Ten thousand years had passed since the Eternal Realm was created. All Heavens and Myriad Worlds had long since become one, with all races living together in perfect order. There were no more disputes, no more slaughter, no more struggles between supreme beings, and no more wars between realms.
The once-lofty Immortal Emperors, Devil Ancestors, Demon Emperors, and Sacred Kings now each performed their duties in the Eternal Realm, guarding star domains and maintaining order across the heavens. Their days were stable and peaceful.
The beings of every race lived and worked in contentment. The young were cared for, the old had support, cultivators cultivated without impediment, and mortals enjoyed long lives. The entire chaos universe presented an unprecedented age of prosperity.
Yet the Chaos Sovereign who had created all this-Lin Chen-had long since faded from the sight of the myriad races.
He did not sit year-round in the Sovereign Divine Hall above the nine heavens, nor did he patrol the heavens to display his divine might, much less establish harsh rules to bind the myriad races.
Once the Eternal Realm had stabilized and the system had fully fused with him, Lin Chen handed all affairs of the heavens over to the many mighty beings under his command. He himself found a valley deep within the Eternal Realm, with beautiful mountains, clear waters, and swirling Spiritual Qi, and settled there in seclusion.
There were no earth-shaking phenomena, no supreme pressure, and no clamor of countless worshippers.
He shed his sovereign majesty, laid down his invincible edge, and became an utterly ordinary young man in white. At sunrise he watched the sea of clouds, and at sunset he gazed at the river of stars. At leisure he drank tea and contemplated the Dao; in quiet moments he closed his eyes and rested his mind. He began living a simple, unhurried, tranquil life.
For Lin Chen now, invincibility had long become ordinary, authority had long become drifting clouds, and supreme treasures had long become dust.
Through a hundred thousand years of signing in, he had obtained everything and seen through everything.
Power, status, renown, fortune... the things living beings chased all their lives had long since lost the slightest attraction for him.
What he wanted had never been the thrill of sweeping across the heavens, the glory of the myriad races bowing before him, or supreme authority.
All he wanted was stability, tranquility, and the freedom to follow his heart without being disturbed.
That day, the first faint light of dawn shone through lingering morning mist.
Lin Chen sat in a small bluestone pavilion in the valley. Before him stood a simple wooden table, bearing a pot of freshly brewed spiritual tea whose crisp fragrance filled the entire valley.
His fingertips tapped lightly against the tabletop as he gazed at the distant sea of clouds, his expression calm and at ease.
"A hundred thousand years of playing it safe, a few years of invincibility, ten thousand years of eternity... it's been quite a while since things were this quiet."
Lin Chen murmured to himself, lifted his teacup, and took a small sip. The tea slipped down his throat and became gentle Spiritual Qi, nourishing his body and mind.
His cultivation had long since reached an ultimate realm beyond description, measurement, or comprehension. He needed neither cultivation nor enlightenment nor the absorption of Spiritual Qi. He himself was the Dao, he himself was law, and he himself was eternity.
Everything in the world lay within a single thought of his.
With a thought, he could create myriad worlds; with a thought, destroy chaos; with a thought, reverse time; with a thought, reshape heaven and earth.
Invincibility had long since seeped into his marrow and become instinct.
Just then, soft footsteps sounded from the entrance to the valley.
The steps were light, the presence gentle, without the slightest affectation or fear, only pure respect and closeness.
Without turning, Lin Chen knew who had come.
She was a stalk of innate spiritual rhyme grass he had casually enlightened while creating the Eternal Realm, and had named Ling Xi.
Born from the Eternal Realm Heart, she was naturally pure and flawless, her mind clear, without any thought of personal gain or any sense of fearful awe. She regarded Lin Chen only as an elder and someone to rely on, accompanying him day and night, serving tea and water, and tending the valley, quiet and well-behaved.
That was also why Lin Chen was willing to keep her by his side.
Before her, Lin Chen did not need to maintain a sovereign's majesty or shoulder the burden of the heavens. He only needed to be his truest self.
"Master, the tea has gone cold. Let me brew you a fresh pot."
Ling Xi approached the pavilion, her voice as soft as a spring breeze, her eyes curved, pure and lovely.
She wore a pale green dress. Her figure was slender and her bearing ethereal, like a spirit of the valley untouched by a speck of dust.
Lin Chen nodded slightly and handed her his cup. "There's no hurry. Sit with me for a while."
"Yes."
Ling Xi obediently agreed and gently sat down opposite Lin Chen, resting her hands on her knees, quiet and still, making no fuss.
She never asked too much, said too much, or looked too much. She always maintained the most comfortable distance, putting Lin Chen completely at ease.
The valley was tranquil. Only the rustling of leaves in the wind mingled with the burbling of flowing water, forming nature's most moving melody.
Only after a long while did Lin Chen slowly speak, his gaze still resting on the distant sea of clouds. "Ling Xi, what do you think eternity truly means?"
Ling Xi paused, tilted her little head, and thought earnestly for a moment before saying softly, "Master, I don't understand eternity or the Great Dao. I only know that staying by your side forever, watching the sun rise and set and the clouds gather and unfold, would make me happier and more content than anything."
Those simple words brought a faint smile to Lin Chen's lips.
Yes.
The meaning of eternity had never been how much power one possessed, how many worlds one controlled, or how many years one lived.
It was peace within, warmth at one's side, the freedom to follow one's heart, and ease without restraints.
He had lived for a hundred thousand years. He had seen the heavens collapse and myriad worlds perish, supreme beings fall and myriad races wail. He had seen treacherous hearts and greed that towered to the skies.
Only now, secluded in the valley far from the clamor, did he truly understand that what he had pursued had never been invincibility, but this simple happiness.
"You're right," Lin Chen said softly. "This is good enough."
Seeing the rare, gentle smile on Lin Chen's face, Ling Xi smiled sweetly too, her curved eyes shining like stars.
Just then, the void trembled slightly, and an exceedingly respectful divine sense crossed an endless distance and reached Lin Chen's ears.
"Your subordinate Haotian pays his respects to the Sovereign! All is well throughout the star domains of the Eternal Realm. The beings of every race live and work in contentment, and nothing unusual has occurred. I have come to report to you!"
It was none other than Great Emperor Haotian, who now governed the Immortal Realm and upheld order across the heavens.
For ten thousand years, Great Emperor Haotian had worked conscientiously, never daring to slacken in the slightest. Every day, he reported the state of the heavens to Lin Chen on time, without a single interruption.
Lin Chen's expression remained unchanged as he spoke mildly, his voice passing straight into Great Emperor Haotian's ears. "Understood. There's no need for ceremony. If all is well across the heavens, you needn't report every day. Simply manage things yourself."
"Yes! Your subordinate obeys!"
Great Emperor Haotian replied respectfully, not daring the slightest disobedience. He then respectfully withdrew, not daring to disturb Lin Chen's peace.
The myriad races feared him, submitted to him, and revered him. Only Ling Xi stayed by his side, unconcerned with worldly affairs and unawed by divine might, simply accompanying him through the quiet years.
This was the life Lin Chen wanted.
Time drifted on, and the years turned.
Lin Chen remained in the valley for a full million years.
To him, eternal and undying, a million years passed in no more than a flick of a finger.
Over those million years, he watched flowers bloom and wither throughout the Eternal Realm, witnessed stars being born and dying across the star domains of the heavens, and comprehended every ultimate truth of the Great Dao of Chaos. His state of mind grew ever more peaceful, serene, and far-reaching.
His presence also grew increasingly restrained, increasingly plain, increasingly close to nothing.
If a cultivator who did not recognize him had passed by at that moment, they would only have taken him for a mortal without a trace of cultivation. They would never have imagined that this seemingly ordinary young man in white was the Chaos Sovereign who had signed in for a hundred thousand years, emerged invincible, swept across the heavens, and created eternity!
His invincible might had long since returned to simplicity and truth.
His supreme power had long since merged into the ordinary.
That day, Lin Chen was sitting quietly in the valley, contemplating the Dao.
Suddenly, his brow stirred slightly. His gaze pierced the Eternal Realm, the star domains of the heavens, and chaotic space-time, looking toward an entirely new domain that had never been entered, discovered, or recorded.
It was a Realm of Nothingness beyond chaos, beyond eternity, beyond everything known and unknown.
This realm had no time, no space, no Great Dao, no Principles, no living beings, and no things. Its existence was more primordial, more empty, and more mysterious than what had preceded the birth of chaos.
Even Lin Chen had never sensed the existence of this realm a million years earlier.
Only today, with his state of mind perfected and his return to simplicity and truth, did he finally catch a trace of the Realm of Nothingness.
"So there are still heavens and earth beyond chaos, and realms beyond eternity."
Lin Chen murmured to himself, a faint trace of curiosity flashing in his eyes.
A million years of peaceful living had long since made him forget conflict, combat, and invincibility.
Yet now, this entirely new Realm of Nothingness sent an almost imperceptible ripple through the heart that had lain quiet for a million years.
It was neither greed nor ambition nor desire.
It was only pure curiosity, exploration of the unknown, and longing for an entirely new world.
He was already invincible across the heavens, invincible throughout chaos, invincible within eternity.
In this world, there was long since nowhere he could not reach, nothing he could not do, and no enemy he could not defeat.
He had been invincible for too long.
So long that even the slightest ripple had become an extravagant wish.
And this Realm of Nothingness was the first "unknown" he had sensed in a million years.
"A new world, a new beginning. That sounds rather nice."
The corners of Lin Chen's mouth lifted slightly into a relaxed smile he had not shown in a long time.
He stood, his white robes fluttering gently. His bearing remained calm, but now held a trace of longing for distant places.
Noticing his movement, Ling Xi hurried forward and asked softly, "Master, are you going out?"
Lin Chen looked at Ling Xi, his eyes gentle. "Yes. To a new place, to see an entirely new world."
A trace of reluctance to part flashed through Ling Xi's eyes, yet she still nodded obediently. "I'll wait for you to return, Master. I'll always be here waiting for you."
She would not stop him, question him, or follow him. She would only wait quietly for his return.
Lin Chen nodded slightly and gently waved his hand. An eternal, undying protective mark merged into Ling Xi's body, into the valley, and into the entire Eternal Realm.
"While I am away, the Eternal Realm shall know peace through all ages. None may oppress it, none may disturb it. Its years shall be tranquil, forever free of worry."
As his voice fell, the mark took effect.
From that moment onward, the Eternal Realm became a true worry-free pure land. Even without Lin Chen presiding over it, it would remain eternally indestructible, with immunity to all techniques, unworn by myriad tribulations.
Having arranged everything, Lin Chen lingered no longer. He looked toward the Realm of Nothingness and took a gentle step.
There was no earth-shaking commotion, no dazzling divine light, no phenomenon of twisting space-time.
With one step, his figure vanished instantly from the valley.
When he reappeared, he had already left the Eternal Realm, the star domains of the heavens, and the chaos universe, and stepped into that Realm of Nothingness where no one had ever set foot.
The instant he entered the Realm of Nothingness, Lin Chen sensed an entirely different presence.
Here, there were no restraints of the Great Dao, no restrictions of Principles, no levels of power, and no divisions of cultivation realms.
Everything was nothingness, everything was at its inception, everything was an entirely new beginning.
There were no enemies, no threats, no fearful awe, and no worship.
There was only a pure, primordial, unknown world.
Lin Chen closed his eyes and opened his body and mind, sensing the presence of this entirely new world. A long-absent ease and contentment appeared on his face.
In All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, he was the Sovereign, a supreme being, a true god. He bore the expectations of myriad races and the order of the heavens, unable to follow his heart or act without restraint.
But in this Realm of Nothingness, he was none of those things.
He was only Lin Chen: a transmigrator from the mortal world, a cultivator who had played it safe and signed in for a hundred thousand years, an ordinary person seeking tranquility and freedom.
No status, no burdens, no restraints.
This was a truly new beginning.
Lin Chen opened his eyes, an easy light glimmering in them. His white robes fluttered gently as he walked slowly into the depths of the Realm of Nothingness.
He used not the slightest power and employed no Divine Ability. Like a mortal, he simply moved slowly forward, step by step.
He took in the scenery of nothingness, sensed an entirely new world, and experienced freedom and ease unlike any he had known.
He crossed plains of nothingness, vast and boundless, silent and still;
He crossed rivers of stars in nothingness, where formless stars shimmered with flowing colors;
He crossed divine mountains of nothingness, where Immortal Qi drifted ethereally and spiritual resonance arose of its own accord;
He crossed spiritual seas of nothingness, where waves rolled soundlessly, gently nourishing.
He traveled onward, with scenery and freedom all along the way.
There was no passing of time, no changing of years, no troubling fatigue, and no distracting thoughts to entangle him.
Within this entirely new world, Lin Chen's state of mind continued to rise and reach perfection, drawing ever closer to true, absolute freedom, unfettered ease, and eternity.
Without his noticing, his power also transformed toward an even more inconceivable, even more unfathomable level.
Yet he paid it no attention at all.
The strength of his power had long since ceased to matter to him.
What mattered was only the scenery before him, the tranquility in his heart, and this hard-won freedom.
He did not know how long he walked. Perhaps an instant, perhaps an eternity.
At last, Lin Chen reached the deepest part of the Realm of Nothingness.
There, he saw an inconceivable plant.
It was a tender sprout growing at the core of nothingness, translucent throughout, radiating the most primordial, purest, earliest vitality.
It had no name, no origin, and no attributes. It was only a simple sprout, yet it bore the source and hope of the entire Realm of Nothingness.
Lin Chen approached the sprout and slowly crouched down, looking gently at the tender new shoot, a soft smile appearing on his face.
He did not use his power, forcibly probe it, or claim it as his own.
He only extended a finger and touched it lightly, pouring a trace of the purest warmth and vitality from his heart into the sprout.
The sprout trembled softly, as though sensing Lin Chen's goodwill, and swayed slightly with immense affection.
Lin Chen smiled and stood. Without lingering any longer, he turned and walked slowly back the way he had come.
He did not need to seize the source, control heaven and earth, or obtain greater power.
He was only passing through, only admiring, only experiencing.
Whether he gained anything did not matter.
Whether he possessed anything did not matter.
What mattered was that he had come, seen, felt, and had this entirely new experience of freedom and tranquility.
That was enough.
After leaving the Realm of Nothingness, Lin Chen did not immediately return to the Eternal Realm. Instead, he took on a mortal form and descended into an utterly ordinary little mortal world within All Heavens and Myriad Worlds.
This little world had no cultivators, no Divine Abilities, no immortals or devils. There were only ordinary mortals who worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, bustling streets, and the warmth of everyday life.
Lin Chen changed into coarse white clothes and walked through the streets of a small town, watching vendors hawking their wares, children playing, passersby walking hand in hand, and homes with cooking smoke curling above them.
Around his ears were bustling voices, at his nose the scent of food, and before his eyes the warmth of everyday life.
There was no sovereign majesty, no invincible edge, no worship from myriad races, and no burden of the heavens.
He was only an ordinary passerby, a traveler experiencing the warmth of mortal life.
At that moment, Lin Chen's heart was utterly peaceful, utterly warm, and utterly content.
He finally understood.
True invincibility was not sweeping across the heavens, making every enemy bow, or standing supreme.
True invincibility was peace within, freedom in life, tranquil years, and the composure to follow one's heart.
True eternity was not undying longevity, imperishability through all ages, or dominion over heaven and earth.
True eternity was love in one's heart, light in one's eyes, warmth at one's side, and peace throughout one's years.
After signing in for a hundred thousand years, he had emerged invincible.
He had walked through the myriad heavens, forged eternity, explored the void, and lived through ten thousand years.
Now, he had finally found the life he truly wanted.
The smoke of everyday life, peaceful days, no fetters or restraints, freedom and ease.
This was his new beginning.
Lin Chen strolled along the streets of the small town, a faint, warm smile on his lips, his figure gradually blending into the bustling crowd.
Nothing shook heaven and earth, no countless eyes watched, no legend returned.
There was only an ordinary young man, an ordinary life, and a stretch of ordinary yet warm years.
He had signed in for a hundred thousand years and emerged into the world invincible.
Now, all the gilt had washed away, and he had returned to simplicity and truth.
A new beginning, a journey setting out from here.
The years stretched long, the human world was warm, he was free to follow his heart, and his invincibility endured forever.