The Primordial Emperor Exalt had fallen, the Creation Clan had scattered in panic, and the entire expanse of Primordial purple qi fell silent once more.
Clad in white, Lin Chen stood in midair above the currents of Hongmeng Origin Qi. Not a trace of pressure escaped him, yet this land of creation, where all Daos had been born, spontaneously assumed an attitude of worship. Purple Qi parted to either side beneath his feet, ancient divine birds circled with low cries, auspicious beasts of creation prostrated themselves and kowtowed, and even the Hongmeng divine mountains stretching billions of miles inclined slightly in submission.
The Void Dao Lord stood quietly behind him, his state of mind still churning beyond his control. Not long ago, he had considered himself supreme over the void, ruling alone across the ages. Only after following Lin Chen through the heavens, across chaos, through the void, and into the Primordial Realm had he truly understood what it meant for there to be a heaven beyond heaven, and what true invincibility was.
To him, Lin Chen was no longer merely a powerful being, but Dao itself, the limit of strength, the endpoint of eternity.
"Supreme One, the Primordial Emperor Exalt has been destroyed. The Creation Clan is a host of dragons without a head, and no one in the entire Primordial Realm dares oppose you anymore." The Void Dao Lord bowed as he spoke, his tone utterly respectful. "Now the Hongmeng Origin is in turmoil, and all Daos await their return. If you take command of the Hongmeng Origin, you can truly rule every realm and become the lord of all worlds in both name and deed."
Lin Chen raised his eyes and looked toward the deepest reaches of the Primordial Realm.
There, purple Qi was so dense that it would not disperse. A mass of nine-colored light hovered at its center. Within that light, the birth and death of universes, the cycles of epochs, and the rise and fall of realms were all revealed-it was the Hongmeng Origin Core, the initial source of every world, every Great Dao, and every power.
The heavens had branched from it, chaos had been nurtured by it, the void had extended from it, and the heavenly domain had been born from it.
It could be said that obtaining the Hongmeng Origin meant grasping authority over the entire multiverse.
"The origin has a spirit," Lin Chen said calmly. "It is waiting."
Before his words had faded, a Dao sound spanning the ages suddenly rang out from the depths of the Primordial Realm, clear and vast, piercing straight into the soul. The nine-colored mass of light trembled violently. Billions of creation runes soared into the sky, weaving into an enormous Dao diagram that covered the Primordial Realm, displaying scenes of heaven and earth being cleaved apart, yin and yang dividing, and all living things being born.
The next moment, an ancient, boundless, supremely exalted consciousness slowly awakened.
"Outsider... you slew the Emperor Exalt and broke my Creation Principle... why do you carry a Dao resonance more ancient than mine...?"
The consciousness was ancient and halting, bearing the unique majesty of the origin of creation, yet concealing a trace of reverence it could scarcely hide.
It was the Hongmeng Origin, the mother of all Daos. By rights, all things should have been under its rule.
Yet before Lin Chen, it felt a suppression stemming from its very roots, as though he were the true "master," while it was merely an object that had been created.
Lin Chen's gaze was calm. His voice was quiet, yet every word fell into the origin's consciousness:
"I came from the mortal world a hundred thousand years ago, taking in the heavens, devouring chaos, gathering the void, and merging the heavenly domain. When I emerged, I had already transcended the beginning of creation and surpassed the summit of all Daos."
"You are the Hongmeng Origin. I am above the origin."
"You give birth to all Daos; I determine all Daos. You nurture all worlds; I rule all worlds. You have a beginning and an end; I have neither."
One statement laid bare the essence.
The Hongmeng Origin trembled violently. Its nine-colored divine light surged billions of times brighter, and the entire Primordial Realm resonated.
It could sense that Lin Chen's words were true.
His Dao foundation was more ancient than its own; his power was purer than its own; his existence had long since stepped beyond the boundaries of "creator" and "created," reaching an ultimate eternity that it could never touch.
"I... submit."
That single brief word resounded throughout the Primordial Realm.
The next moment, the Hongmeng Origin Core transformed into a streak of nine-colored light. Without the slightest resistance, it flew toward the space between Lin Chen's brows of its own accord. There was no impact, no rejection. Like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, like myriad streams returning to their source, it gently and reverently merged into the depths of Lin Chen's soul.
Hum-!
Lin Chen's body trembled slightly, not because his power had surged, but because his vision had opened completely.
In an instant, the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, boundless chaos, the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain, the endless void, the interior and exterior of the Primordial Realm, every space and time, every dimension, every living being, and every thought appeared clearly within his mind.
He could see children crying in the mortal realm, Great Emperors comprehending Dao in seclusion, ancient chaos beasts sleeping, Heaven Domain Venerables cultivating, the winds of the void flowing, and the Creation Divine Tree sprouting.
With a thought, he could know the affairs of all ages; with a thought, he could behold the sights of all worlds.
He did not need to act. With a single thought, he could bring a realm into existence or annihilate one; he could rearrange the Great Daos or restart an epoch; he could grant living beings eternal life or consign all living things to extinction.
The Hongmeng Origin had entered Lin Chen's body not because he needed its power, but because the origin had found its true home.
Having witnessed this with his own eyes, the Void Dao Lord submitted utterly. He dropped to both knees, pressed his forehead to the ground, and spoke with the utmost reverence:
"Your subordinate, the Void Dao Lord, pays his respects to the sole Supreme One of all worlds!"
"From this day forth, I shall follow the Supreme One in life and death. My soul pledges its allegiance, and I shall never betray you for all eternity!"
This bow was submission, faith, and the refuge of his Dao heart.
Lin Chen raised a hand slightly, and a gentle force lifted the Void Dao Lord. "You have followed me throughout this journey with a sincere heart and steadfast will. Henceforth, you may command the void and assist in governing all worlds."
"Thank you, Supreme One!" The Void Dao Lord trembled slightly with excitement.
Assisting in governing all worlds-this was authority second only to Lin Chen's!
At the very instant the Hongmeng Origin acknowledged its master.
The All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, chaos, the heavenly domain, the void—every realm trembled at once!
The mortal realm, the cultivation realm, the immortal realm, the God Realm, the emperor realm... across world upon world, the beings of countless races, regardless of strength or weakness, good or evil, wherever they were, all saw a white-robed figure appear in their hearts at the same moment. Reverence, worship, and wholehearted submission arose of their own accord.
Above the nine heavens, the gods descended from their cloud carriages and knelt in worship in the air.
Beneath the nine nether depths, demons and devils ceased their slaughter and bowed their heads in allegiance.
In the Eternal Dao Domain, the leaders of the great holy lands led their entire sects in kowtowing.
In the Mystic Heaven Holy Land, countless disciples cried out to the Supreme One with tears filling their eyes.
In the Four Seas Dragon Palace, the Dragon Race churned rivers and overturned seas, paying homage with their highest rites.
The Primordial Dragon Clan, the Ancient Phoenix Clan, the Myriad Demon Spirit Race, the Nether Race, the God Race, the Devil Race, the Elf Race... every race submitted!
Within chaos.
The Chaos Heavenly Venerable led the Eight Great Dharma Protectors of Chaos and billions of chaos beings in prostration before the Chaos Divine Hall. Their voices thundered, piercing through chaos:
"All living beings of chaos congratulate the Supreme One on taking command of the Hongmeng Origin and ascending to the summit of all worlds!"
"May the Supreme One remain eternal and undying, untouched by all Daos, unrivaled across the ages, and invincible in the world!"
In the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain.
The Eastern Domain Venerable, the realm lords, and all the venerables knelt beneath the Heavenly Domain Divine Hall, facing the Primordial Realm and calling out respectfully:
"All living beings of the heavenly domain congratulate the Supreme One, whose Dao has penetrated the Primordial Realm and who rules all worlds!"
"Once the Supreme One emerges, none beneath heaven can rival him!"
Within the void.
The Eternal Continent shone of its own accord, and the power of the void formed patterns of worship, paying homage in Lin Chen's direction.
Across the entire multiverse, every existence shared the same thought and the same voice at the same moment-
Congratulations to the Supreme One! All worlds return to one, invincible for eternity!
Layers of Dao sounds overlapped, breaking through space and time, crossing dimensions, and resounding throughout the past and future of all ages, becoming the most sacred, most magnificent, most eternal sound since the epochs began.
This sound would be engraved within every Dao law, never to perish.
Within the Primordial Realm.
The Creation Clan had already fled back to its holy land and huddled beneath the Creation Divine Tree, their hearts filled with panic, fear, and unease.
Elder Golden Wing was deathly pale and trembling all over. "The Emperor Exalt is dead... that man has taken the origin too... our Creation Clan is finished..."
"That is a truly eternal existence. We do not even have the right to resist..."
"Rather than sit and await death, we should go and beg forgiveness ourselves. Perhaps the Supreme One will leave our race a chance to survive!"
Everyone clamored with discussion. In the end, every elder, leader, and powerful cultivator reached the same decision-they would all kneel and surrender, submitting for eternity.
A short while later.
Several thousand of the Creation Clan's strongest members departed from the holy land, kowtowing along the way and approaching Lin Chen on their knees. None dared raise their head even slightly, and their voices were unified and trembling:
"The entire Creation Clan acknowledges its wrongdoing!"
"For offending the Supreme One earlier, we deserve ten thousand deaths. We have come specifically to beg forgiveness. Our entire clan is willing to submit, to serve as slaves for eternity and obey the Supreme One's commands. We would never dare harbor disloyalty!"
"We beg the Supreme One for mercy!"
Several thousand Creation Realm experts knelt prostrate together, a sight shocking to the extreme.
Once, they had ruled the Primordial Realm and regarded all worlds as ants. Now, they could only beg humbly for their lives.
Lin Chen lowered his gaze slightly, swept it over them, and spoke calmly. "Your race was born in the Primordial Realm and wields the power of creation, yet you were arrogant and conceited, regarding all living beings as worthless weeds. Your entire clan should have been erased."
At those words, every Creation Clan expert trembled, terrified beyond measure.
But Lin Chen's tone shifted. "However, considering that the origin has pledged allegiance and all worlds have only just been settled, I will not kill you."
"From this day forth, the Creation Clan shall surrender all authority, stand guard over the Primordial Realm, and protect the origin. You shall never again take a single step outside the Primordial Realm, nor look down upon the beings of any realm."
"If you dare disobey-"
Lin Chen's gaze chilled slightly.
Boom!
The entire Primordial Realm shook violently. Countless cracks split the void, and even the Creation Divine Tree bent slightly as a might capable of exterminating their clan enveloped everyone present.
Every Creation Clan expert was frightened out of their wits. They kowtowed repeatedly, their foreheads bleeding:
"We shall obey the Supreme One's decree! We would never dare disobey in the slightest!"
"Thank you, Supreme One, for sparing our lives! Thank you, Supreme One, for sparing our lives!"
They knew clearly that Lin Chen had not spared them out of mercy, but simply disdained to kill them.
Before this truly invincible Supreme One, they scarcely even qualified to have their clan exterminated.
"Withdraw," Lin Chen said calmly.
"Yes!"
As though granted a great pardon, none dared linger for even a moment. With utmost respect, they retreated backward and returned to the Hongmeng Holy Land. From then on, they guarded that region, never daring to show the slightest arrogance again.
Every crisis had been resolved, and all worlds had pledged allegiance.
Lin Chen stood at the summit of the Primordial Realm, his white robes stirring gently in the wind as he gazed into the depths of endless space and time.
The Void Dao Lord asked softly, "Supreme One, now that all worlds are united and the Hongmeng Origin has pledged allegiance, where do you intend to go next?"
Lin Chen raised his eyes slightly. His gaze pierced through the Primordial Realm, crossed all worlds, and fell upon an ultimate endpoint known to no one.
"All worlds have been pacified, invincibility has been proven, the origin is in my grasp, and my Dao heart is complete."
"There are no opponents left in this world, nor any road of conquest."
His voice was calm, carrying the detachment of one who had witnessed all the ages.
A hundred thousand years of signing in, emerging in a single day, sweeping through the heavens, imposing his might upon chaos, breaking through all the void, ascending to the Primordial Realm, taking command of the origin, and ruling all worlds.
Along this journey, from the dust of the mortal realm to the summit of all worlds, he had traveled far, very far.
Now, he had finally reached the end.
"I wish to find a quiet place, to observe the births and deaths of the ages and watch the cycles of all worlds," Lin Chen said softly.
The Void Dao Lord bowed. "Your subordinate is willing to guard all worlds for the Supreme One and allow not the slightest clamor to disturb your peace."
"Good." Lin Chen nodded slightly.
As his words fell, Lin Chen swept his white sleeve.
In an instant, Primordial purple qi gathered of its own accord, forming an ancient, simple Eternal Dao Platform behind him, unstained by even a speck of dust. The platform hovered above the Hongmeng Origin, untouched by karma, uninvolved in reincarnation, recording no years, holding neither beginning nor end.
Lin Chen slowly stepped onto the platform, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes in concentration.
There were no heaven-shaking phenomena, no thunderous rumbling of the Great Dao.
He simply sat there quietly.
Yet his sitting there brought stability to all worlds, order to the epochs, harmony to the Great Daos, and peace to all living beings.
The All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, because he sat there, gained eternal peace.
Because he sat there, chaos and the void knew not the slightest turmoil.
Because he sat there, the origin of creation in the Primordial Realm remained stable, and life continued without end.
Outside.
The beings of all worlds gradually discovered that an invisible protective force had appeared between heaven and earth.
There were no more wars between realms, no more collapsing Great Daos, no more destroyed epochs, and no more living beings plunged into misery.
Mortals could live out their lives in peace, cultivators could comprehend Dao smoothly, the strong could protect their own regions, all beings found their place, and all worlds rested in their proper positions.
Everyone knew that above the nine heavens, at the summit of the Primordial Realm, sat an eternal Supreme One who had signed in for a hundred thousand years and emerged invincible.
It was he who had suppressed the turmoil of all ages.
It was he who had protected the beings of all worlds.
It was he who had established the eternal Great Dao.
It was he who had become the sole unparalleled existence across the ages.
Time flowed, and epochs changed.
One era after another passed, and generation after generation of living beings grew.
Lin Chen's name became legend, became faith, became Dao itself, engraved in the depths of every living being's soul, never to be forgotten for all eternity.
Some said he was the first god to split heaven open.
Some said he was the lord of all Daos.
Some said he was the endpoint of eternity.
Some said he was the very name of invincibility.
Yet only the leaders of all worlds, the Chaos Heavenly Venerable, the Void Dao Lord, and the Creation Clan ancestors knew.
He was merely an ordinary man who had quietly remained hidden in the mortal world for a hundred thousand years.
Once he emerged, he crushed the ages beneath him, united all worlds, and remained eternally invincible.
Upon the Eternal Dao Platform.
Lin Chen sat quietly with his eyes closed, his gaze turned inward, observing the birth and death of all worlds and watching the years flow.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly into an exceedingly faint, gentle smile of release.
A hundred thousand years of signing in, with no years wasted.
Emerging in this lifetime, he had lived up to invincibility.
The heavens were his ministers, all worlds his children, chaos his servant, the void his neighbor, the Primordial Realm his foundation, and eternity his body.
From this day forth.
Above heaven and beneath it, I alone am supreme.
Across all ages, space, and time, I alone am invincible.
Through all Daos and epochs, I alone am eternal.
After signing in for a hundred thousand years, I emerged invincible.
This life was complete, without regret.