Lin Chen stepped beyond the barrier of the heavens, and the scenery around him abruptly changed.
Gone were the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, with their glittering galaxies and orderly Principles. In their place stretched boundless, gray primordial chaos. Here there was no up or down, left or right, no passage of time, no rules of heaven and earth. Only the most primal, most violent currents of Chaos Qi churned unchecked. A single wisp could easily shred a Great Emperor's flesh and extinguish an emperor-level soul.
Throughout the ages, countless Great Emperors had pursued transcendence and attempted to enter chaos, only to perish, their Daos extinguished. Chaos was the ultimate forbidden zone in the hearts of cultivators across the heavens, an abyss of death that even Great Emperors dared not touch.
Yet beneath Lin Chen's feet, chaos was as docile as the waters of a lake.
Whenever the violent currents of Chaos Qi came within three feet of him, they automatically stilled, becoming the purest Chaos Origin Qi and slowly merging into his body. Chaos storms powerful enough to tear apart the heavens parted of their own accord along his path, like subjects yielding to their sovereign, not daring the slightest offense.
His white robes untouched by dust, Lin Chen walked through chaos with slow, easy steps, as though on level ground.
Through a hundred thousand years of signing in, he had long since perfected countless supreme physiques, including the Chaos Dao Physique, the Myriad Law-Impervious Physique, and the All-Heavens Eternal Physique. His flesh had long surpassed the limits of chaos. Never mind currents of Chaos Qi-even the self-destruction of the chaos origin could not harm him in the slightest.
To him, chaos was not a forbidden zone, but a back garden.
"It's much quieter here in chaos than in the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds."
Lin Chen looked up into the endless expanse of chaos. A slight sweep of his divine sense encompassed hundreds of millions of miles, detecting countless beings concealed in its depths.
There were ancient chaos beasts that had slumbered for countless epochs, their bodies comparable to stars, their presences even mightier than the remnant epoch spirits of the Primordial Divine Ruins;
there were shattered fragments of divine realms from High Antiquity scattered through chaos, still holding fluctuations of divinity beyond the Great Emperor level;
there were remains of long-extinct races from High Antiquity, exuding ancient presences that made the heart tremble;
and there were chaos cultivators who had survived by sheer luck. Each had an inscrutable presence, and even the weakest possessed cultivation above the Great Emperor level. Yet all huddled within their own territories, trembling, not daring to make the slightest disturbance.
They had all sensed Lin Chen's existence.
It was an invincible will that stood above chaos and above all life. The slightest trace could annihilate their bodies and souls, forever denying them rebirth.
Before Lin Chen, they did not even qualify as ants.
Lin Chen paid them no mind.
Ancient chaos beasts or chaos cultivators made no difference; in his eyes, they were no different from dust. He had entered chaos neither to slaughter nor to seek fortuitous opportunities. He simply found the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds too dull and wanted to find some peace within chaos, to see just what scenery lay hidden in its depths.
He continued onward at an unhurried pace.
With every step, a chaos lotus dais automatically formed beneath his feet, bearing him slowly through chaos. The dais radiated boundless divine light. Wherever it passed, Chaos Principles evolved of their own accord, and heaven and earth formed spontaneously. Even stars, mountains, and rivers appeared beneath his feet out of nothing, then slowly faded away.
A thought opened the heavens; a thought extinguished the earth.
Such was Lin Chen's current realm.
He needed no Divine Abilities, no cultivation methods. With a stirring of his mind, he was the Heavenly Dao, he was the Principles, he was invincibility.
Deep within chaos stood an ancient divine hall, suspended amid currents of Chaos Qi.
Built entirely of chaos divine jade, the hall towered hundreds of millions of feet high. Countless ancient, mysterious runes were carved above its entrance, emanating a supreme presence beyond the heavens. Outside coiled nine enormous chaos dragons, each possessing battle prowess comparable to a Great Emperor, guarding the hall with boundless majesty.
This was the oldest and most powerful force within chaos-the Chaos Divine Hall.
The Chaos Divine Hall had been born before the heavens opened, when chaos first came into being, and was older than any force in the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds. Its master, known as the Chaos Heavenly Venerable, was a supreme being who had lived through several epochs. His cultivation had long surpassed the Great Emperor level and reached the legendary Heavenly Venerable realm. He was hailed as the strongest expert in chaos.
Throughout the ages, the Chaos Divine Hall had never interfered in the affairs of the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, yet it had always remained the supreme object of faith for all their cultivators. Even rulers of the heavens such as the Heaven-Burning Great Emperor and the East Sea Great Emperor could only bow in submission before it, not daring the slightest disrespect.
At that moment, deep within the Chaos Divine Hall.
Atop a raised platform shrouded in chaos mist, a figure in gray Daoist robes sat quietly.
His features were indistinct, his appearance impossible to make out. Endless chaos origin enveloped him, and his presence merged with chaos, as though he was chaos and chaos was him. This was the master of the Chaos Divine Hall, the Chaos Heavenly Venerable.
Below the Chaos Heavenly Venerable stood eight figures with mighty presences, all respectfully waiting. Each was among the strongest beneath the Heavenly Venerable level. Known as the Eight Great Dharma Protectors of Chaos, every one possessed cultivation far beyond the Great Emperors of the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds.
"Heavenly Venerable," a black-robed Dharma Protector on the left said with a bow, an almost imperceptible tremor in his voice, "just now, I sensed an utterly terrifying will sweep across our Chaos Divine Hall's territory. Even the hall's protective formation trembled slightly before it!"
"Oh?"
The Chaos Heavenly Venerable slowly opened his eyes. Two beams of chaos divine light shot from them, piercing the void.
He had lived through several epochs, witnessed their births and deaths, and seen countless experts emerge. His heart had long been as still as an ancient well. Yet now, for the first time, a trace of gravity appeared in his eyes.
"I sensed it too," the Chaos Heavenly Venerable said slowly, his voice like the thunder of chaos, incomparably majestic. "That will belongs neither to the heavens nor to chaos, nor to any epoch..."
"Its power is absolute, its terror absolute."
"Before him, my Heavenly Venerable cultivation is as laughable as a child."
At these words, the expressions of the Eight Great Dharma Protectors of Chaos changed drastically, their faces filled with horror!
Their Heavenly Venerable was the strongest expert in chaos, an existence beyond Great Emperors! Someone could actually make him speak with such humility?
Just what sort of terrifying existence was the master of that will?!
"Heavenly Venerable," another Dharma Protector in golden armor hurriedly asked, "that will is approaching our Chaos Divine Hall! The visitor comes with ill intent. Should we activate the hall's ultimate defenses and prepare for battle?"
"Battle?" The Chaos Heavenly Venerable gave a bitter laugh and shook his head. "Before that existence, our so-called defenses and battle prowess are nothing but a sheet of thin paper, pierced with a single poke."
"To fight would be to seek our own destruction."
"Pass down my orders. All disciples of the Chaos Divine Hall are to lie low. No going outside, no clamor, no unusual movements of any kind."
"I will go welcome him personally."
With that, the Chaos Heavenly Venerable rose, chaos origin surging around him. He took one step and vanished from the hall, rushing to meet Lin Chen along his path.
The Eight Great Dharma Protectors of Chaos exchanged looks, each seeing utter terror in the others' eyes.
Who exactly was this existence who could make their Heavenly Venerable welcome him personally?
Within chaos, Lin Chen continued onward as leisurely as though strolling through a courtyard.
Suddenly, his steps paused slightly, and he looked into the distance.
Ahead, currents of Chaos Qi churned around a gray figure kneeling respectfully within chaos, forehead pressed to the ground. His posture was humble to the extreme, and he dared not lift his head in the slightest.
It was the Chaos Heavenly Venerable.
Not daring to approach Lin Chen, he could only kneel a thousand miles away to welcome him, expressing his reverence.
Lin Chen's gaze fell upon the Chaos Heavenly Venerable. "Who are you?" he asked mildly.
His voice was calm, yet it reached the Chaos Heavenly Venerable's ears with perfect clarity.
The Chaos Heavenly Venerable shuddered and hurriedly answered with respect, "This junior is the Chaos Heavenly Venerable, master of the Chaos Divine Hall. I respectfully welcome the arrival of the supreme sovereign in chaos!"
He did not even dare refer to himself as "this seat," and could only lower his standing and call himself "this junior."
Before Lin Chen, his so-called Heavenly Venerable status and title of strongest expert in chaos were not worth mentioning.
"The Chaos Divine Hall?" Lin Chen raised an eyebrow slightly. "Never heard of it."
The Chaos Heavenly Venerable felt no displeasure whatsoever. Instead, he grew even more respectful. "This junior's Chaos Divine Hall occupies only a small corner of chaos. Naturally, it is unworthy of your discerning gaze, Sovereign. This junior came to invite you to grace the Chaos Divine Hall with your presence, so that I may attend you with the highest courtesies in chaos!"
To invite an existence like Lin Chen into the Chaos Divine Hall would be the greatest fortuitous opportunity the Chaos Heavenly Venerable had encountered throughout the ages, and a supreme honor for the hall.
With even a trace of guidance from Lin Chen, he could break through his current realm, transcend chaos, and become undying and indestructible.
Lin Chen gave him an indifferent glance. Neither accepting immediately nor refusing, he simply continued walking.
The Chaos Heavenly Venerable dared not rise. Still kneeling where he was, maintaining his bowed posture, he followed behind Lin Chen like the most loyal servant, not daring to overstep in the slightest.
As they traveled, every existence concealed within chaos sensed the Chaos Heavenly Venerable's actions.
The Chaos Heavenly Venerable! The strongest expert in chaos! He was actually following a white-robed young man like a servant!
The sight plunged every chaos creature into utter despair and filled them with absolute reverence.
They finally understood that this white-robed young man was a supreme existence forever beyond their reach.
A short while later, Lin Chen arrived at a peculiar region of chaos.
The currents of Chaos Qi here were denser and more violent than elsewhere. At their center lay a pitch-black fissure, like a hideous, gaping maw, ceaselessly devouring the surrounding currents. From within emanated a presence more ancient and more vast than chaos, as though it connected to a world beyond chaos.
"What is this place?" Lin Chen asked mildly.
The Chaos Heavenly Venerable hurried forward and respectfully explained, "Sovereign, this is the Chaos Heavenly Road, the ultimate destination that we chaos cultivators have always sought to explore."
"Legend says that the Chaos Heavenly Road connects to a higher world beyond chaos. Anyone who can set foot upon it and reach its end can transcend everything and become a truly eternal existence."
"Throughout the ages, countless chaos experts have tried to tread the Chaos Heavenly Road, but all were annihilated by its chaos tribulation power. Not one survived. Even this junior can only watch from outside, not daring to take so much as half a step onto it."
The Chaos Heavenly Road was an ultimate forbidden zone even more terrifying than chaos.
Lin Chen looked up at the pitch-black fissure of the heavenly road.
With a sweep of his divine sense, he saw through the true nature of the Chaos Heavenly Road.
The so-called Chaos Heavenly Road did indeed connect to a higher-dimensional world. But it was filled with chaos annihilation tribulation power and countless destructive Principles left behind by past epochs. Never mind Great Emperors or Heavenly Venerables-even existences stronger than Heavenly Venerables would instantly turn to ash upon entering.
To others, this was a road of death.
But to Lin Chen, it was merely an ordinary little path.
"Rather interesting."
A faint smile touched Lin Chen's lips. He lifted a foot, about to walk toward the Chaos Heavenly Road.
"Sovereign, you mustn't!" The Chaos Heavenly Venerable's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly tried to stop him. "The Chaos Heavenly Road is perilous beyond measure, its tribulation power terrifying. You..."
Before he could finish, his words stopped short.
Lin Chen took one step and entered the fissure of the Chaos Heavenly Road directly.
There were no earth-shaking phenomena, no descending tribulation power, no eruption of destruction.
His white robes fluttering, Lin Chen walked upon the Chaos Heavenly Road. The annihilation tribulation power around him, sufficient to obliterate Heavenly Venerables, automatically dissolved into nothing the instant it approached, unable even to touch the hem of his robes.
Those terrifying epoch Principles prostrated themselves beneath his feet of their own accord, not daring the slightest movement.
Lin Chen walked slowly, step by step, toward the end of the heavenly road.
Kneeling outside the road, the Chaos Heavenly Venerable stared wide-eyed at the sight, his face filled with shock and his mind utterly blank.
Walking the Chaos Heavenly Road as though on level ground!
Such means were simply inconceivable, beyond the limits of his understanding!
He finally understood that this white-robed sovereign was not an existence this chaos or these heavens could possibly contain.
The heights he occupied had long surpassed everything!
Upon the Chaos Heavenly Road, Lin Chen slowly advanced.
The road was long, its end beyond sight. Pitch-black darkness surrounded him, with only annihilation tribulation power endlessly churning.
Yet Lin Chen paid it no mind, casually surveying his surroundings as he walked.
With an idle grasp, he could catch the road's annihilation tribulation power in his hand, squeeze it into a ball, and toy with it at will. With a gentle sweep, he could turn those destructive Principles into the most ordinary Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, dispersing them without a trace.
To him, the dangers of the Chaos Heavenly Road did not even qualify as a diversion.
Just then!
Roar-!!!
A furious roar that shook chaos rang out from the depths of the Chaos Heavenly Road!
The roar brimmed with endless savagery and destruction, a hundred, a thousand times more terrifying than the remnant epoch spirits of the Primordial Divine Ruins!
Immediately afterward, an incomparably enormous, hideous black shadow slowly crawled out from the depths of the Chaos Heavenly Road!
The shadow resembled an ancient beast, yet looked like no known race. Its body towered hundreds of millions of feet high, covered in pitch-black scales, each comparable to a great world. Its four hooves stood upon the heavenly road, making the entire Chaos Heavenly Road tremble violently. Its eyes were black as abysses, radiating a presence that would destroy everything.
This was the guardian of the Chaos Heavenly Road, the Chaos World-Destroying Beast!
Legend said that the Chaos World-Destroying Beast had been born before chaos opened, feeding on annihilation tribulation power and drawing nourishment from epoch Principles. Its strength was terrifying to the extreme. Even the Chaos Heavenly Venerable would not survive a single move against it.
Throughout the ages, all the experts who had sought to set foot upon the Chaos Heavenly Road had died at the Chaos World-Destroying Beast's hands.
The Chaos World-Destroying Beast fixed its enormous eyes on Lin Chen, overflowing with murderous intent. "Lowly creature, you dare set foot in my territory? You court death!"
With that, it raised an enormous hoof and stamped down viciously at Lin Chen with the power to destroy heaven and earth!
This strike could crush chaos, extinguish the heavens, and shatter countless epochs!
Outside the heavenly road, the Chaos Heavenly Venerable's face turned deathly pale. He closed his eyes, not daring to look directly.
He thought that even the sovereign would surely have to fight a bitter battle against this Chaos World-Destroying Beast.
Yet Lin Chen simply stood quietly in place, without moving his feet at all.
Watching the descending hoof with an indifferent gaze, he slowly raised his right hand.
Without any Divine Ability or any Spiritual Qi, he simply struck out with his palm.
"Scram."
One word fell, and chaos went silent.
Bang-!!!
A tremendous crash resounded throughout the Chaos Heavenly Road!
Beneath Lin Chen's effortless palm strike, the Chaos World-Destroying Beast, hundreds of millions of feet tall, instantly flew backward like a swatted fly. Its massive body slammed viciously into the heavenly road's wall, smashing out an enormous crater.
Crack...
Cracks spread across the Chaos World-Destroying Beast's body.
The pitch-black scales it prided itself on shattered instantly; its incomparably mighty flesh ruptured instantly; its incomparably terrifying soul was instantly crushed by that single palm!
Just one palm strike!
An instant kill of the Chaos World-Destroying Beast!
And this was the result of Lin Chen holding back.
Had he struck with his full strength, the entire Chaos Heavenly Road would have instantly dissolved into nothing.
"Noisy."
Lin Chen uttered the word mildly, withdrew his hand, and continued toward the end of the heavenly road.
Outside the road, the Chaos Heavenly Venerable knelt on the ground, his whole body trembling violently, his forehead pressed against chaos. He did not even dare breathe heavily.
He had slain the Chaos World-Destroying Beast with a single palm!
Such battle prowess could no longer be described as powerful. This was true invincibility, true supremacy, true sovereignty above all!
His reverence for Lin Chen had reached its peak, sinking deep into his soul, never to be erased for all eternity.
An unknown length of time passed.
Lin Chen finally reached the end of the Chaos Heavenly Road.
At the end of the road stood an incomparably enormous stone gate.
The stone gate rose to an unknown height of tens of thousands of feet. Forged entirely from eternal divine gold, it bore four large, ancient, mysterious characters-Heaven Beyond Heaven.
The stone gate was tightly shut, emanating a supreme presence beyond chaos, as though it connected to an entirely new world.
Lin Chen stood before the stone gate and looked up.
He could clearly sense that behind it lay a world vaster and higher than the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds or chaos. There were stronger creatures there, more wondrous Principles, and more interesting scenery.
"Heaven Beyond Heaven..." Lin Chen murmured, a hint of anticipation touching his lips.
He was already invincible throughout the heavens, and even chaos held no interest.
Perhaps that Heaven Beyond Heaven could bring him some new amusement.
Lin Chen raised his hand and gently pushed against the stone gate before him.
He exerted no force, unleashed no power-just gave it a gentle push.
Creak-
The unimaginably heavy Beyond-Heaven Stone Gate, unopened for countless ages, slowly swung open.
An incomparably brilliant, incomparably sacred light shot out from behind the stone gate, illuminating the entire Chaos Heavenly Road, the boundless chaos, and all the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds!
Within that light lay a supreme presence that made every living being in chaos involuntarily fall to their knees and prostrate themselves in worship.
With a flick of his white robes, Lin Chen stepped into the world beyond the stone gate.
At the very instant he stepped through!
Throughout all of chaos and the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, a vast, majestic, eternal voice rang out in the minds of every living being at once:
"I am Lin Chen."
"I signed in for a hundred thousand years and emerged invincible."
"The heavens are my subjects, chaos my servant, the world beyond heaven my road, and the myriad races revere me."
"From this day forth, all living beings of the myriad worlds shall honor me as-the Chaos Ancestor of the Heavens!"
The voice fell silent, its echoes resounding for eternity.
Throughout the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds, every cultivator, every Great Emperor, and every race fell to their knees and cried out reverently:
"We pay our respects to the Chaos Ancestor of the Heavens!"
Within chaos, all the chaos beings, the Chaos Heavenly Venerable, and the Chaos Divine Hall fell to their knees and cried out reverently:
"We pay our respects to the Chaos Ancestor of the Heavens!"
Their voices rang through the heavens and echoed across chaos, eternal and undying!
Lin Chen's figure vanished beyond the Beyond-Heaven Stone Gate.
The stone gate slowly closed, but his legend remained forever in the All Heavens and Myriad Worlds and in the boundless chaos.
He signed in for a hundred thousand years and emerged invincible.
The heavens bowed their heads, chaos pledged allegiance, the world beyond heaven became his road, and the myriad races revered him as one!
His road of invincibility had only just begun.
From this day forth, above the heavens, I alone reign supreme; within chaos, I alone am hailed as ancestor; through Heaven Beyond Heaven, I roam at will!