation seemed to accelerate by the slightest degree.

Shichen knew that the Great Dao was listening.

He drew a deep breath and slowly stated the purpose of his visit.

"Cancel the Heaven-Opening Calamity, and I will seek origin for you."

The instant his words fell—

BOOM!!!

An indescribably terrifying pressure abruptly erupted from the pearl!

Its strength far exceeded Shichen's expectations.

He felt as if an invisible primordial mountain of Chaos had come crashing down upon his head. His body involuntarily plummeted, smashing heavily into the void, unable even to lift a finger.

Shichen lay there as stormy waves surged through his heart.

So this is... the Great Dao's true power?

He was already at the third layer of the Chaos Realm. Across the world of Chaos, apart from Pangu, no one could battle him. Yet before the Great Dao, he could not even withstand a trace of its pressure.

The gap was so vast it drove one to despair.

Just then, a vast, indifferent voice resounded throughout the space.

"Heaven-opening must proceed."

Shichen lay on the ground and struggled to raise his head, yet a faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Is it not because the origin has degraded, and you need to stabilize the world of Chaos?"

The pressure remained crushing, but Shichen's voice grew increasingly steady.

"Heaven-opening must proceed. I do not oppose that. But there is no need for us Demon Gods to return to the Dao."

He paused before revealing the plan he had prepared for so long.

"Dao bodies can be used in our place. Let Dao bodies bear the laws; once their laws enter the world after heaven-opening, the result will be the same."

The instant his words fell, that terrifying pressure suddenly froze for a moment.

Then, it slowly dissipated.

Shichen felt the burden upon him lighten. He slowly pushed himself up and knelt on one knee in the void, raising his head to look at the pearl.

The pearl was still rotating, but it had visibly slowed. He knew the Great Dao was weighing its options.

Time passed second by second. No one knew how long it had been.

The pearl never responded.

Shichen took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his tone carried the resolve of one who had smashed his own cauldron and sunk his own ships.

"Great Dao."

"What you seek is no more than the continued existence of the world of Chaos. We Demon Gods also hope that the world of Chaos can endure. On this point, we have no disagreement."

"If you agree, we Demon Gods will seek out other worlds, merge their origins into Chaos, and nourish Chaos in return."

"But if you refuse!"

He paused. The Heart of Time Origin within him suddenly began pounding violently!

A savage aura spread from his body!

"Then I will self-destruct the origin heart of the Dao of Time and restart the entire world of Chaos outright!"

His voice was like thunder, exploding through this space of origin!

The pearl abruptly stopped rotating.

At the same time, within the world of Chaos—

Yang Mei stood beneath the Willow Tree, and the hand holding his wine cup suddenly stilled.

He lifted his head and looked toward the depths of Chaos. His gaze passed through layer upon layer of void, as if he could see everything taking place in the Land of Great Dao Origin.

He sensed that the Dao of Time was in upheaval.

Yang Mei's fingers tightened slightly around the wine cup as he murmured in a low voice.

"Has it begun... Shichen?"

There was a prayer in his voice that only he himself could understand.

"You must succeed."

Elsewhere in Chaos, several other peak Demon Gods also sensed the disturbance in the Dao of Time.

Pangu opened his eyes from cultivation, his brows knitted tightly as he gripped the Pangu Axe, ready to rush into the depths of Chaos at any moment.

The Fate Demon God stood by the River of Fate, watching the rolling waves with a solemn gaze.

All the Demon Gods who knew the truth were waiting.

Within the Land of Great Dao Origin—

The origin heart within Shichen's body was beating faster and faster.

Every beat caused the Dao of Time throughout the entire world of Chaos to tremble with it. That violent aura grew denser and denser, ready to erupt completely at any moment.

Shichen looked at the pearl, his gaze calm and without the slightest retreat.

He was gambling.

Gambling that the Great Dao would make the right choice.

At this moment, time seemed to stretch countless times over.

Finally—

The motionless pearl slowly turned once.

Then, that vast, indifferent voice sounded again.

"Accepted."

"I seek only Chaos's continued existence."

Those few short words made the enormous stone that had hung over Shichen's heart for so long come crashing down.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. His taut body finally relaxed, and a smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

Sure enough... start by offering terms they could never possibly accept, then pretend to lower the conditions. That makes them far more likely to agree.

He rose to his feet and straightened his robes.

"Deal. The world of Chaos is also the home of us Demon Gods. Protecting it is our duty to begin with."

The Dao Pearl gave no further response. It merely resumed its slow rotation, while the chains of laws returned to stillness.

Shichen gave the pearl one deep look. Without lingering any longer, he turned, took a step, and vanished from the space.

The void within the Time Domain rippled faintly, and Shichen's figure reappeared.

He stood there with his eyes closed, silent for a long time.

Then he opened his eyes, and a relieved smile surfaced on his lips.

He had succeeded.

Across Chaos, the Demon Gods who had been watching the movements of the Dao of Time all sensed that the turbulent laws of time were gradually calming.

Holding his wine cup, Yang Mei tipped back his head and drained the remaining wine. A smile appeared on his lips.

Pangu lowered the Pangu Axe and closed his eyes again, a broad grin splitting his face.

The Fate Demon God watched the River of Fate's surface return to calm and let out a quiet breath.

Just as the Fate Demon God prepared to return to his Dao domain to refine a Dao body, he sensed a familiar fluctuation behind him.

Without turning around, he said irritably, "Yin the Fifth, what are you here for again?"

The Karma Demon God emerged from the void with a beaming smile. "Just checking on the situation. Did Shichen succeed?"

"He did." The Fate Demon God snorted. "Otherwise, why do you think the Dao of Time has calmed down?"

"That's good, that's good." The Karma Demon God rubbed his hands together. "So we don't have to return to the Dao anymore?"

"We do not."

"Then do we still need to refine Dao bodies?"

"We do." The Fate Demon God shot him a glance. "Heaven-opening still has to proceed. Dao bodies are necessary."

"Fine, fine, fine. We'll refine them, then." The Karma Demon God waved a hand, then leaned closer. "That said, how exactly did Shichen convince the Great Dao?"

The Fate Demon God fell silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"I don't know. But it certainly was not easy."

"To make the Great Dao change its mind, the price paid could not have been small."

For once, the Karma Demon God put away his playful smile. After a brief silence, he nodded.

"Yes... making the Great Dao yield could never have been easy."

The two of them fell silent for a while.

Then the Fate Demon God waved his hand.

"Enough, Yin the Fifth. Hurry up and get back to refining your Dao body. Stop being an eyesore here."

"Heh, you're the sort to tear down the bridge after crossing the river, aren't you?" the Karma Demon God shouted in dissatisfaction. "Was I not concerned about the bigger picture?"

"You've finished being concerned. Now you can get lost."

"Hmph, then I'll get lost." The Karma Demon God turned away angrily. After taking a few steps, he looked back. "Oh, right. Next time we spar, I'll give you one hand."

The Fate Demon God froze. After a moment of silence, he too turned and returned to his Dao domain.

Within Chaos, everything returned to peace.