After Lin Chen stepped through the Beyond-Heaven Stone Gate, endless sacred light instantly enveloped his surroundings. One moment, he had been in the desolate, annihilated chaos of the heavenly road; the next, he stood within a boundless new world whose Principles far surpassed those of the myriad worlds.
This was the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain, the supreme realm transcending the heavens and chaos. Every strand of Spiritual Qi flowing through it was purer than the chaos origin, and the patterns of Principles permeating the air were clearly visible. Even a random withered branch on the ground contained enough Dao resonance to drive a Great Emperor of the Heavens mad. Looking out, nine blazing suns and thirteen bright moons hung in the sky. The land stretched without end, its mountains and rivers formed from divine gold and fine jade. Floating immortal mountains extended endlessly, with spirit birds and auspicious beasts everywhere-a magnificent vista of a supreme immortal realm.
The Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain had no cultivation suppression, no cycles of epochs, and no shackles of life and death. It was the ultimate destination countless cultivators dreamed of. Yet only those who truly entered knew that this seemingly peaceful supreme realm also harbored endless dangers and supreme combatants. Here, a Great Emperor of the Heavens was merely an entry-level cultivator, and a Chaos Heavenly Venerable counted only as a middling combatant. Those who truly stood at the summit of the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain were Realm Lords who controlled territories and wielded realm authority, and the legendary Heaven Domain Venerables who had touched the threshold of eternity.
His white robes fluttering lightly, Lin Chen stood in the void. A casual sweep of his divine sense covered hundreds of millions of miles of domain territory, taking in this new world's entire structure and rules. He felt neither surprise nor joy. Those hundred thousand years had long since made his temperament as still as an ancient well. However magnificent a world might be, to him, it was merely a slightly larger cage.
The Spiritual Qi, Principles, and fortuitous opportunities of the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain meant nothing to him. The chaos origin, Epoch Principle, and Eternal Dao Body he had obtained through signing in had long since surpassed this domain's upper limits. Nothing here deserved even a second glance.
"Since I'm here, I might as well settle in."
Murmuring softly, Lin Chen lifted his feet and walked slowly toward the center of the domain. He used no movement Divine Ability, merely strolling as though through a quiet courtyard, yet every step crossed hundreds of millions of miles. Shrinking the earth into inches had long since become instinctive to him; the Spacetime Principle might as well not exist before him.
Wherever he passed, the rules of the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain bowed of their own accord, floating immortal mountains lowered themselves, and spirit birds and auspicious beasts knelt in worship. Even the domain's powerhouses hidden above the nine heavens instantly drew in their souls upon sensing that faint, seemingly intangible invincible will, not daring to make the slightest move.
In the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain, strength commanded respect, and will subdued others. But Lin Chen's will had long since exceeded what the domain could bear. Like a blazing sun descending upon a land of fireflies, he needed no deliberate release of pressure to make every living being bow in submission.
Meanwhile, in the Profound Yellow Realm's territory in the eastern Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain.
The Profound Yellow Realm was one of the greatest realms in the domain's eastern territories. It controlled hundreds of millions of miles of land and three thousand subordinate minor realms. Its ruler, the Profound Yellow Realm Lord, was a veteran powerhouse who had cultivated for ten million epochs. His cultivation had reached the peak of the Heaven Domain Realm Lord realm, only one step from the Venerable realm. His fearsome reputation resounded throughout the eastern territories, and no one dared provoke him.
At that moment, the atmosphere within the Profound Yellow Celestial Palace at the realm's heart was unbearably heavy.
The Profound Yellow Realm Lord sat upon the supreme dragon throne in a black-and-yellow imperial robe, his face imposing. Divine light burst forth as his eyes opened and closed, while his Realm Lord pressure spread around him, making the entire palace tremble slightly. Dozens of the realm's senior figures stood below, all possessing Realm Lord-level combat strength, yet every one of them lowered their head and held their breath, not daring even to breathe heavily.
"Realm Lord," an elder in azure robes said with a bow, his voice carrying a trace of trembling, "according to our scouts' reports, disturbances occurred along the Chaos Heavenly Road at the domain's edge. The Beyond-Heaven Stone Gate opened, and an unknown powerhouse entered our Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain from the direction of the chaotic heavens!"
"An unknown powerhouse?" The Profound Yellow Realm Lord frowned, displeasure entering his voice. "Merely an ant that crawled up from the lower heavens, yet he dares run wild in our Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain? Pass down my orders. Ignore him. If he dares enter my Profound Yellow Realm's territory, simply erase him!"
In the Profound Yellow Realm Lord's eyes, the myriad worlds and the lands of chaos were all impoverished lower realms. However strong the cultivators emerging from them might be, they could only reach the Heavenly Venerable level. Before a peak Realm Lord like him, they could not withstand a single blow.
"Realm Lord, absolutely not!" the azure-robed elder hurriedly protested, his face deathly pale. "That powerhouse is no ordinary lower-realm cultivator! Our scouts saw it themselves: wherever he passed, the rules of heaven and earth bowed, and auspicious beasts knelt. Even our Realm Lord stationed at the border lacked the courage to raise a hand before him. An invisible will forced him to his knees, unable to rise!"
"Oh? Such a thing happened?"
A flicker of surprise crossed the Profound Yellow Realm Lord's eyes, and the pressure surrounding him abruptly withdrew.
Someone who could leave his subordinate Realm Lord utterly powerless to resist had to possess combat strength at least equal to his own-a peak Realm Lord. He might even be... a Venerable!
If a Venerable had arrived, the Profound Yellow Realm Lord had no standing to oppose him.
"Investigate! Find out that powerhouse's identity, origins, and purpose immediately!" the Profound Yellow Realm Lord ordered gravely. "If he is merely passing through, treat him courteously and do not provoke him. If he harbors ill intentions and seeks to lay his hands on my territory, I do not mind teaching him that the Realm Lords of the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain are not for lower-realm ants to challenge!"
"Yes!"
Everyone below answered in unison, immediately turning to gather information.
The Profound Yellow Realm Lord rose and looked toward the domain's edge, a trace of apprehension and ambition flashing through his eyes.
If he could win over a Venerable-level powerhouse, his Profound Yellow Realm could leap into first place among the eastern realms. If he could not, he had to annihilate the newcomer before he gained a firm foothold, eliminating future trouble!
Having lived for ten million epochs, he had maintained his position as the Profound Yellow Realm Lord through more than strength alone. He also relied on ruthlessness and decisiveness.
Lin Chen walked across the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain. The scenery along the way was extraordinarily magnificent, yet it never stirred his interest. His divine sense swept across countless domain cultivators cultivating, fighting, and seeking treasures. He saw the open struggles and hidden intrigues between the great realms, and Realm Lord-level powerhouses presiding over their territories, their might bearing down upon the world.
Those powerhouses who summoned wind and rain within the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain were still ants in his eyes.
So what if they were Realm Lords? So what if they were Venerables?
Before the invincible foundation he had accumulated through a hundred thousand years of signing in, they were merely dust he could destroy with a wave.
Just as Lin Chen reached the border between the Profound Yellow Realm and the central domain, the void ahead abruptly twisted. Dozens of figures appeared out of nowhere, blocking his path.
Their leader was none other than the Profound Yellow Realm Lord!
Black-and-yellow light surrounded the Profound Yellow Realm Lord. He unleashed his peak Realm Lord presence without reservation, forming a gigantic black-and-yellow hand that enveloped the surrounding void and completely sealed the space around Lin Chen. The dozens of Realm Lords behind him also unleashed their combat strength, surrounding Lin Chen and staring at him coldly.
"Are you the one who entered our Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain from the lower heavens?"
The Profound Yellow Realm Lord's voice boomed like a heavenly drum, shattering the surrounding void in waves. His tone brimmed with lofty arrogance and scrutiny.
He examined Lin Chen carefully. Lin Chen wore plain white robes, his features handsome and his expression calm. Not a trace of his presence leaked out. He looked like an ordinary mortal, showing none of a powerhouse's bearing.
No fluctuations of realm power, no circulating Dao resonance. An unknown nobody from the lower realms, just as I thought. The Profound Yellow Realm Lord sneered inwardly, his earlier apprehension vanishing without a trace. Putting on a mysterious act-does he think a few petty tricks will let him run rampant in our Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain?
Lin Chen calmly swept his gaze over those before him without speaking, a faint trace of impatience in his eyes.
Noisy roadblocks.
"I am the Profound Yellow Realm Lord, ruler of hundreds of millions of miles of eastern territory!" Seeing Lin Chen remain silent, the Profound Yellow Realm Lord assumed he was frightened, and his tone grew more arrogant. "Considering how difficult cultivation is, and how climbing up from the lower realms is harder still than ascending the heavens, I will offer you a way to live-kneel, submit to me, and become my slave. Then I will spare your life and permit you to cultivate within the Profound Yellow Realm!"
"If you dare utter so much as half a refusal, today will be the day you die!"
At those words, everyone behind the Profound Yellow Realm Lord revealed mocking smiles.
To them, a lower-realm cultivator like Lin Chen receiving the Profound Yellow Realm Lord's protection was already an immense fortuitous opportunity. He would surely kneel and submit at once.
Yet Lin Chen merely raised his eyes slowly, rested his gaze upon the Profound Yellow Realm Lord, and uttered two words indifferently:
"Move aside."
His voice was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.
Hm?
The Profound Yellow Realm Lord's face darkened, anger flashing through his eyes.
A lower-realm ant actually dared disobey his command and tell him to move aside?
He was simply courting death!
"An ungrateful wretch!" the Profound Yellow Realm Lord roared, his black-and-yellow realm power surging. "Since you refuse to submit, I will kill you myself, extract your soul, and refine your origin. Then you will know the consequences of challenging me!"
As his words fell, the Profound Yellow Realm Lord raised his hand and struck with his palm!
He used seventy percent of his realm power in that strike, incorporating the Profound Yellow Realm's rules of heaven and earth. Its boundless might could shatter an ordinary Realm Lord with one blow. Even a peak Realm Lord of his own level would not dare meet it head-on lightly!
The enormous black-and-yellow palm print blotted out the sky and sun, slamming down upon Lin Chen with a presence that could destroy everything!
Where its winds passed, the void shattered and the earth collapsed. Even the sturdy Principles of the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain were torn with cracks!
Cruel smiles appeared on the faces of those behind the Profound Yellow Realm Lord, as though they could already see Lin Chen being smashed into pulp.
Yet Lin Chen still stood quietly in place, without moving a single step.
Watching the descending palm print with indifferent eyes, he slowly raised one finger.
There was no earth-shaking Divine Ability, no dazzling divine light, not even the slightest fluctuation of realm power.
He merely pointed gently.
"Break."
That single softly spoken word resounded through the void.
The next second!
Boom-!!!
The black-and-yellow palm print, unleashed with seventy percent of the Profound Yellow Realm Lord's strength, was like paper before Lin Chen's finger. It instantly shattered into a skyful of light, dissipating into nothing!
Crack-!
A crisp shattering sound rang out.
The Profound Yellow Realm Lord's expression changed drastically. He felt an irresistible force strike along the fingertip, and his entire arm instantly split apart. His realm power fell into disorder, and even his soul suffered a violent impact!
"Pfft-!"
The Profound Yellow Realm Lord spat golden realm blood. Like a kite with its string severed, he flew backward for trillions of miles and smashed into the distant ground, creating an enormous crater ten thousand miles across. Every bone in his body shattered, and his black-and-yellow imperial robe hung in tatters. He was utterly wretched!
One move!
Just one move!
The Profound Yellow Realm Lord was defeated!
The sight instantly froze the dozens of Realm Lords behind him in place, their faces filled with horror and their minds completely blank!
Their invincible Realm Lord, a supreme powerhouse of the eastern territories, had actually been defeated by a white-robed youth with one finger?!
How was that possible!
"R-Realm Lord!"
Recovering their senses, they hurriedly flew toward the crater to help the Profound Yellow Realm Lord up, only to be repelled by the invisible will emanating from within. They could not get close at all.
Inside the crater, the Profound Yellow Realm Lord struggled upright and stared at Lin Chen in disbelief, his eyes filled with fear and unwillingness.
"Y-you... who exactly are you?!"
"I am the Profound Yellow Realm Lord, with peak Realm Lord cultivation! How could you defeat me with one finger?!"
He could not accept this reality.
He had cultivated bitterly for ten million epochs to reach the peak Realm Lord realm and roamed the eastern territories unchecked. Now, a seemingly ordinary white-robed youth had defeated him with one finger. To him, it was an immense humiliation!
Lin Chen did not answer his questions. He lifted his feet and slowly walked toward the crater.
With every step, the surrounding space automatically froze, and the Profound Yellow Realm's rules of heaven and earth trembled madly, as though welcoming the arrival of a supreme monarch.
"Y-you... don't come any closer!"
Sensing the increasingly terrifying invincible will emanating from Lin Chen, the Profound Yellow Realm Lord shook all over in fright. None of his Realm Lord majesty remained. Like a startled ant, he retreated repeatedly.
He finally understood that he had provoked an existence he should never have provoked.
This white-robed youth was no ordinary powerhouse, but a supreme existence... beyond the Venerable realm!
A supreme existence he was not even qualified to look up to!
"Spare me! Senior, spare me!"
The Profound Yellow Realm Lord completely broke down, no longer daring to entertain the slightest resistance. He fell to his knees with a thud, pressed his head to the ground, and kowtowed frantically for mercy. "This junior had eyes but could not see and offended you, Senior. I know my mistake! Please show mercy and spare my life! I am willing to offer the Profound Yellow Realm with both hands and serve as your slave for eternity, attending at your side!"
Not a trace of the Profound Yellow Realm Lord's earlier arrogance and insolence remained. All that was left was endless fear and abasement.
Before absolute invincibility, dignity, status, and strength were all meaningless.
Lin Chen reached the crater's edge and calmly regarded the kneeling Profound Yellow Realm Lord. "Noisy. An eyesore."
Those simple words were like a death sentence from the god of death.
The Profound Yellow Realm Lord shuddered, terrified beyond measure. He tried to beg for mercy, only to discover that he could not make a sound. The space around him was completely sealed, and even his soul could not move.
Lin Chen's gaze cooled slightly. Without the slightest mercy, he slowly raised his right hand.
He was going to annihilate this Profound Yellow Realm Lord, who knew neither heaven's height nor earth's depth, with one finger and clear away the ant blocking his path.
Just then!
Several incomparably terrifying presences abruptly descended from the distant sky, arriving at the scene in an instant with extreme speed!
In the lead were three elders wearing magnificent Daoist robes. Their presences were boundless, far surpassing the Profound Yellow Realm Lord's. They were the other three peak Realm Lords of the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain's eastern territories, existences of the same level as him!
Behind them followed an elder with archaic features whose presence blended with the domain itself. He lacked a Realm Lord's domineering manner, yet possessed an authority transcending worldly affairs. He was the eastern territories' only Heaven Domain Venerable-the Eastern Domain Venerable!
The Eastern Domain Venerable was the supreme ruler of the eastern territories. His cultivation had reached the early Venerable realm, transcending Realm Lords. He held power over life and death throughout the eastern territories, an existence before whom every Realm Lord had to bow!
The four powerhouses descended and instantly surrounded the scene.
"Stop!"
The Eastern Domain Venerable spoke, his vast voice carrying a Venerable's supreme authority as he attempted to stop Lin Chen.
His gaze settled on Lin Chen, a trace of gravity flashing through his eyes. "Senior, the Profound Yellow Realm Lord offended you out of ignorance. I hope you will spare his life for this old man's sake. The Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain has its own rules. Though you are powerful, Senior, you cannot casually slaughter the lord of a realm!"
The Eastern Domain Venerable could sense how terrifying Lin Chen was, but as the eastern territories' Venerable, he had to uphold their order. He could not simply watch the Profound Yellow Realm Lord be erased.
The other three peak Realm Lords also released their presences, standing alongside the Eastern Domain Venerable and watching Lin Chen warily.
In their view, however powerful Lin Chen might be, he would surely feel some apprehension when facing a Venerable and three peak Realm Lords.
Seeing the Eastern Domain Venerable and the others arrive, hope instantly kindled in the Profound Yellow Realm Lord's eyes. He hurriedly cried out, "Venerable, save me! Senior, save me! This man slaughters the innocent and disregards the domain's rules! Please uphold justice for me, Venerable!"
Lin Chen swept his gaze over the newly arrived Eastern Domain Venerable and the others. His eyes remained calm, without the slightest ripple.
One Venerable and three Realm Lords were merely four slightly larger ants in his eyes.
"Rules?" Lin Chen said indifferently, a trace of disdain in his voice. "Before me, I am the rules."
"Those who block my path die."
As his words fell, Lin Chen hesitated no longer and gently pressed down with his right hand!
There was no Divine Ability and no realm power. Only an invincible will born of a hundred thousand years of signing in erupted instantly!
Hum-!
That will transcended the domain, transcended eternity, transcended everything!
The Eastern Domain Venerable and the three peak Realm Lords instantly turned deathly pale, their bodies rigid. As though pinned beneath invisible mountains, they lacked even the strength to raise their hands and fell straight to their knees. Their souls trembled violently, nearly shattering outright!
The Venerable cultivation and Realm Lord combat strength they took such pride in were like paper before that will, unable to withstand a single blow!
The Profound Yellow Realm Lord could not even scream. That will crushed his body directly into a cloud of blood mist, annihilating his soul and making him disappear completely from heaven and earth!
A peak Realm Lord powerhouse had fallen just like that!
An instant kill!
A Realm Lord annihilated with one finger, a Venerable crushed by will!
The sight plunged the Eastern Domain Venerable and the other three Realm Lords into utter despair. They trembled all over, lacking even the courage to raise their heads.
They finally understood that this white-robed youth was not an existence they could oppose at all.
His strength had long since exceeded the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain's understanding. He was a truly invincible supreme being!
"S-Senior, spare us!"
The Eastern Domain Venerable knelt with his head pressed to the ground, his voice trembling with utmost reverence. "This junior knew neither heaven's height nor earth's depth and offended you, Senior. I know my mistake! Everything in the eastern territories is yours to dispose of. I would never dare voice the slightest objection!"
The other three Realm Lords also hurriedly kowtowed for mercy, not daring to make the slightest other move.
Lin Chen swept his gaze over the four kneeling figures without the slightest interest. "Scram."
That single word was like an imperial decree.
As though granted a great pardon, the Eastern Domain Venerable and the other three scrambled to their feet. Not daring to linger, they transformed into four streaks of light and instantly vanished beyond the distant horizon, never daring to appear before Lin Chen again.
Having dealt with these nuisances, Lin Chen withdrew his gaze and continued slowly toward the domain's center.
News of the Profound Yellow Realm Lord's fall and the Eastern Domain Venerable's crushing defeat seemed to grow wings, instantly spreading throughout the entire Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain!
Every Realm Lord and Venerable in the eastern territories fell silent as cicadas in winter. They issued orders sealing their territories, strictly forbidding anyone from provoking the white-robed supreme being who had come from the lower realms.
Powerhouses in the central, western, southern, and northern territories were also alarmed. Countless Realm Lords and Venerables emerged from seclusion and looked toward the eastern territories, their hearts filled with awe and fear.
They knew that the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain had welcomed a truly invincible sovereign.
This white-robed supreme being had signed in for a hundred thousand years and emerged invincible. The heavens bowed, and chaos submitted. Now that he had entered the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain, he would surely sweep aside everything and take command of it as well!
Lin Chen continued onward, and no force dared block him again.
The Realm Lords of every great realm along his route personally emerged from seclusion and knelt at their territorial borders to welcome him respectfully, offering their realms' supreme treasures and asking only that he not hold them at fault.
Yet Lin Chen did not spare them a glance. Those so-called supreme domain treasures were worth less than dust in his eyes.
He walked through the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain like a monarch inspecting his lands, the myriad realms paying homage and every powerhouse bowing.
After traveling for an unknown length of time, Lin Chen finally reached the very center of the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain-the Heavenly Domain Divine Hall!
The Heavenly Domain Divine Hall was the supreme sacred ground of the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain, the seat of every Heavenly Domain Supreme throughout the ages, and the heart of the entire Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain. Within the hall, the origin of the Heavenly Domain was enshrined, governing the workings of the laws throughout the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain.
Before the hall, ninety-nine heavenly steps soared into the clouds. Beneath them, every Venerable and World Lord of the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain knelt on the ground, packed together in countless numbers. All bowed their heads, respectfully awaiting Lin Chen's arrival.
They had received word that this invincible Supreme was about to arrive at the Heavenly Domain Divine Hall.
His white robes fluttering, Lin Chen stepped onto the ninety-nine heavenly steps.
The heavenly steps automatically burst with boundless divine light, respectfully welcoming the Supreme's arrival.
Step by step, he reached the top of the heavenly steps and arrived before the doors of the Heavenly Domain Divine Hall.
The great doors of the hall slowly opened on their own.
The supreme presence of the Heavenly Domain's origin washed over him.
Lin Chen raised his eyes and looked into the depths of the hall.
There floated a crystalline, translucent orb of light-the very core of the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain, the Heavenly Domain Origin Pearl!
Whoever controlled the Heavenly Domain Origin Pearl would control the entire Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain and become the Heavenly Domain Supreme, eternal and undying!
This supreme treasure, which countless mighty figures of the Heavenly Domain yearned for even in their dreams, remained a useless object in Lin Chen's eyes.
With a light sweep of his divine sense, the Heavenly Domain Origin Pearl flew into his hand on its own.
There was no resistance, no unusual movement, as though it had belonged to him from birth.
Holding the Heavenly Domain Origin Pearl, Lin Chen neither refined nor absorbed it. He merely tossed it casually, returning it to the depths of the hall.
He did not need to control the Heavenly Domain or become its Supreme.
For he himself was eternity, was invincibility, was supremacy!
Lin Chen turned and stood atop the Heavenly Domain Divine Hall, his gaze sweeping across the entire Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain.
His white robes snapped in the wind, his will reaching the heavens.
At that moment, every living being in the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain fell to their knees and cried out respectfully:
"We pay our respects to the Heavenly Domain Supreme!"
"Our emperor is eternal, invincible throughout all heavens!"
Their voices resounded throughout the Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain, echoing through all heavens and chaos, eternal and undying!
Lin Chen stood quietly atop the hall, gazing out over the vast Heaven Beyond Heaven Domain, a faint smile touching his lips.
He was already invincible throughout all heavens; even chaos bowed its head, and the entire Heavenly Domain declared its submission.
After signing in for a hundred thousand years, he emerged into the world invincible.
In this world, he no longer had an opponent.
And the legend of his invincibility would be passed down forever throughout all heavens, chaos, and the Heavenly Domain, until the very end of eternity!