Passing through that dense darkness, the entire Abyss of Abyss of Nothingness was finally revealed before our eyes.
There were no stars, no meteorites, and not even the concept of space. There was only pure "nothingness" here, where even light could not penetrate. If Xiao Yan had not used the Power of Order from the Seed of Creation to create a domain, the entire fleet would have been assimilated into the void in an instant.
At the heart of this "nothingness," a colossal gray portal stands silently. It is over a thousand feet tall, without a frame or lock, as if it were merely a tear in the boundary between "existence" and "nothingness." Dark patterns, deeper than the Nothingness Shadow, flow across the portal. Upon closer inspection, they appear to be countless miniature "nothingness" characters constantly vanishing and being reborn.
"This is... the Gate of Nothingness." Xiao Yan's voice echoed within the domain, trembling slightly. He could feel an indescribable suction force emanating from behind the gate, as if trying to pull his soul into that eternal nothingness.
The fleet stopped a hundred feet from the portal, and the cultivators were on high alert, even their breathing became much softer. Just then, the Gate of Nothingness slowly opened, revealing nothing but absolute darkness behind it, from which three figures emerged.
The figure resembled a human, yet it was entirely composed of gray mist, its features indistinct, and it exuded an aura of nothingness identical to that of the portal. They did not release any pressure, yet they instilled in everyone a fear that originated from the soul—as if they were facing not living beings, but "non-existence" itself.
"The bearer of the Seed of Creation," the central figure spoke, his voice like countless tiny air currents rubbing together, resonating directly in everyone's minds, "We've been waiting for you for a long time."
Xiao Yan stepped forward, holding the Heaven Burning Sword horizontally in front of him. "Who are you? Why are you searching for the Seed of Creation?"
"We are messengers of the ' Lord of Nothingness '," the figure on the left replied. " The Seed of Creation is the ultimate of 'Existence,' while Nothingness is the origin of 'Nothingness.' At the beginning of the universe, 'Existence' and 'Nothingness' were one, but they were forcibly separated due to the Creator's selfishness, leaving an eternal flaw."
"Vulnerability?"
"Yes," the figure on the right continued, "'Existence' makes 'non-existence' no longer pure, just as light gives darkness boundaries. Only by filling the void of 'non-existence' with the 'existence' of the Seed of Creation can we return to the universe's most perfect initial state."
"Initial state?" Xiao Yan sneered. "Your so-called perfection is to reduce All Heavens and Myriad Realms to nothingness, to reduce all existence to nothingness?"
"Existence itself is an illusion," the figure in the middle said calmly. "Only nothingness is eternal."
As soon as the words were spoken, the three figures raised their hands simultaneously, and endless darkness surged out from behind the Gate of Nothingness, transforming into countless sharp claws that grabbed at the fleet. This time, the Power of Nothingness was a hundred times stronger than the previous Nothingness Shadow. Wherever it passed, the domain that Xiao Yan had created with the Power of Order trembled violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.
"Protect the fleet!" Xiao Yan roared, activating the power of all three Seed of Creation. Emerald Power of Life flowed into the cultivators' bodies, repairing the laws eroded by the void; gray-white Power of Balance harmonized the fluctuations of the domain, resisting the all-consuming suction force; and silver-white Power of Order transformed into an indestructible barrier, blocking the fleet's path.
"Boom--!"
The Void Claws slammed into the barrier, producing a deafening roar. The barrier twisted violently, and countless runes were annihilated in the impact, but ultimately it did not shatter, supported by the three Seed of Creation.
" The Power of Order can indeed temporarily resist the void." The messenger in the middle spoke with a hint of surprise, "But it's all in vain. 'Existence' will eventually return to 'non-existence,' just as the tide will eventually recede."
He suddenly waved his hand, and an even greater force surged out from the Gate of Nothingness. This force was no longer in the shape of claws, but transformed into a gray torrent that rushed towards the weak point of the barrier.
"Not good!" Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically. He could feel that the energy of the barrier was leaking away at an alarming rate, and the light of the Seed of Creation had dimmed a bit.
At this critical moment, the three Seed of Creation within the Heart of the Flame Realm suddenly began to pulsate violently, and an ancient yet clear thought surged into his sea of consciousness—
"'Existence' arises from 'non-existence,' and 'non-existence' gives birth to 'existence.' This is not an opposition, but a cycle..."
This is the voice of the Creator!
Xiao Yan instantly realized that he had been going in the wrong direction all along. The Power of Order was not meant to fight against nothingness, but rather to embrace and guide it, just like the Law of Chaos!
"Everyone, withdraw your laws!" he shouted, dispelling the barrier of order in front of him.
Although the cultivators were puzzled, they did as instructed out of trust in Xiao Yan. Without the barrier to stop it, the gray torrent surged forward instantly, but as it approached the fleet, it was guided by an invisible force and changed direction, flowing along the Abyss of Nothingness on both sides of the fleet.
That was the " Circulation Array " that Xiao Yan set up around the fleet, using the Law of Chaos as a guide and combining it with the power of the Seed of Creation. Within the array, order and nothingness no longer clashed, but instead circled each other like Yin Yang Twin Fish, transforming into one another and forming a wondrous balance.
"This is impossible!" the three messengers roared in shock and anger at the same time. They had never imagined that anyone could make "existence" and "non-existence" coexist peacefully.
Xiao Yan looked at them, his eyes flashing with enlightenment. "What you call 'loopholes' are actually the truth of the universe. There is no absolute 'existence,' nor pure 'non-existence,' just as there is no eternal light, nor endless darkness. True perfection is balance, is cyclicality."
He raised the Heaven Burning Sword, its blade no longer only adorned with golden flames, but also swirling with wisps of gray energy—guided Power of Nothingness.
"The power of the Seed of Creation is not to fill nothingness, but to prove that 'being' and 'non-being' can coexist."
As soon as he finished speaking, he unleashed a sword strike. The gray-gold sword light, like a bridge connecting "existence" and "non-existence," flew towards the Gate of Nothingness. This sword strike had no destructive power, but it carried an irresistible will of "existence," crashing heavily into the gate.
The Gate of Nothingness trembled violently, and the dark patterns on the gate began to become disordered. The "nothingness" characters that were constantly being annihilated and reborn strangely evolved into the form of "existence".
The three messengers let out painful wails, their figures rapidly fading under the impact of this force, as if being pulled back into nothingness.
"You have destroyed the initial perfection... The universe will pay the price for this..."
These were their last words before they disappeared.
As the messenger vanished, the Gate of Nothingness began to slowly close, and the gray torrent that had surged into the Abyss of Nothingness receded. That pure "nothingness" was gradually replaced by faint starlight, and the surrounding space began to recover. Several new stars even quietly emerged in the distance.
Xiao Yan stood on the bridge, gazing at the closed Gate of Nothingness, and let out a long sigh. He could feel that the Seed of Creation within the Heart of the Flame Realm had become more rounded, and the balance between "existence" and "non-existence" was deeply imprinted in his laws.
"We... won?" Qing He asked in disbelief.
"I guess so," Xiao Yan smiled. "At least for now, they won't bother us anymore."
He knew that the Lord of Nothingness had not truly given up, and this contest between "being" and "non-being" might have only just begun. But he was no longer afraid, because he had come to understand that protection was not only about confrontation; sometimes, tolerance and balance were the most powerful forces.
The fleet changed course and headed back towards the All-Heavens Hub. The starships' lights traced a warm path across the gradually recovering sea of stars, like a link between the past and the future.
Xiao Yan leaned against the porthole, looking at the newly formed stars outside, a relieved smile appearing on his lips.
The road ahead is long, but as long as the light in your heart never goes out, you will never lose your way.